Being Published

Being Published

By Charles S. Weinblatt

© 2009

Finding a publisher can be difficult, particularly for children’s books. There is some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that you may need to send your manuscript to hundreds of publishers before the best offer arrives. The good news is that almost no publisher wants a paper manuscript any longer. Publishers today prefer that you send a proposal by electronic mail. This makes it much easier and less costly to contact publishers. However, your proposal must be perfect and that takes time. Also be advised that each publisher prefers his or her own specific way of receiving information. That means you must research each publisher on the Internet. Look for something that says, “Submission Guidelines.” This will tell you precisely what to send, and how to send it. Read this very carefully. If they are seeking a manuscript that is very different from yours, forget them and move along. If your book seems to be a good fit with the publisher’s interests, then create a proposal that will fit their guidelines.

There are two keys to being published. First is the quality of your writing. No one, except vanity, POD and self-publishing companies will be interested in a book that is poorly written. If you are concerned about the quality of your writing, it might be worth your while to pay a professional editor to look it over. All professional editors understand how to tell you the truth about your writing without being condescending or insensitive. The second key requirement for being published is having a book that is marketable. No trade publisher will be interested in a book about how to drink a glass of water. You must be able to convince a publisher that thousands, of not millions of people will covet your book. And, it’s not enough to say that they will love it. You must provide a demographic analysis of your readers, along with a competitive analysis and marketing strategies that will work (and why they will work). In other words, you must show the publisher exactly who will purchase your book, where and why. More on this later.

Know the difference between traditional (trade) publishers and POD or vanity publishers. Trade publishers are often the best choice, particularly for fiction. The world of self-publishing (including vanity and POD publishers) is fraught with peril, fraud and swindle-artists. Check the Internet for organizations that uncover scam-artists in the self-publishing world, such as Writer Beware. You can also Google the name of any publishing company. If you see several complaints from ripped-off writers, flee from that publisher. Contact companies on the fraud lists at your own risk. Caveat Emptor!

If you write non-fiction and you can sell many of your own books, then self-publishing might be a better choice. For example, a public speaker can often include the cost of his or her book in the price of an event. A professional who delivers seminars, or a professor who can use the book as required reading might do better financially with a reputable self-publishing company.

But for most of us emerging authors, trade publishers are best. Why? Because they do the heavy lifting that might be difficult or impossible for us. Trade publishers have the best editors, graphic design artists and marketing staff. Trade publishers will place your book on the web sites of all of the major retailers (Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Target, etc,). Trade publishers will contract to have your book distributed with the most reputable distributors (Ingram in the US, Gardners & Bertrams in the UK, etc.). Trade publishers will create a web site for your book, arrange for book tours, signings, catalog distribution, attend book fairs and market your book electronically to a global audience. They will stock and restock your book as necessary and on time. And, trade publishers perform these tasks without charging a fee. Instead, they pay the author a royalty (typically 12-18%). Can you accomplish these essential tasks on your own? If so, maybe you can self-publish.

If you only want a nice book with your name on it for your coffee table, then a vanity publisher is OK. But, don’t expect to see your book at Borders, Barnes & Noble or on Amazon. And don’t anticipate that it will on the shelf of your local bookstore. If you want people to read your book and you don’t know how to sell them on your own, you might wish to wait for a trade publisher – for as long as it takes. If your book is well written and marketable, you have a good chance to be published by a trade publisher.

If you are an unknown author, forget the major publishing houses. Harper-Collins will not even glance at your proposal. Instead, focus on smaller publishers that specialize in your genre. I began with historical fiction and then narrowed my search to trade publishers who specialize in Jewish or Holocaust-related books. If it’s a children’s book, search for those publishers. If it’s science fiction, search using that term. You can use the Internet to plan and execute effective publisher searches. Plan to contact hundreds of trade publishers before moving to self-publishing (again, unless you can sell the books yourself). The more publishers you contact, the faster you will have a contract. Be persistent. Try to send at least 20 proposals to trade publisher per week. But the most critical piece of the publishing puzzle is the proposal. We’ll talk about that next.

Step one is developing a terrific book proposal. Proposals must include very specific information in a very precise format. Fail to do this and you will likely be rejected immediately. At a minimum, your proposal must include a table of contents, sales attributes, author biography, synopsis, chapter titles, market analysis, competitive analysis, and marketing strategies. Some publishers require additional information. Read their submission guidelines very carefully. Each portion of this proposal is critical. Take your time and try to use at least one page for each content topic. The synopsis might require several pages. Sometimes the publisher will request several chapters, or the first three chapters. Read their submission requirements very carefully. Publishers receive hundreds of proposals daily and they will gladly delete yours if you fail to follow directions carefully, or fail to provide all of the information required in the guidelines.

If you currently lack lists of prospective publishers, then acquire them on the Internet. Some companies will sell you a list of publishers. I discovered that I could find them easily on my on. Plan to contact several hundred publishers via the Internet. That’s right a few HUNDRED. I contacted well over 200 publishers before I found the right offer. Remember, you may not wish to go with the first publisher that accepts your book, especially if it is a vanity publisher. Be patient. Wait until you have several contact offers. Then make the best decision based upon whether you want a book for your coffee table or a book that produces significant sales and royalties.

Once you have created a terrific book-publishing proposal, it’s time to create a cover page for your e-mail submission. The Subject line of your e-mail page should typically say, “Submission,” followed by the title of your book. Begin with a generic salutation. Instead of, “Dear Sir or Madam,” you can use something like “Greetings.” If research produces the name of the publishing agent, even better. The balance of your e-mail cover page must get the reader (publisher) hooked on your book. This cannot be a lengthy narrative. Publishers receive dozens of submissions daily. If your cover letter will take five minutes to read, it will be discarded. Focus on three to four paragraphs at most. Explain why the publisher is a good fit with your book (yes, you will have to research the publisher in order to do this). This is a great place to include your most positive reviews. Quote reviewers from the most important organizations. For example, my Holocaust book cover page included portions of reviews from Jewish Book World and the Association of Jewish Libraries.

The e-mail cover letter is also a good place to list (link) interviews about your book. For example, I embedded a hyperlink to an interview that I gave with Jewish Literary Review. Whatever positive information you can push into a few paragraphs the better. Don’t forget to include your contact information. If requested, attach your proposal. If the publisher will not accept attachments, then you’ll need to use the e-mail cover page for all of it. As an alternative, you can create a book-publishing proposal as an Internet web site. Then, you only need to list the web site’s address, or embed it as a hyperlink in your e-mail cover page. The next paragraph shows you how to create your own web site.

Many publishers accept e-mail proposals, but not always with attachments. Let’s face it, all of us will open a hyperlink or e-mail address sent to us by a stranger. But, no one wants to risk a virus or worse by open a stranger’s attachment. However, you can create a web page for your book (use any free service, like Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Word press, Geocities, etc.). Create a one-page synopsis of your book, packed with features and reasons why people will purchase it. Then, embed the link for that web site into your e-mail letter. Here is one example http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/, although it is for book marketing, not a publishing proposal. One could just as easily replace the marketing information with a standard publishing proposal. Remember, you only need to customize the e-mail cover letter. The publishing proposal can remain the same, unless a specific publisher requires additional information.

Do not be discouraged. Being published is a numbers game. You might need to send out 100 proposals to get one acceptance and you might need to get three acceptances before you are satisfied with a publishing offer. I had five publishing offers for Jacob’s Courage before I was satisfied that I had the best offer. That means you might need to send out 300 proposals to receive just the right offer. You will want a publishing company well suited to your book and with the right financial arrangements.

