Tag Archive - Publishing

A Year in Review

December 29, 2009 in Publishing with 4 Comments

This is one of my favorite times of the year. The Christmas glow is still present and since the publishing world is, in essence, on vacation, it is a perfect time to to reflect on the past twelve months.

This was a hard year for many as the economy touched everyone in some way. And yet, despite the ominous cloud of doom and gloom, there were many exciting things to celebrate.

On a personal level our middle daughter was married at the end of June. What a joy to see God at the center of the ceremony. And our oldest daughter had a blast playing keyboards for Alice Cooper (singing “School’s Out”) in front of 50,000 people at the ASU graduation ceremony in May.

On a professional level we had some authors receive wonderful recognition:

  • Susan May Warren won the RITA award for best inspirational fiction.
  • Margaret Daley won the Holt Medallion award for best short inspirational novel.
  • Both Tracey Bateman and Marlo Schalesky won the Christy Award for best Christian fiction in their respective categories.
  • John Olson, Pamela Tracy, and Sharon Hinck won four ACFW Book of the Year awards (Sharon won for two different titles).
  • I was honored as the Agent of the Year at the ACFW banquet in September.
  • Cindy Woodsmall was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and hit #24 on the NY Times bestseller list. She was also featured in segment on Nightline.
  • Ellie Kay was featured in two separate segments on ABC’s “Nightline”.

But even more exciting is to see a finished book in print. There is such a long time from idea to contract to writing to publication that we can forget the “birth” itself! Therefore I would like present a list of books published in 2009 by authors represented by The Steve Laube Agency. It is really great to see this list all in one place and to think of the hundreds of thousands of readers who have been inspired by these words. It is truly a privilege to work for such incredible writers.

The books are grouped by fiction, children’s/YA, and non-fiction. They are listed in approximate order of their release starting with January. (Note that in some cases we represented only one of the co-authors or collaborators.)

FICTION

The Someday List – Stacy Hawkins Adams (Revell)

Daddy for Keeps – Pamela Tracy (Steeple Hill)

According to Their Deeds – Paul Robertson (Bethany House Publishers)

City of the Dead – T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing Group)

Play it Again, SAHM – Meredith Efken (Steeple Hill Cafe)

Insight – Deborah Raney (Steeple Hill)

If Tomorrow Never Comes – Marlo Schalesky (Multnomah)

Road to Nowhere (paperback release) – Paul Robertson (Bethany House Publishers)

Everybody’s Suspect in Georgia – Cecil Murphey (Barbour Publishing)

Yesterday’s Embers – Deborah Raney (Howard Books)

Nothing But Trouble – Susan May Warren (Tyndale)

Miss Match – Sara Mills (Moody Publishing)

Enduring Love – Bonnie Leon (Revell)

Certain Jeopardy – Jeff Struecker with Alton Gansky (B&H Publishing Group)

Breathe – Lisa Bergren (David C. Cook)

Above All Things – Deborah Raney (Steeple Hill)

You Make Me Feel Like Dancing – Allison Bottke (David C. Cook)

Worth a Thousand Words – Stacy Hawkins Adams (Zondervan)

Return Policy – Michael Snyder (Zondervan)

The Enclave – Karen Hancock (Bethany House Publishers)

The Great Christmas Bowl – Susan May Warren (Tyndale)

The Hope of Refuge – Cindy Woodsmall (Waterbrook)

Meltdown – Chuck Holton (Multnomah)

Sweet Waters – Julie Carobini (B&H Publishing Group)

Fugitive Family – Pamela Tracy (Steeple Hill)

The Sound of Sleigh Bells - Cindy Woodsmall (Waterbrook)

Bride Backfire – Kelly Hake (Barbour Publishing)

Thirsty – Tracey Bateman (Waterbrook)

Blessed (paperback release) – Lisa Bergren (Berkley)

Guardian of the Flame – T.L. Higley (B&H Publishing Group)

Christmas Lamp – Lori Copeland (Zondervan)

Powers – John B. Olson (B&H Publishing Group)

Christmas Peril: Merry MayhemYule Die – Margaret Daley & Debbie Gusti (Steeple Hill)

Clandestine Cover-up – Pamela Tracy (Steeple Hill)

 

CHILDREN’S / YA

Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court - Chuck Black (Multnomah)

