Hello All I've been catching up reading the numerous comments regarding publishing and the trials of getting a book into print, both Catherine Barley and Alex Stillwell have said much that I agree with. One of the reasons I self-published was to avoid many of the pitfalls of going with a publisher and possibly finding myself tied into something that I didn't want to be at a later date - yes I know you need to read the small print but when you've not been there before the small print doesn't necessarily mean what you may think it does.
I certainly didn't write my book for the money - but because I felt it was important that at least some record be made about my county's little known lacemaking past before what was left vanished into total obscurity. When I embarked on the project I never expected it to take nine years of my life, working full time on it and the rest. It was extremely daunting, never dreamt I'd ever do anything like it, but on the whole I enjoyed pretty much every minute of it, with a few exceptions, but I couldn't have done it in the time but for the unfailing support of my DH. The major issue with self-publishing is the financial implication of it all and it is a big risk to take on so when a 'book seller' approached me about stocking my book to "do me a big favour" and then in the next breath said they expected a 70% discount on the purchase price for doing so you may just be able to imagine my response - the shop closed last year - so I got the last laugh after all! One thing that has irked me in recent months has been the number of 'sellers' who purport to stock my book and then state on their site that my book is 'out of print' which it isn't nor is it yet out of stock, though the pile has greatly diminished - I can only assume that some of these sellers claim this simply because they don't actually have any copies in stock themselves. Oh and I'm not referring to the lace suppliers who do stock it, they have been brilliant in their support. Like Catherine, I'm also pretty disgusted by those who are selling the books at highly inflated prices. A second hand dealer living just a few miles from me had my book listed on his web site at an inflated price, he justified it because to his knowledge it was 'out of print' and therefore it could command a higher price. I told him that it wasn't out of print, but readily available, his response was that he only had my word for it!!! Nicky H-T in Suffolk UK where it is once again rather dull and overcast - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
