feature From author to self-publisher Over the past decade the publishing industry has undergone a great change, and as a result it has taken its toll on the number of existing large and small ‘traditional’ publishing houses. For the up-and-coming author there are now fewer opportunities to obtain a contract. And so for many, selfpublishing has become the only option, and is now a fast growing industry. In order to remain profitable in a competitive environment, those remaining established publishing houses have become more discerning. Often choosing the most vendible subjects, popular authors, or books with a celebrity name attached, in order to ensure a positive return on their investment. Publishers are obviously in business to make a profit and they expect to recover their costs of editing, design, marketing, printing, and distribution, before they share the profits with the author. They can however get it wrong… J. K. Rowling revealed that the first literary agent she sent her manuscript of Harry Potter to, responded with just a slip of paper rejecting it! In 2008, for the first time in history, more ebooks were produced than those published traditionally. By 2014, one third of all ebooks sold online were self-published, while publishing houses reduced the number of books they produced. It is interesting to note that even authors such as Jane Austen and Beatrix Potter struggled to get a publisher to take them on, and so had no option but to self-publish. And following his disillusionment with his publishers, Charles Dickens self-published A Christmas Carol. More recently, but before the age of the internet, in 1976 a local Cambridge man, Fred Unwin, wrote a book entitled Pimbo, a semi-autobiographical story of two children growing up in and around Cambridge. At the time Fred found it difficult to find a publisher, “Not enough sex and violence”, he was told! So determined, Fred published the books himself and called door-to-door selling his books in Cambridge and the surrounding villages, including Melbourn. Fred went on to write twenty-one books between 1976 and 1998 and most were sold door-to-door. Today, you don’t need to call door-to-door or even require an agent – the internet has become the selfpublisher’s dream. Authors can utilise companies such as Amazon and Apple, to sell their electronic book (e-book) and there are various printing firms that offer print-ondemand paperbacks costing from as little as £2.50 per book. Either way, these books can then be sold on Amazon and numerous other online book stores.
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Everyone has an equal opportunity! The top selling author on Amazon Kindle books is E. L. James – author of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. She self-published her first book offering both an ebook and print-on-demand version. Almost an overnight success, the book went on to become a major film.
So, how do you publish your literary work? It’s very important that the publication hits the ‘shelves’ – so to speak, with as few problems as possible. The general public are more critical today regarding spelling and grammatical errors in publications – so have it proof read. You may want to consider using a copy editor or professional proof reader. They don’t re-write your work to the point that it is no longer your writing, but they will ensure there are no errors or inconsistencies, that the text reads well and that it contains nothing inflammatory or libelous. They will also check the accuracy of facts and that permissions are sought for copyrights of any quoted text and images used. As an author, you own the rights to your work as do all other authors, song writers and artists. It’s so easy to copy and paste on the computer and place a quote from a book or a line from a song. However, as mentioned above every author has rights, – the quote from a book, document or lyrics from a song can cost hundreds of pounds in copyright fees. Some time ago, the use of just one line from the Beatles record 'When I’m sixty-four' cost just over £700. Using without permission can end in a court case for breach of copyright. One final point – to see your book on the shelves in shops and online stores, it is important to have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). This is a unique identification number referring to your publication only, used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers etc. and also for ordering, listing, sales records and stock control purposes. It also identifies the author as well as the specific title, edition and format. So good luck in your venture! For more information or assistance, telephone 07954 586 364
