A Trend I Like

I've been self-publishing books for 8 or 9 years, since I first discovered my iPhoto program had a function for making books. There was a segment on the Today show, about holiday gifts, and one of the suggestions was print-on-demand, self-published books. It was a new idea for a highly personalized, yet professional looking gift.

I tried it, loved it, and have made books as gifts for several years. The first quilt book I self-published and released to the general public was the "Small Wonders" catalog of doll quilts by Andrea Balosky in 2011. I did all the design and photography, published it through Blurb, and it was an 8 x 8" soft cover, 120-page full-color book.

The next quilt book I published was also done in 2011- the "Beauty Secrets" catalog for my exhibit at the Benton County Museum in Philomath, Oregon. The 80-page full-color catalog was also published through Blurb, and was 8 x 10" softcover.

I've been happy with Blurb, although it's a very different approach to publishing. Each new exhibit I've done has been accompanied by a catalog, and That's something I love about self-publishing. And now, I'm not alone anymore. Recently, Roderick Kiracofe and Barbara Brackman published books through Blurb. Kyra Hicks published a book about how to self-publish, and she's also got a blog about it. All three of these authors have previously gone the more traditional route and worked with publishing houses.

two-page spread from "Quilts" by Roderick Kiracofe

spread from "A Book of the Saints for Quilters" by Barbara Brackman

spread from "Lately Arrived from London" by Barbara Brackman

If you're considering publishing your own book, whether as a gift or for public release, a good place to start would be Kyra Hicks' book, "How to Self-Publish Your Own Quilt Catalog", which is available through Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. She's also doing a blog, called "Publish Your Quilts".

Pairing a book on self-publishing with a blog is pure genius, in my opinion. Self-publishing a book is a natural extension of blogging. Are we moving in the direction of self-publishing?  Possibly. Seeing the growing popularity and how many noted authors are trying it, I can't imagine it's only a trend. But if it is, it's a trend I like.