Comments from professional editors*
who helped me give A REASON FOR LIVING a final polish
"'Inspirational' is an overused word, but I’m going to have to use it here until I can come up with a better one. I will add two more words
to describe your work: eloquent, and eclectic. You are, indeed, an athlete of the soul....
"This book is so many things – a pragmatic account of the
aftermath of a horrific accident and what it would mean for the rest of your life, a philosophic journey connecting your intellect with that of
the rest of humanity in your search through philosophy and literature for a greater meaning – all wrapped in a poetic style which at the same
time is natural rather than obtrusive....
"Your insights into your fellow man are incisive without being cruel. Anyone who can write 'I saw then and
still see a victim in every aggressor' has a perception most people don’t. Your dissection of the night nurse at the nursing home, your
descriptions of the women you have loved and lost, your understanding of your mother’s life and the choices she made to bring you into the world
are poignant and textured and hold the reader’s interest. Every time you fall in love, the reader is pulling for you, hoping this one will last.
Your philosophical tone when each romance ends, absent bitterness, is very moving. Something else: You raise a very valuable point about the
component of fear in pain, something that many chronic pain sufferers aren’t aware of. If more people become aware that their pain is not
life-threatening, they will be better able to manage it. You’re also possessed of a wry humor when you say things like 'Poetry, like plants,
thrives in shit.' That’s valuable in a book such as this....
"The way you begin each chapter with an excerpt foreshadowing what is to come is very
effective. Ultimately, "A Reason for Living" is a rare work – personal narrative, inspirational volume, self-help book for anyone who is suffering.
As such, frankly, it would be almost impossible to sell to a 'mainstream' publisher, because these days all they want is cookie-cutter stuff that
fits neatly into a little box that they can stick a label on. It’s good that you’re choosing an online publisher, because readers will want to
read your book, and this way it won’t get lost in the bottleneck of some snooty editor’s office."
"My honest thoughts about the book are as follows: 1) It's valuable. Not only in a 'seeing-how-the-other-half-lives' way (i.e., its
eye-opening, first-hand account of the physical and mental pain and suffering that people who have experienced disabling injuries go through)
but also in an inspirational and thought-provoking way. I do think you fulfilled your stated desire, to help people live happier lives. I'm
referring specifically here to the section around page 35-36 of the first part, where, finally, you exhort the reader: 'Haste it, don't
waste it! I found this section, and others throughout, personally stimulating and inspiring. Over the last week or so that I have been
reading this manuscript, you have made me sit up and re-evaluate certain areas of my life. I think you'll have this effect on other readers
as well.
"2) I have read and proofread other autobiographies that descended into whiny self-indulgence and self-pity nearly from page one. This
doesn't. You tell your story with honesty, humour (I laughed out loud in some places, and found myself smiling in others – sometimes at
the events or ideas you were describing, sometimes at a particularly beautiful turn of phrase ...) and matter-of-factness, with no melodrama
even in the most dramatic parts, and this absolutely enhances your message and the purpose of the book. You
draw us into your experiences; include us. We're right there with you; we encourage you all the way; we're glad when you succeed. We take
courage and hope from your achievements....
"3) On first reading, I thought you were a great deal older than your – later – stated age of 43. You have a very classic,
intricate, dense – and I mean that in a positive way: very compact, precise, not a word wasted – style of writing. Each sentence is loaded
with meaning, and, in many parts of the book, one finds oneself stopping, considering and weighing up nearly every phrase. This has
advantages and disadvantages. On one hand it does make one pause and absorb every thought, and every thought is worth pausing over and absorbing, but, on
the other hand, it does not make for light reading! All this means is that you may never become a newsstand best-seller (although who am
I to say? Look at Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, which has become a cult classic) to the general public,
but I don't think that's your intended audience, anyway. I think you will have success with this work.
"4) I found the more philosophical discussions thought-provoking and well-argued, and they fit into the autobiographical story well. I
enjoyed the way you begin with a premise and build on it, finally applying it to your story and to general concepts with which every reader
can identify. I may not always have agreed with your arguments, isn't that the nature of a good philosophical debate? I can certainly
admire the way you stated those arguments.
"5) In summary: loved it; got a great deal out of it."
"I have read your work from beginning to end and now it is my daunting task to offer my assessment of it. And a daunting task it is, given
the stylish and eloquent manner in which it is written....
"I found the earlier part of your manuscript heavy going... depressing... Then, as your own acceptance of your situation became
evident, the tone lightened. My interest was again awakened and I wanted to read more of your progress, your achievements....
"I believe that
the manuscript will have appeal for only those readers who have a specific interest in philosophy. You offer a vast amount of material that
requires profound thought and consideration. You require the reader to reach deep into themselves to find answers to the questions that you
pose. You certainly lead the reader along a path of intense self-discovery.... It is not easy reading....
"Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, all are trained in providing for the physical needs of patients such as yourself,
yet few will have the insights to be gained from your writing when it comes to the mental challenges that face such individuals. I speak
from the heart – I am a doctor....
"This might find a readership amongst students of philosophy for the concepts that you raise are so complex as to possibly form part of
the required reading for students of the subject....
"It is an amazing piece of writing and marketed in the appropriate way... I believe that it holds considerable potential."
* Due to the policy of the editorial company they work for (editors only deal with clients as numbers), I do not
know their names.