Posted by admin on Dec 30, 2008 in
News,
books 
The Sony Reader and Amazon Kindle
We’ve been hearing a lot about Amazon’s Kindle or Sony’s Reader Digital Book. The Kindle device is so popular it’s been sold out since November. But there’s a new player in town: the cell phone. For those who are strapped for cash (most of us these days) cell phone reading can be a cheaper alternative to the book device.
iPhone or iPod Touch users can visit the iTunes ap store and browse hundreds of books, many costing only $.99 up to a few dollars. There are even dozens of titles that are completely free (including the Bible). One of the most popular applications is Stanza. The online catalog includes over 100,000 titles, including best sellers. It’s basically a wireless library that’s open 24/7.
Many more publishers are expected to start using this format for getting their books into the public’s hands. But one issue could be the iPhone’s app limits. Each phone can only hold 148 apps which means readers may be forced to hurry up and finish some books so that they can move on to new ones.
Photo Courtesy of jblyberg
Tags: Amazon Kindle, ebook, iPhone app, Kindle, publishing, Sony Reader
Posted by admin on Dec 22, 2008 in
Awards,
News 
The Grand Prize Winner
They’ll always be the first. The 66 authors chosen to receive the Christian Choice Book Awards will always be the first to receive this award since it’s in its inaugural year. Of the 407 entrants, there were 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the 22 categories, including the grand prize winners. Xulon released this statement, “as the first contest of its kind in the Christian publishing arena, the Christian Choice Book Awards represents a unique opportunity for self-published Christian authors to make their voice heard,” stated Xulon Press, the publishing arm of Salem Communications, which launched the contest. The contest was open to all self-published Christian authors who released books in 2007-2008. Every winner received prize money and certificates with approximately $1500 going to the grand prize winners:
Grand Prize: Christopher H. K. Persaud-Evolution
1st Runner-Up: Waneta Dawn-Behind the Hedge
2nd Runner-Up: Rick Brown-Out of the Forest
Xulon says that of the 66 winners, only four were authors not published or marketed through Xulon Press. Click here to see a full list of the winners.
Tags: book award, Christian publishing, Xulon Press
Posted by admin on Dec 19, 2008 in
Authors,
Awards,
books Entering yourself for a book award can seem like trying to buy popularity or tooting your own horn. But winning is oh so nice, isn’t it? But is it worth forking over the entry fee and taking the time to fill out the application? There’s no doubt that winning an award is an honor that brings prestige, credibility and recognition along with it.
In this article about winning an IPPY Award from the Independent Publisher, past winners explain the benefits that come with the award. “The Independent Publisher Book Award is an honor, absolutely!” says Mark Hemry of Palm Drive Publishing in San Francisco. “The publicity sold out the hardcover version of What They Did to the Kid.” Author Sadie Allison has this to say about her 2002 win, “having that IPPY sticker on the book opens doors, both with buyers and with the media,” she says. “It was a struggle at first, as a self-publisher pitching a book on a difficult, taboo topic. But I’m a warrior, and I’ve carved out a niche that people seem to respond to.”
So bottom line, an award may not do all of the work for you, but it can give you credibility that is hard to come by in the competitive world of publishing. The deadline for entries for the 2009 IPPY awards is March 21, 2009. Feel free to share other book awards open to authors, including Christian authors.
Tags: book awards, Christian, publisher, writer, writing
Posted by admin on Dec 17, 2008 in
Authors,
Bestsellers,
News,
books 
The Shack
Reading the news updates on The Shack website is like reading a list of every author’s dreams coming true:
April 8, 2008: In the past week The Shack has climbed to #33 on the USA Today Top 50 Books, and has risen as high as #7 at Amazon in all books and #6 at Barnes and Noble for in-store sales. We are blessed at the wide-ranging success of this title as we have distributed almost 500,000 books in 11 months, mostly by word of mouth.
November 1, 2007: We are setting up for the third print run of the paperback version and we are working on the audio version.
October 15, 2007: Barnes and Noble offers a pre-publication purchases of a Limited Hardback edition at a great price.
September 11, 2007: Windblown Media announces its affiliation with a new publisher in South Africa for distribution throughout the continent.
August 23, 2007: First printing of The Shack has almost sold out. We have had to order a second printing to maintain adequate supplies
The book continues to hold its spot as a New York Times Bestseller. But it wasn’t easy for author William P. Young. In fact, friends had to start their own company just to get it published!! Christian publishing houses thought it was too controversial and secular ones thought it read too churchy. Here’s the explanation found on Windblown Media’s site, the company that started just to make sure Young’s book was published:
A funny thing happened on the way to helping a friend with his new book. We couldn’t find a publisher who would treat it the way we felt The Shack needed to be treated to find its audience. Christian publishers thought it too controversial and wanted to dull its edgy side so as not to risk alienating their core audience. Secular publishers shied away because they felt the content put it clearly in the ‘Christian’ marketplace.
We have long been frustrated at the divide between Christian publishers and secular ones, feeling it an artificial one of convenience and consumerism rather than a true service to readers. We are convinced that there are a lot of people who are seriously asking questions about their spirituality and want thought-provoking and artistic books that neither pander to the religious audience nor dilute the powerful yet simple message of the Jesus of the Bible.
So we did the only thing we could think to do—start our own company! Now we’re pleased to announce the publication of our first book, The Shack by William P. Young and in doing so launch a new publishing company committed to providing inspirational reading for people on a serious spiritual journey. The Shack offers as engaging a look at the reality of God in the midst of human tragedy as any we’ve ever read and can stimulate hours of discussion about spiritual life.
We are also reprinting So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore by Jake Colsen (a pseudonym for the combined work of Wayne Jacobsen and David Coleman), an incisive look at the failure of many religious institutions to engage people with the reality of God’s life and love, and Wayne Jacobsen’s, He Loves Me: Learning to Live in the Father’s Affection.
We’re not trying to fool anyone here. Windblown Media is designed to publish books for the spiritually hungry and we are convinced that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the only true God and source of life for those seeking spiritual answers. But we are interested in having that discussion with people who may not agree with us, but want an intellectually honest and artistic approach to how we live life in his reality. We also realize that a lot of Christians are growing disillusioned with the religious constructs of our day that too easily rob people of the depth and vitality of the life that Jesus meant to offer us.
We publish for hungry hearts and minds looking to sort out spiritual realities amidst the fast-paced and often shallow world in which we live.
We are not accepting unsolicited manuscripts or agent submissions at this time. We are just a couple of guys who are convinced that there is a market for spiritual discussions outside of the Christian publishing ghetto and not fully addressed by nonChristian publishers who think the mention of Jesus puts the book in a religious category.
It’s a good thing William P. Young believed in his book– and that he had friends surrounding him that believed in it too. Do you believe in your work enough to go to such great lengths to get in the hands of readers? Why? Why not?
The next time you are feeling discouraged just think of The Shack. Publishers didn’t believe in it. But the author did. And that’s what matters most.
Tags: author, books, Christian, New York Times Bestseller, publishing
