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July 2001

DAD WAS A CARPENTER: BUILDING ON SUCCESS

Kenny Kemp signs three book deal with HarperCollins.

Kenny Kemp, best-selling author of Dad Was A Carpenter, has been signed to a significant three-book deal with HarperSanFrancisco, the inspirational imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, the world's largest English language publisher.

We are very excited about this project," says Gideon Weil, Kemp's editor at HSF. "Kenny pitched it to us last spring and everyone here agreed that it was a truly inspired idea. I wish I could tell you more about it, but the idea is so incredible that we've all agreed to try to keep it under wraps for now."

However, Joe Durepos, Kemp's agent, did reveal that the book series will be a historical fiction set in Palestine. "It's an incredible concept and Kenny is the perfect guy to write it." Durepos also disclosed that the deal was in the mid-six figure range.

Kemp says the concept came out of his pondering of the Bible. "I'm interested in reducing the distance between God and man. I struggle to feel more connected to God, and my writing reflects that desire. And as a kind of "faithful skeptic," I've found my experience is also that of a great number of people for whom traditional religion is very confining."

Kemp's previous book, the memoir Dad Was A Carpenter, won the Grand Prize in the 1999 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and was soon snatched up by HarperCollins and re-released this last May to great acclaim. Kemp was invited to Book Expo in Chicago this last June, and was one of several writers feted at a party given by Jane Friedman, HarperCollins president. He also participated in a very successful book signing at the convention.

"This deal is a reflection of how we feel about Kenny," said Gideon Weil, Kemp's editor. "We've been wanting to make him a house author because he is that most rare combination: a great storyteller who touches the heart lightly but powerfully. And we are hopeful that this new project, the first volume of which is tentatively titled The Welcoming Door, will establish Kenny as a major American inspirational writer. Dad Was A Carpenter has been successful for us and we are confident he will not disappoint with his next book."

Kemp is also a contributor to Writer's Digest magazine, which will feature an article by him about his self-publishing experiences in this summer's annual self-publishing issue.

May 2001

HARPERCOLLINS RELEASES NEW EDITION OF DAD WAS A CARPENTER

Favorite memoir goes nationwide after Mother's Day.

HarperSanFrancisco, the inspirational imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, released its own edition of Kenny Kemp's award-winning memoir Dad Was A Carpenter. Kemp won Grand Prize in last year's National Self-Published Book Awards, sponsored by Writer's Digest magazine.

Shortly after the magazine detailing the contest winners hit the stands, Kemp was deluged with calls by agents who wanted to represent the book. He chose as his agent former bookseller Joseph Durepos of Chicago, who has more than twenty years experience in the book business. Within a week Durepos had placed the book in the hands of Gideon Weil, associate editor at HarperSanFrancisco, and within twelve hours of receipt, Weil had made a six-figure offer for reprint rights to the book.

Immediately, Kemp and Weil got to work, preparing the HSF edition for publication. "We didn't have much to do on this book," says Weil. "It was already so well-written that we just basically spruced up the cover and made a few internal design changes."

The book now features a more chronological feel, and the "blueprints" that made the book so popular have been included at the head-end of the chapters they correlate with. "And the best part," says Kemp, "is that they included a picture of my dad at the end of the book—it's a wonderful shot of him as a young man, wearing his pilot headgear and smiling, full of hope and idealism. I think it captures him perfectly."

HarperSanFrancisco's head of marketing, Eric Brandt, is overseeing promotion of the book. "Since this will be a perennial for us--something that will return year after year—we will build our promotion slowly, concentrating on creating word-of-mouth buzz for the book, along with strategically-placed review copies and industry advertisements." He continues, "Our advance sales have been very good, and we expect DWAC to sell well for us for a long, long time.

During the second week of May, HSF reports that the Spanish language rights to the book have been sold. "The first of many," says Durepos. "We know this is going to be a best seller."

HSF is so delighted with the book that they are taking Kemp to Book Expo in Chicago this June, one of only three authors from the imprint being invited to schmooze with industry professionals and engage in book signings. Kemp said, when asked about being intimidated, sitting next to such best sellers as Isabel Allende and Dean Koonz, "I know their lines [patrons waiting for autographs] will be longer, but if that's the case, I'll just get up and walk down the line and talk to them about my book!"

The book received a great review from the bookselling bible Publisher's Weekly:

"This astoundingly touching memoir is told as the author cleans out his father's garage four months after the funeral; objects such as glue, a saw, a compass and nails trigger powerful memories about Kemp's relationship with his stern but loving parent. As Kemp sorts through the tools amassed over a lifetime . . . he comes to terms with the devastating loss of a cherished man."

July 2000

**HARPERCOLLINS NAILS DAD WAS A CARPENTER DEAL**

Kenny Kemp's personal memoir will now go national.

