Sometimes another person’s life offers a glimpse down the corridors of an alternate life avoided. That’s the case for me with convicted traitor Christopher Boyce. — This essay was written in 2015. In 1985, I was a far bigger fan of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny than just about any other musician. The album that infected me was 1982’s Offramp, which sounded unlike anything else I’d ever heard. I became a hardcore consumer of any and all…

When the expenses are all logged and revenue is tallied, how does the self-published author decide whether or not the outcome was worth the cost? — In previous installments of this series, I tallied up the seven different categories of expenses I incurred publishing my 2015 memoir, The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. This week we stack these up against our revenue to find out whether or not we’re still swimming in red ink.

It’s tempting as a self-published author to fantasize about that glamorous cross-country book tour. But is such a thing practical, or even necessary? — In previous installments of this series, I dived into the costs of producing, publicizing and peddling my 2015 memoir, The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. This time we’ll examine my related travel expenditures and legal fees.

A defense of the proposition that God is greater than Devil, an idea that may not be as self-evident as it seems on its face. — Write Club was a popular “live-lit” show created by Chicago’s Ian Belknap, in which pairs of essayists were assigned opposing topics to defend in orations of no longer than seven minutes, with a live audience determining the winner on the basis of applause level. For the program on April 16…

If a book drops and no one hears it, does it make a sale? Some thoughts on marketing, publicity, and the hidden costs of free advertising. — In the first, second and third parts of this series, I laid out the editorial, production and fulfillment costs of publishing my 2015 memoir, The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. …

It’s a critical and obvious ability for any live performer to possess. I only wish that sterling bit of wisdom had been shared at the audition. — “Okay, Bill. Go ahead whenever you’re ready.” I cleared my throat and stepped to the front of the performance area — not even a stage, really. Ranks of folding chairs stretched to the back of the dusty room, though the only others present were the three folks sitting attentively in…

What associations does the word “fulfillment” conjure? To an exhausted self-publisher, it might be less about personal satisfaction than endless hours stuffing envelopes. — In the first and second parts of this series, I looked at the editorial and production expenses incurred in the publishing of my 2015 memoir, The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. This time we examine the costs associated with getting the book out to its first customers.

No one is allowed to talk about what happens in a Latter-day Saint temple. This means there’s no good way to prepare yourself for your first trip down that rabbit hole. — This essay is an abridged excerpt from an early draft of my memoir, The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary. Temple Square occupies a full city block in the heart of Salt Lake City. Most of its buildings, including the famous Tabernacle, stand open to the general public. …

A professionally edited manuscript is only the first step in our self-publishing odyssey. It takes some serious coin to turn that manuscript into an actual book. — In the first part of this series, I wrote about my choice to self-publish The Accidental Terrorist: Confessions of a Reluctant Missionary, and about the costs incurred by hiring professional editors. This time we move on to examine the costs of book production.