IVP - Behind the Books - May 2008 Archives

Sex and Publi-City

Now that I have your attention . . . The "Sex and the City" movie opens today, and as a publicist for InterVarsity Press, I can't help but wish a tiny bit that Sarah Jessica Parker had written a book for us. I imagine that never-ending barrage of articles and news stories about the movie being refocused on her book, with the media desperate to talk to me so they can interview her for their upcoming stories. Unfortunately, the idea of SJP or any of the lovely ladies from the show writing for us is about as unlikely as me buying a pair of $500 Manolo Blahniks. However, I think that when the hype dies down the women from the show might need something to read. Fortunately, I have just the thing for each of them.

Carrie--Since Carrie is a writer, I recommend our new book, Journaling as a Spiritual Practice. (I know Carrie would be impressed with the starred Publishers Weekly review!) Author Helen Cepero shows how the practice of journaling can address our longing for a richer life by helping us grow a deeper relationship with God. Maybe the relationship Carrie has been waiting for is not with Mr. Big after all.

Miranda--Miranda is a workaholic lawyer whose life seems to always be on the go. I suggest she pick up The Attentive Life, by Leighton Ford. Ford travelled the world with Billy Graham Ministries, so he knows what it's like to be busy. This book focuses on slowing down to pay attention to what God has to say to us so we can be aware of how God is working through us and in the world around us.

Charlotte--I know Charlotte is married and has a baby, with maybe one on the way in the movie? I suspect her life might feel out of control at times. Sacred Chaos looks at how we can make time for God in those small spaces of our day, even if it's just five minutes.

Samantha--Samantha seems open to every pleasure life has to offer, but has she ever made time to find out who the real Samantha is? I'd hand her a copy of Coming Home to Your True Self by Father Albert Hasse. "Home," Hasse writes, "is the sacrament of the present moment. It is only living right now, right here, that we discover our lives and this world awash in the grace of God." I think living in the here and now is something that would really resonate with Samantha, and might make her reasses where true fulfilment lies.

I can't help wondering if it won't be long before these friends ditch their nights of martinis and men and start settling down with some good books. And when they do, I'll have many more to recommend. Well, a girl can dream, can't she?

An Author's View from Behind the Book Table

Arthur Paul Boers, author of The Way Is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago, is our guest blogger for today, giving us a literal "behind a table of books" view. Over the years he's gained helpful insights on his role as an author in promoting his books. By utilizing multiple avenues available to him, he's helped us market his book to a wide range of people. Here's a brief overview of what he's learned. --Cindy Bunch

Several years ago I conducted a small, informal experiment in book promotion. I regularly speak at various events and always set up a table and try to sell some of my books. But I used to feel bashful about making too much of my work. During previous presentations, I usually didn't refer directly to the books. I arranged them as attractively as possible and then assumed that they spoke for themselves; I thought, The books are there. If people are interested, they can see them.

But then I grew curious. So I alternated my approach. At one event, I said nothing about the books. At the next event, I mentioned them--not saying much, just acknowledging that they were there and available, and explaining how they connected to the topic I was addressing. At a third event, I was quiet again. And so on. The results were predictable: I consistently sold more books at events where I mentioned that they were available for sale.

And so I learned that if I want my books to get in as many hands and homes as possible, then I must take responsibility for promoting them.

In the months after The Way Is Made by Walking was released, I had a lot of travel scheduled for research and speaking. I decided to build on to those events and occasions by adding opportunities (mostly book signings) for promoting the book. Of course, I also had signings at local independent and chain bookstores (four within twenty miles of where I live). In addition, I was aware of a funky independent bookstore forty-five miles away in Michigan; the bookseller there was glad to host an event. My public speaking engagements and research took me to a number of locations, so I ended up having book signings in Missoula (Montana) and Pittsburgh, and in Windsor, Toronto, London, Mississauga and St. Catharines (all in Ontario).

