Ladies and gents, i'll be brief (for once)...it is my intention to self publish a coffee table book containing the work on this site, in addition to a number of new pieces. Above is the proposed cover image for this "weighty" tome, containing a caricature of yours truly.
"Excelsior's Savage Pencil" will be a comprehensive, irreverent and frankly goofy journey through the dimly lit recesses of my "so called" mind. I'm looking for feedback, from as many of you as possible, as to the viability of this idea.
Feel absolutely free to leave comments here but, please keep them clean as this is a family blog!
To the many hundreds of folk who have viewed (and are viewing) this site I say thank you. It is my distinct pleasure to do it and, I hope, the work makes you smile at the very least.
Excelsior Out!
Self publishing: it has some things going for it, and some cons as well - everyone and their gran is doing it right now. The real issue since everyone and their gran is self-publishing is getting anyone to give one's work a look in, indeed some real dross straight off the slush-pile. Thanks to people charging next to nothing for self-published work, people expect work from small press to be for free. They're also rather reticent to pay to read anything from an author who is unheard of. So if you're thinking of making any dosh from it, it probably isn't going to happen without a tonne about promotion and people willing to back your book.
ReplyDeleteThat's the second thing about self-publishing: expect to be promoting your work All. The. Time. It will quickly make you feel like a convert to Amway, and the glassy expressions you get from people who have heard yet another byline about your book will be rather daunting. I have spent more time promoting than I've done actually writing, and for precious little return - pretty standard for self-promoting work.
An idea, depending on where you are, would be to try making it happen via Kickstarter, which will help cover costs of publication. It means you can also create some incentives as rewards for people who donate. This may help you avoid the vanity presses which charm an arm and a leg to get yourself in print.
I wish you luck on't, but self-publishing takes a certain bloodymindedness.