In 2008, I was so excited, overjoyed, and humbled to be named one of The Word Guild's finalists in their annual Best New Author of the Year contest for my entry, "The Surprising Truth in Chick Flicks."
I had begun work on it in about 2003. Then, in 2006, I attended The Word Guild's annual conference, Write Canada, in Guelph Ontario. There was some very positive feedback for my work -- the idea of illustrating the character of Christ by using popular film was applauded by more than one expert in the field.
When I got home from the conference I doubled my efforts and worked and re-worked the concept and framework of what would become my first book. By November 30, 2007 I entered it in The Word Guild's contest.
I believe it was March or April of 2008 when I learned I was a finalist. I was very hopeful that I would be selected as the winner as it would mean a publishing deal for "The Surprising Truth in Chick Flicks." Getting published mattered a great deal to me because I so wanted to share how I saw Jesus with others.
During the months that I was waiting for the final decision as to who the winner would be, I was interviewed for publications, had my picture in the newspaper, and was interviewed for Christian radio. All of the publicity led to speaking opportunities.
Public speaking is one of the things I enjoy doing more than anything else in the world! Writing a book was always a means to the ultimate goal of becoming a professional public speaker for the cause of Christ.
June 2008 arrived and with it the awards ceremony. I was deeply disappointed when another author was announced as the winner. Of course, I was crushed. Afterwards two of the judges told me that my book was one of their top choices. As Maxwell Smart would say, "I missed it by 'that' much!" I am not sure if that made it better or worse!
Immediately following the awards ceremony was The Word Guild's annual conference which I attended with a heavy heart. Fortunately, my discouragement did not last long as I met a number of agents who offered to take a look at my book. As a result, I selected a wonderful agent to represent me. He immediately sent out my manuscript to 10 publishers -- each of which were eager to see the book.
Over the next 8 months, I was systematically turned down by all of the publishers, all of them. My agent and I discussed what the problem could possibly be.
We knew I had the writing skill -- I had been chosen as a finalist in a national writing contest.
We knew that my ideas were theologically sound -- I had asked my pastor to read it before entering it in the contest in the first place.
(BTW: He loved it! Then he gave it to his wife to read and she loved it. Then she gave it to their daughter to read and she loved it too. Before the manuscript made it back to me it also made its way around my church's administration office, and they loved it too. It was awesome, the outpouring of support I received!)
So, my agent and I brainstormed what the problem could be and we came up with two possible explanations:
His: Christian publishers are not interested in evangelizing, they are interested in selling to those already committed.
Mine: Christian publishers are not interested in touching something that could be controversial.
I had already been told by another successful Christian author (who read my book and loved it) that he could not endorse it because I had used movies with questionable content such as Pretty Woman.
I am okay with that. I am, after all, in the company of people like William Paul Young, author of The Shack, who, I heard, could not get his book published. He eventually self-published, with the help of some friends.
I checked into self-publishing, and I decided that if I really wanted to put my book into folks' hands, then I should just make it available, for free, on the web.
Thus this blog was born, this blog is my gift to the women of this world.
I hope and, more importantly, I pray that you, dear readers, would find value in these pages. I pray that you will be encouraged, challenged, and validated as you read it.
May God richly bless you always, and in all ways,
Darilyn Lemky
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