Short Summary
I am the author of five previous books: Mal Occhio: The Underside of Vision (North Point Press: 1981), Dream Streets: The Big Book of Italian American Culture (Harper & Row: 1989), Una Storia Segreta: The Secret History of Italian American Evacuation and Internment During World War II (Heyday Books: 2001), Esty: A Novel/Memoir (Sanniti: 2012), and Branded: How Italian Immigrants Became ‘Enemies’ During WWII (Sanniti: 2016). I have also reprinted the first two under my own Sanniti Publications imprint: The Big Book of Italian American Culture (Sanniti: 1996), and Mal Occhio (Sanniti: 2008).
Publishing books under a small imprint is not easy; bookstores shy away and publicity is hard to come by. Nonetheless, controlling a book all the way from conception to design to printing has its rewards, mainly that the writer’s concern can focus on the integrity of the end product, rather than the market. So I am trying, once again, to publish Earth Breath under my own Sanniti Publications imprint.
To be sure, no one person can do this alone, so by joining me once again, you can help by acting as the book’s primary encouragers, readers and supporters.
Sample from the blog Earth Breath:
…at some point, as I observed how I was breathing, and how it still seemed to be something like, ‘I am breathing, this body is pulling oxygen in from outside and pushing carbon dioxide out to somewhere else,’ a changed perception, momentary but very real, occurred. It suddenly felt as if it were not “I” who was drawing in air from the outside, but as if the exchange were simply transpiring of itself; more, as if outside and inside were “not two” as the saying goes. As if there were not just an individual self seizing a few quarts of oxygen from the air outside, but something very much larger pulsing in a rhythm with others. As if a kind of universal rhythm were in play. And that that rhythm, which included all else in its pulsations, was breathing me. And I it. Hence the power of the above image of the earth, each year breathing in, and breathing out: earth breath.
What We Need & What You Get
In times past, book publishers often relied on “angels,” wealthy donors who wanted to associate themselves with the gentile world of publishing. Now you, as a supporter of small publishing, can become an “angel” for this book—helping to get Earth Breath into print and also into the hands of hundreds of readers.
I have the book designed and it’s ready to be printed. With a modest initial print run of only 100 copies, with the rest to be printed on demand, I figure I need about $1200.00 to begin with. The virtue of a “print-on-demand” operation, of course, is that I don’t have to keep an inventory of hundreds of books in my living room.
Here’s how you can help. Any donation, from $25 up, is gratefully accepted. For a donation of $50.00, you get an autographed copy of the book. For $100.00, you get two autographed copies (give them as gifts). For $150.00, you get the two autographed copies and are mentioned in print on the Acknowledgments page as a Sponsor. Each person who gives $200.00 will receive the two copies and be mentioned in print as a Patron. Beyond that, a $300 donation gets you the two books and acknowledgement as an Angel.
NB: in order to be acknowledged in the printed book, the donation must be received before we go to press in July. If there is a second or third printing, we should be able to acknowledge donors who miss this initial deadline.
The Impact
Frankly, I’m not sure what the impact of this book of past blogs will be. But in this age of historical amnesia, especially in America, perhaps it can provide some historical perspective on our politics, our crises like global warming, our food habits, and our ways of thinking. It can also demonstrate the power of one person’s work in the aggregate and over a wide range—something that blogs appearing one at a time cannot do. I hope it will also provide an example that writing and thinking a matter through are still things of value in our 140-character culture.
The shared method of bringing this book out might help in this endeavor, confirming that there is still a reading audience for thoughtful, carefully-crafted opinion that credits its sources. And trying something new this time—“print-on-demand,” whereby a book only gets printed when it is ordered—will be exciting, both for this book, and, if it works out, for future ones. It means that the amount I need to raise initially is far less, besides putting me in touch with Ingram (the POD printer), a major book distributor.
Risks & Challenges
Though there are risks in any publishing venture, I think my experience in producing two previous books, Esty and Branded, via crowd-sourcing on Indiegogo gives me a leg up for this project. I know what the costs will be, and what the distribution challenges are, though in this case, my use of Ingram, a major distributor, for printing, should help. So should the audience I already have on my blogsite, distasiblog.blogspot.com.
Other Ways You Can Help
Everyone understands that money is tight and prices are rising these days. But even if you can’t contribute monetarily, you can still help get the word out. Indiegogo has share tools that allow you to spread the word on the web via social media. More personally, you can tell your friends about the book, and about this campaign. You can suggest it as a great book for bookstores, colleges and libraries. Every bit of help, no matter its size or reach, will be greatly appreciated. Some people just can't contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
