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

Hey fellow bloggers, jump on over to the WOW- Women on Writing Blog to check out today’s post written by yours truely

 Happy Writing!

I just got done reading Michael Crichton’s State of Fear, which is just as intellectual as it is roller coaster ride. I won’t give any spoilers if you haven’t read it, but on thing absolutely amazed me when I got to the end of the book… there was a bibliography.

Not only that there were footnotes and references throughout Crichton’s work of fiction (Yes, Fiction not Non-fiction), he goes on to say his take on the global warming subject that is addressed in State of Fear. And then Crichton writes that he spent three years researching before starting State of Fear. THREE YEARS! That is Amazing, and a little daunting if I think through how much research I’ve put into my own WIP.

It makes me question the amount of time I spend researching before I place my characters in the first scene. Would you count your research time in hours, weeks, months, or years?

I think this is an important thing to think about, when joining in the insanity and fun of writing a manuscript. If Michael Crichton didn’t do his years of research would we believe: Dinosaurs can be brought back from the Jurassic Age(Jurassic Park, The Lost World), Time travel is possible (Timeline), or Global warming doesn’t exist (State of Fear). The amount of time he puts into researching his novels is what makes them bestsellers time and time again. His story worlds are so in depth and you can’t help but see them as truth on some levels.

This should be the goal of all writers.

To present a story world that makes us think about our own place in this universe. That is the joy of Fiction, and what I hope to be the goal of all my manuscripts.

Happy Writing!

As of tomorrow morning I am off to Mount Hermon California for their annual Christian Writer’s conference. Blogs might be sporatic over the next few days.

I just ask for pray and the inspration of God through this challenging and excieting experience. In no time you might see my name on the bookstore shelves

Blessings

There is a rising trend; I’m sure you’ve all heard about it, of people, including teens signing up for plastic surgery. This shocks me, especially after watching some of those plastic surgery TV shows. But after the shock I am saddened almost heart broken by people who think they need to shove themselves into a mold.

Now I’m not saying I have the best body image or self esteem for that matter, but I am happy with WHO I am. Of course I want my abs tighter, and my hips slimmer, but that’s because I need to get off my lazy butt and work out.

What bothers me the most about this is the lies these people believe. They think that one quick fix with change everything? If they get this fix then everything in their life will fall into place. True plastic surgery has it’s place, but I think the industry seems to feed to the addiction to be perfect with superstar looks.

But if we were all supposed to look like Brad Pitt and Angelina Joli then where would be the fun in that? Where would be the personality that surrounds us in our variety? I encourage you to take the time to walk through an art museum and look at all the men and women portrayed in the art work. It is amazing to look at some of the most famous works of art and see that the men and women in them are not perfect, and even some artists chose to add what would typically be an unwanted feature in order to reveal even more beauty in the subject of their masterpieces.
The phrase beauty is only skin deep is one that I don’t like much at all. True beauty comes from the soul, not your boob size, or waist measurement, but in your actions and in your heart. That is true beauty, and plastic surgery can’t help there.

We are all made with a plan, purpose, and by the loving hands of God. I wouldn’t change anything about my body because this is who God made. And it has been through the aches, pains, and medical conditions God gave me that have brought me closer to him. I love my imperfections cause they make me human and they strengthen my soul.

‘The Experiments of Adem’- part 1

“Keep working.” The crack of a whip stung her ears as the gems of Adem washed along in front of her, standing shoulder to shoulder examining the rock before them. There they stood day after day separating the sparkling jewels from crude rock for the palates of the Gobs living richly above in Terranova.

“Etah, look,” the woman beside her said with an elbow to her side. Etah’s violet eyes traced up the tiers of red dirt and rock that surrounded her and the other women she had come to know. The top tier held the only entrance to the pit, and coming through to gateway was a group of six women with heads shaved and drooped in shame at the loss of their previous beauty. Etah raised her hand from the water and mud in front of her, and ran her fingers through the inches of hair that had grown since she stood at the top of the pit. Her hair was to her shoulder, but it was hard to believe that she once been luscious and smooth brown hair that danced at the back of her knees. But those things and the beautiful halls of Terranova were left behind when she turned thirteen.

“Has it been that long since we stood up there, Rahan?” Etah whispered to the woman standing next to her.
“I guess so.”
“No talking,” the nearest Gob shouted sending his whip popping across their backs. In muted screams, Rahan and Etah returned to pulling crude rock from the precious jewels that would fill the bellies of Terranova.

Etah glanced at the newly shaven women walking down the tiers of the pit as she sorted the dirt in front of her. Once the young women reached the bottom a horn sounded and the entire line shifted down six spaces. So was the routine each time more women were brought from above.

Etah nearly laughed as heard the whines and cries of the women that had just joined the line. She remembered her first day. The dirt of the pit was a stark contrast to the pristine halls of Terranova, and to place her pampered hands in the mud and grime that came from the mines. The jewels and rocks slashed through her skin. She could barely remember what her hands looked like before the layers of mud clung to every pore.

“Look, we’re close to the end. What do you think happens to all the people before us?” Rahan asked with a concerned look at the conveyer belt that disappeared through a hole in the wall.
“Ora, do you know?” Etah asked the woman to her right.
“I’ll ask down the line.” The robust woman turned to the next person in the line. Faint whispers continued down the row, and then back toward Etah and Rahan.
“The women go through a door that appears in the rock. One woman said that there’s a Gob on the other side, but that’s all she could see.”
“Well they don’t come back here, so where do they go?” Rahan’s voice trembled as they turned back to work. Etah’s mind started to echo Rahan’s fears and questions. It would be one more month before she, Ora, Rahan, and the others she came with into the pit would be at the door.