It is instructive to review the last seven books on this infographic. Maybe it’s time to rethink how we encourage our children and our friends who say “I don’t read books.”
(Image: Personal Creations)
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Book Concepts That Will Never Sell
As a public service to our agency clients and the general Christian publishing industry (but mostly because it is a real drag being serious all the time) here are some book concepts that will never sell. Don’t even bother trying to develop them. I Never Knew You: Depressing Bible Verses The Dog that Returned to His Vomit: A Bible Story for All Ages The Eglon Diet: The Purpose Driven Knife …
Travel Woes? It Will be Okay!
As I prepare to attend the ACFW conference, I recall how many things can go wrong on travel. They can, and they do. But the world will not end. Please remember this. How do I know? Because I used to consider myself indispensable. But the graveyards are filled with indispensable people. And I must remember that the world will not end if something goes wrong. For example: 1.) I missed my flight. …
Proposals: Make Comparison Titles Work for You
When I mention adding comp titles to a proposal, this is the response I often get from both nonfiction and fiction authors: “AARRRGGHH! Why? It’s so hard!” Well, there are two main reasons as to the why: Comp titles show there’s a market out there for books like yours. Comp titles help the editor/author “get” your book better. Now, that doesn’t mean you can just grab any book that’s similar …
Long Live Napoleon Solo
The middle of September 1964 was one of the most historic periods in world history. Rarely has humanity seen the kind of cultural shift that occurred fifty years ago this month. Subsequent generations will never be the same. In one week, families, friends, fiends, fish and fun boat-rides changed forever, because fifty years ago this month, the following television programs premiered on U.S. …
How To Stumble Onto Your Brand…
Erin Taylor Young has a remarkable gift for making her readers laugh out loud even as she’s delivering hard truths about living a life of faith. Her down-to-earth writing style invites readers into the books that God has given her and sends them away refreshed and assured that we’re not in this gig alone. Her first humorous nonfiction, Surviving Henry: Adventures in Loving a Canine …
Novel Settings: City or Small Town?
Recently a faithful blog reader posted a question in response to my post on setting. She wondered why more Christian fiction isn’t set in large cities, and if there is a way to write the story to make a big city feel like a small town. Opportunity Versus Roots I grew up in a rural village. I have lived in apartments near D.C., and now I live in a mid-sized town. My comments are based on my …
Proposals: Creating a Strong Hook
Last week we tackled the proposal synopsis. The cool thing about creating that aspect of the proposal first is that you can use it as the springboard for your hook: those few lines at the beginning of your proposal that draw an editor/agent deeper. (One note here: many writers have asked if they need to put something in the hook about genre. My vote: put the genre right after the title on the …
Justin Beiber and Leisure Suits
Recognizing the difference between a cultural “trend” and a “phenomenon” is an important skill of anyone working in book publishing, both employees of publishers and authors. Why? Because book publishing in virtually every form does a very poor job responding to a phenomenon, which is generally short-lived. Often a phenomenon has come and gone before a book can be written and published on the …
Fun Fridays – Sept. 5, 2014
What an amazing invention! I love the battery life and the ability to scan through the content quickly. Even better? I don’t have to rely on Amazon to deliver it by drone.