21ST CENTURY PRESS

Publisher of Biblical Material

Most publishers are receiving an ever-increasing flood of unagented/unsolicited submissions, of which less than 1 percent is published. Unagented means that the submission was not made by a literary agent. Unsolicited means that no one at the publisher asked for the submission. Most publishers do not review unsolicited manuscripts. These manuscripts are returned only if postage and a return mailer are provided. It sounds like it is nearly impossible to get published.

So six years ago Lee Fredrickson, Jim Combs and Ed Hindson formed 21st Century Press to help pastors, evangelists, doctoral students and ministries get their manuscripts and dissertations in book format for sale to their congregation and ministry outreach. We provide cutting edge Biblical material that answers the needs of the Christian public today.

Since 1996, we have published a number of books with average print runs of 2,500 to 5,000 per book. That includes Under Fire in which Oliver North tells his side of the Iran-Contra story, Antichrist Rising by Ed Hindson, End of Days by David Dolan, A Mother Held Hostage by Barbara Borntrager, and many more.

We are a full-service, subsidy publishing house that can assist you in each step toward publishing your book. Whether it is design, writing, editing or printing, we can take your idea, your dream, and your completed manuscript and turn it into a reality. We can produce, in proper book format, your dissertation, thesis, Biblical expositions, how-to manual, sermon series, or devotional writings in any length or size you prefer.

Located in Springfield, Missouri, 21st Century Press has produced quality books, booklets, publications, and has, helped authors since 1997 secure major publishing houses for their works. We specialize in book products, brochures, web design, digital imaging and more. We have a network of designers, editors, writers, and a staff of three who work closely with authors to achieve effective and appropriate solutions to their book needs.

Though we are just six years old, we have a staff that has the highest qualifications in the industry. With writing and design capability, we have expertise in every area of publishing and we are looking for quality people across the world who want to network with us as we undertake to make 21st Century Press a leader in the publishing field.

If you have a manuscript and want it published, feel free to call Lee Fredrickson (agent representing 21st Century Press) at 800-658-0284 (or e-mail lee@21stcenturypress.com).

Titles on Oliver North, by Ed Hindson, David Dolan, Barbara Borntrager, Steve Wingfield, Elmer Towns

21st Century Press takes pride in bringing out a slew of titles by both new and well-known authors to cater to the needs of the Christian reading public. This covers a wide range of genres from Biblical thesis and expositions, sermon series and devotional writings to thrillers, spiritual works and personal stories of courage, hope and faith.

Antichrist Rising by Ed Hindson 
Is the Antichrist alive today? How will we recognize him? These and many more questions are answered in this important book.

End of Days by David Dolan
Fans of apocalyptic fiction won`t be able to resist this fast-paced novel that ties current events in the Middle East to biblical prophecies.

Encountering God by Steve Wingfield and Elmer Towns
Every child of God can experience His presence. Elmer Towns and Steve Wingfield tell the incredible true stories of a dozen personal biblical encounters with God.

Home on Time by Ryan Rush
With the time pressures and distractions facing our families today, it`s more critical than ever to find ways to bring balance to the home front.

Invisible War by Rob Randall
To many people, spiritual warfare is not something they want to think about or deal with. Yet the reality is we, as believers, are involved in spiritual conflict.

Lord Pa and Lady Moofy by Krista Dowell
This heartwarming book offers something for everyone  who has ever been a child or raised one.

A Mother Held Hostage by Barbara Borntrager
This book is for mothers and caretakers of special needs children who struggle with doubts, guilt, and crushed dreams. I survived, and you can too!

A Pastor`s Manual on Doing Church by Mal Couch
Churches have problems! And this book is meant to biblically help answer tough questions facing congregational leadership.

Preparing Catholics for Eternity by Mike Gendron
Mike Gendron presents penetrating insights into Catholicism based both on experience and biblical study with a spirit of love.

Rod of the Spirit by Danny Lovett
There are many misunderstandings and misconceptions today concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit that can be resolved with study.

Under Fire For the first time, Oliver North tells the whole story of his life, and the event that centered around it, the controversy called Iran-Contra

I Don`t Know How To Be A Widow by Brenda Brown
How do you survive the loss of the one dearer to you than any other on earth? Learn how in this book.

