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L.D. Baldwin

Frank Martin Mysteries

FRANKLY SPEAKING ...

Published! Finally!

When I emailed Defender Publishing to update my email address, I received a very different reply. The automated response said the person I emailed no longer worked for the company. This was anything but good news because he was the man who had my manuscript, the man who assured me of the publisher's interest, and the man who gave me hope when everyone else around me at the ACFW struggled. Now, he was gone. What had happened to my manuscript?

I quickly emailed another person whom I had met at the conference, thankfully. She also replied - this time a person and not a machine. 

She apologized. When the man left, the company had neglected to research the manuscripts he left behind. No, mine hadn't been read. As a matter of fact, Defender Publishers no longer accepted manuscripts for 2025-26. 

I was out. 

But the nice lady in the email strongly recommended that I self publish through Amazon KDP, and even provided instructions on how to use Amazon. She did not know that I already considered Amazon KDP as my alternative. I had nothing to lose.

Without a second thought (maybe for three seconds), I set up an account and proceeded to publish The Prodigal - badly. I think I made every mistake known to man. When I sent for a proof copy (I'm really glad I did), I was horrified. HINT: Next time, use Amazon's template. I hurridly cancelled publication. That edition is still hanging out there unpublished in the Amazon universe. It will never be published, and I wish I knew how to remove it altogether. 

The second edition came out nearly perfect, except for some typos, which I learned to correct. So The Prodigal is now available, and I am not going back to correct it again. Good writers, like good painters, need to know when to quit. The work is done, and available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Have at it and enjoy. 

Now, on to the next novel, already in progress.

I 

 Posted in General

The Story is Great, but They Still Won't Publish. Guess why.

My wife and I drove 548 miles to be turned down twice. Oh, the story is great, they said, but just one problem. No newsletter. No kidding. 

I went through Steve Laube's highly entertaining and informative videos on book proposals - twice. Many notes on marketing and the importance of platform, but I don't recall all that much emphasis on a newsletter. Yet the newsletter was the one issue that popped up repeatedly. I am taken aback by how much publishing is tied to social media on the internet. It's almost as if publication isn't possible without an overwhelming internet presence. 

They reason given is that publishers assume only 10% of all subscribers and followers will actually buy a book. So, I was told, "when you get 2,000 subscribers, notify me and submit your manuscript."

2000? I will be dead by then. 

Thankfully, Defender Publishing doesn't need a newsletter, and they requested my manuscript. The interview I didn't have scheduled turned out to be the one that mattered after all. Lord willing, good times are ahead.

 Posted in General

Why Frank Martin?

Whether novelists admit it or not, they need a reason to write and create the characters they do. I created Frank Martin out of my own experiences, not to mention frustrations, after a lifetime in the ministry. I've heard enough tragic stories from pastors to give Frank lots of reasons to complain. Whether he is successful enough to provide opportunities for further complaint remains to be seen. I'd like to explore and expand his personality. But at the same time, Frank is not me. My wife hasn't died (We've been married nearly fifty years), and I am still a pastor - happily. Frank is a mishmash of many pastors and life experiences. He is also a combination of many law enforcement cases. I did borrow from my fourteen plus years in law enforcement.

Frank's son, Tony, is also not our son. We borrowed from life experience again, but Tony is not like anyone in our family. I hope to bring Tony and Ariel back in later novels, if we get that far. 

Why Frank? I think frustrated, worn-out pastors need a hero they can identify with. They also need to see in Frank that a difficult ministry need not end their service for the Lord. The end of a ministry is not the end of the world. The truth is that pastors are easily broken. That's not a bad thing if we remember David's words -- God will not despise a broken and contrite spirit. More to the point - and this is the overriding theme in Frank Martin - God can use a broken vessel. 

Hopefully, Frank Martin will be an encouragement to readers, especially as they watch him overcome various obstacles, including himself, and solve a variety of cases. I hope the realism and power of Frank's message comes through.

 Posted in General

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