Stew Ross, Author at Stew Ross Discovers

the french revolution had many positive outcomes — LPLT / Wikimedia Commons (2010)

So many books, articles, and journals have been written on the French Revolution, and I’m not too sure there’s any stone left to be overturned. Every point of view concerning the impact of the Revolution has been covered (at least from what I’ve read).

What about some of the tangible items that came out of the Revolution that are still around? There has to be some positive outcomes that originated in those wonderful years we know as the French Revolution. Surprisingly, there are and many of them seem like natural outcomes but several may not.

First of all, probably the most significant and the one having the most impact not only on France but the rest of the world is the internationally accepted Metric System. Prior to the Revolution, every country had its own standard for measurement. During the Revolution, many traditional forms of measurement were replaced (e.g., the calendar). Today, you can see one of the two remaining meter standards at 36, rue de Vaurigard in Paris. These were placed around Paris so people could get used to the new system of measurement: the meter was considered the universal standard. Read More Beyond the Guillotine: Positive Outcomes from the French Revolution

Do Authors Make Money?

I was having a cup of coffee with a woman who owned a public relations firm in Nashville. She specialized in handling authors with the marketing of their books. So I asked her, “How do authors make any money on their book?”

She answered, “They don’t, at least not until the third or fourth book.”

Huh?

She went on to explain that the economics turn positive when a self-publishing author writes a series of books as opposed to a “one and done” book. As the author builds their audience (or tribe) over a period of 18 to 24 months, he will have probably written his first two books. By the time the third book is written and published, the audience is there, and they begin to buy the third book. If they like it, they will go back and buy book numbers one and two. She said this is when the author begins to make money.

Photo by Scmagnetismo (2008). Wikimedia Commons

So I have this series of three walking tour books in Paris planned for publication over the next two years: Where Did They Put the Guillotine?—French Revolution (1789–1794), Where Did They Burn the Last Grandmaster of the Knights Templar?—Medieval Paris (987–1547), and Where Did They Put the Gestapo Headquarters?—Nazi-occupied Paris (1940–1944). Keeping in mind what my friend the PR lady said, what is the sequence I should pursue as far as writing and publishing these three books (keep in mind, it’s really four books as the French Revolution turned into two separate books/volumes).

Author: Stew Ross

Beyond the Guillotine: Positive Outcomes from the French Revolution

The Eyebrow Effect

Do Authors Make Money?

The Eyebrow Effect