Are there any which will do English language books that aren’t going to be ESL texts?
You have to be more specific. What type of books? Travel? Trade? Educational?
I doubt that anyone will publish a non-ESL English-language title, regardless of the subject matter.
There are trade books, meant for education, and some government sponsored type tourist publications.
Harmony and Conflict, by Hartzell was published by Caves, although Caves only does EFL stuff now, but they have several subsidiaries who do trade educational texts mainly.
Bookman
Fredericka,
I have in mind something along the lines of memoirs/life in Taiwan/travel in Taiwan, so it’s definitely not educational or trade. It would make the most sense to have it done in Taiwan rather than getting an overseas publisher to do it.
Alleycat: I was afraid of that.
[quote=“shimmers”]Fredericka,
I have in mind something along the lines of memoirs/life in Taiwan/travel in Taiwan, so it’s definitely not educational or trade. It would make the most sense to have it done in Taiwan rather than getting an overseas publisher to do it.[/quote]
No market unless you have a special angle (like Poagao’s ROC army memoir). Which leaves vanity publishing. Check out Almas John’s Formosan Odyssey. Or that Dan Bloom clown.
[quote=“sandman”][quote=“shimmers”]Fredericka,
I have in mind something along the lines of memoirs/life in Taiwan/travel in Taiwan, so it’s definitely not educational or trade. It would make the most sense to have it done in Taiwan rather than getting an overseas publisher to do it.[/quote]
No market unless you have a special angle (like Poagao’s ROC army memoir). Which leaves vanity publishing. Check out Almas John’s Formosan Odyssey. Or that Dan Bloom clown.[/quote]
Poagoa’s book is in Chinese, and, from the sound of things, Shimmers wants to publish in English. No way, Jose.
PM me, if you want publishing advice. I’m a literary agent in the Chinese- translation-rights market.
Vanity publishing is a relatively cheap undertaking in Taiwan.
If you’re prepared to do everything yourself, you can have three thousand copies of 200-pages of your best prose for less than NT$30,000.
I saw something like this at Bookman’s (across from Tai Da, near McDonalds) last month: a novel in which the protagonist–an English teacher in Taipei–is transformed into a dog, who can only change back if he has sex with a woman. While being a dog. I think Bookman’s published it themselves…?
At Eslite (the one near Bookmans, also across from Tai Da) I saw another English-language novel by a foreigner living here (I think!) that was a Tom-Clancy style war story of a future battle between Taiwan and China. I don’t think it’s there anymore, they only had a couple of copies.
Let’s see…years ago (1992?), back when Shr Da’s bookstore had more stuff, I saw a book of short stories by some foreigner living here. I read it in the store, they were pretty good. I remember that one was about a woman who came to Taiwan to teach English, met a Chinese guy, finally let him take her to the Beitou hot springs for a private room, and then he dumped her.
There must be more stuff like this…
Shimmers. don’t listen to Sandman, he’s just a cynic who has never accomplished anything in life and has no dreams. he wrote, above: “No market unless you have a special angle (like Poagao’s ROC army memoir). Which leaves vanity publishing. Check out Almas John’s Formosan Odyssey…”
No way, Poagao has a nice book out, but so does John Ross and Steven Crook and Mahlon Meyer. Vanity publishing is a passe word, Sandman. Now it is called self-publishing and anyone with guts and ambition can do it. You can too, Shimmers. Contact these writers just mentioned, Almas John posts here often, and ask how they did it, money-wise. Once you have your book ready, you can publish it online or on paper or print on demand or whatever and maybe sell 3000 copies. Steve CRooks book is now listed on amazon.com., and he did it DIY, too. You can too. TRy it.
By the way, the Taipei Times had a nice storyabout some guy named Mark Williams, who calls himself an Accidential Englishman, it was in Saturday’s paper, maybe someone can post a link here. Feature story I think. He also has written a book, much of it online now, and he is trying to find a publisher, just like Paogoa did.
