How
many books have you published/self-published?
I
only self-published my very first book, What
Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Guide for
Job-Hunters and Career Changers. That was on
December 1, 1970. By April in 1972 a commercial
publisher came over the horizon, Ten Speed Press
(Phil Wood, publisher) of Berkeley, California.
And they have published all subsequent editions
(8,000,000 copies to date, revised annually)
plus about eight other titles that I have written.
Share
with us how you first got started in self-publishing.
I
simply typed the manuscript - - it ran about
168 pages - - pasted in some drawings/lithographs
from books that supplied such things, whose
copyright date had been exceeded - - and took
it down to my local copy shop. They printed,
for me, about 100 copies at a time, and bound
the book with a spiral binding. People could
order it directly from my office - - it was
written primarily for campus ministers, and
they all knew my address - - but only from there,
until Ten Speed Press came along. I charged
just a little over the cost, i.e., $6.95 per
book. I sold about 2,000 copies until the first
commercial edition came out in late 1972.
What
was the most challenging aspect with self-publishing
your first book?
The
book was heavy, printed on at least 24# paper,
I had to stuff each book into a brown manila
envelope, address that envelope, and then lug
a stack of these heavy books (from finger tips
to just under my chin) two blocks to the nearest
post office. I was so glad when I was relieved
of that back-breaking exercise.
Looking
back, what would you have done differently?
Absolutely
nothing. It all worked out for the best.
In
your opinion, what are the pros and cons of
self-publishing?
Pro:
you are in total control of design and everything.
Con: it's difficult to find wide distribution
channels.
What
precautions can you give to aspiring authors
who are thinking about self-publishing a book?
Put
it out on the Internet first - - on your website,
if you have one; see what kind of interest it
generates.
Can
you share some "inside secrets" that
you have learned along the way with regard to
self-publishing?
Do
your own design and paste-up. Don't look at
what you THINK the market wants, but make a
book that is completely true to yourself, and
is exactly the book, the title, the size, the
design that you like best. Everyone told me
not to call the book "What Color Is Your
Parachute?" It frequently got filed in
the sports section ("flying") in libraries,
once it was in commercial print. But, as my
publisher today, Phil Wood, likes to say, "If
this book had died, it would have been the title
that killed it. Now that it lives, it is the
title that saves it." Don't let anyone
try to tell you a more "commercially-successful"
title, or such. Since you're self-publishing
it, make it exactly the book you want. Since
it may not "fly" anyway, let it at
least go out into the world just as you want
it to - - not as "marketing experts"
sternly warn it must be.
In
what ways do you see the Internet changing the
way self-publishers publish and market their
books?
The
Internet has become the publishing-press for
self-publishing authors. You can now do things
earlier self publishers never dreamed of doing,
and at a fraction of the former cost.
What
are your thoughts on POD publishing?
Well,
that's essentially what I did - - print on demand.
But I did it in batches of 100, and with my
local copy-shop/bindery. I think doing "large
runs" when you don't know what the interest
may be, is foolishness. Your ego gloats, at
seeing all those copies of "your"
book sitting in your living room, at last. But
many, many, many authors have gotten "stuck"
with print-overruns, that they cannot sell in
a million years.
Do
you feel that self-publishers should look into
getting an agent?
Nope.
I've never had an agent, never intend to have
one. I have sold 8,000,000 copies so far. My
friends who have agents have never done even
a hundredth as well. But ask others about this,
who have self-published; they may have a contrary
opinion.
(i.e. www.bookmarket.com/selfpublish.html)
What
has been some of your most successful book marketing
techniques?
Speaking
wherever invited, at handsome fee or no fee.
Do
you feel it is important for an author to have
his or her own web site?
Absolutely.
But put some content on it. I went to one site
today and all it had was a pretty logo at the
top, and then their name and eMail address.
That was it.
For
the writer out there that has a great idea for
a book, what are some first steps that you feel
would get them moving in the right direction?
The
first and most important thing is to have an
idea or subject matter that is your absolute
passion. Don't ever, ever, just write something
you think might sell, even though you are listless
about the subject. Keep your eye on your heart,
not on the supposed market "for such things."
Then pray, then write up a storm.
Any
general advice for writers?
I've
never believed in "writer's block."
Don't keep searching for "the right way
to begin," or "the perfect opening
sentence." Just write whatever is in your
mind. Sample: "I'm really frustrated because
I just can't think of how to begin this book
(or this chapter). I feel it should start with
something that fixes the reader's eye, but I
must have writer's block. Oh well, the trees
outside my window look just great, the air is
warm, the sun is shining, I'm feeling pretty
good about life. What I like best about my life,
currently, is..............................."
And so on, and so forth. If you're thinking,
day-dreaming, or whatever, then you don't have
"writer's block." Just stop looking
for the perfect sentence, or image. Write whatever's
going through your mind. You can always go back
and edit later, cross out, expunge, keep maybe
one sentence out of 400. But if the pump feels
dry, prime it with your thoughts until the words
- - some words - - are flowing on the page.
Contact
Information:
He
can be reached at RNBolles@aol.com
Visit http://www.JobHuntersBible.com
