1718tricentennial
About the process of writing and e-publishing a popular history book and web site and all attendant digital paraphenalia
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07/26/10
July 26, 2010
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 3:31 pm

It’s been an interesting weekend. First we had a tropical storm coming right at us. Then we didn’t, the storm fizzled out, but not before it knocked out our phone service (read “Internet”). I am posting this from a Wi-Fi enabled coffeehouse. But, with no Internet, we were able to do a lot of web site building and writing.

I was able to add the info on French colonial policy to the book notes, Beth has begun editing one of her books for e-publication. Before the ‘Net went out, we were able to get a lot of research done for the initial publication of our books directly on our own website. We have now put in place the necessary software to create e-books and then offer them for sale ourselves. The thinking is that when we begin to see significant sales numbers, we then have a good case to put before commercial publishers.

The new web site is coming along as well, I am trying to get a home page up before too long.

Our next challenge as we begin to make copies of our works available on our website, will be the technical end of marketing, promotion, pricing, payment processing, etc. Meanwhile, production on the actual book content becomes ever more important. I am also going to begin to promote this blog, which is yet another skill subset.

Now, back to the book project. This week I have to do:

• The Phelypeaux (Pontchartrain) family
• outline the “colonial women” essay
• refine, promote & upgrade the blog
• tech work on website “site structure”
• the “1718” book web pages

See you next time.

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07/20/10
July 20, 2010
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 8:54 am

To begin today, I want to thank those friends and colleagues who took the time to check out this blog. I truly appreciate it. A blog is only as good as its readers. And this one has very good readers.

This week I have set myself three tasks: (1) I am still working the “websites with Flash” textbook, even as I create the “1718” web pages. (2) the research and writing is focused on Louis XIV’s colonial policy (hint: he didn’t have one), and (3) also this week, I am working on the Fellowship grant narrative for the NEH.

As I sat here this morning wondering whether or not to write about how, as all writers, I need an income, I just got an order from alibris for an antiquarian book that I had for sale. It sold for a tidy sum, too. It’s always good to be encouraged.

I am finding loads of books/colonial resources on Googlebooks. Today, I’ve located several sources on colonial New orleans women.

See you next time.

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07/15/10
July 15, 2010
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 4:24 pm

Spent yesterday celebrating Bastille Day – Vive La France !, Vive Libertie, Egalite, Franternitie !

Well, works proceeds well. Yesterday, I spent about 4 hours creating the 1718 portal page. Most of the time was spent on the lame dial-up downloading pictures to photoshop into backgrounds for the web project. The actual web page only took a few minutes in GoLive to create, once all the elements were in place. It still needs some editing, but it should be up in a few days.

Today, I spent in the city doing library work at Loyola, gathering data, and putting more infrastructure into place – getting OKed for Loyola’s WiFi—. I got a few more leads from bibliographies. I need to get an overview of Louis XIV’s colonial policy – or lack thereof – to serve as a literary envelope for France’s continued mismanagement of Louisiana. I tell you if it wasn’t for Bienville everything French about Louisiana would be either Spanish or British. And we would be just another American city on a river!

Anybody have any leads on the feminine side of the colony. I’m getting bits and pieces, but I need to get a lot more info on the Ursulines, the casket girls, the quadroons,and those “other” women who came to the city in it’s infancy.

See you next time.

1 comment
07/13/10
July, 13, 2010
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 9:32 am

Today provides a status report. the composition of the book, “1718: A TriCentennial Memorandum” continues apace. The first draft of the the segment about the actual founding of the city is finished. Today’s composition concentrated on the local Indian nations and groups around New Orleans in 1718. To date, I have registered two new domains on the web for the 1718 project.

www.1718neworleans.com will be the academic portion of the project, including the book, the e book, and information on the planned teacher workshops. Also included are links to various academic resources, research centers, and museums. This website is under construction.

www.1718company.com will be the commercial portion of the project and will include the shopping cart and the travel service. This is still an idea as of now, not a reality.

See you next time.

1 comment
07/12/10
Here We GO !
Filed under: General
Posted by: @ 6:54 am

You know, I’ve been around technology and IT since the 70’s. I’ve been an Internet geek since 1994. Yet, I could never figure out what to do with a blog. In lots of ways I’m still a very traditional guy. Now in the closing decade of a career that was built on History and the Macintosh computing platform, I have arrived at the moment of convergence. Here and now, all the important things and concepts of my professional life have become one.

Now that I have figured out what to do with a blog, this one will be used to chronicle the creation of and the continued existence of a long awaited project. This past May, as the current phase of my academic life was closing, I decided to use the time granted to me this summer (and beyond ???) to write a book that had been in the back of my mind for several years. In 8 years, my native city will be 300 years old. To prepare for, and - frankly - take advantage of, that upcoming event I began research on a book about the founding of the New Orleans. That research became the genesis of ever growing project that has the potential to overcome everything else I will do for the next decade.

The book and research, which I have tentatively titled, “1718: A TriCentennial Memorandum”, has spooled out into various grant applications, potential educational and schoolteacher workshops, a specialized travel service, as well as a new website, incipient Facebook marketing and presence, e-publishing, and - to date - this blog.

(One nice thing about a blog that I just noticed is that I do not have to say everything I want to say now, as I see this blog becoming part of my morning routine).

I want to close this entry with some gratitude to everyone who was instrumental in the founding of this new lifestyle. First to Beth, my ever-loving wife and partner, who has never doubted and always encouraged my hare-brained follies, foibles, and most importantly my successes, including this one. Next, thanks must go to my extended family. I grew up in a large family group of aunts, uncles, and cousins where, at Bar-B-Q’s, reunions, and holiday gatherings, at weddings and funerals, we were more inclined to sit around with a Dixie in hand and discuss family history, local and US history, and beyond as likely as any discussion of business and sports. You could say I absorbed more history and local lore in Daddy’s barroom and these family events than any academic course I ever took. Next, my students over these past many years, for listening to me - mostly - ramble and rant on all matters historical and technological. Especially I want to thank the ACHS Class of 2012, who challenged me to get on Facebook - to keep in touch - and further converged the more modern aspects of Internet life into my old fashioned ideas of books and websites.

See you next time.

2 comments