Sounds good to me if the two of them agree. Let me know if you need any info I may have. I most always give Barbara what info I find . I'm related to the Dortch on both sides. Judy > > From: "John M. Poythress" <brerfox@bellsouth.net> > Date: 2005/10/12 Wed PM 03:16:49 EDT > To: POYTHRESS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Mecklenburg County Book > > By now we have all seen the announcement but I'm posting it again at the > bottom of this email. > > The Southside Virginia Gene. Soc. "coordinating" a Mecklenburg heritage > book sounds to me exactly like the deal that was done in Screven County, > GA 30 or so years ago and if it's the same type deal..it's pretty darn > good despite the fact that on its face it may look a tad > "profit-oriented." Here's how Curtis Publishing of Dallas, TX (the > guys who did the Screven book) worked it: they found a REPUTABLE local > "coordinator", got him or her to write a legit history of the county to > make up about the first third of a several hundred page coffee table > sized book. > > The back two thirds of the book were articles contributed by all the > various families. Some families even had two articles..Curtis accepting > two articles about the same family. Although the intentions of > individual authors were all good the quality of the individual family > articles (as you might well imagine) was simply all over the place..from > obvious fantasies to some pretty credible, scholarly genealogy. > > Then Curtis Publishing (or whomever the new guy is) recoups their > investment by selling the books (of course everybody who can afford it > wants a copy of "their family history"...using the term loosely). The > Screven deal was back in the early seventies and the price for the book > was 20 bucks..I have my mother's cancelled check that I use for a > bookmark in my copy. My guess is that nowadays the book will likely > go for 75 to 100$......but will probably be worth it because it will > have some stuff on collateral families that you would almost never find > elsewhere. > > On the whole, I think we can likely project some degree of success for > this project....with or without the underwriting publisher as described > above. > > The remaining question would seem to be who is going to write the > Poythress article. I'd like to propose either Julie or Barbara as both > have great advantages: Julie is "on the ground" and probably has a good > grip on the collateral families and Barbara has done a ton of first rate > research...or maybe the two working together. Or for that matter anyone > else who feels qualified. I don't have any axe to grind other than > thinking that it's practically a "requirement" to have us represented > inasmuch is fully two thirds of us have > Mecklenburg roots to one degree or another. > > This email is to simply put the question on the table. Thoughts from > others? > > Maynard > > > The Southside Virginia Genealogical Society is coordinating > a project to publish a Mecklenburg County Heritage Book. Current or > former residents of Mecklenburg, as well as those with roots in > Mecklenburg are invited to submit a 500-word family article and one > photo, which will be published free of charge. Those with ancestors in > residence in Mecklenburg County by or before 1800 may also submit a > "pioneer" story of 500 words and one photo. > > Churches, clubs, and organizations in Mecklenburg County are invited to > submit articles and photos for use in the topical section of the book. > Each will receive free publication of 250 words and one photo. > > The deadline for submitting articles is Feb. 1, 2006. > > For more information or to obtain a brochure with complete details, > contact: Frances Clark at 434-447-7308 or fnclark@buggs.net; Patti > Roberts at 434-372-4434 or proberts@meckcom.net; or Laverne Toone at > 434-636-3277 or Irdtoon@aol.com. > > Mecklenburg County Heritage Books can be pre-purchased by contacting one > of the members above. > > > > ==== POYTHRESS Mailing List ==== > Poythress Genealogy Research Web > www.poythress.net > >