Question: Why do you self-publish your books? Why not go through a "reputable" publisher?

Romalotti: At the time, I wasn't at all against my books being put out by a major publisher. In fact, I'm still not against the idea, but at the same time, I don't pursue the idea, either. I felt that a publisher probably wouldn't effectively reach the right people in promoting Salad Days. I honestly felt that I would be able to promote the book without a lot of overhead cost, so I decided to do it myself. Took some time raising the money to afford the printing (which costs into the thousands), but it was all worth it. Plus, I knew that with a publisher, you really need to prove yourself fairly quickly, and I figured that if they couldn't find the audience within so many months, they would probably give up on it and my book would be out of print by now. So I feel I did the right thing. I have continued to put out my own books (Rash and Talon, as well as Salad Days reprints) because the system I've devised for myself works. There is no compromise with self-publishing, and I like that. The only time I actually listen to others is when I am getting the books edited. At that point, I really listen to the advice!

Romalotti: The money to start Layman Books came from me working two jobs for nearly a year, funding this endeavor with an hourly wage bussing tables, delivering pizzas, and washing dishes. No family inheritance from my middle-class family! Thanks to the success of Salad Days, Layman Books was able to keep printing and reprinting new works by me, but by no means is a living. I still have my job, working full-time in marketing research. Layman Books is not a career, it's a labor of love, and that it very truly and fully is. The perks of doing this is simply knowing that my words are being read, as they are right now by you. So thank you!

Romalotti: The drawings of the characters are by Stephen Gilpin. The drawing on the Pariah page was done by Ryk from the Netherlands. The artwork on all three book covers was done by Daniel Smith, and the rest of the design for Layman Books is done by Dylan Muir. The books, by the way, have NO PICTURES in them! These aren't graphic novels, though I wish someone would step forward and decide to make them that!

Question: Any tours planned in the near future?

Romalotti: Probably not. I did go on a four-week tour of bookstores and record stores in the summer of 2000 for Salad Days, but I learned while doing that that I really don't like the idea of standing in front of strangers talking about myself. I felt like a used car salesman, and that if someone wanted to buy the book, I would likely have no bearing one way or another by yapping about it! But that was a while ago, and things have definitely changed since then, as interest in the books has dramatically increased. So I could see doing an in-store somewhere. If someone sends me an invitation, or a suggestion, I would definitely consider going, if I felt there was enough interest.

Romalotti: At this time, I know very little because very little is happening with it. There's a script and a strong desire on the part of the project's future developer and director, but not much more. I think it would be cool if it happened, but I do know how fickle the film industry can be, so I'm not holding my breath. Personally, I'd be far more excited to see a graphic novel of this series (Rash, Talon, The Stickler) than a film, but I wouldn't be disappointed with a film, either! The script that I read was a little soft on the gruesomeness of the story, which I was kind of hoping they'd accentuate into a real disturbing mindfuck, but to my dismay, it was a little more pleasant and a little less repulsive than I would have personally taken it. Speaking of scripts, my friend Ginger (whom Rash is dedicated to) is working with me on the script of Salad Days. I'll keep you posted on how this progresses.

Romalotti: First off, what do you think Layman Books is? It is the very essence of "indie", it's a one-man operation--I write the books, I package it all, I take every copy ordered to the post office (several times a week)…yes, sales for me aren't bad, but it's not a living. Not by a long shot. I have a full-time job aside from this, and that won't be changing anytime soon. So to get to your question, the answer is: because those places pay me. The real question is, why don't the indie outlets you're referring to support the indie scene by paying the vendors? I nearly lost my ass when I first started out because I put all my stock in the indie trade, and getting them to pay me, usually late if ever, was like pulling teeth. Now where you get the idea that Amazon.com is anything other than a grassroots company that has some evil ties in the world, I'd like to hear about it because it simply is not true. Anymore, punk and underground people feel that if they can recognize the company name, they must be evil. Here is the basic information about Amazon.com (it's good to actually be able to back accusations, isn't it?). Amazon.com has a program called "Advantage" that is designed specifically for independent publishing, and they go out of their way to give the small guy a fighting chance. No other company does this like Amazon.com does. Even the small indie stores won't give my books the focus that Amazon.com does. I, like many, many others out there who publish their own works, are still in business, still putting out books and living their dreams because of Amazon.com. They are very fair. Insanely fair. Unlike the smaller operations. If I had stayed indie, Salad Days would have gone out of print after the first 500 copies (and there's been MANY printings since then because those two companies make my books available, and they pay like clockwork), and there never would have been any other books after that. If you think about it, without questioning each individual company's ethics, you come across as closed-minded as the people who believe everything they see on TV, or hear in a church.