BUSINESS EDU From Dive Notes to Bookstores: How I Turned Decades of Scuba Stories into a Book – by Gil Zeimer, ScubaStoryteller.com and Zeimer.com, San Rafael, CA Gil has authored more than 300 scuba articles, blogs, and newsletters that have appeared in over magazines & websites.
Writing a book is a dream many people share – and one that often gets pushed aside for “someday.” I know, because I did it myself. After writing more than 300 scuba articles for over 25 magazines and websites, I finally decided it was time to turn
3. Set Deadlines Like They’re Dive Times A manuscript without deadlines is like a dive without a plan – you may never surface. I broke the project into milestones: outlining chapters, selecting stories, editing drafts, and finalizing images. Treating those dates as sacred kept the project on track, especially with an eye all along for a DEMA launch. It’s tempting to wait for inspiration, but discipline is what gets a book finished. 4. Headlines and Hooks Matter – Even in Books: Years of writing ad copy taught me that a strong headline pulls readers in. I applied that to every chapter and story title in Scuba Storyteller. From “Waterlogged Proposal” to “Warm Memories of Hypothermia,” each one was de- signed to make you curious enough to keep reading. Don’t underestimate the power of a great title – it’s the invitation into your world. 5. Build Credibility With Peer Voices: Before the book was printed, I asked respected voices in the dive community to read it. Their early reviews – from industry leaders like Dan Orr and Jeffrey Bozanic – became pow-
my lifetime of underwater adventures into my first book: Scuba Storyteller: Mostly Humorous Diving Tales by an Addicted AquaNut, which will debut at DEMA on 11/11. Until I wrote my first magazine-style article in 1989, I had only been creating print ads, brochures, radio, and TV commercials. But that story for Adweek Magazine (“Diary of an Unemployed Ad Man”), which was my first “web- page hit” and that I now call my first “blog” became a turning point in my career. It gave me the confidence to become a successful freelance copywriter, as well as to promote myself as a “Scuba Storyteller”. Along the way, I learned a lot about the process – lessons that apply to anyone who wants to turn their passion into pages. 1. Start With Purpose and Vision: The first question I asked myself was why I wanted to write this book. For me, it was about more than publishing a collection of ar- ticles. I wanted to capture the humor, humanity, and heart of a lifetime underwater – and share what diving has taught me about life. That purpose became my North Star. Every story I chose, every edit I made, and every photo I included served that larger vision. When you write with intention, the project becomes more than a book – it be- comes your legacy. 2. Make the Foreword Part of the Story: I knew the Foreword couldn’t just be an afterthought – it had to set the tone. So I asked my longtime friend and publisher, William Cline, to write it. His introduction framed my sto- ries as more than dive tales – he called them “little under- water adventures disguised as essays.” That perspective elevated the book from a collection of articles to a cohesive journey. Choose someone with cred- ibility who understands your work and can introduce it in a way that adds meaning.
PAGE TWENTY-NINE | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker