Christmas reminds us that generosity brings joy to others—and ourselves

The simple blessings of Christmas are all around us - but in the hustle and bustle of the season we too easily miss them! That's the premise behind a new gift book, The Simple Blessings of Christmas, I wrote with my friends from Inspired Faith (part of Mac Anderson's Simple Truths gift company). As Christmas day approaches I am going to continue to excerpt a few of the 30 short chapters. You can also click here to view the inspirational "movie" that goes along with the book. Hope you enjoy! If you do, I would truly appreciate you sharing with your friends and family. Thanks.

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing others’ burdens, easing others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.
W. C. Jones

The Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35

Jim and Della Young. A young couple just starting out in the world together and living in hard scrabble tenement in New York City that cost $8 per week. Furnished. Sure, they were poor, but they were in love so all was well—until the Christmas season rolled around.

Through shrewd bargaining with grocers and other shopkeepers, Della had managed to save money to buy a Christmas gift for Jim. Her problem was that you couldn’t buy much with $1.87. She was beside herself with tears. Jim had fared little better. But when he arrived home from work on Christmas Eve, he carefully carried a treasure he knew Della would adore, all wrapped in tissue and paper and tied with a string. But the only thing on Della’s mind was a gift she had for Jim. She could barely contain her excitement in anticipation of seeing the expression of joy on his face when he opened what she had found for him. Della’s pride was her hair: “rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters. It reached below her knee and made itself almost a garment for her.” Jim’s pride was a gold watch that had been owned by his father and grandfather.

Jim’s gift to her was a set of combs, “side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims.” Della’s gift to Jim was a “platinum fob chain simple and chaste in design, properly proclaiming its value by substance alone and not by meretricious ornamentation—as all good things should do. It was even worthy of The Watch.”

All was wonderful except the small detail that Jim had sold his watch to buy Della’s combs—and Della had sold her hair to a wigmaker in order to buy his chain.

But in his classic short story, The Gift of the Magi, William Sydney Porter, better known to the world as O. Henry, wrote:

The magi, as you know, were wise men—wonderfully wise men—who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

The Christmas season is fun and exciting as we open presents—but it is even more joyful for the opportunity to share from our abundance with others.

the simple blessings of christmas: childlike wonder

The simple blessings of Christmas are all around us - but in the hustle and bustle of the season we too easily miss them! That's the premise behind a new gift book, The Simple Blessings of Christmas, I wrote with my friends from Inspired Faith (part of Mac Anderson's Simple Truths gift company). Over the next two weeks I am going to excerpt a few of the 30 short chapters. You can also click here to view the inspirational "movie" that goes along with the book. Hope you enjoy! If you do, I would truly appreciate you passing along a good word to your friends and family. They just might enjoy too! Thanks.

Simple Blessing #3

Christmas reveals the wisdom of childlike wonder.

Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given—when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.
Joan Winmill Brown

Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:2–4

Even though little Cindy Lou Who didn’t stop the Grinch from stealing Christmas, most Dr. Seuss experts still think it was her big brown eyes that first pierced the his heart and begin his personal transformation, even before he heard the whole community come out and sing from his icy hilltop home.

What are the characteristics of a Grinch?

Nothing showcases the heart of a Grinch better than cynicism. Looking at everyone and everything with jaded and jaundiced eyes. A true Grinch would never be satisfied to watch another person perform a good deed during the holidays, but would take time to wonder who that person thinks they are trying to impress.

Isolation is another surefire way of showing the world your inner Grinch. Getting together with family and friends can be too much of a hassle, can’t it? Why go to a special church service when you’ve had enough of crowds at the mall? And the neighborhood progressive dinner will conflict with a TV show you wanted to watch!

Then there’s a resentful spirit that hates to see others experiencing blessings in life. Such a small-spirited outlook declares one to be a top-tier Grinch.

But there’s more that goes into being a Grinch. Irritability. Short temper. Meanness. Making fun of others for their innocence and joy.

