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Bestselling Books of 2003

By Dan Balowon July 3, 2018

Another in a twice-yearly offering looking back at a certain year and its bestselling books. There’s no better way to get an idea where we are now than looking back to see from whence we came. Fifteen years ago this week:

New York Times Bestseller List, July 6, 2003

Fiction

THE DA VINCI CODE, by Dan Brown. (Doubleday) Mega-selling book which became a blockbuster film in 2006 starring Tom Hanks with weird hair.
THE LAKE HOUSE, by James Patterson. (Little, Brown) A 2006 film starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
WHITE DEATH, by Clive Cussler with Paul Kemprecos. (Putnam)
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, by Lauren Weisberger. (Doubleday) Film released in 2006 starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.
THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold. (Little, Brown) Film released in 2009.
THE FACE, by Dean Koontz. (Bantam)
DIE IN PLAIN SIGHT, by Elizabeth Lowell. (Morrow)
THE GUARDIAN, by Nicholas Sparks. (Warner)
THE KING OF TORTS, by John Grisham. (Doubleday)
THE DOGS OF BABEL, by Carolyn Parkhurst. (Little, Brown)
NAKED PREY, by John Sandford. (Putnam) Fourteenth book in the “prey” series by Sandford. In April 2018, book #28 released.
ARMAGEDDON, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. (Tyndale) The 11th volume of the “Left Behind” series.
FLIRTING WITH PETE, by Barbara Delinsky. (Scribner)
THE SINISTER PIG, by Tony Hillerman. (HarperCollins)
DEAD RINGER, by Lisa Scottoline. (HarperCollins)

Nonfiction

LIVING HISTORY, by Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Simon & Schuster)
A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, by Bill Bryson. (Broadway)
MONEYBALL, by Michael Lewis. (Norton) Classic baseball book. Film starring Brad Pitt released in 2011.
BEYOND BELIEF, by Elaine Pagels. (Random House) Author of “The Gnostic Gospels.”
AN UNFINISHED LIFE, by Robert Dallek. (Little, Brown) A biography of John F. Kennedy.
WHO’S YOUR CADDY? by Rick Reilly. (Doubleday) A sportswriter recounts his experiences caddying for famous people.
THE TEAMMATES, by David Halberstam. (Hyperion) Baseball book focused on the Boston Red Sox in the 1940’s.
OPEN, by John Feinstein. (Little, Brown) Book about golf.
DERELICTION OF DUTY, by Robert (Buzz) Patterson. (Regnery) A retired Air Force colonel tell-all from his time in the Clinton White House.
CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, by George Crile. (Atlantic Monthly) Political intrigue in the 80’s made into a 2007 film starring Tom Hanks with a better haircut.
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS, by Dick Morris. (ReganBooks/HarperCollins) Former White House insider.
LEAP OF FAITH, by Queen Noor. (Miramax) An autobiography by the widow of King Hussein of Jordan.
A PATRIOT’S HANDBOOK, selected by Caroline Kennedy. (Hyperion) Essays, letters, speeches, poems and song lyrics about America.
REEFER MADNESS, by Eric Schlosser. (Houghton Mifflin) A study of society’s dark side.
THE CLINTON WARS, by Sidney Blumenthal. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) Political memoir by a senior adviser to President Clinton.

Best Selling and other significant nonfiction Christian books in 2003 included:

Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller
Beauty for Ashes, Joyce Meyer
The Servant Leader, Ken Blanchard
Point Man, Steve Farrar
I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris
Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper
Something Beautiful for God, Malcom Muggeridge
Max Lucado, several titles

Christian novelists doing well in 2003 included:

Lynn Austin
Terri Blackstock
Robin Jones Gunn
Liz Curtis Higgs
Jerry Jenkins & Tim LaHaye
Karen Kingsbury
Beverly Lewis
Janette Oke
Frank Peretti
Tracie Peterson
Francine Rivers
Bodie & Brock Thoene

Best Advice for New Authors – For Working with Their Publisher

By Steve Laubeon July 2, 2018

The idea to write this post came from a conversation this past week with a client who turned their manuscript in to the publisher a week early. The editor was thrilled! Thus began a short exchange on what every writer should endeavor to do in their career. This may seem simple but is important to reiterate. Do your best work. Always. No shortcuts. No “mailing it in.” No “sending …

Category: Book Business, Career, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Career, The Writing Life

Counting Cash – Fun Fridays – June 29, 2018

By Steve Laubeon June 29, 2018

A video of authors counting the entirety of their annual income in cash. Just kidding! Actually a video showing 70 people from 70 different countries showing how they count money. Who knew?

Category: Fun Fridays, Money

Is It Okay for Me to Resubmit?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 28, 2018

When approaching agents and editors, sometimes even veteran authors are unsure if there is some unwritten rule they may unwittingly violate. I assure you, all of us in the industry appreciate your thoughtfulness. But we don’t want fear to cause you to miss an opportunity! Over the past few conferences, one statement I heard often is: “I was already turned down by someone else at your agency. I …

Category: Book Proposals, Pitch, PitchingTag: Agents, book proposals, pitch

In Praise of Memorable Sentences

By Bob Hostetleron June 27, 2018

In her book, The Writing Life, Annie Dillard tells the story of a well-known writer who was collared by a university student, who asked, “Do you think I could be a writer?” “Well,” the writer said, “I don’t know…. Do you like sentences?” Dillard continues: The writer could see the student’s amazement. Sentences? Do I like sentences? I am twenty years old and do I like sentences? If he had liked …

Category: Language, Reading, The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: Language, Reading, Writing Craft

Test Your Writing Out Loud

By Dan Balowon June 26, 2018

Once you write something, try reading it out loud. It might change the way you write. I worked with audiobooks for a number of years and few things were more interesting than how something sounded when read aloud by the audiobook performer, whether it was the author or a professional voice talent. There were times, when an author read their own material for the recording, they actually stopped …

Category: Craft, Writing CraftTag: audio, Reading, Writing Craft

A Request for a Full Manuscript! Now What?

By Steve Laubeon June 25, 2018

Katie sent the following question: What should an author do if they receive a full manuscript request from an editor as a result of a contest, but the editor works for a small publisher and the author wants to explore other options first (e.g. getting an agent, finding a bigger house, etc.)? I would like to avoid a breach in etiquette here, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s …

Category: Contests, The Writing LifeTag: contests, Contracts, The Writing Life

Fun Fridays- June 22, 2018

By Steve Laubeon June 22, 2018

Sing along with Yakko! The first is all the countries in the world. Then is every word in the English language in one performance! (This one includes play by play commentary.) Teach them to your children and grandchildren… HT: [Blame this one on] Dan Balow

Category: Fun Fridays

Wronged in Business? When You Want to Hold a Grudge

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 21, 2018

Even though we’re doing business in the Christian community, none of us is immune from feeling wronged at one time or another. Perhaps an editor should have bought your book instead of someone else’s. Maybe you know a publisher didn’t promote your book with sufficient enthusiasm. Someone who doesn’t understand you could be making negative comments about you. Or someone could (intentionally or …

Category: Book Business, Communication, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Grudge, The Writing Life

How an Agent Reads

By Bob Hostetleron June 20, 2018

I’m seldom at a loss for words (though often at a loss for something of value to say), but the question took me aback for a moment. I was on an agents-and-editors panel at a writers’ conference within a few months of becoming an agent. I’d done this sort of panel before, both as a magazine editor and author, but this was the first time I’d been asked this particular question: “How do you read a …

Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Get Published, Marketing, PlatformTag: Agents, book proposals, Get Published