Here’s a book from my own scholarly collection. I have a few of these gems on my shelves. A friend of mine used to be a sales rep for a book distributor and she would hold semi-annual sales where she would unwittingly divest herself of these soon-to-be collector’s items. She must be kicking herself now!
Anyway, now that I’ve started to think about the process of selling my half-finished manuscript, I’ve also begun to consider the idea of self-publishing. I’ve joined CreateSpace (amazon.com’s self-publishing arm) and I’m currently waiting on the IRS to approve my account (I’ve already got an ITIN with the tax service, so it’s a little complicated). The only real downfall for me if I choose the electronic publishing route is that I won’t necessarily have a ton of galley copies to send out to people who would publicize my book. I could always have a bunch of copies printed just for that purpose, but I would have to foot that bill. Nevertheless, it could be a wise investment.
I’ve got plenty of time to think about this because it’s going to take me a few months to finish the book. I’m quite meticulous when I write and I hate to let anyone even look at what I’ve done until I’m absolutely sure it’s perfect. In the meantime, I’ve noticed that CreateSpace has some design services. I guess I’m going to have to pay someone to help me with the cover. Or I could just come up with something on my own, inspired by the visually-arresting graphics of “Virgin Heat.” Instead of palm trees, I can use stars. And instead of flames, the cat can be jumping out of a supernova. And instead of a white cat, I’ll use my own fat, gray cat who managed to photobomb the picture above.
I think I’m on to something. Maybe self-publishing is the way to go . . .
