How to self-publish and distribute your writing
All publishing before the middle of the 19th Century was self-publishing, and it was generally carried out by wealthy authors. It was the only form of publishing for 400 years between Gutenberg and the Victorian era. Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allen Poe, D.H. Lawrence and many other well-known authors self-published.
Although today it represents a small percentage of the publishing industry in terms of sales, self-publishing has been present in one form or another since the beginning of publishing and has seen an increase in activity with the advancement of publishing technology, including xerography, desktop publishing systems, print on demand, and the World Wide Web. Cultural phenomena such as the punk/DIY movement, the proliferation of media channels, and blogging have contributed to the advancement of self-publishing.
There is a wealth of opportunities for small and independent publishers interested in filling various needs in the book trade. Self-publishing allows authors of diverse backgrounds to be heard and to look for new ways and new forms to bring readers back to the joy of reading books. The small publisher has the flexibility to do something quickly, differently, and to be original and creative.
Participants will gain knowledge about the self-publishing process, and they will understand that self-publishing is a business. It needs time, energy and nurturing to grow. Some of what they will learn is how to generate salable material, start their own company, copyright their work, get an ISBN and Library of Congress number, search for printers, get book reviews, and promote and distribute their book – and other steps needed in order to successfully publish his or her work.
This workshop is for 90 minutes.
Weam Namou is the author of three novels, The Feminine Art, The Mismatched Braid and The Flavor of Cultures. She studied poetry in Prague and screenwriting at MPI (Motion Picture Institute of Michigan). She is the co-founder and president of IAA (Iraqi Artists Association), and she writes for several local newspapers. Currently she is working on her first feature film, “Green Card Wedding” which stemmed from a short film she did for her thesis at MPI. Namou has been interviewed by over 60 nationwide radio stations, and she has given poetry readings, lectures and workshops for a number of organizations and institutions, someof which include the Green Party, Troy Public Library, Oakland Community College, Rochester Community College, the RAWI Conference and Madonna University. Her poetry and articles have appeared in national and international publications. Through her work and lectures, Namou tries to bring understanding between the East and the West.
Presenters: Weam Namou, Iraqi Artists Association; Steven Stothard, Microcosm Publishing
There is a wealth of opportunities for small and independent publishers interested in filling various needs in the book trade. Self-publishing allows authors of diverse backgrounds to be heard. Participants will gain knowledge about the self-publishing process.Topics include how to generate salable material, start their own company, copyright their work, get an ISBN and Library of Congress number, search for printers, get book reviews, and promote and distribute their book. Beginning with the history of current and failed distribution models for print publications we'll understand why they don't work and don't serve small publishers. Then we'll go step-by-step through the process of setting up a co-op distribution model with your friends by working with similarly-minded publications to get independently published zines, comics and books out into the world. Skills and techniques will apply to smallest scale publications. D-I-Y!
