Self Publisher! Magazine #70 by Dimestore Productions

IN THIS ISSUE Jimmy Thrillwell john farman dorothea helms isobel warren

a written view

Ben Slabak and the Cloud 9 relaunch December 2013!

AN INTERVIEW WITH

joe rubinstein

SELF PUBLISHER! MAGAZINE STILL GOI

ISSUE

70 FREE PDF VERSION

PUBLISHER Ian Shires

COPY EDITOR Ellen Fleischer

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jay Savage

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Here we are again, my fine friends, staring down the barrel of another Christmas/ New Year’s and all the togetherness and re-visiting the past, and hope, and change we want that comes with it. As I write this, I’m looking over all the things that we had hoped for 2013, and comparing it to what did happen. In general, I’m fairly pleased with where we’re at. We’ve made some solid strides towards the strengthening of the Self Publisher Association and, in turn, this magazine and the Self Publisher Hall of Fame. We ran a successful Kickstarter project, which has made it possible for us to finally offer printed copies of the magazine on a subscription basis, as well as a promise to keep the PDF version available for FREE for the whole of 2014. It doesn’t mean we’re blowing the roof off anything yet, but at least we’re off the ground and a lot better than we were a year ago. We’ve solidified our international stance, with SPA leadership now firmly in place in Canada and Australia. We put out 10 solid issues of the magazine in 2013, including this one. That’s a pretty good year. We haven’t been without setbacks. Jay and I have both had health issues affect us over the year and, while we’re both pretty much back in action... it continues to illustrate one of the biggest things that I have been hoping to accomplish, and haven’t yet: A Self Publisher Association that has the support and people in place so that, if one or two people are missing, this magazine, and other projects active in the SPA, will roll on just as strong. I truly feel that this is something that HAS to be accomplished, because this magazine, covering the small press, is the only one of its kind, as far as I know. The history of publishing needs us to dig in and make sure people know how things were in the past, and what they are becoming. It all needs a center; an independent, noncorporate, unbiased core.

Published monthly by Dimestore Productions P.O Box 214, Madison, OH 44057 All Contents (c)2012-2013 by Dimestore Productions and noted individuals. All rights revert to those individuals. Dimestore reserves the right to keep this issue in print in PDF and POD forms. First Printing, December 2013.

This issue, we’re proud to offer a detailed look into the new version of Cloud 9, which marks a dramatic departure away from its original setup. As the digital-delivery models available out there continue to evolve and, in some cases, come and go...we are proud to have Ben Slabak be a major strategic partner for the SPA. We get the opportunity to dig into his head here and let you all see what is ahead for Cloud 9, now in official re-launch mode. We also have more interviews with some varied and interesting creators, including Joe Rubinstein— a long-time mainstream creator—talking about his career and what led him to do a very personal and non-corporate project. Round it all off with a look at what a kool indie band is doing: making comics to go with their music, and you have SP! #70. We hope that you enjoy it, that you tell all your friends what’s going on at SP!, and that everyone really gets behind this stuff and helps us make 2014 more than we can ever hope for. - Ian Shires

contents 4 The View from Cloud 9 (cover story) An interview with Ben Slabak by Ellen Fleisher

Cloud 9 SNEAK PEEK!

Trail artwork progressions by Ben Slaback

12 The Fish Bowl Chronicles By Mark Turner

15 Indies in Scotland

Black Hearted Press’ John Farman Interview by Louise Cochran-Mason

18 A Written View By Douglas Owen

19 Nistar makes its own rules—for a cause An interview with Joe Rubinstein by Katrina Joyner

21 The Writing Fairy, Dorothea Helms An Interview with Dorothea Helms by Douglas Owen

23 20 Questions

An interview with Red Hot Rebellion by John Wilson

25 Meet Isobel Warren

An interview with Isobel Warren by Douglas Owen

Join the Self Publisher forums at: www.selfpubmag.com

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The View from Cloud

Ben Slabak and the Cloud 9 relaunch

By Ellen Fleischer Cloud 9 Comix is the digital comic book publishing arm of Spectrum Pacific Publishing. Founded by Benjamin Slabak in 1996, Spectrum Pacific has produced and published over 30 computer games. They moved towards print publishing in 2009 and, under the Cloud 9 imprint, began publishing digitally in 2010. Cloud 9 is currently in the process of revamping their website and apps, narrowing their catalog, and improving their existing platforms. Ben was happy to take some time to chat with us about his background, his self-publishing experience, and the future of Cloud 9. SP!: What can you tell us about your background? BS: Having grown up in Europe or, more specifically, Croatia, I was exposed to a vast array of comic books, primarily from Italy, France, and Belgium. Comics were very much a part of the culture there and were read by young and old. Moving to Australia in my teens, the situation couldn’t have been more different. There, comics were quite niche and different from what I was used to. The small market was dominated

by mainstream publications from the larger American publishers, which didn’t really appeal to me. Whenever I could, I would try and get my hands on some Italian publications from back home, some of my favorites being the likes of Alan Ford, Zagor, Blek, The Fellowship of the Gallows, etc., but those became quite infrequent. Video/computer games were all the rage at the time and I was drawn more towards software development and, in particular, computer game development. My involvement with comics was to take a longer break. SP!: How did you get started in publishing? BS: While at university in the mid 90s, I was developing a number of computer games and, soon enough, it became evident that as an independent developer, getting my games into stores was a challenge—particularly as all the good shelf space was pretty much reserved for the big labels. The need arose to form my own publishing company, which I did when I founded Spectrum Pacific Publishing in 1996. That opened the doors to negotiating directly with distributors who could actually place our games on the shelves internationally. Under that label, I developed and/or published around 30 computer games over a ten-year period, during which I collaborated with developers and designers in over a dozen different countries.

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In the early 2000s, I started looking at expanding to comic book publishing and I acquired rights to several Italian comics that I had planned to translate to English and introduce to Australian readers. However, after talking to a number of local distributors, I learned that the comic book readership was, in fact, steadily shrinking and it became obvious that Australia simply did not have a big enough market to warrant that kind of investment. Those plans ended up being shelved, until they were resurrected with the launch of the digital publishing wing of Spectrum Pacific Publishing, Cloud 9 Comix, in 2010. SP!: Let’s talk about the computer games. Was there a specific area or genre that you focused on? BS: We covered a number of different genres, including RPG, strategy, action/shooters, adventure, racing, and puzzle games. All told, we developed and/or published about 30 games that were available internationally. Most were released in mid to late 90s, before online shopping took off, so it was much more difficult to market them and get them into stores. These days, particularly on mobile devices, distribution channels are much more simplified and developers can self-publish, rather than having to rely on publishers, as was the case in the past. It certainly would have been nice to have had

these options available back then. But amazingly, I still get emails regularly from all across the globe asking where some of our games that we released over 15 years ago can be purchased. Some of these games really built a strong following, like Slicks ‘n Slide, Yendorian Tales, Case Closed, etc. SP!: What’s involved in publishing computer games and how does the process differ from print media? BS: Not having had the benefit of online shopping back when I started, publishing computer games was quite a challenge. I had to rely on distributors to get my games out into stores. It was similar with print media. Previously, when dealing with a physical product, you always needed to rely on a distributor to get your product out there to consumers. These days, a lot of this can be avoided by offering products online and reaching out directly to the consumer. The publishing game has changed and whether it be computer games, books, or comic books, there are so many options available. Self-publishing, in many cases, has become quite viable and there are some great success stories out there. SP!: What prompted you to move from computer games to print publishing? BS: Between the smaller market in Australia and fast-disappearing book stores over the past several years, our print publishing efforts were limited to a few books and when the opportunity presented itself to move into digital publishing space, we jumped on it immediately. SP!: Was it difficult to make that transition? What challenges did you face? BS: The only real challenge with print publishing was the shrinking number of book stores, many of which did not want to deal directly with smaller publishers, so we had to find ways around that. But we successfully placed a number of books, including my own The Beloved Land, a travelogue documenting my Egyptology works and travels in Egypt, in stores across Australia. SP!: What was the publishing industry like when you began? How much has changed over the years?

BS: I can’t really comment so much on print publishing, as we entered it late in the game, when digital had already started to make significant headway. However, looking at computer game publishing, it seems that smaller developers and publishers are confined to smaller mobile devices, with video games for consoles and PCs dominated by large companies with development and marketing budgets into the Ben Slabak with Patrick Stewart millions of dollars, and it’s further and continually looking to add new impossible for a smaller publisher to compete. games to our portfolio, as well as looking to exLast figures I saw showed that the video game pand to other media, we were not able to give industry revenue has surpassed that of Hol- full attention to our core products and ended lywood, which is amazing, and there’s no sign up overextending ourselves, which took its toll. that this trend won’t continue. It took some time to learn this lesson, and this has become particularly relevant now, with the SP!: What would you say has gotten easier restructure of Cloud 9 Comix, which I will touch about publishing (both for you personally and upon shortly. in general)? Harder? SP!: When you made the jump to digital pubBS: Getting eyes on a product or a publication lishing in 2009, how did your previous experihas become much easier, with a variety of chan- ence prepare you? nels available for distribution and promotion. However, this has opened up the floodgates BS: Having been in software development for and the number of publications coming in from many years, it certainly prepared us for what all over the world has just exploded. It’s be- was to come when we started development come difficult for a consumer to sort through of our comic book apps, even though we were that. My feeling is, that when presented with so eventually faced with surprises that we did not many options, an average consumer will gravi- really anticipate. However, a wealth of experitate toward something they are more familiar ence combined with having to do it the hard with—which could mean that many wonderful way—without online distribution and promoindependent publications may end up getting tion channels—did prepare us for whatever overlooked. Smaller publishers do not wield challenges were thrown at us. It’s been a chalhuge marketing budgets and without being able lenging journey so far, but also an enjoyable to capture the attention of mass audiences, the one. majority of independent publications struggle to capture a significant readership. So, while it SP!: Can you tell us more about these chalhas become easier to make a product available lenges? directly to the consumer, it has become harder BS: The biggest challenge was building our own to capture a share of the market. apps from the ground up. There was a multitude SP!: Is there any advice that you wish you’d been given when you were just starting out? BS: Probably the best advice would have been to stay focused on a smaller number of titles or video games at the time. By extending ourselves

of unforeseen technical problems. Developing computer games was challenging, but working with the original iPad, which had some severe technical limitations, proved an even bigger challenge. With computers, we had much more processing power and memory available to us,