I used a traditional publisher and within a month Jacob’s Courage was up on Amazon. It also rapidly appeared at Target, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powell’s, Wal-Mart and it was soon on the Amazon sites in France and Japan. Never discount the potential for international sales. POD, vanity and self-publishing companies might or might not perform the same services. My traditional publisher also swiftly negotiated contracts for distribution with Ingram in the US and Gardners and Bertrams distribute Jacob’s Courage in the United Kingdom. Vanity publishers don’t do this. If you have no distributor, your book will not be on the shelves of bookstores and it will not appear on the Internet web sites of popular stores.

When you have a publishing offer that you like, have a lawyer look it over, preferably a lawyer with publishing litigation experience. Research publishing contracts on the Internet for comparison purposes. Look it over carefully. Be prepared to negotiate over portions of the contract. Some people fear angering their publisher and simply accept the offer on the table. I refused to sign the original publishing proposal because I desired additional, specific marketing criteria in the contract. My publisher agreed. We also negotiated editing. My publisher wanted some portions of the manuscript removed that were too graphic. When I realized that it would make the book more marketable, I agreed. My publisher said the book was too long (524 pages is somewhat long for a novel). I held my ground. My publisher reduced the font and relented. This is a process of give and take. My royalty is higher than the average royalty is. In many areas, there will be no need to negotiate. But, you must be prepared to negotiate over the fine points of the contract, if necessary.

My publisher also was able to have Jacob’s Courage listed on Amazon as a Kindle Book. Royalties for Kindle books are the same percentage as hardcover and paperback sales, but the cost is much lower. This is not always possible with self-publishing. Nothing is more important for sales than marketing and distribution. Focus on those aspects in your contract negotiations.

Some authors prefer to use a publishing agent. Unless your name is James Michener, good luck. Agents rarely take a chance on an unknown author, even if your book is already in print. A good agent can vastly increase sales. From that perspective it’s a useful concept. Of course, they will take a percentage of your royalties in return. In general, an agent, it will only help your objective become reality. However, beware of spending too much time trying to find an agent, instead of a publisher. Once published, you can always search for an agent.

Finally, after you have obtained a publishing contract, be prepared to help market the book yourself. That means contacting bookstores and other retail outlets where your book can be sold. Request book signings at local stores. Obtain newspaper articles about your book. Conduct public speaking events about the book. Be prepared for marketing tours and signings. Marketing is time consuming and often frustrating. But do not count on your publisher to do everything, particularly if you are a new author. Expect your publisher to contract with distributors and place your book on Amazon. But, unless your name is Stephen King, expect to do a lot of your own sales work. Be willing to conduct viral, electronic and web page marketing on your own. Use social networking sites. Create Blogs and write on other people’s Blogs. The harder your effort, the larger your royalty checks will be.

Charles S. Weinblatt
Author, Jacob’s Courage
http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/

Book Marketing 101

Book Marketing 101

© 2009, Charles S. Weinblatt

 

Congratulations!  You have found a publisher well suited to your book.  The contract has been signed.  You are a published author!  What’s next?  What will your publisher do?  What should you do to enhance the publisher’s efforts?

Authors covet traditional (trade) publishers because those publishers are experts in taking a book from manuscript to retail stores with perfection.  No matter how many articles you might have read about the enticement of self-publishing or “vanity” publishers, trade publishers know what must be done, how to accomplish the tasks and they can do it in a timely manner.  They have the artists, printers, distribution channels and retail connections that you require.  That’s why you should be willing to share some of the profit with trade publishers. 

Without a publisher, you would need to be an expert at cover art, graphic design, editing, printing, acquiring distribution channels, web site design, marketing to retail booksellers and all facets of sales.  Very few excellent writers are also experts in all of those areas.  And, even if you were an expert in all of those fields, would you have the time to accomplish all of those tasks, as well as restock retail stores?  In today’s highly competitive and rapidly changing retail book market, even trade publishers cannot do everything.  So, unless your last name is King or Clancy, you will need to chip in with some time and effort to make your book a smashing retail success.

 

What can you expect from your publisher?

A trade publisher will edit your book, create cover art, print the books, contract with distributors and then place your book on the Internet sites of Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target and other major global retailers.  Your publisher will market your book globally and arrange for distribution in all relevant countries.  The publisher will then process the books to sales outlets and restock them on a regular basis.  Your publisher may also promote your book at book fairs, through catalogs, through an e-mail or fax blast, generate media publicity, arrange book tours, create a web site, solicit reviews and arrange book signings.  And, despite all of this effort on the part of your publisher, you’ll receive royalties, which a pretty nice feeling. 

However, in today’s ever-changing book sales market, a great deal of additional work remains to be done by the author.  Much of this is electronic marketing.  Because of the changing nature of the publishing world and the revolution in electronic book purchasing, someone needs to market your book throughout the Internet world.  Because this work is extremely labor-intensive and detail-oriented, few publishers have the time, workers and enthusiasm to make it happen.  This is where the author must step in, with the motivation to work hard on behalf of his or her book.  The bad news is that there is a lot of work for the author to do.  The good news is that almost no expertise or money is required to accomplish these vital tasks. 

 

 

Viral marketing:

The Internet has turned the publishing world upside down.  Even mammoth publishing houses are today petrified with this abrupt change.  People can purchase on the Internet, bypassing brick and mortar stores.  They download books to their Kindle.  They can even download books on the Internet for free.  People today make purchasing decisions based upon what they can see and read on the Internet.  For example, Amazon not only allows you to describe your book, display its cover and details; it also has a feature called “Search Inside” that allows prospective buyers to sample many pages of your book before buying.  Bookstores and publishers are frightened and losing profit margin.  But here is where you can step in and help your publisher.

What should you do to help your publisher?  You can contact your local newspapers, magazines and on-line Blogs in order to solicit articles about you and reviews for your book.  You can contact local bookstores and arrange for book signings.  You can sell books on your own through local organizations.  You can try to obtain reviews and interviews about your book everywhere in town.  One of the fastest ways to solicit business for your book is through the media.  Since you require positive reviews to sell your book, newspapers, magazines and book clubs are a great place to start.  When you encounter serious interest, send them a review copy.  If your publisher runs out of review copies, send them the e-book as a review copy, or ask them to purchase the Kindle version.  

But, the world is a lot bigger than your neighborhood.  If you want a great many people to read your book, you will need to create a global electronic marketing campaign.  Fortunately, almost all of this can be accomplished with your computer.  Better yet, it won’t cost you a dime. 

First, create a viral marketing campaign.  Viral marketing means many things, including web pages, Blogs, social networking, video marketing and all other electronic means of selling your book.  It sounds difficult.  In reality, it is simple and free.  Use effective search terms in Google or Yahoo to find places and people related to your book.  For example, my book is about the Holocaust.  I found hundreds of Holocaust museums through Internet searches, each of which could sell my book.  I also discovered Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, public and private schools, universities and colleges, historical societies and organizations dedicated to genocide prevention.  I exposed literally thousands of people, places and organizations that might find my book appropriate to their needs and purpose. 

Once you uncover these people, places and organizations, all that remains is to contact them with a sales pitch for your book.  E-mail marketing is cheap and fast.  However, your sales pitch must grab the reader’s interest quickly.  You must construct an e-mail cover page that is informative, has embedded links to your web sites and the publisher and will sell the value of your book instantly.  More about e-mail marketing later in this article.

 

Web site marketing:

Most publishers will create a web page for your book.  But never rely on the public finding that one page, or even your publisher’s web site.  Anyone can create a free web page for his or her book.  Just visit Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, WordPress, Blogspot, Goodreads, or Geocities and begin building your site.  There are many other Internet sites where you can build a web site or Blog for free.  The instructions are simple and fast.  The more web pages that you create for your book, on your own, the more chances buyers will discover it.  I have dozens of such sites.

