Wrapping Up 2011


I’m trying to get the 2011 Fiction list for this blog wrapped up and as complete as possible this week. I usually post the full list on Dec 31st, but then it’s too late to encourage Whitney nominations—so I’m shooting for this Friday.

That way, you have the full list in front of you and can make last minute nominations for your favorite books.

Trust me. The Whitney people LOVE last minute nominations. They will thank you for them.

(That is only slightly sarcastic. They would really rather you nominate all year long, but any nomination before the end of the year will be considered.)

(For details on Whitneys & nominations, click here.)

But I digress. This is not a post about the Whitneys. It’s a post about the 2011 LDS Fiction list. This list is for fiction titles written by LDS authors and published in 2011.

I currently have 275 titles on the 2011 Fiction list. That’s a lot. But, unfortunately, I’m sure I’ve missed a few.

That’s where YOU ride to my rescue!

Please take a moment (or 10) and look at the list. Scroll down to view the 2011 Fiction list in the sidebar. If you know of any book that belongs on this list—and it’s missing—please, please, please send me info about it. (Link to info I need.)

As far as I know, the current list is complete. I am not aware of any other books being released through the end of this year. Please correct me if I’m wrong by sending an e-mail ASAP or by posting the title of the book and the author’s name in the comments of this post.

Thanks so much for your help!

Oh, and P.S. Some authors believe that if their book has a post on the LDS Fiction blog, that means they’re automatically nominated for a Whitney. This is not true. My blogs have no official connection with the Whitney Awards. This LDS Fiction blog is simply to make readers aware that a book exists. It’s up to the reader of the book to nominate it for a Whitney. (Authors and publishers may not nominate their own books.)

Wrapping Up 2011


I’m trying to get the 2011 Fiction list wrapped up and as complete as possible this week. I usually post that list over on LDS Fiction on Dec 31st, but then it’s too late to encourage Whitney nominations—so I’m shooting for this Friday.

That way, you have the full list in front of you and can make last minute nominations for your favorite books.

Trust me. The Whitney people LOVE last minute nominations. They will thank you for them.

(That is only slightly sarcastic. They would really rather you nominate all year long, but any nomination before the end of the year will be considered.)

(For details on Whitneys & nominations, click here.)

But I digress. This is not a post about the Whitneys. It’s a post about the 2011 LDS Fiction list. This list is for fiction titles written by LDS authors and published in 2011.

I currently have 275 titles on the 2011 Fiction list. That’s a lot. But, unfortunately, I’m sure I’ve missed a few.

That’s where YOU ride to my rescue!

Please take a moment (or 10) and go visit the LDS Fiction blog. Scroll down to view the 2011 Fiction list in the sidebar. If you know of any book that belongs on this list—and it’s missing—please, please, please send me info about it. (Link to info I need.)

As far as I know, the current list is complete. I am not aware of any other books being released through the end of this year. Please correct me if I’m wrong by sending an e-mail ASAP or by posting the title of the book and the author’s name in the comments of this post.

Thanks so much for your help!

Oh, and P.S. Some authors believe that if their book has a post on the LDS Fiction blog, that means they’re automatically nominated for a Whitney. This is not true. My blogs have no official connection with the Whitney Awards. The LDS Fiction blog is simply to make readers aware that a book exists. It’s up to the reader of the book to nominate it for a Whitney. (Authors and publishers may not nominate their own books.)

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop Winner

First, I want to apologize for not being very active here this month. It’s been crazy at work and everyone’s been trying to wrap up the end of the year so that today will be our last official work day and we can play until January. I think I’m just about there…

And now for the winner of Stolen Christmas:

Congratulations to

Maria Hoagland

Send me your mailing address and I’ll ship that right out to you.

Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop!

Oh, hi. I’m doing the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop!

I don’t usually do things like this. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever participated in a blog hop before.

And I may never do it again. We’ll see.

But I was invited to participate in this one through Facebook (that Facebook is a neat thing, isn’t it?), so I decided to give it a try because this hop is right up my alley.

