This is a note now to my blog readers. Few of you know I have written poetry my entire adult life since the the age of eighteen. Well, that’s hardly earthshaking, now is it?
Two observations I wish to share as an opener here: (a) the years of my life are not exactly chronicled in these poems but with work - which I have now done - they have a story to tell; and (b) having them published has never fueled the writing of the poems (which therefore had but one audience member - myself - to satisfy).
Recently, I decided to sign a contract with Friesen Press which holds itself out to those who in fact are not looking for a vanity press experience, and yet do not have ready access to traditional and established book publishers. Friesen like a traditional publisher also can refuse the authors who can not come to grips with the realities of a contract relationship with a publisher. What Friesen does is leave its author's in position to exploit publication avenues both traditional and new. I have now chosen between traditional retail bookstores and the online world (more about that choice from me will come later).
The contract with Friesen requires that I choose (which meant I had a business decision to make). The balance between the two domains for booksales is slight. The traditional booksellers take a huge chunk of the proceeds (55%) leaving 10% for the author for a royalty payment. The online world can offer upwards of 40% for the author royalty with the online retailer taking just 25% of the proceeds. The market place, if honestly logical, would pay me ultimately the same royalty gross regardless of which pathway I should choose. Alas, the world is not so perfectly inclined (and I am no business major to know better).
What is at risk here is a significant financial investment on my part, which in hindsight I actually value as an incentive (much like being dropped into a wilderness and then having to survive in the wilds). The reason is that once I decided to invest in my book of poems, the making of the book required that the poems reach a higher level of finesse and refinement as part of a larger effort, the book of poems itself.
This is just a start in communicating to you what is going to happen very soon. You will be able to buy a book (paperback or hardback) or ebook of my poetry collection entitled Down the Highway, a Peace.
When I perform the poems live, I will sell books and autograph them and collect the payment for the book. One day if I work myself into being a performer of my poems, I believe I will yet have a return on my investment, not only in dollars paid to Friesen Press but also the personal investment in writing poems that I ultimately saw fit to share with the world at large (which clearly has no interest in these poems which are not especially learned or academic or approved literature but hopefully insightful and entertaining and inspiring too).
Rest assured, my dear readers, the fate of my book as I send it (my erstwhile child) into the world is not dependent on your buying my book. Should you read it one day (even if it was only a used book copy or library copy) do let me know if I entertained you for a good read and a solid elucidation of this life. Or better yet recommend it to a friend or fellow reader.
We are after all partakers of a culture that is premised on beauty and passion and realization of what it means to be fully human, flawed, broken, and yet so very much alive to possibility and to love, albeit a dog or a cat or humanity itself. When next I write you on this blog, it will be to share with you the news of a publication date certain (which should be known to me shortly).
Rick Hilber
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