After weeks of photo editing, writing text, demo books and publisher-hunting, the final product has hit the presses – my coffee table book, A Young Man Goes West, is finally out!
Publishing a book these days can mean a few different things. The traditional route of finding an agent, signing a book deal and walking into a bookstore to find your book still exists. But the road’s narrower and much more winding. The industry’s collapsing on itself, leading to books from already famous authors or books that for other reasons are a minimal risk to a publisher.
Filling in the gap are services like Blurb, which allow you to put together a book and publish it one at a time. Services are minimal, costs are higher, but the quality of publishing is competitive and creative independence actually exists.
After finishing my road trip in late August, I started putting together my project. I had an idea and I shaped a coffee table book that showed the highlights of my road trip in pictures and extended captions and short essays. I met with friends and professionals in the publishing industry and got their opinions.
In the end, I decided that rather than spending the time and energy it requires to pursue a book deal for my travel book, I’d put it together myself. And so I spent the following weeks laying out the book, designing the cover and the flaps, and figuring out what it looks like.I found a great online on-demand publishing service called Blurb, and used their software and their online bookstore. A couple of weeks ago, I got my demo copy of the book and after making a few changes, I submitted the final version on Friday.
Today, it’s up and it waits for you. Get one!
deep thoughts 