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Dave Howell

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Interview Martin Baum

Interview:

Martin Baum Martin Baum, 49, is an established playwright and satirist, with comedy, drama and radio credits to his name and has been writing for the satirical circuit for many years - a selection of some parody songs can be found at: www.baumskifilks.com. He is also a writer of general fiction for national publications including

‘Bella’, ‘My Weekly’, ‘Woman’s Weekly’ and ‘Yours’ magazines before going on to write his best-selling book ‘To Be or Not To Be, Innit - A Yoof-speak Guide to Shakespeare’: www.yoofspeak. net. Amongst many memorable highlights including the book being added to the Waterstones core catalogue and being

included in GCSE coursework, last year Martin was contracted

by Greg Smith, co-producer of hit shows “BUDDY” and “JOLSON” to develop the book as a stage musical.

Martin is currently working on other projects including the second book in the Yoof-speak series.

[Q] Can you outline why you decided to self-publish?

as ‘To Be or Not To Be, Innit’ had impacted the Smiths’ own book chart by breaking into their top 20 but even so, they still wouldn’t put the book into store.

Despite the book selling in its thousands across the net and doing particularly well in Waterstones, the only conclusion I have with regard to the retail end of the industry is that they don’t really care for the self-publishing side of the industry.

of self-publishing, what key advice would you give to anyone self-publishing for the first time?

[A] A media blitz is an absolute must in creating awareness and that means hitting all the relevant media such as newspapers, radio and national and regional television. Thanks to the Internet, the whole process is expansive and cost-effective.

[Q] With the Internet providing all the tools you need to publish your own book, do you think that the power that traditional publishers have is now being successfully challenged?

[Q] PR and marketing are clearly important, but one of the most difficult aspect of self-publishing to master. Can you outline how you approached the PR of your self-publishing activity?

[A] Despite achieving ongoing global publicity

[A] Nothing happens by itself and my selfmarketing journey began with a press release that was short and to the point. In the old days this would have been an expensive affair but again, because of the Internet, I was able to contact whoever I wanted and did. I worked on the analogy that if I threw enough mud against the wall then something would stick.

I managed to get my press release in several regional papers and was particularly thrilled when Wave FM (1.5 million audience on the

[A] Although I was already an accredited satirist and comedy writer for the stage, and despite an active career in journalism, the brutal truth was that nobody was prepared to take a chance on an unknown, and this despite having been signed to a legitimate literary agency.

Despite positive comments but no commitment from any publisher, my then agent eventually dropped me and I was left to decide whether to finally let go or to bite the bullet and self-publish.

[Q] How do you think the professional publishing industry views selfpublishers?

[A] I don’t actually believe the problem is with mainstream publishers but more with wholesale retailers. Because my book had leapt 17 million places and broken into the UK Amazon top 10, I assumed that very quickly it would be available everywhere. Apart from being sold in Waterstones retail outlets and being added to their core catalogue, the book was broadly passed over by the all the major supermarkets and intriguingly WH Smiths. This surprised me

and media interviews sadly, if my experience is anything to go by, then I don’t see any significant change in attitudes. I have been told on several occasions how I broke the mould of the selfpublishing market, but despite the success of achieving a bestseller it hasn’t actually moved the industry away from their established practices.

[Q] Looking back at your experience

Publish Now! 101

Interview Martin Baum South coast) included a pre-recorded interview with me at the end of the hourly news bulletin, which was my first on-air experience.

So how did I go from local news to national?

Well, although I readily acknowledge a degree of good fortune, I balance this with the simple fact if I hadn’t made a nuisance of myself then my local paper would not have run the article, which was picked up by a news agency and which then catapulted ‘To Be or Not To Be, Innit’ to national and international prominence. The success of the book was a ripple effect, which would not have happened had I not disturbed the waters.

[Q] You cite that dealing with the media when you have no previous experience of this as being one of the major challenges when you selfpublished your book. What advice would you give on how to handle the media for new self-publishers?

[A] If it was one thing securing an interview, then it was quite another actually doing it, as the worst thing ever is to enter into an interview situation underprepared. In the main, I have found journalists to be quite receptive, although in order to keep them interested it’s fundamentally important not to allow their eyes to glaze over.

Again, be prepared and don’t be afraid to exercise brevity.

[Q] What do you think the future of publishing looks like? How is selfpublishing going to fit into publishing in the future?

Holy Grail for any writer but it very rarely happens to any self-published author, if at all.

Nowadays anyone can set themselves up as a self-publishing guru who gives the impression they are anything but a self-publishing business by putting your manuscript through a gutwrenching selection process. Only after you have been left hanging for several weeks waiting to see if you have made the grade are you then offered a contract while being asked for a substantial financial contribution which, frankly, is outrageous.

Why is this such an issue? Well, besides trying to ensure that you don’t get ripped off it’s important to bear in mind that unless your book sells in its thousands there is absolutely no money in it, well, no money for you but a handsome payday for the publisher despite the generous royalty rate. It’s simple arithmetic as to recover a four figure investment requires a substantial four figure return in sales.

It’s a sad fact but these things happen and that’s why it’s absolutely vital to research the Internet for history and testimonials of any company who wants your money, which is exactly the path I chose and is what eventually led me to Authors on Line who ended up publishing ‘To be or Not To Be, Innit’.

[Q] With a frenzy in the eBook reader market at the moment, what’s your view of this burgeoning technology?

Is the electronic book the future of

[A] I think the battle self-publishing faces for recognition within the industry is like trying to find a solution to the Middle East conflict. I don’t think there will ever be an acceptable resolution because the traditional world of publishing is so reluctant to accept what they consider to be an illegitimate relation.

clicking an icon. That said, eBooks are different, convenient and space saving but what a sad place this world would be if in the future the only things that would end up at home on a bookshelf would be DVD’s.

[Q] You had issues getting your books into bookshops. What was your experience when dealing with book wholesalers? Did you approach Gardners?

[A] As always there is a procedure and criteria to follow which, unless you are familiar with the territory, can be confusing and daunting. I never had to deal direct with Gardners as this was something Authors on Line did, which was a testament to their professionalism.

[Q] Many people want to write but don’t seem to be able to make a start. What are your top tips to stay motivated with your writing?

[A] With any writing there has to be a structure, a discipline and an application in much the same way as it is for most undertakings in life and what any parent would try to instil in their children. At the end of the day writing is not rocket science; anyone can do it but the key is in maintaining self-motivation in the face of rejection and lack of encouragement.

And then, of course, there’s the dreaded writer’s block to overcome, and as I’ve often mentioned as a way of breaking the ice in any talk I have given on writing, think about the author who took his own life when he got struck by writer’s block; there was no suicide note! ■

Martin Baum is a member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain www.yoofspeak.net www.baumskifilks.com

You Tube links

[A] I have always been wary of any outlandish

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[A] For my part I much prefer turning a page to

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[Q] A clear development over the last few years has been the plethora of publishing services for self-publishers that have sprung up. What’s your view of these services? Do you use them?

What should you watch out for? claims, the very worst among them was a promise of landing not only a publishing deal but also an agent, which just won’t happen.

As someone with a background in theatre, I know writers who, despite their experience and expertise, are unable to land an agent. It’s the

publishing?

By self-publishing his book, Martin learned long hard lessons about the importance of getting the marketing right.

Richard and Judy: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=qX3h43_hYL4 The One Show: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uLBbkHKh57w BBC Breakfast: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=1cgEomB7NPs www.authorsonline.co.uk