Author! Author!

Not too long ago, one of our library patrons wanted to self-publish a book, which she eventually did not once but twice (and counting).  It got me thinking that there may be more budding authors out there interested in publishing their books but have no idea where to start.

Once upon a time, you wrote a book and then tried to get an agent who would present your book to publishing houses that would hopefully accept it for publication, put out X many copies of it, get it into bookstores, market it, etc., etc.  That still happens today, but with the increasing costs of publication, fewer and fewer publishers want to take a risk on a new and unknown author.  This is where self-publishing comes in.

Self-publishing allows new authors a way to publish their books easily and without the middlemen of agents and publishers.  Some famous writers have done it, including Edgar Allan Poe, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf.  More recently, Lisa Genova and Christopher Paolini self-published Still Alice and Eragon, respectively.

It does take a bit of work to self-publish because you have to edit, revise, and format your book yourself, rather than have others do it for you.  However, you have more control over your product and get a higher royalty.  There are a number of authors who have even switched to self-publishing some of their books, such as Stephen King and J. K. Rowling (but keep in mind that they published traditionally first and no longer need to market their names).

If you're interested in self-publishing a book you wrote, there are a number of self-publishing platforms available to give you a start.  The following are just a few of the platforms out there:

• CreateSpace
• Light Switch Press 
• Lulu
• Smashwords
• Xlibris 

So, good luck to all you budding authors out there!  I can't wait to see some of your work!

Wishing you literary success from the perch.

A Book Called Heartwarming

I have to tell you about Fredrik Backman's book, A Man Called Ove.  It's a wonderful book that surprisingly moved me to tears (and your neighborhood perch librarian rarely cries when she reads a book).  In the midst of so much Scandinavian noir, it's nice to have a Swedish literary export that's an ordinary story about an ordinary person.

At face value, Ove is a grumpy old man who gripes about everything.  The price of flowers, drivers who can't back a trailer, and proper home maintenance, for instance.  The author, however, takes us deeper into this character, peeling away layer after layer of Ove's past to show us the different events in his life that turned him into a grumpy old man.

A Man Called Ove is extraordinary in its ordinariness.  It can be the story of anyone you know.  Someone who's experienced heartbreak and joy, loneliness and companionship, loss and gain.  Ove is a regular man with values that belong to a another era when rules were rules and when people prided themselves on honesty, decency, and a job done well.  In the beginning, he isn't the most likeable character, but as you get to know him you see there's much more to this grumpy old man than what meets the eye.

Backman's book shows that we all need love and understanding.  We need compassion for each other whether we're old, young, disabled, gay, or from another culture.  At the root of all things, everyone is human and the world is a better place when we help and are there for each other.  Even the simplest thing, whether it's reading a story to a child or bringing someone dinner, makes a big difference and goes a long way.

I'm not going to tell you how the book ends, but I will say I cried like a baby while reading the last few pages.  Maybe you will, too?  And if you watch the movie version of A Man Called Ove, you won't be disappointed.  It does justice to the book and features one of Sweden's leading actors in the title role.  If you're looking for a heartwarming story, come to the library and check out A Man Called Ove.  We have both the book and the DVD.

Ever sincerely yours from the perch.