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and when scaling down to mobile devices, we were initially (unpleasantly) surprised about some of the limitations we were faced with. It’s certainly something we underestimated initially, however our experience as a software developer helped a great deal in successfully overcoming any challenges that we came across. SP!: Can you tell us a bit about the comics that you’ve been publishing thus far? BS: The original concept behind Cloud 9 Comix was for it to be an open indie platform, where we would offer an avenue to independent authors and artists by which they could make their publications available to international audiences. We gathered a catalog of several hundred titles with some really great series, such as Infinity by Lewis Jones; Winter City by Patrick Purcell; Dynagirl and Fallen Justice from Cary Kelley and Red Handed Studios; Sky Pirates of Valendor by Jolly Rogue Studios; The Field on the Edge of the Woods by Michael “Frick” Weber; Old Soldiers by Kevin Stone and Big House Comics; Ninjas Vs Zombies by Thomas Chillemi and Azure Press, and many others. Initially, most of our comics came from North America and a smaller number from Australia, India, Croatia, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the UK. Recently, we have additionally signed with publishers from Egypt, Nigeria, and Chile, with more to come. There is some wonderful talent out there and we hope to build an international readership

around their publications. SP!: When I was checking out your website for this piece, I noticed that you have a page devoted to the Comic Book Storytellers series. What’s that about? BS: Comic Book Storytellers is a wonderful web series filmed and produced by Michael “Frick” Weber, who has been involved with Cloud 9 Comix from very early on. Frick is a professional film producer, as well as a comic book creator, and we publish two of his books, Star and Stripes and The Field on the Edge of the Woods miniseries—which is one of my favorites from our catalog. The series is for the fans of art, writing, storytelling, and comic books, and Frick interviews comic book artists, writers, legends, and even some newbies. He looks to get their advice and tips, hear their stories, find out how they got their break into the business, etc. Frick is a very talented producer and this really comes through in the series and I, and many others, really enjoy his work. The latest episode, #9, has just recently been released and is available to view on our YouTube channel or from within our apps. SP!: Let’s talk about the Cloud 9 Comix Apps. How did they get started? And how have they developed since then? BS: The development of our apps began in 2010,

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shortly after Cloud 9 Comix was conceived. At the time, with iPad just having been released, finding software developers with relevant experience Cloud 9 Comix App was a challenge. We went through a few different ones before we put together a team that would ultimately deliver the first iPad app, which appeared in January 2011. I could actually write a book on this whole process; it really was a saga to get that first app out. It was much more difficult than I ever anticipated. However, once the app was released, it was an exciting time for us and our readership expanded rapidly in the first 12 months. This paved the way for our Android and Kindle Fire apps, which were released in early 2012. Android, in fact, was another saga. It proved to be an even greater challenge than the iPad, since it is quite fragmented and there are so many different devices running Android that come with different technical specifications. Earlier this year, however, I made a decision to restructure the business, redesign all the apps, and effectively relaunch and refocus the business. This is underway at this very moment. SP!: There are other apps and platforms out there. What, in your opinion, sets Cloud 9 apart from the rest?

BS: The aim of Cloud 9 Comix is to showcase the best of creator-owned comics from all regions of the world. What sets us apart from most other digital publishers is that all the comics in our catalogue are exclusive to Cloud 9, so we carry quite a unique catalogue and our readers are sure to always find something new. We carry comics from all continents, in a variety of languages, and our big focus will be on truly internationalizing the business in the months to come. We look for new and unique stories with high-quality art. With so many wonderful titles already in our catalog, the bar has been raised quite high and, as a result, our submission guidelines had to be tightened further. Our new apps will come with a host of new features, some that will set us apart from other comic book apps, and we will look to continually improve and offer something new. We are aiming for Cloud 9 Comix to become the benchmark in independent digital comic book publishing. SP!: What are you planning to change and/or improve? BS: Our new iPad app has just recently been released and the new iPhone, Android, and Kindle Fire apps will follow shortly (and in fact may be available by the time this issue of SP! is released). We have had to update a number of things, due to the changes introduced by the new versions of iOS and Android and, at the same time, we also took the opportunity

to give our apps a facelift with an all-new design and user interface, as well as a number of new features designed to improve the reading experience. All comics are now presented in HD to fully take advantage of the new devices and they look amazing! Flipping the pages of a digital comic book now better resembles the real thing because the new apps have bendable pages. We’ve previously had a panel-by-panel reading feature, but now we’ve gone a step further and provided an additional panel-by-panel system where, instead of darting around the page between panels, each panel fades in and fades out, and the next one fades in, and so on. It offers a different reading experience and I quite enjoy reading comics in this way. Support for right-to-left languages, such as Arabic, has been introduced, as we have recently signed up an Egyptian publisher—AK Comics—whose previous comics were also available in English in stores across the US. To provide an authentic reading experience, those books will flip from right to left which, I believe, also sets us apart from other comic book apps. We have additionally added the ability to offer video previews/trailers of individual comics, as well as a section housing our YouTube channel, where we present our Comic Book Storytellers series, various trailers, and promotional videos. The apps will continually be improved and we will look to build new features to enhance the

reading experience, as well as allow interaction with authors and artists of various comic books. I’m quite proud of our new apps and it’s been a pleasure collaborating with our developers and graphic designers. SP!: You’re also planning to focus on a smaller number of comics in future. What are you looking for specifically in a Cloud 9 comic? BS: That’s correct; we’ve narrowed down our catalog drastically with the re-launch of Cloud 9 Comix. Previously, we carried several hundred titles, but unfortunately—as is the case with many independent comics—a large number of them were discontinued after the first issue or two and our catalog ended up getting cluttered, with some of our stronger properties getting lost in all that. Our readership suffered as a result and took a downward turn. The new catalog has been cut down to our strongest titles and we’ve added a bunch of new ones, but we will be aiming to stick with around 40 titles for the moment, with another 5–10 added each year. We believe our readers will appreciate a smaller, stronger catalog, made up of complete miniseries and ongoing series, rather than a large number of discontinued titles. We receive many submissions but, unfortunately, it is just not possible to carry all of them, and even though we initially intended for Cloud 9 Comix to be an open indie platform, that model

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unfortunately proved not to be commercially viable and we were forced to rethink the business model. A Cloud 9 Comic needs to be of a very high standard, with great art and a great storyline, and it needs to stand out in the crowded digital comics market. We are also excited about having Self Publisher! Magazine on board and making it available for free to our readers. It’s been great working on this with Ian Shires and I look forward to further collaborating with him and the SP! team in the months and years to come. Some of the new and exciting titles we’ve recently signed up include The Mighty Titan from Joe Martino; The Realmscape Wars from Alex Dragojlovic; Jinn Warriors for Marwan El Nashar; the Egyptian/Arabic super heroes from AK Comics with their own individual series: Zein, Aya, Jalila, and Rakan (available in English and Arabic); Anima, Zeta, Atomica, Era Draconiana, and others from our new partner in Chile, Mitomanocomics (available in English and Spanish ); Versus from Adeniyi Adeniji in Nigeria, and others. Some of the Italian classics, such as The Fellowship of the Gallows and Blek, we’ve translated ourselves and made available for the very first time in English. It’s been quite exciting to bring the comics that I read as a kid exclusively to Cloud 9, both in the original Italian and the new English editions. SP!: And you’re launching a new series of your own, too? What can you tell us about that, with regard to premise, plot, characters, etc? BS: Yes, I’m really excited about that. A few years back, I started writing my own fiction novel, and while I haven’t quite completed it as yet, I’ve always felt it would make a great graphic novel mini-series. I have been adapting it for the comic book format since about mid-year, when I also engaged a wonderfully talented artist from Hungary, Judit Tondora, whose style perfectly matches the look that I conceived in my head. That’s her artwork on the cover of this issue of Self Publisher! It will also feature on the cover of the first issue of the series, which will be an action/adventure mini-series focusing on a historical event that is well known to most of us, but has scarcely been examined in popular culture. Having been a big Indiana Jones fan growing up, certain elements will pay homage to it

but the series will certainly stand on its own. Entitled Trail, the first issue of the mini-series will be out in early 2014 and I can’t wait to read it myself! This is quite a significant event for us, as it will be the very first Cloud 9 Comix commissioned series, and we will also be bringing a few more new series that we will be collaborating on with several authors in the near future. Cloud 9 Comix is well on the way to becoming a full-fledged publisher, rather than just largely a distributor, as we’ve been in the past. SP!: Is there anything else that you’d like to mention that we haven’t touched on, yet? BS: Apart from our apps for iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire, we are looking to make all our comics available within a web browser as well, and we’re in the process of developing this. In addition, our comics will be added to libraries, such as iBookstore and Kindle. Our aim is for our comics to be available on any web-enabled device and by expanding our distribution avenues, we feel we will achieve this in 2014. SP!: How can folks keep up with you and Cloud 9 Comix? BS: Our apps are really the best way to check out what we’re all about, as previews of all our comics are available, and we offer some free comics, as well. Our website at http://Cloud9Comix.com is also a good place to see what’s new, as well as our Facebook page (http://facebook.com/ Cloud9Comix) and our YouTube channel (http:// youtube.com/Cloud9Comix). We love to receive feedback and we can be contacted either via the website or the Facebook page. We hope the readers will recognise that we carry some unique and very high-quality titles and will enjoy reading them and, in turn, support the independent authors and artists which are the core of Cloud 9 Comix.

