Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/The Kingdom Series (2nd nomination): Difference between revisions

The Kingdom Series (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log | edits since nomination)

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This is a non-notable self-published book series from a non-notable author. Nothing here to indicate it warrants a page. Previous AFD was a decade ago and had no consensus. Zackmann (^{Talk to me}/_{What I been doing}) 05:17, 5 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

• Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Literature-related deletion discussions. Staraction (talk | contribs) 05:50, 5 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]
• Note: This discussion has been included in the deletion sorting lists for the following topics: Christianity and North Dakota. WCQuidditch ☎ ✎ 05:52, 5 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]
• Comment – Archived sources from previous AfD: Grand Forks Herald: [1], Focus on the Family: [2], The Old Schoolhouse Magazine: [3]. Two reviews could be just enough for notability but I don’t know if those sites are considered reliable for book reviews. —Mika1h (talk) 17:24, 5 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]
• Comment: I’m finding some stuff as well. They’re hidden behind a paywall on Newspapers.com and with the current issues with renewals (via Wikipedia) I am unable to verify if they’re about this series. Unfortunately a lot of it looks to be from local newspapers, so they don’t really hold the same weight as they would if they were from more major outlets. I found: Rapid City Journal [4], The Dickinson Press [5]. As for the other sourcing, Focus on Family would not be a reliable source given that one of its controversies centers upon them deliberately misrepresenting research to suit their purposes. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine probably isn’t usable. I initially looked to see if they were cited in any scholarly/academic sourcing, but only found this book by Greenhaven Press/Cengage and this one by McFarland. They’re mentioned in this book by Palgrave, but the only part I saw was that the magazine is mostly ads. I then checked the website and they offer paid reviews. Their content creator package offers buyers the ability to have their products appear in an influencer’s videos and so on. Now, they might not have been doing paid reviews/articles in the past, but none of this really helps foster confidence in them as a RS on Wikipedia. I’ll keep looking, however. ReaderofthePack(formerly Tokyogirl79) (｡◕‿◕｡) 22:43, 5 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

• Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources. Wikipedia:Notability (books)#Criteria says:
  

  A book is presumed notable if it verifiably meets, through reliable sources, at least one of the following criteria:

  1. The book has been the subject of two or more non-trivial published works appearing in sources that are independent of the book itself. This can include published works in all forms, such as newspaper articles, other books, television documentaries, bestseller lists, and reviews. This excludes media re-prints of press releases, flap copy, or other publications where the author, its publisher, agent, or other self-interested parties advertise or speak about the book.

