Do-it-yourself Publishing - Sin or Virtue?

As you may know, I've self-published three western novels. I'm quite pleased with the result. However, we're kinda treated as second-class citizens - "vanity" writers who couldn't make it via the traditional publishers.

It's universally recognized that the publishing industry is changing rapidly, largely due to developments in digital technology and the emergence of print-on-demand publishing. I'm interested in the impact of those far-reaching changes. Who else is taking control of their own books?

I'm talking today with my old friend Dr. Robert Coulson, Professor of Entomology at Texas A&M University and Director of the Knowledge Engineering Laboratory. He’s taken the unusual step of self-publishing a textbook, “Basic Landscape Ecology”.

Bob – You’re self-publishing a textbook? What’s wrong with the traditional publishers? They’re usually anxious to add a good book to their list.

Publishing is a business now driven by the digital age. There are three tasks: writing the text, producing the book, and selling it. Traditional publishers handle the second and third tasks, paying royalties in the neighborhood of fifteen percent. And, the author relinquished copyright to the publisher. The suite of electronic publishing applications available today cancels the benefits of a publisher producing and selling your book. It's a learning process, but you can do it!

Why should I learn about Landscape Ecology?

As you know, Dac, the discipline of ecology deals with living organisms in the context of their natural environment. Landscape ecology provides the spatial and temporal context for this focus. And, landscape ecology includes the presence, actions, and activities of humans. You need to read the book, Dac.

Where can I buy your book?

You can purchase “Basic Landscape Ecology” from my company at www.kelabpartners.com. Marketing it is the big experiment, isn’t it? Our strategy has been to advertise the book through ecology conferences. Conference organizers have permitted us to display the book. As conference registrants we have access to e-mail addresses of other participants, so we build an e-mail list. We target teachers of ecology. If the book is “adopted” for a course, it will be available their bookstore.

Finally, Bob, How’s the Aggie football team looking for 2011?

The performance of the football team is always a perplexing subject, but there is one immutable fact about all the games: The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band has never lost a half – farmers fight!

Check out Dr. Coulson at: kelab.tamu.edu/coulson/

Dac Crossley
June 13, 2011

"There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew." - Marshall McLuhan

Comments

[irene black]

My comment was the same as above. Required college text prices are outrageous. The students I know get theirs from Amazon if possible.
I've reviewed a few and had other students from across the country email me with comments like, "I'm glad you said that."
I compain about things like glossy paper that reflexes light, white type on black backgrounds plus the glossy paper, and my favorite: 75 word incomprehensible sentences that will not even diagram.

[kitti Reynolds]

Textbook prices are a great concern for college students and their parents. I'm assuming that self-published texts like Bob's will also save our students some money!

thanks, Bob!