A guest post from Holly Lorincz, assistant to Chip MacGregor

Recently, I was forced given the opportunity to learn to master the art of uploading ebooks onto Smashwords and Amazon for this persistent Scottish agent I know. After extracting multiple promises that haggis or blood pudding would never be served at staff parties, I agreed.

I can’t approach the simplest assignment without first reading at least seventeen reference books (the heftier the better), and yet, after all that research and putting my own book up for esale, I’ve really only learned one thing about self-publishing: marketing your ebook is a full time job. Selling it successfully? There’s magic involved and a lot of patient plodding, and messing around with algorithms. I know, I know, I shouldn’t use that word algorithm, since it just screams ‘first period math class.’ Sorry. Unless you’re going to hire a publicist, get used to it. Also, if I’m being totally honest, you may want to bypass the whole formatting and uploading issue, hire a professional, if you have a life away from your computer.

Still here? Okay then. The following is a list of random ebook publishing and marketing tips that I’ve picked up from books, other self-publishers, and my own stumble down the publishing path. Some of it will be common sense and common practice, so just view it as a reminder.

1. Remember those early beta-readers you sought out as you were finishing your book? Remember that one that drove you crazy, the one that only commented on dangling participles, improperly used pronouns and linguistic improbabilities?  If you haven’t burned that bridge, find that grammarian and ask him or her to read your book one last time, tasked with catching typos, specifically homonyms and homophones. (Because, you know, spell check silently chuckles when you use the phrase “his voice was a horse whisper.”)

2. Decide if you are going to use KDP Select (Kindle Direct Publishing Select requires you publish only with Amazon) or if you want to publish in other venues, such as KDP or Smashwords, which distributes to most other distributors like Barnes & Noble and Sony. There are benefits to each choice. However, even if you choose to distribute only on Amazon, I recommend you initially format your manuscript using the Smashwords Style Guide process, as it gives you a much cleaner ebook (you will not thank me while trudging through the laborious frustrating process, but you will when you’re done).

3. There are (at least) three books you should read before you begin formatting your text:  Smashwords Style Guide: How To Format Your Ebook by Mark Coker (available as a free document on Kindle); Publish on Amazon Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing (free document on Kindle); and Publishing E-Books for Dummies by Ali Luke. Thankfully, I bought this last book in print form, since I ended up formatting my manuscript while using my computer, my Kindle and the Dummies book at the same time. The first two documents offer specific, step by step instructions. Dummies is an overview of the multiple methods of self-publishing ebooks and contains problem solving strategies that are not in the first two documents. Dummies also has helpful sections on building your own author’s website and driving buyers to your ebook.   

4. Write your acknowledgements page, copyright page, book’s hook, short description, and author bio days before you put your book online. You need to give yourself time to go back and edit. And that hook has to be good. Look at samples from the top 100 Kindle sellers, what are they saying? Speaking of hooks and descriptions, try inserting a top Amazon or Google key word search term for your book’s genre within the first sentence or two . . . but do it smoothly. Good luck. If you do manage this trick, you will be driving readers who are looking for subjects like “vampires in love” or “dinosaur fossils” to your title. Hopefully that is what your book is about.

5. Your cover and title. You will hear this over and over again, because it’s true: nothing is more important than your cover and title. The imagery needs to somehow imply the genre, tone and subject matter of your manuscript. When I was getting ready to put my first book online, I searched through internet stock photos for two days before I finally realized I was going to have to do my own photo shoot. Luckily, I know photographers and graphic designers. Then I needed to consider the title, make sure it was prominent and properly represented the text. Readers get edgy when they think they’re buying a romance entitled something like Love’s First Kiss only to discover the two people snuggling sweetly on the cover turn out to be demons seeking to ravage a futuristic dystopian society. Again, go into Kindle’s top 100 best sellers and assess their covers and the titles. Look especially close at your genre. Great titles have meaning AND they incorporate top key word search terms. That’s a coup if you can pull that off. In his book, Making a Killing on Kindle, Michael Alvear uses a Charlaine Harris title as a good example of this: Living Dead in Dallas. You know the book falls into the zombie category, and it includes “living dead,” which is a top key word search in Google. For that matter, Alvear’s title is apropos to this discussion; are you unclear at all on what his book is about?

By the way, if you’ve already epublished, it’s not too late to reconsider your title or your cover. You can edit or resubmit, or you can hire a service to make the corrections for you.