Now if you’ve had enough of being a Grinch, there is a cure if you’ve seriously been feeling like canceling Christmas for yourself—and everyone else—this year. It begins with humility. Not believing you are too sophisticated and cultured to stop and admire the tinsel and the toys. It continues with the words of Jesus to His followers when some thought the kids were being a nuisance and distracting them from grown-up concerns. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14).

Lost the wonder of Christmas? Maybe you need to watch a child enjoying the season. Whatever it takes, spend some time with small kids this Christmas. Have some friends or family members with kids come over to decorate cookies. Take a family you know out on a Christmas light tour or to an outdoor Nativity scene. Or help an organization that delivers toys to needy children—and see if you can be part of the delivery team.

Kids approach Christmas activities with unabashed enthusiasm. Watching their excitement and outright glee over things as simple as sugar cookies and wrapping paper, you just might find your heart softening—or growing three sizes—and your cynicism melting. You’ll be filled with compassion for children and an appreciation for their ability to really celebrate. Best of all, what will replace your hard heart is a renewed sense of childlike wonder and joy.

the runaway pastor

I've worked in the publishing industry for more than 25 years now and have been blessed to have my hand on a number of bestsellers. I tried counting that exact number up the other day and I know I've missed a few - and maybe not accounted for some returns or remainder sales - but I think I've worked directly on at least 18 books that have sold more than a million units and somewhere close to 70 that have topped 100 thousand units. Okay, sounds like I'm bragging, but really, I want to make a point, which is: I have a fairly decent feel for what will work in the marketplace.

That's what surprised me so much about publisher response to a book I represented as an agent, The Runaway Pastor, by a friend from my college days. Responses were tepid at best - and there was definite resistance by some. A few thought it was written as a negative indictment of ministers, the ministry, and the church. One publisher even waggled a finger at me! LOL. I spoke with a few general publishers who weren't aware that anyone in America goes to church, so they weren't convinced there is a market.

I admit, I was a little worried when David first asked me to give it a read. I was afraid that I would find the material poorly written and would have to figure out a diplomatic way to tell him that. But the book was very well written, exceptionally well for a first time fiction author. But what I thought the book really had going for it was a raw - but kind - honesty that gave it a couple of amazing "hooks" for several audiences. Because one thousand ministers leave the ministry every month:

* I thought this book would strike a nerve with pastors - duh!
* I figured most regular church attenders have been impacted by this career exodus, and that would make it a book of acute interest.
* I assumed sociologists - particularly those who observe religious patterns in America - would find it fascinating.
* I was certain that professors at Bible colleges and seminaries - and others who provide academic and professional development for ministers - would consider this must reading for themselves and those they work with.
* I even suspected that some critics and skeptics of the church and Christianity might find the title intriguing.

Now I know the publishing industry is distressed and not as many books are being acquired - and new-author fiction has always been a high risk venture. But I still assumed this book proposal would sell quickly. I've got other projects that have been selling in short order. So when The Runaway Pastor didn't have a taker within three months, David and I got back together and decided I would put this out as a micro-publishing project under one of my imprint names. He made me nervous - again - when he said his wife Shelly could design the book cover. I've seen a lot of author-directed book covers in my day and many have been awful. But I think she did a bang up job!

So voila. The Runaway Pastor is now available on Amazon and I think it is going to do great over time. I think it may get picked up by a major publishing house. I think it will generate a lot of publicity. In fact, David got an extended note from one person who reviews books for ministers:

I read The Runaway Pastor word for word, cover to cover this weekend and as far as realistic fiction is concerned, the book is nearly too realistic. The book reads so well also, causing the reader, especially one who may be prone to run away from it all, to consider the outcomes of running, to consider the options of seeking help, to muster the courage to wake up and tend to his/her inner life, his/her marital life, his/her emotional life. The book is a wake up for the Church as well. To consider its expectations of pastors as real or hyper-unrealistic, to consider a pastors marriage as something to be cultivated, to consider a pastor's life as more precious than the goods and services the pastor offers. David Hayes, in my opinion, has a winner of a book which I hope helps pastors seek the help and guidance they need. The events surrounding Pastor Trent and his wife Natalie's brokenness are all too real.

