Ok, we're behind schedule. We were supposed to release The Clown's Graveyard last week but as you might have noticed, we haven't. We are actually still working on it and man, there are loads of great stuff coming up with this publication.
Trust us.
Khalil A.
Now, this guy, Mathias Klang, has written his PhD thesis entitled Disruptive Technology and he wanted to get a nice cover (to illustrate his hard work?). But Mathias didn't think that he was up to the task and he quite literary asked for help.
He emailed a few people and the blogging world spread the word. It really did. Mathias's request for a cover appeared (amongst other places) on Boing Boing, Lessig, Foreword, Patrik’s sprawl, Perfekta Tomrummet, Free the Mind and Cyberlaw. Now this is really great. Indie world as the way.
Well, people sent in their designs for a possible book cover and now, keeping faith in the indie world and power of the readers/contributors, Mathias is asking you to vote for the best cover. They're all really nice, in particular entry 8.
Khalil A.
Wil Wheaton, writer, actor, blogger, amongst others, has released a very limited edition of a chapbook, More Than This. He's printed 200 copies and is now selling the majority of them via his website through Paypal. And man, the chapbooks are selling like crazy but that's not the point.
The point is that Wil Wheaton's effort to publish something original all by himself clearly illustrates how easy and contemplating it now is to publish your own work (I'll use the term self-publishing in this post although some people might not really consider this as self-publishing per se). You have to put a lot of work and dedication in your manuscript, run to a good printing group, tell them how many copies you want to print and there you are: a published writer. You may even consider giving your book/chapbook its very own ISBN number (for Mauritian readers, visit this page for more info about how to get an ISBN number) as well.
The great thing about self-publishing is that it's really something personal, in a way. If you're self-publishing, forget about the money. Rather, think about that satisfaction of publishing your own words on paper. Distribute your self-published book/chapbook to your parents, relatives and friends and wait for their comments. They're all love it, obviously, and you'll be considered a writer. Try to distribute your book/chapbook to indie bookstores as well. They understand and love the concept of writing for the love of writing and just don't care about that other concept: writing for the economic benefits of the publisher.
If you're buying Wil's chapbook, take note that he'll sign it for you. Isn't that just too cool? And the foreword is written by his stepson. Can you see the love and dedication? Can you see the author-reader relationaship that simple doesn't really exist in mainstream publishing?
Go for it people, self-publishing is a really satisfying because, you're in control and because you know that you're loving every minute of it.
Khalil A.
Evil Lurks
Originally uploaded by boristheblade.
The Clown's Graveyard needs a cover and well, hopefully this above photo will make it till the end. I just emailed the artist to ask for permission to use the photo for our cover. Crossing fingers for the time being.
Actually we originally thought about another photo for the cover but with the release of The Clown's Graveyard scheduled in less than 2 weeks' time, and the "non-replies" of that artist, we had to give up and quickly look for something else.
And we think that this photo above fits in just right actually. Possibly catches the novel's soul better, as well!
Cover design is really cool but it's also associated with a lot of pressure. Obviously, a book is judged by its cover first and foremost, in particular if the author isn't too well known or is a newbie. Consequently, if the cover isn't attractive enough, well…
The cover design of The Clown's Graveyard is more or less ready and we're only awaiting permission from the artist (as I mentioned above). Maybe we should have first emailed and asked for permission to actually use the photo before investing time and energy in the cover design. Indeed, if the artist doesn't grant us permission, we'll be in a bit of fix. But, you know, we're really excited right now.
sky media 