The Green Frugal

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Stephen King faced over two dozen rejections before he was able to sell his first novel, Carrie, to a publisher. Frank Herbert faced the same problem with Dune. But those were the ancient days of the 20^th century when using publishers was the easiest way to get you book in readers hands. There was self-publishing–Beatrice Potter self-published 250 copies of The Tale of Peter Rabbit—however, true success would only come through major publishing companies. Thankfully, self-publishing in the 21^st century is a little different.

Today, self publishing is ridiculously easy. Through the use of Print-on-Demand (POD) websites like Lulu.com and Createspace.com, anyone can self publish a book. The process is not limited to novels; you can use Blurb.com to create photography or picture books. If your interest is less stiff book and more floppy pamphlet, use Magcloud to create your own magazine.

The greatest feature that POD offers is affordability. These companies don’t charge money to upload or store the book’s files, they only ask from money when they print a book. The neat thing about that is that it’s possible to print one book at a time. This means a writer doesn’t have to print 1000 books at a time and store them until they’re sold. Each copy is printed when it’s bought.

And these services aren’t just for amateurs; established writers are also using them. Guys like Warren Ellis, Cory Doctorow and Wil Wheaton (yeah, the guy from Stand by Me and Star Trek: TNG) are dipping their toes into the POD pool to see what all the fuss is about.

These technological innovations make the gap between author and reader smaller and smaller. Keep in mind that it’s still a relatively new service, so all the bugs haven’t been worked out. And just selling a book on the sites won’t make you an overnight phenomenon. But if you just want a copy of your novel to go on your bookshelf, this is a great thing.

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Portland has a reputation for being different. It is also known for being a great literary city. So, of course, there would be some things that makes it weird- or, at least, unique- for its residential readers. Let’s take a look at a couple of these.

The Bookstores

It’s no surprise that when bibliophiles come to Portland, one of their first stops is Powell’s Bookstore. With its four floors of color coded rooms, it really does seem that you’ve stepped into a “city of books”.

There are also many local independent stores specializing in a specific genre. For mystery maniacs, Murder by the Book is “the scene” in the Hawthorne Neighborhood. It’s all Agatha all the time (and other Mystery greats as well.) There are not one, but two children’s bookstores for young ones and the young at heart. A Children’s Place is in the beautiful Beaumont neighborhood. My favorite is Green Bean Books (in the Alberta Arts district) where you’ll find vending machines selling finger puppets and mustaches. Those features just help the imagination run wild.

Reading Frenzy is a great store for anyone interested in supporting popular self-made mini-publications called zines. Whatever range of topics people want to read about- from mundane and trivial to innovative and awesome, there’s sure to be something for everyone there.

Everywhere You Go, There’s Something to Read

For anyone who feels that walls are too confining, walking around Portland can be a reading experience in itself.

In “Portland’s Living Room”, check out the brick squares and read the names of those who raised funds for Pioneer Courthouse Square. And, although they weren’t sponsors, Sherlock Holmes, George Washington, and Elvis Presley (just to name some famous few) can be found among the names.

Popping up around Portland are poetry posts. These are just nice little distractions when one stumbles upon them.

While riding the streetcar, I noticed a man tattooed with words. I guess you can literally read him like an open book, which I didn’t. That would just be too weird, even for me.

There are many other ways Portland is weird, word wise. When you’re here, keep your eyes open. If your city has some interesting literary character, we would love to hear about it!

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The first year of blogging on the Green Frugal has come and gone. All of us here at Cash4Books would like to thank all of our readers. We hope you have learned as much and had as much fun as we have.

In case you might have missed them, included below are our top five posts in 2010.

Here’s to 2011!

DIY Bookshelves for under $20

We love books and we love saving money. This post was a perfect combination of these two things.

http://www.cash4books.net/blog/2010/07/08/diy-bookshelves-for-under-20/

How to create a romantic dinner date at home

Cash4Books president, Jim Smith, explains how he surprised his wife on their anniversary with a very special dinner date at home.

http://www.cash4books.net/blog/2010/08/14/how-to-create-a-romantic-dinner-date-at-home/

DIY How to frame autumn leaves

Beautiful and vibrant colors come to homes and neighborhoods every autumn. Finding a few leaves and preserving them, makes great gifts and adds a little spice to any room.

http://www.cash4books.net/blog/2010/10/07/diy-how-to-frame-autumn-leaves/

Fundraising with Cash4Books

No one doubts that Cash4Books can be a great way to raise money. A customer had asked us how that power can be harnessed to raise funds for great causes.

http://www.cash4books.net/blog/2010/08/20/fundraising-with-cash4books/

DIY Secret compartment in a book

Our very own Michael B explains how he created a super secret hiding place inside of an old textbook.

http://www.cash4books.net/blog/2010/11/08/diy-secret-compartment-in-a-book/

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Since it’s a new year, it’s time to create a new year’s resolution. This year, I plan on reading all the books I bought in 2010 before I start buying books in 2011. I’m a notoriously slow reader; before I’m even finished reading a book, I’ve bought a new one. And before I start reading that new book, I’ve bought two more. So, books tend to pile up in my house. Here’s just a few that I need to read:

• Boneshaker, Clementine and Dreadnought all by Cherie Priest. Cherie Priest writes faster than I can read. She wrote two sequels to Boneshaker before I finished it. And I bought it went it first came out. I imagine that she’ll have eight more books published by the time I finish Clementine.
• For the Win by Cory Doctorow. This is a book I purposely didn’t finish reading. Now that might make it seem like a bad book, but quite the contrary, it’s a fantastic book. The problem is it’s about a MMORPG similar to World of Warcraft, and reading about the game will make me want to play the game again. And I wouldn’t get anything else accomplished. Ever.
• Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey. I read anything that Kadrey writes. I’d read cereal boxes if he wrote them. I’m actually reading this one now; I might finish it by the end of February.
• Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder. I don’t even know what this book is about; I just bought it because I love Schroeder’s Virga books.
• That doesn’t even include the piles of comics and manga.

I imagine I’ll finish at least two of these books before my resolution comes crashing down around me. I already know the next book I’ll buy: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes. It’s a South African book finally available in the US. I’m not completely sure what it’s about; I only know that whenever someone does a bad thing, an animal bonds with their soul and they get magical powers. I can’t wait to read it (slowly)!

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Aside from buying one of those electronic reading devices, one of the greenest things you can do in your reading life is to get a library card. It’s free and one of my most favorite things ever. It might seem odd that I’d be touting the merits of libraries since I work at a bookstore. I can go on and on like the Titanic song about how I much I love public  libraries but I just want to focus on the most basic service they offer: lending books.

Readers are often asked which they like best- libraries or bookstores. And it makes it sound as though the choice should be exclusive. In a reader’s world, there’s room for both and each has their own pros and cons.

Libraries are great places to sample authors and their works without having to fork over some hard-earned cash. It’s not uncommon that you’ll find that book that you absolutely must have. That’s where bookstores come in. Sometimes the pages are just asking to be highlighted or underlined or personalized in a way that you can’t do to a library book- at least, you shouldn’t.

For those new releases and current bestsellers that you either want to read right now or at your own leisurely pace, the bookstore is where you want to be. You don’t even have to necessarily buy the book. Just read it there and then. If you’re willing to wait, libraries often get the same titles the same time but it’s the holds list that may try your patience. On the off chance the library does not have a particular title in their system, there’s usually also the option of suggesting a purchase.

Libraries and bookstores may have different sets of rules but, as long as they provide the books readers need and want, there’s no way I can choose between them.

Do you have a preference over the two? What are some things you love about each one?