The Story behind the Book: Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra (Easterling)



Today's back story is about the book, Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra by J Bennett Easterling.

From the publisher

Years ago, I received a book proposal through the mail (yeah, pre-email). It was a memoir by a first-time author without much of a name recognition and a modest platform. It did not fit into what we typically published at that time, so I sent a letter informing him of that. 

Somewhere, he initiated a phone call to learn more -- he wanted to know how decisions are made, where he could look, how he should search for a publisher, and the like. He was eager to learn -- and very personable. I wished we did publish in this genre, but we did not.

Apparently, Bennett formed some sort of instant trust in me. Six months later, he excitedly sent me a contract for a self-publish contract. It was not a good contract, but he did not realize that. This time, I called him. I pointed out the bad provisions in the contract. Not only had he not realized how much the contract skewed toward the publisher and skewered him. 

The long and short of it is that having put in so much time on this book, quite without planning to do so, we decided to go ahead, open a new line, and traditionally publish Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra. Therein lies one successful approach to successful acceptance of a book for publication: develop a relationship with a publisher.

As for MSI Press venturing one step in a new direction, that book sold 422 copies the first day it was released! For a small press, that is a very good number. 

And somewhat later, the book won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.

Bennett went on to write two more award-winning books.


Book Award
Pinnacle Book Achievement Award 


Book available at 25% discount with code FF25 at msipress.com/shop.

Read excerpts and other blog posts about Bennet and his books HERE.


Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter

Follow MSI Press on Twitter, Face Book, and Instagram. 

Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?
Check out information on how to submit a proposal.

Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book
 in exchange for reviewing a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book?
Contact editor@msipress.com.

Want an author-signed copy of this book?
Purchase the book at 25% discount (use coupon code FF25)
and concurrently send a written request to orders@msipress.com. 

   

MSI Press is ranked among the top publishers in California.
Check out our rankings -- and more -- HERE.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

In Memoriam: Carl Don Leaver

Image
  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over t...
Read more

A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Book Marketing vs Book Promotion

Image
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's post looks at the difference between book marketing and book promotion, two terms that are frequently confused. Leading to the confusion is that some of the same activities are needed for both. In fact, good marketing is dependent upon good promotion. Perhaps the essential difference is that marketing focuses on sales, and promotion focuses on awareness --  noting that without awareness, sales generally do not happen. Book Marketing Book marketing includes promotion, sales, and increasing awareness of the availability of the book. It generally starts with a marketing plan that identifies the target audiences and selects marketing ...
Read more