S
TORIES. Military personnel don’t just have stories — they have lived stories of action, adventure, foreign travel, and cutting-edge technology. Thus it’s not surprising that many yearn to share their experiences for others to
read. With the increasing availability of self-publishing options, many are doing just that.
Multiply-decorated Vietnam veteran Maj. Phil Ward, USA-Ret., self-pub- lished in 2010 his first book, Those Who Dare, a World War II thriller about the origins of modern special operations. Speaking of his arrangement with the company that produced his book, Greenleaf LLC, based in Austin, Texas, Ward says he is very satisfied with the result. “The author writes the book [and] finances the project, and [Greenleaf handles] editing, art, distribution and marketing, etcetera,” says Ward. “This model is not for everyone. It is expensive, but the book, when re- leased, is excellent.” In other words, Ward took on the financial responsibilities that a tradi-
tional royalty-paying company usually shoulders, in exchange for higher profit margins and creative control of his materials. Others who self-publish do more of the work themselves. No matter the format or type of book you’d like to self-publish, here are some questions to consider.
1. Who’s my audience? If you are publishing your memoirs for your family, then write for them — not for the readers of The New York Times best-seller list. Even if you aren't writ- ing specifically for people close to you, they likely will be your first read- ers. According to industry experts, most self-published books have fewer than 200 copies printed, and those are given or sold mainly to one’s inner circle. (However, there are notable best sellers that began as self-pub- lished books and later were published by traditional publishers.) •
2. What format should I choose? There’s something solid and satisfying about a big hardbound book with a jacket, but producing one can be exorbitantly expensive. Paperbacks are much more affordable for an author to produce. Envision the personalities you intend to read the book. For instance, if you want your grand- children to read your book, consider publishing it in e-book format. Chances are, those young people do most of their reading on an electronic device. (The world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, reported its electronic books sold more copies in May 2011 than its hardbacks and paperbacks combined.) Creating an e-book takes some savvy: With an electronic book, the reader can choose the font size and other features via reflowable text, which requires special soſtware (either yours or a publisher’s) to create.•
3. What’s my budget? De- termine how much you can spend to publish your book the same way you would allocate funds for a trip to a Las Vegas casino: Only invest what you can afford to lose. As- sume you will not make any profit on your book — if you do make a profit, you’ll be in a tiny minority. At the same time, if you’re writing a book as a legacy to your family, try to give it the financial backing to produce an heirloom you’ll be proud to have outlive you. •
62 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2012
4. Do you have talented friends who can help? Do you have access to professional editors, graphic designers, or others who can help you? When Robert Lynch decided to self-publish A Letter Marked Free (2010), a book composed largely of transcribed letters he wrote as a private in World War II, his daughter typed the book and collaborated with an editor at Indianapolis- based Dog Ear Publishing to select and scan photographs. Like most authors, Lynch didn’t want his book to look like photocopied pages, so his computer- savvy daughter tackled fonts, layout, proofing, and other tasks. Later, she served as liaison with the publishing company regarding marketing materials and a website. (In contrast, Ward purchased most of these services directly from Greenleaf.) Lynch, like Ward, is very happy with the finished product. Of course, the thousands of self-published books with amateurish covers,
sloppy writing, and unedited text show why most people ought to get profes- sional help in those areas. Most often, you get what you pay for. •
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