| I'm sure that, at some time in your life, you have | | | | simple release of my creative impulse and the |
| put down a book and thought "Well, even I could | | | | chance to share it with others. Once I was past |
| do better than that!" You may even have been | | | | that realisation, the idea of indulging one further |
| stung enough to plot out this imaginary | | | | vanity, to pay for the printing, seemed less |
| blockbuster during idle moments. Well, have you | | | | important. |
| ever thought you might finish that pet novel and | | | | If you want one final motive to consider this |
| see it available in paperback on Amazon? | | | | route yourself then research how many well |
| Too hard you probably think. Here then, is an | | | | known authors started out self-publishing their |
| interesting fact. I am now a published author, for | | | | first novels. It seems that the world of publishing |
| the princely outlay of around £200! Yes | | | | has already changed, to accept self-publication as |
| that's right... my paperback is on sale worldwide | | | | a filter that de-risks the choice of new authors. |
| for an outlay smaller than the cost of printing | | | | Agents are more easily persuaded when you |
| sample chapters, envelopes and postage to send | | | | have a novel that has already amassed some |
| the draft to disinterested agents. | | | | evidence of a readership. Your self-published sales |
| So, your paperback blockbuster could be much | | | | and reviews offer a tangible measure of your |
| closer than you think, provided you can commit | | | | appeal. So perhaps self-publishing is becoming the |
| the time to complete it. There are a few caveats; | | | | enabling step for the novice author, rather than |
| you must be proficient with a computer and | | | | one more vanity on that huge crackling bonfire. |
| unafraid of trading using the Internet. If you | | | | I researched self-publication using the common |
| already use a word processor and buy from retail | | | | Internet resources and quickly learnt just how |
| websites then you are there already. | | | | short the supply chain can be between a |
| In this two part article I hope to tell you firstly | | | | naïve author and his finished paperback. The |
| about my personal journey to publication, and | | | | growth of on-line business means that you can |
| secondly, the detailed steps you need to take to | | | | even launch your physical book onto the |
| achieve the same. You can access the second | | | | unsuspecting world without leaving your comfy |
| article by clicking through to my website listed at | | | | chair. |
| the end. | | | | You start with your book already written on your |
| As I write this article my novel sits invitingly on | | | | PC and so you are missing a publisher, a printer |
| the bookshelf above me, still looking just as | | | | and a retailer. Here's the thing, you can be the |
| spectacular as I imagined. Just occasionally I pick it | | | | publisher and the printer and web retailer operate |
| up, guiltily turn it over and admire the binding, leaf | | | | so closely together that they can be dealt with as |
| through the pages and sigh contentedly. Even | | | | one. |
| more indulgently I occasionally read it, or at least | | | | In the second part of this article I will give detail |
| favourite sections, reliving the same pleasure in | | | | of the necessary steps to self-publish using a well |
| the characters and plot as when they were first | | | | known Print-On-Demand (POD) company. For the |
| conceived. I can certainly assure you that there is | | | | moment please accept on faith that you can |
| a great deal more satisfaction seeing your book | | | | upload your book to a website and receive a |
| presented as the finished paperback you imagined, | | | | paperback proof copy within days. Once you |
| rather than a dreary home printed draft in that | | | | have accepted that proof, the book is released |
| ubiquitous spiral binder. | | | | for publication automatically. They regularly issue |
| I have had novels within me, yearning to escape, | | | | lists of new books to a phalanx of retailers who |
| ever since I was a schoolboy. Yet, I have been | | | | automatically list them for sale. The point is they |
| distracted throughout my life by the primal need | | | | supply Amazon, a key book retailer worldwide, |
| to earn a living. I am no career writer; in fact, I | | | | who will automatically create a transaction page |
| am an engineer whose writing skills have been | | | | to sell your book. Yes, it really is that simple... |
| corralled into the occasional, deathly dull, technical | | | | The quality of my proof was exemplary; have no |
| manual. So, this ambition has smouldered unfulfilled | | | | fear that a POD printed paperback will be inferior. |
| for decades. | | | | Indeed, I'd suggest they are a quality benchmark |
| Then last year, I moved to part-time working as | | | | when compared to many of the volume printed |
| a prelude to retirement. Finally, I had the time to | | | | and remaindered books you'll see. The cover was |
| compose that first novel, feel those characters | | | | a quality weight, the cover photos and graphics |
| grow within me, find their story and paint the | | | | pin sharp, the book block crisply cut, printed |
| detail of their world. It took me about sixteen | | | | clearly and the binding robust and durable. |
| weeks to write as a first draft. The story poured | | | | My printer costed the book at 70p for the cover |
| out once I stopped researching and actually | | | | and binding plus 1p per page in the United |
| started. Not for me the issue of writer's block. A | | | | Kingdom. I dare say it's cheaper in the US, you |
| long dammed torrent of creative storytelling | | | | lucky people. It was a 356 page novel and |
| spewed forth, but the haste certainly showed. | | | | therefore the print cost was £4.26 per |
| I was rather chastened that it took six months of | | | | book. The retail margin in the book trade is a |
| revision and crafting in order to bring it to a | | | | staggering 55%. So, whatever retail price you |
| standard I felt comfortable to publish. Writing the | | | | elect determines a wholesale price 45% of that. |
| first draft was a liberating and exhilarating | | | | The difference between that wholesale price and |
| experience but this second phase was hard grind. | | | | the print cost is your margin as the author |
| You probably already know that writing is a time | | | | publisher! |
| consuming process, but this was living it up close | | | | Only basic maths will show that POD books are |