Anybody can do it, make a book that is. It just takes guts. And determination. and some money too. and time and energy. Whether it is published by a real firm or just DIY vanity press, it doesn’t matter anymore. The important thing is to communicate with the audience you are looking for.
‘The Accidental Englishman’ - Taipei Times article
geocities.com/accidentalenglishman - author’s website
I agree. There are lots of reasons why people might self-publish other than vanity. Not every writer wants to conform to the wishes of big publishing companies like Harper Collins or Penguin. Self-publishing means publishing the book you want rather than the book the big publishing company thinks the market wants.
I don’t expect the book(s?) to sell, so I’m already prepared for ‘vanity’ publishing; but it would much easier for someone else to figure out if there are any legal issues, do the layout, get it printed, and so on.
I’m certainly a lot more familiar with English than Chinese, though the books could be translated. Since I don’t think there’s truly a market in English, would there be a domestic market for the books?
Thanks for the tips.
I think you guys are missing the point. Self-publishing, or whatever you want to call it, is an ardous business. But it can be done. When you do so, however, you lose: money not only the dollars you spend, but also your royalty advance; distribution channels (very important); and, most importantly, credibility (there’s no getting away from this–if house readers don’t pass on your book to editors, then it’s really no good, for the industry that is.
If I were you,
I’d look for an agent, a small one.
Then ask him to help me work on the manuscript.
If unable to find one who is willing to represent me,
I’d bang on doors; there are heaps of small houses.
Then I’d bang on some more doors.
And even more doors.
If this doesn’t work, then I’d publish it myself.
But before I did, I’d bang on some more doors.
Not forgetting that in between banging on doors, I’d be rewriting my manuscript, over and over.
[quote]Shimmers. don’t listen to Sandman, he’s just a cynic who has never accomplished anything in life and has no dreams. he wrote, above: “No market unless you have a special angle (like Poagao’s ROC army memoir). Which leaves vanity publishing. Check out Almas John’s Formosan Odyssey…”
[/quote]
So what info did I give there that is incorrect? Formosa, back once again with the half-witted remarks. Vanity publishing, self-publishing, whatever the fuck you want to call it, amounts to the same thing. Piss off with your brainless semantic waffling.
Fine, Shimmers, don’t listen to me. Get a pair of stout shoes (you’ll need them) and start doing the rounds of local publishers to seek a book deal. I wish you well.
It is? Who says?
God I hate this PC bullshit. Let me guess, Formosa is a follicularly challenged person of alternative dentation who is horizontally-challenged and lacking a significant other.
Let me get back to something I said here in another place regarding book writing. Many wish to be writers, but few actually have the right stuff. If your book had merit you would not have to publish it yourself. Period.
Self-improvement is a form of masturbation
[quote=“The Curmudgeon’s Curmudgeon”]If your book had merit you would not have to publish it yourself. Period.
[/quote]
I wouldn’t be quite so scathing, Wolf. Marketability is not the same as merit. I’ve read far, far worse travelogues than Formosan Oddyssey that were put out by recognized publishers. Trouble is, there’s simply not a big market for a book about a tiny Asian backwater that few people can even locate on a map.
I’d like to know if Almas John has ever looked into the idea of translating his book into Chinese – would a local publisher pick it up if it were Chinese-language?
[quote]…there’s simply not a big market for a book about a tiny Asian backwater that few people can even locate on a map.
[/quote]
A friend, long-since having departed this island of tears, once characterized Taiwan as
“the food stain on the necktie of the world.”
Life is hard, then you change your medication.
[quote=“wolf_reinhold”][quote]…there’s simply not a big market for a book about a tiny Asian backwater that few people can even locate on a map.
[/quote]
A friend, long-since having departed this island of tears, once characterized Taiwan as
“the food stain on the necktie of the world.”
Life is hard, then you change your medication.[/quote]
Yes, and one can always rinse out the stain in a pot and make a soup, as so many of have done.