I’ve Got Moxie #3: My Books and Self-Publishing

Cover Image: Jenny Bristol

I’ve got two books published currently. For one of them, my co-authors and I went the traditional route with traditional publishing. For the other, I self-published. Why? Because that book I wrote for myself, just for fun.

I’m not opposed to self-publishing again in the future. It was relatively painless (though not pain-free), and a lot faster than traditional publishing. But there’s no guarantee of a financial payment. So if you’re in it to get your writing out there in the world, self-publishing works great. But if you want to make any amount of money, be sure to give traditional publishing a try first. You don’t even have to write the whole book to query agents or publishers. You just need a couple of sample chapters and a great book proposal (but first, a great query letter). This is the route I’m going with some of my other books, though I won’t have time to dive into querying until this summer.

Being in the writing field, I have tons of friends and acquaintances who have published books. Most have gone the traditional route, but not all.

Image: Potter Craft

The book I wrote with some co-authors is based on our blog by the same name, GeekMom. The book’s full title is Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families and was published by Potter Craft. Here’s its description from Amazon (though we’re not connected with Wired anymore):

It’s fast becoming a geek world out there, and all moms need to show off their tech smarts and superhero-like skills in order to keep their savvy kids entertained and engaged. Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families explores the many fun and interesting ways that digital-age parents and kids can get their geek on together. Imaginative ideas for all ages and budgets include thrifty Halloween costumes, homemade lava lamps, hobbit feasts, and magical role-playing games. There are even projects for moms to try when they have a few precious moments alone. With six sections spanning everything from home-science experiments to superheroes, this comprehensive handbook from the editors of Wired.com’s popular GeekMom blog is packed with ideas guaranteed to inspire a love of learning and discovery. Along the way, parents will also find important tips on topics such as determining safe online communities for children, organizing a home learning center, and encouraging girls to love science.

Being geeky is all about exploring the world with endless curiosity. Geek Mom is your invitation to introducing the same sense of wonder and imagination to the next generation.

My self-published book, The Isle of Kern, is a fictional guidebook with literary elements. Inspired by the movie The Decoy Bride, I wrote a book about a fictional island off the coast of Britain, including snippets of a book from its most famous resident. More from the Amazon description:

This guidebook takes visitors on a tour of the remote, fictional island of Kern, located off the southwest coast of England. It offers out-of-the-way places, historical sites, a bit of solitary reverie, and a few mysteries along the way. Much of the history, geology, and wildlife mentioned is based in reality, but the rest is a close look at a wind-swept destination that only exists in the author’s imagination. Also included are excerpts of Cuddle Fish, a reflective, coming-of-age novel written by Kern’s most famous former resident, John Dunn, and set on an island very much like this one. Take a journey to Kern on these pages and in your own mind. No passport necessary.

You can find both of these books on my Amazon author page, where you’ll be able to find many more books in the future, I’m sure.