Interview with Self-Published Author Patrick Stull

In our series of self-publishing interviews, we are talking to Patrick Stull who is quite the photographer as well as author.  Patrick has spent the last eighteen years mostly creating imagery about the lives of women. He searches for what lies beneath the surface of his subjects, empowering each one he encounters. He has recently ventured into the realm of surrealism, creating powerful imagery that reflects on our humanity while dealing with the meaning and power of art. His latest book is Encounters.


You self-published your latest book Encounters. Would you please tell us why you chose the self-publishing route? 

I am a relatively unknown artist and photographer. I believe self-publishing is the best way to begin the book publishing process as it allows one a more expeditious and efficient market introduction. With less process involved, the author has total control and can keep costs at a reasonable price, choosing how she or he will sell the book.

Take us through the process. You had an idea for your book, you wrote it, then you decided to find a publisher. What were your experiences with that? Or did you decide to self-publish without looking any farther? 

The process of creating Encounters was daunting. Even though it was an effort of love, it required the integration of imagery and text which is somewhat unusual. Encounters is a hybrid of most art books. This made things somewhat more challenging to promote to the publishing world. However, I did reach out to some publishers to understand the process. Once I had this understanding it was clear to me self-publishing was a better choice. Specifically, the publishing world is very difficult to navigate within a given timeframe, costs and subject matter. It became apparent that self-publishing would be the best alternative for me.

What different online stores carry your book?

As of right now, you can purchase Encounters on Amazon and at my website using Pay Pal https://patrickstull.com/

Authors who go the traditional route have an edge over self-published authors in regards to distribution to bookstores. How did you handle that as a self-published author? 

I decided that Encounters would be self-published and the next books may be through a publisher. The idea is to build a track record and gain interest in my work. It is without question that using a publisher helps a lot. In order to fill in the gap, not having a publisher, I engaged the service of a book publicist. This opened up several avenues to me to get the word out.

On the other hand, self-published authors have the edge over traditional books in the regards that the author has all the control. I’d like to begin with your cover. Did you make it or did you have someone else design it? If you had someone else, can you tell us who it is?

The book cover was one of the most challenging decisions I faced. I probably had a dozen or more renditions of the cover’s image. I chose the one I used for its simplicity, its subliminal messages and most of all its mysterious hidden elements. Being the artist/photographer, I was very particular as to the cover, so I created it myself. I did hire an InDesign digital technician to assist me. This was mostly for layout and scale.

What do you believe the biggest advantages are when self-publishing?

The biggest advantage in my mind is control over distribution, sales and costs. 

What was the hardest challenge for you to self-publish your book? 

I had to learn about the process of producing the book, marketing and distributing. Each of these areas have proven to be challenging and would otherwise be handled by a publisher. 

They say self-publishers are control freaks. Do you think there is a lot of truth in that?

Yes! They need to be in order to be successful. In my case, the precise size of the image on the page, the image color and highlights, the actual image selection/placement and then the associated text is a neurotic all contributed to a self-indulging and stressful roller-coaster. After all this, you panic, not knowing if the printer can reproduce the image exactly. The truth is they can’t because of the mass production nature. You acquire anywhere from 75-95 % of what the image actually looks like in its digital form. Learning to live in an imperfect world is part of the process.

Did you get someone to format your book for you or did you do that?

It is always smart to do what you do best. I am not an Adobe technician. I hired In Design specialists to help me. This made a positive difference in the process and the end product.

What steps are you taking to promote it?

I am using a publicist to promote the book and I am actively reaching out to the art and gallery worlds, as well. 

Do you have any advice you’d like to share with other self-published authors?

A self-publisher should first decide what it is they are trying to accomplish. Are your goals financial success? Notoriety? Employment of your skills or simply personal gratification? Each of these answers can influence the effort and the process chosen.

One amazing thing about self-publishing is that you come away from the process with a deeper appreciation for what it takes to create and publish which is enriching experience.  

 If you would like to find out more about Patrick Stull and his book, take a look at his website.