Update: One comment was all it took to make me realise that my post was lacking in something fundamental. Damn you Heilemann! I've added a few bits and pieces since I published this a full hour ago.

When I first started Broken Kode it was originally meant to be the online account of my trials and tribulations to getting published. 1.8 years later I’m slightly closer to that goal, although I’ve not progressed the book in the same way I’ve progressed the graphic design and web site aspects of my life, I’m starting to get itchy fingers.

I printed out my draft script a little while ago. It currently clocks in at around 70 pages, but the book itself will probably clock in the region of 120 pages, or at least that’s what I’m aiming for.

My battle plan was to try and have a finished product when I’d start shopping it around to different publishers. Ideally it would be under a similar publishing model that Image Comics has. I control everything. That however does require you to have money up front to put up the publishing of the book.

Black and white publishing is 5 times cheaper than doing it all in colour. That’s a pretty harsh fact to get under grips with. If my submission wasn’t considered or whatever, my next plan of action was to self publish it.

A couple of months after I started blogging, CafePress decided to start it’s publish to demand option. I effectively was saved. Fair enough I’d have to sell everything via the net, and fair enough I’d have to do everything in black and white, at least I would have the book done and ready to go.

Nearly 2 years after I started this journey in earnest, Lulu decides to hit the scene. What is Lulu you ask? Well in simple terms it’s a new way to publishing. So what distinguishes Lulu from the CafePress model? As far as I can gather several very important aspects:

1. The creator retains the full copyright. I haven't followed up on it but a while back CafePress was getting some bad press due to their shady copyright documentation. Lulu is very clear on this point.
2. The simplest formula for the cost of the book is as follows: Retail Price = Production cost + Royalty + Lulu Commission
3. If you pay a little bit extra (depending on how much it gets put up) the book is eventually put onto the system that all distributors, online stores etc have access to and actually put into the market on offer

For me it’s that last one that really makes me stand up and take note. It gets provided for consumption by anyone, by everyone? You can effectively get it published and into book stores. You loose 20% of the commission but everything is set up for you. That’s elevates the game to a whole new level. It’s print on demand, but without limiting your audience to only those with access to a credit card and the net.

If I really wanted to publish my book in colour, that is also an option. An expensive option, but an option non the less.

So what’s the downside? Well effectively it’s all got to do with control. How much control am I willing to give away? Personally I’m curious about the actual quality of the final printed product. That’s what I care about ultimately. Which is why I’m planning on trying this out with something I actually have the time for doing right now.

I’m going to publish the first year of Broken Kode as a book to try and see what the quality and process of this actual system is. I’ll give an in depth report on my findings once I’ve got the finished product in my hand. Of course this isn’t going to be just the first year, this is going to be me going mental with the design, probably including doodles and commentary on posts I thought were of any significance or importance.

Update: The object of this book isn’t to make money. The first and foremost reason for publishing it is to see what the quality of book I can expect from Lulu. Secondly and this is probably even a bigger reason is I’m a complete and utter book junky. As such I’m keen on keeping copies of things. I pour a lot of effort into Broken Kode, and I’d like to have something I might look back at in 20 years time or whatever and see what mattered to me back in the day. I’ve always said this is my diary, except it’s online. Now I can get a hardcopy of it as well.