Month: July 2023

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Guaranteed Getting Published Part 2

Guaranteed Getting Published Part 1 talked about events leading up to the founding of T&R Independent Books. This took place in 2014.

I had been using KDP to publish my books for a while, but now a new idea formed in my mind. Why not form a business where I could both publish and market my books.

Eagerly, I took Teresa to a McDonald’s for a meal and what would become our first business meeting. It was there in early August 2014 that I presented to her the idea of us forming a business with her as President. I suggested that because she had a master’s degree in business administration, and because she was a woman (woman get special tax breaks plus special treatment by businesses). A third reason was I wanted her involvement.

She not only embraced the idea but confessed that she had long wanted to be an author. That excited me. Both of us could be authors having our books published by our new business.

Combining the T for Teresa, and the R for Ronald, we came up with T&R Independent Books. We left McDonalds excited by our decision.

Less than three weeks later I suffered a Cabbage 5 Heart attack!

Getting Published Was Empowered by God

Throughout our marriage God has blessed and provided for Teresa and me. It was demonstrated when I had a heart attack. It took place on a Friday morning, I had emergency surgery, and was wheeled out of the hospital on Tuesday. Within weeks I was up, attending church, and working the business.

He also saw us through two cancers for Teresa. The first was the most dangerous and required massive doses of radiation and chemotherapy. But once again He saw us through.

We both prayed for God’s leading and blessing upon the business during this time. I used the time to purchase the rights to previous books I had written, most of which we republished under the T&R label. But the dream to help other writers wouldn’t go away.

Over the years I helped one lady write and publish her book. She wasn’t interested in selling it, but wanted to give copies to relatives. It was an enjoyable book, in fact, it was at some points absolutely funny. Working with her solidified my desire to help others write and publish their own book.

I also helped a retired teacher put together a small booklet that he wanted to use to promote a teaching concept he had developed. Later, in 2022, he had me rework the book with added material. Again the experience was pleasing.

But it was also in 2022 that I heard about an interesting concept: write a course. The idea excited me and I quickly outlined a course that I could write and teach. The idea became a project and in time a reality, which I called Basic Authors Training.

My dream of helping others become published authors was coming true. But first there were a few more hurdles.

Guaranteed Getting Published? Are You Crazy?

When that concept first occurred to me in early 2023, that thought or something like it went through my mind. Teresa, or Tess to her readers, passed away in February, leaving me with my thoughts, hopes, and prayers.

It wasn’t just an obstacle; I had lost the love of my life! But I felt God urging me to push forward with the course. I found a coach who specializes in teaching people how to write and market courses.

The idea was beyond anything we had ever discussed. But when I took it to the Lord in prayer, He began opening doors right and left. It was like He was saying to me, It’s about time!

Knowing that God wanted me to pursue this avenue, I stepped out in faith.

Since I was already working on the course, I started with a basic understanding of course writing. I signed up and began taking the course on Capitalize Your Best by Gordon Dunkin. It was one of the smartest decisions I ever made.

He looked over the course and began teaching, guiding, and coaching me. My concept of teaching men and women how to write, coaching them along the way, and guaranteeing them an opportunity to be published was growing.

More importantly, God was opening doors, using other people to encourage me, and now that concept has matured into reality!

How Does Guaranteed Getting Published Work?

It is really a simple concept. The client/student buys the course by either paying full price up front, or making six payments by subscribing. That pays for the writing course which involves:

  • Live one-on-one Coaching
  • Teaching
  • Assisting every step of the way
  • Preparing for publication

At the conclusion of the course, if the student completed all the assignments and had the manuscript finished or close to being finished, and met Christian standards, that student would receive an invitation to choose to have his/her book published by T&R Independent Books.

If the student agreed, then work would begin on publishing. And there would be no charge to the student.

Huh? How is that possible?’

Easy, the cost of the printing, including the small fee for publishing, would be included in the base cost of the book. In effect, the potential reader pays for the publishing!

In addition, there is a marketing component to the publishing package. The book will be sold in the T&R Independent Bookstore where it will at times be featured. In addition, it will appear in my blog along with an interview, and in posts. Plus, whatever other marketing I do. In short, it will be marketed the same way my books are marketed.