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione (AUDIO) – Chuck Black (Oasis Audio)

Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court (AUDIO) – Chuck Black (Oasis Audio)

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart – Chuck Black (Multnomah)

God Found Us You - Lisa Bergren (HarperCollins)

God Gave Us Love – Lisa Bergren (Waterbrook)

NON-FICTION

Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight – Karen Linamen (Waterbrook)

How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons? – Kathi Macias (New Hope)

The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God – James Snyder (Regal Books)

The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship - A.W. Tozer, edited by James Snyder (Regal Books)

Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith – Jewell Powell (Revell)

Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive – Karol Ladd (Howard Books)

The Jesus of the Bible – Stephen M. Miller (Barbour Publishing)

Life on Planet Mom – Lisa Bergren (Revell)

American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam – Oliver North and Chuck Holton (B&H Publishing Group)

Reclaiming Christianity: A Call to Authentic Faith – A.W. Tozer, edited by James Snyder (Regal Books)

Your Jesus Is Too Safe: Outgrowing a Drive-Thru, Feel-Good Savior – Jared Wilson (Kregel)

The Diseasing of America’s Children (paperback release) – John Rosemond (Thomas Nelson)

When God Takes Too Long (Book & DVD package) – Joseph Bentz (Beacon Hill)

LT & Me: What Raising a Champion Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Listening to Your Dreams - Loreane Tomlinson with Ginger Kolbaba and Patti Britton

The Little Book of Big Savings – Ellie Kay (Waterbrook)

And He Dwelt Among Us: Teachings from the Gospel of John- A.W. Tozer, edited by James Snyder (Regal Books)

Thrive: Dare to Live Like God- Kevin Johnson (Zondervan/Youth Specialties)

Soar: Sail into God’s Plan for Your Future – Kevin Johnson (Zondervan/Youth Specialties)

Follow: Walk in the Rhythm of Jesus – Kevin Johnson (Zondervan/Youth Specialties)

Think: Figure Out What You Believe and Why – Kevin Johnson (Zondervan/Youth Specialties)

Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy – Leslie Vernick (Harvest House )

The Well Behaved Child: Discipline That Really Works – John Rosemond (Thomas Nelson)

God is Great, God is Good: Why Believing in God is Reasonable and Responsible – William Lane Craig and Chad Meister, general editors (IVP)

The Wave of Digital Creativity in Books

October 17, 2009 in Publishing with 10 Comments

wave1I went to high school in Hawaii (I know.. a rough life) where I learned the joys and perils of body surfing. That experience is a great metaphor for the new “waves” of digital revolution we are seeing in the publishing world.

The key to great body surfing is waiting for the right wave and then time your push just right. The ride is exhilarating (I still remember riding inside the tube of a perfect wave off the beaches of Kauai). BUT if you catch the wrong wave or mistime the push, there is no ride. Or worse, catch a wave that throws you wildly into a bunch of rocks…

But unless you are in the water and making attempt after attempt you will never achieve the perfect ride.

I see this metaphor applied to the new world of digital publishing. It is really fun to play a small part, but even more fun to watch others be extremely creative in their experiments. There are some very bright and exciting people trying new things in merging the traditional book with all things “interactive.”

One well publicized idea is the Vook (video book). This concept blends text and video into one package. Priced very low ($6.99 direct or less via iTunes) Simon & Schuster is starting with two novelists and two non-fiction projects. The 90-Second Fitness Solution, for example, features 13 short videos and 11 text chapters to present a simple fitness program. You can either read/watch it on your computer or download on your iPhone or iTouch.

The idea is creative but sales will determine its long term viability, especially at the prices they are charging. I downloaded the above title and found it fascinating to be able to see exercises demonstrated in video instead of still pictures.

Of course my purchase will be added to their “sales numbers” which makes me wonder how many “test drive” sales are going to happen.

Note that the fiction titles are using recognizable authors. The stories are novellas, not full length novels. Text for the Jude Deveraux title is declared to be 130 pages long but also has 17 videos to accompany the story.

If you are a Simon & Schuster author, don’t expect them to convert your book just yet. Their Vooks are a division of the Atria Books imprint and will be highly selective on where and with whom they put their investment.

