Achieving Stardom in Music and Sports Over Just One Lifetime
Most kids’ visions of becoming professional athletes or rock stars fade into adulthood. But one elite set of overachievers defied nearly impossible odds to turn both dreams into reality.
Ended
Athletes Who Rock! is a collection of personal interviews with 15 extraordinary individuals who have lived out every kid’s fantasy -- becoming star athletes and popular musicians at the same time.
Revealing conversations with Bernie Williams, Rony Seikaly, Pat Nevin, Ray Barbee, Lyndsay Perry, Kyle Turley, Walter McCarty, Bronson Arroyo, Mark Butcher, Pat Burgener and more shed light on how to succeed at the highest levels of sports and music -- despite nearly impossible odds.
For these champions, the conviction to chase their dreams unhinged by the fear of failure or ridicule has created an unrivalled assembly of thrills.
They’ve dunked on Michael Jordan, and dribbled around Kevin Keegan, then spun records to thousands of revelers in Ibiza and millions on the radio.
They’ve shredded lead guitar at the Royal Albert Hall and Radio City Music Hall, after blasting home runs at Yankee Stadium and hitting a century for England.
They’ve beefed with A-Rod and taken over vocals with Pearl Jam, blocked the ferocious pass rushing of Michael Strahan and opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd.
They’ve won five World Series, participated in two Olympics, played in two NCAA Final Fours, been named to the NFL Pro Bowl, starred in an FA Cup Final and The Ashes.
Now they’re offering behind-the-scenes access into their worlds.
Beyond the banter in the locker rooms and recording studios, these intense competitors share eye-opening stories of challenges they’ve overcome on their twin paths to success.
Athletes Who Rock! will be the first book to profile an extended range of musician-athletes, with countless revelations from pros who flow seamlessly between both worlds. Audience demographic lies between those from the most popular American sports and music magazines, such as Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone. Their combined US readership is 70% male, with an average age of 36 and an average income of $63,500 (2016 figures). There is potential for significant international sales too, with European sports personalities in soccer, snowboarding and cricket already interviewed, and champions in tennis, skiing and motocross remaining on the target list.
Reviews of Bishara’s first book, Beating the NBA: Tales from a Frugal Fan:
“A must read … incredibly interesting … thoroughly enjoyable … the author’s love for the game of basketball and for bargain hunting is always apparent,” -- Kirkus Reviews, 2013.
“A very entertaining new book … it’s refreshing. He’s having fun, and you’ll have fun reading it, no question about that.” – Brad Kurtzberg, STN Sports Report, Cleveland.
“He really provides a message of hope.” – Elissa Walker Campbell, Yahoo Sports Radio.
“A fascinating book.” – Pat Williams, Orlando Magic Senior Vice President.
Motez Bishara is a CNN, ESPN, The National and Al Jazeera journalist and author whose readership of millions stretches across the globe. His up-close-and-personal style of feature writing earned him the 2017 Drum Online Media Award for Best Freelance Writer.
Number of print copies tba with author on basis of market prediction • Completed manuscript desirable although we also work with authors to develop ideas • Looking for diverse contemporary and historical fiction, literary fiction, and crime fiction, as well as non-fiction arts and culture, particularly film and music from a diverse perspective.
Aurora Metro Books is an award-winning independent publisher based in London established for more than 30 years, We have published over 250 authors from around the world including Germaine Greer, Meera Syal, Benjamin Zephaniah, Jean-Claude Carriere and Nawal el Sadaawi. We publish both in print and digital and distribute our books in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore. We sell rights internationally at bookfairs and devise a marketing campaign with the author.
With the launch of our imprint Supernova Books, we are expanding our non-fiction list to focus on the arts and culture, technology and lifestyle.
'The British Beat Explosion' was voted best Blues Book 2014, and 'Silent Women: pioneers of cinema' was voted best book on silent film in 2016. Our new series for 2020 has kicked off with '50 Women in the Blues' receiving universal acclaim, followed by '50 Women Sculptors' launched in association with the Royal Society of Sculptors.
500 copies • Partial manuscript • Looking for topics that support amateur sports enthusiasts, coaches, elite athletes, PE teachers, sports scientists, and sports medics.
Meyer & Meyer Sport was founded in 1984 and is widely acknowledged to be among the elite of sport publishers worldwide. Since then the company has grown to be the biggest sports publishing house worldwide while ensuring quality remained the best possible. The company's prime objective is to provide ideas and practical guidance to sport and leisure activities that will improve the reader's performance, enjoyment and will raise the quality of life. Topics are aimed at many different age groups, ranging from children and adolescents to adults and seniors.
