Larry Forcey

Larry Forcey was more than an attendee at the 2011 OC Christian Writers Conference – he was also the winner of the 2011 Westbow Press Writing Contest. We checked in with Larry to see what has transpired with his writing and his book, The Creche, since winning the contest.

I had entered the WestBow contest last year with the same level of optimism as when I had previously submitted proposals to publishers throughout the past decade – little to none.  During the presentation of the award, as the synopsis of the book was being described, I recognized my story.  In the midst of the surprise and excitement I should feel, I began to cringe and shiver, fearing the foreboding task that awaited me, perfecting and tightening the narrative.

From my initial contact with WestBow personnel to receiving the Author Copies on my front doorstep, the WestBow Team has been a blessing.  They have calmed my apprehensions;  guided me through decisions about cover selection, edits, and front matter; offered suggestions regarding marketing strategies; and provided opportunities for on-line courses on a variety of writing topics.  Although I had initially feared that WestBow would not be able to provide the resources of a traditional publisher, the excellence of their service and their relationship with Thomas Nelson Publishers are testaments of their high-level quality.

Even three months after its publication, whenever I see the book out of the corner of my eye, I still react with a moment of disbelief, wondering how all this came to be.  This was something for which I had always dreamed and without the intervention of WestBow, it may have never become reality.

To learn more about the 2012 Westbow Press Writing Contest and the OC Christian Writers conference held May 18-20 in Newport Beach go to www.occwf.org.