Pt 5 - Test print - November 2021

Test print – 7-10 November

Early in November, I sent the Print PDF documents to our local printer here in Vientiane, Laos. I have used them many times before for small projects during my InDesign training days, and they always did an excellent professional job. I had them print 4 copies for me. I was excited and a little nervous when I went to collect them, but they were fine. The professional editing, type setting proof reading and endless hours of contemplation paid off. I marked one copy as “Draft” and have been fiddling around with this copy ever since. There really is something very special about holding something you have created in your hand.

 From conception (primary writing excluded) to a printed copy has taken me 6 months and has involved a team of 11 different people to come up with the finished product. That kind of contradicts the concept of “self-publishing” just a little, although it does re-enforce the reality that for a professionally finished product, you need to use a team of professionals.

 Since I placed the 4 books on my bookshelf above the computer, I have gone into a paralysis of uncertainty. There is no doubt, that if I uploaded my book to KDP now, even with all the efforts and cost, I would sell no more than 3 or 4 copies, and those would all be to close family and friends. I currently have 9 e-mail subscribers, 2 of which are my own personal emails. I basically stopped using facebook and Instagram, and in any event, I only ever had around 5-10 followers who would comment regular (20 if I posted a photo of a sunset ). I don’t even know where to start. At my Son’s advice I bought and read the book; This is marketing by Seth Godin which was excellent, but failed to quell the fears and uncertainties. It’s quite possible that the project could simply fail right here. 

In her last e-mail to me, Emily, of Albatross Books commented on a question I had posed on the subject;

 “Yes, marketing... the hidden beast of self-publishing”