Decision Time ...

I have almost finished my first collection of poems and have the second one lined up. I have tried in vain to find a kosher publisher (avoiding the vanity press who seem to email their ads to me every day of the week) - and have even thrown out appeals on LinkedIn and Twitter but no nibbles anywhere. So now I have a decision to make.

I have self-published poetry books before, which I sold primarily to raise funds for children's charities. In fact there are four Presents, Rivers of Thought, Nature's Magic and Touch of Gold. They all sold out - and in fact Presents went into two further print runs to satisfy demand - so I know I write well otherwise people would not buy my work. So - here is the dilemma. I have found the printer I used previously. They are reliable, produce books of good quality and do not charge an arm and a leg to do so. I know they'd deliver in their stated time frame. I have no qualms at all about using them. But - and it is a big but - these days books need a barcode and preferably an ISBN - even for a limited market. I know ISBNs can be bought in bulk - but barcodes? No idea.

So the only other option open to me in light of my fruitless search for a traditional publisher is to use either Lulu or Amazon. And that is where I fall down. Abysmally. I know next to nothing about going through such a process and I don't feel confident enough to try publishing this way. I know about editing and layout - my four books plus the three produced by the Young Writers taught me well. I would get barcodes and ISBNs if I went down this route, I do know that. But my tehcnical know-how is fairly limited really and that means I have a dilemma. So I just thought I'd guage any response to this article. All you writers and poets out there, let me know what you think. Use the printer I know and trust and forfeit the ISBN and barcode? Or try to gain confidence and use Lulu or Amazon? It is over to you ...