The Opportunity is Now

Simply click on the link below and it will take you to a special page where you will learn more and have the opportunity to get started in your writing and publishing career.

Go to The Truth About Best Sellers

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

Basic Authors Training is a Basic Writing Course that explains and guides you into becoming an author. Powered by video along with PDFs and Coaching you learn the basics of writing, publishing, and marketing. Plus, we will offer you a publishing package at no out of pocket cost to you if you complete the course and meet the criteria. What can be better? Guaranteed publishing by simply finishing your lessons and meeting simple criteria?

To discover how you can be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond.

Did God call you to write? If so, then you can contact me at info@trbookservices.com or use the contact form on the website.

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

Don’t forget to comment below. We are always interested in your opinions. And to make sure you get our blogs, simply check the box that says, Notify me of new posts via email.

Company information:

T&R Independent Bookstore is a division of T&R Independent Books founded in 2014 by R. Frederick and Tess Riddle. TR Ministry, aka Christian Fund, is both a charge and an exciting outreach to the Christian Community.

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Guaranteed Getting Published

Guaranteed Getting Published is today’s subject. At Basic Authors Training we consider helping people to get published is so important that we did the unthinkable. We guarantee that students who graduate from the course will be published by us!

That is amazing!

Why Have We Guaranteed Getting Published?

A big part of this is my own history. I have talked in the past about the school of hard knocks. Plus, I have post as recent as this week about my own experience trying to get published.

First, I had to choose between Traditional, Self, and Indie publishing. That story has appeared on both LinkedIn and Facebook, but not as deep as here.

But the fact is that when I finished my book, I had to find a publisher. My first choice was Traditional. I was like a babe in the woods. I was naïve and didn’t know much about the publishing industry. But I was soon learning.

It Required Book Agents for Traditional Publishing

In my posts I told how I was rejected. In addition, I discovered the time-consuming process of finding an agent and getting published was smothering me. As I recall I began wondering if there was another way. And there was.

I began scouring the internet looking for the right agent. After months of searching, I found an agent who not only handled the historical fiction genre, but she also had a good reputation. Eagerly, I submitted my manuscript to her.

A few weeks later I received a letter from her. I eagerly opened it only to discover it was a rejection letter. She thanked me for considering her, told me the book didn’t fit her, and wished me well.

I was devastated and confused. According to my research, she represented authors who wrote historical fiction. Then the realization slowly came. It wasn’t Historical Fiction she was refusing to represent, it was Biblical Historical Fiction!

I was completely undone, defeated.

But then I heard about something called Self-Publishing. That sounded good. I would be able to publish the book myself.

Self-Published Promised an easy way for Getting Published

Back in the early 2000s $400 was expensive and hard to come by. I didn’t have much money, but I managed to find it and sign on with a Self-Publishing House. And I was on my way.

Well, not exactly.

You see, Self-Publishing doesn’t really mean that you publish the book. It can be characterized as you pay to have someone else publish the book. That’s not so bad. We pay others to do work for us all the time.

But I quickly learned that while my money was welcome, they were the ones in charge. They chose the fonts, they chose the book size (they may have let me select), they wanted to do the editing, and they gave me little choice on the royalties.

But I didn’t care. I was going to be a published author.

Getting Published Involved Very Little Marketing

When the book was done and published, I was ecstatic! I showed it to friends and family. I was proud as a peacock! Until I learned the dirty little secret.

I wasn’t going to get much help marketing the book. Oh, they sent me a book on how to market, plus they offered several tools that I could purchase. I could have my book advertised in the New York Times! For a price that I couldn’t afford.

The world of reality overcame me.

I still managed to sell books by visiting bookstores and other shops. I had several book signings at a local bookstore. I think I sold around 100 books altogether. But it was hard work, and the royalties were small.

Indie Publishing Appeared!

I switched from the self-publishing house to another publisher who was more of a hybrid, which means it had aspects of self-publishing and traditional publishing merged together. But this didn’t improve the situation. They paid an advance just like Traditional Publishers, except it was only $1. They also paid royalties on the same scale as Traditional, which I thought was unfair. But they published a nice book, retained control of the process, and collected their profits.

 It was then that I began learning about something called Indie Publishing. I didn’t know what it was, but my research on the internet cleared it up. Indie Publishing is the author publishing his/her own book. Plus, a new service called CreateSpace existed for just such an author as me.

