This from Elsie Belman:
YOU MAKE EVERYTHING EASY AND STRESS FREE, I'M LOVING IT! From Annabel Johnson, author of dozens of novels published by big NY publishers, of which there are over a million in print in several languages:


You have made my feelings toward the act of getting published actually enjoyable, and I gotta tell you, it never was a whole lot of fun before. EVERYBODY to whom I have shown LAST DAYS OF A TOYSHOP is enchanted with the look of the book and many have promised to order it. It is a book I can be proud of.
Thanks again.

This from Addie Washington:
I feel really lucky to have happened upon your website. Who would have thought that there could be a true connection between two people working towards the a common goal, whom I might add, have never formally met each other? That speaks volumes of the type person you are towards the authors you publish.


A.M.D. comments:
Again, Mr. St. John, please do accept my deepest thanks for your incredible kindness and wonderful humanity. If I were a writer, I should hope to have such a tremendous editor as yourself.


Tom Ostrom, author of The History of the USCG comments:
You are a pleasure to work with, too, and I am pleased that you are doing my first book. The second one will be sent to you as well.


This from Mary Cooke, author of Lots and Lots of Sugar:
Thank you for the Human Events ad you sent to me. Great piece and glad to be part of it! Thanks also for the continual items on book promotion. So glad you remember all of us long after our books have been published.


D. Schmidt says:
I am impressed with Elderberry's website, your obvious dedication to book distribution and promotion, and your personal enthusiasm.



This, from a college student convinced he should quit college to sweep floors at a publishing house in order to be published:

You most likely do not remember me, but my name is Jesse Oakes. I wrote to you a few years ago concerning my desire to enter the publishing world in order to give my writing a better chance at success--at the time I was still in school. I studied to be a biochemist and have a number of publications for my research, and, thanks to your advice, I'm still in biochemistry now instead of sweepnig floors at a publication house. I do DNA research for medical diagnostics that make transplantation and grafts possible. Anyway, I'm writing to you today to reinitiate contact. Even though I never went into the working literary world, I've still made a constant effort towards making my writing succsesful, and will continue to do so.


I'm impressed with the way you conduct business and support of your authors.
Thanks again.
David Wood, M.D., author of Why Worry?


From Jasmine Humphreys, an author in Australia

Having my book published by you was a monumental reward. Thank you for all your help. Gifts of the Nile has already touched people's hearts.


From a writer in Thailand:

Dave,
I've been bouncing around the web wondering who to approach next and stopped at your page. I can see from your website that you're an honest and realistic type of bloke and I like that. I loved your Caveat Emptor piece especially the What publishing isn't vanity? Good level-headed advice in a sea of confusion. It's exactly what I needed.


FROM RHEBA STILL, AN AUTHOR REGARDING HER SECOND BOOK WITH US:

Again many thanks. I will miss our frequent e-mails. I appreciate your keeping in close touch as we worked toward publishing.
Sincerely, Rheba


From a new author for whose work I had to turn down:

Dear Dave,
What has impressed me the most about this adventure that I have set myself on is how you are the only publishing house who indicated any care at all about the content and its impact. Everybody else was strictly business and indicated no care whatsoever about what they publish. In light of this, I would be honored if you would work with me in publishing this book. I am very open to any help you can offer and feel that in working with you on this I will accomplish what I set out to do, publish a work of art with meaning.


Walter A. Atkinson, author of Forgive Us Our Senior Moments:
I had great time on 4/24/03 appearing on a half hour TV show called "The Doctor's In" from Washington, DC area. I was the only guest and had a great conversation with the host--Dr. Larry Sheingorn--about my book. The good doctor is a nut for the 40's and 50's as well as what's happening in the health field for senior's. The show is syndicated and taped for showing in Baltimore, DC, Atlanta and other m ajor cities. It will be available from their archives for years to come. I'll also have my own copy in a few weeks. So here's hoping for some action. He was profuse in his praise of the book, giving it a number of healthy plugs on c amera. The show is lin ked to the Elderberry web site. I wiil be getting my own site eventually. TV is the way to go!