And it’s right up your alley, too—because ALL THE PRIZES are BOOKS!

This seems like a great way to draw attention to your book, if you’re a published author, and/or get more traffic to your blog if you’re unpublished.

If you want to be a blog that people hop to, go sign up here. If you want to hop around the blogs to enter to win the prizes, just click on the links below and enter to win on each blog.


So, I’m giving away a copy of Stolen Christmas & Other Stories of the Season.

This is the first Christmas collection of short stories gleaned from the contests held here at LDS Publisher.

(Yes, there will be a second collection available for Christmas gift giving in 2012.)

Here’s the blurb:
What happens when you’re so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful—there’s a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Contributing authors are: Roger Bonner, Don Carey, Laura Craner, Joyce DiPastena, Sarah M. Eden, L.T. Elliot, Gussie Fick, Melanie Goldmund, M. Gray, Taegyn Hutchinson, Angie Lofthouse, Lori Nawyn, Tristi Pinkston, Brian C. Ricks, Sandra Sorenson, Janice Sperry, and Christine Thackeray.

To be entered to win this book, you need to:

  1. Follow this blog and/or the LDS Fiction blog.
  2. Commit to giving at least one book by an LDS author as a Christmas gift this year. (List the title and author in the comments section of this post.)

Deadline to enter: Thursday, December 15, 2011.

US and International entries allowed. If the winner is in the US, you may choose either a print book or an ebook; if international, winner will receive an ebook.

Or if you can’t wait, you can always purchase the book at CreateSpace or Smashwords.



Mea Culpa

Will the submissions from 2010 ever learn if they were good enough for your compilation or get the promised critique? It’s hard to want to participate again when we’re still all in limbo from B of M and last year’s Christmas contest.

I thought I’d tied up all the loose ends for the last two contests, but it looks like I didn’t. I sincerely apologize.

  1. Book of Mormon Anthology: I did an update post here and I remember posting about it since then and saying “no anthology” but now I can’t find the post where I said it. That was a very messy time in my personal life—starting a new job, being overwhelmed with family issues. I confess, I let some things slide back then. I am sorry.

    The official status is: No Book of Mormon Anthology to be published at this time.

    There is a very slim possibility I may reconsider it in the future, but don’t count on it until I contact you (the authors) directly.

    If you did not receive the critique on your BofM story, please e-mail me.

  2. 2010 Christmas Stories: All authors should have been notified by email with their critiques. I clearly remember sending those out because I was so proud of myself when I finished the last of them.

    If you did not receive the critique your 2010 Christmas story, please e-mail me.

Again, I’m very sorry for dropping the ball and I am promising I will do better this time.

But. Even if I do flake out (which I’m not intending to do but who knows—my house may be taken out by an earthquake at any second and if that happens, critiquing your stories will fall to the bottom of my to do list), you STILL get some valuable feedback from readers.

So please, please, please—send in your stories.

What Is ‘Sweet’?

Stolen from Pub Rants, a blog by literary agent Kristen Nelson.

Late on Friday (July 29) I found out that Jamie Ford was going to be a literature question on that night’s TV show of Jeopardy!

Surely you’ve arrived if you are ubiquitous enough to be a question on a popular game show, right?


Not a single contestant got the answer. LOL!

Yep, take it down a notch Kristin. It still makes me smile though.

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —

It makes me smile too because Jamie Ford is LDS and his book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a 2009 Whitney Finalist.

Going On Vacation…

I’m taking a summer vacation, so I’m suspending the Comment Contest for July and August. I’d still appreciate your comments but there won’t be any prizes until September.

Even though I’m on a break, you’ll want to check back here a couple of times a week because I’ll be doing a “Best of”—posting some of the more popular and/or more informative posts a few days a week through the rest of the summer. And there’s always the possibility that Jeff will show up again, or I may have a few other guest posters from time to time.

You’ll want to start working on your Christmas stories (limit 3,000 words) because we’ll have our annual contest when I come back in September!