With a list of titles that now exceeds 2,000 titles in both English and German, written by some of the world's acknowledged experts in their individual fields, the company provides a wide range of products, from handbooks providing in-depth analysis of the subject to hints and tips for the more casual reader. Meyer & Meyer is also the home of some of the world's most prestigious academic journals and theses published in sports science.
500 copies • Complete manuscript.
Blooming Twig is an award-winning boutique publishing house, media company, and thought leadership marketing agency. Based in New York City and Tulsa, we have represented and re-branded hundreds of thought leaders, published more than 400 titles in all genres, and built up a like-minded following for authors, speakers, trainers, and organizations with our bleeding-edge marketing strategies. Blooming Twig is about giving the people with something to say (“thought leaders”) a platform, walking its clients up to their own influencer pulpit, and making sure there is a like-minded crowd assembled to hear the meaningful message.
250 copies • Completed manuscript.
Boyle & Dalton was founded in 2014 and publishes works of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. The world of publishing is changing, we're changing with it. Our founder Brad Pauquette, conceptualized a hybrid model that balances the financial and rights model of self-publishing with the quality controls and production excellence of a traditional publisher. Our designers and editors produce exceptional books that are distributed in both print and digital formats to all major retailers, including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Boyle & Dalton carefully consider all submissions for publication, based on manuscript quality. We do not accept erotica or children's books.
Looking for titles that teach, promote, and encourage understanding, tolerance, peace, environmental preservation, health, and wellness.
Brandylane is a small, independent press, founded in 1985, that publishes fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and children’s books. We publish under a traditional arrangement and also offer a cooperative track for emerging authors. We believe that books make a difference, that lives and the world are changed by the power of words and images, and that large publishing houses neglect a wealth of good writing. We are not looking for mainstream read-it-before self-help.
Under our cooperative arrangement, we invest a portion of the publishing costs and offer a stepped royalty structure from 30% to 60%--higher than the industry average. One distinguishing feature of our program is that our marketing effort includes a one-year launch, followed by two additional years of promotion through our social media, website, our seasonal genre, and subject matter email campaigns, and continuous support from our PR team.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Cranthorpe Millner operates a hybrid publishing model. This means, should an author pass our editors’ strict filtering system, we can offer different kinds of agreements depending on the author and the manuscript. With some authors, we work under a ‘traditional’ model, whereby we cover the full cost of publication and the author is offered industry-standard royalties (8-10%). To some authors, we offer what we call a partnership or contributory agreement, whereby the author is asked for a financial contribution so that we may share the risk and enter into a partnership together to publish the author’s book. In this case, the author receives around 60-75% royalties.
Elite Online Publishing is based in Utah & Texas, and will help put your self-published book out into the world to grow, become a #1 bestseller, and give you a foundation of credibility, powerful marketing appeal, and new contacts. We have been in business for over 6 years and have helped over 150 authors become bestsellers.
Mascot Books is a full-service hybrid publisher dedicated to helping authors at all stages of their publishing journey create a high-quality printed or digital book that matches their vision. With comprehensive editorial, design, marketing, production, and distribution services, our authors have the support of an experienced publishing team while still retaining one of the highest royalty percentages in the business.
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We understand that your book is not just a passion project but also a potential source of income. That's why we offer a range of services tailored to your needs at affordable prices. Depending on your manuscript's word count and complexity, our packages range from $4,000 to $10,000. And here's the best part: after this one-time investment, every penny of net revenue from book sales goes directly to you, never to us.
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250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Atmosphere Press is an independent publisher dedicated to author rights. We publish in all genres and have an exceptional editorial, design, and promotional staff. We stand for Honesty, Transparency, Professionalism, and Kindness. We want our authors and their readers to be blown away when they first hold that book in their hands. It needs to look good inside and out, and feel good to the touch. And, of course, the words need to be top-notch, and our editors are devoted to making that the case.
250 copies • Partial manuscript.
Authors Unite helps you become a profitable author and make an impact. We take care of printing and distribution through major online retailers, developmental editing, and proofreading with unlimited revisions. We take care of the entire process for you from book cover design all the way to set up your backend so all your book royalties go straight to your bank account. We can also help with ghostwriting if you prefer not to have to figure out all the steps on how to write a book yourself.
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100 copies • Partial manuscript.
Bookmobile provides book printing, graphic design, and other resources to support book publishers in an ever-changing environment. Superior quality, excellent customer service, flexibility, and timely turnarounds have attracted nearly 1,000 satisfied clients to Bookmobile, including trade houses, university presses, independent publishers, museums, galleries, artists, and more. In addition, we manage eBook conversions and produce galleys, and regularly provide short-run reprints of 750 copies or fewer for major publishers such as Graywolf Press.
