One of the things I noticed while researching Sleepy Hollow as American Myth was that many resources on the legend were buried in self-published editions of the “book” itself. And other material about the legend was from self-published sources. This lack of serious attention was behind my writing of the book. Clearly the story is an integral part of American Halloween and Halloween is a big business. Why aren’t mainstream publishers interested? (I tried several agents but nobody seemed terribly drawn to the project.) In any case, my thoughts today are about self-publishing. Some of these self-published books aren’t even listed on Amazon, which is pretty amazing. I even found one that apparently lacks an ISBN! The author’s website (the only place it can be purchased) lists it as out of stock. Self-publishing must require vigilance in order to be a way to make a living.
The profits from self-publishing are likely better than publishing with an academic press. (Unless, of course, you’re given the rare trade treatment.) If you’ve ever tried to find a publisher, the urge to self-publish is understandable. The publishing world tends to be cliquish. The same names keep coming up time and again. If you’re friends with one of them, well, you can get in the door. And mainstream publishing, surprisingly, doesn’t really like new ideas. Most publishers prefer to keep on acquiring titles in the vein of one of their successes. “More like this,” you can imagine them saying in their sleep. New ideas are untested and may flop. Bestselling authors seldom flop and those who imitate them often get a seat at the table. The rest are left to self-publishing, or perhaps academic publishing.
I’ve read many self-published books and most of them have led to disappointment. You see, a book is better if someone reacts against it. The problem in mainstream publishing is the reaction against is generally a rejection and that means even if you improve you still have to publish yourself. I was sorely tempted to self-publish a book before Holy Horror. Having found a publisher for that book somewhat painlessly (the agents weren’t impressed with it either), led me to keep on going. Nightmares with the Bible and The Wicker Man were both series books, so again, fairly straightforward. Sleepy Hollow as American Myth followed the track of Holy Horror. Written not for a series, I tried to find an agent, failed, and again turned to McFarland. At least they’ll publish it in paperback. I’m still discovering self-published books on Sleepy Hollow that I missed in the writing of my book. For all its faults, academic publishing at least generally offers a good bibliography.