6. Once your book is online, pay attention to not just your sales; also look at your Amazon ranking. The higher you go in the ranks, the more Amazon does to market your title, like adding your book into the “customers also bought” thread under other books in your category. According to Alvear, there are a number of ways to bump up your ranking just by paying attention to what he calls the ecosystem within Amazon. Namely, chase reviews from family, friends and book bloggers; get people to purchase top selling titles in your genre at the same time they purchase your book online (if this happens often enough, Amazon will start to link the two titles); review other books online and somehow, subtly, refer back to your own book while praising that author (if you can’t do this without coming across as smarmy, I don’t recommend it).

6. Make sure you take advantage of the author’s page on Amazon.  Amazon’s Author Central allows you to post a bio, pictures, links to your websites, blogs, videos, articles, podcasts . . . this is available when a reader is perusing your title information, trying to determine if they want to buy your book. Sell yourself and you might sell your book. Consider offering freebies for these browsers, like bookmarks or mugs or previous books you’ve written. Who doesn’t like free stuff?

I’ve just grazed the surface of what you can do to market your book. I haven’t even mentioned social media, like Facebook and Goodreads and Bookshelf and blog tours . . . 

A guest post by Karen Swallow Prior

In Charlotte’s Web, the first hint Wilbur the pig receives about the odd spider’s true character comes when she tells him her name, Charlotte A. Cavatica. What an oddly beautiful name for a creature usually associated with ugliness, fear, and death. Upon hearing her name, Wilbur tells Charlotte, “I think you’re beautiful.” And Charlotte, naturally, agrees.

Names are powerful words. We don’t think about names quite the same way people of old did, and this is our great error. In ancient times, a person’s name often signified an event, a personal quality, or a family relation. In this way, a name offered not only a label for oneself, but even more importantly, a connection to the world one was born into and a part of. The acts of naming and being named were momentous events laden with significance—just as it is significant that the first work God gave Adam in the Garden of Eden was naming the animals. To name something or someone is a gesture that is both creative and powerful. In Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White bestowed a spider with the name of Charlotte A. Cavatica. And he gave a little girl—one a lot like me—the name of Fern Arable, a name resonant with the pastoral qualities that permeate the pages of the book.

As for me, my mother chose my middle name, Irene, first because it is my grandmother’s name, and then she picked a first name suitable to accompany it. For most of my life, I thought of Irene as an old, ugly name. But now that I am older, and my grandmother is much more so, and I can better appreciate who she is and the life she has lived, I think it is a pure, strong name. Its origin is Greek; it means peace. I’m thankful for this name, not only because I think it is beautiful in both sound and sense, but even more because it came from my mother, and my grandmother, and it connects me to the world I was born into and became a part of.

All words are names, for all words signify something.

The power of naming is a subset of the power of all language. God spoke the universe into existence and, in giving us the gift of language He gave us a lesser, but still magnificent, creative power in the ability to name: the power to communicate, to make order out of chaos, to tell stories, and to shape our own lives and the lives of others.

The Book of Proverbs says that death and life are in the power of words. To choose a good word, to assign the right name, to arrange proper words in the best order: these are no easy tasks. Such work requires the creative power, the brooding, the birth pangs of a mother. Names, words, and language: they shape and create our souls the way a mother’s body shapes and creates our bodies. We describe the country of our origin as our fatherland, but our language we call our mother tongue. Indeed the words that often wield the greatest power in and over our lives are those spoken by our mothers, from our names, to words of encouragement, to words that define and shape our character, words of truth spoken in love. This power of words is akin to the creative, nurturing role a mother plays in our lives.

The getting of meaning, like the getting of a child, is an act of nature and grace. Yet, it’s an act so every day, so commonplace that we easily overlook its magnitude. Until we see that same power in a new and surprising context, exerted, for example, by a fictional spider on behalf of a fictional pig.

The story of Charlotte’s Web is a metaphor for the power words have to shape us into who others see us as well as how we see ourselves. For it is through words that Charlotte saves Wilbur’s life—not temporarily, as Fern has, but forever, at least the sort of forever that’s contained within the pages of a book. By knitting those words into her web which stretches above Wilbur’s pigpen, Charlotte makes the pig the talk of the town. No one, not even a farmer like Homer Zuckerman whose livelihood depends upon the fruit of his toiling, does away with a pig as special as Wilbur, one who gains widespread fame and visitors from near and far. Even when Wilbur loses first place at the County Fair to a much bigger pig, Wilbur’s life is no less secure than was my rabbit’s for his award of the red ribbon each year at the Monmouth Fair. Yet, Charlotte’s words not only save Wilbur’s life, they shape his life.

