The Way of the Cycling Disciple: Publication & e-Book Sampler

The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple
The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple

Every once in a while, you stumble across a quote that changes your outlook on how you approach life. Of course, this requires that one does a good deal of “reading”, which is a problem for me, as reading anything that isn’t Cycling-related feels the same as doing “work”. I do the odd bit of it nevertheless, and in a recent such episode, I encountered a quote by Tommy Edison, inventer of several handy contraptions, including the lightbulb and motion picture:

Vision without execution is hallucination.

This brilliantly points out the fact that merely having an idea is nothing without the conversion of that idea into a tangible result. That, of course, is the elusive and difficult bit, but it is also the fun bit. Taking an idea from concept to reality is one of the most exciting and rewarding things a person can do.

It was about this time last year that James Spackman approached me via email and suggested we put a proposal together to do a book on The Rules. We loved the notion of this, and the Keepers set about putting a concept around this abstract notion, and a plan for how we might accomplish it. James provided feedback and guidance on how best to frame the concept, and led us through the proposal process. The proposal was approved, they made us an offer, we signed a contract, and turned around to stare down the business end of 70,000 unwritten words. Little by litte, we chipped away at it, and today, I am very happy to announce that the book has gone from concept to manuscript to editing to printing. What you see here are photographs of the actual book, printed and ready for sale on June 20, 2013. A free eBook Sampler with extracts from the book will be available free from June 6 to June 19. (Incidentally, the book will initially be published in the UK and Commonwealth countries; the US release of the book is expected in the Spring of 2014 through our US Publisher, WW Norton.)

The Rules stands apart from many blog-to-book concepts, where a book is little more than a re-publication of the blog’s archives. It was important to us that if people are paying for a book, that they are getting something they haven’t already read for free online. We also wanted to take advantage of the wonderful experience one has when reading a book; the sound and feel of a hard cover, the texture of quality paper, the creaking of the spine as you turn the pages, and the smell of the whole package.

The format of the book is very different from how The Rules are presented on Velominati. The book is organized into V sections, with each of The Rules aligned into one of them. The sections all have an introduction, and for every Rule, a passage has been written that either provides history or in some other way justifies the Rule, or provides an anecdote from our various lives as Velominati that might provide insight into why that particular Rule is in existence. The entire text is framed with a Prologue and Finale and topped off with an introduction by my personal Cycling Writer Hero, Will Fotheringham. With the exception of a paragraph here or there that was borrowed from our archives, the entire book is comprised of new material.

It gives us tremendous pleasure to see this project come to life as a real, tangible book. Special thanks to Sceptre Books for taking a chance on us. Words can’t describe our appreciation of our editor, Drummond Moir, who was the most incredibly patient man and guided us expertly through the process of write a great book. (Sorry for having accused you of being English, mate.) Thanks to Nikki Barrow, our publicist in the UK; keep your ears on the papers, radio and television waves as the fruits of her labors come to light. Finally, thanks to the Community for making this such a fun place that someone might want to do a book in the first place, and for tolerating our dull writing on account of all our creative powers having been drained into the book. I also suppose this means that the V Keepers should start considering themselves writers or, worse, authors. Strange to say the least, especially since I have always considered myself a software developer.

Keep your eye on the Sceptre Facebook and Twitter for the latest, and everyone rush to your nearest bookseller on June 20 to pick up your copy.

Amazon:

The Rules: The Way of the Cycling Disciple

Obey the Rules: A Free Extract (eBook)

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/[email protected]/Septre/”/]

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346 Replies to “The Way of the Cycling Disciple: Publication & e-Book Sampler”

  1. June 20! Is there a pre-order page? I’m spending last night’s race winnings on this book. That’s what race winnings are for, right? Beers for the team and more bike accessories?

  2.  I also suppose this means that The V Keepers should start considering themselves writers or, worse, authors.

    If you can’t let your old Ma read the book, I think we are still safe from being considered authors.

    ‘Drink your tits off?’ “What does that mean, dearie?” Never mind, Ma.

  3. @Tobin

    Fucking awesome…You guys sign James Earl Jones to do the audiobook yet?

    I understand Lance Armstrong can be gotten at a bargain these days.

    @Eli Curt

    The links to the dates are links to Amazon, but I just put them up more obviously as well. But support your local book store if you have one that will stock the book. If they don’t – ask them to!

  4. But seriously, the book looks so fucking great! Thanks to Frank for his persistance and vison for what a book like this could become.

  5. Well played, gents…
    Congratulations and Chapeau!!

    I can only assume that Rules V and X are not on the back cover so as to avoid certain taboo words…
    Imagine, if Harry Potter-style live-picture-on-the-newspaper were reality, you could have the Chopper Reid video playing all the time on the front…

  6. I’m breaking my self-imposed Internet embargo to say good job.  Really good job.

    Am SO stoked

  7. You guys have a U.S. Amazon link?  Unfortunately, I can’t get using my U.S. Amazon account.

  8. Please tell me this will Abe available soon on Amazon in the US. Please?

  9. Excellent. Excellent. Strong work, lads. Cannot wait to acquire it. Will be heading to Unity Books or Parsons to place an order as soon as I get back to town. Well done.