| and personal. If you consider writing as some | | | | not as cheap as mass produced paperbacks. My |
| fabulous money spinning wheeze, best stop right | | | | book needed to retail at £9.99 before I |
| now. Unless that is, you have that one in a million | | | | received any meaningful return. Even then, that is |
| storyline, character or talent, Ms Rowling... | | | | smaller than a conventional publisher royalty. I am |
| If you thought writing your novel was the | | | | not going to pretend there are too many |
| challenge then prepare for a shock. My problems | | | | customers prepared to spend that kind of money |
| came after I had finished the writing, getting it | | | | on a new author. |
| published. I followed the traditional route of | | | | Of course the retailer can, and generally does, |
| sending sample chapters to all the literary agents | | | | reduce their margin on your book to offer it at a |
| that would accept it. I did this in rounds, selecting | | | | discounted price. Luckily, you as the author |
| eight at a time, believing I would be able to use | | | | publisher are not required to share in this |
| the feedback from one round of inevitable | | | | generosity. Taking into account normal discount |
| rejections to improve the draft for the next. | | | | activity, your POD book will end up finding a more |
| What fabulous unfounded optimism! | | | | realistic market price. As usual, a high price |
| After two quite lengthy rounds I gave up, | | | | foretells better sales performance. |
| agencies typically requiring twelve weeks to | | | | At this moment you are the published author you |
| respond. In the passage of six months I had | | | | dreamt of becoming. Now you must start the |
| received no useful feedback whatsoever. I learnt | | | | ugly business of haranguing friends and |
| that agents are so busy they barely have time to | | | | acquaintances into purchasing their copies. As |
| read your sample chapters. Generally, they make | | | | publisher you can buy copies direct at the |
| snap decisions after having your first chapter | | | | wholesale price. So, if you have the stomach for |
| speed read by an assistant. The helpful feedback | | | | it, you can make direct sales and take that 55% |
| I craved certainly never materialised. Instead, I | | | | retail margin too. While your sales are low this is |
| received impersonal boilerplate rejection letters | | | | probably the only way to make any money, if |
| exhorting me 'not to give up', but invariably that | | | | that is your main goal. |
| my novel was 'not for us'. They were clearly | | | | It certainly pays to have a quantity of books to |
| expensively crafted to give not one scintilla of | | | | hand. After all, you'll need to provide them to |
| criticism or guidance, and to avoid hurt feelings. | | | | reviewers, local newspapers, your library, as well |
| Once it became clear that it was not really getting | | | | as to friends and family. It depends now how |
| a chance, I became disheartened. After all, what | | | | seriously you want to tackle the task of |
| can you do with that sort of empty reaction? Do | | | | promotion. This is a test of your ambitions for |
| you plough on until the last literary agent in the | | | | sales. Your book could be one step away from |
| country has been hounded down; re-write it, in | | | | the big time, but it is down to you alone to place |
| the belief that it must be nearly there; or just | | | | it in the public eye. |
| give up, on the basis that so many rejections | | | | I'll never recoup the investment of my time and |
| must tell their own story? | | | | money in my novel, but I'll take having a small |
| It was at this point that self-publishing started to | | | | appreciative readership. Of course I dream that |
| look attractive. Previously, I had looked down on | | | | one day a traditional publisher will contact me and |
| the idea of 'vanity publishing' as it is otherwise | | | | ask, nay beg, to represent my next book. I also |
| known. Who wants to be thought of as vain | | | | dream that I will send a boilerplate rejection letter, |
| enough to pay for the publication of their own | | | | telling them that they are 'not for me' but 'not to |
| work? Like most people, I instinctively felt that | | | | give up hope'. |
| my book would only be 'valid' if it were accepted | | | | That's the trouble with dreaming, in the real world, |
| and printed by a 'proper publisher'. | | | | who am I kidding ...! |
| Faced with the dawning realization that those | | | | Whatever else you take from this article; if you |
| 'proper publishers' were already sated with the | | | | ever felt that you had that blockbuster novel |
| reliable hits of their existing 'proper authors', the | | | | within you, at some stage in your life do take the |
| self-publication route became the only real way | | | | time to let it out. Give it air, let it breathe and see |
| forward. Otherwise, I would end up placing it into | | | | what emerges, blinking in the light. Whether you |
| that dreaded binder to curl up and die, largely | | | | make money or lose it doesn't really matter |
| unread and unfulfilled. Not much reward for all that | | | | when the sums involved are so small. What is |
| effort in the construction and telling. | | | | important is that your imprisoned creativity will be |
| I think it was at this moment it dawned on me | | | | free at last. You may be surprised by what it |
| that writing your first novel is an exercise of | | | | conjures up, but I guarantee you'll enjoy the |
| utter vanity in any event. I had already | | | | experience. |
| committed vast amounts of my spare time to | | | | You can find Part 2 of this article by taking the |
| the construction of a story no-one had ever | | | | link to the website listed below. Look for the |
| asked for. I had planned that a publisher would | | | | Articles Tab where you will see both Part 1 and |
| push this story unbidden onto the bookshelves | | | | Part 2 listed. |
| and entice complete strangers to buy it. When on | | | | Whilst you are on the site if you're curious there |
| Earth did that seem like an exercise in modesty? | | | | are pages describing my novel. Why not take a |
| Suddenly, my already preening vanity was cruelly | | | | look and see how it all worked out. Maybe even |
| exposed. | | | | buy a copy just so you can check out the |
| However, I hadn't done that harbouring the notion | | | | competition. |
| that I would recoup my time and effort in later | | | | Who knows, maybe you'll put it down later and |
| royalties. I had just wanted to write the story | | | | say, "Well, even I could do better than that... |
| and to see it through to completion, for the | | | | |