For example, I created a free web page that includes many detailed facts about my book (Jacob’s Courage), including review excerpts, historical data and links to my Blogs and web sites, as well as my publisher.  To keep readers on the site, I added dozens of interesting and useful links about the Holocaust.  You can see this free web site here http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/.  I created another free web site that includes a syllabus for my book, packed with features and reasons why people should purchase it.  You can see that web page here http://jacobscourageaholocaustlovestory.blogspot.com/.  Connect these web pages to each other via links.  This is FREE.  All it takes is some of your time. 

The secret to success with Internet web sites is to make them interesting and to use effective key words.  Key words (a.k.a. “tags”) are the way that search engines find web pages.  For example, if you Google “Holocaust love story,” you will find many references to my book.  Google the title (Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story) and you’ll find dozens of references.  Page after page of links will appear related to this book.  Google my name (Charles S. Weinblatt) and dozens more references appear.  Select your key words very carefully.  The more accurate and appealing your key words, the better the chance that search engines will uncover your book. 

Some people recommend that you give away downloadable copies of your book on the Internet, as a marketing tool.  Publishers may disagree.  However, if you allow someone to download your e-book, or e-mail it to them, there is a chance that they will enjoy it and tell their friends about it.  Since most people do not wish to read a book on their computer particularly a long book, print sales will increase as a result.    Someone recently asked me if I was disappointed that so many people were reading my book from the local library, rather than paying for it at a bookstore.  I don’t mind at all.  People who enjoy your book will tell friends and family about it.  In the end, giving away books judiciously is an effective sales tool.

There is no limit to the number of web pages that you can create.  The more times you create a new web page, and the more times you update an existing page, the more times people will discover your book.  Continue to perform maintenance on your key words and update your sites with new links.  Before you are done, go to this web page http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl.  Here you will be able to submit your web sites to Google’s search tool.  This step is critical, so that your web sites will appear on all future Google searches.

 

Blogs:

Blogging about your book, or writing on other Blogs about it can be a powerful tool to increase sales.  Anyone can create a Blog for free and use it to promote a book.  I Blog on two of my own sites.  You can see them here http://cweinblatt.wordpress.com/ and here http://cweinblatt.blogspot.com/.  Blog about anything of interest to you, or any particular expertise you have acquired.  It doesn’t have to be related to your book.  Note that you can easily promote your book on Blog pages, through links and sidebar widgets.  Just be sure to sign off each post as, “Author of …” below your name.

Perhaps more importantly, you can comment on other people’s Blogs, vastly increasing your book’s visibility.  For example, my book is about the Holocaust.  I use a Google search feature to troll the Internet searching for Holocaust key words.  When I find Internet newspaper or magazine articles about the Holocaust, I visit the site and write something there about my book.  When Google finds other Blogs that are Holocaust-related, I comment there about Jacob’s Courage.  Always sign off on Blogs with the title of your book under your name. 

Similarly, you can comment on articles in magazines and newspapers via their Internet versions.  In most cases, you will need to register.  It’s free and the time you put into registering is a small price to pay for the ability to promote your book in all future iterations of that newspaper or magazine.  Most Internet news media allow reader comments after an article.  When you find an article related to your book, write your comment and then sign your name and, “Author of …” after your name.  Be sure to include the title of your book under your name.  If possible, add a link to your best web site under the name of your book.

 

Write articles:

Anyone can write articles and have them published on the Internet.  Where is your expertise?  In what way can you provide people with valuable information?  Writing articles is not simple or swift.  You may need to conduct some research.  Take your time and write carefully.  Your topic need not be connected with your book.  For example, my book is about the Holocaust, yet I have had articles published on topics as wide ranging as publishing, psychology, Judaism, life, death and philosophy. 

Two of the best places to be published are TRCB (http://www.trcb.com/) and Ezine (http://ezinearticles.com/).  There are many more.  I had excellent success writing an article about Passover here.  My book is about Judaism, but I look for a chance to write articles about it on web sites for all faiths.  Again, sign off with your name and the name of your book underneath.  If they allow it, add the link to your best web site.

Establish a Goodreads account.  Goodreads is a web site for readers and authors.  It is a terrific place to see and be seen.  There is no more natural place to sell your book’s value to potential readers.  Although Goodreads is not a retail site, it offers an opportunity to network with other authors who have similar interests and problems. 

 

Social networking:

Join as many social networking sites as possible.  MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Ziggs, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Multiply, Squidoo…  They are all valuable ways to make your book known.  I was even able to generate my own Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cweinbl).  At each of these social networking sites, you can create a profile, including a description of your book and stores where it is sold.  But your work there is not finished.  Join groups within the sites that are related to your book, your writing, or anything related to the topic.  For example, I was able to promote my Holocaust book through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter by joining groups related to religion, Judaism, history, persecution, genocide, etc.  LinkedIn is an excellent place to network with professionals of all types.  At LinkedIn, you can create a profile to describe your book that will be seen by countless readers.  You can also join groups of interest related to your book.  You can reach literally thousands of people within these groups.

 

Amazon:

Amazon is not only a place to sell your book.  It is a place to post a Blog.  Amazon has a new sponsored link called filedby that includes an author biography page where you can post a Blog and relevant articles.  Also within Amazon, each content section has forums in which people start topics or respond to the topics of others.  For example, I have posted messages and responded to messages in Amazon forums as wide ranging as history, historical fiction, war, genocide, love stories, religion, literature, etc.  Again, each time you write, sign off with your name and the title of your book.  You will instantly reach thousands of potential buyers. 

Another Amazon feature allows anyone with an Amazon account to create a review for any book sold there.  Think about every book that you have read.  You can locate the book on Amazon and create your own customer review.  Just scroll down the Amazon page for any book until you see a button that says, “Create Your Own Customer Review.”  Follow the instructions to rate and then review the book.  When you are done, be sure to write, “Author of …” after your name.  Every time someone reads your review of that book, the name of your book will appear.  Since the reader is already on Amazon, they can purchase your book by typing its name at the top of the page.  You can review as many books as you wish, each time marketing your own book under your name. 

 

Email marketing:

You can personally contact tens of thousands of critical people and organizations with e-mail.  Never count on your publisher doing this.  They can only dream of having the time and labor to accomplish such a task.  All that you need are e-mail addresses, an effective sales letter and some time.

As an example, my Holocaust book could be sold at any Holocaust museum or Jewish center in the English-speaking world.  I used a Google search to locate the Association of Holocaust Organizations (AHO).  Each member of the AHO throughout the United States is listed, with an e-mail address.  All that was left for me to do was to create an effective e-mail letter and send it to each one electronically. 

Since we have already established the danger in using attachments that people fear opening, you must embed links instead.  This is very simple and very fast.  Below is an example of one of my e-mail marketing letters:

“Greetings.  I am the author of historical fiction framed within the Holocaust called Jacob’s Courage (2007, Mazo Publishers).  A retired university administrator; I was also published for nonfiction in 1986.  Jacob’s Courage is a tender coming of age love story of two young adults living in Salzburg at the time when the Nazi war machine enters Austria.  This historical novel presents accurate scenes and situations of Jews in ghettos and concentration camps, with particular attention to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.  It explores the dazzling beauty of passionate love and enduring bravery in a lurid world where the innocent are brutally murdered.  From desperate despair, to unforgettable moments of chaste beauty, Jacob’s Courage examines a constellation of emotions during a time of incomprehensible brutality.

Jacob’s Courage is sold through all major booksellers.  A film company recently expressed interest in the movie rights.  Here is some background information.  This novel has been reviewed extensively, including by Jewish Book World and the Association of Jewish Libraries.  You can read some of the other reviews more extensively at the Amazon site.  Jacob’s Courage is also a Kindle Book.  A syllabus is here.  I was recently interviewed by Jewish Literary Review here.  

