“So here’s the part where you make a choice. What if you could have that power, now? In every generation, one Slayer is born, because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman… is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power… should be our power.” – Buffy Anne Summers

Why doesn’t the self-published author (especially in the horror genre) get the same kind of respect as the “independent” filmmaker? I never understood why when we hear those words, we all instantly turn up our noses. If J.K. Rowling got sick and tired of her Harry Potter books sloshing around the slush pile and released them herself, would they suddenly suck?

Even I am guilty of it. When self-published author Greg Solis first came to Horror Yearbook I was as gracious a host as I always am. I welcomed him to our twisted family with open arms, but when it came time to review his book or interview him, I put him on the backburner for months and months. He got bumped for our Classic Horror Titties section, other interviews and…dare I say it…Yes, he got bumped for other, actual published authors or books. I have a lot of nerve ignoring anyone. I am just a drunk who writes on a third grade level (sorry to insult any third graders out there).

So finally we pay attention to author Greg Solis, find out what all the fuss is about self-publishing and, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, see if we can’t help break the rules that were set up by a bunch of men many years ago.

Some of my questions may appear a little hostile. I wrote them while drunk and part of the hostility is the Jim Beam speaking. I left them the way they were for my entertainment. I am not really as mad as I might seem at the publishing industry or published authors.

Horror Yearbook: What I really want to ask you is- why is it that when a filmmaker makes an “independent” film they get major props, but if a writer self publishes a book they are hated or ignored?

Gregory Solis: I think hated is too strong a word. There is resistance to self-publishing. Sometimes it is immediate, but I have found a growing acceptance of Print on Demand in the horror genre. Every once in a while you will get a snide response on a forum but I try to ignore those. I need to work on my writing, not waste time defending the legitimacy of my work. Having been involved in both the Indy film scene, as well as Indy publishing, I believe it may have something to do with the time the audience must invest into the media. For example, a viewer of a film only has to spend a couple of hours watching a movie. Books take a much greater commitment. Like films, books are passive entertainment but the reader must use their imagination to visualize the experience. The author must convince the reader to trust their work and suspend their disbelief in a different manner than in film. If the written media is plagued with editorial problems, you can lose the faith of the reader no matter how strong the story is. As more self published authors work hard and produce quality work, the POD stigma may diminish. I say MAY because it will depend on those authors realizing the responsibility that is involved in self-publishing. We all have to raise the bar.

Publishing is also much older than Film. It has been controlled by a small number of companies for hundreds of years. I suppose that change comes slower to established industries. Perhaps Print on Demand and small presses can help democratize the process to a greater degree.

HYB: Do you think it is because published authors feel stupid that they wrote, edited, marketed and had to buy their own books, while the publishers do nothing but make money off them? Or is that the book publishing market is so watered down they feel that self-published authors are just an added nuisance?

GS: I don’t think it is that bad. Traditionally published authors get plenty of support from their publishers. They sometimes participate in their own marketing through appearances and such but the companies provide rock solid editorial support and a portion of advertising. The publisher certainly does make money off of their stables but they also shoulder a risk. The market could turn at any moment and they would be stuck with a bunch of titles heading to Half-Priced-Books. Publishers do make the lion’s share of the revenue in the traditional world, yet self-publishing also has its issues. Amazon is the real winner in my experience. Amazon has been great. It allows me to reach an international audience but they take the majority of the cash.

There are traditionally published authors who voice their disdain for self-publishing. I don’t know that they fear the competition because POD books don’t usually make it to store shelves. Some point to the lack of editorial oversight in these works. Others might have struggled to reach their position and are disturbed by self-published authors who haven’t “paid their dues”. It has been said that self-published writers are impatient and should submit their work for the approval of media gatekeepers. Perhaps self-distribution in writing is seen as presumptuous. I don’t know, I can only speculate because the writers I have met were very encouraging of my efforts. I wasn’t acting out of impatience when I went to press. I did my research on POD and thought it sounded like a viable alternative. I had faith in this new form of self-distribution and it has worked out well. I would like to see POD grow as an industry.

HYB: How about those crap online “make your own book” websites where any fool can make their own book for a price? Do you think that is more where readers’ hatred is directed?

GS: There are scams everywhere, for all fields. I did my research on Print on Demand companies and found that Lulu.com suited me. Other places had similar packages but for a greater fee. They may offer more by way of advertising, but that is legwork that the independent author should undertake on their own. I didn’t trust what some other websites promised. One has to be skeptical about anything on the internet. I don’t think it matters who the printer is behind a POD title. The fact that a work is self-published is the reason for resistance at present. If you create as professional looking a project as possible, people will take it more seriously. You have to do a good job on everything from the content to the cover.

HYB: Any suggestions or tips to someone thinking about making their own book? How do you do it, how much money should you expect to spend, and how do you sell the damn thing if you are greatly ignored by fans?

