Sadly, self publishing always seems like the ugly cousin to mainstream publishing. Like the guy who doesn't have a date to the prom but who you know will go with you if you're desperate enough and can't find anyone else. Fortunately, however, for many writers who would never get a chance to dance otherwise, these options do exist. Blogging, for example, is one way to get your thoughts "out there," without going through the self-mutilating torture of being rejected by publishers. What would self publishing have done for J.K. Rowling when she was transcribing her little fable from coffee shop napkins to stacks of type-written pages and lugging them to publishers only to be summarily rejected? The legendary story would probably end the same, but could it have come to fruition sooner? The idea of getting a story printed, bound and in the hot hands of potential readers immediately is an intriguing one. What great novels are waiting out there needing only to be printed and distributed to the masses? I visited the sites in the module. I especially liked Lulu, which looked user friendly and professional. Since my only experience with self published books are those cheap, smudgy ones you order with your child's name in place of the prince or princess in the story, I was curious to see if the quality had improved. The previews were helpful but I wonder about the physical quality of the binding, the paper, etc. Since the books are made as they are ordered and thus, cost more, I'd be interested in seeing one firsthand. One book I saw on the site, My Life With Laura: A Love Story, is a tender tribute from a husband to his late wife and their daughter. I'm not sure how easy it would have been to get this story published but I'm sure writing it and seeing it made available for the public to share was cathartic to the author. Perhaps there's value to that even if only friends and family purchase copies. The other sites were similar but not as easily accessible. CreateSpace's clear advantage, however, is that it's partnered with super mongo Amazon.com. After seeing what's available, and if I ever get the urge to squeeze a novel out of this old brain, self publishing seems like a viable option. Hey, what about a story where there's this kid who's a wizard....oh, done that.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Publishing Evolution #82 Print On Demand
Sadly, self publishing always seems like the ugly cousin to mainstream publishing. Like the guy who doesn't have a date to the prom but who you know will go with you if you're desperate enough and can't find anyone else. Fortunately, however, for many writers who would never get a chance to dance otherwise, these options do exist. Blogging, for example, is one way to get your thoughts "out there," without going through the self-mutilating torture of being rejected by publishers. What would self publishing have done for J.K. Rowling when she was transcribing her little fable from coffee shop napkins to stacks of type-written pages and lugging them to publishers only to be summarily rejected? The legendary story would probably end the same, but could it have come to fruition sooner? The idea of getting a story printed, bound and in the hot hands of potential readers immediately is an intriguing one. What great novels are waiting out there needing only to be printed and distributed to the masses? I visited the sites in the module. I especially liked Lulu, which looked user friendly and professional. Since my only experience with self published books are those cheap, smudgy ones you order with your child's name in place of the prince or princess in the story, I was curious to see if the quality had improved. The previews were helpful but I wonder about the physical quality of the binding, the paper, etc. Since the books are made as they are ordered and thus, cost more, I'd be interested in seeing one firsthand. One book I saw on the site, My Life With Laura: A Love Story, is a tender tribute from a husband to his late wife and their daughter. I'm not sure how easy it would have been to get this story published but I'm sure writing it and seeing it made available for the public to share was cathartic to the author. Perhaps there's value to that even if only friends and family purchase copies. The other sites were similar but not as easily accessible. CreateSpace's clear advantage, however, is that it's partnered with super mongo Amazon.com. After seeing what's available, and if I ever get the urge to squeeze a novel out of this old brain, self publishing seems like a viable option. Hey, what about a story where there's this kid who's a wizard....oh, done that.
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