I'm not going to give a spoiler on how the story ends here. Just let me say that this book is a great tale of loss and redemption. A very clever storyline. Always respectful of the church, the ministry, and a life of faith. By the way, David knows whence he writes of. No, he didn't run away from it all, but he did experience a significant bout of ministerial burnout - and survived it! In fact, he pastors a church today.

The nature of my business doesn't require that I give a sales pitches on this blog - so I'm not real good at this - but I would encourage many who read this to strongly consider ordering a copy of The Runaway Pastor from Amazon right now.

(Publishers who are thinking maybe they should take a look at this ... you know where to reach me! LOL)

college football still packs a punch

Baseball may be America's pastime but football is America's passion when it comes to sports. (I have a friend who has dubbed the summer sport as basebore. Wake me up when the world series starts.)

The NFL finished its preseason - and no one knows why they even held a preseason in the first place (unless it had something to do with money) - and keeps score and counts the games this coming weekend.

College football came out of the corner swinging last Thursday - literally if you check the video below - with Oregon visiting Boise State and losing on BSU's smurf-blue football field that makes TV screens beg for mercy. By now everyone in the world that watches ESPN highlights has seen the sucker punch thrown by a frustrated Oregon player at the end of the game as players were exiting the field. Not quite the punch CFB wanted thrown on a weekend dedicated, ironically, to sportsmanship. (Note: Now this is real irony, not just the bad luck and tragedy masqueraded as irony by Alanis Morissette in her song Isn't It Ironic?). But I digress. And despite a black eye administered to sportsmanship, there was plenty of on field highlights for football junkies who have been suffering withdrawal pains for the past eight months.



My Buckeyes played a less than impressive game against the Naval Academy - putting in the second string quarterback in the second quarter is not a recipe for maintaining momentum in what looked like an emerging blowout - but before the game, in the spirit of sportsmanship, the two teams ran onto the field together. This was a first ever happening in storied Ohio Stadium. All week leading up to the game head coach Senator Tressel had let it be known that he did not want servicemen being booed - a friendly tradition in Ohio and a couple hundred other venues each Saturday afternoon of CFB season - and, in fact, wanted Navy's players to be given a standing ovation. Apparently he didn't have total faith in his fan base so he set things up to insure the standing O. I don't know. We've booed the home team before, too.

Based on one week of results, the sports guru pundits are pretty sure who is really good and who is really bad already. They'll be wrong a fair amount of the time and by season's end express indignation that the season didn't unfold as they pronounced it would. (Note: Only a few of the pundits predict any more. Most now pronounce. Better ratings.)

Not surprising, Lou Holtz has already declared Notre Dame as national champions. The term "SEC speed" was used no less than 300 times on ESPN. And then a thousand more times once the games started. Oklahoma got upset by BYU and lost their Heisman winner QB, Sam Bradford, for an indefinite stretch of games. Michigan looked like the Wolverines again - maybe they've been practicing extra - and speaking of which, I am all for eschewing the tie and deciding games in overtime, but it doesn't mean I can't still hope and pray that when Michigan and Notre Dame play next week, "they" - maybe we do need the pundits on occasion - deem both teams losers after a 0-0 final score highlighted by 20 fumbles.

So who is going to win the national championship? And who do I think is going to be really good and bad this year? Rather than separate the sheep and the goats and impute or impinge character on the basis of winning, as a spectator, I'll hide behind the words of Teddy Roosevelt:

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never tasted victory or defeat.

On that note, all I can say is "Go Bucks. Beat USC!"

The Pillars of the Earth book review

Ken Follett. Penguin. Published in 1989.

