On Being Your Own Best Publisher

A resource list for those curious about self-sovereign publishing

All writers are real writers.

If you read only one thing, please read my 2022 manifesto On Being a Real Writer.

Realness is a gift you give yourself.

A book is a spell.

I wrote this while I was imagining and bringing into being my first book.

Self-publishing this way makes it difficult to get much distribution, it’s not the best option if you want to make money or even get your work into the most hands. But you do get to make every single decision about how your reader encounters your work. Not just title. Not just cover. Font. Spacing. Margins. Paper texture and thickness. Title pages. Everything. You get to make a tangible object that has the ability to set off a transformative experience. In other words, you are casting a spell.

Know what you, and your work, truly desire.

A reflection essay on self-publishing my first book (which has quite a bit about shipping logistical challenges, which I have since entirely forgotten about, in part because I've found better infrastructure since then. Please reach out if you're looking to self-publish and have infrastructure questions!)

Self-publishing offered me exactly what I wanted for this particular body of work. I wanted to put it out in the world quickly and intimately, and with great attention to offering a spacious and unhurried reading experience through the design of the book.

In fact, it's creative fuel - and we can all look at weirder, wilder, and more joyful ways of sharing than the usual blogs, newsletters, litmags, and books! This is a big part of the work I am building over at Better Metaphors Studio.