So, I switched to CreateSpace, which eventually became Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). It was a decision that would change my career and my life! Not only that, but it sparked within me a desire to help others without all the hassle. Plus, it would lead to Teresa, my wife, and I founding our own business and calling it T&R Independent Books.

It was at that time that Teresa confessed her desire to be an author, which excited me. It would take 5 years of battling a heart attack (me), cancer twice (Teresa), and other hardships before her first book was published by T&R Independent Books. Writing under the name of Tess Riddle, she would go on to rewrite and republish that first novel, plus write three Ladies Devotionals before her untimely death. She had done the impossible!

But that is not the end of the story. Before and since her death I developed a book writing course designed to help others become authors. It was a simple idea that would soon explode into something fantastic!

More on this subject in Guaranteed Getting Published part 2.

To learn more about how Basic Authors Training can help you get finished, go this link:

What’s The Truth About Best Sellers? – T&R Independent Bookstore (trbookservices.com)

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

Don’t forget to comment below. We are always interested in your opinions. And to make sure you get our blogs, simply check the box that says, Notify me of new posts via email.

Company information:

T&R Independent Bookstore is a division of T&R Independent Books founded in 2014 by R. Frederick and Tess Riddle. TR Ministry, aka Christian Fund, is both a charge and an exciting outreach to the Christian Community.

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Lessons Learned in My Journey

Lessons Learned in My Journey could fill a book. Perhaps someday I will write a book about my life’s journey. If you follow me on Facebook, you know I talk about my journey as a writer. This is not a repost of those videos, but I am taking a closer look at something I referred to in those posts.

My call to write Books.

I have referred to this calling several times, but this time I will take you through a step by step chronological journey.

My Beginnings 1st of Lessons Learned

I grew up in Michigan. In fact, I was born, raised, and lived a good portion of my life in Michigan. Early in my life we attended church, but dropped out when I was still in elementary school. However, while we weren’t going to church, we were religious. I can remember sitting in the living room with my father and watching Billy Graham. Sitting there with my dad and listening to the preaching of the gospel are some of the greatest memories I had.

In 1964 I joined the United States Navy and started out in Boot Camp. One rule they had there was everyone, that means everyone, had to attend church every Sunday morning.

I was religious and believed I was a Christian, but I didn’t know Jesus. That relationship wouldn’t happen until nine years later.

When I got out of the Navy in 1968, a desire I had back when a teenager returned. It was a desire to write! I decided to take a course in writing, but that only lasted a few months because I got laid off by Ma Bell.

My savings account was wiped out within a month, due to no income, plus paying for rent, etc. I cancelled the course because I could no longer pay for it. I have mentioned the School of Hard Knocks before, so I won’t go into it again.

But my first lesson I learned was that life wasn’t fair and that I wouldn’t always get what I wanted.

A Change of Direction 2nd of Lessons Learned

I mentioned earlier that we were a religious family and I considered myself a Christian. During my youth and my days in the military I had no problem going to church, but it held little meaning to me. In 1969 I was involved in a car accident.

A car had pulled out in front of me, I thought I saw children in the car, and I knew I couldn’t stop in time. I turned the wheel and went for the shoulder. Only problem, there was no shoulder. Instead, I found myself on the grass and managed to turn the car parallel to the road. Up ahead I saw a ditch. I tightened my grip on the wheel, held it as straight as I could and drove down into the ditch, across it, and back up the other side. It was a bit bumpy, but I made it.

Then I focused on coming to a stop which I managed by running into a stop sign. I looked at the empty passenger seat and knew that an angel or perhaps God Himself was sitting there. I didn’t see anyone, but I believed it to be true. And still do.

I opened the door and walked back to the ditch. Just before getting to it, I saw what remained of my gas tank. I hadn’t realized I had lost it, but quickly realized I was probably still alive because it had been ripped right off the car.

Shaking my head in wonder, I turned back to the ditch. That was when I saw it!

The ditch ran under the road through a concrete culvert. But that wasn’t it. The it was a tree stump about a car’s width from the culvert. And I had driven right between the two without ever seeing the stump!