  10. You can still order it from the UK Amazon store it seems. I’ve never used Amazon UK, but I was able to sign in with my US account info, and it had all my shipping info and all that, so clearly they share databases.

    I ran through an order without placing it just to see the total cost and it didn’t seem too crazy, and it allowed me to select international shipping as well. Will be ordering it next week!

  11. Mille chapeaux keepers.  I am sure the book meets or exceeds your usual high standards and cannot wait to get my hands on a copy.

  12. So cool, Frank! Congratulations. It’s always inspiring to see a Vision come to fruition, and with such panache.

  13. I hear that Ali G will be rebooting his show just so he can interview Frank about this book. Also Stephen Colbert.

  14. Rad, rad. RAD RAD RAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now an actual book that I can show to co-workers when I’m trying to explain WTF I’m talking about…………

  15. Congrats to all the Keepers!  I’ll get a buddy in the UK to mule a copy to me stateside when he comes over this summer. I presume we can send it up to you for signing, @Frank?

  16. better be worth the nine hard earned squigglies I just paid for it….

  17. @Tobin

    Fucking awesome…You guys sign James Earl Jones to do the audiobook yet?

    hmm, good idea, an audio book, now who else could do the reading ? I am thinking Samuel Jackson may be pretty good too.

  18. Astounding stuff, Keepers. I really don’t know how you fit everything in around your real jobs.

    I guess the next step is the screenplay…

    Will Andy play Frånk?

  19. ooh, whilst I have a Kindle, this looks like the sort of thing I should get in dead tree form. I’m currently juggling “Slaying The Badger” and Ned Boulting’s new book in e-form.This? It’s my birthday next week. This can be a late birthday present.

  20. @strathlubnaig

    @Tobin

    Fucking awesome…You guys sign James Earl Jones to do the audiobook yet?

    hmm, good idea, an audio book, now who else could do the reading ? I am thinking Samuel Jackson may be pretty good too.

    I read in an interview with Jens that he’s considering post-racing career options…

  21. @Al__S

    ooh, whilst I have a Kindle, this looks like the sort of thing I should get in dead tree form. I’m currently juggling “Slaying The Badger” and Ned Boulting’s new book in e-form.This? It’s my birthday next week. This can be a late birthday present.

    Other than the V book, you might consider Sean Kelly’s new offering “Hunger”, to be released soon too. I will.

  22. This is gonna be great, we can now say “Let us consult the Good Book” in the style of a Free Kirk Minister.

  23. To paraphrase Bill Hicks:

    “We’ve got a writer here!”

    Outstanding work!

  24. Congratulations gents. So many magnificent articles over the years – the keepers deserve some printed immortality. Cheers!

  25. I know I’ll find out when I read it but, there’s an interesting shift going on on the back cover:

    THE RULES is their Bible

    We ARE CYCLISTS

    Is the book written in first or third person, i.e. from the perspective of the community or looking at it from outside?

  26. God Save the Queen! I knew living in the Commonwealth was going to pay off at some point (our health system and buttertarts aside). June 20 is marked on the family calendar: Buy The Rules.

  27. Kindle was looking pretty empty after just finishing a book about Merckx, but this will fill the void nicely.

    looks superb, can’t wait to read…..

    whos coming to the launch party……. lemond, Hamilton, Sir Twigglet or even Lance…..?

    by the way it’s a slippery slope from software designer to Author…….just as long as you don’t start wearing a tweed blazer or crevat!

    chapeau keepers!

  28. Congrats to everyone involved in producing a great looking book. Looking forward to picking up a copy asap.

  29. That was just the easiest sale/purchase any one ever made,   didnt even look at the cost when I hit the preorder button.

    All ordered and awaiting postage, one thinks one should now go back and see how much it cost me ……  oops

  30. @sgt

    Congrats to all the Keepers! I’ll get a buddy in the UK to mule a copy to me stateside when he comes over this summer. I presume we can send it up to you for signing, @Frank?

    Send it, how about a the book tour?

  31. Chapeau, Frank and Keepers! Looking forward to picking up a copy. Couldn’t they have pushed the release date to June 17?

    Oh, and not to be a jackass, but the inventor(s) of the light bulb and the motion picture are debatable. Patents and working examples of both predated Edison’s. He improved upon them and made them commercially viable.

  32. @frank

    @Tobin

    Fucking awesome…You guys sign James Earl Jones to do the audiobook yet?

    I understand Lance Armstrong can be gotten at a bargain these days.

    @Eli Curt

    The links to the dates are links to Amazon, but I just put them up more obviously as well. But support your local book store if you have one that will stock the book. If they don’t – ask them to!

    Yup, Rule #58 most certainly extends to the purchase of cycling related literature.

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