And keep checking the LDS Fiction blog, as usual. I will still be posting new releases over there.

Oh, and the winners of the June comment contest are posted here.

Missionary Fiction?

Quick question, do you know if lds publishers are interested in fictional stories about missionaries?

Of course. Why wouldn’t they be? As long as it’s well-written and not preachy, has intriguing characters that readers can relate to, an interesting plot line, and upholds LDS beliefs and standards, most LDS publishers will give it a look.

There’s even some precedent for interest by national publishers. I know there are some I’ve heard of recently but Google is not my friend today. The only one I can recall off the top of my head is Charlotte’s Rose by A.E. Cannon published by Wendy Lamb Books (imprint of Random House).

[Readers, if you can think of some other titles of fiction with LDS characters published by national publishers, leave the titles in the comments section.]

Just remember, good fiction needs to be good fiction. No one wants a preachy book or a thinly disguised version of the missionary discussions. It has to be real.

Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction


Brenda Novak is LDS and a poplular mystery/suspense writer. She’s been on the NY Times and the USA Today Best Seller lists multiple times. She’s written over 30 novels.

AND she sponsors an annual online auction for diabetes.

Last year, I sponsored a category in this auction. This year, my schedule wouldn’t allow it—but this is a wonderful event and I support it 100%!

The auction goes from May 1st through the 31st, but some items are one-day only or limited time auctions. There are prizes for those who bid the most and also some awesome raffles.

There are lots of really cool items up for bid:

  • Gobs of books, ARCs and book-related items
  • Concert tickets
  • Trips, Get-aways, and Writers Conference passes
  • Meals and meetings with authors and agents
  • iPad 2, Mystery Boxes, Sports Memorabilia
  • Artwork
  • Food
  • Hand-crafted items
  • Jewelry
  • and more…

LDSP Secrets Revealed!!!


Lisa Turner is one of seven women who blog at Mormon Mommy Writers.

She interviewed me last Saturday for her Saturday Stories series.

She was very, very sneaky and got me to reveal some personal information, such as:

  • the “catch” behind the free writing advice dispensed here
  • my lifelong search for the one true green jell-o recipe
  • the scam behind the Whitney Awards
  • and much more!

Go check it out HERE.

Before Sending Me a Question…

Updated 6:45 p.m.: Okay, I’m over my snit now so I’ve modified this post and taken out the attitude. But expect a post in the near future on not shooting yourself in the foot…

Please read DA RULES and WHY I STARTED THIS BLOG.

This is an advice blog where answers to your questions benefit all readers of the blog. I do not answer specific, personal questions via private e-mails.

It is assumed that all questions sent to me via e-mail are intended for publication on the blog, with all identifying information removed.

(Oh, and use this e-mail address.)

Lessons For Authors & Publishers—A Cautionary Tale

A few days ago, someone told me the Whitney Board had sent out a list of novels available to the Whitney Voting Academy as pdfs. These pdfs are guarded very closely and are programmed to self-destruct once you’ve read them—so they’re not easy to get to. I was told I needed to request them.

I diligently checked my e-mail, thinking maybe I’d overlooked or accidentally deleted that e-mail. I needed it bad because despite my very generous offer to trade ad space for e-books, not everyone has taken me up on it and there are some titles I just can’t find at my lovely local library.

Anyway. No e-mail. I was confused. Was I kicked off the Voting Academy? Did they not like me anymore? Was I such an opinionated slacker that they were distancing themselves from me? I almost cried.

Then—a lightbulb went off. I’d never let the PTBs at the Whitney Board know that I’d changed from that irritating hotmail address to the seriously awesome and nearly always functional gmail account.

I logged into the old account—something I haven’t done since last October—and what-the-heck! there were 310 messages there!!! And thus begins my cautionary tale…

Lesson #1: ALWAYS update your contact information when you’re working with an agent and/or publisher. Don’t just post it on your blog, send them an e-mail with your new address.