My first exposure to Follett was in the early 80s with a trio of spy thrillers, Eye of the Needle, Triple, and The Key to Rebecca. I like the spy genre and though I didn't think Follett had the nuanced political and psychological depth of a LeCarre or Deighton, he delivered intrigue, twists, and turns at a Frederick Forsythe (Day of the Jackel) level. Smart, action-packed escapist reading!

Follett wrote The Pillars of the Earth in 1989 and I completely missed it. For 20 years. Once I've read an author a couple times and like him or her that usually doesn't happen. But it should have come as no surprise. In Pillars, Follett switched genres from international political thrillers to historical fiction with this 973 page tome. I'm sure his publisher was aghast when he brought the proposal to the table. Follett was undoubtedly told that this was a bad "self-branding" move for any author, that he would confuse and lost his core audience. I'm Exhibit One that his publisher was probably right in a business sense. But if Follett had listened, we would have missed out on a literary treat. It hasn't turned out too bad for Follett either, as Pillars is his backlist title that continues to sell the most copies every year.

So what prompted Follett to write a book that features a devout and godly monk who dreamed of building a cathedral to God's glory; the ups and downs of a couple of stone masons and their families; and some really rotten earls, barons, sherrifs, bishops and priests? Was it Follett's own act of devotion and religious fervor? In his preface he claims to be atheist despite a Plymouth Brethren upbringing. But he did have what can be described as a near religious experience on a business trip to Peterborough for the London Times. He had recently read a book on European architecture and was fascinated with Nikolaus Pevsner's description of all that went into the building of Gothic cathedrals. With an hour to spare before his train left for London, Follett took a tour of the Peterborough Cathedral and says he was instantly "enraptured." This began a personal hobby of visiting and studying cathedrals all over England and Europe.

Follett may have left modern politics behind in Pillars but not the politics of 12th Century Europe. With the death of King Henry, Stephen and Maude wage a civil war for the throne spanning decades, with a constant and ensuing political fallout for earls, cities, and counties. Even the building of a castle or cathedral became a political roller coast ride with access to lumber, stone or labor determined by which combatant won the last battle of the season and which barons and earls had the right allegiance to be rewarded or punished.

Follett shows Medieval churchmen at their superstitious and barbaric worst - and their enlightened, progressive, spiritual, and charitable best. I think he is very fair to represent the true spirituality of the Medieval - and modern - believer. He doesn't succumb to the temptation to paint crude caricatures. My own reading of Medieval history is cursory but from what little I know, Follett actually helps dispel the myth that these were simply "Dark Ages." Watching Jack - a stone mason and master builder - wrestle with how to make his cathedral roof taller but still safe and finally discover the pointed arch is a marvelous glimpse into the technological developments of the day.

Pillars is set around the building of the Kingsbridge Cathedral, but Follett takes us on a historically plausible side journey through France, over the Pyrenees, and into the Iberian Peninsula, where Medieval monks traveled to the library of Toledo, Spain, and were introduced to Euclid (his algebra and geometry play a role in the building of cathedrals), Plato, and other great writings from antiquity. Throughout the story Follett introduces the historical seeds that blossomed into the modern political mind and arena, from worker's and women's rights to the question of whether kings and nobility must answer to the law.

Toward the end of the book, Prior Philip, the stern, austere, kind, hard nosed, fair, loving hero of the story witnesses the assassination of Thomas Becket at Canterbury - carried out under the urging of his nemesis, Waleran, a bishop who made Machiavelli seem like an author of positive thinking and encouragement titles. Philip faces his ultimate test of faith, namely whether he will keep his faith in God and whether that faith in God has the efficacy to make the world a better place. As a reader, we have followed his life as orphan, monk, reformer, and builder for sixty years up to the year 1174 A.D. But the question he must face in the closing pages of Pillars is just as relevant today!

good dog down

As a footnote on a blog I wrote a month ago about the decision of whether to euthanize the family pet, our 12-year-old black and silver miniature schnauzer, the dreaded day finally arrived yesterday.