In late October 2009 Harper Collins put Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book Crush It into an $11.99 Vook (complete with 17 videos.) This article pulls back a bit of the curtain regarding the costs associated with the Vook.

The next idea is also fascinating. Level 26 by Anthony Zuicker (creator of CSI) with Duane Swierczynski. This serial-killer terror novel has the premise that murderers can be classified according to 25 levels of evil according to the FBI. But now there is one that tops all the others…a “Level 26″ killer…the ultimate evil. Not a book I would recommend you read unless you love bloody horror novels or watch very disturbing movies.

What makes this novel different is that it is the first “Digi Novel.” You ask, “What is a Digi Novel?” Let me quote from the author’s description on Amazon.com:

“…where the traditional story ends, a deeper level of immersion is available at www.level26.com, exclusively to readers of the book. About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen, and the Web site might even ask for a phone number—where the killer can reach you directly. You might call it CSI with an edge.”

I can’t even imagine the amount of money this cost to produce. But again, a very creative way to merge visual/digital interaction with a book.

Another is ScrollMotion’s Iceberg Reader. This is an iPhone app that began with traditional text (and was competing with the dozen other e-book reader software packages) but has recently expanded to include full color kids books. They have both a Curious George alphabet book and a James Patterson Daniel X graphic novel (plus others, of course).  There are lots of rumors about this expanding considerably if/when Apple’s tablet computer is launched. They are working with Hachette, HarperCollins, Random House, and Simon & Schuster, according to Publisher’s Weekly (August 24, 2009). From what I can tell this is one of the first e-book readers to fully incorporate color into the experience. But I have likely missed someone else’s software.

Last is a very creative use of the QR code (Quick Read Code). The square label looks a little like a Rorschach image. What makes these unusual is that with the right app on a phone you can take a picture of the image and it will then take your phone immediately to the web site embedded in the barcode. The QR technology is very big in Japan.qrcode - stevelaube

I used the QR-Code Generator to create this actual QR code…embedded in this image is the URL to my web site!  If you look closely you can see me waving back at you. Just kidding, but this is a real QR code. Create one of your own.

According to Publishers Weekly (September 21, 2009), what HarperCollins has done is to incorporate this technology into books for Teens like Lauren Conrad’s L.A. Candy. According to Carolyn Pittis, HarperColliins senior v-p, global marketing strategy and operations, “In addition to the codes on the Candy jacket, QR codes were featured on posters used at the book launch party, and HC did a cross-promotion with Mark Cosmetics on the Mark site that drove consumers to the harperteen.com site.”

HarperCollins is breaking ground with the use of this technology by putting the code into ads in the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal. Imagine clicking a photo of the code while reading the newspaper and being taken to a site that has a complete video of the information you are looking for…along with an ad to buy something.

By starting with the Teen market they are truly capturing the “cool factor.” The problem of course is explaining what it is and how to use it. We visually block out bar codes because they are so prevalent. My concern as a parent would be “Where is this publisher taking my child?” But that is a topic for another writer to tackle.

Look on the back cover of the new Super Freakonomics book by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (published by William Morrow – a division of HarperCollins). You will see an OR Code and instructions on how to use it on your smartphone.

This must be what the music publishers felt like when the industry shifted from record albums to 8-Track to Cassette to Compact Disk to MP3 (and from record players to Walkman to Diskman to iPod) in less than 20 years. I hope to address some of the text based digital issues (Kindle vs. Sony vs. the world) in another blog, but for now, revel in the creative energy that is being expended to keep people reading and interacting with their books!

Book Manufacturing

September 9, 2009 in Publishing with 7 Comments

book manufacturingIf you ever get the chance to visit a printing press, do it. I’ve had the privilege to visit two of them. The first was Standard Publishing’s printing press in Cincinnati. Their plant is quite large and they do a wide variety of printing, everything from books to curriculum to Star Wars coloring books.

The other plant was Bethany Press International in Bloomington, MN. During my years with Bethany House Publishers I visited this plant many times since their building is about 100 yards from the back door of the publishing house! I watched them move from the old “film” method of processing to a completely digital technology.

The beauty of watching the books being printed is partly the fascination of cool machines, but also an insight into all of the incredible details that go into the manufacturing process.

