Out of the Fire

by David Hobbs
(California, USA)

Out of the Fire is a memoir about working my way through college by fighting fires for the Forest service. I worked on it for many years and it grew to large size because at first I was writing down everything I remembered. Then I gradually zeroed in on the story line that was most significant-the spiritual journey that began as an in-your-face atheist and ended as a born-again Christian.

As the revisions were getting close to being finished (so I thought), I began the process of seeking a publisher. I researched the market by reading market guide books, sent out queries, even tried marketing individual chapters to periodicals. Nothing bore fruit, although a New York agent said the book was well written and marketable, but he wanted $300 upfront to get involved.

Life got busy and there were periods of a year and more when it sat on the shelf. But when I did work on it, my goal was to polish the writing and cut everything out that didn't move the story along. By late Dec. of 2005 I finished the book one more time, having edited out over 200 pages over the years. Then, early in 2006 I couldn't sleep one night and the Lord visited me and told me it was time to finish the book and get it published (it had been 17 years since I started it). I asked Him how I was to get it published (since none of my previous activity had accomplished anything, and the prospect of another leap into that swamp was most unappealing.) "Publish it yourself," He said.

So from then on I set that as my goal. I already had a laptop computer for business, and set about learning Microsoft Word. I imported all my book files into Word, found a size of book I liked and formatted the text accordingly. I went through every page one more time for a final edit, cut, and polish. I went on the internet to get an ISPN, and researched how to copyright. I had pictures and learned how to incorporate them into the text (which was really neat), and how to use text boxes. A friend who was more computer-literate helped me with a lot of the computer stuff (headers and footers, etc.) as well as proof-reading. I needed a picture for the front cover, went on the internet and found one and paid for permission to use it, plus paid for permission to use a map I needed. My friend and I designed the front and back cover (I told her what I wanted and she made it happen).

I set up a website through a friend who is a web designer, researched how to sell the book through the website (not easy). I got the name of a web-based digital printer who would print as few as 50 copies of a book, got in touch with him and ended up ordering 200.

It looked like I needed 3rd party credibility so I started my own small publishing co.-4L Press-to do the actual publishing and marketing of the book. That took filing a fictitious name statement with the county, publishing the notice in the newspaper, getting a business bank account, and getting a state tax account so I could sell the book legally and collect sales tax. The wife of my accountant greatly helped me in this, and taught me how to use the Quick Books program.

I discovered a local literary group of authors (run by the proprietors of a local independent bookstore) and joined it. Through that experience I learned a lot about the book market and how it operates. I also joined a national group called the Christian Small Publishers Association which let me show my book at their booth at a national convention of Christian booksellers. They also produce a 13 page online newsletter every couple of months with much good information, and the head gal has also written a book with a lot more helpful info. Through her advice I was able to get national distribution of my book through Ingram, very important for a small publisher. Through that also I was able to get an 800 ordering number for my website and to use in advertising.

My initial budget was $3,000.00 to get the book published with 200 copies, but it turned out to be more like $4-5,000. Since then I have found that I could spend a lot of money advertising with often little to show for it.

When it was time to reprint the book for the 2nd edition, my online publisher wanted to raise the (already high) price. Then a salesman for a regular commercial printer approached me over the internet. After researching his company I went with him, getting 1000 copies for about twice what the 200 copies from the first printer cost.

I could literally fill a page with the marketing ideas I have tried and am working on now. Book signings work well, book reviews in newspapers are great to get....

Some good advice I received: just because you're marketing your current book, don't neglect writing on your next one! Even if you find a regular publisher or agent, no one will ever care more about marketing your book than you do (so never leave it to others!).

Am I glad I self-published? Yes. It's been a lot of work and a lot of learning, but I probably would have spent at least as much by subsidy publishing, with less control over every aspect of the process. Still I couldn't have done it without help. My two greatest helpers did it as a favor, without pay (God bless them!).

Visit Out of the Fire.