Book signings can be hit-and-miss. At the most disappointing event, only one book sold. But on several occasions I sold thirty or forty copies. (A number of booksellers have told me that they often expect to sell only half a dozen or so.) A few times, bookstores sold out of the books. Happily, I always carry extra copies so that no one was turned away empty-handed. (As an author, you should always bring extra books. At one store, the manager had somehow not gotten in any books at all!)

I promote book signings in several ways. It’s a big help when you can get local media to announce an event. I send them press releases, and IVP does as well. The press often need several nudges before responding. If there are local connections, mention that when you approach the press. I pointed out to one paper that I was born in their city, to another paper that I went to its local university and lived there during my first year of marriage, to other papers that I pastored in their town, and to another that I had connections to a famous local hiking trail. Of course, if you have contacts or connections, use those as well. I once wrote articles about a famous Canadian writer who was then happy to connect me with a columnist at a prominent Canadian newspaper. Another time I asked a friend about good contacts at his local paper and he mentioned a columnist who he thought would like my ideas. I emailed that columnist and voilà--he was happy to do a piece, and what he wrote was great.

I also contact everyone I can think of who lives in the area I'm promoting the book in to invite them to the event: friends, former congregants and fellow church members, colleagues, relatives, etc. Here I overcome my aversion to self-promotion. I encourage my contacts to invite others. I email local churches that I have some connection with, especially if they are from my denomination. Sometimes I just go ahead and email all the churches in the area and explain why my book might be of interest (local author, Canadian content, Christian writer--whatever seems most applicable).

My best media coverage came through others making recommendations, such as the famous Canadian writer I mentioned who recommended me to a columnist. I appeared on Canada's 100 Huntley Street television program because a woman heard me preach as a guest at her church and liked what I said; she mentioned that she knew a producer at the show. My appearance on an hourlong national Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio program, amazingly enough, was the result of a reader (whom I had never met) taking the initiative and emailing the program about my book.

In addition to all these avenues, I try to dream up other events. In the near future, I'm traveling to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to speak at a conference. I managed to add to that trip a radio interview, a book reading and signing at one of Winnipeg’s most popular independent bookstores, and a reading and signing at a nearby university. I also consider whether there are churches where I might have a strong connection when I travel. Then I contact the pastor and offer to preach. More often than not, my offer is accepted.

Promoting my book indirectly through print media has also proven useful. I approach magazines and pitch article ideas that are related to my book and then write or adapt pieces accordingly. I've encouraged various writer friends to review my book in magazines that they serve. I gently (and repeatedly) nudge editors to have my book reviewed. I write reviews on related books to establish myself as an "expert" in that subject. And, of course, with everything that I write and have published I include in my byline information about the book.

Finally, there is a wonderful website, BookTour.com, that allows writers or their publicists to set up a page for authors. You can post information about yourself and your book/s (with photos), links to your own or other relevant websites (e.g., your publisher), and a detailed list of all the places where you will appear in the future. People who subscribe to BookTour.com get notices of when authors will be in their area. Or they can subscribe to your page and follow your progress. They can also contact you through the site. The service is friendly, thorough and free.

As you can see, my small informal experiment of book promotion converted me into someone who is not exactly bashful about promoting his own book. If you've done the hard work to write something that you are passionate about, then you should not be bashful either!

Arthur Paul Boers
Author of The Way Is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago

Only Comfort

A day after Pentecost, when my church celebrated the confirmation of three artistic adolescents--the day they declared what they believe by word and image and began their adult journey of faith--I learned of the terminal illness of one of our authors. Dr. Steve Judah, a psychologist who addressed the delicate subject of marital infidelity with remarkable grace and sensitivity in his book Staying Together When an Affair Pulls You Apart, is suffering from esophogal cancer and has entered hospice. He's been journaling his experience at www.caringbridge.org, where he wrote the following creed, which I reprint here with his permission.

