What Will Bruce’s Next Book Be About?

[Photo by ktylerconk]

This weekend I turned in what is pretty close to the final edited manuscript for my first book. There will be some final editing and layout approval, but for the most part this ebook is out of my hands.* I will definitely share some angsty first-time author reflections soon, but it is safe to say that there is a repeating loop of the Hallelujah Chorus playing in my head.

Last week, as I was finishing up, I had a GREAT conversation with someone about my next project/s. I was pushed a bit on some of my ideas, given some good advice and then given a timeline for submitting a proposal. And yes . . . that’s about as specific as I can be about it all, as it was another one of those, “No promises, but lets talk in three months” kind of conversations. What I can say is that I am most interested in aiming towards a broader audience via the traditional trade route, but am also open to diving into a topic or two that are more suitable for ePublishing. The sky’s the limit as they say.

So here is the ask. I am hoping that you will chime in with a few topic/s that might be good for me to tackle. I am asking those of you who have a sense of my passions, my voice and could envision me writing a book that would be a positive addition to your friend’s reading list. Notice that I did not say that you have to even like or agree with me, only that you know me.

Below are a few of the topics I am thinking about. Don’t feel like you have to be a marketing judge and offer only ideas that would be “big sellers” as I am looking at a wide breadth of formats. I’m simply turning to my friends and colleague for some insights that I might not see myself.

I have created a list on LIST.LY where you can COMMENT, RANK and/or ADD ideas if you have the time. Here are just a few that are bouncing around my head at the moment:

In Defense of Community – Through my own experience of various communities, why society must turn away from individualism.
A Year Without eMail – May be a dead genre, but am intrigued by the idea that this form of communication is slowly becoming obsolete.
The Radical Middle – Challenging the comfortable ideological, political and theological clustering that has gripped so many of societies institutions and the faithful calling it is to stand in the middle.
The Parent Dance – Somewhat riffing off of a recent post, I really want to write a book on parenting: the joys, the struggles, the complexities and the privilege.
Other ideas that I have had: Something about San Francisco Cafes and Coffee Houses, Progressive Asian America Christians, etc.

Thanks all, I really appreciate it!

* First of many thanks to my editor, Lisa Rode, and Publisher, Erik Daily, from Shook Foil Books, for being part of this process and dealing with my particular brand of wacky.

Thanks in advance.