Writing and self-publishing are what it says on the can; you are your own publisher. It is your book; you are in complete control of your book’s presentation and publication. The copyright is yours as are the royalties. It is liberating and for many new authors, it can be profitable.

Dissident authors are ostracised by conventional publishers and media’s book reviewers. Sadly, anti-establishment authors are easy prey for parasitical backstreet publishers. These vultures welcome dissident writers as they can make a killing. It isn’t a pretty sight.  

Amazon gets bad press. But the online publisher is saintly compared to the shark-infested waters in which the publishers of right-wing books like Historical Review Press (HRP) swim. Pre-Amazon right-wing book publishers then and now brazenly screwed authors like me and they did so for generations.

Before Amazon, my books and those of other impoverished writers were pirated by unscrupulous printers of right-wing literature. They knew conventional publishers were wary of dissident literature and oh, boy, did they take advantage of it.

Rogue publishers also take advantage of the fact that copyright and litigation are costly and complex. This is why Amazon is big: because Amazon drained the swamp and cleared the waters for such as I.

There are publishers of right-wing books but in my experience, they ignore and treat with disdain authors who invite the addition of their books to their sales list. When you have spent decades being ripped off and treated with contempt by supposedly right-wing publishers you begin to really appreciate Amazon.

Author and professional writer most of my adult life I added ghost-writing to my writing services in 2010. As a ghost-writer / editor I derive satisfaction from bringing poorly written content to retail standards.

In 2014 I started publishing my books using Print on Demand (POD) publishers. Think Amazon but there are now scores of POD publishers. Basically, an author’s pre-prepared copy is submitted to the POD publisher. The book is soon afterwards printed and available to billions of browsers.

DISSIDENT JOURNALISM IS DONATION DESTITUTE

The reason for fewer news stories and more conventional writing which pays

The self-publishing process is not for the faint-hearted. Tedious and complex, registration and uploading are the rocket science of publishing. For this reason, it is expensive. Some ghost-writers charge $120 per 1,000 words. Even at $60 per 1,000 words an outlay of $4,200 for a book to be prepared for POD can add a further $3,000.

Okay! Let’s not go there but opt instead for our far more reasonable fees and staged payments. How does €20 per 1,000 words sound? Strike while the iron is hot: I recall a time when overloaded I turned work away.

I could write a book on writing and publishing. However, I will keep it simple by referring to my website. There one finds everything one needs to know.  

It goes without saying that unlike palace publishers I am not judgemental. My fees are market reasonable. If as an individual you find the costs of ghost-writing and publishing beyond your means the solution is to hand.

You will have heard of a small investor’s scheme known as crowdfunding. Make your book a group effort by inviting others to help you and if they wish to do so claim a share of the royalties. These are generally 10% to 20% of your book’s cover price.

Unlike the underhanded pirate publishers, there is complete transparency. Once you are published you have a password link that tells you how many books you have sold and what your royalties are. These are paid regularly directly into your bank account; the system is as clear as you could hope for.

The essence of self-publishing is that you are in total control; the copyright and royalty are yours. All the POD publisher does is print and provide their online shopping facility.

The marketing is down to you. Don’t groan; in the unlikely circumstance your book is accepted by an establishment publisher they do the marketing badly and the royalties are much less.

Over time the royalties of your book should recover your outlay. If you strike lucky you could get rich. The Turner Diaries, None Dare Call It Treason, Did Six Million Really Die, Behind Communism, sold in the hundreds of thousands.

Help for Writers