100 copies • Completed manuscript.
eBooks2go, Inc. was founded in 2011 to provide the missing link for all your publishing needs. Our end-to-end solutions provide the guidance and support that enable publishers and independent authors to pursue their passions. To date, we have helped more than 750 authors and 100 publishers worldwide. We offer an array of simple and affordable solutions to assist self-publishing authors at every stage of the book publishing process. Our comprehensive service offering includes editing, print and eBook production, book marketing, cover designs, ISBN registration, and even website designs. We are a single source for all of your publishing needs.
100 copies • Completed manuscript.
Happy Self Publishing has helped 500+ authors to get their books self-published, hit the #1 position in the Amazon bestseller charts, and also establish their author website & brand to grow their business. And the best thing is, we do all this without taking away your rights and royalties. Let's schedule a call to discuss the next steps in your book project: www.meetme.so/jyotsnaramachandran
Looking for health, parenting, inspiration, and children's books.
Momosa Publishing LLC is a woman- and veteran-owned custom publisher in Hellertown, PA. Founder and CEO Jennifer Bright is a Book Doula, whose passion is helping authors bring their books to life. We are an efficient, effective, excellent team of editorial, design, and marketing pros.
Get your ebooks into the biggest stores and keep the 100% of your royalties. Amazon, Apple iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Nook by Barnes & Noble and more.
ShieldCrest are book publishers based in the UK who fill that vital gap for talented authors where mainstream publishers are unwilling to give them that chance. We strive for excellence and invest in our authors and are listed in FreeIndex as the number one independent publisher in the UK for price quality and service rated author satisfaction. We publish books of all genres including; fiction, historical, biographies and children's books.
ShieldCrest publishing continues to grow rapidly with satisfied authors throughout the UK and overseas. Our range of products includes paperbacks, hardbacks and digitised e-books in all formats used globally in the myriad of e-readers.
In addition to the above, ShieldCrest provides a complete range of services including book design and layout, illustrations, proof reading and editing. For marketing we offer author web page, press releases, social media marketing packages and many other support services to help both first time and experienced authors get their books into the market quickly and maximise on the opportunities available.
These services enable us to guide our authors through the process as we transform their manuscript into a professional book, which can take its place with pride next to any famous author's book of the same genre.
The staff at ShieldCrest have many years experience in the book industry and this wealth of experience is put at the disposal of our authors.
Our clients include established authors such as Diane Marshall who has been acclaimed as the best writing talent to come from Scotland for years by The Scotsman newspaper, and Prof Donald Longmore OBE, who performed the first heart transplant in the UK and has sold thousands of medical books used by students throughout the world. We also recently released "Martin Foran-The Forgotten Man" by J.R. Stephenson, which features fraud within the police, abuse within the prison service and injustices in the courts and has been featured in the press and on TV.
Pat Nevin -- London, December 2017
If Pat Nevin had it his way, none of the revellers at any of his indie music DJ gigs would have a clue that he was, once upon a time, Chelsea FC’s two-time player of the year.
But everything changed back in 2010 after playing the late-night closing set at a seminal music festival on the coast of England.
With the who’s who of the British indie music scene in tow, the footballer-turned DJ and broadcaster hyped the crowd of thousands at the Bowlie 2 festival into a frenzy, then travelled 250 miles to cover the Manchester United vs. Arsenal match on the radio.
Surreptitiously working the game with a hoarse voice, Nevin was unware that the crowd had been tweeting about what a great job he had done.
“Suddenly, the secret was out,” the 54-year-old former winger tells me over a lengthy interview at Stamford Bridge, where he was scheduled to work a Champions League game for Chelsea TV.
Ironically, Nevin was equally as secretive years earlier when his football career took off.
Raised in the tough Easterhouse section of Glasgow, Nevin practiced dribbling and shooting skills every day with his father, a railwayman who studied the tactics of legendary Celtic coach Jock Stein.
When Nevin was signed by Celtic as a schoolboy, he saw no reason to tell his classmates, preferring to obsess over the vinyl records his brothers left around the house.
“I (was) more interested in people who liked music, absolutely,” he says.
One passion, it turned out, ignited a career in the other.
At age 16, Celtic dropped Nevin for being “too small,” so he turned to a local boy’s club instead. That’s where a teammate bet him on who score the more dramatic goal – with the loser buying the winner the album of his choice.
“In that exact moment my entire life changed, because I beat about five players and scored a goal,” Nevin recalls. “I won the bet and got the album.” (It was a Genesis double album, Nevin giggles.)
He also won a contract from the opposing coach of Scottish League club Clyde.
Soon after, Nevin told his girlfriend, “a big Bowie fan,” that he needed time apart to study for exams, which was true.
“What I didn’t tell her is that I was going to play for Scotland Under 18s at the European championships,” he adds. “I then made the mistake of not only playing well, but winning the tournament, getting player of the tournament and being on all these banner headlines in all these newspapers back in Scotland.