Okay, so yes, about 1/4th of the e-mails were messages telling me I had new Twitter followers or someone inviting me to play a Facebook game. (I don’t play those games, btw. Sorry)

And another 1/4th were from Cedar Fort’s Chapter 1 Club. (Which is really an awesome idea and I wish other publishers did it because it makes it soooo easy to find their new releases. But CFI, just a tip. Add to every one of those club e-mails an easy link to and/or instructions for joining the club so that when I forward that to a friend, they don’t have to google you to sign up.)

(Oh, and CFI is the ONLY publisher that has an easy-to-find, follow and get info from page on their website that features new releases. Some other publishers say they do, but it’s either outdated or difficult to find.)

(CFI also has a second website with good info about their books.)

Lesson #2: Every single publisher in the world should have an up-to-date New Releases page!!! And so should authors—with links to excerpts and where to buy.

Okay. Uhm. Where was I? Oh, yes. A few of those e-mails informed me that I’d just inherited £100000000 (lucky me!).

But 32 of them were important and required action from me—action which was never taken because I didn’t get the e-mails until last night.

Lesson #3: Occasionally check your old account (like weekly?) in case important people didn’t get your message.

Among those 32 important e-mails, I found the e-mails from the Whitney Board. I also found some entries for the 2010 Christmas Story Contest that never made it because they went to the wrong e-mail address. This wasn’t the case with me, but sometimes agents or publishers will create a special e-mail for certain types of submissions, and they’ll never see the one you sent to their main e-mail address.

Lesson #4: ALWAYS, ALWAYS follow the posted directions and use the e-mail link in the post.

I also found e-mails about new book releases, and contests, and Questions! Fodder for my blog!! I missed them all!

Lesson #5: If a publisher, agent or blogger has a big pink button on the site that clashes so hideously with the colors of the blog in order to make it stand out and be visible to everyone and that button says “E-mail me at:” followed by an e-mail address in very large and visible letters, use that address!

And for bloggers, publishers and agents…

Lesson #6: When you change your e-mail address, in addition to posting large garish notices in your sidebar and changing the links in as many of the previous posts as you think is reasonable (like your FAQs pages), CHANGE THE ADDRESS ON YOUR BLOGGER PROFILE!

And thus ends my cautionary tale. Do as I say, not as I did. Sorry.

All 32 of the important e-mails will receive a personal response and apology and action will be taken to correct the issue, when possible.


Contest Point System Explained

I was wondering about what you said about judging the Publisher’s Choice of story: “Publisher’s Choice winners will be judged on a variety of criteria, according to a point system.” Would you be willing to explain this point system?

Sure. This was referring to the recent Christmas story contest. Those who enter get a doc file with their points and comments in the various areas. (I’ve sent some out already; still working on others.)

  • Submitted Correctly: 1 = Yes; 0 = No
  • Title: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Change
  • Word Count Limit: 1 = 3,000 or less; 0 = Over
  • Length Appropriate for Story: 1 = Yes; 0 = No
  • Grammar Mistakes: 2 = Few; 1 = More; 0 = Too Many
  • Spelling/Typos: 2 = Few; 1 = More; 0 = Too Many
  • Adverb/Adjective/Cliché: 2 = Few; 1 = More; 0 = Too Many
  • Show, Not Tell: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • POV: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Dialog: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Dialog Tags: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Characterization: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Setting/Sense of Place: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Appeals to Senses: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Hook: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Plot/Arc: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Overall Structure: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Christmas Theme/Message: 1 = Yes; 0 = No
  • Original/Unique: 2 = Surprised Me; 1 = Familiar but Good; 0 = Read it Before
  • Miscellaneous: 2 = Great; 1 = Good; 0 = Needs Work
  • Personal Enjoyment: 2 = Loved; 1 = Liked; 0 = Try Again Next Year

Total Score Possible: 38

Generally, a story has to get 30 or more before I consider it publication ready.

