Breaking News……Prof. Ronald Probstein Wins 2013 Pendray Aerospace Literature Award
iUniverse: What advice do you have for other authors who are interested in promoting their books?
“Probstein: I believe I got the best dollar value out of Smith Publicity and for selling books directly I believe giving talks in bookstores can be helpful.”
iUniverse: What is the one message you would like to convey to your readers?
“Probstein: We all, in some way, seek to explore the places and circumstances from which we came, and while my own life as a scientist and academic is about as far removed from the streetwise hustling of my father’s life, he is undeniably a part of me and to understand his story enriches my life, and I hope engages and enlightens the reader.”
iUniverse: What’s next? Do you have any plans of writing another book? If yes, what would it be about?
“Probstein: I have considered the writing of three other books but because of my limited “success” with “Honest Sid”, which has gotten nothing but rave reviews I have not been able to convince myself that the effort would be worthwhile. The first of the three books I had given thought to is the life story of my very close friend during our teens. It is an adventure from his service in the Navy in the Pacific during WWII, to his marriage to an opera singer, to his management of his wife’s career as she sang throughout Europe, all carried out with four young children of brilliant characteristics and personalities, to his transition to becoming a painter although trained as I was as an engineer, and then to a shocking ending that I shall reserve for the book.”
“Probstein: An article on self-publishing on the front page of the NY Times.”
iUniverse: What was the deciding factor that made you choose to publish with iUniverse?
“Probstein: After being accepted by a very well-known NY agent she marketed the book to a few of the major mainstream publishers. The book was rejected. I could have continued on although my agent thought it would be difficult. I decided it wasn’t worth the effort and chose to self-publish. Having read the article in the NY Times cited above I chose iUniverse based on what was written in the article.”
iUniverse rising star awardiUniverse: What was your favorite part of the iUniverse publishing experience?
“Probstein: The actual publication process was done very well and very efficiently. Better in fact than some of the industry’s largest publishers who produced my professional books.”
Would you recommend iUniverse to others?
“Probstein: I would recommend iUniverse if the author wanted to self-publish.”
iUniverse: What do you think is the most important thing to consider in choosing a self-publishing company.
“Probstein: The ability to market the product at a reasonable cost and in instances where the book is clearly outstanding some contribution to this cost by the self-publishing company, provided the author agrees to stay with the company.”
iUniverse: What should an aspiring author prepare for when planning to pursue self-publishing?
“Probstein: The author must be prepared to continuously present his work at book clubs, bookstores, civic organizations, etc. These efforts must be country-wide and must be on an ongoing basis.”
Insights
iUniverse publishing would like to thank Prof. Probstein for allowing us a glimpse into his earliest childhood years and for sharing the highly fascinating story of his father. We’re sure that “Honest Sid” will intrigue those with an interest in the depression era, New York, or family relationships in general, but will also be a valuable resource for historians in the future. His book is well written and has received rave reviews so don’t forget to check it out in the iUniverse bookstore.
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