Would you care to write an article about Jacob’s Courage, interview me or review the novel?  May I send you the e-reviewer’s copy? 

Feel free to contact me at csw1@sev.org or by telephone at XXX.XXX.XXXX.  Thank you for your kind attention.

Sincerely,

Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, Jacob’s Courage

csw1@sev.org”

Notice that I have embedded hyperlinks (in blue) to several critical web sites.  Place your cursor over the blue word and you will see the Internet address of the link.  Place your cursor over the word in blue and depress the “Control (“Ctrl”) key and you will be instantly transported through your browser to the correct Internet page.  While few of us are brave enough to open an attachment from a stranger, we are all willing to open a hyperlink.  Within this simple letter (above), the reader can access all of my book’s important web sites, including my publisher’s (Mazo Publishers) web site.  Plus, hyperlinks are vastly superior to typing in lengthy Internet addresses.

Note that my e-mail message is brief and concise – less than one page.  No one will bother to read a lengthy dissertation about your book while the rest of his or her daily incoming mail is waiting to be read.  Just grab their interest quickly, embed the right web sites and provide contact information.  The e-mail is only designed to grab their interest.  The embedded web sites will sell your book.  At least one of your embedded web sites should allow the reader to instantly purchase the book.  In my e-mail message above, the reader can buy the book instantly through the publisher’s site or through Amazon, with only one click required to reach each site. 

I created four web sites for my book and I provide a few interesting articles as well.  Only a few days were required to create and modify them appropriately.  It cost nothing.  In fact, some large Internet companies, like Google, will pay you per click if you allow them to advertise on your site.  Instead of paying for web site development, create your own site and make money by selling advertising on it.  Learn more about the “affiliate program” at Google.com. 

Embedding Internet hyperlinks into your e-mail cover page is simple.  In many e-mail programs that use Word as an editor, you can right-click on any word and then select “Hyperlink.”  Follow the instructions to embed the hyperlink.  That word will appear in all future e-mail versions of your letter in blue.  When your reader clicks on the blue word (while compressing the “Control” key), your web site will emerge in their browser.  Try it with the sample e-mail paragraph above.

 

Conclusion:

The world of book marketing and sales is undergoing considerable, rapid change.  People who formerly explored the world of books and purchased them at their local Barnes & Noble increasingly do this now on the Internet.  The Internet is filled with web sites and Blogs that can be used to attract the public to one’s book and accomplish the sale with a few more mouse clicks.  The author can solicit reviews, articles and sales by creating several attractive and concise web pages and by implementing an effective e-mail marketing campaign, right from their own computer – and it is cost free.  Since publishers are still required to edit, print, distribute and market in traditional ways, and since they have fewer staff due to lower margins, it falls upon the author to accomplish many new tasks related to electronic marketing and sales. 

Marketing your book is time consuming and sometimes frustrating.  But do not count on your publisher to accomplish everything, particularly if you are a new author.  Be willing to implement your own marketing with web sites and e-mail.  The harder your effort, the larger your royalty checks will be.

Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, “Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story”

http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/

What Happens When We Die?

There are as many opinions about the potential for an afterlife as there are stars in the sky.  Devoutly religious people anticipate a conventional life after death in heaven, hell or purgatory; some others believe in reincarnation.  Atheists with an imagination conceptualize alternate dimensions.  Agnostics assert that there is no existence after death at all.  Einstein believed that no one could understand the universe, except through his or her own imperfect perspective.

Most of us agree that science gives us the opportunity to empirically confirm or refute any concept, including life after death.  Many piously religious people despise science for that very fact.  For example, we know through carbon dating that the earth is billions of years old.  This is an empirical fact.  It is as real as gravity.  We can measure it.  This fact disproves the biblical allegation that the earth is only a few thousand years old.  But, what about other religious concepts?  Might they be true?  And, how can scientists reconcile their own religious beliefs, when they are in conflict with empirical evidence?

We know that our consciousness (everything we think about, all of our memories, values, loves, hates, fears and emotions) is the product of neurons firing in our cerebral cortex.  When the cells of our cerebral cortex die, our consciousness perishes.  This is the physical and legal concept of brain death.  We can quantify and calculate it.  In order to prove that an afterlife exists, we must demonstrate empirically that consciousness exits after brain cells perish and that it exists elsewhere.  In all of human history, no one has been able to accomplish this.  Until someone does, we cannot know that there is an afterlife.  We can believe it on faith.  But its certainty escapes us.

Some people use common near-death experiences to validate an afterlife.  For example, people who have been revived from near-death experiences express common characteristics of the experience, such as “traveling through a dark tunnel towards a white light.”  Yet, we know from empirical evidence that brains cells for visual functioning are often the first to cease execution in the absence of oxygenated blood.  Brain cells can function for about six minutes after they stop receiving oxygen.  It would therefore be normal for revived people to see their vision gradually disappear, mimicking a tunnel with white light at the end.  This by no means suggests an afterlife; rather, it is a normal part of conscious brain death.

In the end, we do not know if there is life after death.  If so, it has remained unproven (empirically) throughout time.  If not, then we must accept that the sum of our existence occurs during the time that we are alive.  Therefore, it is critical that we use every minute wisely.  In this, religion produces a paradox.  What if there is an afterlife?  Would that imply that inappropriate behavior could be redeemed in the afterlife?  Can we act with senseless brutality and be forgiven?  Would such a truth enable humankind to be intolerant and vicious?  Could the religious concept of an afterlife inadvertently allow for more hatred, mistrust and selfishness?  

In the absence of science, when giant leaps of faith leave us wanting, we must turn to logic.  The fact that we have doubt about an afterlife means that we should feel compelled to act in ways that benefit our descendents now.  We must be tolerant and kind to each other, care wisely for our planet and deliver a world to our progeny that is better than the one we inherited.  If we have only one shot at existence, let’s make certain that our actions are based upon wisdom, love and charity.  If there is an afterlife, then we might have one more opportunity to act prudently.  If not, we will have wisely used our only chance to create a better world.

Happiness and the Human Mind

Humans are frenzied islands of consciousness, possessing characteristics both good and evil.  If we wish to contemplate reality, then we must accept that our good characteristics are balanced with flaws, faults and limitations.  Conversely, the malevolent side of our nature possesses some beneficial qualities, as well.  It is this balance of the good and wicked sides of our personality that we must understand.  But, we must dig deeper to truly comprehend the complex foundation of our behavior.  We must go back to when values are created.

There is a great deal more to our personality than the ubiquitous battleground of good versus evil.  We are not one or the other, but a combination of both.  We are attractive and hideous, comforting and horrifying, wicked and compassionate; we can love and we can loathe.  Humans are complex creatures ruled by principles, moral beliefs and concepts of veracity.  We are governed by ideations of probity, integrity and honor.  Yet, how can we know that our beliefs are virtuous?  If we were raised by criminals, would ruthlessness become a virtue?  How can we be certain that we are a good person?

Determined by genetic predisposition and acquired emotions, our personality is formed at a young age.  By the time we are a teenager, our complex personality has been fully formed.  It will never change, barring a very significant life event.  We learn to act in ways that mimic our parents and close relatives.  Their beliefs become the basis for our morality, our interactions and, ultimately, our happiness.  Morality can also be powerfully influenced by outside forces.  For example, many Europeans accepted Hitler’s propaganda and believed that Jews were evil.  Thus, our concept of ethical morality can be twisted to achieve dark goals. 