Adding Links to Reviews on LDS Fiction

A little self-congratulation here:

If you want more views and info on LDS fiction, Andrew Hall is starting a new feature on his Dawning of a Brighter Day blog. He will be doing “a weekly column covering the world of Mormon literature”—and linking to the book pages on my LDS Fiction blog. He will also post links to reviews for the books in the comments section on my blog. That way, you’ll have easy access to reviews of books that sound interesting to you.

Cool!

Thanks, Andrew!

Adding Links to Reviews on LDS Fiction

A little self-congratulation here:

If you want more views and info on LDS fiction, Andrew Hall is starting a new feature on his Dawning of a Brighter Day blog. He will be doing “a weekly column covering the world of Mormon literature”—and linking to the book pages on my LDS Fiction blog. He will also post links to reviews for the books in the comments section on my blog. That way, you’ll have easy access to reviews of books that sound interesting to you.

Cool!

Thanks, Andrew!

Will Trade Ad Space for Books

Is your book on the 2010 Whitney nominee list? If it is, I want to make a proposal—a win/win trade, of sorts.

As much as I’d love to, I can’t afford to purchase every book that makes the Whitney list.

Yes, I have a library. Yes, it has lots and lots of books.

No, they do not have all of the Whitney nominees, and probably will not have all of the Whitney finalists. (They didn’t last year.)

Even if they do have them, I can’t always get my hands on a copy in a timely manner. Today I put 20 Whitney nominees that I think will most likely be finalists on hold at my library. I was number 12+ on the list for almost all of them. The chances of them coming through in time are minimal.

So my proposal is this. If you are on the list and you have your book in e-book format* I would love to read it. If you send me a FREE copy of your book so that I can read it without going crazy hunting it down, I will, in exchange for that FREE e-copy of your book:

  • give you a FREE 30 day ad on my sidebar under the “Sponsored by…Books!” heading (value: $25)
  • read your entire book
  • if I like it, I will vote for it on my Whitney ballot (okay, if I like it, I’ll vote for it whether or not you send me a copy)

And what if you’re not a Whitney nominee right now, but you have a book coming out in 2011? Same offer. Send me your book in one of the standard e-book formats* and I’ll give you a free 30 day ad.**

If you want to take me up on this offer, please send me an e-mail with the e-book as an attachment. I will let you know I’ve received it and when your ad will go up.

Thanks so much!

*I can read all standard e-book formats—pdf, epub, pdb, azw, lrf; I can also convert a Word (.doc or .docx) file. Do not send your original manuscript file. Send the publication file.

**2011 book ads will start after the 2010 Whitney winners are announced and will be limited to 10 ads on display at any given time. Ad placement will be first come, first displayed.

Color Me Embarassed…

When I created the post for the Christmas Story Contest, I did a copy and paste from last year’s post and just updated the info.

BUT. I forgot to change the e-mail address from “hotmail” to “gmail”.

Oops!

Normally, that would not be a big problem except for the fact that hotmail is being weirder than ever. Half the time, I can’t even get to the log-in page. The Internet tells me it doesn’t exist. I don’t know if this is a hotmail issue that everyone’s having, or a problem with my browser, or if hotmail just decided to “unfriend” me. But whatever…

If you sent your Christmas story to the hotmail address, please resend it to the GMAIL address.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

National Christian Market

I’ve been told that no one from Utah or published in Utah can break into the national Christian market, regardless of religious afiliation or genre. Is this true?

That’s pretty much been my experience. You may find a few bookstores willing to carry you outside of Utah, but it’s going to be difficult.

Years ago I represented an author who had a wonderful, non-LDS, Christian oriented book for families. Latter-day Saints wouldn’t buy it because it was general Christian. Christians wouldn’t buy it because it was from Utah.

The author self-published, changing the title and pen name, but left the content exactly the same. They got a PO Box in a Bible belt state, and sold the book online. It did well enough that it was eventually picked up by a Christian publisher. I don’t think the publisher ever knew they were dealing with an LDS Utah resident.