***

When I leave earth and my physical body . . .

I believe I will go into eternity and begin experiencing heaven, a real place, and have a new body.

I believe I will be called by a new name and go to a place that has been prepared for me.

I believe I will recognize my new name when I hear it.

I believe I will immediately be in the presence of loved ones who have gone before me into heaven.

I believe we will recognize one another and be able to touch, embrace one another and talk.

I believe we will have all our senses, such as smell, touch, taste—and perhaps some new senses too.

I believe we will have thoughts and emotions.

I believe we will somehow have access to everything we have now on planet earth that is good and whole plus we will have more, much more.

As eternity unfolds I believe I’ll have adventure after adventure that continues to flood me with deep fulfillment.

I believe I will be in the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I believe it will be a wonderful and an awe-inspiring experience that defies description.

Have You Seen It Yet?

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie is out. My family saw it on Friday night. Our kids were a bit troubled by how different it was from the book--noting that there was a lot more fighting! However, Maggie (11) also commented that she was really frustrated throughout the movie that Aslan didn't come to help them. And that is exactly the feeling that Lewis wanted to evoke in us.

I think the movie caught some of the most important themes--especially drawing our attention to how Lucy saw Aslan when the others and yet stayed with the others rather than following him.

USA Today had a very thoughtful review, saying, "The filmmakers faced the challenge of turning a beloved book with a slow plot into a modern film, but also one that retains the story's spiritual messages."

"The underlying messages are so important, and so vital to the story," says Douglas Gresham, Lewis' stepson and co-producer of the new film. "Which are the return to faith, truth, justice, honesty, honor, glory, personal commitment, personal responsibility. Also the message (that) no matter how far away we stray, there's only one way back."

If you are looking for a companion to your movie experience, or if you like me, need a reference to help you sort out what was and was not actually a part of Lewis's, you might look for A Reader's Guide to Caspian by Leland Ryken and Marjorie Lamp Mead. The authors provide a guided tour of Prince Caspian highlighting characters, setting and framework, with rich background details to enhance your reading of the story. Also included are questions designed for book discussion groups. An amusing review of the book says

Delving into literary forms and devices such as allegory and "rescue motif," they tastefully reveal the method behind the story's magic. And if you suspect these authors to be a couple heartless lab coats, eager to terminate the spirit of a masterpiece--rest assured.

Now is a great time to return to Narnia via the movies, Lewis's book or a literary companion. Aslan is waiting.

Free Preview: Culture Making by Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch's much-anticipated Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling is set for release this summer, and you can get a free preview of the book online. We've posted a PDF of the first several chapters of the book. Check it out, and feel free to pass the PDF along to others (see permission information at the end of the document). More chapters will be posted online next month, so stay tuned.

If you're on Facebook, you can become a fan of the book at the Culture Making page. Here's a note from Andy Crouch that he posted on the page:

The release of Culture Making is just over two months away. It will be really fun to have the book out there to start lots of conversations about how we can become cultivators and creators of culture, not just critics and consumers of it.

But you don't have to wait until this summer to start reading the book and to start those conversations. InterVarsity Press has taken the unusual step of releasing, not just the introduction or the first few pages, but the first 40 pages of the book, online, in PDF form, for free. (Yes, they are awesome--and thanks to John Holland for originally suggesting this.) And in a few weeks we'll release another three chapters.

You can download the PDF from

http://www.ivpress.com/title/exc/3394-sample-1.pdf

Read. Enjoy. But there's one other thing I'd like to ask you to do. Find at least one way to share this PDF with others. Post about it on Facebook. Blog about it. Forward the link--or the whole PDF file--to your small group, your pastor, your six best friends. (Yes, you can do this completely legally--see the last page for the details on what you can and cannot do with this PDF.)

Then, if you don't mind, post on the wall at Culture Making to tell the rest of us what you thought and what your friends thought of these opening pages.

