I’ve come across some wonderful bloggers who are taking their travels to book form. I’ve been considering it myself. I mean, how many books ARE there about Upstate New York travel? It’s a niche that is being largely unfulfilled. I know some people who have published their own travel guides (Adirondack hiking trail books and specialty tour books) and they have been wildly successful.
I’ve looked into the publishing business, even made submissions for various things, but it is very difficult to get into it. I think because the business is so “closed” it is nearly impossible to get an editor to read your stuff. What to do? Well, tackle the project and publish a book yourself! I love the entrepreneur attitude of writers; why go through the hassle of wrangling with a giant printing corporation when publishing one’s own book can be done? There are several reputable self-publishing companies, like AuthorHouse, for one, that are available. AuthorHouse even offers help tutorials for things like editing and adding illustrations. I remember the “old” days when self-publishing meant Xerox copies of your work compiled in a spiral binder! Things have definitely changed!
Of course, with publishing your book yourself comes marketing your book yourself and selling your book yourself. But the Internet (and especially the blogosphere community) has made this less painful.
What do you think about this? Would you self-publish your book? Do you think a self-published book could do as well as one published by a corporation giant?
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May 1st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
It will be a giant step to take especially with the thought of bearing the cost oneself… not to mention that it’ll be a dent to the ego if it doesn’t work out.
But hey, perhaps we should be more optimistic!
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:47 am
Publishing is exhilarating - from scratch, you write, illustrate, design, print and market books that inform and entertain. You may be soliciting help on some of these activities, but they’re under your direction.
It’s also a huge and all-consuming endeavor. The pay is meager.
Most important IMO is to write about something you’re utterly passionate about (from your blog, surely looks like that’s the case). Also be certain there’s a wide enough market for your book. Talk to other local publishers. Talk to your platform or potential readers. Would they buy it? How would you reach them? What are the current books out there on the subject? What’s missing on bookshelves for this region (according to readers, not just you)? Is a book even needed? Talk to lots of folks.
Have fun and good luck!
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
Thanks for your opinions! There’s some good food for thought. CK, I’m not too concerned about my ego; I think the biggest concern would be 1) doing everything correctly, 2) shelling out all that money and possibly seeing no return, and 3) the effort it would take to market the book. But AzurAlive makes the point that the book should be something you do because you are passionate about it. I think my weakest spot would be the marketing aspect.
Thanks for your input!
May 5th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
The print on demand service Wwaow.com has an author that is very succesful with his very specific travel book (on one of the Aeolian islands). So just give it a try - especially if you have the content already. In case of Wwaow.com you just need to buy 5 copies yourself. That’s all.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:24 am
You know, I think self publishing definitely is a great option. I didn’t know much about it until a few months ago. AuthorHouse is definitely a great option and I have worked with them and know about their services. I would recommend them. But I would also recommend WordClay. It’s a great website and it honestly is so simple. I’ve been working with WordClay and as I continue to learn more about them and learn about their website, I become more convinced that they are a great option to consider when deciding to self-publish. And I definitely agree, why not self-publish your own travel guide or NY travel book? I think it’d be a great idea especially if you’re from New York — who else knows it better than the actual residents? Good luck with that!!