"The Fallen," a new book published by iUniverse, should be on the shelf at the Ball State Bookstore sometime this week.
Patrick O'Brian, Muncie fireman, former Burris School teacher and 1995 Ball State graduate, wrote the book, which focuses on an arson investigator and his nephew solving a series of church fires in Tennessee.
IUniverse is a publishing venture launched in 1999, which utilizes the internet and print-on-demand technology to make it easier for writers to have books published.
Any author can be published by iUniverse for a fee between $159 and $949, depending on options.
"A lot of people think it's a vanity press," O'Brian said, "but it isn't. The charge is to cover their expenses."
For the fee, iUniverse agrees to publish the book for bookstores that request it. The book will be made available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and other Internet resellers and independent booksellers.
Casey Larson, tradebook manager at the Ball State Bookstore, expects the book to arrive anytime. It will join several other iUniverse books in the campus authors section.
"A lot of the campus authors seem to choose them for some reason," Larson said.
According to the iUniverse website (www.iuniverse.com), the goal of the company is to allow anyone to publish a book.
"All they need to do is go to [iUniverse's] website and submit a manuscript," said Annie Turn, account manager at ROM Public Relations, the company that represents iUniverse.
O'Brian learned about iUniverse from a source for his book.
"I was down in Tennessee, doing research for the book. I met a county police officer who had been published by iUniverse and traditional means," he said.
But iUniverse is not quite a "traditional means" of publishing.
"The author is in charge of marketing the book and handling publicity," Turn said.
The basic service offered by the company only includes making the book available to resellers who request it.
Higher levels of service are more selective, and require that the company accept the manuscript.
The Writer's Showcase, which costs $349, includes marketing materials. For $949, iUniverse will also assist authors with copyediting.
"This could well be a new model for the business," said Larry Riley, a journalism instructor who taught O'Brian when he was at Ball State.
O'Brian said he had an excellent experience with the company, and has already sent them corrections for his next book, called "Reaper."
"Reaper" takes place in an Indiana inn, the West Baden Springs Hotel, and should be available in a month or two. He has several more projects in the works as well.
"I'm delighted that Pat [O'Brian]'s book is now published, and penning a book of any sort by anyone is always a significant achievement," said Riley. "I hope he's got many more to come in the future."
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