An author's confession of what to do now

While I am going to do everything I can to promote Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! I will not be putting another dime into it for the time being, although maybe in the future - I am honestly broke (read my August 30 blog to see why) - I will need to sell some copies so I can reinvest in a large-scale campaign. That is why I need the readers of this blog to purchase the book. The only ENS sufferer who read this book thought it was great, the indexer said my book is very well-written and should be very well-received by the medical community, and a number of people have said they "cannot wait" to read it. So now is the time to purchase and start reading it - it is available! In the meantime, I will be promoting it through various marketing strategies that don't make me go more broke than I already am. These strategies include, but are not limited to, some additional Internet marketing, article marketing, book reviewings, book signings, and contacting the media.

1) Some people have suggested I should "give out" copies to surgeons, medical facilities, or certain people - that is a reasonable thought, but it would cost me about $15 per book to do that. While a few are getting copies, for the most part, that's just not feasible for me right now.

2) What is desirable for me is to return my life to normalcy to the best I can, as even my health has suffered some from the stress associated with writing Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! Here are some things I want to do in the coming months:
-Exercise or run each morning so I can get in shape again.
-Sleep 8 hours per night.
-Spend more time with my wife, two daughters, and prepare for our unborn baby who will be born around Christmastime.
-Spend more time in prayer and in reading the Bible, which is my most favorite book.

3) If you are reading this blog and interested in Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! rest assured that money I receive from purchase of this book will be reinvested into raising awareness for empty nose syndrome further, perhaps through a large-scale campaign promoting this book.

Thank you for reading this blog and have a GREAT day.

What will 'make' or 'break' Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim!

1) To purchase the book, please click: http://www.coldtreepress.com/catalog/book/187/
2) The *new* empty nose website: http://www.emptynosesyndrome.net/

Now that I got those off my chest, I'm going to do my little pep talk from an "author's perspective" for readers of this blog. I guess you can call me that - an author - as of today because my book was released into distribution on this very special day. And I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! will be a smashing success, elevating ENS awareness to a new level. It's too controversial for it to be ignored. Just wait. You'll see. Even just one little person can make a difference.

Now here's what goes into a book. An author has a career that is excruciatingly hard but very rewarding, not for any monetary incentive unless you hit it big, but because your book can be helpful to people who are suffering or because your book can make a difference in the lives of others. You see, if you purchase the book, Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! you are not reading the first draft of it, you are reading the 150th. That's right. The 150th. No exaggeration. And at least 1,000 hours went into it, no less. These hours consisted of readings and re-readings of research, email contacts, lengthy phone calls, casual conversations, copyright requests, writings, incorporation of edit suggestions by person A, by person B, by person C, by person D, etc., exhausting late nights (and even a couple all-nighters), review of publishing options, details you never thought of before, details no one but you and anyone who wants to sue you will read, and details that are excessively trivial but somehow make or break the book, never mind the index. Heck, if you are like me, you might receive threats that your book will damage an entire medical profession. Believe it or not, I actually did. And I have been told from a credible source that there are mailings circulating among a certain specialty of doctors in the US and abroad who are very concerned about the impact of my book - that the book is not only confrontational (which it isn't), but that my book might steer too many away from nasal surgery. Of course, not a single "professional critic" has read the final version and I received some endorsements from some excellent doctors because of the genuine, respectful message of the book. So I'll say thanks for the free PR and keep talking about it! And if Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! encourages some to make good choices for their health, be it surgical or non-surgical treatments, then this book has accomplished its purpose. I admit, it is controversial, but we ENS sufferers need a bit more attention to our very serious problem and I'm not sure anyone could argue that we have received it from the medical profession. We haven't. Our topic is still hush, hush, taboo times 40, and buried in silence. That's all we want.

Back to the publishing aspects: and if you are not one of the famous ones published by a traditional publisher with a great big title by your name, then expect to be forking out $2,500 just for YOU to do all the work. Or you could pay an additional $5,000 and have a ghostwriter do it. Either way, you will go broke.

