Getting published: a long and winding road

Since writing the book Man Overboard, I thought publishers would jump at the chance of publioshing it. I have had more than 100 people test read it and give their opinion - and the response has been electric.

The testers indicate that women love it. "It is a validation
of how every woman feels but fails to communicate to her husband." 40 year
old Gold Coast businesswoman. "It spoke to my heart and represented me and
my deepest needs, desires... Just reading it freed something inside of
me." 35 year old woman from North Carolina.

The practical examples of romantinic initatives are endorsed by women: “The moments I remember in my romantic journey were moments like these.” Female marketing director, cultural institution, 38.

Men in crisis love it: Male, 25, MD, digital company, relationship in crisis
"Your book is fantastic... it made me smile, tear, feel uncomfortable,
wonder, think and most importantly learn."

Male, 40+, MD, ad agency, divorced "I've read a lot of these books. When my
marriage was on the rocks I read many of them and foound most of them a
waste of time. Anyway to you book. I like the fact that it's short. I
think too many of the books I read were just filling space because they had
too. Men from Mars is a good example. I also like the quotes you have
scattered through the book. I found myself moved by some of the anecdotes
about your own relationship. I think many American book are not as frank
about how hard this is. Relationships involve a lot of pain and insights are
in my experience hard to come by. You've been pretty frank about how hard
it is and I think that's somewhat comforting. It's a good idea - most books
in this space are too long and a bit idealistic."

Male, 35, Senior Executive, IBM, divorced:"I loved it! I think you have
captured the ‘woman’ side of the story perfectly… that is pretty much the
story I pieced together during my breakup…. There are some great pearls of
wisdom in there… you are definitely onto something, and it’s short enough
that a bloke will actually read it!"

Male 55, CEO communications consultancy: “Where was this when I was being divorced… twice!!”

Other writers love it: “It’s a cracking read (and will be of help in my own life.” Paul Ham, author,” Kakoda”

“You have some fantastic material. You offer a unique perspective that in a way rolls the debate back 50 years, yet is a radical alternative. It will be very controversial which will be good for sales and your profile.” Jill Margo, MEN’SISSUES writer, Australian Financial Review

Finally it checks out with counsellors as valid:

Female, 52, Marriage Guidance Counsellor, divorced: "Started to read your book at work today… very difficult to put it down… found it very informative, funny
at times, but very sad to think we hurt each other so unnecessarily… Robert
is keen to read it… I think women will love what you have to say… your
explanations of relationship patterns are pretty accurate from the female
perspective…"


Still publishers are having trouble coming to terms with it. One told me there was no market for the book. (Amazing.) Most just don't say anything. You can't get to them. Publishers have submission guidelines which you have to follow: send them the manuscript, double-spaced, with a one page synopsis, plus an indication of which market the book will address, and what you will do to market the book. You send tem this and they can take up to 12 months to make a decision. Meanwhile the market shifts and the opportunity is lost.

One publisher called me and said they were interested. But after a long period of consideration they felt my book would not fit the serious tone of the books they normally publish. Another part-time publisher, a friend of mine who was transformed by reading the book, agreed to publish the book, but found his other business interests got in the way.

So I have decided to publish it myself. I am going to a day-long seminar on how to do it. My friend Robyn Henderson is a specialist in the self-publishing field. She advised me to do 2 things: 1. Put a version of the book on sale on the Net. (I have already written the sales pitch for the Net sales site.) 2. Send a flyer to all the people who have read it to date and all my contacts, inviting them to put in an advance order for $25 a copy. If I can get 200 orders, that's enough to start the printing presses rolling.

Meanwhile my friend Ramin Marzbani - who asked me to write the book in the first place - is an investor and he ahs agreed to finance the book and the workshop series which I want to run to help men whose relaitonships are in crisis.

So it's all systems go. My friend Martin Kane, a terrific art director that I have worked with sincec the late 1980s, is designing the cover. And I have to do the final edit before handing it over to Linda, my friend Simon's partner, who is an editor of a women's magazine. She has offered to edit the book.

It's a real community effort. All these people believe in the book, believe it will do a lot of people a lot of good. My mission is to cut the divorce rate in two within 10 years.

I will send the manuscript to anyone who wishes to read it: email me at michael@newhorizon.au.com