A Good Man is Hard to Find.

But Perry Brown's The Shirt Off His Back features a black male hero everyones loves

What do you do if you're an avid reader who enjoys books by African American authors, but you're disappointed with the way black men are portrayed in contemporary fiction? You do what Parry Brown did--you write your own story. Brown is the author of the bestselling, self-published novel, The Shirt Off His Back, a story about a hardworking black man who fights to keep his daughters and still has time to develop a loving relationship with a single mother.

Brown decided writing her own story was the only way she was going to read about the black men that she knew. In 1998, The Shirt Off His Back was born, but Brown's story doesn't begin there. In 1960, Brown was just another six-year-old who loved to write. Instead of being covered with accolades, Brown was told that she was "acting too grown" and a relative tore her cherished story (and her desire to write) into pieces.

That was enough for Brown to think she'd never write again--that is, until she was grown enough to revisit one of her first true loves on her own terms. Brown had been doing business writing when an Internet magazine requested that she write a short story. She wrote an anecdote about an older woman who meets a man in a bookstore where there is an instant attraction between the two. The woman fights the relationship, because her low self-esteem doesn't allow her to believe anyone would be attracted to her as a plus-sized woman.

Brown received so many e-mails on the way her story touched others, that the writing bug firmly affixed its teeth to her flesh. She was hooked, and became a featured writer for the magazine.

The Shirt Off His Back began as a three-part short story about a single father, and again, the e-mails poured in with comments like: "Please keep this character going." "Tell us more about this man!.... We don't get the chance to read about Black men like this."

Fifteen months later, Brown had 30 chapters and it was only then that she realized she had a book. With the excitement of the readers on the Internet (she already had 200 people waiting to buy the book!) and filled with confidence, Brown submitted her story to one publisher. She never received an answer and that was all the rejection she needed.

Self-publishing was her choice but it was no easy road. Brown began with a plan and had a committed investor on board who inopportunely backed out at the last minute. Enter Plan B: Brown, an accountant and database programmer, took on contracts to raise the money for her book. It took three months of 12-hour days, to get the needed funds. And the rest, for Brown, is a sure path to a pretty incredible future.

Brown gave up her apartment and hit or the road for almost a year, booking her own signings and making bestseller lists month after month. Her commitment has beer endless and her efforts have been rewarded with a publishing deal from Random House. Brown knows what it takes to be successful, self-published author and she offers advice to anyone considering her path "Only do this with the intention of being picked up," Brown said. "There is no way you'd be able to keep up this pace for much longer than a year." Brown also says that you cannot just look at yourself as a writer--you're an entrepreneur who must also handle the business side of publishing. This is the hard part that can put your writing on hold for months at a time.

Brown also advises that you get to know your strengths and weaknesses. "You have to be confident, but not conceited" What is the difference? "Confidence is knowing that you are all that. Conceit has you believing that you are better than others. My confidence comes from knowing that I will work hard and do whatever it takes to become successful."

The Shirt Off His Back is scheduled to be released in January 2001. What a way to begin a new millennium!

Dear Dr. Rosie:

I've written a great novel and everyone who has read it tells me that it is excellent. In fact, all of my friends agree that they could not put it down. However, I have over 10 rejection letters from major publishers. Now, people are telling me to self. publish, and I have even heard that if I were to self publish and sell thousands of books, I would have a better chance of being noticed by a major publisher and getting picked up. The challenge is, I don't have enough money to self-publish, but I have heard of something called "e-Books" Is this an option for getting my book into the market?

Good question. E-Book publishing is a viable option, but before I get into the benefits of e-publishing, let me address the point of getting noticed by a major house. It is true, in part, that some publishers may be more amenable to publishing books with authors who have some proven success. However, the writer must have good writing skills. There are several elements that go into a good novel which include: a compelling plot, fully developed characters and story resolution. There are many African American writers who have great stories (we are great storytellers), however, writing good commercial fiction is a learned skill. Major publishers are seeking authors who already possess the basic writing skills. Bottom line: the number of books you sell will not influence an editor's decision if your writing is not compelling and skillful.

There are publishing companies that offer book-packaging services, which include line-editing services. Line editing, which is different from copy editing can turn a good story into a great commercial novel. Also remember, rejections from publishing houses do not mean that your book is not good. Many commercial authors (who are successful today) were first widely rejected by mainstream publishers. Rejection did not discourage those authors--many of them self-published and were then picked up by the same publishers who had rejected them before.

Now, the e-Book question. It can be argued that the current publishing process helps screen out bad books by preventing them from reaching the marketplace, but the publishing industry is rife with stories of excellent books that can't get published and poor ones that do. The publication of e-Books moves the publication decision from the publisher to the author. One of the key points of e-Book publishing is that it is a less expensive method of getting your book into the market. However, no matter what method of publishing you choose, there are certain expenses you should never do without such as line editing and copy editing. (Note: a copy editor is concerned with spelling, grammar and sentence structure, while a line editor's focus is on the story: pacing, dialogue, show vs. tell, tension and conflict, character development, etc.)