What most people don’t understand is that there are certain book jacket treatments that make a book “feel” or “look” special. The standard lamination is what we are used to seeing because it is the most inexpensive process. That is the “glossy” lamination on the majority of books.

Some books get a “matte” finish – which gives a tactile feel to the cover, almost a rough, yet smooth, touch. This adds a cost to every book printed. This has become more common over the years.

Next is the “spot gloss” finish. This is where they start with the “matte” finish above, but using the gloss lamination on specific spots on the cover. They might laminate just the letters in the author’s name, or the face of the character on the jacket design, or maybe just the title. Again this is an additional cost for every book printed.

Last is the “embossing” or “stamping” process where they created a metal plate that stamps an imprint on every jacket. So instead of a flat cover, each book has embossed, or raised, letters or symbols. This can be expensive because the publisher must first create the metal stamp (a few hundred dollars just for the plate). Then, after the cover is printed, each jacket must be run through the process a second time to stamp the imprint into the paper. This is very labor intensive and a lot of spoilage can happen if the imprint starts to miss its mark. We’ve all seen a few books that got past the inspectors where the stamp doesn’t fit the design by being off by as little as a sixteenth of an inch.

And then some really special books get a gold foil that is also applied to the cover, before the embossing process.

Why am I telling you all this boring stuff? Because the following YouTube video is a four minute video of the printing process of the new Dan Brown novel, The Lost Symbol. You get to go behind the scenes into the printing company and see it at work. This book will have a first printing of 5,000,000 copies and will be released on September 15, 2009. In this video you will see all of the above cover treatments applied to the manufacturing of this book. Realize they must use more than one printer to fill this five million copy order. At the stated rate of 30,000 books per hour a press must run for over 167 hours (nearly seven full days) to print that many books!

Endorsements

July 6, 2009 in Publishing, Writing with 6 Comments

jedi-thumbHow important are endorsements? (Those “blurbs” on the back of a book that exclaim “A real masterpiece!”)

Let me answer with a question. When you are browsing a book title do you look at the endorsements or notice who wrote the foreword or introduction? I suspect you do without realizing it. And if you are unfamiliar with the author, but you know the endorser, then you are more likely to give this new writer a try.

In its early self-published days, The Shack by William Young gained tremendous benefit from an absolutely glowing endorsement by Eugene Peterson, author of The Message. It made me pause and think, “If Eugene Peterson makes such a claim, then maybe I should pay attention.” So, as a fan of Eugene Peterson for nearly twenty years I paid attention. I believe that endorsement is still on the front cover of The Shack (which at the time of this writing has sold 7.5 million copies).

How many endorsements should you get? One or two meaningful ones are best. Sometimes your agent can help you secure them. Sometimes your publisher. But it is best if you get them yourself from the folks you know.

The more recognizable name the better.

And the earlier in the creative process the better. Years ago I was presenting a proposal at a Bethany House Publishers pub board meeting. Unfortunately I was not getting a good reception from the team. Then I asked the members of the group to look at the endorsement page in the proposal. This writer had secured endorsements  from James Montgomery Boice, R.C. Sproul, and John MacArthur, each a highly recognized author and speaker, particularly withing the Reformed Theology tradition. The pub board members exclaimed, “Who is this guy?” They had never heard of the writer of the proposed book, but they knew the endorsers. Those endorsements turned the tide in favor of offering a contract to the author!

Recently I talked to a very well known author who gets about four to five unsolicited requests for forewords or endorsements each week. I read somewhere that Annie Dillard, the Pulitzer Prize winning author,  can receive as many as 40 in one week….and most of them for books by writers she does not know.

Whatever you do, don’t (please don’t) claim in your proposal that you can get endorsements from Rick Warren, Charles Colson, Dr. James Dobson, or Sarah Palin, unless you already have them in hand. Many visible leaders have tough restrictions from their board of directors regarding their endorsements (especially those who are part of a Christian ministry). They don’t want their name associated with a book that could ultimately reflect negatively on the author or their organization.

And if you are frustrated by that policy, let’s make it more personal. Imagine if you had endorsed a book by Bernie Madoff….and now that he has been sentenced to 150 years in jail, what does your endorsement of his book say about you? With tongue in cheek I used the graphic at the top of this blog “Trust me I’m a Jedi.” The implication is that the endorsement of a Jedi makes the book trustworthy…just like an endorsement.

