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Friday 12 December 2014

Let’s Get Digital, by David Gaughran, Reviewed.

A book I bought as part of a package for indie authors. I’m glad I did. So far, and this is the second in the pack of three, it has been a thoroughly worthwhile investment in terms of time and money. In fact, I would happily have paid significantly more for these books.

This volume is very much about the nuts and bolts of indie publishing. There is a good deal of history and background, which it is tempting to skip. Don’t: you’ll miss out on some very useful information. There are sections on the craft of putting a book out there as an indie author, and sections on why you should do this.

It’s a real eye-opener; giving background to the now fast-decaying idea that self-publishing is naff, or for those who can’t get a ‘real’ publisher, or is a route to poor quality. Self-publishing has been accused of all these things and, in the recent past, there has been some justification for this. However, bear in mind that Thackeray, Dickens and Johnson all self-published. And, these days, many well-known mainstream authors are turning to self-publishing simply because it gives them complete control over their books and invariably leads to much higher returns than those made with traditional publishers. I exclude small independent publishers from this description: many of them do a very good job indeed.

Ever since the bean-counters overtook the running of the now corporate structures that play, badly, at publishing, the author has been viewed as a necessary evil by most of them. Instead of seeing the creators of their books as an asset, these ‘bottom line’ merchants consider most authors a distraction from the making of money.

Self-publishing is a route to real success for a growing number of writers. But if you’re wondering whether it’s for you, read this book first. It will smooth out a lot of the kinks you might otherwise encounter and it will guide you through the process in easy steps.


There is a wealth of information within these pages (screens) and the appendix alone is worth the price of the book; the resources section is invaluable. Easy to read, easy to absorb. I fully recommend it to any writer considering self-publishing, and even for those who have already started along the path.

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