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The Fish B owl Chronicles By Mark Turner

Part of my journey of learning how to build a career in comics has brought me into contact with professionals who have already learned that part of the equation. Want to create comics? It is as simple as picking up a pencil and paper and creating. but if you want to have a career… that requires a whole different set of considerations. Through interviews and candid conversations with industry pros, a clearer picture of what it takes to make it emerges. Whether you wish to work with any of the big publishers or simply wish to publish your own work, certain themes consistently come through from both professionals and hobbyists. Following are excerpts from some of these interactions and shared observations that help form the basis of operational foundations.

Massively Effective (super- also find that comic fans tend to a lot with four bucks, especial- AR: I will say that, as a profeshero comedy/action) from be very passionate about single ly if you’re living paycheck to sional, it is difficult to take on Atomic Rex Entertainment. characters or companies. We paycheck. Every penny counts. pro-bono projects for aspiring need more rich “omni-geeks” out there to support this industry, lol. ML: The biggest challenge you find, especially in digital, is giving people a reason to spend their hard-earned money on your book. Especially in digital. The digital market isn’t as big as print and maybe one day it will be as big, or bigger, but it’s you trying to convince the guy who’s buying Batman or SpiderMan or Invincible why he should spend the extra two bucks to Creators (writers): Bryan buy your book. If we were in Ginn and Marco Lopez print, that two bucks would be three-fifty or four. And in the SP!: As independent creators, comic book industry, readers what would you say is the big- taking risks is a big thing and I gest challenge you face in find- can’t blame them. You can do ing an audience? BG: The comic industry currently is very wary of new properties (especially those created by people whom they have never heard of) Comics are expensive now, so taking chances is not something everyone can do. I

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creators, especially writers. This is what I do to make a living and Genius from Top Cow Enter- put food on my table. Asking me tainment to create something for free is sort of like my asking them to work for two months at their day job with no pay and no guarantee of return on investment. So, when you approach someone, either be willing to share part of the copyright or offer some other incentive. There are some projects and writers you’d flip over backwards and take six months off your life to work with. I think it’s also about approach. Asking someone to bring your vision to life takes compromise as well. Trust the artist you approach. Artist: Afua Richardson Try to share your vision without forgetting they have one of their (Docta’ Foo) own. SP!: As a professional, what advice would you give to aspiring creators with little to no funds on how to work with someone of your level of talent? What do you think indie creators should do better to strengthen the small press industry and create better quality product?

Also, have a plan. That can really encourage a person to want to get on board. Consider the target audience. If you could have three books on the shelf with your book, what would be on display? Pick your method of execution, either [mainstream] publishing, self publishing, webcomic, etc.,

until the series is finished and then create a print-on-demand type of scenario, where you pre-build your fan base and then fill the demand, instead of working backward, where you create the product completely out-of-pocket and hope someone likes it. That latter way works as well, but the it’s harder if you’re just starting from the ground up. That doesn’t mean put all your ideas out there before it’s done, but if you want people to buy what you have, either create or join a community, so you can see what they are thinking, feeling, and needing. You’re a creator. Make sure you create what they need. Since there are so many Kickstarters, it’s important that presentation is well done, too. So, in addition to laying out your plans and ideas, know the business of what you’re creating. Know that the quality of your website and video is a gauge for people to consider the quality of your project. Not always equal, but an unfortunate part of the process. Websites like Flavors.me are a great way to consolidate your various social media if you don’t know how to use WordPress. Places like Themeforest.com have amazing templates and widgets that help you customize your website to give you exactly what you need. Easy navigation, no crazy music, simple, clear-cut instructions, so people can get your stuff easily.

used to create the strong works of New Paradigm Studios? What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most?

SP!: What do you think are the pay lots of money for your most important components to work without any changes. determining an independent creCreators also need to be willing ator’s success?

BP: Wow. I’d say, get an editor. Someone with experience with at least one of the Big Three. A good editor has a rolodex of talent and understands the production process from start to finish. I’d advise making sure that, whatever you are doing, it can stand up to the higherquality work out there. You are trying to get someone to spend their 3–4 dollars on your book. Make sure it’s something unique. I’d also develop it for digital first. I might also be inclined to do a webcomic first, as you can easily build up an audience, and it will be easier to get them to support it financially later. If you have no star cache, it’s an uphill battle.

JI: Talent, consistency, and the ability to self-promote. The absence of any of the three makes it extremely difficult in the comic book industry, because there seem to be more creator-owned comics out than ever before, thus more competition. Be good at your craft. Have the work come out on a regular schedule. Either learn to get the word out or ally yourself with someone skilled in the marketing / promotion / PR arena. Too many independent creators try to self-promote, but don’t have the savvy for it. It’s best for creators to honestly assess their skills and abilities.

to get professional instruction and/or counsel, if their work is not up to a certain level of quality. Not everyone with an idea is a writer. Not everyone who started drawing as a kid is a penciller. Not everyone who can dip a brush in ink is an inker. Not everyone who likes to color with their computer is a colorist. All of those roles require lots of work and learning.

Company: Lion Forge Comics, Mecha Workshop/Armarauders Graphic Novel, The Hub)

I’d say I like developing the ideas, and when the story clicks’ it feels great. It’s definitely less hard than finishing the art.

The most important thing is that creators enjoy producing their own projects. If they’re counting on making lots of money and getting their book optioned by Hollywood, it’s Company: Verge Entertain- an invitation to disappointment (previously Archaia ment and disillusionment. Writer: Brandon Easton

Studios Press, Bodog, DC (Shadowlaw published by Comics) SP!: If you had to recom- Arcana Studio) mend a book that you felt would be an invaluable tool for pencillers, what would it be? Writers? Inkers? Colorist?

JI: There is no single book to help creators from any category of artistic labor. Creators should read reguCompany: New Paradigm larly, practice their art regStudios ularly, and learn every day. Be willing to learn and take criticism. If you cannot take criticism and alter your art to Publisher: Brandon Perthe needs of a client, do not low go into business as an indeSP!: Any advice for creators hop- Editor/Writer: Joseph Il- pendent contractor—unless you can get lots of people to ing to emulate the model that you lidge

SP!: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges faced by writers hoping to enter the scene in today’s market? What starting advice would you give to anyone who is coming into the industry purely as a writer?

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BE: There are many. I’d say the core challenge is to find a creative team that will finish what they start. If you’re an independent writer without significant start-up capital you have to find ways to entice an art team to stick with your book through the long haul. Obviously, the solution to most problems in the creative process is money. If you pay artists a decent page-rate, that usually gets them to finish the project. Many of us don’t have the money and need to offer an artist partial ownership of the IP. However, partial ownership of an IP does not pay the bills in the short-term and this quickly leads to frustration that then leads to a lack of enthusiasm. From that point, things usually fall apart quickly.

as a business professional; learning how to shake hands firmly, make eye contact and not geeking out when you meet a creator or celebrity you’ve admired for years. The old adage about first impressions is 100 percent true in this industry and you don’t want to be branded as a whackjob when you’re just getting started. That reputation can easily destroy your career without your being aware of what’s happening.

treat them as you would expect to be treated in a business situation. Send emails, follow up, and be respectful. If you don’t hear from them again, don’t take it personally; they probably have a life and are busy as hell. I know a lot of really cool folks in the business and I only get to see them once every four or five months—and it’s not because they don’t like me, it’s because they have spouses, children, deadlines, vacations, car payments, mortgages, etc.

For the complete interviews, information about their work and interviews with other inThings eventually come together dustry insiders, check out if you stay the course. I know it http://www.examiner.com/ sounds clichéd, but the career of c o m i c - b o o k s - i n - o a k l a n d / the writer is extremely unpre- mark-turner dictable, except for the fact that it takes a while to get established. The average time between starting your career and gaining significant market visibility is five to ten years. If you can’t handle that, then walk away, because it does not happen overnight.

All writers need to find ways to accumulate a production budget. This budget goes beyond the penciller and inker—there’s also the letterer and colorist (if you decide to do the book in color), as well as the cost of printing the book for distribution. A creator also has the option of releasing their work as a digital comic, but I’d always suggest having a physical copy of the book for the sake of reviews, networking with other professionals, convention sales, and mail orders.

The life of a writer is mainly a solitary one. Writers usually spend large amounts of time alone, spinning worlds and ideas in their heads constantly, without input from others. The end result is social anxiety and awkwardness around strangers and/ or large groups. Many would be surprised to know that I’m not a big fan of going to large events where I won’t know anyone. It takes a huge personal investment of confidence and selfdetermination for me to get over my own issues with social anxi- Title:Dread&Alive (Zoolook) ety to do business and connect with other professionals. I actually like making new friends, but that’s not easy when you’re accustomed to spending 75 percent of your time hunched over a keyboard, writing scripts or doing research for a story.

Writers need to see themselves as a small business. I’ve met many aspiring writers that feel that once their book is done, their job is done, and somehow, an audience will magically appear to support them. A writer in the 21st century has to learn the importance of social networking and interpersonal business communication. It means learning the art of the deal and compromise. It means carrying oneself

It should go without saying that any serious writer interested in building a career needs to have a finished product to show (either a 22-page comic, fully lettered and colored, or a finished 96page graphic novel), business cards, good hygiene and a lack of expectation from your peer group. No one is required to do anything for you. If you make a connection with someone and they agree to share information,

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

NDS: It’s very important! As an independent publisher, I will not release a title unless I feel that I’ve put my best work into it, and that means in the writing, in the artwork, and in the presentation of the story as a comic book. Fans can tell whether or not a story has been well thought out, or if the story or artwork has been rushed just to get something out to the markets.

