Author Interview ~ James David Jordan

Jim is a business attorney with the Texas law firm of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. From 1998 through 2005, he served as the firm's Chairman and CEO. The Dallas Business Journal has named him one of the most influential leaders in the Dallas/Fort Worth legal community. Texas Monthly magazine has named him one of Texas' Super Lawyers.A minister's son who grew up in Alton, Illinois, Jim has a law degree and MBA from the University of Illinois in addition to his journalism degree. He lives with his wife and two teenage children in the Dallas suburbs. Something That Lasts is his first novel.










What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

My first novel, Something That Lasts, was released by Integrity Publishers on May 23, 2006. It’s a story of family, faith and forgiveness. It revolves around a minister’s family -- father, mother and twelve-year-old son – torn apart by the father’s scandalous adultery. They struggle for thirty years to find the secret of how to get back together and stay together forever. It is doing very well and has received great reviews.






Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

It was seven years from the time I began writing to the day that Integrity accepted Something That Lasts for publication. I went into the publication process with a plan. I originally self-published the book in 2004 and marketed the book almost exclusively in Dallas-Fort Worth. I thought that if I could establish a good sales record in one major market, publishers would take note.

Things went just as planned (to my great surprise). The book was successful in Dallas-Fort Worth and received a lot of publicity in the area. It won honorable mention in Writer’s Digest’s International Self-published Book Contest. My big break occurred when Crossings Book Club called and said they wanted to use Something That Lasts as one of their 2006 selections. For Crossings to select a self-published book was very rare. Soon thereafter, Integrity gave me a contract. Crossings featured Something That Lasts in its late May, 2006 catalog, and Integrity coordinated its release with Crossings.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Are you kidding? That goes with the territory in this business. I have no illusions that I have yet mastered the craft.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Like most first-time authors, I underestimated the difficulty of getting a manuscript noticed by agents and publishers. My business background helped me a lot, though. I always understood that I had to find a way to reduce the business risk for potential publishers. In my case, establishing a track record in a single market accomplished that.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

Polish your manuscript and then polish it again. When you submit something, make sure that it’s as good as you can make it. You don’t get second chances to make an impression in the book business. Also, make sure you hook the reader in the first few paragraphs. Often that is all that an agent, publisher or potential purchaser will read before forming a judgment about your book.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

Actually, the writing advice that I’ve gotten has been quite good. I’ve had people suggest some things on the promotional side that I thought were not great. The marketing writing in the book business is not always of the same quality as the book writing. I suggest that first-time writers get marketing advice as well as literary advice. Ultimately, no one is responsible for selling your book but you.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

I wish that I had taken the time to get to know people in the industry while I was writing. It’s a big advantage when people can at least put your name together with your face. Getting past the gatekeepers is half the battle.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

I got help from a creative writing instructor at SMU at a time when I thought my manuscript was near final form. Her feedback was brutal. It was something that I needed, though, and I am proud of the fact that I didn’t quit, even though that was a discouraging time. Something That Lasts ended up being a far better book because I was willing to listen and change some things.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

War and Peace; A Farewell to Arms; Cold Mountain; Bonfire of the Vanities; The Brothers Karamazov.

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

Something That Lasts is the first thing I’ve ever written for publication other than professional pieces for legal journals. (I’m an attorney.)

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Many people in the industry are very negative and discouraging. I’m an upbeat person, so that really bugs me.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

I am a full-time practicing attorney, so I write in the evenings and on weekends, whenever I can find a spare hour or two. When I sit down to write, I don’t mess around or grouse about writer’s block. I just write.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I wish that I had Charles Frazier’s gift for dialect and Barbara Kingsolver’s gift for developing unique characters.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I want to write fun-to-read, page-turning stories that help people explore and grow in their faith.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

About twice a year for seven years. But I kept telling God I wouldn’t quit no matter what. I kept my promise. I’m proud of that.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

I enjoy re-writing and editing, but I hate writing the first draft. I think it’s drudgery to get the raw story on the page. It’s a pleasure to polish each paragraph and make it good.

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

I work as hard at marketing as I do at writing. Maybe harder. I do speeches, radio and television interviews, and book signings. I’m always trying to think of a new approach to getting the word out about my book. I have always viewed it as my responsibility to sell the book as well as write it. That’s my business background coming through.

Parting words?

This has been, hands down, the most rewarding experience of my professional life. There is no feeling as good as having a reader say that she stayed awake until three o’clock in the morning because she couldn’t put Something That Lasts down. As difficult as this business is, I still highly recommend it.