Lessons Learned: Self Publishing – Part One

Originally Published March 5th, 2012

Taking a break from reviewing, I thought maybe I could (or should?) share some information that’s in my head. It may be of benefit to some. It may be stone useless. As always, the reader decides what’s useful. (I hope eternally, at any rate. Please don’t let anyone tell you what information is useful to you! If they try to do so, at the very least be skeptical.)

See, I’ve been doing a lot of panels lately, at Farpoint and Mysticon. Some of them were just entertaining at best, some imparted useful information, and at a few it was clear that the audience came wanting to learn something, came with questions they needed answered. Since con panels tend to be, more than anything else, a collection of people with very healthy egos, talking about themselves (I am no exception as a panelist), sometimes those questions don’t get answered. That fact, to paraphrase the great Ricardo Montalban, tasks me.

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I Don’t Publish Literature. I Publish People.

demelloI’m reading a very strange little book called Awareness by Anthony De Mello. It’s apparently a transcript of all the talking he did at a retreat many years ago, and was published after his death. And, boy, did he do a lot of talking at that retreat! I both love and hate the style. It’s filled with bold statements that make you want to read more to figure out what the hell he’s really saying: “You are never in love with anyone. You’re only in love with your prejudiced and hopeful idea of that person.”

Wait, huh? That kind of thing grabs you.

Unfortunately, like a lot of spiritual / religious texts, it’s repetitive. I know repetition is a technique often used to emphasize a point and make sure the reader / listener doesn’t forget something, but it’s my least favorite rhetorical device. It annoys the hell out of me:

“Call 1-800-GET-LOST. That’s 1-800-GET-LOST. Call 1-800-GET-LOST. 1-800-GET-LOST. Today!”

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I Am All These Things

Okay, I’m doing something a little different this week. It’s not going to be a regular occurrence, but it may be something I play with when I’ve got something to say that’s important, either from a publicity perspective, or from a “this is important to me personally” perspective.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog at StevenHWilson.com, then this week you’re also reading the script for my weekly podcast. (And you can hear my reading, as well, here!) If you’re a regular listener to my podcast, that is the Prometheus Radio Theatre podcast, then this week you’re listening to my blog. Again, not a permanent change. Next week my listeners will hear the next chapter of Phil Giunta’s wonderfully scary novel By Your Side, and my readers will hear about Lara Parker’s wonderful expansion of the Dark Shadows mythos, Wolf Moon Rising. But this week, and now and then in the future, both groups will receive the same message. Continue reading

Lessons Learned: Self Publishing – Part Two

Last week, I discussed my experiences with production and distribution as a self publisher / small press.  Obviously (or maybe it isn’t obvious!) the job isn’t done when the book is created and made available for sale.  There’s a lot that has to happen to let potential readers and listeners know that your book exists.  Also, since I focused so heavily on distribution last time, I neglected to mention some things about the pre-distribution steps involved in actually creating the book itself, its cover, its contents and its overall presentation.  (You’re right — I’m not going in order! I warned you that this would not be a formal presentation!)

So… Marketing.  You’ve written and produced a book.  It’s available for sale.  Now what?  The big publishers in New York spend more than you make in a year on promotion for a single title.  (I understand from those who’ve been there that they spend it wastefully, but they spend it.)  That’s not an option.  They buy ads in print media, they send reps to book fairs and to meet with buyers for large chain bookstores.  You might get into book fairs.  I haven’t tried.  But I doubt you’ll get a meeting with the buyer for Barnes and Noble, and you won’t get on the shelves at the local B & N (or at any other chain store) without going through corporate.  You can get your book on the “shelves” at Amazon, but so can everyone else.  Amazon is probably not going to meet with you about giving your book special treatment.  (I say “probably” because I never know what seemingly impossible thing Amazon is going to do next!)

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Lessons Learned: Self Publishing – Part One

Taking a break from reviewing, I thought maybe I could (or should?) share some information that’s in my head.  It may be of benefit to some.  It may be stone useless.  As always, the reader decides what’s useful.  (I hope eternally, at any rate.  Please don’t let anyone tell you what information is useful to you! If they try to do so, at the very least be skeptical.)

See, I’ve been doing a lot of panels lately, at Farpoint and Mysticon.  Some of them were just entertaining at best, some imparted useful information, and at a few it was clear that the audience came wanting to learn something, came with questions they needed answered.  Since con panels tend to be, more than anything else, a collection of people with very healthy egos, talking about themselves (I am no exception as a panelist), sometimes those questions don’t get answered.  That fact, to paraphrase the great Ricardo Montalban, tasks me.

Information should be free, and information should be shared.  If you possess knowledge, that knowledge is, like your DNA, something that’s only placed in your keeping for a season.  You can do at lot with it, but it’s not, and never can be, yours.  When people tell me I should charge to share what I know, I dismiss them.  I should (and do!) charge to employ what I know.  That’s my contribution: how I use what I know.  Anyone can learn the things that I’ve learned.  Many have.  Some have gotten richer than I by using that knowledge.  More power to them.  Their genius earned them a reward.  Most people, though, don’t use knowledge very well.  I believe anyone who shares what he knows freely and only charges to use his knowledge won’t go hungry.

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