Creator/Writer: Nicholas de Silva SP!: Dread & Alive possess a quality standard that even some of the bigger publishing companies fall short of. How important do you think it is that independent publishers equate the quality of their finished product to being representative of their brand?

Indies in Scotland Black Hearted Press

by Louise Cochran-Mason

Black Hearted Press is a Scottish comic book publisher and founder of the Scottish Indie Comic Book Alliance and the Glasgow Comic Convention. The company was started by David Braysher, John Farman and Sha Nazir in 2010. Black Hearted Press’s first comic was Black Maria 616, which featured four stories introducing the eponymous super heroine, her friends, and her enemies. They started to grow the company rapidly in 2011. They released Laptop Guy, School of the Damned, Gabriel, and ‘Scout 1, the founding of Scottish Indie Comic Book Alliance (S.I.C.B.A.) by Sha Nazir and John Farman, and then held the first Black Heart Press-run Glasgow Comic Convention (GCC). S.I.C.B.A. Is a non-profit organisation whose aim is to promote local comics and creators (and the S.I.C.B.A. Awards). They continue to create comics, adding more titles to their roster (one of which has been optioned for a feature film). The GCC proved so popular they had to move to a larger venue, though it remains more indie-friendly than the MCM Scotland Comic Con. GCC14 has already been announced (for Saturday and Sunday, July 5–6, 2014, at the Centre for Contempory Arts in Glasgow). John Farman tells us more.

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BLACK HEARTED PRESS

Black Hearted Press was officially born in the spring of 2010. I was sitting, having a drink with David Braysher, when he asked if I’d be interested in scripting over some pre-drawn art he’d been sitting on. I agreed and with the help of Sha Nazir, who packaged and produced the whole thing, we had a comic book! I think it’s fair to say we made a few mistakes on that first book, but it was a wonderful feeling having a tangible product at the end of the process. We quickly added Jim Alexander to the company and within the next six months had added Laptop Guy, School of the Damned, and Gabriel to our roster of books. After a year or so, the company went

through another restructuring, with the departure of both Jim Alexander and founding member David Braysher. This change coincided with the launch of new titles, Children of the Damned, Darkside, and Maximum Alan. In the winter of 2012, we welcomed our new partners, TV writer Jack Lothian and Mark Boyle (aka DJ Muppet). These additions supplied wellneeded support in the writing and editorial areas, as well as digital publishing and marketing departments. More recently, BHP was accepted for a cultural tenancy at the CCA, the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Scotland, the first and only comic company to be afforded this honor. •

SCHOOL OF THE DAMNED

After the process of working on Black Maria, I decided to work on a book of my own, something that was close to my heart: the horror genre. I had been a fan of the Universal monsters since I was a child and set about creating a universe where these characters would live together and supplement them with a cast list of brand-new characters of my own. Next, I chose a favorite era of mine (The1930s) and established Van Helsing and the Third Reich as the main villains of the piece. Success in the form of sales, critical acclaim, and the option for live-action feature followed incredibly quickly. Incredibly, the film option came about from the very first page of Issue 1, a scene that connects the evacuation of St. Kilda in Scotland to a vampire infestation. Within a few weeks of release, the BBC highlands website ran a story on the book which quickly snowballed to the national press and, finally, an option being offered. All from a single page of a black-andwhite locally-produced comic book! School of the Damned is about to be released in trade paperback format and, with vocal approval from creators and writers such as Jim Starlin and Ian Rankin, the future looks increasingly bright for SOTD.

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CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED

Fairly early on, I knew that I wanted to tell more stories with my ever-expanding cast of SOTD characters. I decided a sister book was the way forward; this would allow me to tell stories that were self-contained and, in some cases, would link to the main book and add a new dimension to it. The book also allowed me to experiment and use techniques that weren’t suitable for the main title. This included a silent story, a photo story (which we shot in the Glasgow Necropolis), and a homage title to the wonderful Calvin and Hobbes. Although containing some of my favorite moments, I realized that the book didn’t quite sit together and have since decided to reboot it under the title Tales of the Damned, a spotlight comic containing self-contained stories for individual original characters from the SOTD universe.

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DARKSIDE

I’ve always loved the Amicus horror films. The conceit borrowed from EC titles always fascinated me and I’d longed to do such a project. I knew early on I didn’t want to write all of the stories, so I quickly asked a few fellow writers to add their voices to the project. Jack Lothian, writer of Laptop Guy, was joined by Ross Leonard, writer of Maximum Alan, and completed by newcomer Carl Pickard. This was supplemented with art by award-winning artists Will Pickering and Dave Alexander, as well as newcomers Al Harron and Chris Connelly.

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ROYAL DESCENT

I’d always been a fan of the film Battle Royale, and remember coming out of the cinema and saying to a friend, ”Can you imagine that film with the British Royal Family as the main characters?”. If I remember correctly, scorn was the main response at the time, but ten years later, the book is a reality. This is easily the most controversial project I’ve ever worked on. In my opinion, this is the first ‘political punk’ comic to come out of the UK in at least two decades, so for me the time was right. I have been extremely lucky to be assisted by co-creator John Howard, the new full time artist for SOTD, on this project. The concept is simple: in a dystopian future society run by a dark new political party, run by the people for the people, as a punishment for the disintegration of the fabric of British society, the British Royal Family are forced to fight each other to the death on the island of Mingulay in Scotland. In the end, there can be only one winner. This book is definitely not one for the faint of heart! Studio interest has already been shown in this project, moving it further forward along a similar path to that of SOTD.

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LAPTOP GUY

The creation of Sha Nazir, Laptop Guy has gone through many changes since the first title debuted in 2011. Out of all of the books published by Black Hearted Press, in my opinion, this one has evolved the most. Originally a series of one- and two-page shorts, the character and story were taken on by Jack Lothian, who quickly changed the direction of the book, allowing Sha to concentrate solely on art duties, with quite superb results. What developed was a surreal trip through the mind of a comic creator and the challenges he faces in the ‘real world’ of publishing. Subsequently, the company has a truly witty and amusing sit-comic, which continues to surprise and amuse in equal measure—a book which, again in my opinion, just keeps getting better and better.

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MAXIMUM ALAN

As commissioning editor for Black Hearted Press, I am constantly meeting new creators and hearing new book pitches. I originally met Ross Leonard and Brian Rankin at the Kapow Comic Con in 2012. They asked me if I’d be interested in taking a look at Maximum Alan, as they wanted to sub-

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

mit it for the SICBA awards later that year. I took the book and decided to flick through it. What struck me immediately was the originality within the pages. Here we had a story about multi-dimensional Alan Moores hunting down the ‘real’ Alan Moore, at once daring and extremely amusing to boot. I hungrily read it in one sitting. I approached the team and asked if they would be interested in us taking the book on and publishing it. We quickly came up with a contract and unleashed Maximum Alan onto an unsuspecting audience. The book has rightfully gone on to garner a solid readership and critical acclaim, making it a worthy addition to the BHP roster.

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MEGA PENGUIN/BUNS OF STEEL

One of the most interesting and daring concepts to come out of the company since its inception, Mega Penguin is the brainchild of Sha Nazir and BHP intern Paul Hempstead. The idea for this comic was born at a rather peculiar time, the middle of a frantic period where production for Glasgow Comic Con 2013 was in full swing. Sha suggested to Paul that they could do a full-color 24-page flip book in time to debut at GCC 13, the only problem being they only had 15 days to do everything from concept, lettering, coloring, and finally, production, all while producing the GCC 13 booklet and completing production on two other BHP titles. What they came up with was truly remarkable. In Mega Penguin, we have the story of Eric Ridley, a 100ft penguin, a penguin going about his daily business—the chaotic destruction of Mega City! On the flip side, Paul created a story about two brothers who just happen to be hot dogs, with a hatred for each other and a passion for carnage! A truly original concept that was set against the backdrop of 14-hour days, the resulting book is equally astounding and hilarious.

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DIGITAL, ONLINE, BRICKS AND MORTAR SALES

The making of comic books is the fun part of being a creator however, while you can make the most original and exciting comics around you, reaching an audience that will read your books and come back for more is equally important and requires as much creativity. Below are the five main revenue streams we are currently utilizing to bring our books to a wider audience.

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DIGITAL SALES

The major advantage of digital sales is the ability to bring your books to a worldwide market. This has been helped through placement on online digital sites, such as Graphically and DriveThru. These sales have a tendency to be spread out over longer periods of time, as opposed to personal events, such as comic conventions or a launch night. It is important to recognize the sheer volume of books available on digital comic websites. This is, perhaps, one of the most difficult aspects of selling. As you move from local sales and reputation, you will find that you are among some of the biggest and most successful companies in the world. I feel it’s important to embrace this step forward as the necessary and natural extension of your company and its product. As such, these sites provide an excellent supplement to the sales in already-established marketplaces.

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COMIC SHOP SALES

As well as having books represented within comic shops in the west of Scotland, our books are also available in national chain shop Forbidden Planet, and we are currently working towards an exclusive deal with high street book shop Waterstones. The pros and cons of this are fairly obvious; a smaller percentage of profit is available to you as the publisher, but this is balanced by finding a new larger and consistent audience. As such, the bricks-and-mortar shops offer a great opportunity for regular weekly sales, which continue to raise the profile of BHP books and creators.

