MANTLE ROCK PUBLISHING

Today I announce the impending birth of Mantle Rock Publishing. This is something I have prayed and thought about for a week. Today, I began the process. The opening day is September 1, 2012.

This is my thinking, or did I tell you this Friday? Anyway, I'm telling you again. It is hard for a new writer/author to get an agent. It's even harder to be accepted by a publisher who will accept a writer who does not have an agent.

I've had a publisher tell me, "Oh, we only take three new writers a year, and those slots are already taken." What do you do? Wait another year? You know, deep down inside, that defeats a writer. I know it does me, even with the anti-depression pills I take.

Then, there are the agents.  My best story is one agent, who will remain nameless, was going to send me a contract. After thirty days and no contract, I called her. "Oh, I forgot. I'll get it right out." Another thirty days. Another phone call. "Oh, I'm going with a new agency. Let me call him and see if he will let me accept you." What? You had already accepted me! She calls back. "I'm sorry, he doesn't want me to take any new clients until I'm used to the way he does things." Okay, I was accepted and rejected by the same person. Would I ever go with her? No way!!! If I could put my hands around her pretty little made-up neck, I would squeeze.

Another agent wrote me. "This is not MY book." Haven't yet figured it out, but though it was sorta flippant. She is not MY agent and never will be.

Now you see my reasoning. I'm tired of being turned down and rejected. I'm tired of having my heart broken. I want to see my book in print or on Kindle. I can do both. I'm also sorry to see my friends rejected, so I can do the same for them. I can put their book on Kindle and paperback and pay them a nice percentage.

Marketing, we can talk about it. Nothing but good things are ahead.