After long lunch meeting with a publisher and potential author, I settled into my office and figured I’d deal with Colby another day. I finally had to man up when I looked at him on the back porch and saw how incredibly awful he felt. I had to force myself to face the fact that an occasional good day didn't mean he wasn't miserable.

Colby did have one great day the past week. Zach and I took him to the park on Saturday. Zach and two of his friends and I were passing the football. Colby trotted after the boys a little – though no mad dashes like the old days when he thought he was a defensive back. He then found some shade and and watched the boys run routes with his trademark little smile. He kept his head up the whole time, scanning left and right. I think he wanted to jump in the game one more time.

He never ate again after Saturday morning. He hardly moved the last day and a half. Despite efforts to get him moving and clean him up, he was lying in urine and vomit most of the time. So Monday afternoon it was time to end the work day early and take care of a different kind of business.

I had to carry him to the car, which in a sad way made the task at hand easier. I talked to him about old times on the drive over. He’d flick his eyebrows up when he heard his name, but otherwise didn’t move a muscle. When we got to the Williamson County Animal Control Center, I decided to stay in with him for his last shot. I don't think he quite noticed as he really was already gone.

I think it's Tim McGraw who sings the lyrics, 'I don’t know why they say grown men don’t cry.' That's what happens when you lose a pet who has been part of the family for 12 years.

what goes into self-publishing - and should you consider it?

When self-publishing is done right, the same things go into as traditional publishing. A unique and compelling idea; great writing and editorial; author promotion; a good looking cover that fits the tone and genre of the book; the right price point; and places to sell the book.

It's wonderful to land a deal with a publishing company for your book project. But that is no longer your only - and oftentimes best - option.  Self-publishing - or the term I had hoped would take off, micropublishing - opens the door for you to present your great idea to the world in the book form.

Micro Publishing from Mark Gilroy

Micro Publishing

View more presentations from Mark Gilroy.

random thoughts on getting older (or 'happy birthday to me')

In case I didn't remember that tomorrow is my birthday, facebook came up with an app that makes sure I and a host of well-wishers - along with a few trash talkers - are very aware that I am about to have another number added to my age. Last year was the big five-oh so this one shouldn't be that big of a deal. Right? But then again, it is a full year later, so maybe this and each subsequent birthday is a much greater accomplishment and deserving of more fanfare.

I started thinking about writing this blog on getting older last week and came up with a really clever title and approach to the topic, but since I didn't write anything down I can't remember what I had in mind. So while I'm thinking about it now, here are a few random thoughts on the aging process that just might reflect what is coming your way a good ways down the road, what you're currently experiencing as a fellow 50-something or what things you remember (but might have forgotten) that are now in your rear view mirror.

1. Oatmeal and prescription meds are big topics of discussion. And I'm not talking idle chatter. I'm talking the fodder of deep and enthralling conversations.

2. I now routinely call each of my children by one of their sibling's name. Despite rolled eyes or vacant stare, I don't think they mind that much and maybe find it mildly amusing. At least until I refer to one of the boys by one of the girl's names or vice versa.

3. Retirement is on my mind. It was a couple years ago, too. But back then I was thinking I might do it some day. After watching my accounts and home equity go the wrong direction, I now think more about not retiring some day.

4. Stretchy fabrics are underrated. Particularly fabric swatches that circle the waist.

5. The kids think Amy and I talk too loud. I think they're crazy. I can barely hear a word Amy is saying.

6. They - whoever 'they' are - are right; 'old' is a relative term. Even if a few things hurt that I didn't know existed in my 30's, I really don't feel old at almost-51. More to the point, in my copious research for this piece, I discovered 'old' refers to people who are five or more years advanced in age than I am. Not only that, 'old' is on a sliding scale and will continue to be five years out from where I am in future years.

