I subscribe to a blog called Novel Journey, and there most recent post by Mike Duran was an interesting one I’d like to share.

By Mike Duran

As you would expect, Thomas Nelson’s recent decision to cut its work force and publish less books — which includes a 50 percent cut in new author titles — has generated some animated discussions and hand-wringing amongst Christian authors. While Michael Hyatt, CEO of Nelson, concedes the business aspects of this decision, he inevitably cites quality as the driving force. In his initial blog post, Too Many Books, Too Few Shelves, Hyatt writes:

As a heavy book reader myself, I contend that we need better books not more books. I can’t tell you how many books I started this past year and never finished. Why? Because, frankly, they weren’t worth finishing. Most of them left me underwhelmed. The authors would have done better to boil down the content and make it a magazine article.

But publishers appear to be addicted to cranking out more and more titles. It reminds me of a scene from an old episode of “I Love Lucy” in which Lucy and Ethel are working in a chocolate factory. Finding themselves in the Wrapping Department, they must keep up with the increasing speed of a factory conveyor belt. Since the ladies initially appear to be keeping up with the flow, their supervisor increases the speed of the belt until Lucy and her friend are overwhelmed.

Editors and book marketers face a similar predicament. “If only we had just a little more time to spit-shine this title,” they mutter under their breath. But the conveyor belt keeps delivering a seemingly endless flow of titles. Worse, Publishers desperate for growth keep piling additional titles onto the backs of their already-overworked employees.

It’s time to stop the madness. We don’t need more titles. We need better titles. The only way this is going to happen is if publishers stop focusing on quantity and begin focusing on quality. (italics mine)

Though Nelson’s decision has potentially uncomfortable ramifications for book makers and aspiring authors, the appeal for quality above quantity should resonate with readers. Who doesn’t want to see better books? In this, Hyatt’s statements recall another industry giant.

Patrick Goldstein’s The Big Picture appears weekly in the L.A. Times and is one of the most informative Hollywood insider columns out there (in fact, Goldstein recently launched his own blog, which is equally rich in content). Earlier this year, in a column entitled Mouse House Tops Studio Report Card, Goldstein handed out year-end report cards to the studios. The overall score consisted of three grades: first for box office and profitability, second for film quality, and third for overall success. At the top of the list was Disney with an A-.

…Of the 11 movies it released in 2007, eight were Disney label movies, allowing the company to remain relentlessly focused on its brand. By releasing so few films, Disney was able to make more high-quality films by putting extra time into solving script, production and marketing issues than competitors like Sony and Warner Bros., who roll out more than 20 a year.

“We’re probably in a different business than our brother and sister companies,” says Disney studio chief Dick Cook. “We’ve learned that it’s not how many you do but how good they are. If you only make 11 movies a year, you’re not putting your movies through a meat grinder; you can be very specific about quality. That way, if we do stumble, and I’m sure we will, it will be because we were pushing the envelope instead of not keeping our eye on the ball.” (italics mine)

After watching Ratatouille, a delightful film that made many critics’ Top Ten ‘o7 lists, who could argue about the meticulous detail that goes into Disney’s animated films — a signature that will, no doubt, be continued with Wall-E, its most recent release. But as with any quality product, there’s a downside — perfection takes time. And this is exactly what differentiates Disney from its competitors. So while competing studios crank out 20+ films a year, Disney is content to limit its lot… and polish the heck out of them.

Whatever happens, I for one, applaud Thomas Nelson’s decision, even if it makes the climb that much harder for aspiring authors like me.Even as an aspiring writer I have to agree with Mike Duran on this one. It might make it harder for aspiring writers to make the jump into publishing, but true quality in the CBA will help strengthen the market.

Happy Writing

There is a delicate balance between Patience and Action. Theologians have debated it throughout Christian history, and I must say I haven’t come to any great conclusions myself. But this balance is something to be considered in each step in ones spiritual walk.

