New Book Released
Dear Friend,
I have been waiting to send this email for the past 3 years. I’m thrilled to announce that my medical textbook is now available for pre-order on Amazon! This comprehensive guide is tailored for medical students to help you excel in your exams. It covers eight core specialties, guiding you through pharmacology, investigations, diagnosis, and condition management, aiming to save you time and reduce stress during your medical studies.
Back when I was in medical school, the idea of writing my own book never crossed my mind. My focus was solely on passing exams and becoming a doctor. Even when I launched In2Med, I never imagined that my resources would become so popular among medical students. It was a pleasant surprise to discover last week that In2Med now ranks as the second link when you search “medicine notes” on Google.
A few years ago, I received an email from a publisher who had stumbled upon my website and appreciated the way I presented information. They recognized a gap in the market for a book written by medical students for medical students.
Now, three years later, I’m thrilled to announce that my book is available for order on Amazon. This revision guide offers a comprehensive and user-friendly overview of essential clinical knowledge for students aiming to excel in their medical exams. Covering eight key specialties – cardiovascular, endocrinology, gastrointestinal, respiratory, musculoskeletal, infectious diseases, neurology, and renal medicine – this one-of-a-kind book is designed to help you achieve success in your medical studies.
My experiences over the past few years have provided me with valuable insights into the world of publishing. Therefore, this week, I thought I would share some key lessons I have learned and offer advice to any of you considering writing your own book.
Here are my main tips for publishing your own book:
- Do Your Market Research
When approaching prospective publishers (or vice versa), you’ll need to present a compelling proposal justifying why they should publish your book. Think of it as pitching for an investment. You’re essentially asking the publisher to invest their resources in producing, printing, and marketing your book. Therefore, it’s crucial to convince them that your book will sell.
Your publisher will likely want to evaluate how your book compares to others in the market and assess potential sales figures. Simply presenting an idea isn’t sufficient for non-fiction books. In my case, securing a book deal took about six months of repeated meetings with the commissioning editor.
2. Negotiate Wisely
When entering a contract with a publisher, you’ll need to agree on your author fee, which is your commission rate for each book sold. This typically ranges from 5% to 20%. As a first-time author, publishers might attempt to negotiate a lower fee, but it’s essential to advocate for a fair share. If necessary, be prepared to walk away.
3. Seek Legal Advice
Your contract with the publisher is a legally binding document. While I’m not well-versed in legal matters as a doctor, I’ve learned the importance of having a trusted lawyer review the contract. Make sure to go through each clause meticulously.
4. Stay True to Your Vision
Publishers often have standardised methods for producing books. Once you submit your manuscript, it undergoes copy editing and typesetting. However, if you have a specific vision for the appearance of each page, you’ll need to be highly involved in this process. In my case, I opted to format the entire book myself, as the visual aspect was crucial. Remember, the publisher won’t inherently understand your vision, so it’s up to you to lead the way.
5. Practice Patience
Publishing a book is a lengthy process that doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years to progress from drafting a proposal to completing your manuscript. Even after submission, there’s additional time required for proofreading, formatting, cover design, table of contents, acknowledgments, index, preface, and editor information. Printing, binding, and delivery also add to the timeline. Patience is key throughout the entire process.
I hope these insights offer a glimpse into the challenges of publishing a book. Personally, it has taken me three years to reach this point, and I’m thrilled to finally send out this email.
If you’ve found my resources useful, I’m confident you’ll find my book equally beneficial.
Looking forward to connecting with you again next week!
Drug of the week
Evolocumab
This is a monoclonal antibody that is an immunotherapy medication for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.
It inhibits PSCK9 which is a protein that targets LDL receptors for degradation
As a consequence, this means that there are more LDL receptors on the plasma membrane of liver cells, enhancing the liver’s ability to remove low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) from the blood.
It is given by subcutaneous injection and is being used to treat hypercholesterolaemia reducing the risk of cardiovascular events.
A Brain Teaser
A 60-year-old man presents to the emergency department with sudden visual loss in his right eye. He does not describe any pain. On examination, there is a relative afferent pupillary defect and there is a red spot on the retina. He has a past medical history of atherosclerosis.
What is the most likely diagnosis?
A: Central retinal vein occlusion
B: Retinal detachment
C: Ischaemic optic neuropathy
D: Optic neuritis
E: Central retinal artery occlusion
Answers
The answer is E – central retinal artery occlusion.
Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is the likely diagnosis in this case. It manifests as sudden, painless unilateral visual loss, accompanied by a relative afferent pupillary defect and the presence of a cherry red spot on the retina. Given the specific signs observed in the patient and the absence of indications favoring other conditions, CRAO appears to be the most probable diagnosis.
Central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) is an incorrect diagnosis. While it shares the symptom of sudden, painless unilateral visual loss, CRVO typically presents with widespread hyperemia and multiple retinal hemorrhages resembling a “stormy sunset.” These features are not evident in this scenario, making CRVO an unlikely diagnosis.
Ischemic optic neuropathy is also an incorrect diagnosis. While it presents with painless vision loss, it is characterized by a pale and swollen optic disc, which is not observed in this case.
Optic neuritis is an incorrect diagnosis as well. It typically involves painful vision loss, abnormalities in color vision, and may be associated with multiple sclerosis, none of which are present in this patient.
Retinal detachment is an incorrect diagnosis too. It typically presents with symptoms such as flashing lights, floaters, or a shadow in the peripheral vision, which are not evident in this case. Therefore, it is not the appropriate diagnosis based on the symptoms described.
