Up on a hill north of the village of Owego, a writing machine is churning out books. No, it’s not an offset press or even a laser printer. It’s Robert W. White – better known to his friends as Bob.
Bob White has self-published seven books – three in print format only, one available only as an ebook, and three available in both formats. In the eight years since the appearance of his first book, Susquehanna Scandal, White has learned a great deal about the intricacies of producing, promoting, and selling one’s own books, and he’s planning to share his knowledge at a free workshop held on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 13, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Coburn Free Library, 275 Main St. in Owego.
In a recent interview, Bob explained how he embarked on his self-publishing journey. “After spending nearly a year working with agents and traditional publishers, I began to research self-publishing. I looked at quite a few self-publishing organizations, comparing what they did to what they charged. I realized pretty quickly that I could do this myself.”
But isn’t self-publishing expensive? White doesn’t think so. Within three weeks of the release of Susquehanna Scandal, he’d recouped his initial investment, and the book had gone into its second printing. Rather than just hand his manuscripts over to a full-service self-publishing outfit, White acted as a general contractor for his books, finding his own editors, proofreaders, cover designers, printer, and distributor. While this might seem overwhelming to some, White found great satisfaction in the process – and it is this satisfaction he wants to share with participants at his workshop. “I hate to see people getting taken advantage of, and that happens so much in the [publishing] business.”
Never one to rest on his laurels, Bob White starts working on his next book as soon as the current one is completed. The money he earns from the sale of each book is immediately turned around to fund the publication of the next book in the chute. Clearly White isn’t in this for the money, just the joy of doing it: “I’ve been able to find a great deal of satisfaction in the ability to do my own publishing.”
To register for Bob White’s Dec. 13 self-publishing workshop, leave your name at the Coburn Free Library by phoning 687-3520. At the workshop, White will also have copies of his six print books available for purchase, including his newest book, Sweet Vines and Bitter Fruit, a murder mystery set in the Barossa wine valley of Australia.
The official launch of Sweet Vines and Bitter Fruit will take place at the Endicott Visitor Center on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 2 to 5 p.m., and the public is invited. The Visitor Center is located at 300 Lincoln Ave. in Endicott, near the Municipal Building.