  Sources

  1. Garrigan, Mary (2004-10-10). “Action series tell biblical story”. Rapid City Journal. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “Chuck Black wanted to get his children excited about reading the Bible, so he wrote them a story about Christ, sort of. Black, a Williston, N.D., father of six home schooled children, had the idea to set his story not in biblical days, but in medieval times, and to fill it with all the action and adventure that kings and knights and swordfights can provide. … Encouraged to share the story with other families, the Blacks launched into a family book-publishing project that has resulted in a four-book set, The Kingdom Series. The first book in the series, “Kingdom’s Dawn,” is followed by three others that use action, adventure and intrigue in medieval allegorical novels to teach scripture and biblical characters to young people. The first two books take the reader from creation through the Old Testament. Book three, “Kingdom’s Edge,” was actually the first one Black wrote, and tells the life of Jesus through dramatic symbolism.”
  2. Sanderhill, Cheryl (2007-06-08). “Children lead father to pen Christian book series”. Williston Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “Chuck Black has written six books since 1999, which form a series that sets the Bible in allegorical form, as a Christian knight’s tale. … “Kingdom’s Edge” ended up becoming the third book of the series because when he was done with it he turned to the Old Testament, and produced two more books set in the same mythical kingdom of Arrethtrae. They are called, “Kingdom’s Dawn” and “Kingdom’s Hope.” Black continued to write to bring readers, young and old, fresh insight into Christian love and compassion. Next he did a fourth book called “Kingdom’s Reign” that covered the story after “Kingdom’s Edge,” through the book of Revelations. The Blacks self-published the books through a Web site they created, and they also placed the books in all the Bible bookstores in North Dakota.”
  3. Gurfinkel, Kathryn (2002-12-12). “Black releases second ‘Kingdom’ book”. Williston Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “Williston native Chuck Black recently released his second book, Kingdom’s Dawn, published by Perfect Praise Publishing. Black’s books are Christian allegorical novels, the adventures including swords, knights and battles are based on the Bible. In the recent tradition of prequels, Black’s new book, Kingdom’s Dawn, is the first in the series and his first book, Kingdom’s Edge, is the third in the series. Kingdom’s Dawn, begins with the story of Adam. The book tells the stories of the Old Testament through allegory.”
  4. Kliner, Kate (2008-06-18). “Williston resident to release book”. Williston Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “After self-publishing four books of Christian tales, Black was signed to Multnomah Publishing out of Colorado to complete the series and given a contract to write another series of six books. These books are now available in all Christian book stores as well as many other chains, and the first book called Kingdom’s Dawn was in the top ten best-sellers list, according to the Christian Booksellers Association for Christian Youth Literature for the month of December.”
  5. Spaulding, Sara (2013-07-12). “Free concert, teaching this weekend”. Williston Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “Chuck is a published author of two Christian fiction youth series. The first, the Kingdom Series, comprises six books and is a chronological allegory of the Bible set in a medieval kingdom. This series was in the “top 10 for youth literature,” said his wife Andrea.”
  6. “A Kingdom in the Hands of a Boy – Williston Man’s Book Series Full of Action, Adventure”. Grand Forks Herald. 2002-12-15. Archived from the original on 2025-11-10. Retrieved 2025-11-10.The article notes: “”Kingdom’s Dawn” by Chuck Black of Williston, N.D., is a Christian allegorical novel full of action and adventure, where swords, knights and battles are biblically symbolic. It is a classic good vs. evil story for all ages, told through the eyes of Leinad and his faithful companion, Tess. Black, an electrical engineer, created the Kingdom series of books with his family, he said. “Kingdom’s Dawn,” though just being released through Perfect Praise Publishing, is actually the first book in the four-book series.”

  There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow the Kingdom Series to pass Wikipedia:Notability#General notability guideline, which requires “significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject”.Cunard (talk) 09:33, 10 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Delete these are all local news based on interviews with the author. It’s very hard to tell whether they result from independent journalism, or whether they are the result of the author canvassing the newspapers. They’re mostly not reviews, but summaries of interviews and statements by the author’s close family. It’s not clear whether anyone who wrote the articles actually read the books; one of them quotes a bookseller who explicitly states he hasn’t read the books but expects them to appeal! We need real reviews by people who independently read the books to demonstrate notability. Elemimele (talk) 11:14, 12 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The newspapers chose to write these articles because they thought their readers would be interested in the topic. There are quotes from people affiliated with the book series, which is expected since reputable journalists always attempt to seek input from those involved directly in the subject of their articles. The sources contain plenty of independent research, reporting, and synthesis of information about the book series. These are meant to be newspaper articles about the book series, rather than reviews. There is no requirement for there to be “real reviews” of the book. Wikipedia:Notability (books)#Criteria says (my bolding): “A book is presumed notable if it verifiably meets, through reliable sources, at least one of the following criteria: 1. The book has been the subject of two or more non-trivial published works appearing in sources that are independent of the book itself. This can include published works in all forms, such as newspaper articles, other books, television documentaries, bestseller lists, and reviews.”The book series has been “the subject of two or more non-trivial published works” in multiple newspaper articles. There is no requirement in the notability guideline for books that the sources must be beyond local news. However, the book series did receive significant coverage beyond a single region since it was covered by newspapers in two states: North Dakota and South Dakota. Rapid City Journal is in Rapid City, South Dakota, Williston Daily Herald is in Williston, North Dakota, and Grand Forks Herald is in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Cunard (talk) 09:07, 14 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

• Delete per Elemimele. Looking through the sources, none really give SIGCOV of the books themselves and all include interviews with the author/family. Despite what Cunard says, coverage should be independent, which goes beyond directly citing the book. I did find this article, which is closer, but it’s still really just pointing readers to go buy the next book when it comes out, rather than an actual review. Significa liberdade (she/her) (talk) 07:33, 15 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]