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94 Publishing a Book The Pros and Cons of Print-​ on-​ Demand, Vanity Presses, Small Presses, University Presses, and Commercial Presses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Print-​ On-​ Demand The last few years have seen the rise of self-​ publication via print-​ on-​ demand publishers, making it possible for anyone to inexpensively publish his own novels, storycollections, poetry, limericks, joke books, or what have you. And, I have to admit, many of the print-​ on-​ demand services produce books that look better than those published by some small and university presses. The cover stock is nice; the paper is high quality; the layout looks professional. Of course, much of this depends upon the author, whose aesthetics and wallet dictate the look of the book. If money is no object, there are book designers who can be hired to create professional-​ looking cover art and page layout. Before going this route, you need to ask yourself what it is you want out of having a book published. If it’s to get a teaching job, a self-​ published print-​ on-​ demand book isn’t going to help you. If it’s to get attention in national book reviews, like the New York Times or the Washington Post, it’s most likely not going to happen with a print-​ on-​ demand book. Sometimes an author simply wants to get her work out there, perhaps to prove to thosewho previously rejected thework that there is, in fact, a market for her book, in which case a print-​ on-​ demand publisher provides an opportunity for the writer to do just that. There is a wonderful blog called POD-​ dy Mouth (http://girlon demand.blogspot.com/) dedicated to POD books, which showcased well-​ done POD books, took to task the terrible ones, and analyzed various POD companies and services. (Unfortunately, the person running the website quit writing new posts a few years ago, but the site is still up and worth checking out.) The host of the website also interviewed authors with POD success stories, like fiction writer Will Clarke, whose two novels Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles and The Worthy were both eventually published by Simon and Schuster after having been POD books. Both novels were roundly rejected by traditional publishers when his first agent sent them out, so he set up his own Getting Published 95 POD publishing venture, MiddleFingerPress. The arc of Will Clarke’s career went like this: Clarke sold his POD books on Amazon; a screenwriter in New Zealand read Lord Vishnu’s Love Handles and wanted to option it for a dollar; the screenwriter then got the book attached to producer Michael London (Sideways); London, in turn, attached director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express); together, London and Green were able to get the project set up at Paramount Pictures; Clarke called an editor-​ friend at Simon and Schuster to ask for an agent recommendation; the editor made an offer to buy Lord Vishnu while recommending an agent; the agent took Clarke on and landed him a two-​ book deal with Simon and Schuster; the second book, The Worthy, is now set up as a future project at Columbia Pictures. In his interview with POD-​ dy Mouth, Will Clarke takes a philosophical view of his books’ journeys: To me, my books are like people, like infants—baby kings riding on the backs of elephants. And I’m the guide who’s been appointed to take them where they demand to go. If that means self-​ publishing, if that is where the book wants to go, then that is where I will take him. I have no shame in this. So long as what I am doing is in service to the work, then it’s always worth it, and it’s always valid. A book goes where it wants to go—it makes friends and creates its own enemies. It’s an entity unto itself. As the writer I’m really just the Sherpa whose job it is to help the book on its way, be it traditional publishing or through POD. Before getting too excited by the possibility of doing your own POD book, let me clarify that Will Clarke’s story is exceptional. It’s extraordinarily difficult to get attention for a print-​ on-​ demand book. If you don’t have a platform, it’s going to be difficult to sell copies of your book since bookstores won’t stock them without a distributor. (A platform is an avenue by which you have...

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