What is Genji Press, exactly?

Genji Press is the personal publishing imprint for Serdar Yegulalp, an ægis that I use for books of my own creation. Since I'm discovering that most of what I want to write and publish centers around Japan or Asia / the Far East in general, I chose a name and an image (the Genji clan crest) that seemed fitting.

Everything that is published through Genji Press is my own creation -- not just the writing, but also the artwork, typesetting, layout, the whole package.

Go here for a quick rundown of what I have in print right now.

Why did you start doing this?

I started Genji Press for a few reasons:

1. I wanted an outlet for my work where I had complete creative control, so I could publish what I liked without having to deal with the whims of the market or worrying about what would be popular or not.
2. I wanted to reach the audience of my choice directly, again without worrying about marketability.
3. I wanted to demonstrate that self-published work could be of high editorial, artistic and literary quality.
4. I wanted to have fun doing all of the above.

With the advent of print-on-demand publishing, it's become not only possible but easy for me to make all this happen at minimal cost to myself. I can sell individual copies and still make a profit, although I do make a bit more if I manage to sell in volume.

Will your books be available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.?

Yes. My strategy is to issue a standalone, direct-print edition first, leave that in print for about a year, and then replace it with a barcoded version that is available through major online retailers. I do this because barcodes are expensive -- $100 or so for each book -- and I want to make sure the content and design are both "locked" before committing myself. I will post notice of when the barcoded versions are available.

What happened to TheGline.com?

That was my old domain name. Over time I decided to phase it out, as the name really didn't tell people what I was all about (among other things). TheGline.com will continue to transparently redirect here for the time being.

Can I get in touch with you directly?

Aside from leaving comments here, you can write to me at:

Serdar Yegulalp, c/o Genji Press
Box 854
Huntington, NY 11743 USA

[If you have other questions, don't hesitate to post them here so I can add them to the FAQ.]