Allied Publishing Activities

We will try to help you with a solution to your printing needs. Our joy is to see our clients through a process to get a book from what was an idea. We are also into allied publishing activities

PRINTED MATERIALS

• Books, booklets, annual reports
• Brochures of all sizes, colors and functions
• Corporate and church communication materials
• Packaging and special promotions

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

• Typeface studies color and paper selection
• In-depth photo planning and direction
• Web design/HTML authoring
• Copywriting and editing
• The latest in computer design/software
• Excellent pre-press and printing knowledge
• Digital imaging/art creation

WEB DESIGN

• Web design work
• Writing/constructing home pages
• Providing appropriate, creative graphics
• Integrating frames, tables, and forms
• Adding animation, sound, scripting, Java, etc.
• Keep your site fast and optimized; continuous updating

CLIENT SOLUTIONS

• We can write your book for you
• We will work with you in all phases of publishing
• We meet your design needs efficiently

Steps in Book Publication

The following is a basic outline of the steps in the publication of a book. The steps will vary depending on the publication service agreed upon for your book.

• Manuscript Preparation: Your manuscript should be on a computer disk (MAC or PC) in one of the popular word-processing programs (WordPerfect or Microsoft Word). Many of the proprietary word-processing systems will require a disk conversion charge. We will also accept manuscripts as an e-mail attachment in Wordperfect, Microsoft Word or ASCII (text).   
• Cover Design: Normally, we will show you two possible cover designs. Early in the process you may communicate ideas, photos, art you would like incorporated into the cover.
• Editing: For every book published under 21st Century Press, our editing will include a basic technical editing for consistency of spelling, punctuation, formatting, etc. If we feel the manuscript requires a more substantive content editing, we will give your book to one of our freelance editors who will help enhance your work.
• Typesetting (Formatting & Design): Certain book subjects suggest a certain design. For the direct plate printing technology we use, it is less expensive if we do the book formatting and design.
• Copyright Registration  ISBN (International Standard Book Number): A 21st Century Press number is assigned for our imprint.
• Printing & Binding: Book manufacturing is an art. You cannot walk into any printer and expect that they will have the knowledge of the appropriate inks, lamination, signature impositions, etc., to give you a quality, professional book.
• Marketing plan: Book marketing has become a niche marketing activity. The author`s involvement in developing the marketing plan is important.
• Order Fulfillment: Some book orders will come for quantities, but many orders will come one at a time. Order fulfillment adds a cost to each book—packaging materials, postage, time to record the sale and delivering the book to the post office.

How To Get Published

Please be realistic. For every published writer, there are at a minimum several thousand waiting in line to get published. In the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) market it has been said that there are 50,000 authors trying to get 5,000 books published a year.

Having an agent greatly increases the likelihood that you will be published. For one thing, on the procedural level, an established agent can usually obtain relatively rapid and serious consideration for his or her clients. One basic reason for this is that editors view agents as a valuable screening mechanism. That is, when a project crosses the editor`s desk under an agent`s letterhead, the editor knows it has undergone scrutiny from someone who is familiar with the applicable standards of quality and market considerations.

Lee Fredrickson is the agent representing 21st Century Press. You might say, what is a publishing house doing with an agent? As a subsidy press, we get manuscripts from authors in various stages of their writing career. We will recommend the direction you should go with your manuscript. Some of our authors choose to publish their first book with us and then allow Lee to represent them to a publisher. Since the time to get a manuscript to an editor, then to the review board, final acceptance, editing, paginating design of cover and printing can sometimes take up to a year, it is to the advantage of some authors to get a book in hand in a few months to sell in meetings.

This may sound like a Catch-22: You need to be published in order to get published. But we have some tips to help you get your proposal reviewed by an acquisitions editor of a publishing house. Please note, most publishers will not discuss unsolicited manuscript ideas over the phone.

Develop a name by writing for smaller publishers or magazines. A portfolio of magazine articles can get you attention for your book proposal. 21st Century Press can get you started by publishing your first book. A number of our authors have gone on and had their next book published by a major publisher.

