However, maybe a better method than publishing the book is to publish short 25-50 page guides on different financial topics for say around $15/each and package several of them into packages. (i.e. getting started with personal finances, beginning investors, etc). I would make these PDF downloads only though.

You’ve mentioned buying a late model Lexus. Why? So you can give the illusion of wealth? Even though you’ve supposedly learned your lesson about such things? Seriously, just buy a Toyota. It’s the same thing.

Buying a late-model Lexus, for me, is a fun pipe dream, nothing anywhere close to reality – I think you got the wrong idea somewhere. I likely wouldn’t buy one even if I had a million in the bank, but I will say I’ve driven one and the experience was quite enjoyable. It’s a fun thing to think about, much like my vision of having a lake house.

I love your blog but I’m not sure I would learn enough to justify buying a book – your blog more reinforces things I already believe, if you know what I mean? Also, these days of Amazon means $25 is a very high price for a book, I’d try to shorten it significantly and drop the price to under $15. I think you have a lot of great information to share with the world and I think you writing a book is a great idea, just maybe the steady readers of your blog aren’t the target market? more like the people who *should* be reading your blog but aren’t! (or the occasional readers) I hope that helps.

Ask yourself this – do you see Bob Kiyosaki or David Bach or any of those folks having the courage to write in an open forum and allow people to freely comment and disagree with them? No, you don’t

Yes you are right, I have not been able to locate their blogs with visitors commentary.

I was amused by what you said about the “courage” part.

If I recall correctly, Robert Kiyosaki has been on PBS with callers on the show LIVE with questions and comments, has been even in seminars with Donald Trump where attendees were able to ask direct questions and comments.

I don’t know what your defination of courage is but you have to admit, to be able to stand up and talk about his approach in front of millions worldwide is some type of courage.

Second, you wrote

I find this comment basically baffling and somewhat insulting. I could quite easily turn the comments off on this site so I could appear to be some sort of magnificent expert, but with most financial commentary, there ARE differing opinions and I welcome them.

First of all, turning off the comments would indicate two things, that you refuse to grow, and that you do not support the First Amendment. Making such a comment is a sign of unprofessionalism. Do you hear Ted Turner threatening the world to cut them off from CNN or AOL?

I didn’t think so.

Third, as I mentioned before, if you wanted to improve on your skills, create a team. Two heads is better than one. Three head is better than two.

A team might include an agent to shop around, an editor to clean up your work and present it in a professional manner. These two people would help you refocus your book so you can reach your target group.

Plus, cooler heads prevail. For example, the writer may take it personally, the agent won’t, the agent will listen and express the views in a neutral manner, and the editor will listen to your concerns as well as the general view of the publishers and the readers.

You do have a good strong site, just improve each time you read a constructive critique. All you have to do is keep a list of various points brought up and turn that list into a checklist.

For example,

Does my article reflect the everyday American budget?

Does my article seem limited to Iowa? etc..

Stuff like that. Go for it Trent, bust some corn!

-I refuse to take any part in this blogger-turned-author trend. Seriously, can it just stop? Compelling blog entries do not equal great pieces of literature and/or reference.

-I’m not sure that your advice is really aimed towards my demographic. I’m a single, childless woman living in a major metropolitan area. You’re married, with children, living in a cornfield. I really can’t relate sometimes.

-As other people have mentioned, you don’t exactly strike me as an expert. Sorry.

-You contradict yourself sometimes, and it’s annoying. (You’ve mentioned buying a late model Lexus. Why? So you can give the illusion of wealth? Even though you’ve supposedly learned your lesson about such things? Seriously, just buy a Toyota. It’s the same thing.)

However, I might be inclined to buy a separate book that was totally about food, eating frugally, cheap recipes, how to grow things yourself for cheap, etc. That could (in my mind) be considered a “kitchen book.”

Keep up the good work! I link to you in my blog (kimskitchensink.blogspot.com) all the time!!!

1. How new are my ideas for solving the problems of debt that inspired my own journey of financial reconstruction?

2. Is it possible to further satisfy my writing aims and increase my income from the existing blog without self-publishing?

3. The Simple Dollar covers a vast amount of territory. How would I choose a narrower topic on which to focus a book?

My 2 cents is that 650 is too long and indicative of a problem limiting yourself to a deep focus on one area. Also, remember that the younger the reader, the less likely he/she will be to buy a book versus reading blogs. I haven’t read all of your posts, but I can’t detect a unique-to-Trent system for attacking debt and rebuilding a financial life. So partnering or maybe casting your name out there as a reviewer to established finacial magazines might be another way to satisfy what you want to accomplish.

I really enjoy your blog posts, for the variety, and the personal honesty. It’s that interaction between personal posts and commentary that draws my interest into personal finance blogs (I also read Boston Gal’s open wallet, and My Open Wallet), and I can’t imagine how that would translate into a book.

I love your blog, and it’s become a wonderful part of my morning routine. It’s always a welcome reminder – or gentle educator – of little things I can be doing every day to reach my goals.

I don’t buy books for myself; I only borrow from the library. However, I frequently give books as gifts. I do think the shorter version of the book could make an excellent gift for high school grads, college grads, newlyweds, and other people who are “starting out”. If the shorter book was largely fundamentals, interspersed with your wonderful anecdotes, plus ideas on where to look for deeper information, I’d strongly consider it.

Gal

The problem with a 600 page reference book is that, especially in the area of personal finance, that information gets stale fairly quickly, so I’d be unlikely to invest in a written reference. $25 is a pretty expensive book for me; I’ve bought exactly one new book over $20 in the past year, and that was McGee’s On Food and Cooking, you’d have to convince me your book was going to be roughly that valuable, which is a very high standard to meet.

Rather than trying to write a book that includes everything you’ve talked about on this site, I think it would make much more sense to take a theme for which you have a particularly compelling perspective (like combining frugality with green living, the intersection of personal productivity and personal finance, or financial advice for twentysomethings) and expanding that content into a 150-200 page small book. I suspect you might have a lot more luck interesting a publisher in something more focused, and I as a reader would be much likelier to pick up a shorter, smaller book.