Weds 19th August 2026
At this morning’s Wealden Business Group meeting we were joined by local author, Paul Ryley. Paul has written a number of works of fiction, some based in Cambridge and others in Tenterden. Whilst he initially attempted to follow the usual route to publication, that proved to be fruitless. Instead, Paul took the self-publishing route and has continued to do so for all his books.
With over 160,000 new and reissued titles published in the UK each year, and agents that are overwhelmed with requests to represent new authors, it’s no mystery that it is hugely difficult for such authors to get their work on to the market. Without significant resources, or an existing public profile (e.g. Richard Osman), it takes a lot of persistence and, frankly, luck to break through.
The alternative is to follow the self-publishing route. This involves all or most of the following steps…
- Typesetting
- Cover design
- Proofreading
- Editing
- ISBN
- Printing
Although not all these steps are necessary to publish your book, the more that are undertaken by professionals, the better the finished product will be. Paul explained that he saves costs by not utilising proofreading or editing services, meaning that each book costs about £1,700 to publish 200 copies. He hopes to just about break even with each one, which begs the question “why do it?”. In his case it’s a mix of vanity and a desire to entertain. Most certainly not to make money!
Paul’s book are on Kindle. If you prefer a physical copy then they can be found in Tenterden Museum.