In addition to morality, our personality is influenced by powerful emotions churning within our consciousness.   Emotions alter our relationships and inspire or prevent virtuous behavior.  No emotion pushes us to behave more powerfully than does guilt.  Not love.  Nor anger.  Our minds are aggressively provoked by contemplation of our culpability and this remorse becomes a primary motivator in decision-making.  The surprising aspect of this reality is that we fail to recognize it.  We can ignore guilt or learn from it, but we can never escape from it.  Even the most innocent of us are burdened by thoughts of guilt and penitence.  When we dwell upon these forces of compunction, our behavioral balance becomes tilted toward sorrow and anger.  We become depressed, paralyzed and tormented.

Humans are faced with treacherous forces throughout life.  We are, at times, victims of pretense and cruelty.  We are shocked by the loss of a career, a home or a loved one.  Our lives are precarious and the only thing that we can count on is change.  Yet, in the midst of despair, there also exists love, desire, and hope.  Even in desperate misery, there is the potential for faith and compassion; things that humans crave.  This is our spiritual self.  It shields us from despair, proffering comfort and direction.  Those of us who find a way to balance the rollercoaster ride of emotions and who possess a sound concept of morality are the happiest.  Of course, this spiritual balance is easier said than done.

Life is tragic, exciting, wonderful, and terrifying – all at the same time.  Yet our journey through the passage of time allows us to act in ways that benefit others.  All of us have the capacity to act in ways that benefit others.  We can be honorable, empathetic and loving individuals.  This can be our goal.  Compassion and empathy are the most valued characteristics of humanity; including all societies and religions.  We can teach the significance of empathy and tolerance to our children.  While that might not be our destiny, it is within our capacity to achieve.

Making decisions is the only true freedom that any of us have.  The consequences of our decisions frame our character and form our legacy.  We can reason and act in wise and virtuous ways.  But, we must first challenge the authenticity of our acquired morality.  We must do what so many Europeans did not do during the Holocaust.  It has always been easier to fear and hate, than to value and tolerate.  We must reflect upon incoming propaganda and determine if it truly reflects esteemed concepts of human compassion and empathy.  This is not a purpose, but a gift possessed only by humans. 

Happiness has a great deal to do with our principles and morality.  We have the capacity to grow beyond our self-centered ego.  As a child, we desire that which makes us feel good.  As an adult, we can realize that virtue derives from compassion.  Fulfillment results from the knowledge that we have improved the world in some way; that we made someone’s life better.  The fact that we have only one shot at life makes each moment, each interaction, critically precious.  Time is the fire in which we burn.  We have only one chance to act wisely with each fleeting moment.  Compassionate behavior is superior to repentance.  Selflessness overcomes egoism.  Tolerance surpasses hatred and fear.

Our actions echo through eternity in those who remember us.  Happiness results from our inner balance between emotions and values.  But the search for contentment lies not just in maintaining an inner balance, but also by acting in a righteous manner.  For the more we love others, the more we will be loved in return.  The more virtuous we are, the greater our importance to society and the planet.  Contentment is a gift that each of us can control.  It is achieved, paradoxically, by making others happy.  Each of us has this capacity.  It’s always within reach.  We attain it by understanding why we behave and how we can change our actions to enhance the lives of others.  In this regard, happiness is a self-fulfilling prophesy. 

Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, Jacob’s Courage

Why We Exist

Why am I here? What should I do? Where should I go? With whom? What will happen when I am gone? Why is there so much pain? What is the meaning of life?

We are fortunate to have become sentient life forms. Evolution allowed us to reach this point. However, the capacity to comprehend does not lend any more purpose to our existence than has an ant, a fish or a bird. Our purpose in life is, quite simply, procreation. Make more humans and we have accomplished our reason for being here.

Yet, we have the capacity to do more, to be more, and to act in ways that benefit others. We can appreciate our existence, manipulate our environment and improve the lives of others. We can be moral, compassionate and ethical. Some may describe this as egocentric nihilism. So, be it. It can be in our nature to enhance the condition of humanity and improve the quality of our environment.

Some of the most beautiful and gifted people perish at a young age. Some of the most terrible monsters enjoy long comfortable lives. There is no rhyme or reason to the symphony of life. It is tragic, electrifying, magnificent, and terrifying – all at the same time. Are we confined to the role of observant passenger throughout the passage of time? Can we act in ways that impact society, benefiting future generations? Can we impart this value to our progeny? Whether or not this is our destiny, the prospect exists and its meaning calls through the silence of time to all of us.

We do not exist to do something or to be someone. Although we have innate gifts, randomness plays a critical role. We are born into to wealth or poverty. Our parents love us or beat us. The randomness of our birth condemns us to poverty or places us in circumstances of great wealth; we receive superior guidance from a loving family, or we are thrown into the cold, dark world as orphans. Yet there are those who overcome such travesties of unfortunate circumstance. Some of the most depressed people are wealthy beyond avarice, as are many of the physically beautiful. Conversely, some of the most unattractive, deprived people are also the happiest. We strive to consume, to own and to possess. We learn, work and achieve. But, are we fulfilled?

Our destiny is created through decisions. It is the only true freedom that any of us have. The consequences of our decisions create or deny opportunities. We can overcome severe impediments by virtue of our ability to reason and act wisely. This is not our purpose. Rather, it is a gift. How we use this gift determines our legacy.

A metaphysical explanation for death, heaven, God, alternate dimensions or a parallel universe is not required for us to feel satisfied. Happiness has little to do with ideations of conscience or delusions of morality. The Torah teaches us that whoever saves a person saves the whole world in turn. If there is any meaning in life it is that we have the capacity to help others. We can touch lives and make them better. The context of this morality is compassion. Compassion ennobles humanity and enhances its significance. The human soul does not thrive on value (Nietzsche). It thrives on love and compassion. We have the capacity to grow beyond our self-centered ego. What we do with our lives echoes throughout eternity in those who remember us. The doorway to this reward is ethical behavior. Yes, it is subjective. But reason and logic alone leave us wanting.

The currency of life is empathy. The more we give, the more we receive. Anyone can be wealthy in this regard. Environmental conditions and strength of purpose allow someone with a short, miserable life in painful squalor to become happy and fulfilled. Accomplishment comes from the knowledge that one’s presence in life improved the world in some way. A search for further meaning is superfluous.

Time is the fire in which we slowly burn. Its flames prick our skin always. Time surrounds us in silent, smoldering malevolence, ever gaining upon our retreat. There is no escape. Death is liberation, not exoneration. The fact that we have only one shot at life makes each moment, each interaction, critical. There are no second chances.

Why do we fear death? Death is simply the normal end to life. It is a release for many and a desire for those who suffer. We mourn lost loved ones. The gaping emptiness is unbearable. Yet, through the sadness and mourning, despite the certainty that they are gone forever, we can rejoice in the way that they touched our life. We can remember their love and pass it along to others.

Humanity grasps an optimistic picture of existence after death. Captivated by a fabricated ideation of heaven, we blunder through life assuming that our ends will more than justify the means. We blindly assume that a “good” deity would always take us into his bosom, allowing us to partake of heavenly bliss. In reality, we are responsible for everything that we do or say. Our actions have consequences. We can help or hurt, assist or ignore, tolerate or hate. And, while it may appear that death is a brick wall upon whose edifice all of our lives must crash, our actions in life echo through eternity. Our behaviors resonate through time, reflecting and refracting across everyone that we encounter and those whom they meet. The resulting clarity becomes the character of our legacy. Good or bad, right or wrong, the remote memory of our existence will be defined by our past and current actions and attitudes.

The noblest effort in our meager existence is to impart value to our progeny’s existence. We can teach our children to respect and honor humanity in all forms; and, to value the differences among us, not fear them. If we are successful, then our lives will be fulfilled. And, when we are gone, our children will rejoice in the way that we touched their lives. This is the meaning of our existence – to touch others in a positive way and to be remembered as a person who values life and improves the world.