Then when you are getting ready to sell the book, you are told that 477 books are put into print each day, what will make yours stick out? Ah, so here's the interesting part: when your book is published, it really is just the beginning - now you have to market it. Got that? I have been told the publication of a book is like the birth of a baby. Not sure I care for that analogy because babies are precious human life while books are made from trees, but there's truth about the liveliness of the book after "birth." This is when the fun starts. Now, after your $2,500 in the hole, you can choose to pay publicists $1,000s of dollars to promote your book or let it sink to the bottom of the self-published barrel amidst the ravenous, highly competitive book market in the world. You can contact A, B, C, D, and E by email to let them know about your book and you might get one response (if you are lucky) or you can send 6 million emails out by doing a highly ineffective eblast campaign that is read by roughly .0002% of the recipients, as the emails get deleted before they are read. Never mind those options. I have a better one.

There is just one key for you to remember when writing a book, and it is one that readers and writers of this blog should appreciate alike: it is that you do the work yourself. It is too cherish those 6 individuals who respond to your emails and give you some verbal support. It is too continue to work hard whether or not people tell you that your book is destined for success or failure. It is to work your little tail off, be it writing an article for the Internet (as in article marketing), making a phone or email contact with someone, and having thick skin so you don't take "no" for an answer. It is persistence, nothing else, that will pay off. Don't let anyone tell you your book will fail. They are wrong - unless you just sit on your book. You just need to have drive. Incredible drive for a lousy book can probably make it a bestseller. That's what will make or break a book.

So, when you are reading Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! (or any book for that matter) if you made it this far in my blog, remember what went into the process of writing it and, if you can get some good sleep on a regular basis, please share with me how.

And, lest I forget to mention, buy the book! You are getting THAT much of someone's effort when you read this book. Better yet, you are helping a worthy cause with ENS in the process or perhaps, after reading the nose surgery critique, you are informing and empowering a potential nasal surgery candidate and perhaps thereby preventing someone from a lifetime of ENS misery. And, if you suffer from sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, postnasal drip, nasal congestion, the sniffles, asthma, acid reflex, or even just kleenex overload in your house, you'll benefit from reading some treatment strategies that just might help your condition.
God bless.

It is Now Available!

Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! is now available!!! It was released into distribution on August 30, 2007. You can purchase it at Cold Tree Press by clicking on the following link: http://www.coldtreepress.com/catalog/book/187/

It should also be available to purchase from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and booksamillion.com in about 2 weeks from now. I'm getting quite excited about marketing this book. And this marketing will be done aggressively. I will be pursuing all options to ensure this book receives maximum exposure to the press, and that public knowledge will hopefully improve ENS awareness everywhere.

New Empty Nose Website Launched

You can now visit my website, http://www.emptynosesyndrome.net/, where you will soon be able to purchase Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! This website was setup for the sole purpose of raising further awareness for this book and hence the cause of empty nose syndrome as well. I'm anticipating this book will enter distribution either at the end of this week or sometime next week.

A special feature of this site is I will be writing a free monthly newsletter on empty nose syndrome that includes treatment tips and news related to ENS. I would encourage anyone interested to please enter your e-mail address at the bottom of this new website. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Press Release: Empty Nose Syndrome, No Laughing Matter. What it is, and what you can do about it!

Are you among the 1 in 5 Americans who suffer from sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, acid reflux or asthma? Having Nasal Surgery? Don’t You Become An Empty Nose Victim! details numerous treatment strategies that can improve your condition and perhaps prevent the need for surgery. Such holistic strategies include, but are not limited to:

1) Pulsatile nasal irrigation
2) Allergy medicine and injections
3) Exercise
4) Proper diet
5) Adequate sleep

It is critically important, though, that you are aware of one treatment that can make you worse - far worse. It is an overly aggressive nose surgery in which so much tissue (turbinates) is removed from the nose that there is nothing left. Symptoms of empty nose syndrome (ENS) include shortness of breath (despite a wide open nose), thick, sticky, viscous mucus, shallow sleep, along with high rates of depression - and, yes, even documented cases of suicide!

