Self-published books

[kowalskil]

1) Self-publishing is good, for an unknown author, when s/he already knows who the readers will be (family members, students, etc.) But I would not recommend it to anyone who wants to reach a wider audience. Last December I self-published "Tyranny to Freedom: Diary of a former Stalinist." It has been available on http://www.amazon.com (and positively reviewed by several readers) but the number of copies sold was very small. Bookstores do not order self-published books written by unknown authors. Finding a reputable publisher (a very difficult task indeed) is the only way to proceed.

2) Disappointed by the situation, I decided to "compete with myself." I improved the book a little (based on comments made by readers), changed the title, and made it freely available over the Internet. Fortunately, I can afford to do this; my goal was to leave a testimony, not to support myself. The new title is “Diary of a Former Communist: Thoughts, Feelings, Reality.” The link is below the signature. Attempts to self-promote (mostly via the Internet) my two free self-published books, are not very effective. Only a small number of people know about them.

3) Major newspaper editors were asked to review my autobiography but not a single one responded. I am now thinking about combining the existing books into one and finding a publisher who advertises aggressively. Naturally, I would discontinue making my self-published books freely available on-line.

4) Sometimes people ask me why are the books free. The answer is always the same--writing was a moral obligation, to my parents and to millions of other victims of Stalinism. In other words, my goal is not to make money; all potential profits are already donated to a scholarship fund at Montclair State University. Literary agents usually take 20% of royalties. I am willing to triple this, if a traditional contract is signed with a reputable publisher. Please help me to find a literary agent. My email address is below the signature.

Thank you in advance,

Ludwik Kowalski
Professor Emeritus
Montclair State University (USA)

kowalskiL@mail.montclair.edu

[RandBlade]

1) Banning people is good, for an unknown user, when s/he already knows who the readers will be (forum goers, students, etc.) But I would not recommend it to anyone who wants to reach a wider audience. Last December I banned "Freedom to Tyranny: Diary of a former Atari member." It has been available on http://www.spam-spam-spam-spam-spam-spam.com (and positively reviewed by several Monty Python fans) but the number of copies sold was very small. Internet forums do not order spam posts written by unknown authors. Finding a reputable forum (a very difficult task indeed) is the only way to proceed.

2) Disappointed by the situation, I decided to "compete with myself." I improved the forum a little (based on comments made by readers), changed the URL, and made it freely available over the Internet. Fortunately, I can afford to do this; my goal was to leave a testimony, not to support myself. The new title is “Diary of a Former Atari fan: Thoughts, Feelings, Reality.” The link is below the signature. Attempts to self-promote (mostly via the Internet) my two free self-published forums, are not very effective. Only a small number of people care about them.

3) Major forum admins were asked to review my autobiography but not a single one responded. I am now thinking about combining the existing forums into one and finding a publisher who gives a shit about this topic. Naturally, I would discontinue spamming my posts freely available on-line.

4) Sometimes people ask me why my spam doesn't stink. The answer is always the same--banning it was a moral obligation, to my forum friends and to millions of other victims of Spam. In other words, my goal is not to make money; all potential profits are already donated to a scholarship fund at The World Forgotten. vBulletin agents usually take 33% of warning points. I am willing to triple this, if a traditional bot is signed in with a reputable IP address. Please help me to find a vBulletin agent. My email address is below the signature.

Thank you in advance,

Rand Blade
User Mod
The World Forgotten (TWF)