7. Fiber is mysterious and confusing. When I think of fiber, I think of something substantial and solid. Now they (there 'they' are again) sell fiber - with extra roughage thrown in for good measure - in little gel caps. I don't know what this has to do with anything but I could go on about fiber all day!

8. Many parents of young children look like children themselves. This observation isn't actually new. It came to me 10 years ago when I took my oldest child to college and my youngest child to kindergarten. The same week.

9. The world really does need the wisdom that comes from age and experience. This wisdom is treasure to be cherished and honored. I don't know how I ever thought that youth and energy were what made big things happen.

10. A lot of my friends in my age range are looking older these days. (This observation is only intended for certain trash talkers - and you know who you are.)

Aging. It's no laughing matter. It's something we all must face. And on the positive side, it certainly beats the alternative unless, of course, you are one of the drafters of Obama's health care plan. So I'm going to get very serious now.

But first I think I'll take an afternoon nap!

mans' best friend: when is it time to say goodbye?

To his dog, every man is King;
hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous Huxley

When is it time to say goodbye - or more accurately, euthanize a pet? Just asking that question makes me feel ... squeamish, uncomfortable, disloyal, and more than a little guilty.

I've been surfing the net to find perspectives and advice on knowing the right moment. This is probably my roundabout way of starting to get comfortable with something that needs to happen in the not so distant future, even if it's not this week or month or calendar year.

One of my problems is that about the time it seems very obvious that my 12-year-old schnauzer Colby has no 'quality of life' and is so miserable that putting him down is simple kindness, he perks up and shows a flash of his youthful vigor. Even if just for a day or two.

I'm sure that some of the guilt I feel comes from the way we anthropomorphize our pets. I know in my mind he's not really a human, but he's been part of the family so long - and paws down, he listens to me more than anyone else in the house - that it feels like I'm contemplating the life and death of a person.

Another stream of guilt feelings for me probably has to do with the realization that I'm not just looking at his quality of life but my own. The extra care and expense of an older pet, one who gets a couple shots a day and needs to be looked after and helped in other ways is probably one thing I simply don't want on top of the responsibilities of family life. Doing something that is in Colby's best interest that just happens to be in my best interest is not necessarily a matter of rationalization and those two dynamics are not mutually exclusive - but you try telling yourself that when your internal dialog includes phrases like 'lethal injection'.

The most common advice I've bumped into on the net - from the 'ask the vet' to the 'my pet tribute' sites, and on over to Old Yeller movie forums - has to do with the matter of pain. I know Colby is at minimum very uncomfortable. But how much pain is he in? He definitely favors one hip and he struggles to breathe sometimes. He's very lethargic - but so are a lot of other dogs and even a few humans I know; doesn't mean we put them down for wanting to lay around. Then other times he seems to really enjoy his walk and looks content to just be here.

Should I just call the vet and ask him or her what to do? The non 'ask the vet' sites warn you that many vets will just listen for a little while and then tell you what they think you want to hear. I've had worse conversations than that!

One bit of counsel that showed up numerous times is to not fall in the trap of 'waiting for God to decide the time' - that as a pet owner you have the responsibility to make a hard decision if the pet is miserable. This is just another variation of not letting Colby wallow helplessly in pain, and as I've noted previously, I'm no expert on observing what is 'too much pain' and 'miserable'. I did have a friend on Facebook this morning tell me that dogs hide pain because they are people pleasers. I don't doubt that but I'm still not convinced anyone can really 'know' that. And she got that from her vet who might be a bit of a people pleaser himself.

Well. I filled his bowl with food. I gave Colby his morning shot. Still not sure what I'm going to do. But at least now I know it isn't today.

washington on america - and war and politics and virtue (and handguns)

A happy and blessed 4th of July to you and America on its 233rd birthday.

