1. What inspired you to write your book?
Of
course, every family historian wants to see his or her vast compilation of
material published. In that regard, I am no different. But as I dug deeper into
my ancestral history, I found many individuals I can relate to, not only for
their accomplishments, but also their hardships, lost loves, and an expanded
appreciation of history itself. Having been a historical re-enactor for more
than 40 years, I can now honestly say, “My God! If I am having this much
difficulty in weathering a storm using modern knowledge and tools, it must have
been vastly more difficult for my forebears to endure such hardships!” It is
this awareness of their perseverance in the face of overwhelming hardships that
has inspired me to tell their stories.
2. What is it about?
This book has a threefold purpose.
❖
The first is, to act as a genealogical reference
for descendants of my family and others who are connected to this group of 900
individuals.
❖
Secondly, this book is unique in its
organization, in that, unlike most genealogical family trees with a straight
“register report” listing, it is designed to present the information within a
highly ordered methodology. Listed in the table of contents are: conventions
used in this document, variant spellings, the geography, the major family
surnames, and the department of obscure information, as well as the usual
genealogical references and indexes. In short, this book is meant to be a
reference source that is both useful and quickly accessible to all its readers.
❖
And finally, it tells the story of a prominent
New Jersey dutchman who became a Tory, a member of the Conservative Party in
Britain, during the American Revolution and his exile to the wilderness of
Canada after the war. It is an account of a 45-year-old man, once one of the
richest men in New Jersey, falling victim to the siren song of conservatism,
and being forced to exile himself hundreds of miles into the wilderness of New
Brunswick, in 1783.
3. What do you hope will be the everlasting
thoughts for readers who finish your book?
For
those who use this material as a genealogical reference, it is my hope is that
they find what they are looking for and to be grateful for its unusual
organization of the material presented.
For
those who read the story of Samuel Benson Lydecker, Sr., it is my intention for
them to understand his motives in becoming a Tory, his life in wartime New
Jersey, and the agonizing decision to give up that life of money and power in a
community for exile in an area of eastern Canada where your nearest neighbor
may be more than a mile away from you over a rough dirt road.
4. What advice do you have for writers?
❖
Believe in yourself.
❖
Believe in your skills as a writer.
❖
Every good story needs to be told.
❖
Start writing! Start anywhere –– the pieces will
come together!
❖
Read, and re-read the story, and then write more
material.
❖
Work at connecting those disjointed pieces of
the story and mold those pieces into a narrative that flows smoothly.
❖
And lastly, the joy of being a published author
is awesome.
5. Where do you think the book publishing
industry is heading?
In an
age where everything is digital, including books, the publishing industry is
not going out of business anytime soon. Quite to the contrary, this industry
has embraced the digital world and is making it its own. The process of having
a book published has never been easier! And paper copies will never go out of
style. There will always be libraries, bookstores, bibliophiles and family
historians.
6. What challenges did you have in writing your
book?
Since
this book is nonfiction, the challenge has always been: I need facts, nothing
but the facts, ma’am! Do not get me wrong, the skills I learned in english
class were slow to come, but years of practice in being a wordsmith have paid
many dividends, including this book.
7. If people can only buy one book this month,
why should it be yours?
As
this volume falls into the niche market of genealogical reference material, I
believe they should buy my book for both its material and its unique
configuration. Yes, it is meant to be a standard reference, but its distinctive
structure gives the reader many avenues to find information relevant to their
own quest for knowledge. And who those who do not find the needed material, it
will inspire them to think outside the box when it comes to organizing their
own magnum opus.
To learn more on how to promote books, read my
greatest blog posts from the past five years and 2,000 posts:
2016 Book Marketing & Book Publicity Toolkit
2015 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
2014 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit
Book Marketing & Book PR Toolkit: 2013
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this
blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016.
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