Trials and Tribulations of POD

Today, Floyd M. Orr’s iUBR blog led me to a wonderful older post on author, D. H. Schleicher’s blog.  Schleicher’s success story inspired me and I wanted to bring it to your attention.  (He also briefly mentions Lulu in one of his replies to a reader comment.)  Schleicher deserves acknowledgment because he admits fault that, like many of us, he was enticingly attracted to the price tag and quick ability to get his book published and out there rather than taking time to do it right the first time.  It wasn’t his best writing.  It had not been edited enough.  There were spelling errors.  But he did it anyway. After his third try, he got it right and by then he’d built quite the reader fan base. And although he’s reached a smarter and cleaner page in his writing career now, and may be a bit embarrassed that he ever published such work early on, he hasn’t forgotten the lessons he learned down the path of POD. Schleicher says it best in the last paragraph:

Whether you toil away publishing your own writing, land a six figure deal with a major publishing house, or simply share your poetry and stories in blogs and forums across the World Wide Web, it all matters not. Write because it’s who you are, not what you do. I am a writer, and I have sold my soul to you wholesale.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson has a nice phrase that I think says it best.  Put your best book forward! For Lulu authors in need of some affordable assistance, check out Carolyn’s two books: The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor.  Carolyn is a POD family member, so I trust her completely.  Her books are affordable, and the tips she has to offer are priceless!  Please check her out.

I’m looking forward to launching the first two Lulu book reviews this Saturday.  Hopefully, there will be a 3rd by middle of next week.  I’m on vacation the week of the 10th.  I’m headed to the Gulf with some Lulu books, a blank notebook, a camera, and a funny straw hat.  I’ll return the week of the 17th, so you can anticipate more reviews then.

Thank you for all of those who have left supportive comments, and thank you especially to the Lulu authors who have lined up for reviews.  Please be patient as there is only one of me here managing this blog, reading, writing, and working a full time job right now.  While you are waiting, check out some of the other POD reviewers over there in my blogroll.  Say hi and leave a comment on their blogs and let them know how much you appreciate their work in the POD business. And thanks again to Floyd for mentioning me in his post today.

Well, back to reading…