Vanity Publishers or Self Publish? My Writing Journey

When I first contemplated the idea of attempting to write a book the first thing I did was ask myself … why?

The answer to that was that I had always enjoyed books. I collect modern 1st signed editions, and vainly imagined myself benignly autographing my own to an adoring audience. I was in for a rude shock.

My first move was to buy a range of ‘How to Write’ books written by authors most of whom hadn’t ever written a novel. I have a stack of them, and they are good for standing on to reach the top shelf of my library…

I next purchased a copy of ‘The Writers and Artists Yearbook.’ This much-flaunted tome has pages and pages devoted to Literary Agents, Publishers and advice on how to approach agents, what and what not to do or say.

The Writing of The Brodsky Affair

When I worked in the publishing sector I became very much involved in the world of fine art and antiques. It was a delightful way in which to earn a living. Much of my time would be spent in art galleries and exhibitions in the UK, Italy, France and the USA. Subsequently I accumulated a good understanding of what made the market tick not just nationally but internationally.

I formed my own company, which revolved around the same business but restricted to a much smaller target audience. I eventually sold this out and began to think about academic studies to bolster my understanding of the cultural world. In the midst of this, the art market was falling prey to trends and a huge amount of fakes and dubious provenances, particularly in the Russian sector.

I made a small joint investment with a colleague of mine, in a Russian painting located in a provincial auction house. We hit the jackpot. It sold at a Sotheby’s Russian art auction for a world record price. That began the germs of a writing idea based on the life of the artist concerned.

The Writing of Suicide Seeds

Hardly a week passes somewhere in the world that there isn’t a debate on the issue of genetically modified crops.

The pros and cons of both sides are equally compelling. It has always been an issue that has fascinated me. That fascination coalesced with my frequent stays in Africa.

West Africa has seen a drop in its annual rainfall over the last twenty years of thirty per cent. Clearly,
that presents an agricultural dilemma. It is clear to see when countries whose main crops are rice, peanuts and bananas are compelled to begin importing these items to satisfy local demands. Previously that wasn’t a problem.

What disturbed not only me, but activists around the globe, was what certain biotech companies were up to, as they began to promote their drought resistant and health giving varieties of seeds as the elixir of the human race. To further these ends, massive amounts of corporate corruption took root and flourished and contravened all conventions and were downright criminal. Huge international court cases followed and companies named and shamed.

Why I Chose to be an Indie Author

The reasons are not difficult to define.

Firstly, as most writers will have discovered, traditional publishing is a difficult, almost impossible area to penetrate unless you are really lucky. It is largely controlled by a network of literary agents who supply publishers with their recommendations. They act as 'gatekeepers' and are the subjective judges of what writing they consider good or bad.

It is a tight and charmed circle that few are allowed to enter. As having worked in publishing I am able to to understand that several rejected authors went on to make a success of their work by stepping outside of traditional contracts. They, in many cases, far outsell books that can languish on a booksellers shelf for ages.

5 Star Review of The Brodsky Affair by Reader's Favorite

Reviewed by Sefina Hawke for Readers' Favorite

The Brodsky Affair: Murder is a Dying Art by Ken Fry is a thriller fiction novel that takes place across Australia, the United Kingdom, Russia, and France. The Brodsky Affair will appeal to both young adults and adults who enjoy murder mysteries in the art world. Jack Manton is an art dealer that ends up the target of an assassination plot, along with his partner, Tamsin Greene, when they begin their journey to track down the lost paintings of Mikhail Brodsky. The lost paintings are worth millions to the right buyer, and that level of heat takes the partners into a world of danger, assassinations, and intrigue that they were not prepared for. Berezin is a Russian criminal who has committed both murders and thefts throughout his criminal past. He has been set on the trail of Jack Manton by an ex-Soviet agent to steal the lost paintings of Mikhail Brodsky, no matter what it takes.

The Brodsky Affair: Murder is a Dying Art by Ken Fry is a novel that reminds me of The Mummy
movies in the way the main characters are trying to track down a piece that is worth millions when they run into more danger than they could possibly have predicted. The Brodsky Affair is a very fast paced novel with a riveting story line that pulls the reader in further and further with each turn of the page. The Brodsky Affair obviously took Ken Fry a good deal of time and effort to write, yet that effort clearly pays off with how the characters are all well written and the plot flows together without any plot holes. 

The Brodsky Affair is a book that I hope will have a sequel.

An Excerpt from Suicide Seeds: Murder is a Growing Business

SUICIDE SEEDS

A GMO THRILLER

A Biotech Company connives to distribute Suicide Seeds in West Africa.
And an ambitious man is the only one that could stop it.
Will he give up his dreams to do the right thing?

Paperback | eBook

An Excerpt from The Brodsky Affair: Murder is a Dying Art

THE BRODSKY AFFAIR

A Suspense Thriller

LOST ART. MURDER. A COLLECTOR WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING.

Paperback | eBook