Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a publishing course that informed students on where to start with getting academic work published in book form. As a self publisher through Amazon and other online platforms since 2011 I was curious to know how different traditional publishing was.
The course was enjoyable, interactive and informative and I learnt a lot. One of the things I learnt was that if I wanted to promote a physical book published in Australia I could no longer hide behind my computer screen. Essentially the recommendation was to create a media savvy persona and be available for interviews on radio, TV and streaming services. Also be available for Youtube, Instagram and TikTok interviews, give reviews, engage in online commentary, post to various outlets, write opinion pieces…
While I do post details of my research online in various academic discussion forums and platforms, you won’t find me on social media talking about my life, my friends, any family events, or even posting personal photos. If I’m going to use that media it will only be to promote something, never to give personal information away.
And the idea that even with all these public appearances the goal is usually to sell just 1000-5000 copies of a book in Australia, as that is the market, it is definitely not worth it. Let’s say the book sells for $30 and I get 20% on each sale. So, $6 per book. If they sell 1000 books that’s $6000. For many people in Melbourne, for example, that’s barely two month’s rent. Hardly enough to pay for everything else, let alone all the travel cost, time and energy needed to go to interviews. So, traditional publishing for academic works is not for me. I’d rather write a space opera!
Even so, I liked the idea of setting up a media persona for discussing my research, so created Vintage SciFi Guy. Then created a Vintage SciFi Podcast showcasing 19th century science fiction, starting with Australia Advanced. Being able to control every aspect of the production process is more in tune with my creative energy. As this blog has already listed Australia Advanced, come back when I move onto the next story. I haven’t decided which one that will be yet but you’ll find out in Vintage SciFi Podcast 6!
