Research point – Self-publishing

I looked at different examples of self-published books or albums and found that there are endless possibilities.

There are some very good examples on the V&A website that illustrate how a book can take many forms (https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/artists-and-the-book). One book for instance contains some pop up geometry and another one puppets. A book does not have to be made of paper. It could be made of fabric or printed on wood or any other support. It could also take many shapes. The books on the website contain photos, collages or illustrations with or without text.

However, there are constraints depending on the number of copies produced. If a book is handmade by the author, the number of copies would be limited depending on how complicated it is to create the book.

A fanzine can be fairly easy to produce and in some cases, pages need only to be folded (https://www.creativosonline.org/en/what-is-a-fanzine.html).

Nowadays, it is often easier to have a book professionally printed as there are many companies who provide this service online. I noticed that on Etsy, many authors sell self-published comics: https://www.etsy.com/uk/market/self_published_comic.

It is probably easier than ever to self-publish a book or an album and have it printed. However, as people turn to digital media, authors might opt more and more for digital options as it means that they can reach a larger audience although, depending on the context, a digital version will not replace a book or an album.