By Carolyn Edlund
As internet resources allow artists and writers to self-publish, they increase their independence and opportunities. Here’s how one author did it.
For the past five years, Scott Price has been working on Power to Awaken: Totality. This book “explores spiritual human potential and the essence of life through providing personal retreat space for experiences in silence and self-reflection.” His photography is an integral part of this project. It has been published as a pdf, and is being formatted in editions for Kindle and other e-readers.
Born into a family of academics, Scott started writing in his teenage years. His current project has been distilled from an amazing amount of written material, enough to fill seven volumes. Scott doesn’t describe himself as a writer, or as an artist, but as a “creator,” seeing no separation between the two. His words paint intentions or feelings, and images express them. They work together seamlessly to share the experience of being present. Although his message is spiritual, it is not written from the point of view of any particular religion. Rather, its neutrality is meant to be inspirational and connective with people of all backgrounds.
The current technology for digital self-publishing gives artists the ability to move beyond their medium and interact with their audience. A digital book may contain writing and images. It could also include audio and video, all available at the turn of a virtual page. This gives the artist more options and the opportunity to work on collaborations with writers, poets, filmmakers and others in one easily published format. Or, consider using a pdf on your art website. This allows you to literally speak about each image of your work as the reader views your portfolio.
Scott has done the research himself to learn how to create e-books. He suggests that others interested in producing them visit websites such as Smashwords and Create Space. These services offer Print on Demand and distribution services. Self-publishing has allowed all types of books to enter the marketplace (although some are badly edited or of inferior quality.) But it opens up huge opportunities for authors who take advantage of this DIY approach, while maintaining a high quality product.
What’s next for Scott Price? His background includes being a professional competitive cyclist, and he feels that his spiritual message has impact on how people approach sport and competition. He is planning a book for the “awakened athlete.” We look forward to it!
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