Having Nasal Surgery? Don’t You Become An Empty Nose Victim! offers an inspiring account of a nationally certified school psychologist who has lived with ENS for 10 years, a critique of the medical literature on nose surgery, politics surrounding empty nose (and why doctors do not understand it and have not taken it seriously), and key treatment strategies for it and other sinus conditions. Enthusiastically endorsed by top doctors familiar with empty nose, the audience for this book includes the lay person as well as the medical professional.

For further information, please visit my blog at http://emptynosesyndrome.blogspot.com/. For an interview or review copies, please contact me by email at webmaster@emptynosesyndrome.org

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Christopher Martin

Some are getting ready to read it....

Encouraging words from a high-profile individual:

Thank you for referring X. I spoke briefly with her—she said your book was fantastic...I thought the cover looked tremendous and bravo for writing this—it is an important service to patients, potential patients, and ENTs! I can hardly wait to buy a copy and read it all.

******************************
Walt Ballenberger, founder of www.postnasaldrip.net, a website for sinusitis sufferers like himself, sent the following notice to members of his site. Be sure to read Walt's review when it comes out. I will provide a link for you to read it when that time comes. Thanks, Walt.


Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become an Empty Nose Victim!, by Christopher Martin, will be released and available in 1-2 weeks.

If you are considering sinus surgery or even if you have had one, this book can provide valuable information about empty nose syndrome (ENS). This is a tragic condition caused by excessive cutting and removal of turbinates during sinus surgery. Chris has set up a blog for people to discuss the book at http://emptynosesyndrome.blogspot.com/

Take a look at the blog and check it out again after the book comes out. I’ll be reading it as soon as possible and will write a review and it will be available at http://www.postnasaldrip.net/.

Walt Ballenberger, founder of http://www.postnasaldrip.net/

What causes empty nose syndrome?

I have been reading on various websites where some people are questioning if allergies or sinusitis can lead to empty nose syndrome. The answer is a resounding no. Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, postnasal drip, asthma, and acid reflux do not lead to empty nose. Only an aggressive turbinate surgery can. A CT scan and/or a thorough physical examination that details how much turbinate tissue is left, along with subjective patient reporting of symptoms, can provide a diagnosis of ENS. A cotton test, where a doctor places saline-moistened cotton in the nose, can also be used to determine whether it improves breathing or not, and consequently if the patient might have ENS. Unfortunately, there is such little understanding on empty nose syndrome that some people believe that a variety of conditions might cause empty nose - that's simply not true. This lack of knowledge and lack of readily available resources is part of the ambition for sharing my story.

The fact is only an overly aggressive nose surgery (of the turbinates) can lead to empty nose syndrome. Granted, a long-term sinus bacterial infection might lead to primary atrophic rhinitis but, given the increased antibiotic use and improved hygiene, this is rather rare in the Western World. What some people might be suffering from is in fact enlarged turbinates that are blocking breathing. Do I suffer from sinusitis and allergic rhinitis? Yes, I do, I have nasal and sinus inflammation, but this inflammation is not blocking breathing as it is with patients who have enlarged turbinates that largely block the airways. I have difficulties with breathing (among other nasal issues) because too much of the turbinates have been removed and my nasal airway is too wide open - a very hard concept for some doctors and patients to understand.

I believe that not all turbinate surgeries result in ENS. If they did, they would have ended long ago. But some do, and that's a point I hope every reader of this blog appreciates. And I further readily acknowledge a conservative turbinate surgery can be helpful, but I am a firm believer that all reasonable non-surgical treatments should be exhausted prior to undergoing surgery. It is just better practice to try to do everything possible before going under the knife. My experiences are proof of that.

Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! describes what non-surgical treatment ideas are beneficial for treating the nose, which might prevent the need for surgery in the first place. Many treatment strategies for empty nose, although it is a distinct and different problem, apply to sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and postnasal drip. It also critiques the medical literature on nose surgeries so that a patient can make an informed decision when and if they decide to pursue a turbinate surgery. I am not aware of any books that tackle the medical literature on turbinate surgeries and present the options in straightforward language, without vested interests of protecting surgery. Most books will just say if after you have tried various treatment strategies, then surgery might be a good option for you; here is how to prepare for it and what to expect. Conversely, Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! details which turbinate surgeries are safer than other ones based upon the literature, which ones might leave you most at risk for empty nose, and what important questions to ask your doctor before surgery. This newfound knowledge might intimidate your doctor, but an informed patient is all the more power to you. Hopefully your doctor will appreciate that you want to take more of an active role in your health. Because you are the one who needs to take control of your health. No one else will do that for you.

Does this book apply to you? If you made it to this blog, I bet it does!

Some who browse this blog might think "empty nose," I never heard of it, so Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! must not apply to me. If you are one of them, in my earnest attempt to prove you wrong, let me ask you the following questions:

1) Do you have allergies? If you are among the millions of Americans who answered yes, then let me inform you that so do I. In fact, if I had treated them properly, perhaps I could have prevented the need for surgery in the first place. Allergies lead to enlarged turbinates, which doctors resect. When doctors resect too much turbinate tissue, it can lead to ENS.

2) Do you have sinusitis? If you are among the millions of Americans who answered yes, then let me inform you that so do I. Sometimes turbinates are removed in conjunction with a sinus surgery to better access certain sinuses (e.g., ethmoid sinuses).

3) Do you have postnasal drip? If you are among the millions of Americans who answered yes, then let me inform you that so do I. If you do not treat postnasal drip properly, you could develop sinus infections. Strategies in this book are proven to effectively treat postnasal drip. And not only are these strategies doctor-endorsed, these strategies come directly from a patient who has many of these conditions!

4) Do you have acid reflux? If you are among the millions of Americans who answered yes, then let me inform you that so do I. And my acid reflux either gets better or worse, depending on the treatments I do for my nose. Strategies in this book can effectively treat acid reflux.

5) Do you have asthma? OK, I admit, you got me on this one, because thankfully I do not have asthma. Many ENS sufferers do have asthma, though. But I do have allergies. And 60% of asthma patients have what is called "allergy-induced" asthma.

6) If you are considering nose surgery or have empty nose syndrome, then this book most certainly applies to you! :) Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! includes a review of medical literature on nose surgeries from a patient who has no vested interests.

However, if you still do not believe this book applies to you, then I should ask if you have family and friends who have sinus problems or know someone considering or who has had nose surgery. If you answered "no" to those questions, then I concede this book perhaps does not apply to you. But nevertheless, I still extend an invitation for you to read my story anyway because it addresses an unspoken, undeniably tragic, real-life medical issue that is in need of further attention.

I thank you for your interest! I'm already very excited about the enthusiastic comments I have received about Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become an Empty Nose Victim! from people who answered "no" to questions 1 -6 and could not book this book down. I can't wait to share my experiences and ideas with you....

Review by an ENS Sufferer

I received the following comments from an ENS sufferer whose surgery of 3 months ago led to ENS:

I have read through the book and have found it really helpful. Chris' story is inspiring.. how he has suffered with ENS for so long and manages to still have a positive outlook. I think it covers a lot of important information, both technical and emotional. It is a book that many people could read -- sufferers of ENS, friends and family, people thinking about getting surgery. It has helped me to gain a better understanding of what to expect, what turbinates are, their functions in the body, and how to better live with this serious condition. Oh! I wish I was informed like this before the surgery.