David L. Hale, author of 2084: The Year of the Liberal and The Liberal Masters:

    Thank God for David St.John and Elderberry Press! After having had the honor of being rejected by most of the major New York publishers, dave saw merit in my work and took me on as an author. The result? I am now published nationwide, my book is in bookstores and libraries and I have b een critically reviewed. My first major market wow, 2084: The Year of the Liberal, is selling steadily across the country. I'm so happy with Elderberry Press that I'm running my next book, The Liberal Masters through them, as well.
    To the beginner or to the veteran author - battered and bruised by rejection - this is an opportunity to get your material before the public, who will either give you a thumbs up or down.
    Finally, after, myself, having been mugged by agents and publishers for years, it's so refreshing to find somebody who is honest, in the publishing business! (As rare as the woolly mammoth!) In a word, for the author "with a message", I highly recommend Elderberry Pres s as a means of getting your message out!


Rachel Verdon, author of Lyme Disease and the SS Elbrus:
    The book is wonderful! Thanks for all your hard work.


Melissa Bowersock, author of Goddess Risi ng:
Having been previously published by a New York house, I was unsure what to expect from Elderberry. My experience with New York had been "interesting." I found out that I had little to no input on decisions concerning my book s, and that the publishing world worked in its own slow, mysterious ways and could not be bothered to keep me informed of progress. The titles and cover art of both my books were determined without any input from me--not even, "Here's our short list; what do you think?" (One book that takes place in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, AZ has for cover art Red Rocks Crossing in Sedona, AZ. I guess in New York, Arizona is Arizona.) The titles of my books were similarly determined and I was informed after the fact: "We hope you'll be as happy with the title as we are." (I wasn't.) I dutifully sent in my galley proofs by their deadlines, then waited in a void until I received a box of books from my agent. That was my first clue that my book was availa ble. So entering int o business with Elderberry, I expected a similar experience. I quickly found out that was not going to be the case. Dave and I worked tirelessly together to determine the title, subtitle, cover art, blurbs, even the font style on my bo ok. Through endless e-mails traded back and forth through the days, we hammered out solutions that were both satisfying to me and commercially viable for him. We may have gone through literally hundreds of iterations, voting for or against as our heads and hearts dictated, whittling the long list down to a short one, finally coming to mutual agreement. I found this aspect of creation?very different from the writing but just as important to be immensely enjoyable, and I think the energy we both put into it shows in the quality of the book. It was not only hugely satisfying for me to have this kind of rapport, interaction and support from my editor, but it was FUN.
You are without a doubt the most thoughtful, attentive, courteous, easy-to-do-business-with publisher on the face of the planet. Don't go getting a swelled head, but you are the BEST!


Roger Fernandez, author of Odyssey To Opportunity and Odyssey Resumed:
Frequently, authors justifiably complain about their inability to communicate with their editor. When such lament reaches my ears, my response is as quick as it is reassuring: just try Elderberry Press. You will be able to contact Dave St. John any time, and he will always respond with grace and style. In fact, dialoguing with him can develop into such a degree of friendship that some light humor becomes part of the exchange. Author's frustration for lack of communication between author and editor is not part of Elderberry Press menu. Try it: you will not only like it, you'll love it.


Roger G. Baker, author of USMC Tanker's Korea:
As I recall it was in February 2001 when I was contacted by David St.John Editor/Publisher of Elderberry Press. He had viewed a few pages of my Korean War non-fiction ma nuscript that I had posted on another web site. He was very interested in reading my manuscript. I mailed a copy to him. I was very excited that he contacted me. As a new, unpublished author, it took me almost 50 years to complete my story. A promise I ha d made to myself to honor all those that served in the Korean War and especially those in my outfit that were killed, wounded or served there. David liked my manuscript and after reaching a financial agreement, he worked closely with me in some editing, c aptions under pictures and sketches I sent to him as well as letters I had written home. Over the following months of sending edited copies back and forth to one another all was ready to go except the final title of my book and the cover. We both delibera ted on the ti tle and cover and finally reached an agreement per his suggestion. The final title was, USMC TANKER'S KOREA THE WAR IN PHOTOS, SKETCHES AND LETTERS HOME.
Then he sent me a copy of the cover page that he designed. It was a a bsolutely mo re that I had ever hoped for. It was perfect. While I had never expected to become rich and  famous from my book and David was very candid about this, I finally fulfilled a promise to my Korean War buddies. Throughout the process, David a nd I became good friends and are to this day. We shared much about our personal lives over the months. In July 1951 my book was published and David took care of securing a copyright and having the book posted on the web at Amazon.com, Barnes& Noble an d many other retail book stores.