Charles S. Weinblatt
Author, Jacob’s Courage

Why Do People Hate?

As a Holocaust author and researcher, I appreciate a thorough examination of morality. Darkness, hatred and fear are common characteristics of human nature. Holocaust victims were faced with perfidious forces, deceit, brutality, cruelty, starvation, sickness and the death of loved-ones. Terror was the daily companion of concentration camp prisoners. What culture could allow this to happen to innocent men, women and children? How did so many people go along with this horrific plan to isolate and exterminate the Jews of Europe? How could millions more turn their backs to the immorality of using camps to exterminate an entire religious group? Some people were unaware of the nightmare on the other side of the fence. But, most Europeans (especially in Poland and Germany) could smell death regularly. The scent of burning flesh wafted over Eastern Europe for years, during the early–to-mid 1940’s. These people allowed Nazi Germany to exterminate the Jewish population – men, women and children. They lifted no finger to stand in the way. Many individuals saved Jews (especially Jewish children) at great risk to themselves. But they were the exception, not the rule. We learn nothing about ourselves if we do not examine this dark part of our psyche.

It is safe to say that large portions of the European population in the early 20th century disliked Jews. Pogroms were ubiquitous and largely ignored by society, the police and armed forces. In fact, in some pogroms the armed forces cooperated (Einsatzgruppen, Cossacks, etc.). Jews were significantly mistrusted, disliked and ostracized. They were the butt of jokes and the subject of innuendo. Yet, Jews represented no threat of any reasonable nature or definition to Europeans. At that time, Jews amounted to about 2% of the population in Europe; they possessed a very small percentage of the money, influenced no governments and had no armed forces or militia. They could not have been a threat to any potion of gentile Europe if they had wanted to. So, why did so many Europeans hate Jews? How could so many people find it easy to loathe millions whom they knew nothing about and that they had never met? Were they automatons, eagerly lapping up propaganda drivel proffered by Nazis? Or, were they intelligent humans, with the capacity to comprehend nuances of their society’s actions and still reach the conclusion that Jews were bad people who deserved to be rounded up, incarcerated and annihilated? Yes, these people acted in evil ways. But, what precipitated the hate? Was it a genetic predisposition or evil acquired later in life?

We are complex beings. I believe that there is a great deal more to us than the ubiquitous battleground of good versus evil. Most of us are not one or the other, but both. We are beautiful and ugly, soothing and terrifying, brutal and caring; we love and we despise. Unlike animals, humans are governed by principles and moral beliefs. We are not motivated by delusions of morality, as much as governed by them. So what brings a person to despise a stranger? Why do some people hate and fear those who are different in color, religion or ethnic origin? Why do so many people find it easier to hate than to tolerate?

My instinct tells me that some people acquire racism because they were taught at a young age to hate, by parents, siblings, relatives, friends or any other portion of their social network. At some point in their juvenile existence, they learned to despise minorities from people close to them. And, many of these racists continue to hate without questioning the veracity of their loathing. Being recognized as a bigot makes some individuals popular with desired social groups. Research reveals that a high percentage of racists are poorly educated. Yet, not all racists are ignorant or mentally slow. Some people with a postgraduate education delude themselves with manifestations of detestation towards minority groups. The dark side is filled with ignorance and deception. And, while many people are taught to be bigoted as children, some acquire it later in life, despite having a liberal, tolerant social network in their youth.

Could we be little different from the final vestiges of our primordial ancestors? Like many animals, humans originally had to fight and control others in order to maintain territorial superiority. Perhaps the need to be superior is an innate mental mechanism, acquired biologically. This Darwinian factor could be a reason for bigotry, although it may be difficult to prove. Evolution teaches us that we are governed by the principle of survival of the fittest. Is human behavior dominated by an inborn fear of others? Is social responsibility, tolerance and compassion simply an aberrant acquired social behavior, employed most often by liberals and religionists? Are the better angels of our conscience nothing more than bizarre adaptations to our dark and “natural” survival instinct?

I believe that people find it easy to hate because tolerance requires effort. Haters live with haters, in a community of malevolence. The more they hate, the more they are approved by their social group. Toleration would require analyzing each individual, based upon his or her merits, rather than despising every member of a race, color or religion. But, it is easier to hate. We despise those different from ourselves. And, we teach our descendants to do the same. This creates an endless, vicious cycle, guaranteed to generate bigoted progeny. Ironically, we hate in order to be valued by our peers.

But, we outsiders, who value tolerance, can break the bonds of bigotry one person at a time, with education, conversation and engagement across all media. We can use the Internet’s social networking and web sites to our advantage. We can fight the innate fear and bigotry of others by generating compassion for the individual, regardless of milieu. We can promote the significance of each person as a unique entity, with unlimited potential, rather than a member of a religious or social class, with preconceived expectations. We can promote tolerance of each individual’s soul. Only when we make an effort to understand and value the differences among us will racism and bigotry end. Only when we accept the value of each person, regardless of background, will our culture be meaningful and rewarding.

Fear may be at the heart of racism and bigotry. We fear that which we do not understand. We fear anyone who might be perceived as better than we are. We therefore use the tools of bigotry to become superior to others. Our fear drives us to prove that we are better than the “others” are. It feels good to be superior. Yet, in order for one person to feel superior, another must be subjugated. In order to feel better, we must dominate someone. The easiest way to dominate is to hate those who are not a threat. We use an innocent and defenseless group as our target for scapegoat. And, it feels good to make them live in fear. We rationalize the minimization of our fear by inflicting greater fear on the victim. If they are inferior, we must be better. We climb upon their social cadaver in order to feel superior.

Racism, hatred, intolerance and bigotry are the artifacts of fear. Eliminate fear and there will no longer be a need for the tools of bigotry. This is our challenge. We must convince the haters that they have no reason to fear minorities. This is the greatest and most noble challenge of our generation. The reward for success is tolerance, respect and mutual recognition. We can share our planet together as equals. This will be our legacy.

But, if we fail, our children will inherit a world dominated by the dark angels of our nature. If we fail, our progeny will be doomed to a life surrounded by fear, suspicion, hatred and death. We cannot end our generation sharing the same values as our early 20th century European ancestors had. We can and must be better than that. We must evolve into a tolerant society. Our children’s future depends upon it.

Charles S. Weinblatt
Author, Jacob’s Courage

Where can I get “Jacob’s Courage?”

Jacob’s Courage is a tender coming of age love story of two young adults living in Salzburg at the time when the Nazi war machine enters Austria.  This historical novel presents accurate scenes and situations of Jews in ghettos and concentration camps, with particular attention to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz.  It explores the dazzling beauty of passionate love and enduring bravery in a lurid world where the innocent are brutally murdered.  

Jacob’s Courage is available though Mazo Publishers, as well as most major book retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Target, Buy.com and many more.  Learn more about Jacob’s Courage and read some of the reviews here http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/. 

If you would like a free copy of Jacob’s Courage, e-mail me at csw1@sev.org and I will send you the reviewer’s copy (e-book) at no cost.

The Meaning of Passover

Each Passover, Jews retell the story of the exodus from Egypt.  This is a story of a people who emerged from slavery to freedom and from oppression to liberty.  The Passover story gives us pause to reflect upon a spiritual adventure that began with Moses and ended in the promised land of Israel.  It fabricates the basis of contemporary Judaism and Christianity.  The Passover story describes the Jews’ seemingly insurmountable victory over a vastly superior enemy, a tale of wandering in the wilderness and of redemption with God’s Ten Commandments.  Those Ten Commandments lie at the heart of contemporary Judeo-Christian beliefs.  They are the groundwork of our morality and the foundation of desired ethical behavior.  And, when the Jews wandered for forty years in the wilderness – when they became idolaters and lost their moral compass, it was the Ten Commandments that brought them back, figuratively and literally.

