I guess all authors, if they live long enough, must occasionally kill off one of their books. Well, yesterday, I put one of my books to rest.
After 25 years of producing and distributing my 360-page comprehensive history, The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History, I have decided not to do a reprint. I made my last deliveries to local outlets and I will sell the remaining few copies via my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/historypage.html
It’s not something we think much about, but a book certainly has a lifespan. Books produced by publishers live for as long as they are selling and then they are forced out of print. Sometimes this occurs within a matter of a year or less. Self published authors can keep their books alive for as long as they are willing to promote them.
The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History was my first self-publishing venture. It didn’t start out that way. I had a local publisher interested in producing this book. But when I decided that I wanted to create a book for tourists and locals, he bowed out. He was all about getting that tourist buck. I wanted to offer something to the community, as well. With the help of a friend who knew a little about publishing. I established Matilija Press. That was in 1983.
I remember the day the book became available for sale—it was hot off the press. I’d done some promo prior to its arrival and had hundreds of copies sold even before it was a book. My husband, our daughters and I spent several days delivering stationwagon loads of books to locals who had pre-ordered copies.
We purchased our first answering machine to take all of the orders that were coming in day and night. I was an instant celebrity in town. Everywhere I went, people congratulated me, talked on and on about how much they loved the book and ordered copies right there on the street or in the restaurant or grocery store. And my celebrity status continued for years. Folks, if you ever want to experience fame, write a comprehensive local history.
I created the original version of The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History on an electric typewriter. When we decided to do a second edition in 1999, I hired someone to type the entire book into a computer so I could revise it and commit it to a disk for publication.
The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History is still mandatory reading for docents at the Ojai Museum. It is the first responder to historical questions at Ojai City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and the Ojai Library. It is used in local schools. Because of this book and the 5 years I spent researching local history, I was invited to serve on the Ojai Historic Preservation Commission, which I did for about 12 years. I’ve delivered speeches on local history for just about every organization in town—Rotary, Kiwanis, Ojai Historical Society, Retired Businessmen’s club and others. I’ve participated in many events and at many venues, Ojai Day celebrations, Our Town series at the Ojai Museum, Ojai Art Center, Ojai Ranger Station and in the Nordhoff Cemetery, for example. I have given historical walking tours of the city and I’ve been the tour guide for Ojai Day on our charming trolley and on large tour buses for Elder Hostel groups and others.
This book is in many prestigious colleges, libraries and other institutions across the states, including Yale, Pasadena College, Toledo Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Library system and the huge genealogy library in Salt Lake City.
The Ojai book has taken me many places and introduced me to many interesting people during the research process as well as over those 25 years of distribution and promotion. It has been a good ride and I will miss this old friend.
Although, I wonder, do books, in this day and age, really die? When I do a Google search for my first book, Hints for the Backyard Rider, (A.S. Barnes, 1978), which has been out of print for years, it’s easy to find copies for sale. So I’m sure that there will be book dealers finding and selling copies of the Ojai book even after I call it quits.
Maybe I haven’t killed my books, after all. Perhaps, my decision not to reprint, has given this book a new life as a used book.