Always & Forever, Love - African American Success Stories of Marriages 20+ Years Strong.
Today our guest is Otis G. Sanders from Inglewood, California (Southern California). He has been a professional photographer for 30+ years and he is also a published author. We have conducted an interview with him about his second table-top photography book on marriage: Always & Forever, Love subtitled: African American Success Stories of Marriages 20+ Years Strong.
How does your tabletop photography book "Always & Forever, Love" African American Success Stories of Marriages 20+ Years Strong compare to or is differs from a traditional book on marriage?
My book, Always & Forever, Love is a photography book with marriage as the subject matter. It contains a full-page photo of 50+ couples – each photo is accompanied by the couples’ success story on the opposite page. My book contains a lot of information, but the reader is not required to read it from start to finish to get the intent of the author. My book looks at the ups and downs of marriage and how the couples are able to stay together through it all. It’s all done on two pages per couple featured so as to not bore the reader with every detail of the couples’ married lives. The layout and the way it’s written makes it more inviting for someone to look at the photos, the couples’, years of marriage, and read their article. If they don’t have time to read the entire article, there are highlighted quotes from each couple pertaining to their marriage or their desires for lasting marriage. The average traditional book on marriage gives advice and or methods to help solve marriage problems. For the most part, they are clinical in nature and sometimes not as inviting to read.
How powerful was the question “What does it take to have a long-lasting successful, happy marriage?” after your first marriage ended?
That’s a very powerful question because it’s actually what propelled me to write this book. I didn’t think my wife and I were very different from other African American couples that were able to sustain a happy marriage so I wanted to find out what they were doing to do make their marriages work. In finding the answer to that question, I wanted to pass my new found knowledge and information to other couples.
How were you able to answer that question?
I found the answer(s) by interviewing, and photographing 50+ African American couples, asking specific questions of each couple, and choosing and using what I thought was relevant to each couple and writing about those findings in their article. From these couples I’ve learned that each marriage is different as it relates to the way their individual marriage works. There were common themes throughout my research that each couple spoke about, but the underlying thought held by each couple was the fact they were in their marriage, “til death do us part.”
How is the book organized for finding a specific couple's story?
The book is organized by number of years married. There are sections in the book that separates couples that have been married from 20 to 35 years, 36 to 49 years, and 50 to 75 years. Between the sections of years I used bible scriptures that speak to the religious nature of marriage.
What can you tell me about the bonus section in this book?
I added the bonus section, “Love Online” but it’s listed as Internet marriages on the cover. I included this special section because today, in the 21st Century, the Internet is where a lot of people go to make friends and start relationships (either business or personal), that sometimes lead to marriage. There are 8 couples (including me and my wife, Freda) that met online started a friendship, that lead to a relationship, and found a love that progressed into marriage. The couple in my book that met online have been married from 2 to 18 years.
What are the sales opportunities for this book?
Always & Forever, Love is a tabletop photography book that’s great to display on coffee tables, sofa tables, or end tables. In the office or at home people can leaf through and read at their leisure. It’s an excellent tool for church groups with an emphasis on successful African American marriage. I’ve sold large numbers of books to ministers who counsel couple before marrying them. Marriage and relationship counselors purchase my book for their clients. Everyday people consider my book a great gift for weddings, anniversaries, and couples in long-term relationships. I’ve spoken, at several speaking engagements, about success African American marriages, and those talks have lead to purchases by people that are interested in viewing the photographs and reading about successful marriages. I believe my book is one of a kind because it highlights, uplift, encourage, and celebrates successful marriages within the African American community. I haven’t seen another book on the market like Always & Forever, Love.
Where can this book be purchased?
This book can be purchased from my website: http://alwaysandforeverlove.org, on Amazon @ amazon.com/author/otisgsanders. The e-book version can be purchased on itunes @ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1132776520
I’m also available for speaking opportunities and book signings. I can be contacted @ otisg@7thson.org
