Are you a writer still dreaming or trying to get your work published?   Do you have a manuscript?  Do you have a story to tell, an article of interest, a collection of recipes?  Do you write poems?  Do you have any type of work that you would like to see in print? 

Do you need your work or project typed and prepared for, and or converted to, galleys?   Do you need your work or galleys printed?   Do you need an editor or proofer for your work?   Do you need cover art or illustrations for your book or project?   Do you need an ISBN# for your work? Bar Code? Copyright registered?

If you answered "Yes" to any of the above questions, then perhaps I can help you.

Hello, My name is Doris Newnam.   Tex Star Publishing is my new publishing company.   Like you, I dreamed of having my work published.   Getting published I soon learned was much more difficult than the writing -- that's the easy part.   And several years and lots of money later, I have learned a few things about the publishing business.   And if you want to benefit from my "school of hard knocks" and enlist my help, together we will work to bring your work to fruition and get your book to press and a finished product in your hands.

No, I did not say that I would do this for free.   However, I will be fair.   Unlike some publishers, you will not pay me a huge lump-sum up front and then wait years to see your finished product -- if ever.   You will not have to wait for months or even a year to know if I will accept your work.   That will be decided as quickly as possible after you contact me.  See "Guidelines for Acceptance" elsewhere in this message.

First off, to sort the curious from the serious, I will give an estimate of each book or project on an individual basis after reviewing your needs as presented by you to me.   I will attempt to give you a relistic time frame estimate required for each phase of your project.   If you are serious and comfortable with my estimates, we will then discuss more realistic dollar and time amounts.   I must know exactly what I am working with for a realistic quote of price and time.   Please note:   All estimates are just that.   No quotes of prices, time, or otherwise, will be quoted here.   Each project is considered a "custom project" and all factors will vary according.   All changes are subject to additional costs. You will be advise regarding such submissions.   Also, please be aware that third party quotes of price and time estimates are controlled by those third parties. "Third Parties" are used for services such as art work, the actual printing and or binding of your project, etc.   However, I will be working personally with these parties to see your project through to completion to my own satisfaction - as if it were my own.

Upon my acceptance of your work, and your acceptance of my terms, we will then both sign a simple, but binding contract, you will submit a deposit payment according to our agreed upon terms for your book or project.   Those terms will include, but not limited to, the various steps or phases required in completing your project, and when a payment or deposit is due for each phase of work.   Actually, you will be "paying as we go".   By using this payment plan, you will have some time to budget your payments for the big expense toward the end -- the actual printing of your book or project.   Alas, the printing is the real money eater.   I have personally toured several press rooms.   The machines are huge and the money to buy them was a pretty hefty chuck of an investment for the companies who own them.   Not only that, the huge rolls of paper are not found at our local office supply.   And those guys, and a few gals, who run them have had to have special training, and in some cases, belong to a union, and... well... you get the drift... To get something professionally printed is a major expense.

Now, having said that about the printing, I have personally arranged with a local publishing/printing company to handle our projects. They are a reputable and solid business firm handling print jobs both locally and from across the country for several decades.   I chose a local company so that I can sit down face-to-face and discuss any and all projects from start to finish, or handle any troubleshooting along the way.   This company will also be printing my own books.   I am also working with a local artist for my cover art.   And after trying since 1998 to get my book published and being taken for a ride by a publisher who was indicted by the FBI for fraud, I will be publishing my own books.

Yes... any profits I make by helping you will help me in getting my big print job done.   And, yes, you can go do your own, too.   Or, if you're short on time, how-to, or resources, then perhaps we can help each other.   I don't know how to be any more honest with you.   I am offering a service for a reasonable fee for each service performed.   You will get the service you pay for as per our individual agreement.   You will also be kept informed of the progress of your project.   You may e-mail me anytime and I will answer as soon as possible.   Unlike some one-person businesses, I won't pretend to have a staff.   I will personally be doing the work myself, except in the situations previously noted such as the cover art and actual printing and binding of your book.   In the fortunate, or unfortunate situation - however the case my seem - the work load gets to a point of my needing any staff, I will still personally oversee each project to be sure that you get what you pay for, and in the time agreed upon.  Plus, if I should acquire additional staff help in the future, you will be advised of that as all parties should work as a team toward the common goal of getting your work to press and in print.

Guidelines for Acceptance.
All material submitted must be suited for general audiences or PG.   Do not submit, I will not accept, material containing vulgar or racist language, adult "R" or "X" rated scenes or language.  In other words, "Keep It Clean".   I do not want to read it and will certainly not publish it.   I will only publish clean, wholesome material.  I realize that interputations of what's good and bad may vary.   However, my decision on what I wish to accept for whatever reason is final and without recourse or liability.   If in doubt, please ask.

For instance, a romance story may portray a love scene that is implied, not spelled out in vivid detail of the human anatomy. Again, if need be, clean it up before you submit it.   I may sound like a prude to you considering today's society where the four letter words are seemingly acceptable language; where violence is the norm, and sex is the money maker.   If so, so be it.   I know of some really great selling authors who spiced up their otherwise good writing.   Unfortunately, I may have been the only one who returned their book when I encountered it.   The sad thing is, their stories would have been just as great without the added offensive material.   In fact, in my opinion, they would have been better.   Why?   Well, how would you like to sit down to a scrumptious meal only to find that yesterday's garbage had been scattered around in it?   Kind of unappetizing, right?