As she weaves words about Wilbur into her web, Wilbur tries to live up to the meaning of the words. “Some pig,” she proclaims. “Terrific,” she writes. And as if by magic, Charlotte’s serendipitously chosen words create in everyone who comes to see Wilbur, and even in Wilbur himself, a sense of being, in fact, “some pig,” and a pretty “terrific” one, too.

Wilbur protests when Charlotte chooses the word “terrific,” that he’s not terrific: “That doesn’t make a particle of difference,” replied Charlotte. “Not a particle. People believe almost anything they see in print.” When she chooses the word “radiant,” she puts Wilbur through a series of tests to see if he is. And Wilbur does “everything possible to make himself glow.” 

Charlotte observes critically: “I’m not sure Wilbur’s action is exactly radiant, but it’s interesting.”

“Actually,” said Wilbur. “I feel radiant.”

And the last word that Charlotte makes for Wilbur, “humble,” foretells both his second place ribbon and the ordinary but happy natural life her words allow him to live out.

When I was a child, I overheard my mother talking to some other adults. I was only half-attentive until I heard my mother speak my name. “Karen’s very perceptive,” my mother was telling them.

I piped up: “What does that mean? Perceptive?”

My mother hesitated, searching for another word. “Deep,” she finally explained. I wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that either, but I do remember understanding that somehow, in some way, my mother noticed something that distinguished me, something she could name even if I could not. From that moment and for the rest of my life, my mother’s words—perceptive and many others—have helped me to be the thing she saw and named in me.

Like the old riddle of the chicken and the egg, the power of giving something its proper name, in turn, empowers it to become the name it is called; which comes first matters little, perhaps.

Charlotte, through her words, gives Wilbur life, just as her own life is nearing an end, but her life-giving role is not over yet.

She leaves behind dozens of offspring, born in Wilbur’s barnyard under his watchful eye. Three of these stay on in Zuckerman’s barn to be Wilbur’s companions, though none can replace Charlotte, for as the narrator says, “It’s not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

Like a true friend and a good writer, right words are hard to find. And all of these, like a mother, have the power to give life.

Okay, so I have a new book releasing. My longtime friend, editor, and longsuffering co-worker Marie Prys and I were interested in the spiritual lives of our US Presidents. I suppose prayers have been uttered in the oval office since before that uniquely-named place existed. Many of those words were captured, and some still resonate today. Mostly they prayed for wisdom as they served the country, sometimes for thanksgiving or appeals for justice. We did our research, included some biographical data on the men who filled the role of president, tried to keep out all the partisan bickering, and just made an attempt to introduce readers to a different side of the presidents. This is an ebook (we originally did a print version about ten years ago, but went through and updated everything), and it’s only $2.99 on Amazon, B&N.com, the iBookstore, and Kobo. Give it a read and let me know what you think. Thanks!

-Chip MacGregor

Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. Every Thursday, she posts about growing your author platform. You can follow her on Twitter @amandaluedeke or join her Facebook group to stay current with her wheelings and dealings as an agent.

Have you enjoyed our Thursday chats on marketing, promotions, and platform-building? I sure have! But so many times it feels as though I’m cramming info into my posts or even breezing over content. And what’s worse, is it’s become clear to me that this site doesn’t exactly make it easy to dig through my old posts!

So, I have some exciting news! 

I’ve written a book ALL ABOUT how to use the Internet to grow an author platform! Here’s a peek at the cover:

From websites to Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and more, I cover the essential topics, pulling from some of my best posts while also adding in plenty of new content. Whether you’re a social media newbie or guru, an unpublished writer or an industry veteran you’ll come away with actionable items that you can put into practice now.

THE EXTROVERTED WRITER: An Author’s Guide to Marketing and Building a Platform releases March 15 on Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and Smashwords (for ePub version or all other ebook devices). For now, it will be only available as an ebook.

If you’d like to recieve a notice when the book is available, sign up for the newsletter here. (It’s not the fanciest newsletter provider, btw. So don’t judge me!).

Please share this post with your friends! AND if you’ve been a fan of Thursdays with Amanda and would like to offer an endorsement, hit me up at ExtrovertedWriter@gmail.com. I’m hoping to receive testimonies from writers in all walks of life, published or unpublished, who can testify that my Thursday with Amanda tips help make their social media platforms stronger.

Thank you all, and let me know what you think! Sound off in the comments.

