Publishing My Printed Books: A Long and Gruelling Process

I’m no rookie to publishing things. That was easy. I first published a fanzine in 1990, a fun effort with my childhood friends Michael and Gavin for the Glentoran football team. It was called One Saturday Afternoon at the Oval.

At the Oval watching my local team, Glentoran FC

Throughout the 1990s, I was also writing and publishing football fanzines and music fanzines. I even wrote an Oasis fanzine called “Kickin Up A Storm” that was never ever released. Officially then I have been a published writer for 31 years but undoubtedly it has been the last 5-6 years that have proved the most difficult in those stakes and that was – dealing with publishers. They are a nightmare to deal with.

Backpacking Centurion Hat-trick

But releasing a printed book involved so many different things, and here are just a few.

1.Writing

Oh this was easy. I write every day in some capacity and have done for over 35 years. The writing is easy. I have over 5,000 blog articles and over 1,000 unwritten ones, and at least 10 books ready with 300 pages in each. Done, now what’s next?

Top 1000 Unwritten Blog Posts: I’ll Never Get These All Written And There Is NO Such Thing As Writer’s Block

2.Video promotion

I suck at video and photo editing. I had my website of course, and I also used YouTube and this website as well as my friend Sandra who made the “Don’t Stop Living” video. I still seek a video editor for “Backpacking Centurion”. Drop me a line. Plus – why keep all your holiday pictures and family albums on your phone, when you can easily compile them into a dynamic slideshow? It’s a fun way of presenting your photo and video collections in the form of a video clip, and it’s great for sharing on social media. Here is Sandra’s video…

3.Social Media Promotion

I have social media presence for the Don’t Stop Living blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Aside from that, my Northern Irishman in Poland project is on Facebook and has its own website. I am also on Linked In. It is important to promote on as many different social media outlets as you can as some of them reach audiences that others don’t.

4.Publishing

Now for the tricky one – publishing your book. I contacted over 50 different companies and wanted to use a Polish or Northern Irish one but none of them. Here are just some of my promotions and publishing links –

The first volume of my book series Backpacking Centurion is released on Amazon Globally
The first volume of my book series Backpacking Centurion is released on BookBaby Globally
The first volume of my book series Backpacking Centurion is released on Barnes and Noble in the USA
I am featured on Belfast Real with Jonathan Watson about Backpacking Centurion
I am featured on the County Down Spectator about the book launch

I was featured in two newspapers in Northern Ireland about my book release – The County Down Spectator, Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph.

5.Promoting Once Published

Okay so here’s the snag – my first printed book was released on the 25th June 2020, yes during the Coronavirus Crisis. So promotion was fairly difficult. I couldn’t host live events face to face. Yes I could do a zoom chat and I did do some online promotion and video promotion, but it all fell by the wayside.

I am interviewed on the John Freakin’ Muir Pod with Doc.

I am featured in an article on the Sunday Life.

I was featured in two newspapers in Northern Ireland about my book release – The County Down Spectator, Sunday Life and Belfast Telegraph.

In short, it’s a bad time for releasing books and dealing with publishers. Luckily, my first three printed books are all finished and available now (okay well Volume 3 is on delay). More good news to follow I hope!

Happy writing, happy editing, happy promoting and happy publishing!