I believe there is a real market out there of people who would like to have less trauma and cleaner, happier story plots for entertainment.   For a rule of thumb, go back to the old Hollywood classics and situation comedies.  They told great stories without getting them all muddied up with unnecessary offensive language.   The English language has enough word choices in it to write something that is interesting and enjoyable without throwing in gutter language.   I challenge you to find those combinations and help to raise the standards of entertaining writing whether for books, articles, screenplays, stage, TV, whatever... That was the challenge I gave myself with my own writings.   And I believe I have accomplished that.   I'm willing to test the market with mine.   How about you?   I will allow some literary license for expressions such as the words, darn, damn, hell - if they fit the story.  

Have a look at some master pieces like Gone With The Wind,   It Happened One Night,   Pillow Talk,   Thoroughly Modern Millie,   Take Her, She's Mine,   Good Neighbor Sam,   If A Man Answers,   Operation Petticoat...   I could go on and make a very long list.   And with the exception of Clark Gable making headlines with his, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", these stories are absent of the adjectives so freely used today.   Or, how about the TV situation comedies?   Check out I Dream of Jeanie, or Bewitched.   Hey, don't knock them; they're still in re-runs!   Of course, those are just examples.   There is an endless archive of oldies to learn and draw from for your plots. I am looking for plots with role model characters.   Can you provide that?  

My first title coming out is "Right Here, Lover".   Yes, it is geared to an adult or older teenager because it is a romance.   But don't expect it to be steamy.   It isn't.   Do expect to be entertained as my heroine, Cindy, tries to figure out who she's kissing.   Set in the Texas Hill Country, Cindy is... aaahh... well... every cowboy's dream.   But she only wants one cowboy... if she can just figure out the right one.   Sorry, you will need to buy my book to find out more. :-)

And speaking of buying my book, "Right Here, Lover" went to Press on February 3, 2006. It will be available for purchase shortly - probably by mid to late February - as soon as it returns from the book bindery.

Update - 2/20/06: "Right Here, Lover" is now available for purchase. Price: $19.95 + $5.00 Priority Shipping. Please e-mail me for ordering/payment instructions. Re: Book

On suspense or murder mysteries, leave out the blood and guts violence.*   While I enjoy a good "who done it", I don't want to see it "did".   You can tell it after-the-fact, but I'd prefer not to have heavy scenes depicting it in action.   And to add to that a personal note, such things give me nightmares - literally.   And guess what, I figure if as an adult, with the ability to rationalize fiction from facts, these things disturb my mind enough to cause me bad dreams, then what are we doing to our society by dishing it out in print and on screen?   Isn't it enough that we are already on overload with what we see and hear about crime everyday, at every news cast, in every newspaper, and now on numerous web sites?   And doesn't just life offer us enough truama in everyday living to consider such things as entertainment?   If that is your forte, then thank you for visiting and my best wishes.   However, if you agree that our world could use some cleaner and lighter reading material - stories that leave us feeling good - then I welcome your project for consideration.

*The exception for violence will be considered in true account works of war veterans who have stories to tell that most of us can not even imagine.  Being married to a Pearl Harbor Survivor Our Personal Pearl Harbor Survivors Web Site makes me aware of the historical value of these true stories from and about our veterans.   Again, if in doubt, ask.

Regarding Copyrights of your materials.   Be sure that whatever you submit, that you hold the copyrights, the legal right to have the work published, and the legal right to assign the required rights to a publisher.

Marketing Your Work -- Royalties and Compensation
I realize that we all dream of a sensational success as with the Harry Potter books.   We hear that and other stories of authors who hit pay dirt.   And perhaps some of us will at some point in the future.   Meanwhile, a reality check is this.   Initially, you pay me to help get your work published.   I do not give payment or cash advances for your work.   I do not promise to get your work into bookstores around the country.   I do not promise you that your book will even sell.   What I will do, if you choose to place your work with me, is post your title, name, and promo on this web site, with links from other sites that I own as appropriate.   In turn, this web site, will be posted in search engines and advertised in other avenues available to me as a publisher.   I will explore other marketing options according to what we have to market.   Royalties and percentages - if any - will be negotiated on an individual bases between us according to the project and its potential market, and according to my involvement in the sales of your book - if any.   Our first goal is to get published.   If you have a really great book, there are marketing agencies who market for a percentage.

Thank you for your interest.   This message is meant to, but not limited to, give you an overview of services offered.   Changes, additons and deletions will be made as needed.

You may contact me at: Doris Newnam.  So that your message doesn't get automatically deleted along with junk mail, place on Subject line of e-mail: "Publishing Inquiry"

Project catagories may be, but not limited to:

Fiction: Novels, Short Stories, Poems, Children's Books.
Non-Fiction: True Stories, Biographies, Recipes, Historical
Religious, Inspirational, Motivational: Fiction or Non-Fiction
Other ?? : Just ask.

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