Someone wrote and asked, “Do publishers have a ‘fast track’ for an idea that is time sensitive? Do they leave room for hot topics in their publishing pipeline?”

Sure, publishers have a fast track, but they use it very carefully. When you turn in your completed manuscript, it’s usually going to sit with the publisher for a year before it hits store shelves. That’s partly because they have artistic and production decisions, but it’s really more of a sales issue — stores order books months in advance. So right now stores are looking at what books they’ll have in their stores next summer. A book that is dropped into a list hasn’t been given much time to create a marketing buzz, it hasn’t been presented to stores to order, and the whole process gets rushed. So publishers don’t want to drop a bunch of new titles into their lists that don’t have support and won’t sell.

What I’ve found is that frequently an author wants to fast track a book, when if fact it would do better if the sales and marketing types put it through the usual process. Every author feels as though he or she can’t wait — that the book needs to be released immediately in order to capture the moment. In my view, that’s usually a time trap. Most books will do better if they aren’t rushed, and allow  the system to work. So keep in mind that, if you’re going to be working with a traditional publisher, you’re probably going to have to take the long view to get the full benefit of the relationship.

At the same time, ebooks allow a faster turnaround, which is both a blessing and a curse. It’s possible to get a book out very quickly and speak to an immediate need — but we’ve all seen a bunch of books that were rushed and really not ready for the market. The challenge is to not force a book onto a reading public before both book and market are ready for it. So there’s wisdom in not always being in a hurry. 

Ten years ago I represented Lisa Beamer’s Let’s Roll! Due to the high visibility Lisa had during those post-9/11 days, there were publishers who wanted to take the book and get it out immediately. I was worked at Alive Communications at the time, and we were afraid hurrying the process would result in a book that felt rushed, and that lacked depth and texture. We didn’t want something that simply played on people’s emotions, but a book that told the full story of Todd and Lisa. Fortunately we linked Lisa up with Ron Beers, the publisher at Tyndale, who made sure his team took their time, edited well, really marketed and sold it hard, and the book not only hit #1 on the New York Times list, it remained on the list for months and became the bestselling nonfiction book of the year. Had we rushed it out, I doubt the book would have been as good, or the response as favorable. 

In this business, you often see the term "million seller" bandied about. "This book is going to sell a million copies!" is a phrase I've had thrown at me dozens of times at conferences and conventions. In my view, people who talk about million sellers tend to over-promise and under-deliver. The numbers on 2011 book sales are in, and…well, nothing gives clarity to promises like some hard numbers.

How many hardcover novels released last year hit the million mark? One–John Grisham's THE LITIGATORS. (Stephen King's 11/23/63 fell just short.)

How many hardcover nonfiction books released last year sold a million copies?  Two–Laura Hillenbrand's UNBROKEN, and Walter Isaacson's STEVE JOBS. (Bill O'Reilly's KILLING LINCOLN just missed, selling more than 990,000 copies.)

How many new trade paper releases last year sold a million copies? Three–Todd Burpo's HEAVEN IS FOR REAL (the biggest selling book of the year, at just under 5 million copies), Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP, and Steig Larson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. 

How many YA and children's books hit the million mark? Four, and every one of them was part of a series: Jeff Kenney's DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #6, Christopher Paolini's INHERITANCE #4, Rick Riordan's HEROES OF OLYMPUS #3, and his KANE CHRONICLES #2.

How many mass market releases in 2011 sold a million copies? Five, and three of them were from the same author. The list includes Grisham's THE CONFESSION, Nora Roberts' THE SEARCH, and three from George R.R. Martin: A FEAST FOR CROWNS, A GAME OF THRONES, and A CLASH OF KINGS.

And a new category, how many newly-released ebooks sold a million copies in 2011? The answer will undoubtedly surprise you–one. Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP.(HEAVEN IS FOR REAL just missed hitting the mark.)

The numbers for backlist books are pretty skinny–only three backlist titles sold a million copies, and all three were from the same author. Suzanne Collins' CATCHING FIRE and MOCKING JAY hit the million mark in print sales, and HUNGER GAMES sold a million ebooks. 