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BLACK HEARTED PRESS ONLINE SHOP

The creation of our own shop has been an immense success and, in terms of relative sales, contributes on a steady weekly basis. Sales vary at different times of the year. For example, we experience a sharp spike in sales

the month of, and the month before, Glasgow Comic Con. Perhaps, the most important aspect of this shop is the ability to sell online and retain full profits from all merchandise and comics—another way of successfully maximizing your sales and retaining full profit margins while selling to a worldwide audience.

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CONVENTIONS

At BHP, we realize and respect the potential of the comic convention and the captive audience. We realize that attendance at conventions throughout the United Kingdom varies in terms of sales tallies. However, the most important aspect of the comic convention is to continually meet with already-established customer bases, while embracing new customers and promoting the many creators working within BHP. The other added bonus is the representation of local comic shops at events and working with them in an attempt to bring new and varied product to a previously untapped region. The company is hopeful of beginning this process in the US in the very near future.

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COMIC LAUNCHES AND MARKETING

This is an invaluable way of bringing a product to market attention and increasing sales. Remember, pretty much everyone who attends your launch is there for the same reason: to check out your book and, hopefully, buy it. Having folk turn up and having a fixed audience is great, but that doesn’t automatically mean people will buy your books. Having a good sales team who are invested in the book and company and understand the purpose of the launch is key. This must be supplemented by marketing. This does not mean solely creating a page on Facebook or tweeting about it; use of various websites, including your own and any other sites that have a large audience share are, again, key factors. Printed materials advertising the launch, as well as tapping into already established media, are also vitally important in raising the bar on attendance, future reference, and the sales of your book. In summing up, I don’t think it is possible for me to emphasize enough the need for multiple revenue streams when marketing and selling your books. Many sales have been garnered through word of mouth or sheer persistence within the various channels already mentioned. Most importantly, you must remember that books do not sell themselves. At pretty much all the above sales points, hard work and persistence are prerequisites. With this in mind, who exactly are the audience for the Black Hearted Press titles? In certain cases—for instance, School of the Damned and Children of the Damned—I have found a high percentage of the demographic for the books is split 50/50 between male and female readers between the ages of 15 and 35. This varies slightly, but overall, I would think it’s fair to say that we have a good balance between younger and mature readers, with an equal split between female and male readers. The one thing our readers have in common is their desire for well-told, intelligent comic books. At current time, our company has no plans to move into the superhero market. It’s possible that the most amazing concept may drop in our laps, but I would say the chances of this are unlikely. The focus of our titles is on well-told stories that are genre-specific. This encapsulates horror, romance, humor, adventure, and political thriller. We will be expanding in the near future and are also looking to bring genres diverse as science fiction, crime and autobiographical comics into our catalogue. I personally believe that the aforementioned genres have more potential and longevity. These are areas where I consider that healthy competition is still viable. As a collaborative company, we share profits equally with the creators, as well as ensure they have complete control over their IP. We provide services, such as book production, access to reviewers, distribution, and marketing. We feel this allows creators to focus on what they do best: create. With the never-ending expansion of comic creators, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd and it can prove extremely difficult to get your product to your projected audience. Our ultimate aim is both to help the creator, sell their work and to raise the profile of our company by producing that work.

real buzz of energy about them. When we originally started the marts, we found that comic dealers made up 99.9 percent of the stalls offered. Then something interesting happened. Slowly but surely, the amount of independent creators began to increase. By 2010, individual creators took up 30–40% of space at our events. Proving that if you give creators a space to show and sell their work, it will encourage growth in that area. Sha Nazir had noticed this too and remarked very matter-of-factly to me one day, ”Let’s do a comic con.“ Without hesitating I said, ”Sure, when and where?“ In that moment, Glasgow Comic Con was born. We were taking a huge risk, as there had not been a comic convention in Glasgow since 1994, and there was no real way of knowing if there was a ‘real’ audience for the event. We began with our marketing strategy, utilizing social networks, comic book websites, and an advertising campaign, to make folk aware that we were indeed putting on an event. This, as you can imagine, was extremely time-consuming and took a massive amount of work. We then set about putting together our staff and I’ll be very clear about this from the start: the success of GCC 11–13 owes as much to the ability to work smoothly in a high pressure environment as it does to the grace of our guests, the enthusiasm of the fans, and the patience of the venue management, as it does to Sha and myself, the event producers. Without all of the aforementioned folk, there wouldn’t be a Glasgow Comic Con. So, it was the summer of 2011 and we forged ahead with a lovely listed building venue in the Mackintosh Church in Glasgow (the venue for the first two GCC events), and with a guest list comprising Mark Millar, David Lloyd, Alan Grant, and Colin Macneil, among others. To our joy, we managed to sell out the event! GCC 2012 evolved into a 2-day extravaganza, featuring guests such as Grant Morrison, Jim Starlin, Frank Quitely, John Wagner, Rufus Dayglo, and Karrie Fransman, among others. Again, the event sold out on the Saturday and was 80 percent full on the Sunday. Folk came dressed up, bought books, and chatted to guests. We had managed to do it again—and over two days, this time. Which brings us nicely to this year. Again, we managed to persuade some of the finest creators working in comics to join us at our new venue, the CCA—in the very heart of Glasgow. This year we were joined by Alan Davis, Carlos Ezquerra, Simon Bisley, Mike Ploog, Cam Kennedy, John Higgins, Hannah Berry, and returning guests, such as Frank Quitely, John Wagner, and Alan Grant. This year proved to be a complete sellout on both days and, as with the two previous comic conventions, many of the local creators attended, many selling out of their books and grabbing the chance to network and chat with the established stars over the weekend. With a healthy amount of both retailers and established shops represented at the event, GCC provides solid financial rewards for all table attendees—something that again ties into the spirit of collaboration that is vital to both the health and the viable continuation of the comic scene in Scotland.

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SICBA AWARDS

At the same time as Sha had the idea for Glasgow Comic Con, I suggested running an awards ceremony to celebrate the independent creators that had begun to thrive on our local scene. Many names were thrown about and we decided on the SICBA awards—or, long version—the Scottish Independent Comic Book Awards. Opening the award to anyone from Scotland, or based here, and currently creating comic books or graphic novels, both Sha and myself felt that it would give local comic creators the incentive to create works that would be highlighted and celebrated by the local community, as well as increase sales and bring more name value to the books concerned. At the same time, we wanted to celebrate already-established creators and their careers. The recipients of the first three achievement awards were Alan Grant, Dave Alexander and, this year’s recipient, Cam Kennedy.

Weblinks: 1. http://www.blackheartedpress.co.uk/

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GLASGOW COMIC CON

Sha Nazir, David Braysher, and myself had been running comic marts in Glasgow for a decade. They had always been well-attended and had a

2. http://gccon.wordpress.com/ 3. http://www.sicba.org.uk/

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A WRIT TEN VIE W By Douglas Owen TIE IT TOGETHER

actually stand over their shoulder from the time they

make you a better writer, and happier in the end.

wake up to the time they go to bed, I would not be

A WORD ON EDITING

Some writers like to tie all the characters in their first

able to tell you for sure. Mostly, they lack the ability

chapter to their end chapter, bringing the work full

to follow the instruction in the first line of this part

circle. Depending on how you start the story, this

of the article, that is, to put their ass in the chair and

Once I finish a work, I set it aside for 30 days or more.

technique does not always work.

write.

Afterwards, I come back to it and do a first-draft read-through, making corrections and expanding

Take your characters and fit them through a door,

One successful writer I know sits down from 7am to

the word count. I will also build background, char-

starting with your first and moving on down the line.

9am every day to write. Another writes during her

acter traits, and idiosyncrasies to make the charac-

It is not easy to do, but it’s rewarding when done well.

lunch. I, well, I write all the time. From the time I wake

ters sing. So, don’t think you can push out a final

For example, I have one of my books start off with a

up to the time I go to bed, my word processor is open

draft the first go.

dream sequence. The main character is dreaming of

and I am either writing, rewriting, critiquing work or

the day his parents were killed by a suicide bomber.

just rereading my own work. I don’t stop unless I am

After my initial rewrites, I post the work to my cri-

How do I tie that up in the end? Another dream

sleeping (or driving the car and, even then, I could

tique group. These talented readers and writers go

sequence? It would be going to the well too many

start my recorder and throw out an idea). So it comes

over the work word-for-word and offer sentiments

times. Instead, I have him think about his parents and

down to discipline. As you start writing, you will need

and opinions to help clear up issues. Some follow

how proud they would be with how he had turned

to put some time aside to write every day.

the work from start to finish, while others only read

out. There is your full circle.

a chapter here and there. Two of my favorite readers Last year, I took part in NaNoWriMo and wrote a novel

are brutal to a fault and I love them to death for it.

But if your character is a newborn child and the other

that was over 76,000 words. It was not perfect; it was

They are the ones that make my work shine and

characters in the first chapter are throwaway charac-

the first draft. After the sixth rewrite, it was perfect. I

without their knowledge and input, I would be at

ters, what do you do then? I suggest bringing them

did it with discipline. I sat down and wrote the story.

a loss.

to the end, showing how they have gone full circle.

I wrote two hours during the day and three at night. I

Make sure you tie up all the loose ends that you can.

averaged over 2,000 words a day. The region I wrote

Find yourself a writing circle, join it and participate.

in called me an animal, but they loved it.