 

Like the victory of the Hebrew Maccabi, the exodus from Egypt seemed impossible.  Yet, somehow the Jews survived.  In every generation, the enemies of the Hebrew nation have attempted to annihilate them.  Time after time, the Jews have been defeated, evicted and enslaved.  Yet, each time, they manage to survive as a people.  Each time, they return to Israel from the Diaspora.  The rallying cry at each Passover Seder is, “Next Year in Jerusalem.”  Every Jew is bound to retell the Passover story each year as though it was happening to them.  And the physical focus for this goal is always the land of Israel.  Despite the fact that Jews are less than 2% of the global religious community, they somehow manage to survive and maintain their hold upon this tiny fragment of land.  Today, surrounded by enemies, the Hebrew nation is in the same predicament.  How do they survive?  How does their spirit continue through pogroms and genocide?  And, what is the true meaning of Passover?

 

Persecution is intensely malevolent and pervasive.  Humans are particularly wicked with each other.  Three thousand years ago, Moses pleaded with Pharaoh to free his people from persecution and slavery.  The ten plagues that followed forced him to release the Jews.  Yet even after the worst plague of all, the destruction of the firstborn of Egypt, Pharaoh pursued the Jews into the Red Sea, where his soldiers were swept away.  Evil can be just as powerful a motivator as love is.  During the Spanish Inquisition, anyone suspected of being a Jew was imprisoned, tortured and put to death.  Nazi Germany systematically annihilated millions of Jews.  What purpose is served by inflicting pain and suffering upon innocent people?  What promotes such evil hatred?  Why is animosity aimed at the Jewish people?  And, how do the Jews manage to survive repeated attempts to destroy them?

 

Like Easter, Passover occurs each year in the springtime.  The concept of renaissance is ubiquitous.  From sacrificial lambs to the presence of an egg on the Seder plate, the symbolism of devotion and rebirth is palpable.  While the overriding message of Passover is freedom, gratitude and spiritual devotion, the concept of renewal allows each of us to observe the holiday by perform acts of kindness.  From generation to generation, Jews retell the Passover story and revel in the miracles that led to their redemption as a people.  The Passover Seder requires that each Jew place himself or herself in the position of being a slave in Egypt.  Every Jew must experience the plagues and walk through the wilderness.  The Seder brims with imagery and metaphors.  But what does this mean for us today?  Can we identify with our three thousand year old ancestors?

 

Good and evil exist in the world.  We don’t need to look very far to see it or feel it.  The exodus of the Jews from Egypt is an example for us to follow forever.  Yet, humanity continues to enslave, maltreat and murder the innocent.  One might have guessed that the Holocaust would put such immorality to an end.  Surely humankind should be repelled by the vast horror and the murder of millions of innocent people.  Yet, holocausts continue unabated.  Since the Nazi Holocaust, we have experienced holocausts in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.  Anti-Semitism is again growing throughout the world.  Why don’t we learn?  When will it end?  Why do the Jewish people play a significant historical role as victims in genocides?  And, what can be done to stop it?  What can any of us do to reduce religious persecution?

 

Prejudice, bigotry and racism create an environment in which persecution thrives.  This Easter and Passover, each of us can vow to promote goodwill and acceptance.  The foundation of freedom lies in our value for liberty and unity in the face of hatred and intolerance.  Instead of waiting for a miracle, let us create our own.  Let each of us retell the story of the Passover as though we were personally a part of it.  Moreover, as we retell the Passover story and celebrate Easter, we can place ourselves in the minds of current victims of genocide, slavery and intolerance.  We have the power to defy fanaticism.  We have the courage to fight for freedom.  This is the meaning of Passover.  We can make our own miracles by fighting to free the oppressed. 

 

Humans are not God.  But we have the power of choice.  We can use it to enslave or to liberate.  We can persecute or accept others.  This Easter and Passover, let us vow to use our power of choice to fight for mercy, justice and liberty.  If the meaning of Passover is spiritual redemption and rebirth, then let us be reborn to stop prejudice.  Let us promote tolerance and encourage everyone to value the differences among us.  In this way, the spirit of Passover will live on through our progeny.  As we enjoy Passover and Easter this spring with our families, let us pause for a moment to ask what each of us can do to eradicate the evil that surrounds us.  The rebirth of this spirit is the true meaning of Passover.

 

Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, “Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story”

http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/

 

Jacob's Courage

 

 

 

We Must Always Speak of the Holocaust

The Holocaust is the worst episode of genocide in history, not because of its brutality, but because of its remarkable scope.  The Holocaust is spelled with a capital “H” because it represents the single most vast and devastating example of religious genocide in history.  Six million Jews (and at least four million gypsies, homosexuals, political and Russian prisoners) were systematically exterminated.  No merciful, quick ending was in store for these poor souls.  They were not shot to death or hung.  They were exterminated, like annoying insects or disgusting rodents.  They were gassed to death, because that was the most efficient way to dispose of millions of innocent people. 

 

These Jews were not criminals.  They had broken no laws.  They represented a threat to no one – but were instead a valuable resource for their societies.  For countless generations, Jewish men served and died in the German armed forces.  German Jews were counted among the leaders of business, government, education, science and the arts.  However, because of the way they served God, millions Jews were systematically murdered.  The elderly, frail women and children were often first into the gas chambers.  Able-bodied men and women were kept barely alive for their value as forced labor.  Those able to work were employed as slaves for the benefit of the military and German industrialists.  Some German companies that used Jews as slaves exist today.  When there was no more work to perform, or when the brutalized prisoners became sick and frail, they were gassed and burned, like bothersome pests.

 

My mother experienced vile anti-Semitism as a child in Russia.  I heard many stories about vicious Cossacks who persecuted Jews in the Ukraine.  She and her sisters survived and later flourished in America.  Most of the remaining family, however, perished in the Holocaust.  So, you see, the Holocaust is close to my heart.  I bear it as a cumbersome stone attached to my soul – a lifelong burden of significant proportions.  My ancestors cry out for justice.  They lost everything that they treasured – their homes, valuables, jobs, freedom, relatives and finally – their children.  They want you to comprehend the unspeakable evil that utterly destroyed them.  I wonder what their precious progeny might have accomplished, had they been allowed to live.  What lost treasures were burned with those tender, young bodies?  Might one of them have cured cancer or discovered a swift end to global warming?  Those innocent children deserved a chance to live, to love, to learn and to share their faith.  Rather than a danger to society, they represented its best hope.

 

I cannot tell this story without revealing the Holocaust, in every possible way.  To gloss over the devastating brutality of the Nazi genocide, or the overwhelming psychological demoralization, would inflict yet another injustice upon my relatives.  The only way that I can tell this story is with the truth.  But, tales of shocking violence are not everyone’s cup of tea.  In essence, I had to tell a story that no one wants to hear.  Why would anyone yearn for a novel about the Holocaust, when they can tune out the world’s problems with their iPod or dismiss the fabric of cruelty with light-hearted movies and television comedy?  Yet, the death of six million innocent people MUST be told.  If not, there would be nothing to prevent more genocide, and then more after that!  Everyone must hear this tragedy.  Otherwise, we might one day again embrace the worst of human nature.  

 

Jacob’s Courage explores how humans behaved during the most brutal and horrendous genocide in history.  We are complex beings.  There is a great deal more to us than the ubiquitous battleground of good versus evil.  We are not one or the other, but both.  We are attractive and hideous, comforting and horrifying, vicious and compassionate; we worship and we loathe.  We are not clouded by delusions of morality, but governed by them.  So, when will we stop ostracizing people because of the way they praise God, or by virtue of the color of their skin?  When will we learn to value the differences among us rather than fear them?  We’re better than that.  We must be better than that. 