Obviously, e-book publishing is less expensive because you're omitting the cost of printing and graphic design for your book cover. However, I would suggest that you have a cover for your book. That will give you a marketing edge. With e-Books you can reach a market that traditionally printed books have not reached--the visually impaired and the literacy challenged. With e-books, they have the opportunity to listen to the stories.

So what is an e-Book? Simply put, an e-book is a special computer file which contains the text of a printed book. The file may be read on a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, or on an electronic device designed specifically for reading e-books. One simply has to take the text of a book and convert it into a format usable by an e-book reader. An e-book is simply data stored on a computer. The cost of storage and distribution is negligible compared with that of a printed book.

Through the use of e-books, it is more economically feasible to publish low demand titles. There are no shipping or handling charges when purchased online, and books never go out of print. Also, authors have the ability to self-publish and distribute books inexpensively. E-books may be downloaded quickly at home, or in a store via an Internet connection, making E-books cost less than traditional books. No matter which route you choose, educate yourself thoroughly so you know what's right for you. Good luck!

For a list of e-book publishers, packaging services, copy editors and line editors, visit my website www.milliganbooks.com or call 1-800-872-0247.

--by Rosie Milligan

Dr. Rosie Milligan is the author of nine books, owner of Milligan Books Publishing, and the founder of Black Books on Tour. E-mail your questions to her at [e-mail]

Self-Published Titles

American's First
by Charles D. Edwards
Research Associates, May 2000
$12.95, ISBN 0-948-39062-X

Coming Clean
by Bakari Shabazz
Bird In Paradise, July 1999
$19.95, ISBN 0-967-35180-4

Forbidden Circles
by Vee Williams Garcia
Umar Books, 2000, ISBN 0-966-92712-5

Italy and Back: A Black Man's Odyssey
by Bobby Raye Huntley
Pax, 1997, $15.95, ISBN 0-967-23390-9

Star Dreams
by Cynthia Johnson
Black Butterfly, 2000, $10.95, ISBN 0-996-29971-X

The Harvest: Keeping It Real
by Delores Smiley
Morris Publishing, 1999, $14.95, ISBN 0-739-20463-7

The Hearts Of Men
by Travis Hunter
Jimrose, 1999, $12.00, ISBN 0-967-55467-5

When You Look At Me
by Undra E. Biggs
La Caille Nous Publishing, 1999, ISBN 0-964-76356-7

Events for the Self-Published Author in 2001

For the writer who is interested in improving his or her craft, there is no shortage of workshops and conferences. From Venice, California, to Venice, Italy, conferences are held throughout the world on a spectrum of topics for both fiction and nonfiction writers. Now is the time to make your workshop plans for 2001. There are a number of online services, including www.shawguides.com and www.writersdigest.com, to direct you to the conference that is right for you. Below is just a sprinkling of some workshops available for the aspiring writer and self-published author.

* Aspiring Writers Conference: Finally, a conference where you won't be sitting next to someone who has completed a 900-page manuscript while you're still working on your outline! This workshop, led by author Wanda Moorman, is just for those who are wondering, "How do I do this?" Over 10 self-published authors will be leading workshops that range from "How to Get Started," to "Knowing Your Publishing Options." However, the key to this conference is the author-assisted workshops where participants get one-on-one help from authors. Kimberla Lawson Roby (Here and Now, Casting the First Stone) will be the keynote speaker. The Aspiring Writers Conference will take place in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 2001. For further information, contact Tina McCray at 919-517-8206 or e-mail her at [e-mail]. Also, visit the website at www.storybookproductions.com.

* Black Writers Reunion Conference: How would you like to hob-nob with published authors and find out their secrets for success? This second annual conference will allow attendees to mix business with pleasure. To be held in August 2001 in Dallas, the Black Writers Reunion and Conference is designed to bring aspiring writers together with published authors. A wide variety of workshops will be held, though the focus will be on both how to get started writing your novel, and making self-publishing work for you. Also included in the conference schedule will be a poetry reception and a Gold Pen Awards banquet. For further information, contact Tia Shabazz at [e-mail].

* Poynter & Snow on New Publishing Technologies: Another name for this one-day workshop could be "How Today's Writers Can Effectively Compete with the Giants of Publishing." This conference is for aspiring writers who want to learn revolutionary new technologies that can help the self-published author reach readers around the world more effectively. Led by Dan Poynter, who has written more than 80 books on self-publishing, attendees will learn, (through hands-on demos) how to publish and promote books worldwide at a fraction of the cost of conventional methods. Workshops, which occur throughout the year, are held in Santa Barbara, California. For further information, call 1-800-218-8877, or e-mail [e-mail].