Dr. Georg Weidinger is not only a successful physician with his own practice for Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vienna, Austria, but also a bestseller author and of course a self-publisher with his own publishing house. We asked Georg Weidinger about his experiences as an author:
When and Why Did You Start Writing?
I write medical guides to make my knowledge and experience as a doctor tangible and available to all. My first book, “Die Heilung der Mitte”, was published in 2010.
What Does Your Writing Process Look Like?
I usually need two months to write a book. That’s how long I can hold the thread, then I slowly forget what I’ve already written. In this time I start writing at 3am in the morning, work normally during the day and continue writing in the afternoon. The weekend belongs completely to the writing. The two months we subordinate everything in the family to writing.
Is There a Favorite Among Your Own Books?
I find my first book “The Healing of the Middle” very beautiful, but the last one, “The Golden Way of the Middle”, is probably the completion…!
What Advantages Do You See in Self-Publishing?
I can decide about my books myself, especially when it comes to translations. Just the fact that I can decide what the cover will look like, what it will be called, when and how it will be published is worth becoming a self-publisher! And I can also earn more money.
Do You Do Everything Yourself or Do You Also Use External Services?
I get Feiyr to help me with the cover and I have an editor who proofreads everything. The rest, like graphics, drawings, typesetting and of course writing, I do everything myself.
What Experience Have You Had with Self-Publishing so Far?
For me only positive experiences. But I have the advantage that I already had a name in the professional scene when I started as a self-publisher. If you are completely unknown, you have to do everything yourself, a lot of PR, a lot of readings, a lot of socializing. It’s all up to you. No one else does anything for you! You have to want that.
Do You Have Tips for Other Self-Publishing Authors That You Would like to Share?
The advantages outweigh if you’re willing to invest a lot of time and money in the work that a (good) publisher usually does: typesetting, editing, PR and advertising, readings. The most important tip: believe in yourself and what you do! Who else but yourself will invest in you, in terms of time and money? So invest in your future! Then you can harvest the fruits yourself (and don’t have to watch the publisher harvest and eat them …!) and enjoy them yourself!
Which Advertising Medium or Social Media Channel Do You Use Most and Do You Find Most Helpful?
I write a weekly column on Facebook. I also inform my followers about my readings and concerts. That works great!
