Samizdat

Don't know what is the right reason but, somehow, I was always in that samizdat bullshit. When I was a student of Croatian language and Literature in the second half of the 90's, I was publishing artzine named OFF Skroz (with a help from my friends and collaegues Enver Krivac and Mišo Novković) and we published six issues. Even our first novel (collaboration with Krivac) was also self-published. Somehow, at that time, we thought nobody wants to publish our work because it was too subversive, too provocative and too politically incorrect. I believe one of the reasons was the fact that we were living in a small province town not so much far away but enough away from big publishers and the cultural epicentre in the capital city. Maybe we were more unnoticed than subversive? So, after we published our first novel Picinic and after we published Mišo's collection of poems Moonrain, we came to conclusion about two things. First: anyone can publish a book if one has enough money (vanity publishing). And second: there is no point in publishing a book if no one will ever read it. So we quit with writing and self-publishing.

For 13 years.

OK, not exactly. I published a novel 5 years ago and in that time Krivac published a novel, a comic collection and soon will publish a short story collection but all that time we actually spent on learning that there is no money in writing and publishing books in Croatia – if you're a writer. (this time I won't write about publishers in Croatia.) For writers in Croatia the only satisfaction is to hold their damn book in their shaking hands. That is the most you can expect and that is the most you'll get. Who wants to write and publish if that's the best you can get? I know a writer, and I believe there are more writers out there who think the same, who once said to me: "You know, I made peace with myself that I would never earn any money from my writing. So I satisfy myself with holding my book in my hands."

Fuck that, man!

Jesus Christ!

FUCK THAT!!!

That's what I say.

No one will live on behalf of my work while I work for free. I'm no slave, motherfuckers! Did you hear me? I'M NO FUCKIN' SLAVE, ASSHOLES!!!

And for you writer-sucker, it would be better to hold your dick in your hands than a damn book!

So, in the last few years some people invented smartphones, e-readers, e-books, tablet computers and some other people saw opportunity for making big bucks and so I heard about self-published authors and the new way of publishing, so called e-publishing. And what can I say? No thanks (I'm too old for that shit)? Of course not! Self-publishing is in my veins. I've always been doing that. The only difference now is there is a slim chance that I can actually earn some money from doing something I always needed to do. To write.

Self publishing – here I am!