On Self-Publishing

Aristotle the Geek made a comment on my post of yesterday suggesting that I "self-publish" my books.

No thanks, Geek. Been there; done that. And I have been published so widely - by Macmillan, by Liberty Institute, by Centre for Civil Society, by Friedrich Naumann Stiftung Für Die Freiheit, by International Policy Network - that I have no need for vanity publishing.

Indeed, I think of myself more like the silk-cotton tree, of which there are several in the Goan village in which I live these days. In the season, when it flowers and "broadcasts" its seeds - and the scientific word "broadcast" is pertinent - the local lanes look as thought they are covered in snow.

I am therefore perfectly happy broadcasting my message, sending the spores abroad. I expect nothing from the process except that some of them might germinate, and grow into mighty trees.

Indeed, self-publishing for free on the internet, through my blog, is the best thing that could have happened for a guy like me. I am now going to put up some more of my unpublished works for free - "broadcast" them. That is "my way."

If someone is motivated, by profit or ideology, to publish some of these works in book form, I would be happy and expect nothing in return. I have enough to survive on.

The Ludwig von Mises Institute is my role model: they broadcast for free.

And Diogenes the Cynic is also my role model:

My message to our The Total Chacha State is:

Don't Stand Between Me And The Sun.