Endorsements that only use initials (“A.E. from St. Louis”) are all but useless. And so are endorsements from your dentist, unless your book is about dentistry. And an endorsement from your minister is suspect, unless yours happens to be a well known author.  (What if your minister doesn’t like your book and refuses to endorse it? Will you still want to attend services?). Also try to avoid sneaking family member endorsements who have a different last name as a way of padding the list. You will be found out and your integrity will be suspect. This is not the time to “pad the resume.”

Securing endorsements is something with which you need to spend time partnering with your publisher. It can be a team effort that will ultimately help sell your books.

Who Decides to Publish Your Book?

June 24, 2009 in Publishing with 22 Comments

terminatorThe editor you met with at a writers’ conference liked your proposal and asked you to send it to her after the conference. She was already talking about format and promotion ideas. Or you submitted a proposal through the mail and received an enthusiastic response from the acquisitions editor. Four (or maybe six to eight) months later, a rejection letter showed up in your inbox or mailbox.

What happened?

No matter how much editors like potential books, they don’t have final say in sending contracts A lot of other people are involved in the decision of whether to issue a contract or a rejection letter.

Before becoming an agent I worked 11 years as an acquisitions editor and later as an editorial director for Bethany House Publishers. Most publishers have two physical board meetings to help make the decision whether or not to publish a book. This process varies from publisher to publisher and each company has its own name for its board meetings. Thus many authors get confused when hearing different labels.

Some rejections state that “the book did not get past the committee.” This statement can mean a lot of things. It could even mean it didn’t get past stage one below. So take a comment like that with a grain of salt, or at least get clarification if you wish to know how far your book actually went in the process.

Let’s look at the stages your proposal goes through in this process:

Stage One: Editor

The first stage is with the editor, one-on-one. This person must decide which book projects he or she wants to sponsor to colleagues. Most rejections happen at this desk. For some reason it didn’t click. Rarely does anyone else in the company see the rejected proposal at this stage. Some junior editors may show it to a senior editor, but not in a formal presentation meeting.

Stage Two: Editorial Board

The second stage is the editorial board. Editors gather together and pitch their discoveries to other editors. The editors create consensus for the project and occasionally brainstorm a different direction for it. If you get approval at this stage, many editors will call the agent or you and tell you the good news. But this is only a mid-level step.

Stage Three: Publishing Board

The third stage is the publishing board meeting (aka pub board). This is the biggie. Again, each company operates differently, so consider this description as a generalization. In this meeting are the company executives, presidents, vice-presidents, sales and marketing folks, and editorial representatives. I’ve heard of these meetings having as many as 20 people in attendance. Likely it is closer to 10 at the most.

Most editors have worked hard prior to this meeting. They have put together pro-formas that show the projected sales and profitability of the project. Likely they have already gone to the sales department and received a sales projection. Some go as far as gathering printing bids for the book prior to the meeting. Each member of the committee receives the pro-forma and a copy of the book proposal. (I can’t emphasize enough the power of a top notch proposal.). The executives receive this information before the meeting but not all are able to read it in advance.

It is this meeting where every objection possible is thrown at the book. Participants come up with reasons why this idea is a failure and why it should never be published. The discussion can be brutal. The editor is the advocate who defends the book against objections. If it survives this gauntlet, it will likely survive the general marketplace. In my time at Bethany House each project took a minimum of 15 minutes to present and receive rejection or approval. But some discussions lasted an hour.

There were times I went into the meeting expecting a slam dunk and got rejected. Other times I thought I’d get shot down but ended up with approval. An editor considers it a good day when 80 percent of what he or she presents in the pub board meeting gets approved.

Reasons for approval can be everything from pure economics to personal agendas by an executive. If that executive loves the topic, he can push the rest of the meeting toward approval. If everyone is tired and cranky, then the proposal may be doomed for publishing success. This is a subjective business, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the pub board meeting.

At this stage, the editor has company approval of the book. Some publishers authorize the contractual parameters in this meeting. Others have to have a separate meeting with the finance department.

But now is usually when the editor calls you or your agent with the good news. Negotiations begin on the contract, and you are on your way to your next published book.

Originally published Published in The Advanced Christian Writer, September/October 2005.

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