You will see how great your writing goes. But, what-

A WORD ON DISCIPLINE

ever you do, never forget about your editor. Pick one I had set a goal for myself: to write a minimum of

who is a line editor, for they go through the work

Put your ass in the chair and write! Yes, you heard

2,000 words per day. If I surpassed it, perfect. If I did

one line at a time, correcting spelling and grammar,

right and there is nothing else I can say about it.

not make it, I added it to my total for the next day.

seeing the story arc and polishing it better than any

It worked for me.

other writer will be able to.

problem: they lack discipline. They do try, but they

Don’t get me wrong, it may be different for you,

Don`t skimp. Pay a fair price and expect a good job.

fail miserably a lot of the time. Why do they fail? I

so try whatever will get you to write and stick to it.

Don`t hire someone who is only a writer or reader.

have a number of thoughts about it, but unless I were

Discipline yourself to get your ass in that seat. It will

Your work will thank you, as well as your publisher.

I have a lot of writer friends who share a common

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

Nistar makes its own rules—for a cause By: Katrina Joyner There are those of us who know every

but we’re more interested in the most

introduction. If you don’t know his

name of every big time comic maker

recent Superman movie than some-

name but grew up reading the X-men

in history, starting with Stan Lee and

body’s life. Eastman and Laird are

in the 80s, then you know his work. If

swinging down to current pros, like

household names, because main-

that doesn’t ring a bell for you, then

Arsia Rozegar and Chris Sotomayor.

stream media made sure we knew

perhaps, bringing up The Official

Then there’s the rest of us—we love

them.

Handbook of the Marvel Universe

comics, we read comics, and we know

will help, as he is most associated with

the characters like the back of our

Even so, Josef Rubinstein is a man

hand. Some names, we’ll recognize,

who should require little by way of

inking it. I had the absolute pleasure of being given an hour of his time to inter-

Joe Rubinstein portrait

view him, opening a window into two

thought comics were junk and may

worlds of comic book making: then

even have *gasp* thrown away your

and now. With the way the business

collection, then you may also know a

has changed over the past decade, I

simple truth that I grew up knowing:

think it is important to note that he

comics are great for building reading

was there to see these changes. He

skills. It doesn’t have to be in English.

started his career at the tender age of

Wendy Pini of Elfquest fame taught

17 as an inker, thanks to a little prac-

herself to read kanji using manga.

tice on his friend Mike Nasser’s draw-

What a delight, then, to have Joe tell

ings. From there, he grew to great-

me that this was how he got his own

ness, becoming involved with such

grasp of English.

titles as Ghost Rider, Wolverine, and Superman.

He came from a family of immigrants, fresh off the boat. Arriving in the

For those of you who have always

country at the tender age of about

wanted to ask, the highlight of

five, let’s just say that it would have

his career, according to many, was

been surprising if he spoke fluent

working on Captain America with

American English. Luckily for those

John Byrne.

of us in the comic world, he found comics. At first, they were a means

If you were part of that unfortunate

of amusement and a way to learn his

generation that had parents who

new language better. It wasn’t until

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

later in life that he realized that comics

comfort zone and do new things, he

were what he wanted to do. Imagine a

explained, gives you practice in things

world had he never come to America,

you wouldn’t normally do. This of

never had the need to learn a new lan-

course leads to the inking he does

guage. Your tender years reading Hulk

today versus the inking of his early

probably would have been a little

years . There’s a different approach to

different.

the field today.

Naturally, one of the first things I asked

“Pencils were looser in the old days,”

him was a question a lot of us in the

he said to me. “In the old days, layouts

“biz” wonder from time to time about

would be given to the inkers and it

our own selves: how did he know he

was the inkers that pulled everything

wanted to be an inker? Did he just

together. There’s a certain life inkers

wake up one day and decide that it

gave that can’t be replaced—not even

was for him, or did he find himself

digitally.”

gravitating that way by circumstance? These days, inking is almost being I admit I was expecting him to tell me

completely phased out. Today’s

he found he preferred inking and tar-

pencils are generally “tight pencils”

(published by Marvel and DC comics)

hospital for more children to read and

geted that field. A lot of people out to

that are sometimes passed to the col-

as well as other comic book artists.”

enjoy the story.

make their names as inkers are start-

orist without even seeing an inker at

ing out that way in today’s market.

all. Inkers these days do a wonderful

The concept of NISTAR has been a

Who knows? Maybe the comic will

So, when he told me that he’d actu-

job, but a growing amount seem to

10 year labor of love for Shira Frimer,

help a child learn, much in the same

ally started out wanting to be a pen-

have turned tracing into an artwork

the woman behind the project. It had

way it did for him. This lively man is

ciller first, but because of the advice

where, according to Rubinstein, “To be

seen various artists and a publisher

definitely someone we can learn from,

in an interview he read he focused on

a good inker you need to know how

who, sadly, died before the project

not just about comic history but about

inking. I was actually a little surprised.

to draw”.

could reach fruition. Joe remarked

the craft today. I completely enjoyed

that over the years, with the book

my conversation with him.

Should it be a surprise, though? “Don’t just be an inker,” he explained

seeing so much different talent, a

He prefers portraits, he told me, but

further. “Be an artist that just happens

person can really see JJ’s artistic evo-

Oh, if you want to ask what it was like

will paint just about anything: boats,

to ink.”

lution through the pages. He starts

for me to speak with someone whose

out “really skinny” and progresses to

artwork graced my bookshelves and

cars… even unicorns, I am willing to bet, perhaps holding fluffy angels on

One thing he attributed to his success

the square jawed hero people would

littered the bed-made-library growing

the hoof while angels sing overhead.

was the people he worked with. It’s

expect.

up, I can only tell you I said, “Wow,”

Okay, maybe that would be a bit ludi-

all about the teamwork. Some pen-

crous to ask of him, but he did tell me

cilers need inkers and some don’t, but

NISTAR is not being marketed in

nothing better to say. I learned a lot

he would paint anything.

overall, your work is best when one

stores. It’s being given away for

through our conversation and am

complements the other. He felt that’s

free to children in hospitals, Ronald

honored to have had the chance to

“I like my paintings to be fluid and

what happened to him; he had some

McDonald Houses, and wherever else

chat. Let us hope that Rubinstein is

free as well as my inks,” he said to me.

excellent pencils to adapt and flow

it seems to belong—thanks to the

involved in many more exciting proj-

“Inking requires good hand and eye

from. And the rest is history.

numerous supporters who pledged

ects after this, so I won’t be the last

by way of Indiegogo. The pledge drive

to say “wow” when opening a comic cover.

coordination, control of your brush or

a lot, like some teenager who had

pen, and the ability to adapt accord-

What is he doing now? He just finished

raised $25,075 USD, way more than

ing to the book’s style.” He compared

NISTAR (along with other artists), a

their original goal.

inking to draftsmanship, because of

very special project. It’s about a super-

the level of control needed. Though

hero for children with cancer.

he acknowledged that inking defi-

If you wish to know more about Rubinstein was slightly amused by

NISTAR, visit: http://www.indiegogo.

his situation with the comic. His older

com/projects/superhero-for-kidswith-cancer/x/250963

nitely gave him greater control over

The Indiegogo campaign reads,

brother researches leukemia, search-

the tools of his trade, he felt that a lot

“Nistar is a 104 page, fully colored

ing for a cure, and there Josef was,

of his skill was born of practice and

graphic novel about JJ Barak and

working on a comic to comfort chil-

For more information regarding Josef

the desire to grow as an artist.

his battles against cancer, illus-

dren with the disease. He hopes the

himself and his rates, his page is here:

trated by none other than renowned

comics that children choose not to

http://www.josefrubinstein.com/

comic book artist Josef Rubinstein

take home with them will stay at the

Drawings/JR/home.aspx

Being willing to step out of your

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

The Writing Fairy: Dorothea Helms Dorothea Helms, a.k.a. The Writing Fairy®, is an award-winning, internationally published writer and popular writing instructor. She is the author of the highly successful book The Writing Fairy Guide to Calling Yourself a Writer (now available on Kindle) and she offers courses, workshops, and keynote speeches that inspire adults to write and publish their work. She is known for her trademark humour. Where Dorothea goes, fun follows!

DH: I am passionate about my Writing Fairy® book. After 20 years of teaching creative writing, I can tell you that the biggest hurdle for most people is taking the psychological step to calling themselves writers. Once they read my book, they feel freer to write with confidence. I have hundreds of letters from readers who have said my book inspired them in that way. It’s such a thrill. SP!: Who is your favourite character from your own writing? Describe an interesting moment in the development of this character.

She has been teaching creative writing for 20 years and is proud that many of her students have won writing contests, started freelance careers, and become published authors. In 2012, Dorothea was the only Canadian among the ten semi-finalists in the Robert Benchley Award for Humor and she placed third in the Accenti magazine short fiction contest (story published in the January 2013 issue). This prolific Fairy is also owner of Write Stuff Writing Services, through which she provides professional writing and editing services of all kinds to newspapers, magazines, businesses and individual clients. Over the years, she has served as contributing editor to dozens of publications, and has provided many writing colleagues with paying gigs. Dorothea’s work has appeared in publications such as Homemakers, Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, LICHEN Arts & Letters Preview and Canadian Architecture and Design Magazine. She was featured on CBC Radio’s “First Person Singular” twice, and has twice had personal essays published on The Globe and Mail’s “Facts & Arguments” page. SP!: Describe the moment that launched you on your journey of becoming a writer. DH: In September 1992, I walked into a creative writing night course at Durham College in Ontario. To use a cliché that is appropriate for the experience, I never looked back. I knew that I was supposed to be writing and that these were my people. SP!: What would you consider to be the main influencers on your writing? DH: When it comes to the writing I do out of passion, humor is number one. I sometimes wonder whether funny things just happen to me, or I see things as funny. I also like to venture into the realm of the strange and I am obsessed with the concept of free will (whether we have it). My fiction writing tends to focus on that theme.

