Sharing Our Stories Our Way
Julie Bozza talks with Michael Winkler
6 June 2023
Michael Winkler is the author of Grimmish, the first self-published work to be shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award… so, who better to run a StoryFest workshop on self-publishing?
StoryFest Treasurer Julie Bozza is also a self-published author, and is keen to learn from Michael’s experiences. Our monthly blog post schedule provided a great excuse to start that process sooner rather than later!
Julie: What brought you to self-publishing? What reasons, emotions or instincts were behind that decision?
Michael: The desire to do the projects I wanted to do! In the past I had written books for major publishers (Penguin, Hardie Grant, MUP etc) but I had niche books that I wanted to write, and could not get commercial publishers interested. I didn’t want to abandon the projects, so I decided to self-publish. The first was a book on local history, the second was all about a notorious film, and the third was my novel Grimmish. In each case I wanted to share something with readers that I thought might be of interest, and this was the best way to achieve that.
Julie: What are some of the joys and pitfalls of self-publishing? Do you have any regrets - or do you revel in the freedoms?
Michael: There is definitely satisfaction in feeling like you have made something yourself. The biggest difficulty is always marketing and distribution. Connecting your books with the people who might read it, and then physically getting books out to readers and into stores is hard yakka. But then you receive an email from someone who has read your book and loved it, and that makes up for a lot of hassle and hardship.
Julie: Do different books call for different publishing solutions? Was self-publishing right for Grimmish in ways that might not apply to other titles?
Michael: Self-publishing is often mentioned as a superior approach with certain types of genre fiction - fantasy, horror, romance - as well as memoirs, business books and niche titles. It’s horses for courses. I don’t think we talk enough about the economics of writing and publishing in this country. Unless your name is Matthew Reilly you’re unlikely to get rich via self-publishing, but at the same time, not many Australians are making a living as full-time writers for traditional publishers, either. If you can afford to self-publish, and you have a burning desire to have a book in the marketplace, I am strongly in favour of more voices being heard, and greater access to production and publication - but it is also important to be realistic in your expectations.
Julie: I think that’s an interesting point about us not talking in depth about how writing and publishing works. I suspect the reality for many authors these days is a hybrid solution, even if it’s as straightforward as independently re-publishing a book that is coming off contract with a traditional publisher. Meanwhile, the perception remains that authors are all either in one camp or the other.
I was delighted that Grimmish was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2022 - but also saddened to realise that it’s the first self-published title to reach the shortlist. Here’s hoping it will be the first of many! What are your thoughts on the relationship between literary awards and self-published works?
Michael: Oh, there is no doubt that it is hard to get traction in awards for self-published work. I was enormously honoured to be noticed by the Miles Franklin judges, but I entered the book for four literary award competitions (for which, as a self-publisher, you have to pay an entry fee) and it was ignored in the others. Do I think, on merit, it should have been longlisted in one or more of them? Honestly, I do - although, as we know, awards are complex things. Therefore I would be delighted if I thought Grimmish had cleared a small space for other self-published works to be noticed by prize judges, but time will tell.
Julie: What self-published works from other authors would you recommend to readers?
Michael: The process of discovering new books for yourself is half the fun, but I’ll mention two. This week marked the tenth anniversary of publication for The Long Weekend in Alice Springs by Craig San Roque and Joshua Santospirito, an astonishing book. And I have just finishing reading In Life There is Luck: A memoir of an ordinary life with reflections on memoir writing, a wise and well-written book by Graeme Gibson.
Julie: What’s the most intriguing thing you’ve learned along the self-publishing journey?
Michael: How much generosity there is in the world, and the centrality of that to any success I’m having - and the strength of the desire so many writers have to see their words in print. We all want to be read!
Julie: Thank you so much for joining us at StoryFest as part of your journey, and for your own generosity in sharing your work!
To find out more about Michael Winkler, his books Grimmish and Grungewick, and his plentiful other writing - visit his website: michaelwinkler.com.au
To learn more from him about self-publishing, come along to Michael’s workshop at StoryFest, on the morning of Friday 16 June. More info and tickets here: Self-Publishing Success