THE CAPITAL & CROFTON NEWS CRIER

Tenacity pays off for writer of Christmas-themed novel
By THERESA WINSLOW and SCOTT BURKE, Staff Writers

John Snyder's alarm used to go off at 3 a.m. every day. It was the only time he could reach the producers of morning radio shows, and he was determined to get his name -- and word of his new Christmas book -- out.

He maintains his tireless work ethic today, even after his persistence landed him a deal with a major publisher, Warner Books. The once self-published author from Gambrills, who used to handle everything from typesetting to packaging, now has two other books in the works.

"I don't like getting beat," said Mr. Snyder, who used to run a public relations firm, experience that came in handy when he went full-bore marketing "The Golden Ring."

"You get discouraged along the way," he said. "But part of life is failure and rejection.

"I take this seriously, I pursue it in a serious way. I give it my all, then if I fail, at least I knew I gave it everything I had. People who don't put 100 percent of themselves into something have regrets."

With Mr. Snyder, it's more like 150 percent. These days, he still has a rigorous schedule. Between book signings -- he did 93 in just 2 months last year -- media interviews and writing, his life is just as hectic than when he first ventured into the book world. He's a bit more financially secure, though -- an improvement from when he took a second mortgage on his house to fund his quest to make "The Golden Ring" a success.

The book is based on a story told to him by his grandmother, Anna, over coffee and cookies at Christmastime around 1995.

"She told me many stories that day, but this one just grabbed me, it moved me," Mr. Snyder said.

"The Golden Ring," set in 1918, is centered around his then-9-year-old grandmother's relationship with her father, a railroad engineer. Some parts of the story are fact and some are fiction, but all of it centers on the concept of giving and true spirit of the holiday.

"The message is about the goodness that comes from giving," he said.

Christmas is very important to Mr. Snyder, a married father of two daughters who turns 50 next week. His family room is filled with a brightly decorated tree.

"It's a holiday when you reflect upon the things you have and are hopeful the world will be a better place," he said. A novel approach

Mr. Snyder was so taken with the story his grandmother told him that after his visit with her he drove several hours from her house in LaVale to the town in Pennsylvania where she grew up.

He originally intended to write down the story for his daughters, Nikki, 22, and Carli, 11. But over time, it grew into the 181-page book.

The woman who started it all, Anna Snyder, passed away in November 1999 at age 90, shortly after Mr. Snyder's book came out. She had helped review the manuscripts, and a copy was buried with her.

"It's a book that's gotten a lot of people thinking about their own family stories," said Sarah Launius, area marketing manager for Borders Books & Music. "John is very unique. He is one to watch. I've been saying that since 1998. This man will be on the best-seller list. It's important to him to share his story."

Mr. Snyder first met Ms. Launius at a Crofton print shop. Both were making photocopies and got to talking. Once Ms. Launius told him what she did for a living, Mr. Snyder began pitching his book, even though he didn't have a finished copy at the time, she said.

He eventually sent her a copy and she agreed to put it in local Borders stores. Mr. Snyder calls it "his first big break."

In all, "The Golden Ring" was rejected by publishers more than 100 times before being picked up by Warner earlier this year.

Mr. Snyder used to send it out wrapped in a gift box. He'd call the publishing companies before it got there, telling them it was on its way. A few days later, he'd call again, asking if it arrived. Then he'd call yet again to see what they thought of it and if it could be published.

He sold 24,000 copies on his own last year and those figures caught the eye of Warner, said his editor there, John Aherne.

"I work with a lot of authors," Mr. Aherne said. "Rarely do you come across any author so dedicated, so willing to do anything to help his book." Friends make book on success. Mr. Snyder's dedication comes as no surprise to longtime friends John Hill of Crofton and Tom Smith of Salisbury. Mr. Snyder named two brakemen on a train in "The Golden Ring" after them, and they help review Mr. Snyder's work.

Mr. Hill plays an even bigger part in a book tentatively titled "The Bracelet," due out sometime next year. It's about a young couple touched by the events of the Vietnam War. Mr. Hill, who served in Vietnam with the Army special forces and was a prisoner of war in the later part of 1969, is providing background information.

"If he can use my experiences, fine," Mr. Hill said. "I've been behind him since day one. John is very clever and precise when he writes."

Mr. Smith, who teaches middle school history and attended high school with Mr. Snyder, never guessed his friend would become an author.

"He was an above-average student, but we had some (English) teachers and they didn't think too much of us," Mr. Smith joked. "I wasn't sure what (Mr. Snyder) would end up doing, but whatever he does he goes wholeheartedly into it."

Mr. Snyder's third book, actually much farther along than "The Bracelet," is called "Jacob's Bell," and could be out in 2003. It's set during World War II and centers on a hobo who travels from Chicago to Baltimore to reconcile with his family.

Like any author, Mr. Snyder has had rough moments in his new career. But when he's down, he often gets an e-mail or a letter about "The Golden Ring" that cheers him up and spurs him on.

Here's a sample of two notes he received:

"I can't really find the words to tell you how comforting your book was to me. It brought back so many really happy Christmas memories about my own childhood. Your portrayal of Anna was so beautiful. The simpleness and single-mindedness of her faith is just something we lose as adults." -- A reader from New Jersey.

"I look forward to passing this book to one of the my dearest friends and I will ask her to give it to someone dear to her, and so on. It sends an important message -- and we need that, especially after Sept. 11. That event is forever etched in our memory and your grandmother's story will be with me forever also. Thank you." -- A reader from North Carolina.

Such feedback inspires Mr. Snyder to work as hard as ever on his writing.

"I haven't reached where I want to be yet, but I feel confident that I can write and people enjoy what I write," he said.


For more information about Mr. Snyder and "The Golden Ring," visit www.johnsnyder.net.