Testimonials from Authors of the Merriam Press
These are unsolicited testimonials received from the authors of books published by the Merriam Press.
Robert W. Mercy, author of his memoir I Hear No Bugles:
"I know we'll remain in touch after the editing and publishing is done, but I just wanted to say again what a great pleasure it was to have worked with you on my first book. I've learned a great deal about publishing and the business in general."
John Sullivan, author of his memoir Fuel to the Troops:
"I just received the final proof. I can’t get over the beauty of the manuscript in print. This really looks professional. Too bad you have wasted all this effort on a neophyte. I will carefully go over the whole so we will not make permanent my mistakes. I want to make it clear how much I thank you for taking on this job. You have made it a real professional book. I’m not only comfortable with the book, but thrilled with it, despite the inexperience of the writer. Certainly the Publisher and Art Director are top notch."
Charles Reyher, author of his memoir Memoir of a B-29 Pilot:
"Yesterday we received a mailing, nicely packaged, and to our complete surprise, The Book! WOW! What a splendid job you did with the cover, front and back! The cover photos and their color have IMPACT! You have a great talent, Ray. The interior photos of myself, crew and documentation came out so well too. Any budding young air enthusiast would give anything to be at the controls of that cover B-29 on it's landing flare. [My wife] Sally and I have read the book slowly and carefully, still looking for any publishing errors. We found only three. Personally, I experienced a pleasant, mild shock, and enjoyment at reading of my youthful wartime experiences, in the actual book form. I always wanted to get this experience out there. Sally is also awed by seeing the real book. Again Ray, we are more than just pleased with your work as a publisher. We are estatic! A handsome book! Your talent shows!"
Major Andrew DeKever, author of his book, Here Rests in Honored Glory:
"This morning I received the paperback proof yesterday and went through it before I went to bed. First and foremost, I think Lulu did an outstanding job of putting together a very professional quality book. The front and back covers look even more impressive on the paperback proof than they did in the JPEG files you sent me. The pictures inside the book also turned out very well. My wife and I were both struck immediately by the great job that was done with it. In my review, I really didn’t see anything wrong with it. I even told my wife that, if I dropped dead today, I wouldn’t turn over in my grave if it went to press as it is. I’m going to take a more detailed look at it and I’ll contact you with any final tweaks before we go final with it. Since it’s so damn close to perfect as it is, I’m going to be very, very, very selective about any final changes I ask you to make. So, in the meantime, don’t mess with it because it’s great as it is!"
[And, yes, we did make some additional final corrections and tweaks before the book was released. There will always be things to fix. —Ray Merriam]
Anthony Catalino, author of his memoir, Grandpa's Selective Memories of World War II: An Artilleryman in Italy:
"You have done a magnificent job in putting together my memoir of World War II. You have far exceeded my expectations. I was pretty lucky to find you."