Diary of a Micro-Press, Week 1 – in which somebody gives me money to do something improbable
The first thing that should be made absolutely clear is that I don’t really know what I’m doing.
However, this has never really stopped anyone. How many great ventures have begun in nothing but hope and ignorance? (I don’t know, but I’m assuming a lot!)
But first, some historical context.
My background is in philosophy, and over the last 20 years or so I’ve written a number of books explaining this worthy subject to the general reading public. I’m also a professional illustrator and book designer, and I’ve spent a similar number of years working in and around the publishing industry as a freelancer. Some five years or so ago, I decided that the world was being deprived of quirky, philosophically themed sci-fi/fantasy stories, and that I should do something about that. Various agents and publishers disagreed, but undeterred I decided to self-publish these. This was when the idea for WoodPig Press was born, for I realised that it looks more impressive if your book is branded with a logo, and that (surprisingly) they let you do that for free and without any legal rigmarole. Some head-scratching and colourful language later, WoodPig Press had its own website, complete with shopping cart, cookie policy, and built-in EU tax compliance (thank you, Brexit!).
And that’s pretty much where we stand. But then, at some more recent point, I got to wondering: what if WoodPig Press was not just a vanity branding gimmick, but an actual press, which published other folk? This seemed like a flighty, hubristic dream at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a flighty, hubristic dream. And then I thought about it some more, and realised that, if The X Factor has taught me anything, it’s that life’s too short not to follow your dreams, no matter how flighty and hubristic.
Then, last February, an opportunity arose for me to test this hypothesis: the local council had started a project to promote and support the creative industries in my home town, and were offering £5k bursaries for 10 lucky individuals to develop their creative business in sexy new ways. Well, I thought, if they think my dream has legs, then maybe it’s not so flighty and hubristic after all.
And, dear reader, they went for it. (Here I am in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at the winner’s celebratory brunch! I’m the one with the beard who doesn’t really know what hands are for.)
So, you’re pretty much all caught up. The money will allow me time and funds to explore the feasibility of transforming WoodPig Press into a proper independent micro press, and this blog will detail these sometimes humorous, often clueless exploits. On a semi-weekly basis, I will be pondering such things as:
- what’s involved in book formatting (for print and digital)
- what makes a good book cover
- the dark arts of editing and proofreading (and whether writers need to pay for them)
- how book printing and distribution works
- how easy it is for indie presses and publishers to get books into libraries and bookshops
- the dos and don’ts of book advertising and marketing
- how an author can sell their books from their own website (and whether it’s worth it)
- if it’s possible to do audiobooks cheaply
- whether or not to pay for reviews (and how to get them)
- etc, etc
As I hope I’ve made clear, while I’ve picked up some things over the years, I know not a great deal about not a few of the above things, but I will gladly share my thoughts/discoveries/mistakes with you as I go.
If all that seems like fun, and you want to join me, please subscribe, which is free – I don’t want your money (well, I do, of course, but not for that).
Thank you and best wishes,
Gareth Southwell,
WoodPig Press.