This blog entry is long so I’ve divided it into two parts, one today and the 2^nd part tomorrow.

The history of one of my self-published books shows how far things have progressed for the indie publisher.  In the 1980's I wrote series of short vignettes about ICU patients, and published several of them in various magazines (including one in The Saturday Evening Post).  In 1990 I put 20 of them together in a book titled “Pickwickian” and Other Stories of Intensive Care.  I was able to interest a literary agent, who liked the book and worked diligently to find a publisher.  No luck (and he tried for a year). 

In 1991 I self-published the book.  I already had my own publishing company (Lakeside Press) that I had set up for two previously-self-published books on faulty house construction (ours).  All this was well before the internet:  no Amazon, no CreateSpace, no e-books, no print-on-demand.  I sent the Word file and a local artist’s cover to my favorite book printer, then took delivery of 1000 copies (I think that was the minimum). 

 

I mailed “Pickwickian” to reviewers and actually got several great reviews, including one in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine (http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=705567).

But absent the internet, it was simply unreasonable to spend money marketing the book so, as expected, it went nowhere (except I still have a few dozen copies in the basement; see below).

Ten years later I decided to reissue the book with a different, and catchier, title:  “We Can’t Kill Your Mother!” and Other Stories of Intensive Care, which is also the title of one of the stories.  I also updated the book and added three more stories.  By then I had published 12 of the stories in magazines, including 5 in The Saturday Evening Post.  I commissioned a new and brighter cover, and began searching for a ‘publisher’.   This time I didn’t even try for a royalty publisher, but instead went with Author House, which is still in business today (more about which later).  I sent Author House the text and cover, and they printed the book.  This time it was print-on-demand, so I didn’t have to take delivery.  I don’t remember how much I paid for the services, but was not unhappy with the result.  The book went on Amazon and I did a bunch of marketing via the internet, but didn’t spend anything on advertising.  This remake of the book, under new title and ISBN, was again favorably reviewed.   I also got a Certificate of Merit from Writer’s Digest after entering the book into one of their contests.  But, as an indie author with a niche book, sales have been (to be kind) modest.  It’s still available in paperback and, since 2011, in e-book format.  

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Kill-Your-Mother-Intensive/dp/1456799487/lakesidepress

 So in 2001 this was already my fourth self-published book, with the first three done via regular book printer (with cartons of books physically delivered to the author – ugh!).  By then I had also published several medical books with traditional publishers, which sold reasonably well, and was able to deduct self-publishing expenses from income for the other books.

My writing over the next decade was mostly medical, for doctors, but in 2011 I began writing novels, and thus re-entered the world of self-publishing.  In the next blog entry I will explain how my early experience relates to today’s self-publishing world, and what you can learn from it.