And that's the full list. Interesting to note that last year there were no backlist trade paper books; the highest was BREAKING DAWN, which sold 750,000. So a total of 19 books sold a million copies in 2011. Let's put this in perspective…

There were a few more than 250,000 NEW titles released in 2011, and of that group, 16 sold a million copies. There were approximately three million books for sale in the US last year (that number is much in dispute, and some would put it closer to four million), and a total of 19 of them sold a million copies. (Okay, time for the disclaimer: These figures are being pulled from Publishers Weekly, the bible for those of us who work in the industry, but a publication that relies on publishers and retailers for their figures. So could some author have sold a million ebooks from his or her website and not made the list? Sure. But when you look at these numbers, it makes you wary of the inflated claims some authors have about their personal ebook sales.)

One of the most interesting details that arises from looking over the full sales reports, which can be found in the March 19 edition of Publishers Weekly, is that the vast majority of bestselling authors have been there before. Of the thirty top-selling novelists from across all publishers last year, only two names show up on the list that weren't there in previous years. So the same old names (Patterson, Roberts, Sparks, etc.) are what are paying the bills for publishers. This is a business that keeps going back to what works (and WHO works) in order to make money.

What's the lesson for the writer? Um…before you decide that writing books is going to lead you to fame and fortune, you may want to peruse the bestseller lists. A little dose of reality can be a good thing. 

 Chip, Amanda, and I are all just coming off a six
day road trip to ACFW conference, followed by visits to several publishers. It’s
always good to get home.

The conference was great. We had a lot of fun
connecting with friends and associates in the world of ACFW.  I worked very hard meeting hopeful authors;
connecting and praying with my clients; squeezing in times to confer with Chip
and Amanda whenever possible. Between us, we taught or participated in at least
half a dozen teaching and/or industry sessions. Chip did a great job as emcee
of Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy pizza party. Though I had to duck out
early to attend a publishing dinner, I hear he helped move things along at the line
dance lesson which followed. Here’s a YouTube link to one of the most well
organized line dance lessons I’ve ever seen … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNvFf7tQH0w.

At the awards banquet, we were pleased to cheer
for all the winners, and picked up a few awards ourselves. Our very own Jenny
B. Jones won twice; once in the Young Adult category for I’m So Sure (Thomas Nelson) and again in the Long Contepmorary
Romance category for Just Between You and
Me (Thomas Nelson).

Jenny is always a hoot, and her off the cuff
acceptance speeches were no exception. If you weren’t there and would like to
get an asparagus-free taste of the awards banquet, check out the liveblog at http://acfw.com/conference/liveblog.shtml
led by Tyson Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media.

By the time the Agent of the Year was announced, I’d
thoroughly decided there was no way I would possibly be walking up front to
accept the award, so I was thoroughly shocked, quite honestly, when my name was
called. I think my thirty-second-at-best acceptance remarks relayed this.

I will admit I was asked to prepare a speech just
in case, which I did. But learning mid-conference that winners would have 30
seconds max to say thanks, I ditched it.

Still, I think it expresses very well what this
award means to me, so I’ll share it here.

When
I heard I was nominated and realized there was the chance that I might have to
trot up to the front of the room and receive recognition, I hoped to find something
in my closet which I hadn’t already worn to other ACFW and conference events. But
… no luck. I’m not much of a shopper, actually. So it took a bit of a nudge from
my husband, offers of help from my two best girlfriends, and some pre-shopping
advice from a fashion savvy author I represent, to get me to the “social wear”
department of our local upscale department store. “Don’t worry about the price,”
they all said. “Just find something that makes you feel fabulous.”

After
selecting as many dresses as possible to take into the dressing room at once
(as much as I hate shopping in general, I loathe the back and forth between the
racks and dressing room even more) I narrowed it down to three, then one,
marched over to the jewelry counter to find jewelry to accent the dress, then
escorted my usual frugal self to the register without stopping too long to
ponder the fact that the dress I chose was (of course) the most expensive of
the bunch and (gasp) not on sale. It did make me feel fabulous, though, so I
caved and bought it.

And
then the next morning at church Randy Alcorn, whose book THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE
has greatly influenced my thoughts on money and possessions, was a guest
speaker. Randy, in his very gentle-yet-convicting way, reminded me (well, it
wasn’t just me, but it felt like it) that God provides for us so that we, the
church, can provide for others.

My
soul said amen. And then it started doing a number on my conscience. Suddenly
the price tag of that dress started to matter again. Before the day was out, I
decided I’d be returning the dress and looking elsewhere for something with a
more conservative price. And that I’d be praying for an opportunity to up my
contributions to others in need. It’s not the first time God influenced my life
through the work of a book or author.

Before
I was even aware there were such things as “Christian books” (which begs the
question – can a book be a Christian?) authors like John Steinbeck, Norman Maclean,
Elizabeth Berg, and Gabriel Garcia- Marquez helped shape my sensibilities for
what makes a good story good. 

