I have self-published two books so far, both photo books and both on the subject of the classic car culture in Canada. ”Class of 2009,” the first book, started out as a Print-On-Demand title published through Blurb.com. My own mother didn’t buy one.
However, the people I showed it to all claimed they wanted one. The problem was, no one wanted to order it online. So with the help of graphic design madman Cameron Van Dusen, printing guru Donovan Bergman, and the rest of the crew at Friesens Printing, we turned the lowly POD paperback into an offset-print masterpiece. Not only did it come complete with its own ISBN and shelf space at two real bookstores (here and here). There are roughly 600 copies adorning coffee tables around the globe, most of which were sold out of the trunk of my car over a four-month period.
Was it profitable? No. Was it worth it? Hell yeah.
The experience of writing a book and finding an audience for it is like none other. There’s no way to describe the rush of emotions when you hand someone a heap of 75# glossy paper with your name on it, and they pay $25 to keep it. The fact that convinced several major newspapers, magazines, and websites to run stories on it made my ego feel good, too. Like, really good.
The experience has been so worth it that I decided to one up myself. In February of 2011, I published “Class of 2010″ as another print-on-demand book. And so far, it’s sold seven times as many copies as my first attempt at POD publishing. For the math nerds out there, that means I have sold seven copies. And no, my mother hasn’t purchased a copy of this one, either.
Will there be a “Class of 2011?” Only time will tell. Self-publishing really isn’t all that profitable, especially for glossy, full-colour books aimed at a limited market. And with a wife & kid at home, it’s hard to justify the time and effort it takes to make a great book. Then again, that’s what I said before writing a second book. So, will Class of 2011 happen? You’ll just have to wait and see.