As far as I know, it’s still the same. Readers? What has been your experience? No speculation. We want first-hand experiences.

Why Is Non-Fiction an Easier Sale?

Thank you so much for writing such an informative blog. I love it and visit your site at least once a week.

In an old post, you stated that nonfiction sells better than fiction. Can you elaborate as to why that is?

It’s consumer psychology.

For most people, a fiction book is generally a one-time read. Then it’s over. Done. Never to be picked up again. It’s a dose of feel good by escaping from reality fix. Some people feel guilty when they read fiction—like they’re wasting time that could be better used for saving the world or something. It’s hard to plunk down $24.95 for a hardback that you’re only going to read once, and then feel guilty about. Kind of like chocolate, but more expensive.

Non-fiction is like whole foods. It is enlightening, uplifting and healthy for the brain and the psyche. It is often read, re-read, highlighted with personal annotations in the margins, used as a reference for years—plus it impresses your friends when they see it on your bookshelf. Also, when it comes to self-help books, that same $24.95 might just change your life—making you prettier, thinner, healthier, richer, whatever.

Of course, IMHO, this is all total nonsense. Good fiction is like air—necessary for life. You should buy as many good fiction books as your budget allows. In fact, if you have to trim your budget, cut out cable or go on a diet.

And don’t feel guilty! Look at it this way: Life is stressful; everyone needs an escape.* Books are healthier than drugs and alcohol, and are much cheaper than therapy and Prozac! In fact, books should be tax deductible as a medical expense.

Hey, that would be a great addition to Obama’s Health Plan. I’m calling him right now. Who’s with me?

*P.S. Note my use of the semi-colon?

Clean YA Fantasy

Please forgive me if my question is not typical for your blog.

It was recommended to me that because I am LDS, I might have more success in finding someone who will publish or represent my YA fantasy novel if I submit my manuscript to LDS publishers.

My understanding of LDS publishers is that they prefer their material to appeal to members of the LDS faith.

The only elements in the novel that I think would make it more desirable (not necessarily marketable) to an LDS YA audience over a non-LDS market, is the lack of profanity/suggestive themes/ gratuitous violence etc… (which is inherent in my writing because I am LDS). My question is if this is grounds enough to query my MS to an LDS publisher, of if I should stick with seeking a traditional agent/publisher. I imagine the worst that can happen if I did, is that my query won’t garner any reply. However, I should hate to waste the editor’s time if I should have known in advance they won’t consider my work since there’s nothing that would really make it specific to the LDS market.

Also, were I to consider submitting a query/MS, would it be better to cater my query to the particular editor, or to send out my generic query and include a separate cover sheet with an explanation of why my novel will appeal to an LDS market?

Many LDS publishers will consider fiction that has no overt LDS message or characters. A few recent examples from the big three LDS publishers are:

There are also quite a few LDS authors writing books with clean content that are being picked up by national publishers. These four are YA, three of them fantasy.

So the answer to your first question is yes. Yes, there are national publishers who are looking for clean YA fantasy. Yes, there are LDS publishers looking for clean YA fantasy with no LDS references.

The answer to your second question is that you should ALWAYS customize your query to your specific editor, publisher or agent. Always.

What’s New?

Streamlining things to make it easier for me and for you…

Blogs:

  • The Review site is gone. I’ve moved all the reviews and comments over to the LDS Fiction site, in the comments trail of the book that was reviewed. If you’re an author and have linked to your review, go update your links.
  • The Contest site is gone. It’s been merged with the Author Events blog to make the new LDS Author Events & Contests site. There is a big blue button in the sidebar that says “Give-A-Ways!” Click on that to see contests giving away LDS books and book-related products. Events are still listed by month in the sidebar.

Monthly Sponsored Comment Contests:

  • Up to 8 sponsors per month. (September currently has 6 great titles!)
  • All thoughtful comments on all LDSP blogs go into the same pot, drawing for all 8 books.
  • Updated details on sponsoring HERE.
  • Updated details on winning a book HERE.