Self publishing....some thoughts.
Self-publishing seems to mean different things to different people. It’s still regarded by many as nothing but vanity publishing. Such people wouldn’t buy such a book on principle. Those who self publish aren’t real writers. The whole thing is a scam aimed at gullible wannabes etc. etc.
It’s not my intention here to encourage or discourage anybody who feels like having a go at it. All I can say about self-publishing comes from my own personal experience. If you want to see this as self-promotion that’s OK too. You can even buy a copy of ‘Losing the Plot’ if you want. I won’t complain.
How did I come to write ‘Losing the Plot’? Well when I was living in Thailand during my mid-life crisis I had a lot of time on my hands. Often I’d be stuck in cheap hotels with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling fan. My mind was active though and I started jotting down my thoughts. One thing lead to another and I soon found myself with a bunch of short stories in a rough form. Then, in Laos, while renewing my Thai visa, the floodgates opened and I hit on a way of combining all the bits and pieces into a book. I was even lucky enough to find a computer that worked.
Back in Bangkok I went to see a friendly Thai printer who agreed to print a thousand copies for about 50 baht (one pound approx.) per copy. I came up with a simple cover design. So one day there I was with a pile of neatly bundled books in the corner of my hotel room. I had assured the desk staff that they weren’t explosive. Then followed a lot of walking around Bangkok talking to odd people, which is what I was mostly doing anyway.
There are several thousand copies now in circulation and there has been a second printing. I am no marketing genius so how has this miracle been accomplished? Well I aimed my book at a niche market. There are lots of tourists and expats in Bangkok. Some of them read books. Getting a book into a Thai bookshop is not that difficult. The shelves are stacked with books written by expats. Many others have had a go at it. I’ve met several other writers and read some of their books. Some of them aren’t bad but none of them are as good as mine. Bars will stock a few copies, so will hotels and guesthouses. Of course collecting the money is much more difficult. I also spent a lot of time chatting on Thai-centric web forums and publishing excerpts here and there.
Has it been a positive experience? Definitely. I have learned a lot about writing and about myself. I’ve had some good - and some downright insulting - feedback and I’ve met a lot of interesting people some of whom have become friends.
I haven’t made any money out of it. In fact I hardly ever see any of the money. I often get offers of help from people happy to sell a few copies. It’s hard keeping in track of them all though. Unfortunately such people often tend to disappear or spend the money on expenses.
Do I consider myself a writer? Yes and no. There’s been no official validation from whoever makes these decisions. I’ve written a book but it hasn’t been reviewed by Martin Amis in the TLS yet so I can’t be sure if it’s any good or not. There are a few copies circulating and my hope is, or was, that a ‘real’ publisher will one day pick one up seek me out. Hasn’t happened yet. Some literary recognition would be nice but I’m not holding my breath. The only advice I can give to anybody considering going the self-publishing route would be to keep your expectations low.