Mary Wadsworth-Cooke, author of Lots & Lots of Sugar:
Of all the interesting endeavors of my life I thought the long days and nights which became weeks and months spent in the writing of my (first) novel, was absolutely the most satisfying That is, until I discovered (executive) editor of Elderberry Press, David St. John. He has turned this experience into so much more for me ? it's put the cherry on the sundae! At a family get-together the other day, I was telling our sons and their wives how much working with David has enhanced the already satisfying experience of writing my (first) novel. After listening for a while, one of them said, ?I think I'll try writing a book, just so I can meet this incr edible man."


Paul Dueweke, author of Lamb Of God David St.John has been instumental in motivating me to publish.


Vincent Lutterbie, author of After The Facts I am wholeheartedly recommending Dave St. John a s a publisher. I know that Elderberry Press isn't one of the 'big boys', but what it makes up for in size, is greatly compensated for in caring and style.  You can actually get a hold of your publisher whenever you need to.  Pretty amazing. Dave also act s as a friend, and in my opinion, an agent, as he allows you to go off in search of a large publisher, while he is concurrently pushing your book as hard as he can. Without boring you with details, he is a joy to work with, very kind and helpful, and puts out a great product. Besides, he seems to agree with me that dogs are just funny looking people that have strange taste in clothes.


E. Gerald Pires, author of Ichi Ban Outfit
You have been terrific in your efforts to get the book to me in time for our national convention. I'm very grateful to you.


Zeph E. Daniel, author of LAMB
I'd write another book just to be able to work with you. Thanks for all you do.


Jack Richey, author of Two Step s Forward, No Steps Back: Why The Left Isn't Right For America
I spent a year, from July of 2001 to July of 2002, realizing a lifelong ambition: writing my first book. In June of 2001, I came across a full page ad by Elderberry Press in Insight Magazine. Reading the ad, I was immediately taken by the concept of an independent conservative publishing house willing to publish previously unpublished authors. Here was a wonderful opportunity for me to escape the Catch-22 that entwines people like me, who are new to the writing world. The way things work with the folks at Random House and Simon & Schuster, among others, is that they won?t talk to you if you don?t have an agent. Problem is, if you talk to an agent, he won?t work with you if you haven?t alrea dy been published.
Dave St. John took care of that conundrum. I had finished my book by the first weekend in July, 2002. At 4:45 PM on Monday, July 8, I dropped off, at a local UPS outlet, a copy of the manuscript, accompanied by a two-pag e introductory letter and a synopsis of the work. I hoped to be hearing from Dave a couple of weeks later. That was not the way things worked out. At approximately 4:45 the very next day, almost 24 hours to the minute after I had dropped of the manuscri pt, I got a call from Dave. He told me that he had already started reading my work, and liked what he had read, and would like to move forward with publishing it. As far as I?m concerned, the short time it took Dave to get back to me qualifies for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
Dave and I went through several edits of the manuscript over the ensuing several weeks. He took me by the hand, metaphorically speaking, and guided me through the highways and byways of polishing my work. He emp loys the sure hand of an accomplished editor, in addition to the professionalism required of a publisher. Dave is an extremely patient man, who does not hesitate to encourage you when you begin to have doubts about the quality of your work. Himself an accom plished author, he knows the publishing business from both sides. He has been a pure pleasure to work with, in every way that pleasure can be reckoned.
When you access the Elderberry web site and read through the prompts, guidelines, promises, gua rantees, and caveats that Dave displays there, you can rest assured that what he says, he will do. That especially goes for aggressively promoting your book. Mine is currently listed on the web sites of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Waldenb ooks.
I consider myself to be a pretty good writer. Having said that, however, I will go on to say this: I do not now have, and may never have, the words that would be required to adequately express my satisfaction and gratitude over the job Dave S t. John has done and continues to do for me. Working with Dave has, for me, been the experience of a lifetime.
To say that I recommend him and Elderberry and leave it at that would be to commit both a crime and a sin with mere words. Dave is a true g entleman, of the old school, when the word gentleman really meant something. When he tells you he will do something for you, he will not only do it: he will do it in spades. So, if you?re thinking about getting a book into print ? especially if you?re a first-time author such as yours truly, work with Dave because, as surely as the sun will rise in the morning, he will work with you. Superlatives were invented for Mr. David St. John.