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It’s Official – Thomas Nelson is Now Owned by HarperCollins

By Steve Laubeon July 11, 2012

The sale of Thomas Nelson is now official.

From the press release:
“Thomas Nelson will continue to operate as an independent company with its unique editorial focus on inspirational and Christian content. Details, such as how Thomas Nelson will benefit from HarperCollins global print and digital platform, will be forthcoming.”

And if you were not aware, Zondervan Publisher is also owned by HarperCollins (purchased in 1988). This means two of the largest Christian publishers in the world are under the same corporate roof.

Last year I wrote some thoughts on the sale of Thomas Nelson to HarperCollins. Read those again to refresh your memory. www.stevelaube.com/perspective_sale_thomas_nelson_publishers

In other recent news, the parent company of HarperCollins, News Corp., said it was seriously exploring the idea of splitting into two different companies, one an entertainment business (TV, etc.) and the other a publishing business (newspapers, books, etc.).

A Little Less Shade, A Little More Light

By Steve Laubeon July 2, 2012

by Steve Laube

There could not be a better argument for the need for good Christian romantic fiction than the recent sales phenomenon of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. In case you aren't aware, this trilogy has sold ten million copies in the last three months. Ten million copies. The content of these novels should be x-rated and yet sit atop every bestseller list in the country. The …

Category: Craft, Creativity, Genre, Get Published, Romance, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Christian, Creativity, Genre, Romance

Who Am I? – About the Author

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 28, 2012

The author biography section in a book proposal seems to be one of the least anxiety-provoking sections, yet I often see areas that could be improved. Here are a few ideas on how to make your author bio section the best it can be.

Include a portrait

When I was an intern on Capitol Hill, one of my duties was to open the mail. On one occasion, we received a resume that included a portrait, …

Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Branding, Get Published, Marketing, TamelaTag: book proposals, Proposals

The Tell-All You Can’t Live Without

By Karen Ballon June 27, 2012

Karen Ball

Okay, okay, I admit it, the title of this blog is hyperbolic. Kind of. But let me explain why it’s not that far off the mark to say you really can’t—or at the very least, shouldn’t--live without it. Also, let me explain why I’m addressing something that Tamela addressed a mere 3 months ago.

So far this week, I’ve had no fewer than seven conversations with writers, agents, and …

Category: Agency, Agents, Book Business, Communication, Get Published, KarenTag: Agent, Communication, Karen

News You Can Use – June 26, 2012

By Steve Laubeon June 26, 2012

What Successful People do Before Breakfast - Reading this made me want to take a nap.

Free Tools for the Frugal Writer - Bob Evenhouse provides some good advice.

The Noisier it is, the Better You Work? - An argument to head to a coffee shop to do your work.

Do You Own Your Kid's Domain Name? - Good advice in today's world. I am glad I had the foresight to grab my name as a domain in the …

Category: Get Published, News You Can Use, Steve

Will You Vouch for Me?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 21, 2012

As part of my continuing series on proposals, today I'll talk about endorsements. This element can cause anxiety, so I hope this post will ease your mind.

When to Ask for Endorsement

Some writers tell me, "I'll get back to you on that list as soon as I talk to the authors." Or even, "I'll let you know as soon as the authors read my manuscript and get back to me." In reality, neither time is …

Category: Book Proposals, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Endorsements, Get Published, Proposals, Writing Craft

A Bit of Blogs, Just for You!

By Karen Ballon June 20, 2012

I’ve recently discovered a couple of new blogs that I really like, so I thought I’d share them with you.

The first is by Jeff Goins, at http://goinswriter.com. I like his perspective on writing, not just the craft, but the work of it. And he has a sense of humor, too. That’s always nice.

The second is The Creative Penn, by Joanna Penn. I love the diversity of topics she addresses, and her …

Category: Agency, Communication, Get Published, Karen, Marketing, Writing CraftTag: blogs on writing, recommended blogs

My Book is Like…

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon June 14, 2012

When I posted about writing great book proposals, I noticed a trend toward anxiety about the market comparison section. This is understandable since authors need to strike a balance between, "I am the next C.S. Lewis," and "You don't want to read this, do you?"

Aspiring to be like...

Most of the time, newer authors don't think about comparing their work to the work of others in the proposal. …

Category: Book Proposals, Craft, Get Published, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: book proposals, comparison, competition

Do You Have Perfect Pitch?

By Karen Ballon June 13, 2012

Thanks so much for all the ideas for my mini-conferences. I’ll put those together soon.

Speaking of conferences, while I was at a writer’s retreat awhile back, I was struck, as I always am when in the company of writers, by the power of the right word used in the right way. On the first day of the conference, I had group meetings with the writers. This is where a group of writers come in, sit …

Category: Book Proposals, Conferences, Get Published, Karen, PitchingTag: Conferences, Pitching, Proposals, Query Letters