Bon appetit!

Andy

I Can Make This Work

It's annual performance review time here at InterVarsity Press, which reminds me to make a quick pitch for our sister blog Andy Unedited. There you'll find a limitless supply of profound insights by my esteemed boss, Andy Le Peau, conveyed with inimicable wit; you can almost picture his rugged good looks as you read his brilliant prose.

Where was I? Oh yes. The annual performance review at IVP is generally not so much a smackdown of bad behavior as it is a consideration of where we--employee and supervisor and, in a larger sense, publishing house--go from here. I suppose our Formatio authors would approve; they likely would recommend even a daily examen as a way to stay conscious of where you're headed personally and vocationally. Maybe that's overextending the significance of an annual job review, but such is Christian publishing.

A few years ago, in conjunction with my annual review, I was sent through a self-evaluation process in which I reflected on accomplishments from various eras in my life, with an eye toward my boss figuring out what in the world to do with me. Not to brag, but I had a pretty distinguished year in the first grade, writing a new school song that vastly improved on the jingoistic nonsense we had been subjected to at assemblies for two semesters. While my proposed anthem was ultimately overlooked by the school administration, I very much enjoyed reflecting on the experience of writing it, editing it and presenting it to my friends and fellow students.

Where was I again? Oh yes. My very patient guide through this self-evaluation crunched the numbers of my various bragging rites and discerned that I have a knack for "extracting potential." I thought that was a funny phrase, to be honest, but it became the organizing idea for the remainder of my self-evaluation and a framework for organizing my work from that point on.

As it happens, potential extractors can have a relatively fruitful career as editors. Even the most underdeveloped, ethereal book idea excites the imagination of a potential extractor: "I can," he whispers to himself, "make this work." Likewise, even the most highly refined draft of a manuscript has room for improvement--at least according to the potential-extracting machinations of the editor. Any idea is worth thinking about, then thinking about some more, than rethinking once it's been set into type or dispensed with a rejection slip.

Ah, there's the weakness of the potential-extracting editor: it's hard--real hard--to let go, to say "No" with conviction to the poorly conceived idea on the one hand; and on the other, to celebrate the accomplishment of a recently published book without mourning the potential as yet unextracted.

My wife used to meet regularly with a mentor who occasionally would grab her by the shoulders, look her in the eye and say, with defiance, in an outdoor voice: "You are a leader! Lead!!!" I always thought that was funny, endearing even, but now at least once every year around annual performance review time, I imagine myself in the office of my disarmingly attractive boss, staring him in the eye as he grips my shoulders with his vicelike hands and nearly shouts, in that commanding voice of his, "You are a potential extractor! Extract!!!"

Reading Your Own Writing

Do you like to read your own work after the fact? I don't! I usually want to rewrite it, reorganize it or completely revise it. (Do I sound like an editor?)

Some authors tell me they like to read their books. They find it gratifying. One author told me that he read his own book through three times the first week it popped off the press. Another author told me that she doesn't mind rereading her own books, but hates watching video of herself speaking. (Oh, yes, I had to agree that watching myself on video would be a much worse proposition than reading my own writing.)

I've been reading Henri Nouwen's Sabbatical Journal. And I found it interesting to come upon his description of the experience of reading his own book aloud while taping a recording of Life of the Beloved:

Although I wrote Life of the Beloved, I never read it. It is quite an experience to read a book that you yourself wrote more than four years ago. All through I wanted to make changes, rewrite, correct small mistakes, and adapt it to the circumstances of today. But I realized that the best thing would be simply to read it as it was and save my energy for new books. It is amazing how, within a few years, one's ideas and feelings shift. Today I would have written Life of the Beloved quite differently. And still the book continues to be popular.

And so if you, like me, dislike reading yourself, take comfort in the fact that even Henri Nouwen found himself wanting to rewrite his published book. But then he choose to allow himself to move on to new work. I am so glad he did.