Former YTW staffer, Chris Istace launches ebook

Former Yorkton This Week journalist and Ebenezer resident Chris Istace has released his first work of fiction ‘Paco’s Provision’ as an ebook.

So why publish through an electronic format? And did that decision make it harder to publish?

“It was not difficult to get published, although I had to learn a lot about ebook formatting and marketing before sending it off to Bookbaby, the publishing company I ultimately decided on,” said Istace. “I would have preferred to have had the book printed in paperback, but that is cost prohibitive. Thus, I decided to publish electronically with the intention of printing the book in the future.

“Electronic publishing is an aspect of the industry that is currently due to its accessibility for independent artists and ease of getting work onto a worldwide market. I simply sent the formatted Word document to Bookbaby, who then put the work into file formats that are sold by Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and many other online retailers.”

Istace, who was, born, grew-up in, and graduated high school in Whitewood, SK., said ebooks as a format are no longer unusual.

“Besides, ebooks have grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, reaching more than $5 billion in sales in the US as of this year. (Source: Statista.com) Forecasts suggest it will reach more than $8 billion in the next three years,” he said. “Some polls have suggested that about half of today’s book readers under the age of 30 use electronic devices. (Source: Pew Research Centre). It’s definitely a burgeoning portion of the industry and particularly good for independent authors like myself.

“I am not against signing with a traditional publishing house, however. My own investigations into that form of publication has told me my chances of getting my book out via that avenue are not good, though.”

Paco’s Provision is a book Istace said came about largely because he had time on his hands, and he is a writer by trade.

“After moving to Moosomin, I was between jobs and had the time to begin work on a fiction project,” he said. “I had just purchased a book on writing called No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty and had read most of it while waiting my turn in a doctor’s office in Regina. Through the years I regularly purchased books and magazines on writing fiction and getting published. No Plot, No Problem spurred me to finally get to work.”

As for the story itself, it was something of a writer’s epiphany.

“I was driving home from Regina after the doctor’s appointment when the idea for this book struck me,” said Istace. “When I lived in Whitewood, an older fellow lived and worked at the historic hotel there. He was an immigrant named Poncho and the business is now named after him. He was a quiet, simple, humble man that I knew little about. We would chat sometimes when I worked there through one summer at the age of 19. He has since died, but I have always considered him an interesting figure from my youth.

“The idea from the book came when I decided I would fictionalize his life; how he ended up in small-town Saskatchewan, what may have happened during his travels there, who he came with, where he originated from, why he lived that simple life in an old, historic hotel. Once I had one fully-formed character, the other characters fell into place and the story arch developed from there.”

The writing of Paco’s Provision was initially a quick process for Istace, and then it sat and sat.

“I wrote the book in a flurry of writing through the months of November and December of 2008,” he said. “After a quick edit, I printed it off and put it in a drawer with the intention of beginning a second draft six months later.

“Unfortunately, other life priorities took over and it collected dust for five years. I pulled it out again in 2012 and began a series of re-writes over the next two years. I finally passed it on to a couple of people to edit earlier this year and completed the final manuscript in September and October.

“I had hoped to have the ebook published in July or August, but flooding in Southeast Saskatchewan - which hit my family particularly hard - forced me to push back the publication date by a few months.

“All told, from conception to publication, it’s been about six years. I do not plan to leave my future projects so long.”

Istace said the hardest part of fiction for him was staying at it without the aid of deadlines a journalist always has looming.

“The hardest part of writing Paco’s Provision was keeping myself from judging my work before it was completed,” he offered. “If I had not tamed my inner-editor, I believe my work on the book would have ended partway through.

“My biggest hurdle in all my art - including the music I write and sing - is being too critical of it. I have had to build my confidence, finish the work and let others make their own decisions about how good it is for themselves. I enjoy telling stories, fictionally and musically and I have learned to write for myself first. If others enjoy it, great!

“Another aspect is staying motivated through the midpoint of a story. I tend to have a short attention span when it comes to my work. If the ideas dry up, I find it hard to get to my computer to write my daily word-count, which is generally 1,500 to 2,000 words per day if I am focused on a project. I have found that writing in itself allows me to work through the times when the muse leaves me. I can always go back and change or cut portions of the story that do not seem to work.

“However, when I look back, I sometimes find that the writing I think is subpar is actually very malleable and can be fixed or adjusted to meet the plot. Otherwise, I just mercilessly cut it.”

The end result is a book Istace said has a story he likes.

“The story is about Mike Massey and his drive to be ‘successful. After realizing his dream of owning a bar and restaurant of his own, he thinks the rest of the path to success will easily move on its own accord,” he said. “Paco is an older gentleman who lives in the historic hotel Mike has bought. Paco becomes an unintentional mentor for Mike, who needs to learn that there is more to life than money and success. Their relationship is the essence of the story I wanted to tell; how a simple man’s example could lead others to realize that life is more than the material trappings they surround themselves with.

“I feel the most interesting aspect of the story involves the Laszlofi family’s challenging trip from First World War Hungary to Canada. I particularly enjoyed writing the scenes involving their arrival to Woodbine, Sask. and the tragedy that befalls them soon after. I think my love of this part of the story comes from a deep interest in the history of Western Canada. I had just read Klondike by Pierre Berton and was blown away by it. I even tied in the Yukon gold rush in a chapter outlining the history of the Stoddart Hotel (later known as The Boony which Mike purchased).”

While self-admittedly hard on his own work, Istace said he feels satisfied in having Paco’s Provision out for the public to purchase and enjoy.

“I am satisfied with the book as it is today,” he said. “After creating it and re-writing it up to three times, I found myself growing terribly bored and needed to move on to another project. It’s my first book, so I was not seeking perfection. I just wanted to get it as good as I could so people could understand what I was trying to say. I wrote it to entertain myself, first. If I can find even a small audience that enjoys the story, I am happy.”

As for the future Istace said he has more books to come.

“On future projects, I hope to be more patient with the re-writing process and include some deeper themes,” he said.

“I am currently working on a book of short stories called ‘Blizzard.’ The theme running through the book incorporates Canadian Prairie culture as it pertains to recreation. The stories vary from adventure to action to suspense to humour, but each is set in rural Saskatchewan. The characters participate in various outdoor activities, such as fishing, hunting, hiking, snowmobiling and other pastimes we participate in here. I currently have 50,000 words written over six stories, but the final manuscript will have about 75,000 words.

“I also have written my memoirs surrounding my survival of three serious health situations. They include my diagnosis and near death experience with Crohn’s Disease in 1997, brain tumour diagnoses in 2002 and 2013, and being trapped in the collapsed basement of my father’s home during the flooding of 2014. That book is nearly completed, but I have pushed it aside to publish Paco’s Provision and move forward on Blizzard.

“I have another 60,000 novel in a drawer in my basement office, but I am totally unhappy with how it turned out. I have no plans at this time to make it public.”

Paco’s Provision is available at my.bookbaby.com/book/pacos-provision or via Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and very soon on Amazon Kindle.