THE ROCK: Who is Emanuel Carpenter? Tell us something about you.
AUTHOR: I am an African-American man trying to make my mark on this world as a writer. Forest calls me Daddy, and Sheila calls me Hubby (among other things). My dad calls me son, and my siblings call me brother. Capital University says I’m a cum laude graduate with a degree in marketing. The Air Force tells me I’m a decorated, Gulf War vet.

THE ROCK: Where are you from, and currently residing?

AUTHOR: I consider myself a native of Cleveland and Detroit. I lived in Cleveland until my parents divorced, and my mother moved my siblings and I to Detroit in 1980. The Motor City is where I attended and graduated middle and high school. After traveling the world in the military, and living in Portland, Oregon for a couple of years, I moved back to Cleveland with my family in 1997. I’ve been here ever since.

THE ROCK: Are there any other writers in the family?

AUTHOR: My wife is the first author of the family. Her book, "The Christian Walk" was published in 2002.

THE ROCK: When did you start writing?
AUTHOR: I started thinking about writing seriously while attending Capital University in 2001. My professors always praised my writing, and I thought, maybe I should do something with this.

THE ROCK: What prepared you to become an author?
AUTHOR: I still don’t think I’m prepared just yet. I believe it’s a continuous learning process. I hope to have learned a little more with by the time I write every new book.

THE ROCK: What inspired you to become a writer?

AUTHOR: I ain’t gon’ lie, the pursuit of fame and fortune led me to become a writer. But now as I grow, I’m finding that the desire to educate and entertain a reading audience also plays a big factor.
THE ROCK: What inspired you to write your book?

AUTHOR: When I left my job at a software company after getting my degree in marketing, I ran into a few obstacles in my pursuit of new employment. The experience led me to write my first book "A Job Ain’t Nothing But Work: Confessions of a Corporate Negro." The book pokes fun at the entire process of looking for, finding, and losing work with more of an emphasis on the black experience. I call it a Dilbert for black folks.

THE ROCK: Tell us about your newest creation. What is the premise?
AUTHOR:"Where is the Love" is my first book of fiction. The protagonist is a bitter and angry sales manager on the verge of his second divorce. As his wife packs to leave him, he reminisces about the wild and hot sexscapades of his past as well as the demise of his marriages. After it’s all said and done, he tries to make sense of it all, hopes to pick up the pieces, and attempts to move on with his life.

THE ROCK: Any publishing contracts in the working?

AUTHOR: My first book is under contract. I have no other contracts in the works. "Where is the Love" is being represented by Sunpiper Literary Agency. I’m confident the agency can find a publisher for it though. If they don’t, I will consider other avenues for getting the book published.

THE ROCK: Have you ever self-published? Why or why not?

AUTHOR:"A Job Ain’t Nothing But Work" is a print on demand title (the kissing cousin of self-publishing). I chose print on demand because literary agents weren’t willing to take a chance on an unknown, humor writer with a 112-page book. I didn’t have the thousands of dollars it takes to self-publish a book, so I chose the next best thing. Print on demand was a fast and cheap way to get published and to get my name out there as a writer, but I would never do it again because it’s not widely accepted as legitimate in the industry. Bookstores usually won’t stock the books because of No Returns policies, so you mostly have to depend on online sales. Major publications won’t review the books because many of them are just too poorly written to take a chance on. Getting noticed can be challenging with those obstacles.

THE ROCK: What are "traditional publishers" looking for?
AUTHOR: I don’t have the answer to that one. I believe traditional publishers want books that will make a profit. Right now, street lit and relationship fiction are the hottest things since sliced bread in the African-American marketplace. Traditional publishers tend to follow trends.

THE ROCK: If you were a publisher, what would be your
niche? Why?
AUTHOR: I’d try to have a diverse genre of books that can earn a profit because there are all kinds of tastes out there. That way, you can please a wide range of people and still make money off the venture.

THE ROCK: For an author, is having a publishing contract with a "traditional publisher" important professionally? Why?

AUTHOR: It really depends on the author’s goal. Some authors want to fulfill a lifelong dream of having a book in print; others simply want to educate an audience. For those who want mainstream recognition and large advances, traditional publishing is usually the way to go. There have been, however, several self-published authors who also gained fame and fortune. It’s usually a rougher road for self-published authors. Nowadays, the trend tends to be for authors to self-publish their work, sell lots o f copies to prove their worth, and then sign a contract with a traditional publisher. Publishers love a sure bet.

THE ROCK: What are some of your professional and personal achievements?
AUTHOR: My short essay "Learn Italian" will appear in a book titled "2DO Before I Die" by Little, Brown and Company this May. Little, Brown and Company have published the likes of Walter Mosley, Malcolm Gladwell, and Alice Sebold. It’s an honor to have a writing credit of this magnitude. Writing book reviews for the Midwest Book Review and getting published in the Bylines Writers Calendar have also been great achievements. My greatest personal achievements are having a wonderful family, a college degree, and a great career that pays the bills when writing doesn’t.

THE ROCK: Who are some of your favorite authors?
AUTHOR: I love to read Ralph Ellison, Ernest Hemingway, bell hooks, and Cornel West.

THE ROCK: Where do you want to be in 5 years?
AUTHOR: I want to be living off the profits of my writing in a climate warmer than Cleveland’s.

THE ROCK: Where can readers find you?
AUTHOR: Readers can find me at www.emanuelcarpenter.com and at my weekly blog at www.bloglines.com/blog/emanuelcarpenter/.

THE ROCK: Thank you, Emanuel.
AUTHOR: Thank you for having me.

Biography

Emanuel Carpenter is a fresh, new writer whose published work has appeared with the Midwest Book Review, A Nu Twista Flavah, Rock Publications, the 2005 Bylines Writer’s Desk Calendar and 2DO Before I Die.com (Little, Brown, and Co.). He and his literary agent are currently shopping his new novel on love, sex, and relationships to publishers. The working title of the new book is "Where is the Love?".

Carpenter graduated cum laude with a bachelor's from Capital University . He spent five years with the U.S. Air Force, including tours of duty in Italy and in the Middle East during the Persian Gulf War. Carpenter grew up in both Detroit and in Cleveland where he currently resides with his family.

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