2,768 Books Sold

January 1, 2025: 2,768 copies of Henry’s books on Hare Krishna history have been sold (or given away) since January 2018, when Killing For Krishna was first published. The 15 titles include:

Henry explained:

I am so grateful to all those people who have purchased my Hare Krishna history books. I feel as if I am indebted to you. Thank you also for sharing these books with others. Most people find out about my books by word of mouth.

Suresh Persaud (Chand Prasad), who wrote the Forewords to GGG3 and GGG9, commented on the success (and possible danger) Henry has had selling his Hare Krishna history books:

It’s interesting that Henry Doktorski sold as many books as he has, particularly since he does not have the backing and marketing expertise of literary agents and a publishing house.

Literary agents receive a percentage of the advance the author gets from the publishing house, as well as commission from book sales. Obviously, traditional publishing houses also make money from book sales. Both agents and publishers have a vested interest in skewing the manuscript to enhance revenues. The author may scarcely recognize his manuscript after all of the intermediaries are done massaging it.

Henry Doktorski’s books are not written to provoke shock. Lack of sensationalism limits readership. Doktorski considers different and conflicting perspectives on a given issue, effectively challenging the readers to weigh competing arguments and form their own conclusions. The readers have to do quite a bit of the work. The truth of the matter is that most people just don’t want to exert that type of effort, meaning that it’s not realistic to expect a massive audience, unless you’re willing to dumb down the books.

Perhaps one way to increase readership without introducing sensationalism and partisanship is to conceptualize the GGG series as case studies of a broader set of issues. The Foreword to GGG7 is useful, in part because Eric Johanson Prabhu transitions from the general to the specific. His opening clause grabs the reader’s attention: “The search for truth can take spiritual seekers to unexpected places.” The Forewords for GGG3 and GGG9 also begin with relatively general statements about the human condition, before proceeding to specific components of these volumes. Why should non-Hare Krishnas care about the GGG series? The Forewords argue for the broader relevance of Doktorski’s work, thereby addressing the “so what” question.

Years ago, I managed a large forecasting system for an energy company in Texas. My boss told me that my results must be unbiased. My boss also told me that if you are unbiased, then you maximize the number of people that will shit all over you. On the other hand, if you are partisan, then at least one group will support you. Although Doktorski’s books tend to focus on New Vrindaban, his good faith attempts to be nonpartisan have the potential to to “offend” just about everyone’s guru in ISKCON. Doktorski’s literary output has reached formidable proportions. My forecast is that ISKCON leaders will increasingly shit on Henry. It’s a badge of honor.

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