GS: First, write well. You have to do the best you can to make your work as compelling as possible. Then you have to show it to people who will give you their honest opinion. You need many different readers with varied backgrounds to get an idea of what you may have done wrong. Take their advice to heart but make sure that you can see their reasoning. You may find yourself at odds with one of your reader’s opinions. If you really believe that some element of your work should not be changed, then that is your prerogative. Don’t be stubborn just because you think you are right. Think critically about your writing and make your own decisions. Be prepared to take criticism and realize that you are learning. Next, edit the hell out of the draft. Use your reader’s notes and weed out all of the grammatical problems that do indeed plague Indy writing. People whom distrust self-published works often site the lack of proper editing.

I wouldn’t invest more than one hundred dollars for a distribution package through a printer. If you are just starting out and want a few copies in your hand, use the free services that don’t list your book on Amazon. You can buy a few of your own books and try to get them reviewed. That way you start slow with less risk. If people like your work, go for a distribution package through Lulu or Create Space. There are a lot of sites out there that compare different self-publishers, so Google them and do your research.

As far as selling your work, my advice is, be polite. Be polite to people in the various forums and remember that you are a guest. I have seen people do hit and run jobs on web forums where they post messages like “Buy my book”. That is the kind of thing that can get you ignored and even thought of as rude. Use the forums, but take the time to become a part of the community. Introduce yourself and meet some cats. Help out and answer people’s questions if you can. Once you are a part of the boards, post your spam in the proper forum and let people know about your work. Ask them to have a look but never give the hard sell. If you get a distribution package where your book is on Amazon, take the time to write in your Amazon blog. Keep the potential buyers up to date on things related to your book. It shows that you care about your work.

The best advice I ever got about selling self published work was from J.L. Bourne, the writer of Day By Day Armageddon. He advised on his website to offer free samples of your book. Another of my independent heroes is David Moody who also offers his book, “Autumn,” as a free download. I made up a 48-page preview that has been downloaded over thirteen hundred times since February of this year. Samples give the potential reader a look at your work. No one likes to read a book online so if you can interest a reader with a sample, you just might make a new fan. Samples are important because most POD books never make it into stores and people like to browse, so your sample can be a way to entice an audience.

How is your book “Rise and Walk” doing? Will you make a profit or break even?

GS: Brother, I made my investment back in the second month. I was very lucky though. The average POD book sells about seventy-five copies in its first year. Rise and Walk has done better than I ever imagined. This is a very exciting time for me.

You plan on doing a series of books. Any chance that you may be picked up by a publisher, or would you still rather do it yourself?

GS: I have no problem with publishers. I would take Rise and Walk to any house that I thought would treat the property right. I have friends who have been burned in the world of independent film so I am cautious about deals. If I was made a decent offer, I would take it but I would never turn up my nose at self-published authors afterwards. I want to encourage people to follow their dreams and to work hard for their goals. Self-publishing can be a good avenue to the end. If I had another story and no one wanted it, I would use POD again.

HYB: What is “Rise and Walk” about and why should people buy it?

GS: Well, I am a true zombie fan and I believe that zombie fans will enjoy Rise and Walk. It is an action adventure horror novel. My hope was to make the reader ask themselves, “What would I do?” while reading. I put the characters in the proverbial tree and threw rocks at them until they figured out how to escape. For zombie purists, these are the traditional zombies that you have grown up loving. They don’t talk or operate with any cognition, just the instinct to feed. There is gore and some interesting improvised weapons but the most important element is the characters. I did my best to create protagonists and antagonists that are as real as possible. Don’t take my word for it; there are many reviews online at www.hadrianpublishing.com

HYB: You just did your first convention, how did that go? Did people like you?

GS: It was absolutely wonderful. I had a great time. I met some really great people. The other authors were very kind. I was worried that the other authors were going to look down on me at the horror writer’s panel but that was not the case. I felt welcome and received some great advice. Fans dropped by my table and I really enjoyed talking to the conventioneers.

HYB: Do you plan to do more conventions if possible?

GS: Hell yeah, without a doubt, if I can afford to. Most of the conventions and activities for writers seem to be on the other side of the country. Meeting readers and potential readers as well as other authors is very exciting. I enjoy people, so I would love to do more.

HYB: Are horror websites responding to you or are you being ignored on that front also?

GS: The internet horror community has been fantastic in this endeavor. Once again, I introduce myself politely to the various forums and webmasters. I ask them to have a look at my work if they have time. If they don’t respond or if they don’t have the time, I thank them anyway. For the most part people have been receptive to Rise and Walk. The resistance to POD work is waning in some parts of the internet. As more people talk about the book, it becomes more accepted. I hope the same can be said for self-publishing one day.

Check out Greg’s website and order yourself a copy of Rise and Walk here.