Back
in the day when I was a new believer and Christian fiction was housed on one
shelf, Frank Peretti’s THIS PRESENT DARKNESS opened my eyes to the reality that
we live in a battlefield, and are responsible for keeping ourselves girded in
prayer and armed with truth.

Donald
Miller’s, TO OWN A DRAGON, helped usher me through a very dark time in my life
when I realized I still had “Daddy Issues” I needed to resolve.

A
few years ago, Randy Alcorn gave me a signed copy of his book HEAVEN, which
opened my eyes to the delights of the age to come. And then, God gave me the
opportunity to share these insights with the twelve year old daughter of my
best friend who was losing a battle to brain cancer but looking forward more
each day to meeting Jesus.

When
I first began agenting, I wondered if my dream to create a bridge for Christian
fiction authors to inspire the world to a higher standard of entertainment was
realistic. Leif Enger’s PEACE LIKE A RIVER showed me that it is. Learning that
Barnes & Noble had chosen to place Carla Stewart’s CHASING LILACS at the
front table of every store across the country this past summer helped affirm my
confidence that I do indeed recognize good writing, and that my endeavors to
represent quality books – and authors – who make a difference in our world is
worthwhile.

Lisa
Samson’s book QUAKER SUMMER helped dawn in me the notion of looking for an
opportunity to reach out to my local community – even if it only felt like a
tiny drop in a very, very big bucket.

Reading
Melanie’s Dobson’s book LOVE FINDS YOU IN LIBERTY, INDIANA while my son’s class
rehearsed their roles in a civil war peace cotillion added a fullness to my
appreciation of the struggles of our founders and forefathers. And mothers.

This
summer I had a chance to meet Arloa Sutter in person – she’s an author I
represent whose new book THE INVISIBLE just released. As the director of
Breakthrough Urban Ministries in East Garfield, Chicago, the work she is doing
on a daily basis to help people in one of the most impoverished communities in
America is inspiring. But the reality of her message and her life – that
there’s always hope – came at a time when I needed that reaffirmed as the
economy struggled to recover from a downward spiral and so many of the
yet-to-be published authors I represent needed encouragement to keep their heads
up, and continue fighting the good fight with me – even when prospects seem
bleak.

Everyday
there are stories being written, and read. Hearts – and consciences – being
challenged and changed all because of books.

So,
even if it means I have to trek back to the mall the next chance I get, I’m
grateful for Randy, and for other authors whose books have shaped who I am, and
who I am still becoming.

To
be a part of this is honestly reward enough, though I am honored to have
received recognition for it.

A
sincere thank you to Chip MacGregor, the authors I’m privileged to help along
in their publishing journeys and whose letters were responsible for my
nomination, and all the authors whose work has influenced me over the years.

Like
I said, I’ll be returning the mall very soon to return the dress I left hanging
in my closet when I packed for ACFW.

I’m
keeping the earrings, though.

Sandra

Okay, so on Monday I spent some time answering questions from people about which books I’ve been reading and what I like. On Tuesday I got this response from someone: “Well, there’s really only ONE BOOK – the Bible. It’s more than a book, so nothing compares to it. But books written by the muse of man that I have enjoyed would include…”

Um… where do I start? First, there isn’t only “one book.” There are a lot of books, many of great value – even to people of faith. Second, I’ve never heard of a book that wasn’t “written by the muse of man.” For crying out loud. Third, that is without a doubt the most pompous note I’ve received in years. 

Look, I appreciate that I have people of faith reading my blog. I'm a person of faith, and I represent a lot of Christian books. But I also live in the real world, not some hokey spiritual world where we need to always point out that we are religious. So give it a rest. Learn to write words that people want to read and you'll find more success. Geez…

Janet wrote to say, “Looking at all the religious fiction writers being published today, who do you 
think will be read and admired 25 years from now?”

First, this is a great question. It's also a bit of a slippery topic, since "popularity" and "longevity" don't always go hand in hand (in writing or in any other art). Tastes change and that pushes the culture away from one author and toward another. For example, Ernest Hemingway has long been considered one of America’s greatest writers. But as readers have moved away from his books, and as time has marched on, his reputation as a stylist has flagged considerably. And his buddy F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was reduced to writing B-movie scripts late in life because the reading public had soured on his work, now commands great respect from the literary community. So… you never know how time is going to treat writers.

