Where to get the Book of Boff published?

I don't like Austerity Housekeeping as a title. It puts me off through being too depressing-sounding.

you want your housekeeping to be financially- and chronologically efficient not just because you haven't got much of either but also because it is an index of how brilliant you are it. It's more flattering to the reader and less moany.

Boffin, I love your blog!!

I want a book on housekeeping that is a reference book. So that when I ask myself questions about how to tackle housekeeping tasks about which I am inexperienced, I can get a short, well-presented argument on the different viable scenarii I could contemplate that will enable me to make a rapid, informed decision about how to proceed in own particular circumstances.

I am pondering how it would be presented as a book that your dh or MIL could give you for Xmas without you thinking 'Oh fuck off!'

I think it comes down to aspiration: Nigella's Domestic Goddess book sold because it sold the dream of 'you too can be a domestic goddess.'

maybe you need to think about the aspirational figure that this book is promising you can become - who is the person we all secretly want to be that this book will turn us into?

this issue relates to the feminism one because the whole point about this figure is that s/he is not a giggly Boden embellished cardigan wearing cupcake baker; s/he is a busy, competent, leader, a decision maker and organiser at home and possibly at work too. S/he is balanced, calm and fulfilled. (Flora Poste.) S/he may well be a feminist but this is not her key attribute; you have to package it in a way that will not put off feminists but my hunch is that by aiming it too directly that way you will make it too niche.

when your MIL gives you the book for Xmas you have to not think 'oi, are you telling me I don't keep my house clean?', you have to think 'Ah, the Rational Housekeeper, [or whatever], ah yes, that sounds like me, I am very rational.'

"Sad", but helpful. And talks up to the reader, to boot.

Were I to write a book on housekeeping, I would have chapters with titles like "Make or Buy: an analysis of outsourcing", where I would reach conclusions about the housekeeping tasks that can (eg ironing) and cannot (eg cooking) be outsourced without impacting family ties.

hahaha
My feminist housekeeping angle is not liking it, and wanting it to be as easy as possible. An "analytical" approach, as Bonsoir says, is also inherently feminist, as it makes it a strategic exercise, to be carried out by any person with a brain (not just a woman, but a man or child as well!)

P.S. Cardies are no good for housekeeping, as the current non-closing ones ("waterfall" and so on) dangle and tangle while scrubbing is being done.

BoffinMum - I don't think there is a huge market for books on housekeeping; I say this as it is a genre that interests me and I have several, which I like, but none of them have sold well.

You might want to try being a little bit more analytical and a bit less anecdotal, in order to increase your book's universal appeal?

Boff, a hashtag is just anything preceded by the #key, which turns it into a searchable link for other posts with that tag.

You make up your own or use existing ones, and it's one way of finding people with similar interests to you, other than noticing them in other peoples lists.

They're often used for games - for eg there was one trending recently that was #publishingmyths and people were posting funny things like "Authors dont need 2kno gramma and stuff that is wot copyeditors is 4 #publishingmyths"

So you could hashtag your posts #housekeepingtips or something - keep an eye on other posters in the area to find out what they're using.

If a hashtag is used a lot in the same day then it's called "trending" and it appears in a box to the right of your timeline, it will say something like "trending in the UK" and beneath will be things like #justinbeiber #bigfatgypsyweddings #youresexy

etcetcetc. The ones trending are usually rather depressing!

#FF is a hashtag which is used to suggest people to follow - it means Follow Friday.

The idea is you tweet the name of a person you follow, who you think the rest of your followers should follow. You just say something like "#FF boffmum - genius tips for making your life simpler"

Obviously you can't do an #ff of yourself since all your followers already follow you!

Boff yes the ML site would poss want you there for a while. I will pop back there next week and post for you as I have a few posts to my name so not classed as a newbie although haven't been for a while. We have family staying at mo so busy couple of days!

MN itself publishes a number of books; have you pitched to MNHQ?

Disclaimer: bit of a long shot, as housekeeping is not strictly baby/child related, and it could annoy feminists (like me!).... but it's worth a thought.

Or a product placement on the Flylady site....

Well done on getting your blog sorted so quickly!

I'll #ff you on Twitter tomorrow if you like Boffin (if I can figure out how to do it...). I think it's just a case of writing a glowing reference and then hashtagging it, isn't it?

I think when I looked yesterday there was nothing on cleaning; I presume you have done something on that side of household management? would be good anyway - I always have the nagging feeling there are vital cleaning jobs I ought to be doing but which I don't know about and everyone who comes to my house (and cares about such things) will be judging me for not doing.

Boff - have you thought of touting your blog on Martin Lewis's website forums - almost as powerful as MN You may get a few more fans over there!!

I would soooooo buy this book.

I agree with seth - it's great :) I reckon a blog could be the way to go to the Book of Boff getting published for sure.

Boff I love you, you are so certain about everything. It's like Flora Poste wrote a housekeeping book.
will add comments in near future.

Love the blog will add comments when on a main computer not phone! Good luck I will def buy book!