Alta Films & Press announced today that HarperCollins Publishers and filmmaker and author Kenny Kemp have finalized a reprint deal for Kemp's 1999 memoir, Dad Was A Carpenter: Blueprints For A Meaningful Life. HarperCollins is one of the world's largest and most prestigious publishers, with more than 50 books currently on the bestseller lists. Kemp's book will be published under the Harper San Francisco imprint, which specializes in inspirational and spiritual titles. The book will be included in the publisher's spring 2001 releases.

"This is a very short turn-around time," says Harper San Francisco editor Gideon Weil. "Most self-published books that come to us require a great deal of work to get into shape. But Kenny's book is so well-written and respectful of the reader, that our job was quite easy. And we have every confidence that Dad Was A Carpenter has the chops to become a national best-seller."

The book deal comes hard on the heels of Kemp's winning the National Self-Published Book Award, announced in August by Writer's Digest. Within days, Kenny was besieged by literary agents who saw the potential in the book. "I went with Joseph Durepos, a former bookseller turned agent," says Kemp. "He is very persistent and caught the vision of the book instantly. I knew his insights and energy would be invaluable in obtaining a sale. And he's a straight shooter—I know, because he just scored a direct hit!"

"Kenny is that rare breed of author who understands both storytelling and marketing," says Joe Durepos, whom we reached by telephone in Chicago. "He's been very successful in selling this book for the last year, doing book signings and talking to readers and retailers. He has a good grasp on the book business and has been very helpful in getting this deal."

And how did they pitch it? Durepos says, "We told people it was Tuesdays With Morrie meets The Greatest Generation," to which Kemp adds, "With Everything I Know I Learned in Kindergarten thrown in."

Durepos would not specify the dollar amount of the deal, except to say that it was in the "six figure" range. "Ecstatic is too weak a word for how I'm feeling," says Kemp. "I've been working toward this for twenty years." He points out that although his projects and books have consistently received awards and accolades, "a real, serious payday has always been just out of reach, over the horizon. This now frees me up to do what I've always wanted to do."

And what's that? "Publish my next book!" he says, smiling. "I guess that proves I'm addicted. I get this incredible deal and all I can think about is how I don't have to max out my credit cards on my next book!"

June 2000

KENNY KEMP AND JOE DUREPOS INK REPRESENTATION DEAL

Well-respected inspirational agent sees potential in Dad Was a Carpenter.

Kenny Kemp and literary agent Joe Durepos have signed a representation agreement allowing Durepos to represent Kemp's Dad Was A Carpenter to the national and international book trade. Durepos, a Chicago-based literary agent, read about Kenny in the August issue of Writer's Digest, which contained a feature article featuring Kemp's Dad Was A Carpenter, winner of the Grand Prize in the 1999 Writer's Digest National Self-Published Book Awards.

Durepos will represent both books to major publishers to secure a reprint deal for Kemp. His clients include Phyllis Tickle, former Publisher's Weekly Religion Editor and author of The Divine Hours, Peter Shockey, author and filmmaker and author of Reflections of Heaven, and Kent Nerburn, author of Simple Truths. Durepos specializes in inspirational subject matter and is enthused about the possibilities for securing national exposure for Kemp.

May 2000

HATS OFF TO FEDORA!

Heart-felt film is chosen as an ALA "Children's Choice of 2000."

Author and filmmaker Kenny Kemp is a man with a vision. In this case, the vision came when he spotted a picture in People magazine. “It was a photo of this guy sitting in a wheelchair, surrounded by family and friends—and they all had their heads shaved. I just knew there was a story there, even before I read the article.”

The story was that of Manuel Garcia, Minneapolis sanitation worker, whose cancer threatened to separate him from his family and friends even before it took his life. The unique and touching way Manuel's loved ones kept him within their loving circle stands as a reminder that no man is alone who has friends.

“We made the film on a shoestring budget,” says Kemp. “And I mean a threadbare shoestring! But that didn’t hurt us, because like all good stories, you just need to get out of the way and tell it as simply as possible. And it resonates.”

Suitable for all ages, Fedora teaches the value of active compassion. “Sometimes life gives us a tragedy and all we can do is deal with it. That’s hard enough, but what about our loved ones? How can they help?” asks Kemp. “I went through this when my father was dying of Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and I discovered that sometimes the least—and the most—we can do is to be there; to share their ordeal. And that is what Manuel Garcia’s family and friends did. That simple but powerful truth is the core of a wonderful story.”

The American Library Association (ALA) agrees. Fedora has been feted as a "Notable Children's Video", receiving accolades in the ALA organ Booklist. In addition, the film has been awarded the prestigious CINE "Golden Eagle" and will represent the United States in international film festivals. It has also received the National Educational Media Network’s (NEMN) “Silver Apple.” And, to cap it all off, Encore Cable liked the film so much they picked it up for broadcast on their “True Stories and Drama” cable channel.

Kemp’s previous film Wildest Dreams, the story of a young rock composer who is creatively blocked, also recently received a glowing review from School Library Journal, which said, “This video will be enjoyed for its music and the force of its message. Young adults are sure to identify with [the hero’s] frustrations as he makes excuses for himself and finally awakens to where his real problems are.”

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