If you know a published author, ask him or her to recommend you. Consider securing an agent. If an agent doesn`t choose to represent you, it may be an indication that your writing isn`t strong enough; if he does, then you`ve got the inside track. 21st Century Press represents authors to a number of publishers. Contact us with your idea.

Join a writer`s group in your area. This will likely put you closer to other published writers and perhaps find you a sponsoring author.

Consider using a manuscript review and proposal service such as The Writer`s Edge, P.O. Box 1266, Wheaton, IL 60189. (Write them to request an application. They charge a fee to review your manuscript.)

Once you have a connection that will get you reviewed by a publisher, you need to make the most of the opportunity. Consider the following suggestions.

• Review their publications: Know what they publish and do not publish. Many manuscripts submitted are completely outside the publishing plan of most publishing houses simply because the author did not do his or her homework.
• Submit a professional-looking proposal: It really does make a difference when a proposal is neatly presented and clearly organized. A disorganized and sloppy proposal suggests an inferior book.
• Read and study writers` books: We recommend Writer`s Market (Writers Digest Books), Children`s Writers and Illustrators Market (Writers Digest), Elements of Style (White), Edit Yourself (Ross-Larson), On Writing Well (Insert), The Children`s Picture Book (Roberts), Nonfiction for Children (Roberts).

If you meet the criteria explained in our review policy, you will receive a response about your proposal or manuscript within three months of its submission. The publisher will return your material if you provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope or mailer. Manuscripts that arrive without return mailers are discarded approximately 30 days after the author is notified that the publisher cannot use them.

Most publishers offer competent editing, warm support, and lots of encouragement from a staff that is in love with literature. You can expect to get competitive fees or royalty rates, professional illustration and design, and aggressive marketing of your book.

Building Author`s Image

As an author, you spend so much time researching, conceptualizing, and writing your book. No one told you, however, that composition is only half the battle. Establishing your image with the readers who will buy your book is sometimes just as important as the written material you spent months, maybe even years, working on.

21st Century Press takes great effort to work with our authors, as well as the editorial and design department, to create the image that reflects your book`s message as well as to give it the best overall impact. We carry your vision through the design of the book from cover to cover. While the design of the book is created by our team, your work isn`t done.

Authors play an indispensable role in interacting with the media and the readers. Cultivating, polishing and maintaining a public presence will only serve to enhance the sale of your books. When you, as the author, make your public appearances, you personalize the message that lives between the covers.

Booksignings and speaking engagements are ideal times to get your readers to know you. This is an opportunity to share your vision, receive affirmation, and offer encouragement to fans and spectators. Always keep in mind how you come across. If you were to meet yourself, would you like you? Are you personable? Are you appropriately dressed for the occasion? If for some miscommunication you`re not, are you at least comfortable with who you are and your host to make others feel comfortable as well?

What about if you`re naturally shy? Writers tend to be the introverts of the world. If you are, that`s OK. But learn to develop a warm, genuine public side by appearing in situations that are comfortable. It`s better to show you care to a few than be stand-offish and cold to many. Pastors and public speakers seem to have it easy when it comes to meeting the public.

But there is subtle etiquette that will turn a routine book signing into a memorable event for you! Here are a few tips to remember. Greet as many of those in line as possible. Don`t just sign your name. Ask who the person would like it signed to and write in that name. Select a quote or Bible verse that reflects a key message about the book or you. In convention settings, the person will often wear a name tag.

Confirm that the spelling of the name is correct before you begin writing. Draw attention to something positive about that person, such as the hometown listed on the badge, class ring, and the person`s smile. The ten seconds you spend with that person leaves an impression and word of mouth is what launches a career. Remember, the reader will spend, hopefully, hours engrossed in your book, so what`s a minute of your time?

Graciously thank them for their kind comments about your book. This is your opportunity to receive affirmation of the gift God has given you. Few other occupations offer more of a tangible sense of accomplishment and realization of one`s impact on a person`s life. Listen to their comments for possible leads, endorsements or fodder for future books. If there`s no time pressure, jot down a few notes or tell your assistant