Dorothea Helms SP!: How instrumental is your support group (family, friends, and colleagues) in your writing career? DH: I am one of those fortunate writers who enjoy tremendous support from loved ones. In fact, my husband is the person who encouraged me to take that writing course in 1992. He’s always had more faith in my abilities than I have and my kids have been supportive as well. Then, there are my colleagues. I am a member of The Writers’ Community of Durham Region—have been since it was founded. I interact with other writers a lot, and they continually inspire me. So do my writing students. I love hanging around with writers. We’re cool. SP!: What were the most challenging aspects of bringing your books to life? DH: I published a book in 2005, The Writing Fairy® Guide to Calling Yourself a Writer. A few years before that, I co-authored a humor book, Man … Woman … Insanity! with Steve Bond. These came out before print-on-demand was available, so we did true self-publishing— paying someone for illustrations, cover art, layout, printing, etc. It was labor intensive and expensive. The biggest challenge to bringing my next book to life is finishing it. SP!: What is the fundamental message you would like readers to walk away with after reading your work?

DH: I am writing a novel in which one of the characters is my protagonist’s muse, Sunnywith-a-U. She is outrageous. She showed up during a writing exercise I did when I took Sue Reynolds and James Dewar’s “Novel Approach” course a couple years ago. The writing prompt was to start a scene with a character engaging in a mundane task, and this blonde older woman making a bed popped into my mind. She is inspired by the character Flo on the old sitcom of that name, and I plan on Carol Burnett playing her in the movie. Sunny smacks her gum and calls my protagonist “Cookie”. SP!: What was the most difficult scene for you to write? Try to describe your efforts without revealing too much or ‘spoiling’ the moment for future readers. DH: I’ve been working on the final scene in the book, and I’m finding it difficult to write. The plot is fantastic and I want to avoid a corny, itwas-all-a-dream ending. To write this scene, I have had to explore my feelings about writing and life in general. As funny as the novel is, it also tackles a serious and controversial topic that has been debated for centuries: do we have free will? SP!: What insight(s) can you give regarding the publishing industry and the route you chose for publication (traditional publishing vs. selfpublishing). DH: I am also working on my next non-fiction Writing Fairy® book, which I will self publish. I sell a lot of books during my courses and workshops—and through my website, local bookstore, and Amazon—so I’m not concerned about distribution. With the print-on-demand sites available today, a writer can do limited print runs and then fix mistakes in the next runs. It’s great. Once the novel is finished, I will pursue an agent

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and traditional publishing company. People buy fiction by author, so the industry can be difficult for a new fiction writer to enter. I figure the more money I make from my novel, the more the agent makes, so that person will have my best interest at heart. SP!: What have you found to be the most challenging aspect of publicizing yourself and your work? DH: The biggest challenges for me are social networking and keeping up my websites. I do the minimum of what I have to, but I’d rather devote my time to productive writing work. I have a blog, which I call my BLAHG. I rarely read other people’s blogs (who has time?), and I don’t care for writing my own. As I tell my students, however, you don’t have to like it; you just have to do it. To have a successful writing career today, social networking and a dynamic website should be part of marketing. *Sigh* SP!: What is the saddest thing you’ve encountered in your career? DH: That requires a two-part answer. First, I am shocked at how many of my creative writing students have little or no support from their loved ones when it comes to writing. The most common comment I get regarding this scenario is that parents, siblings, and/or friends think the students should study “something useful like computers.”

pay you, but you can sign my pipes and I’ll show that to family and friends?” The only way to fix this is for professional writers to command professional fees. SP!: You say you are writing a novel. What inspired that story? DH: Timothy Findley inspired it. In 1997, I had the privilege of interviewing him for a magazine. He told me that he didn’t consider himself a writer, so much as a vehicle for the characters in his head to get out onto the page. The first thing I thought was, “Wow, I bet some of your characters are ticked off at you for the terrible situations you created for them!” That idea rumbled around in my mind for a few years. Then, one day, I thought, hey, what if a novelist’s characters held her captive and put her on trial for the murder that occurs in her book? Is she guilty because she’s the author? There’s that free will thing again. SP!: Why haven’t you finished your novel, yet? DH: I’ve been too busy playing Candy Crush Saga on Facebook. Hey, is that my choice, or am I predestined to waste time on that ridiculous game? You can keep up with Dorothea Helms at www.thewritingfairy.com and at www.wsws.ca.

Second, I find it unacceptable that writers in Canada today makes LESS on average per year than decades ago. I mean, seriously? It is so common for people to start up a new magazine or newspaper and factor in all the costs of doing business, except paying writers. In the immortal words of me, WELL, DUH! They think the byline is enough. As I tell my students, would you hire a plumber and then say, “Gee, I’m not going to

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

The Writing Fairy Guide to Calling Yourself a Writer is a hilarious and touching look at a serious problem: the reluctance of unpublished writers to think of their literary voices as valid. After decades of teaching creative writing to adults, the author, Dorothea Helms, has seen time and again that receiving “permission” to call oneself a writer is a major step toward fulfilling the passion to write. The following are just a few quotes from the hundreds of letters and emails she’s received. Erma B. and Anne Lamott are very influential for me. Both are on my bookshelf. Now, sandwiched in between is the slim, but filling, Dorothea Helms. “I finished your book last night and realized this isn’t just about writers—it is about any profession. You inspire me.” “Thanks for such a great book. It’s good to know something like this is out there— the potential it has to make people stop and think and declare writing a gift to themselves.”

20 Questions for Red Hot Rebellion

Jimmy Thrillwell and the Red Hot Rebellion are not of this Earth—in every sense of the phrase. They are an intergalactic group of heroes bent on saving rock and roll, and with it the human race, all while masquerading as an independent band. Read Jimmy Thrillwell’s responses to our Twenty Questions and then immediately erase it. Do your part to keep this amazing band our best kept secret. SP!: What was your first experience with music? JT: My first musical memory was during my pupal phase in my incubation pod on Alteris VII. Mother always had an appreciation for Nebular Rock and would frequently stream music to me while I metamorphosed. SP!: How did that experience influence your desire to play music professionally? JT: I come from a long line of warriors. In fact, 378 members of my immediate family are currently serving in the Galactic Armed Forces. I do appreciate a good battle and sometimes volunteer for mercenary missions, but my passion and prowess

lies within the mighty realm of Rock ’n Roll. I believe my early exposure to music helped foster this. SP! : Is this your first band? If not, what is your musical history? JT: I have played in over 40 different bands, each of which has toured the Outer Rings and beyond. However, this is my first band to tour Earth. It is quite an honor, although your Rock scene is currently in a shitty state. SP!: What is the origin story of your band? JT: This, unfortunately, is a classified story. Perhaps, one day I can tell the tale, but for the moment, you need Double Secret Top Shelf Clearance to have this information. Sorry. SP! : How did you choose the name of your band? JT: Personally, I wanted to call the band Mustache Supernova, but I was overruled. SP! : Does the name have any historical, comedic, or social significance?

JT: Yes. But please refer to Answer #4. It’s classified. SP!: What was it like to play together? JT: It was like the planets of the Niberian System had aligned with the super massive black hole at the center of the galaxy and exploded in pure sonic fury all over my ear holes. It was immense and amazing. Pure Rock ’n Roll explosives. SP!: What do you think makes you unique as a band? JT: We are a band of intergalactic heroes from the other side of the galaxy, sent to Earth on a mission to save Rock ’N Roll (and humanity itself ). I think that make us pretty unique. SP!: How would you describe your music to someone that has never heard it? JT: The Soundtrack to a Bar Fight SP!: What is your process for creating new music? JT: Blind Tone Deaf Dougie J (RHR

By John Wilson

guitar) usually comes to us with a guitar riff and we jam it out for a while and see what happens. Sometimes the songs just spontaneously appear when we are in the Murderbunker (our practice space). We take the parts we like and string them together until a cohesive arrangement of the song emerges. Vocal melodies are usually last and change a lot during the writing process. Only when we record them at Earth’s mightiest recording studio, In The Red Recording (located in sunny Dayton, OH), do the songs finish taking shape. SP!: Do you currently have a piece that you would say is your best? JT: I find my American Fender Precision Bass to be a fine piece of equipment. Some people say Andris Rebellion (RHR drums) is a fine piece of ass… SP!: What has been the best experience that you have had as a band? What made it so good? JT: Being picked for our current mission, to save Rock ’n Roll and the Earth itself, has been the highlight of our career. Also, getting several of