That convinced me that God had spared my life. The car was totaled, but I was alive, and it wasn’t long before I started going to church. There I began hearing about Jesus and His death on the cross. But while the preaching was powerful, I took issue with their stance on drinking. I turned to the Bible to prove that drinking was permitted.

In 1973 I was transferred to Kalamazoo, Michigan for a 13-week assignment. While there I attended on Wednesdays a small church not far away. My study of scripture to prove drinking permissible was finished and I approached the pastor ready to defend my position.

I was quite confident, but before my argument got very far, he pulled the rug out from under me with Romans 14:21. I had never considered this idea that I could cause someone else to stumble. And what was this about a brother?

I returned to my motel room a defeated man. Sitting down at the table, I opened the Bible and God began reminding me of all the scriptures I had heard about salvation.

No longer burdened with a false issue, I saw my real need for Jesus, fell down on my knees next to the bed and asked Jesus into my heart.

More in a moment.

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

Basic Authors Training is a Basic Writing Course that explains and guides you into becoming an author. Powered by video along with PDFs and Coaching you learn the basics of writing, publishing, and marketing. Plus, we will offer you a publishing package at no out of pocket cost to you if you complete the course and meet the criteria. What can be better? Guaranteed publishing by simply finishing your lessons and meeting simple criteria?

To discover how you can be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond.

Back to my story.

Growing in the Lord 3rd of Lessons Learned

I began growing in the Lord. I call this Lesson #3, but in reality, I began learning a series of lessons about Jesus Christ, His birth, His life, His sacrificial death, His resurrection, and His coming again.

I also began learning other things. But something had happened to me back on May 9th. I didn’t ask God to take drink away, nor did I promise anything. I was too amazed. But God took away all desire for drink! It was and is a miracle.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that is not the normal experience. And I also know that I have other sins that I have to ask for forgiveness. But it was an amazing start to my walk with Jesus.

It would be another 8 years before I would meet and marry Teresa Wheeler. And it would be another 19 years after her name change, that the next step in my writing career took place.

The Call of God 4th of Lessons Learned

During those intervening years God called me to different ways of serving Him. One was to be the Financial Secretary at Shalom Baptist Church in Orion, Michigan. But my call to write was the 4th lesson in writing.

We lived in an A-frame house. For a while we rented out the upstairs, but eventually after a renter had left, we removed it from the market and the upstairs apartment became my office. One morning in the year 2000 I was at my desk reading Genesis 6 as part of my devotions. It was a familiar story about Noah and the Ark, but on that day, God opened my eyes.

I realized that the facts provided were not complete. God gave Noah general instructions including a blueprint, but there was a backstory missing. How did a farmer have enough information to understand the blueprint and build the ark? Here was a story. I could write the story behind the story.

But it was more than that. This was the first time that God had directed my thoughts in such a manner and the truth hit me. God wanted me to write. He was calling me.

Continued.

There have been many lessons I have learned since then, and I imagine there will be many more. But knowing God had called me transformed me as a writer and as a person. One of the lessons He has taught me is to not get relaxed. He had more lessons for me, and He had His own plan for my life and my career.

I am excited about what the future holds. He has continued to enable me, but at one point He gave me a verse to hang my literary hat on: “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have showed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalm 71:18

Part of living in this world is learning lessons about life. But for a Christian the truly important lessons are those the Lord teaches us about worshiping Him, obeying Him, and serving Him. May He bless you and your service to Him.

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

Basic Authors Training is a Basic Writing Course that explains and guides you into becoming an author. Powered by video along with PDFs and Coaching you learn the basics of writing, publishing, and marketing. Plus, we will offer you a publishing package at no out of pocket cost to you if you complete the course and meet the criteria. What can be better? Guaranteed publishing by simply finishing your lessons and meeting simple criteria?

To discover how you can be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond.

Did God call you to write? If so, then you can contact me at info@trbookservices.com or use the contact form on the website.

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

Don’t forget to comment below. We are always interested in your opinions. And to make sure you get our blogs, simply check the box that says, Notify me of new posts via email.

Company information:

T&R Independent Bookstore is a division of T&R Independent Books founded in 2014 by R. Frederick and Tess Riddle. TR Ministry, aka Christian Fund, is both a charge and an exciting outreach to the Christian Community.