What begins as a fun take on Star Wars is ultimately a very clever book trailer.
Enjoy!
Fun Fridays – July 5, 2013
Blog
Attract Attention (Part Two)
Wasn't it fun to read Steve’s observations about ICRS? There is so much going on this time of year in our industry, and so many opportunities to spend time with other writers, with editors, and with agents. I love networking with these wonderful folks. But even more than that, I love seeing writers have meaningful and positive interactions with editors and agents.
With that in mind, here’s the …
News You Can Use – July 2, 2013
Penguin and Random House have officially merged into one entity known as Penguin Random House - Not, as I had thought, "Random Penguin" or "Penguin House." Here’s the scary stats. They employ 10,000 people worldwide (that is where the earnings from your books go) and will publish 15,000 new books each year. That is nearly two books per hour, all year long. That is a big publisher.
Judge Rules …
ICRS 2013 – Observations
by Steve Laube
This year was my 32nd consecutive annual bookseller’s convention now known as ICRS (International Christian Retail Show) held this year in St. Louis. As always it is a time of conversations, meetings, and business opportunities.
I arrived on Saturday afternoon, despite every attempt by the transportation industry to delay me…with 15 minutes to spare before giving an hour …
Quit Your Day Job?
Writers spend much time and effort creating books, and those who are serious about making a living -- or at least supplementing household income -- invariably reach the proverbial fork in the road when they must ask, "Do I have what it takes?" If you have reached this point, here are a few questions you may find helpful:
1.) Are you willing to rise every morning to face a blank computer screen or …
Attract Attention…in a GOOD Way!
I travel to writers’ conferences all over the country. I love being surrounded by others who love words and want to serve God through their writing. But over the years I've seen a number of interactions between agents/editors and conferees that were…well, less than positive. It was clear the conferee was passionate about his/her work, and that the writer was looking on this encounter as THE …
News You Can Use – June 25, 2013
Elevator Pitches: If You Build it, They Will Come. - Excellent post from Susan Spann! Do the exercise on your own pitch.
Christian Stores See 8.5% Overall Gain in 2012 - Looks like the growth came from non-book items. That is good news in that it means traffic in the stores has increased and reversed recent trends.
101 Things to Do to Build Your Writing Platform - My advice? Don't try all …
Fun Fridays – June 21, 2013
Happy Summer Solstice! (Here is how we celebrate in Phoenix. At the Public Library!)
And enjoy this fun lesson in grammar.
Meaningful Feedback
Picture made entirely of words by Ann Murray
My family recently attended an annual one-man art exhibition by my uncle, Eldridge Bagley, at the Glave Kocen Gallery in Richmond, Virginia.
Because my daughter, Ann, enjoys photography, I encouraged her to ask the gallery director his opinion of her work. He liked several of her photos,and guided her on which types of images would sell in …
When You’ve Done Everything Right
I love cherries. If I could only have one fruit, that would be it. But not just any cherry. When we first moved into our home here in Southern Oregon, we planted a cherry tree. At the time, I knew what kind of tree it was. But the little tag identifying it has long since vanished. All I know is that our cherries are a rich, dark red on the outside, like a Bing cherry. But unlike a Bing, the meat …