Let me offer an example in religious publishing: I think Terri Blackstock is one of the best of the Christian thriller writers right now. However, with the contemporary feel of her books, I doubt people will be reading and studying her work in 25 years. That’s not to run her down – it’s simply to say they are contemporary stories, and those tend to fade quickly. (Remember just a few short years ago? We were all reading Tom Clancy.) As an agent, I don't want any of the authors I represent to think I'm running down their work if I don't select them as "writer of the century." But that's the hand I'm playing with this post today.

Second, in my view, your question begs a recency debate. Twenty-five years from now, I believe they'll still be reading and discussing Madeleine L'Engle and Walter Wangerin… but is it fair to name two of the old guard in CBA? I don’t know. So this is a stab in the dark. I think, 25 years from now, people will still be reading Sue Monk Kidd novels, and the “Hawk & the Dove” trilogy from Penelope Wilcock. I think the jury is still out regarding Francine Rivers, even though that may sound silly when you consider her success. And I can think of about five or six writers who could make this list if they continue to build on their talent, but they simply don't have a big enough body of work yet for us to make a clear judgment (names on that list would include Leif Enger and Haven Kimmel, who have immense talent and will need to match that with big ideas). I also think that there are numerous authors who have the talent and desire to do exceedingly well in this business, but to this point their books haven't quite matched up to their ability, so we need to be patient and see what happens over time. 

Third, this points to a question for writers: What are the qualities that make a story timeless? Doubtless that would include facing the great questions of life, and having likable characters face difficulties we all can relate to. But the problem with trying to create timeless fiction is that tastes change so much. Would LEFT BEHIND have been as popular today as it was in the 1990’s? No. Would HARRY POTTER have been as wildly successful in the 1950’s as it was fifty years later? I doubt it. So I think every writer writes for his or her own time, for their own generation, not for eternity.

On the nonfiction side, we can see something similar. People a quarter-century in the future will still be reading Frederick Buecher and John R.W. Stott, but they've become old-guard. I'd say the current names that will have a lasting impact are Alister McGrath and Brennan Manning (maybe John Piper, but I'm leery). I'm in the minority in thinking Brian McLaren is a flash in the pan, and I don't think names like John Eldredge and Max Lucado will have staying power beyond their lifetimes, being too tied to our current culture. Finally, I should note that I honestly think a couple of current authors I represent have the depth and talent to make a list like this, but they haven't yet had the success or the longevity needed to prove me correct yet.

Betting on authors 25 years in the future is a bit like betting horses — much depends on things beyond skill. There is timing, topicality, significance, and God's sovereignty (for my super-spiritual friends) or, if you don't mind my saying so, good old fashioned dumb luck. But I think a few of these folks are likely candidates. Would love to know who you think we'll be reading in 25 years.

And by the way, author Jim Rubart (the writer of the new bestseller ROOMS) is doing a booksigning with Paul Young, author of THE SHACK, this Friday night in Seattle. It's at the University Village Barnes & Noble at 7. If you're in the area, stop in and say hello.

People have been asking me about books…

Vicki wrote to ask, “With all the new books coming out this fall, is there one that really stands out? Something you can’t wait to read?”

Sure. I’m a huge Mark Twain fan, and when he wrote his autobiography he asked that it not be published until 100 years after his death. The first volume (of three) releases this fall. I CAN’T WAIT.

Dawn asked me, "What is the book you're most excited about these days?" 

From a business point of view? Well, Jim Rubart's ROOMS has been a steady-but-slow-grower, but after several months on the market it's just now hitting the bestseller lists (currently #18 on the ECPA fiction list). I'm excited about that one, because I think the more people who hear about it, the more will read it, and the bigger the fan base it will develop. I've said from the beginning that one had a chance to be a huge hit. And I should note that one author who is really generating excitement in the industry these days is Irene Hannon. I was listening to some editors talk at a conference recently, and the fiction director at a major house said, "Of course, Irene Hannon looks like she's going to own the romantic suspense category in CBA — she's taken the place of Dee Henderson." As you can imagine, that made me very happy. Irene is a total pro, has sold more than a million Harleqiun books, and it’s nice to see her books at Revell do so well in the broader market.

Deborah sent this: "I like literary fiction, and you tend to talk about literaries a lot. Which new releases would you recommend I read?"

