Getting Published (Manuscripts): Part 5 of 5

Previous entries in this thread include, in order:

Sorting Through Book Manuscripts. Part 1

Sorting Through (Unsolicited) Book Manuscripts. (Part 2 of 5)

Sorting Through (Unsolicited) Book Manuscripts (Part 2a of 5)

Speaking of (Potential) Authors (Part 2b of 5)

Getting Published (Manuscripts): Part 3 of 5

Refer back to the first post (above) and you will see I described the fourth way we obtain manuscripts as NETWORKED. To me, that means one of our authors (or a CFSB--Close Friend of Savas Beatie) recommends another's work, and either we follow up or we ask the author to follow up on our behalf.

(This is the second cousin of Developed," discussed in Part 3 of 5.)

As I am wont to do, let me follow up with a pair of recent examples.

Author Eric Wittenberg (Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg) and One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863, both Savas Beatie titles) recommended an outstanding battle history by Scott Patchan on Third Winchester (September 1864). Knowing Eric's eye for good material, and having had a long and friendly association with Scott Patchan stretching back to the mid-1990s, I agreed to take a look. The result is an executed contract, a manuscript that is essentially finished (and from what I have seen truly outstanding, as is all of Scott's work--and a tentative publication date of Spring 2010. Scott is widely recognized as one of the real experts on the 1864 war in the Shenandoah Valley, and we are very excited about bringing out his new work. Stay tuned for details.

Gary Moore, author of Playing with the Enemy, recommended a fascinating book that we are now ready to put into galley and release at the Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, international air show. The book, penned by Joseph Balzer, is called Flying Drunk: The True Story of a Northwest Airlines Flight, Three Drunk Pilots, and One Man's Search for Redemption (July 2009) [Website nearly finished]. Here is a New York Times article, Newsweek, Fortune Magazine, and the appellate transcript. Yes, THAT flight.

Mr. Balzer was the Flight Engineer when he was found, with two other pilots, to have flown drunk. Convicted, he was sent to Federal prison, where he endured a hell that is difficult to describe (although he does a marvelous job in his memoir). Broke, but not quite completely broken, Joe fought his way back to the top. He beat alcoholism (although he will be the first to tell you he is still an alcoholic) and is today one of American Airlines' senior pilots. Joe lectures around the country on the subject. We are more than pleased he selected us to publish his outstanding memoir.

How does this help you, the author? Think about it. The subject of the post is "Networked."

N-E-T-W-O-R-K-E-D.

Do you have a friend who is a published author with a good working relationship with an acquisitions editor? Assuming the house is a good fit, has he recommended your book? Have you asked? Do you know people who have close relationships with publishers that might be interested in publishing your book? Have you asked? Have you even thought about it? Do you KNOW people who might/would know people who . . .

Network. Powerful word, powerful tool. Power.

Publish.

Be well.

--tps