Schiffer
Interview
With Chris McClure
By
Tabitha Chamberlain
We all take for granted the amount of time and energy that goes into publishing a book or Tarot deck. We all understand the passion and drive to make one, but do we ever take the time to really think about the process or the people that bring these things to our knowledge to begin with? Until I started working for ATA Tarot Reflections and the Quarterly Journal, I can't say that I never paid it much mind.
I
asked all of the major Tarot publishers to give us some more
information about them and their job. The in and outs of the
publishing game and what lead them to this point.
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. is one of those companies. Chris McClure is the man behind the scenes that graciously allowed us to ask him some questions about not only himself, but his job. We are grateful that he took the time respond.
Going by the name, C.R. McClure, he does read Tarot professionally. Under that name, he also has a children's book published by Schiffer, which was a runner up for a COVR Visionary Award in 2014. The book is The Legend of Papa Balloon and has a spiritual angle to it.
TR: Can we have some background on you please?
CR: I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Even at a young age, I had a deep interest in Religion and Spirituality which grew to include the realms of Metaphysics and Divination. The first deck that I purchased over 20 years ago was the ubiquitous Rider Waite Smith which seemed like the logical choice to begin my understanding of the Tarot. I was then gifted a copy of the Crow's Magick Tarot several years later which opened the possibilities of alternating interpretations and symbols.
TR: What is your deck of choice?
CR: I use several decks in my own personal readings. My primary deck of choice is the Tarot of the Saints by Robert Place but I also use our own Silver Era Tarot and Mary-El Tarot. For differing perspectives I still occasionally incorporate the RWS and utilize Crowley's Thoth deck as well.
TR: How many submissions does your company get in average of books, Tarot, or Oracles?
CR: We get submissions quite frequently and go through a careful process to determine which projects we feel would suit our company and customers the best.
TR: How do you decide when to publish the ones that you do choose?
CR: We publish them in a balanced fashion based on when the materials are received, but cognizant of the fact that the selection for each season should be harmonious enough to allow each title room to develop independently of the other. So we try to avoid publishing decks of a similar theme in the same season.
TR: Is there something that you wish you could publish? Or is there something that you wish your company was the one that did publish it?
CR: My goal here at Schiffer is to continue to deepen our titles list on a variety of spiritual topics and produce decks and books that will fill a necessary niche.
TR: What is the process for someone who's wanting to get their deck or book published? How long does this process take?
CR: The process starts with an idea, clearly articulated which is fleshed out with images and writing samples. The more we see, the better we can evaluate a project, so it helps if a creator is further along before they submit a proposal.
TR: What advice would you give any of our readers if they were looking to get an book or deck published?
CR: We feel that it's really important for a creator to be able to articulate how their proposed title fits in the market, make the proposal as complete and as good possible, and then follow up.
TR: Is there is anything else you feel you should share with our readers:
CR: Schiffer is committed to finding creators who are passionate about what they have made and wish to make a real positive impact on the divination world. We aren't looking for clones or derivatives, we are looking for game changers. Decks and books that people will really connect with and want to use as tools for greater self discovery.
Thank you CR for your time and information to not only to get to know your company but you as well.