 

Perhaps above all, Jacob’s Courage is a powerful and passionate love story.  In 1939, seventeen-year-old Austrians Jacob Silverman and Rachael Goldberg are bright, talented, and deeply in love.  Because they are Jews, their families lose everything; their jobs, possessions and money, contact with loved ones, and finally their liberty at the hands of the Nazis.  Jacob and Rachael “grow up” during the Holocaust.  As teenagers, they survive the beatings, rapes, and murderous acts of the Nazis, enjoy the physical and spiritual pleasure of being in love and are able to become husband and wife in the Theresienstadt Ghetto, before being imprisoned in Auschwitz.  Eventually Jacob and Rachael become Partisans to fight the Nazi enemy.  Theirs was a love for the ages.  Stung by the death of loved-ones, enslaved and starved, they have nothing to count on but faith, love and courage.   

 

Holocaust survivors were forced to examine every aspect of life, while they endured the unendurable, waiting for a slow, torturous death.  This horror led some to curse God, even while others continue to praise God.  Within this impenetrable abyss, many Jews continued to live out their faith, to practice the religion as best they could.  The managed to summon the courage necessary to continue living, to suffer the intolerable.  They refused to allow the foundation of their society to be destroyed.  Within the Nazi camps, Jews created their own schools, orchestras, political leadership and medical clinics.  On the road to certain death, they found a way to teach their children how to fulfill their religious commandments.  This is profound courage not seen elsewhere in history, except for those brave Jews at Masada.  Some of the most ardent examples of constructive human nature can be found in these terrifying Holocaust stories. 

We must always tell the stories of the Holocaust.  They represent the devastatingly worst and the extraordinarily best examples of the human spirit.  These stories instruct us to recognize the inherent evil of humanity, lest it never be used again.  As long as we teach our progeny about the Holocaust, there is hope for the future.

By Charles S. Weinblatt

Author, Jacob’s Courage

From Read the Spirit, January 29, 2009, “Why We Must Always Speak of the Holocaust”

http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/2009/01/355-why-creative-voices-must-help-to-keep-holocaust-lessons-alive.html

The Characterization of the Human Spirit

As the author of a Holocaust novel (“Jacob’s Courage: A Holocaust Love Story”), I appreciate books that offer a frank, emotional examination of morality.  Repugnance, despair and darkness exist within human nature.  We therefore learn nothing about ourselves if we do not examine this part of our psyche. 

 

“Jacob’s Courage” explores how humans behaved during the most brutal and horrendous genocide in history.  We are complex beings.  There is a great deal more to us than the ubiquitous battleground of good versus evil.  We are not one or the other, but a combination of both.  We are beautiful and ugly, soothing and terrifying, brutal and caring; we love and we despise. 

 

Deep within the fear and panic of the Holocaust were decisions about ethical behavior and our concept of integrity.  Unlike animals, humans are governed by principles, moral beliefs and veracity.  We are not clouded by delusions of morality, but governed by them.  In “Jacob’s Courage,” my characters explore the human response to terror and morality, as well as the alluring beauty of passionate young love and the driving power of religious devotion.  Our lives are complex – even within the garish midst of the Holocaust.  Powerful passion and tender love also existed during times of horror and despair.  So did a deep commitment to our relationship with faith and God.  These powerful motivators churn within the consciousness of my characters, creating powerful new relationships and inspiring virtuous behavior.  Yet, the world is seldom seen in black and white, or shades of gray – even during the Holocaust.  In the midst of terrible anguish, beauty exists.  Within beauty, despair can exist.

Holocaust survivors lost everything, but perhaps somehow gained something as well.  Certainly an honest examination of the Holocaust must reveal torturous brutality and death.  Yes, many Holocaust survivors lost all of their loved ones.  However, life is not always so simple.  Deep within the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, the Jews of Europe continued to practice their religion, to teach their children and to love one another.  Here, one can feel hope for the survival of the human spirit, among the ashes of destruction. 

In an age of realism, readers seem to have a passion for books about real-life characters.  As a child of this generation, I tend to agree.  I have nothing against classic stories about good versus evil.  Certainly good and evil exist always.  Yet, today’s more discerning reader expects characters to be more like themselves – multifaceted, often chaotic individuals who possess characteristics both good and bad.  Novels should not always be about traditional heroes and villains.  If we wish to emulate reality, then our good characters should become complex humans, with flaws, limitations, imperfections and faults.  Our villains should possess some good qualities, as well. 

No emotion pushes us to behave in a stronger sense than does guilt.  I constructed characters aggravated constantly and aggressively by guilt.  We are forever tortured by our past and guilt is the primary motivator in our decisions about the future.  We can ignore it or learn from it, but we can never escape from it.  I believe that it is impossible to write about the Holocaust without a hefty dose of guilt.  In “Jacob’s Courage” all of my characters are burdened by guilt – even the most innocent. 

Characters living through the Holocaust were faced with the most perfidious forces.  Deceit, brutality, cruelty, sickness, starvation and the death of loved-ones were the daily companions of Holocaust victims.  Novels about this time are by causality dark and precarious.  Yet, in the midst of this despair, there was life, love, passion, desire, religious fervor and the excitement known only to children.  Even in such hopeless desolation, there was love of God, infatuation, romance and passion and longing for all of the things that humans crave.  Characters such as these must by nature embellish the wide range of human attributes.  Such was the complex state of being in a Nazi death camp.

“Jacob’s Courage” describes the Holocaust through the eyes of a normal Jewish family.  If we speak only of heroic individuals battling against dark forces, then we dismiss the truth of our nature.  Humans are far more complex than such generic characters imply.  Not all Jews imprisoned and tortured by Nazi Germany were good.  Some became “kapos,” more ruthless than the SS.  Not all Germans were bad.  Some Germans were riddled with guilt and some expressed tender compassion for the imprisoned Jews.  Yet, below the surface of brutality, we find the human instinct for life, liberty, love and compassion. 

 

Most of the Jews in Nazi concentration camps comprehended that they would not survive.  Yet, within the camps, the Jews constructed synagogues, schools, and orchestras.  They had civic leaders, medical clinics, commerce and religious celebrations.  Hidden from the SS, the Jews observed all of the covenants and rituals of Judaism, including holidays, marriage ceremonies, burials and circumcisions.  Along the terrifying, dark path to the gas chambers of Nazi-occupied Europe, Jews lived, loved, learned and died.  Yet, in their darkest moments, the Jews of Nazi concentration camps fabricated a “normal” life for their progeny.  Despite their impending mortality, they created a normal world on the inside to protect children from the raging genocide on the outside.  Such was the nature of their love.  Yet this love transcended parental affection.  Judaism cannot survive without Jewish children.

The Holocaust cannot be described without inflicting horror upon the reader.  Such books are not for the faint of heart.  The human spirit strives for autonomy and freedom, of course.  Yet, if one is to search for an understanding of human nature, then one must descend into the depths of depravity and terror.  We cannot understand humanity without comprehending its wicked flaws.  Deep within the darkest recesses of brutal genocide, the reader will discover a faint flicker of light representing love, passion, desire, hope and reverence.  Here is the essence of “Jacob’s Courage” – an examination of morality, love and righteousness, in the midst of the dark whirlwind of malevolence.

 

Read more about Jacob’s Courage at http://www.amazon.com/Jacobs-Courage-Holocaust-Love-Story/dp/9657344247/ref=sr_1_1/002-8189239-3149614?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174846034&sr=1-1 and at http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/?page_id=3&preview=true, or visit the publisher at http://www.mazopublishers.com/jacobscourage.html