Wanted: A New Publisher

It’s official. “Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off” is no longer being published by Writing On Stone Press. I am now seeking a new publisher.

In the summer of 2008, Writing On Stone Press changed ownership. The original owner, the one who signed me on as an author, shared my vision of publishing a collection of autobiographical, historically accurate tales detailing the life of an obscure boy growing up on a lighthouse on the west coast of Canada from 1960 until 1982. The obscure boy was me and the lighthouse life I lead was isolated. Because of my unusual growing-up environment, I found unexpected adventure, meaning and growth. Now, twenty-eight years since I set foot on Pointer Island Lightstation, I want to share snapshots of my amazing life with others. I want to impart some of my grand lighthouse adventures to you, the interested reader.

From the time the new owner of Writing On Stone Press took over in 2008, she never seemed to be able to catch the vision of my book – it being drastically different from the type of books being generally published by the press. I pushed hard for commitments. I pushed hard to get “Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off” published prior to the 2010 Olympics (to be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada), but in the end, I failed to achieve my goals. While those who have reviewed my manuscript tell me that it is wonderfully descriptive, and rich with feeling, this new owner of the press insisted that my manuscript was too long, too detailed and too unique. (I guess that means she won’t buy a copy when it is finally published.)

All was not lost however. My relationship with Writing On Stone Press did benefit my writing skills. It did expose me to the scrutiny of editors. It did motivate me to be a better writer. I tried harder to see my book through the eyes of my potential readers. The frustrations motivated me to define the purpose of my book. I found myself rallying around the real reason I began to write in the first place – because I wanted to give to society in a positive way. I now feel very strongly that good stories should not be kept to one’s self. Good stories are meant to be shared. Powerful forces shaped my obscure life on Pointer Island and my book is an attempt to give others an unobscured vision of my struggles, my failures and my triumphs. I have no doubt that I will find a great publisher out there who shares my vision, for “Three Seconds On, Three Seconds Off”, but until then, I think I’ll just keep on writing.