Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

As far as books go, in a book store Alex Morgan's The Truth About Myra and Imani Tafari-Ama's Blood, Bullets and Bodies: Sexual Politics Below Jamaica's Poverty Line would be about as far apart as books go.

The Truth About Myra is a 197-page fictional tale of love; not the sappy man-with-perfect-teeth-and-abdominals-meets-girl-with-flowing-hair-and-glowing-skin-who-is-so-unaware-of-her-looks-and-didn't-know-the-guy-is-loaded fantasy, but that practical emotion where forgiveness, deceit and jealousy hound each other in a cycle that would make even a tail-chasing dog dizzy.

Blood, Bullets and Bodies is the simplified version of a scholarly examination of the dynamics of Southside in downtown Kingston, which rocks to the beat of depleting magazines with titles like Smith & Wesson and Heckler & Koch, as well as whirling compact discs, and where skin bleaching is the lighter side of life.

However, they both contain truth, they both contain bodies of the bleeding and bedding kinds, and both Morgan and Tafari-Ama, although being able to get their books printed and distributed by established publishers, chose to publish their books themselves in 2006.

For Morgan, who has had Sugar Cane and Coaching Christine previously published by LMH Publishing, it was a matter of timing. "When you put out your own work you determine when it comes out," he said, pointing out that while The Truth About Myra had won a Silver Medal last year from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), "by the time LMH put it out it would be stale." Morgan estimated that LMH would take two to three years to publish the book.

a matter of pace

"The publisher publishes with the bottom line in mind. I write like a novel a year," he said. "It is a matter of pace."

Morgan pointed out that extremely popular American erotica writer Zane, had self-published (her first three books), this despite offers from publishers who wanted her to adjust her style. Simon & Schuster eventually published Zane without her having to compromise her work.

Morgan said that the bookstores have been very receptive to his self-published novel, on the Paradigm Shift Publishers imprint, but notes that "another writer might not find it this way. It is not like I am a first-timer. The book also got an award."

Blood, Bullets and Bodies was launched in Jamaica at the Institute of Jamaica, East Street, in October last year, after being published in April. Tafari-Ama said it is largely based on her thesis for a Ph.D. in Developmental Studies, done at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands.

Although the book was slated to be published by the University Press, Tafari-Ama said "I did a bit of a maverick thing."

"You have more control, even though you have to take some risk for the marketing. And you have to put up all of the money. The converse of this is that you get back more of the money," she said.

file

Dr. Imani Tafari-Ama (left) signs a copy of her book 'Blood, Bullets And Bodies', which was launched at the Institute of Jamaica, East Street, Kingston, in October last year.

Writers

Mel Cooke

Freelance Writer

As far as books go, in a book store Alex Morgan's The Truth About Myra and Imani Tafari-Ama's Blood Bullets and Bodies: Sexual Politics Below Jamaica's Poverty Line would be about as far apart as books go.

The Truth About Myra is a 197-page fictional tale of love; not the sappy man-with-perfect-teeth-and-abdominals-meets-girl-with-flowing-hair-and-glowing-skin-who-is-so-unaware-of-her-looks-and-didn't-know-the-guy-is-loaded fantasy, but that practical emotion where forgiveness, deceit and jealousy hound each other in a cycle that would make even a tail-chasing dog dizzy.

Blood Bullets and Bodies is the simplified version of a scholarly examination of the dynamics of Southside in downtown Kingston, which rocks to the beat of depleting magazines with titles like Smith & Wesson and Heckler & Koch, as well as whirling compact discs, and where skin bleaching is the lighter side of life.

However, they both contain truth, they both contain bodies of the bleeding and bedding kinds, and both Morgan and Tafari-Ama, although being able to get their books printed and distributed by established publishers, chose to publish their books themselves in 2006.

For Morgan, who has had Sugar Cane and Coaching Christine previously published by LMH Publishing, it was a matter of timing. "When you put out your own work you determine when it comes out," he said, pointing out that while The Truth About Myra had won a Silver Medal last year from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), "by the time LMH put it out it would be stale." Morgan estimated that LMH would take two to three years to publish the book.

a matter of pace

"The publisher publishes with the bottom line in mind. I write like a novel a year," he said. "It is a matter of pace."

Morgan pointed out that extremely popular American erotica writer Zane, had self-published (her first three books), this despite offers from publishers who wanted her to adjust her style. Simon & Schuster eventually published Zane without her having to compromise her work.

Morgan said that the bookstores have been very receptive to his self-published novel, on the Paradigm Shift Publishers imprint, but notes that "another writer might not find it this way. It is not like I am a first-timer. The book also got an award."

Blood Bullets and Bodies was launched in Jamaica at the Institute of Jamaica, East Street, in October last year, after being published in April. Tafari-Ama said it is largely based on her thesis for a Ph.D. in Developmental Studies, done at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands.

Although the book was slated to be published by the University Press Tafari-Ama said "I did a bit of a maverick thing."

"You have more control, even though you have to take some risk for the marketing. And you have to put up all of the money. The converse of this is that you get back more of the money," she said.

Tafari-Ama says that in the 480-page book, which contains a few black and white photographs, "The topics I touch are very relevant to Jamaica right now and it has sparked some interest.". These topics include violence (one chapter is entitled 'Dying For a Piece of the Pie') and bleaching (addressed in the chapter 'The Socially Inscribed Body'.).

stores receptive

The book stores were very receptive, Tafari-Ama saying that Novelty Trading was the first to distribute it islandwide, Kingston Bookshop and Sangster's Book Stores also carrying the book. Of the 1,000 copies printed, she has just over 100 left.

Tafari-Ama said that Blood Bullets and Bodies is going to be republished by Shaker, the company which publishes the theses of the university where she did her doctorate. Her self-publishing plan was long in the making for a study that begun in February 1997, and which she formally defended in November 2002.

Morgan's plans to self-publish The Truth About Myra were also long in the making, as all had been ready from September, the author waiting only to find out if he could place a prized citation on the cover, which he has done.

Tafari-Ama's goal was "I did not want a heavily academic book, so I did a lot of editing. And it is going to be re-edited again, to be even less academic," she said. "I would advise students who want to publish their work to write simply in the first place."

Editing is key to the publishing process and both Tafari-Ama and Morgan credit those who took on that task for their books. Tafari-Ama says I. Jabulani Tafari did "a very brilliant job", with Maxine McDonough as the second editor. Annika Lewinson did the job for The Truth About Myra.

"A lot of people who self-publish do not go through the same rigours as a publisher," Morgan said, although noting that "quality is relative. Not every traditional publisher publishes quality."

"Like any business, you have to put out quality that can stand the test of time," he said.