I'm finally finished THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE ASSOCIATION, and loved it. Then read Audrey Niffenegger's HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY and was disappointed. But I'll tell you, if you don't read Lisa Samson's RESURRECTION IN MAY or Susan Meissner's LADY IN WAITING, you're missing out on two great reads. Sandra Bishop gave me a copy of Carla Stewart's CHASING LILACS — a wonderful read. So is Gina Holmes' novel, CROSSING OCEANS. (And yes, I represent several of these authors.)

Melody asked, "What book have you read recently and simply loved?"

That's always hard because we represent a lot of books, and frankly I don't represent anything unless I actually LIKE it. (For example, I think STUFF CHRISTIANS LIKE is a fabulous, wonderfully funny book. I was proud to represent it.) So I could point to great books from a dozen authors I’m really proud ot. But it's a fair question, so let me list a book or two I did NOT represent… THE HELP is really good. So is THREE CUPS OF TEA. Take a look at RADICAL, a book from David Platt. I'd never heard of it until the editor, Laura Barker, handed me a copy. Loved it. Oh, and I picked up a copy of ANCIENT PATHWAYS by David Robinson yesterday, which takes the Rule of St Benedict and moves it into contemporary times. Very well done.

Lauren came to me with this: "Can you recommend any hidden gems — books or authors we haven't heard about, but ought to?"

Well, sure… I really like Philip Gulley's work, and nobody seems to give him much attention any more. A fabulous writer. And I just re-read a couple of Tom Bodet's novels (he's the guy who says, "We'll leave the light on for you"), and was reminded of what a good writer he is. Try THE END OF THE ROAD. Among the authors I represent, I'd encourage you to take a look at Ginger Garrett's works, as well as the novels of Kimberly Stuart. They're both producing excellent books (Ginger writes historicals, Kim contemporary comedic novels) that haven't received their due. 

Lori wrote, “You spend a lot of time talking about fiction, but I know you’re a nonfiction reader. Aside from the authors you represent, what excites you?”

I’m a huge Sebastian Junger fan, and I’ve yet to read WAR, so I’m looking forward to digging into that. I still have yet to read my copy of THE ART OF RACING WITH THE RAIN. And I’m looking forward to Vikram Akula’s A FISTFUL OF RICE, because friends in the industry have told me his book about creating a business model that combines capitalism with social justice is really strong.

Finally, Dave wants to know, "Now that it's football season, are there are great sports books you can recommend?" 

Absolutely. Check out BLOOD, SWEAT, AND CHALK, which is a great book about how the best NFL coaches built today's game. And Pat Kirwan's TAKE YOUR EYE O
FF THE BALL is a must for those who want to understand football better. Chad Gibbs has just released GOD & FOOTBALL, about the religion of the sport in SEC country. He's an excellent writer, and the book is funny and insightful. And one you haven't heard about yet is David Thomas' REMEMBER WHY YOU PLAY, the true story of a private high school football team that plays a game against a reform school team. Davis is a full-time sports writer, his book is being made into a movie, and you'll find the book has interesting storylines and nice insights into life.  

Okay, so it's nearly Wednesday. We brought our new puppy (as opposed to "old puppy?") home today, so I've been writing this between other things as well as helping with trips to the appointed piddle spot and throwing treat parties when Digby succeeds doing his business. 

(Digby's the cute one on the far left.)

IN OTHER (far more relevant) NEWS:

In case you haven't heard, we've added a new agent to our rolls here at MacGregor Literary. Amanda Luedeke made her conference debut this past week with us here at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference. All signs are pointing to her potentially having signed her first author already! 

Our fabulous friend and local author Hillary Manton Lodge simply couldn't take it anymore. While at the conference last week she took professional quality photos and headshots for all of us – keep your eye out soon for new photos of us all — even if I am doing "that funny thing with my head" I'm sure our new pics will help us all appear far more professional.

 LIST AND REVIEW NEWS:

Carla Stewart is
participating in this year's Books Alive 2010 Conference in Jefferson
Texas on November 12-14th. This conference is hosted by Beauty and the Book – The Only Hair Salon/Bookstore in the World and headquarters of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs founded by Kathy
L. Patrick, Author of " The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara Wearing, Book
Sharing Guide to Life". Interestingly, Ms. Patrick has recently taken
over facilitation of A GOOD BLOG IS HARD TO FIND, a fun and informative
blog to which MacGregor Literary author Julie Cannon is a regular
contributor.

Melanie Dobson will be writing her next book with Summerside Press.

JUST FOR FUN:

Some great descriptions of common maladies which plague writers on  Nathan Bransford's blog today. You may never again regard stilted
dialogue so casually. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/