Lead Story | Self-Publishing Review

But They Do Judge a Book by its Cover: An Interview with Book Designer Cathi Stevenson

Having been told more than once by reviewers that the cover for Homefront leaves much to be desired (one of them even said she passed over reading my book several times just because of the cover), it’s becoming increasingly clear that a book cover can have an enormous impact on potential readers.

It’s certainly possible to make your own cover using photo-imaging software, but according to cover designer Cathi Stevensen, owner of Book Cover Express, that’s not always – rather, is very rarely – a good idea.

Cathi discusses what every cover should have and why you really shouldn’t […]

Kristen Tsetsi2011-10-08T19:24:51+02:00March 24th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

One of the Many Author Sins I'm Most Enjoying

I seem to have put myself in a sticky spot: I want to be represented by an agent and sold by a publisher, but I’ve committed the cardinal sin of self-publishing. All I can say to defend myself is that if I were to have waited for an agent to say “yes” to my book, it would still be sitting un-read as a stack of paper rather than being read and enjoyed by readers. Still, I continue to query agents for this very novel. Foolishly? Naively? Just plain stupidly? Maybe. But I have to believe the meager sales I’ve been […]

Kristen Tsetsi2011-10-08T19:25:05+02:00March 21st, 2009|Categories: Features, Lead Story|

Interview: MCM, author of The Pig and the Box

This interview welcomes the first children’s book writer/illustrator to Self-Publishing Review. I found the author via a post by Wil Wheaton and MCM has all the right ideas about DIY publishing. Read SPR’s review of The Pig and the Box.

Self-Publishing Review: Your book The Pig and the Box has been downloaded over 1.5 million times, and translated into 15 languages. How did that happen? That’s pretty intense distribution.

MCM: I think it all boils down to the subject matter. At the time I wrote it, there was a controversy about a project called “Captain Copyright,” which was […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T20:02:18+02:00March 12th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

Interview: Christopher Meeks, author of The Brightest Moon of the Century

Christopher Meeks has published three books via Lulu: The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea, Months and Seasons, and a play, Who Lives? His first novel, The Brightest Moon of the Century, was just released to stellar reviews, including one from the Self-Publishing Review.

Self-Publishing Review: The Brightest Moon of the Century has its origin in a story in Months and Seasons. Why was this the character you chose to write a longer work of fiction about?

Christopher Meeks: I’d already written a few drafts of The Brightest Moon of the Century by the point I […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:26:34+02:00March 4th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

Interview: Rudy Rucker on the Present and Future of Self-Publishing

On the heels of the interview with Tessa Dick, last wife of Philip K. Dick, comes an interview with Rudy Rucker, often called the heir apparent to Philip K. Dick. Winner of two Philip K. Dick Awards, Rudy Rucker is the author of the novels Frek and the Elixer, Spaceland, and many others. He also has a interest in self-publishing: putting out a book of paintings through Lulu, allowing a free download of his novel Postsingular, and publishing ebooks with e-reads. Here the visionary writer talks about mixing traditional publishing with the new publishing technology.[…]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T20:05:28+02:00February 19th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

Interview: Tessa Dick, author of The Owl in Daylight, and widow of Philip K. Dick

An interview with Tessa Dick, last wife of Philip K. Dick, who has reworked the novel he was working on at the time of his death in 1982, The Owl in Daylight – reviewed by SPR. She blogs at It’s a Philip K. Dick World!

Self-Publishing Review: You were married to Philip K. Dick between 1973 and 1977. How did you two meet?

Tessa Dick: Phil’s lady friend at the time, Ginger, was breaking up with him. Phil was clinging to her, so she decided to introduce him to someone else at a beach party on the 4th of […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T20:44:12+02:00February 12th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|

Ebooks and Environmental Impact

In the interesting and heated discussion in the post about the future of ebooks, it was raised that the environmental benefits of ebooks are one of its major advantages. While there’s not a great argument to be made that reading a book on an e-reader is preferable to reading a printed book, the environmental impact is something that does make ebooks superior to the printed word. Some do argue that it’s easier to hold an ebook reader in one hand and searchability is something they can’t do without – but generally it’s a more pleasant experience to read, and […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:30:24+02:00February 11th, 2009|Categories: Lead Story, Resources|

Interview: Eddie Wright, author of Broken Bulbs

Eddie Wright’s excellent Broken Bulbs is a science fictional take on addiction – but what makes the novel so good is that it is not classifiable. Here he talks about writing a hybrid screenplay/novel and the ups and downs of self-publishing.

Self-Publishing Review: How did you come to self-publish? I mention in the review that it would be hard for Broken Bulbs to get published based on its length alone. Did you consider submitting to chapbook publishers?

Eddie Wright: Self-publishing seemed to be the only real option for me because of the length and unorthodox style of Broken Bulbs. […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T19:32:30+02:00February 5th, 2009|Categories: Interviews, Lead Story|