MX Publishing is the largest publisher of Sherlock
Holmes' materials in the world.
Back in November, I had no idea that of all the
audiobooks released by MX Publishing during this holiday time, my first novel would reach second in sales and be part of this record-breaking
year. And that Rich Ryan's book, by the esteemed editor of mine, would be
#1.
Writers when authoring a fiction do so mostly solitary
in their writer’s cabins. I have the luxury to immerse myself in the
Victorian/Edwardian world of Sherlock Holmes during this creative time. From
dawn to midnight and usually, beyond, I live entirely in the company of my
brilliant Muse and the sixty Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Yet,
when the manuscript is delivered, there ends the solitude and begins a masterwork
of shared enterprise.
This journey begins with Steve Emecz and his staff’s superb
encouragement of promising writers. It must have taken deductive skills similar to Sherlock’s to decipher
the wheat from the chaff of my first draft, yet the feedback I received moved me closer to my
true goal of authorship.
Rich Ryan and David Marcum as MX’s tactful, talented, and truthful editors are experts at
courageously daring the new writer to engage in the process. Every word of every
review I have received from these gentlemen has opened a door to a new world for me. They are celebrated writers of Sherlock Holmes themselves and their
understanding of what that means, of the dual history involved, and the
sensitivities of the Sherlockian world is above and beyond the ken of most book
editors. The knowledge they have gained in their own journeys into this
remarkable world is priceless to the authors they lead so graciously to
completion.
Brian Bellinger’s grace and talent showed me a very
different side to the highly competitive world of advertising where I once
earned my bread and cheese on Madison Avenue. He is an expert in the artful discernment
of the well graphically designed book jacket. How to
communicate an author’s narrative in one image is a unique challenge for an artist and I find his conclusions worthy of high praise.
How many publishers take the time Steve and Sharon took
with me? Very few. How many would even answer my emails immediately? Very few. How
many have the ability to coach a newly published author through the caucus race
that is a holiday release and the intense promotion that is Black Friday and
Cyber Monday? And do so positively, directly, tirelessly, and with the full
cooperation of the marvelous author community created at MX for this purpose?
In the midst of learning as fast as I can, the daily, hourly work involved in
the cauldron of promotion swirling around me, I experienced a moment of doubt
and shared a bit of it with Steve. It seems he and I share the same view of
such things–to never let doubt get in the way of the dream. The next day he
hooked me up with another MX author, the talented Wendy Heyman-Marsaw, who wrote a most heartfelt and positive review
of my book. I was also given the joyful chance to return the favor. A fantastic
mentor, Steve sees opportunity everywhere and building the community that is MX
Publishing as paramount. Every choice made is one that also makes the lucky authors
who choose to work with MX.
One of those astute choices led to my fantastic
audiobook. The actor chosen to narrate my book, J.T. McDaniel, used his well-trained
acting skill and the slight Scottish lilt of Dr. John Watson to speak my words
in a way Holmes himself preferred. His presentation is perfect in every way. Especially
how his voice and skill highlight what I attempted to do with Holmes letters to
Watson. His reading brings Watson into a story written without him and during
Holmes' great hiatus. It’s as if we are listening to Watson’s brilliant retelling
of Holmes’ journal.
Even before I finished my manuscript MX authors generously
reached out in support of my efforts. So, I wasn’t entirely alone in my writer’s
room. The encouragement of these friends and the signs posted along the way helped
me over some of the bumps in the road to No. 221B.
The MX Community is first and foremost a giving
community with charities supported by the work and generosity of this
organization. “We are a social enterprise and
support five causes through our activities.” Stepping Stones School now
resides at ‘Undershaw’ the fully
restored home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Happy Life Children’s Home, Nairobi,
Kenya has saved the lives of over 600 abandoned babies in the last two
decades. Both supported by the sales of "The MX New Sherlock Holmes Stories." The
American Cancer Society receives proceeds from "The Art of Sherlock Holmes" books.
The World Food Programme and iHeart and all of the above are part of the transformative approach of
this community and the vision of Steve Emicz.
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was writing and publishing his magnificent Holmes and Watson stories: books, magazines, newspapers, and plays were the main entertainment of the day. It was a boom time for writers who met at clubs, restaurants, and pubs for mutual support and encouragement. Their affiliation with their publishers was clear. Doyle and the Strand Magazine grew together. In today's world, the writer and publisher relationship is a very different one. Yet at MX this wonderful affiliation between writer and publisher still exists.
This is just a bit of the abundant gratitude I feel as a new MX author. I hope this glimpse into the joyous workings of this unique and very modern publishing community has piqued your interest. I further hope the way this community works in the world will spark interest in other entrepreneurs who seek to create such human business as well as writers searching for a true social enterprise like MX.
This is just a bit of the abundant gratitude I feel as a new MX author. I hope this glimpse into the joyous workings of this unique and very modern publishing community has piqued your interest. I further hope the way this community works in the world will spark interest in other entrepreneurs who seek to create such human business as well as writers searching for a true social enterprise like MX.
xx
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