To Write a Book

 

This morning I saw a post on Facebook from an author holding a copy of a book they wrote in a bookstore with an expression of delight/amazement as they held their actual real book in their hands in a real, actual bookstore.

And I thought about the road I chose, which was to be a maverick, an outlier, an 'independent' author, self-publishing their own book.

Back in the day, an author who couldn't find a 'real' publisher could purchase printed books and sell them, all by themselves.  These books were called 'vanity' books and many looked down their noses because the writer didn't write well enough to interest a 'real' publisher.

When it came to Magic in the Water, though, a 'real' publisher wouldn't have touched it with a 30 foot barge pole due to the high production costs, tipping in all those samples.

I also knew the market for Magic was miniscule.  So I went it alone, acted as author, editor (mostly, with some help), financier, marketing department, shipping department, loans manager, etm.

Do I regret it?  No.  And if anyone assumes I did it as an act of 'vanity' well, ok, I will wear that label.

But mostly I did it because I felt it was important to get the information 'out there' and the only way to do it was to provide actual fabric examples of the before and after wet finishing.

By the time I wrote The Intentional Weaver, the 'vanity' presses were now 'print on demand' operations.  I was still writing, editing (with the help of a professional editor this time), marketing and shipping department for the pre-publication books I ordered in.  I expected more interest in this book than Magic, and have been satisfied with the long tail income from the slow but more-or-less steady trickle of orders.  So when I did Stories from the Matrix, I went the same route.  My expectations for this book were lower, and that has proved to be an accurate assessment.  It's not a 'textbook' and not everyone is interested in the weaving rabbit warrens I wanted to explore.

Now with A Thread Runs Through It, I expect that title to have even less appeal.  It's a memoir, the story of me as a professional/production weaver.  Very few people actually want to try to earn an income from their weaving - and that is perfectly understandable.

Because it's bloody hard work.

But because I've chosen to self-publish, I won't ever have the delight of seeing my book on the shelves on an actual 'real' bookstore.  

If you want to make my day - a photo of any of my books in your studio (or in YOUR hands) would be lovely.  :)

All books available at blurb

Two signed copies of Stories still available at my ko-fi shop