Riders’ Collective just published my article about a bike tour I took with Dawn through the California and Arizona desert.  Click the picture at left to download the magazine.  The piece is called “Highway 62 Revisited.”  Enjoy!

As a side-note, this magazine is structured as an aggregate.  That means it culls relevant content from the web.  It works because Paul Kramer, the editor, works hard to meet a quality standard that his readers expect.  With so much content out there, and so many people eager to publish, Paul creates value by doing the hard work of filtering through the rubbish.  It’s like a magazine mixtape!

Last week in Part 1 I looked at my very first print on demand purchase from Lulu.com.  It was C.R. Stapor’s The Wraith Atlas.

Here’s a conversation with C.R. himself about the process and result of self publishing on Lulu.com…

Ian Tuttle:  Are you happy with the physical quality of the book?

C.R. Stapor:  Yes. Very much so. I was initially skeptical (even though I’d seen how great sPARKLE & bLINK looks), but when I first saw them I was very impressed.

I.T.:  What do you wish you had done differently during the self-publishing 
process?

C.R.S.:  Paid more attention to how Evan formatted it! Seriously though, I can’t think of a single thing other than that – in my rush to get the d@*% thing out there – I didn’t research as closely as I could have the ins-&-outs of ISBN numbers, and the relevant formatting needed to qualify for inclusion in certain well known book lists. All of this can, of course, be done after the fact.

I.T.:  Do you think you’ll self publish again?

C.R.S.:  More than likely.

I.T.:  How many copies did you initially order?

C.R.S.:  20

I.T.:  Will you order more, or let people buy directly online?

C.R.S.:  That depends on a number of factors, that, as of now, have not been determined. But yes. I will order more. And of course I support anyone who decides to order directly from Lulu.

(My first print on demand purchase)

First of all, The Wraith Atlas, by C.R. Stapor, is phenomenal.  Let me just stick that in the way.  Second, this post focuses on the book itself, as an object (and not the quality of the writing within, which, as I’ve already said, is phenomenal!).

Now, this was my first Print On Demand (aka Publish on Demand, or P.O.D.) book purchase.  It was easy to order, I just went to lulu.com and clicked through a standard online shopping interface.

The book arrives:

The packaging is simple and secure.  The book arrives in perfect shape.

5/5 for shipping!

The new book smell…

As any reading addict will admit, the smell of a new book is an important aspect of the habit.  My lulu book smelled new, but more like a new sneaker than a book.  Astringent glue, powerful dye, concentrated industrial soap.

3/5 for new book smell.

The text:

Crystal clear, on bright clean pages.  The quality is significantly better than mass-market paperback and even surpasses most trade paperbacks.

5/5 for print quality.

The Binding:

The binding is fast (as in resolute!), strong, but not as pretty as a quality trade paperback.  This book will certainly not fall apart but it’s no gleaming gem of craftsmanship either.

3/5 for Binding Quality

The Spine:

The spine is squared but the graphic is not perfectly aligned.  It’s a noticeable cut above DIY bindings or copyshop zine jobs.  You can read the title when it’s on your bookshelf, so it’s certainly functional.

3/5 for Spine Quality.

Total:  19/25

ALL IN ALL, the fact that I can get my hands on my own copy of The Wraith Atlas makes Lulu.com an incredible service.  Who knows, this book may have never existed in print five years ago.  Print on demand allows everyone an equal opportunity to publish, and that’s worth infinity stars.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of C.R. Stapor’s The Wraith Atlas with John Steinbeck’s The Moon Is Down (Penguin trade paperback edition):

Part II will feature me asking C.R. how happy he is with his Lulu.com book!  Stay tuned…

Courtesy of Green Apple Books (one of my favorite bookstores)…

Bill Ayers leads quite a few “meet-ups” focused specifically on the ever-evolving publishing industry.  I attended one featuring three self-published authors to learn from their experiences.  Here are three tips from three different self-published authors:

(1.)  If you self publish, BUY AN ISBN for your book! This will enable you to sell it in bookstores, place it in libraries, and get it in national databases.  (from Tracy Jones, author of I think Therefore I am, and Still Breathing…).

(2.)  Ramp up publicity before your release date. Don’t wait until it’s already out to start promoting it.  Time your release with a well-planned publicity campaign.  (From David Jedeikin, author of Wander the Rainbow.)

(3.)  Self-publishing is good for super-niche markets, or if you already have an audience willing to buy your book. Lots of “how-to” authors follow this advice.  If your topic is extremely narrow, then chances are your audience will come looking for you.  If, however, you’re looking for broader exposure, consider the traditional publishing route.  (Curran Galway, author of The Aquarians).