indie publishing: start to finish

To begin, I must admit that my original impulse to start a blog was because I read somewhere that when self publishing, a 'captivating' blog is a good idea for self promotion. Now that I am actually on the verge of self publishing a manuscript as an ebook for the first time, it seems a better use of my time (and probably yours) if I think of something a little less cloying and self serving. So I thought I would spend the next couple of months at least, sharing my experience of self publishing. Perhaps there are other poor souls out there, who are equally haunted by a manuscript and must must must find a why to get it out there, if only to exorcise the beast. 

I have been working on this manuscript with some diligence for 10+ years. My plan is to publish it on ibooks as well as release an audiobook on iTunes, which I am currently recording in my bathroom. 

SO, whiteout further ado, Self publishing:

The first thing I learned with a simple google search about ebook publishing was that most legit writers and publishers look at publishing like crossing a picket line and breaking a strike. Words like:
cowardly, cheaters, lazy and hacks populated the first few articles I read on the subject. Not exactly the most encouraging research.

Undaunted however, I quickly found a bunch of resources. If you are sane enough to be a Mac user, you have probably found a bevy of apps, such as ebook author, audiobooks builder and podcast publisher. So far these all seem like usable and functional ways to get your manuscript formatted and up and rolling for publication. 

I am using garageband to record the audiobook. If you are interested in how this process goes, I will give an update and any pointers I discover in a future post. First of all: drink water and use lip balm.

Some questions I still have: negotiating with apple to get the novel in some visible area in the bookstore. Also, how easy is it to use this platform to publish with Amazon, kindle, etc? The one thing I learned right quick is that you cannot read an ebook on your laptop. As absurd as it is, you need a tablet of some variety to review your ebook and if you want a copy:) I happen to know someone at an apple retailer, so I got a good deal on an iPad 3. I have already started to layout the manuscript and can read it easy-peasy on the  iPad. Hopefully that will be the end of my free advertising for Apple. As a qualifier, I am a devotee of the company, but I am not employed for them or affiliated with them in any way!

To help get some of my questions answered, I have set up a meeting with a local start-up that specializes in ebook self publishing. The company is Zealous Melon. I will post about what I learn with them next week. They do training, consulting and will also work as a 3rd party, to negotiate online publication. Not sure if I will be able to afford their services, but I am in the information gathering stage, so we'll see what happens.

Well... I think that is my first post. If you are interested in my novel, I will tell you it is a Miller-esk pseudo-memoir. There is a split narrative taking place in New York City (where I spent college and the subsequent decade) and on a cross country motorcycle trip. Nothing too original, but it is a pretty filthy self indictment dealing with pain, addiction, and self-cannibalization. Charming, no? 

But self publication... if that doesn't get your heart racing, nothing will. I will hunt down some hateful diatribes about indie publishers and we can share their enthusiasm together:)

Here is to bravery, new industries, hard work and hacks.

Kind regards,

Thom