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our songs licensed to various TV shows is pretty cool too. It shows that at least some Earth people have good taste in music. SP!: What are the worst experiences that you have had as a band? What went wrong? JT: We booked a show at a crappy bar in Covington, KY, where we were told, as we were setting our equipment up on stage, that the bar was closing in 15 minutes. Totally shitty. We decided we were going to play anyway, but Blind Tone Deaf Dougie J blew up his amp on the first song. Definitely a shitty night. SP!: You are not yet a “signed” band. Is this something that you aspire to, or is that even on your radar? JT: We are our own record label (which we cleverly call Red Hot Rebellion) and we are distributed throughout the United States by No Idea Records. SP!: What are your plans for the future of the band? JT: More recording, more records, more shows. We are here to build up your music scene and put it back on the path of righteousness. Every planet needs a thriving Rock scene before it can be admitted into the Galactic Union. You were once on the correct path, but somewhere along the way, it’s gone terribly wrong. We are here to remedy this. For all of humanity and the good

of the galaxy at large. SP!: Is there one image or symbol that you think best describes your band’s arching idea? JT: A rocket ship loaded with 100,000 megawatts of Rock ’n Roll travelling at near-light-speed into your eardrums. SP!: What have you done to promote your band? JT: We are active on every social media network on the planet. We hand out flyers. We play live shows in crappy bars. We play music festivals. We attend comic conventions. We play radio shows. We license our music to TV shows. We do print interviews. We volunteer at old folks homes and will play weddings and bar mitzvahs, if asked. SP!: Do you have any desire for your music to be used in other venues, like commercials, TV or movies? JT: Done and done. Our music has been used on radio commercials and various TV shows. SP!: What are some of the gigs that you will be playing in the near future? JT: Wherever the need arises, we shall be there to rock. Our schedule is kept up to date at http://www.redhotrebellion. com/shows SP!: Where can people find you on the web? JT: http://www.redhotrebellion.com h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / u s e r / redhotrebellion http://www.facebook .com/ RedHotRebellion https://twitter.com/RedHotRebellion I just wanted to know… this is between you and me, right? We’re kind of undercover while we’re here on planet Earth—we’re really not supposed to tell anyone we’re actually from the other side of the galaxy. Our secret is safe with you, right? You’re not going to print this or anything, right? —Jimmy Thrillwell Bass/Vocals of Red Hot Rebellion Watch for a Sneak Peek of Red Hot Rebellion’s next Comic Book early 2014!! John Wilson is a lifelong music fan and failed drummer, due to having no skills at all. He is also a co-owner of the pop culture website Comic Related ( ht t p : / / w w w. co m i c re l ate d. co m ) , a contributor to Sketch Magazine (http://www.sketchmagazine.com) and a member of the team behind Derby City Comic Con (http://www. derbycitycomiccon.com)

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

Meet Isobel Warren By Douglas Owen

I first met Isobel during a meeting of the Writers Community of York Region. She was handing out flyers for her “Right to Write” classes in the Newmarket Library and I knew I wanted to participate in them to hone my own skills.

SP!: You offer classes and workshops now, helping new and emerging writers find their voices. Tell us of your greatest successes during those classes. IW: My greatest successes are not the kinds that excite most people. I am thrilled when a new writer overcomes her shyness enough to read her work to the class; when a new writer musters the nerve to send her story to a publication or contest; when a new writer reads something to the class and declares herself proud of it. Getting new writers over the threshold and into the light matters most to me. Of course, I’m always pleased when my students succeed in getting something published. But once I’ve pushed, cajoled, bullied, and begged them to write, the rest is their success, not mine.

Isobel has been writing for years and her workshops are run with the energy, laughter, and insight that only a master storyteller can supply. I could tell you a lot about this energetic woman, but it would be better for you to hear it from her! SP!: When did you first decide you wanted to write for a living? IW: I got the journalism bug in high school and managed, in spite of extreme poverty, to get to Ryerson’s journalism school.

SP!: Have you had any heartbreaking moments from the stories your students have told?

SP!: What was your first writing job? IW: My first writing job was as a reporter for the Port Hope Daily Guide, a daily that, on Wednesdays, changed its masthead to the Port Hope Weekly Guide, without changing its content to cater to the rural customers who subscribed to the weekly edition. We used to call it “Canada’s smallest daily and weakest weekly”. SP!: You used to do travel writing. Would you please explain to our readers what that involved?

Isobel Warren

After decades of writing, I was hired as editor of CARP News (which metamorphosed into Zoomer Magazine with no help from me!). I was bombarded with really awful travel stories from writers who wanted bylines only to get free trips. And the industry, longing to woo the senior market, was falling for the scam. I decided to try travel writing and produce the quality of work that I would want to see in the publication. Over the ensuing twenty years, I wrote for many Canadian and US publications, not for bylines, but for good, hard cash. I produced a syndicated column that went to about 40 weekly papers, wrote a seniors’ guidebook called On the Go at 50-plus, a Florida guide called Florida Eh? A Canadian guide to the sunshine state and contributed to two Fodor Canada guidebooks. I dropped most of my travel writing when the major markets turned their backs on Canadian writers, preferring to buy wire service material with no reference and of no importance to Canadian readers, for a few dollars a pop. I still do a travel column (Panorama) for Good Times, the Canadian retirees’ magazine. SP!: You’ve traveled the word in order to write. What was / is your most cherished memory from your travels?

IW: Many. I urge my people to write from their own experiences, starting with happy events but, eventually, dealing with the tragedies. So I have heard stories of deaths, violent and/or painful, of unspeakable loss, of brutality and cruelty, of child abuse and unrelenting bullying. They are often stories that they don’t want read in class, but I read them. And while I ache for the writers, I also congratulate them for facing their demons and taming them through their writing, so they can move on to stories that they can share. SP!: You just finished writing your first solo novel, In Them Days. Please tell our readers a little about it.

IW: In Them Days is a book about a remote farming community in southern Ontario in the period just after World War I—a period of incredible change and challenges, ranging from post-war disillusionment, to medical breakthroughs, to the 1918 flu epidemic, Prohibition, and the rapidly-changing social mores of the 1920s. I grew up in just such a community, admittedly several decades later, but little had changed. The extreme poverty, lack of medical facilities, appalling schooling, smallminded prejudices, misogyny, and lack of opportunities, especially for women, were all just as prevalent in my day as it was ‘in them days.’ SP!: The book is published through Cedar Cave books. How can people order copies of it? IW: Www.cedarcave.com— $18.95 plus shipping. Pay via PayPal.

IW: My first international trip as a travel writer was to Thailand on the occasion of Queen Soraya’s 65th birthday celebrations. That’s an important date in Thai lives and it was celebrated with an enchanting ceremony in Chiang Mai that brought hundreds of beautiful local residents into the main square, the men all in white military uniform, the women a flock of butterflies in silk saris of every colour. A children’s orchestra played Thai music on traditional instruments and, as darkness fell, the guests who encircled the huge square began to light candles, passing the flame from one to the next in a hypnotic ceremony that signified the continuation of life.

SP!: What was the most memorable part of writing “In Them Days”?

SP!: What was the worst?

IW: Yes. Also a children’s book and a new travel guide.

IW: The worst occurred last summer, when British Airways bumped us from a flight to our son’s wedding in northern Sweden. We had booked and paid on June 6th, but when we got to the airport, we were told there was no more space. Indeed, there were at least 200 angry people milling around the BritAir desks, all, like us, bumped from flights they’d reserved and paid in full. We spent a full day in Heathrow airport, trying to get another flight that would get us to the wedding. We had to fly to London to Stockholm and then on to Lapland on a different airline and the flight times just didn’t add up. Finally made it, tattered, torn, exhausted, and no thanks to British Airways, with whom I will never, ever, fly again.

SP!: With your guidance, 15 of your students came together in order to write an anthology called WordPlay: Emerging Writers of York Region. Tell us about it.

IW: My broken ankle, which can take credit for the book, because I would never have been able to sit still long enough to write it had I not been forced to do so. Actually, sitting in the garden under my beloved maple tree, with my two cats hovering nearby and my wonderful husband plying me with tea, superbly constructive criticism, and idea development made that summer the most beautiful of my whole life. SP!: Are you currently writing another novel?

IW: My goal was to give unpublished authors an opportunity not only to see their work published, but to be very, very proud of their stories. A few of the writers had been previously published, but for the many first-timers, it was a huge thrill. The stories were edited by the group and, as the project’s editor (in addition to being its creator), I had the final say. As well, I tried to involve the students in every step of the process, from first draft, through edits and more edits, to proof-reading and, finally, to marketing and promotion. Some

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managed to avoid the dog work, but nearly all jumped in to help and in the process of helping, to learn how a book is created. SP!: What were the challenges of putting the anthology together? IW: Herding 15 students is like herding 15 cats. Impossible. Some were unsure of themselves (that, I could cope with), some resisted having their work edited, some utterly disregarded deadlines, and some bitched after the fact. Cost was an ongoing concern. Until the book was actually laid out, I did not know how many pages it would be and, therefore, couldn’t get a firm printing quote. Each student supported the project with a $250 loan, which we repaid with 26 copies of the book, which—if sold for the $15.95 established price—would net them a tidy profit on their $250 investment. Some did not sell all their books, but most did, though we dropped the price to $12—and occasionally $10—to get the ball rolling. The other major challenge was the amount of my time that this project consumed. Most of my summer was devoted to the book, for which I have not—and probably will not—receive any financial return. Since great wealth is not one of my burdens, this situation put a serious cramp in my budget. However, I made the decision to do the job gratis and I balance the financial loss with great pride in the job we all did. And when and if we do another edition, we’ll all have learned some useful lessons. SP!: How proud are you of your students?

IW: I’m hugely proud of the Wordplay 2013 writers who ploughed into this unknown territory with such zeal and who stuck with the tough stuff (like marketing) after the bloom was off the rose.

Some other students have left me cold—in particular, those who failed to participate in the “comment and assess” aspect of the classes. I have un-invited several students over the years. SP!: Most people would tell you to relax and enjoy life. What would you

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tell them? IW: I am relaxed and I do enjoy life. My husband and I love music and attend many concerts. We love to garden and have a huge back yard. We have two fabulous children and love spending time with them. We adore our cats and I want another one. Now that we are not travelling internationally, we’re planning to travel at a more leisurely pace throughout Canada. There are several parts of Canada that I’ve never seen and my bucket list includes seeing them all. But part of my enjoyment is the pleasure of facing challenges, achieving results and, most of all, helping people to achieve their goals. There is no greater gratification. SP!: What are your writing plans, both near and far future?

IW: Right now, having expended all my energies on promoting Wordplay 2013, I must muster a whole new source of energy to promote In Them Days, which has been seriously neglected until now.

But as to writing, as previously stated, I have a travel guidebook in the works, a children’s book almost ready for the printer, and another novel a little way down the pike.

SELF PUBLISHER MAGAZINE 2013

Captain Marvel by Joe Rubinstein