Book Review Self-Publishing Expectations Vs Reality by Sasid Nataraj at Criticspace Journals

Writing has been one of the most powerful ways of expression since the discovery of writing as an art form. As time has changed, book publishing grew into an industry and as everyone is aware, two different forms of publishing have evolved in the world of publishing till present. But as they say, knowledge is endless, not everyone is aware of everything in the publishing sector. In light of this, Nataraj Sasid has written his book, “Self-Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality”.

The author divides the book into 15 chapters and besides a foreword, preface, and afterword. For once, the title may seem to be a critique of the form of self-publishing but that would not be a complete evaluation of the book. There is much more to it. Herein, the readers will get to learn not just about the systems of publishing but by the time they finish the book, they will have a good understanding of the things involved in publishing and will have clarity too.

In the foreword, Sasid talks about his experience in the field of publishing which has made him a veteran, and also at the same time he talks about the ingredients of a good book. He also talks about the reasons and circumstances that led him to write the book and as he declares his intentions, to make everyone aware of the mechanics of the world of books.

The author keeps “Self-Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” short and the content focused on explaining the differences between traditional and self-publishing and also does not let his bias or judgment interfere or influence the mind of the reader. He explains everything in a very pragmatic and clear manner without any diverging or wavering from the subject in focus. He seems to be talking to the reader directly which almost feels like a live conversation where he knows what question would come in the reader’s mind and he is ready with the answers. Keeping this in mind, it is interesting to note how the author has given titles to his chapters. For example, “How to sell your book” or “The lure of Package” or simple questions like “What is Print on Demand”. These and many others are very common questions that perhaps every novice would be having. 

Sasid keeps “Self-Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” neatly structured. He does not jump into the concepts of publishing or anything related to it and initially, he talks about the process of becoming a writer. This in a way, is an indicator of the fact that anyone can be a writer as the author says,

“… Start writing for yourself, feel the emotion, relate with it, and if you cannot, then reject it and write again, but never give up.”

He gives ideas of not just how to become a writer but also what things and points are to be kept in mind while writing, how to publicize and market a book, and also how to use media to the benefit of book publicity. Only after explaining the basics of becoming a writer does the author venture into the subject mentioned in the title. In this manner, the book becomes an overall guide for all those who plan to become a writer or the ones who are in the process of writing or the ones who are looking forward to getting their work published in the future.

The author keeps the language easy to understand for any reader, young or old as there is no age defined for any writer after all. He avoids and jargon throughout. Since the book is not long and the chapters are very focused and clear,  any person who has time constraints can easily read this book in one sitting. Towards the end of the book, the author also shares his vision about the future of the field of publishing and what changes writers can expect. 

For budding writers or for the ones waiting to be published soon, “Self Publishing: Expectations Vs Reality” can be equal to a bible in the field of publishing as it not only simplifies the concepts and ideas involved in publishing, the author also gives practical examples to demonstrate his point. Every aspiring writer should read this book to enhance their knowledge and also save themselves from the pain of research as the author has already done it for them. Also, every reader should read this book as writers are born from readers only and knowledge is always a boon. It may or may not be helpful for one person but another person can certainly be helped with it. “Self Publishing” is perhaps the first book of its kind, which suggests that the book is bound to become a milestone for the coming time as writers will always be there and new ones will always keep adding.