The wonder of self-publishing

By Bernard Rowan

Recently, I completed work on a short biography of my maternal grandfather, Louis David Socey, Sr. My mother, Mary Anne Socey Rowan, wrote the book in honor of his life. Daddy Lou, as we grandchildren called him, was a self-made lawyer. He left home younger than an adult to join the U.S. Calvary. He went on to be an early member of the Fingerprinting Division of the United States Department of the Treasury. Later he was an agent and Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He served in many places throughout the United States. He chased Pretty Boy Floyd and other criminals. My grandfather also served in the United States Secret Service, guarding members of the Franklin D. Roosevelt family. Sound interesting? Read the book: “A Shadow Man, An Average Ordinary Guy: Louis David Socey, Sr.”

I published my mother's book through Amazon, with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). It's so easy to do, once one gets the hang of the system, as they say. A book can be self-published, cost-free. One may choose hardcover, paperback and digital versions of a manuscript, or all three! The publisher provides a free International Standard Book Number (ISBN) through KDP. Amazon has selling houses in many countries, including England, Germany, France, Australia and Japan. A book can be priced at the author's instruction. It's a wonderful system. I also hasten to say there are other online publishing companies, including Apple Books, Kobo and Barnes and Noble Press, among many possibilities.

During the pandemic, my mother published five children's books with illustrations. She had written stories over the years about her mother, her grandchildren and some of the family pets. As she is now an octogenarian, it's time to put those wonderful memories and stories on paper. This enriches our family's history and archives. It also creates valuable resources for others, including students and those who enjoy reading. My mother and I have taken a lot of satisfaction in these projects.

As I've shared in this column, I also published a dictionary of English intended for non-native speakers. Kujong Jung sought me out in what I'd call a singular honor. He shared with me a manuscript for an English dictionary. We worked together to publish it on Amazon as well. You can find “Native English: A Guide From Down Under.” It constitutes my second effort at a dictionary. In the past, I assisted the late Suh Cheong Soo to publish “The 21st Century Korean-English Dictionary” with Hansebon Press.

Now in the third decade of this century, many children of the World War II and Korean War generations are reaching late life. Their stories should find expression. Oral histories make great conversation moments. Taping them and transcribing can occur. Even with voice typewriters! In 2021, with friends and the late Choi Yearn-hong, again on Amazon, we published the book “The Forgotten War of 1950 in Their Adolescence Remembered by Eight Octogenarians.” This example of the kind of story now precious for our families and history deserves wider reading. You also may have stories to share with your community and the world. Self-publishing makes that entirely too easy.

Democracy didn't emerge full-blown in any one place. Part of its spread has included the technology of writing. As individuals and groups write down what they think and feel, the possibilities of freedom grow. Free thought and free discussion depend on communication. No longer should the sharing of history occur at the heels of commercial and academic publishing houses alone.

Granted, they have important purposes. However, each person can memorialize and publicize more of the real histories of our world, past, present and future, with self-publishing.

Consider places like North Korea where democracy remains a far-off place and dream. There one cannot tell stories of real lives and their meanings. One may face punishment for sharing truths inconvenient to the government. One may not challenge or criticize “cherished institutions” and those holding power. Even in advanced democracies, individuals require rights and legal protections to do so. Many still put buffers on the free exchange of ideas that require legal challenges and vigilant action for freedom. Freedom includes the pen! Have you shared your stories with the world? It's easier than ever to do so, and to create lasting memories for oneself and for the use of humanity. Consider self-publishing, a leading technology of the present and future ― and for the cause of democracy and freedom of thought.

Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and academic services and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and a former visiting professor at Hanyang University.