Guest Author - Lucinda Moriarty

I recently had the privilege of reviewing one of Micah Linton’s newest books: Weebeasts “Plight,” due out on March 3, 2009.

A quick search on Amazon the day the review was posted showed that “Plight” was almost sold out even though the release date wasn’t for a few days. Amazon assured visitors that more were on the way. It is wonderful news for an author when he cannot keep enough of his books on the shelves. It has to be even sweeter for an author who is also the publisher and chief marketer, which describes Mr. Linton.

Anyone considering self-publishing can learn from Linton. He is responsible for writing, illustrating, publishing, promoting, merchandising and selling his Weebeasts series – none of which is a passive task.

Because he has taken on the role of publisher, Linton is a busy guy. I had the opportunity to ask him a little about his self-publishing experience and was lucky enough to catch up with him while he was working the Weebeasts booth at the New York Toy show.

I asked Linton why he chose to create his own publishing company for Weebeasts.

“Weebeasts were a story I felt needed telling so instead of attempting the typical route of submitting my book to publishers I decided to do it myself. Of course, I had no formal training in this area so research and trial and error was my method. Overall it is good to learn how the industry works and being your own publisher can have its benefits but be prepared – it has it downsides as well.”

He went on to add that one of the greatest obstacles he faced was finding ways to publicize his books.

“If you are your own publisher it is all up to you. The answer is still a work in progress, but I have had terrific response at book festivals and events so the best solution is to try and attend any event you can to promote your work… you never know you may run into.”

Obviously, it takes hard work and a 24/7 mentality to self-publish, but Linton maintains a positive attitude about his multifaceted career and stands by his choice.

“If you can create something that you enjoy and can be proud of then you are on the right track. There is no way to please everyone so stick to your gut instinct. However, do keep an open ear and mind to the feedback you receive – it may help focus your direction.”

Mr. Linton’s books can be purchased from numerous retailers throughout the world. You can also buy them from Amazon.com through the links below… that is, if they have not sold out.