Once home, Nevin had some explaining to do.
“We win the final, and I came back to take the exams,” he recalls. “I took her out the next night so I made up for it.”
Still, it seems incredible that young Pat would not have flaunted his footballing career to impress his classmates.
“I’ve worked in this industry a long time, (both) on the outside and within it, and I do see that once a lot of people retire, they’re divorced within a year or two,” he explains.
“They married a footballer, they didn’t marry a person. I wanted to have someone who liked me because of the person I was. And football was what I did, not who I was.”
It was a remarkably mature way for a teenager to think, but that was Nevin, always the intellectual, and never one to be pigeonholed.
His vision proved fruitful, as he remains married to his wife of over 25 years Annabel. The two have done a remarkable job of raising their children Simon, 26, and Lucy, 22, a former Scottish badminton champion now in her fifth year at medical school.
--- “Nobody knew I was a footballer. Why should they?” ---
Like his children, many of those bopping away at the “Scared to Dance” indie nights in London’s East End were born well after Nevin scored the FA Cup semi-final winner for Everton in 1989, one of the highlights of his 20-year career.
Back then music enthusiasts stuck to what they loved, and football fans did the same, he says. The dichotomy allowed Nevin to keep his apprenticeship with legendary BBC DJ John Peel quiet from his Chelsea teammates, and his fame on the pitch away from the BBC staffers.
“Nobody knew (that I was a footballer). Why should they?” he asks. “I was doing it for the love of it.”
Nevin’s cover was blown, however, when it came time to sign his second contract with Chelsea. A preseason exhibition match interfered with his plans to watch his beloved Cocteau Twins at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
“I obviously couldn’t go see the gig if I played for Chelsea,” Nevin says.
Just before signing the contract, however, he audaciously asked for a stipulation to leave the match at halftime to watch the show.
“You could see the exasperation on their faces as if I was going to ask for an extra £200 a week or whatever,” he recalls. “The manager was furious.”
“I walked off at halftime to go and see a gig, and I thought that was perfectly reasonable,” Nevin says, a little more aware of the absurdity of it all.
“I just put my clothes on above my kit. I didn’t have a shower because I was late. I zoomed in at the start of the gig and never missed a moment.”
The feature is then followed by a 2,000 - 3,000 word edited Q&A interview.
Hi All,
One thing I forgot to mention in yesterday's update was that I will need your current mailing address if it has changed since you placed the …
Season’s Greetings readers!
I hope you’ve been keeping in good health in these tricky times. I have two very exciting announcements for you.
The first …
Greetings readers!
I hope you’ve been keeping well since my last update. I have a number of exciting announcements for you.
First off, I will soon …
Dear friends and readers,
I hope you are all keeping safe and healthy in these times. It's been a while since I last connected to …
Dear Readers,
Thanks again for all your support throughout my production schedule for Athletes Who Rock!
I have some exciting news! This week I signed …
Dear Readers,
Huge thanks for your support throughout my recent pre-order campaign for Athletes Who Rock!
Your interest has inspired me to keep pushing for …
Dear Athletes Who Rock! subscribers,
Thanks very much for your awesome support!
So far Athletes Who Rock! has garnered six revealing interviews with inspiring figures from …
You’ll rock it; can’t wait to read it :)
Love ya man! Continued success!
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• Early Bird Signed Copy for $15 (ordinarily $20)
• Free e-book (PDF, ePUB, MOBI)
1 copy + e-book included
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$100
7 readers
• Five signed copies of Athletes Who Rock!
• Free e-book (PDF, ePUB, MOBI)
Recognized as a Patron in the Acknowledgements section of book
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• 12 signed copies of Athletes Who Rock!
• Free e-book (PDF, ePUB, MOBI)
Recognized as a Patron in the Acknowledgements section of book.
Bonus 45-minute Skype video call with the author, which can be used as a general Q&A session about the book, a writing lesson, or an interview to be used part of a course thesis.
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$1000
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Recognized as a Patron in the Acknowledgements section of book.
Sit front row with Motez Bishara at an Arsenal home game as his personal guest! Motez has enjoyed these spectacular seats for ten season at Emirates Stadium located in North London. He has hugged Mesut Ozil from his row after a game winning goal against Leicester City!
You will have an opportunity to meet with the award-winning CNN World Sports feature writer at an Arsenal supporters' pub before the match, and quiz him on all things sports and journalism related during the game.
This opportunity is limited at just five offers and will be scheduled subject to the author and buyer's availability.
Includes:
on Dec. 4, 2017, 11:47 p.m.
Love this book idea. Can't wait to read it when it's ready! Good luck!