I am a frustrated writer. I don’t have writer’s block; I have publishers’ block. This is a tough lesson for a writer to learn: names are published. Books aren’t.
If you would buy a book on depression - what it is, and how to deal with it - written by someone with a psychology degree and who has depression themselves, which book has been researched and referenced, checked by two psychiatrists, simple to understand, with personal experience illustrating the plain facts, and with sections focussed on the effects of depression on people with a religious (specifically, a Christian) faith, I’d appreciate you leaving a reply. This can be a selling proposition that I can take to a publisher.
It is concise and thorough. It looks at what depression is, its causes, symptoms, treatments and so on, from both clinical and subjective (as someone who has depression) points-of-view. As I’m a Christian, I’ve included contains sections on how depressions affects people with issues like: suicide, the unforgivable sin and so on. If you’d like a copy, just ask. As I say, it’s free. If enough people want copies, I can take it to a publisher, and tell them to stick it in their agenda and publish it.
The same goes for my book on epistemology (how we know what we know). It looks at the authority and evidence we use for the beliefs we hold: for example, why would telling a cardiosurgeon that “Jesus lives in my heart” probably not be an effective reason for the hope that is in you? From a Christian perspective, it also looks at issues of language and history, and where some people have gone off the rails of rational logic.
As for what quality they are, here is part of a letter I received from my latest submission (how apropos) to potential publishers:
Many thanks for sending in your sample material for both these titles, which we read with interest. We thought they were inspiring and topical ideas but I am afraid we do not think we would find a market big enough for either of them to make them economically viable.
In other words, people don’t know you so they won’t buy the books; therefore we won’t publish them.
Again, if you’d like a copy, just ask: I don’t yet have a website where you could download them. In the interim, I’m going to try self-publishing, grovelling and other marketing ploys.
TG
