HUGE NEWS #2: Merlin’s Blade Publisher Revealed!
Today I announce who is publishing MERLIN’S BLADE, MERLIN’S SHADOW, and MERLIN’S NIGHTMARE.
None other than … ZONDERVAN!
Yes, that’s true, and amazingly so. Back when I first began writing, it was my hope that if only I could sign with a literary agent, that one of the big publishers would be interested in my novels.
Back in 2007 I wrote the following on my blog:
Bottom line…I am hoping that out there somewhere in the universe of publishing that an agent and a publisher exist that will look seriously at my work and not dismiss it simply because of its topic.
But I need to be up to the challenge in order for that to happen. I really need to learn the craft of writing. If I don’t present a book that is well written, then I expect it to be rejected.
I really am hopeful that this topic can sell. One author, now forgotten by me, put it this way:
“There are more fans of King Arthur in California alone than in all of Great Britain.”
How can this be? Because his popularity is everywhere.
My thesis (that my books live or die by):
If I write well and have a unique, exciting story and voice, it will sell.
But, after having trouble finding an agent during 2009 and the first half of 2010, I gave up, and began to look toward the smaller publishers where I didn’t need an agent.
Yet here I am, with an excellent agent, Les Stobbe (who I signed with in July) … and with Zondervan really excited to publish all three novels of THE MERLIN SPIRAL!
And here’s Zondervan’s perliminary cover:
And on top of this, Zondervan is a division of HarperCollins, which means the books will also be released in the UK… exactly what I had hoped for.
So all of you Arthurian fans out there … hold onto your helmets and pick up your shields! Things will be heating up around here leading up to the release of MERLIN’S BLADE.
And come back tomorrow to find out the timing of the publishing schedule!
| Day One: | Announcement of the publishing contract |
|---|---|
| Day Two: | The revelation of the name of the publisher |
| Day Three: | Disclosure of the publishing schedule |
| Day Four: | Announcement of my promotion plans |
Wow! Congratulations! That is so exciting, especially that Zondervan will be publishing your work! I look forward to following along with your publishing journey and reading the final product.
(I’m hoping HarperCollins will be interested in my book as well… once it is ready.)
That is so cool! Getting picked up by a big publishing house is awesome. Can’t wait to read it.
Big congrats Robert!! Super news!!!
This is wonderful. You hit the target you aimed for, and I’m so pleased for you. I hope it’s a big success, but it’s an enormous achievement to get where you are. Way to go, Rob!
Thanks, everyone!
I agree, Sam, that it doesn’t matter, really, whether it is a success or not. I’m going to do my best to make it a success so that Zondervan doesn’t lose any money on the project, but the results are really in God’s hands, and it’s his book to with as he wills.
I’ve always maintained and believed that even if nothing else happens but that I pass it on to my kids and their kids, then I’ve served God well and shared a piece of his truth, expressed through my heart. The fact that others might read it is almost beyond my comprehension.
-Robert