There are often those times where we need to take a step back and let God move through the situation. Trusting in his gracious provision. Then there are times that require us to act, to immediatly take that leap of faith and activly pursue a cause.

The struggle comes in how much to place on either side of the scale. Do we need to be activly sprinting, or pacing ourselves in the marathon. In each question I’ve posed all comes back to Faith. How much are you trusting in God to guide your actions? How much time are you spending with him daily? How much are you activly listening for His answers?

Our God is not a distant god. He is an ever present part of who you are. He activly seeks relationships with us, and activly desires good for us. He desires to teach us daily and to guide our steps along the rocky paths laid out before us.  But no matter the situation God always expects action on our part, whether it’s more time in prayer and study, patience and trust, or stepping out in faith. 

Christianity isn’t supposed to be a passive way of life, but an active relationship with God, his son, and fellow believers.

A Book Review of Illuminatedby Matt Bronleewe

Mark Bronleewe, co-founder and ex-member of Jars of Clay, has added author to his long list of accomplishments. Illuminated is the first of five August Adams adventures from Thomas Nelson Publishers.

This novel follows August Adams, who has failed his family before. He’s sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.

It’s a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out. If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he’ll destroy a national treasure.The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself. 

This is a Book to

ROAST

I was extremely excited when I first heard about this book. The premise, plot, and the reviews said that this book would be like “if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded Da Vinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24…” (Aspiring Retail Magazine). All that hype made me think this book would be the CBA’s version of The Da Vinci Code, which is a book I felt was long over due. But I wasn’t too far into the book when I became very disappointed.

While the history of the Gutenberg Bibles and the illuminations within are very interesting, the connections to the main character and the plot’s conspiracy are weak. Even when you reach the epilogue you still have no idea how all the pieces fit together. Even the pieces you have put together don’t hold their weight in the story.

Pacing is also lacking the enthusiasm and conflict to send the reader racing through the pages. While there is conflict and danger, there are large spaces of too much information rather than moving the reader along the half eaten bread crumb trail.

I do wish to applaud the marketing team at Thomas Nelson for their work on this book, for without their efforts I may never have picked up this book. But in all their efforts in comparing this book to The Da Vinci Code, they have done the CBA a great disservice. For the poor writing style and half baked plot is one of the many reasons books in the CBA are looked at as Christian fluff, instead of strong pieces of literature.

We’ve all seen one, a beautiful sunset going beneath the horizon, and such a sight gives us hope and encouragement to press on toward the horizon’s of our future. But what is our first response when the horizon doesn’t look so beautiful?

The example given by my Church’s pastor, Gregg Matte in his sermon God Provides: Red Sea Crossing, was when the Isrealites were camping at the Red Sea and what was on the horizon was Pharaoh’s armies.(Exodus 14:11-31) And guess what their first response was…

They had just seen God do miraculous things through the ten plagues of Egypt and the first thing they did when adversity was on the horizon was complain.  If you think about it complaining is often our first response to adversity, and why is that? Often it’s because our faith is weak and forgetful, NOT God is weak and forgetful, but it’s our faith that has a hard time remembering God’s provision.

In this sermon, Pastor Gregg also listed the wrong ways to complain and the right ways to complain, which really hit home for me.

 WRONG ways to Complain:

1) Fear and anxiety consume your thoughts and words

2) Focus on short term results

3)Focus on the problem not the Provider

RIGHT ways to Complain:

1) Have a forward thinking faith: God has a reason for short term adversity

2)Subtract sarcasm and Add answers

3) Remember the good of the people outweigh the good of the person

We live in such a complaining culture that it’s hard to approach adversity with a positive attitude and with the faith that God is the Provider. What we have to constantly reminder our-self with daily Bible study and weekly fellowship is that God’s will is ALWAS accompanied by God’s Power AND Provision.

If you want to hear more on this relevant topic click on the following link: God ProvidesRed Sea Crossing