Not a vain photo taken on an iPhone but self-publishing.As book one of the Northumbrian Western trilogy does the rounds and the rejections build up, I'm considering self-publishing. At one time this would have been seen as the embarrassingly vain action of a failed writer, but these days it is a realistic response to the limitations of the book world.
It's not as if my book has elicited zero interest: a number of agents have commented on the quality of the writing and the worthiness of the concept, but no one is keen to take a risk on it. To put their time and money into promoting it.
So maybe that is what I need to do. Put my money where my mouth (laptop?) is and publish it myself.
I've had a look at few of the options: Amazon, iBooks, Lulu and DIY. There is a firm that will print-on-demand for a reasonable cost. And there is software for ebook formats. But in the end Amazon seems the easiest way. Ruthless capitalists that they are Amazon has a firm grip on the book market. And their software is the most straightforward.
But prior to that I need a final edit, a proofread and a cover. It's all a hassle but hopefully worth it to get my work into print.