On this fourth day of posting quotes it is only fitting to give George Washington the seat of honor. When Henry Lee delivered his funeral oration in 1799, he said of him, he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

Yesterday we highlighted Lincoln, who held the union of a young nation together – at the cost of a Civil War – through force of will. Washington was the one who through force of will, personality, diplomacy, and talent kept the union from disintegrating before it started. After winning the Revolutionary War, Washington headed straight for his plantation in Mount Vernon to retire from public life. When King George III heard this, he said that if he would actually do that he was the greatest man who ever lived. And it seems to be the case that Washington really wasn’t interested in holding power, despite winning the presidency two terms.

His quotes, as well as those of Adams, Jefferson, and Lincoln from previous days, underscore the degree to which our nation was built on the premise that Freedom required good citizens – and that good citizens were those who practiced virtue and lived with integrity. A nice reminder for our day on this 4th. Enjoy!

While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the rights of conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to him only in this case they are answerable.

It is with pleasure I receive reproof, when reproof is due, because no person can be readier to accuse me, than I am to acknowledge an error, when I am guilty of one; nor more desirous of atoning for a crime, when I am sensible of having committed it.

I shall make it the most agreeable part of my duty to study merit, and Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience.

Few men have virtue enough to withstand the highest bidder.

A people... who are possessed of the spirit of commerce, who see and who will pursue their advantages may achieve almost anything.

I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.

However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.

To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones.

Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.

Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better be alone than in bad company.

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.

Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession.

Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.

Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.

Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.

I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do to see a plan adopted for the abolition of slavery.

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

abraham lincoln on america (and life)

With our country's 233rd birthday just around the corner, we've posted some quotes from two of the Founding Fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, in the last few days. Fast forward to a time when it didn't look like the United States would celebrate its 100th anniversary as a country. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president US president, a self-taught man from humble circumstances, cast a vision of integrity - despite the cost - for the union in his words and actions. Here are just a few thoughts from 'Honest Abe' - a common man with uncommon wisdom applied to personal success, politics, virtue, and even the practice of law!

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.

Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all.

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.

Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

God must love the common man, he made so many of them.

Perhaps the most famous and immortal words that Lincoln ever spoke are known as the Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate...we can not consecrate...we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

For the 4th? Come back and visit to find out!

thomas jefferson on america

Yesterday the spotlight was on quotes by the serious and somber John Adams. As we approach the 233rd birthday of the United States of America, who better to cite than Thomas Jefferson, political philosopher, primary author of the Declaration of Independence, and our third president, serving two terms. His presidency was marked by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Louisiana Purchase. He is the only two term president to never veto a bill from Congress.

Jefferson was a true Renaissance Man and was accomplished in areas as diverse as horticulture, archeology, and architecture. He was a gadget inventor with a fondness for clocks and was a student of the Bible, though not known for his orthodoxy. Even after his presidency he kept busy, founding the University of Virginia - another of his singular achievements among his presidential colleagues.

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.

All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.

An association of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which has never yet existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town meeting or a vestry.

As our enemies have found we can reason like men, so now let us show them we can fight like men also.

Books constitute capital. A library book lasts as long as a house, for hundreds of years. It is not, then, an article of mere consumption but fairly of capital, and often in the case of professional men, setting out in life, it is their only capital.

But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.

Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.

Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.

Delay is preferable to error.

Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.

Tomorrow? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? Benjamin Franklin? All of the above? We'll see!

john adams on america

Just four days until the 4th of July and America's 233rd birthday. Our first vice president and second president was John Adams, who stepped out of the shadows of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and other Founding Fathers in the modern consciousness with the surprise bestselling biography by David McCullough and the HBO miniseries based on it.

Here are just a few quotes from the Massachusetts school teacher, lawyer, and politician - who went to Harvard to study for the ministry at his father's encouragement - and the father of a political dynasty, including his son, John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States. But just a warning. Of all the Founding Fathers, perhaps none was more of a curmudgeon than Adams.

I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.

No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.

Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide.

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people.

Be not intimidated... nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice.

The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.

Tomorrow? Thomas Jefferson, who became our nation's third president by beating Adams in their election face off and keeping him as a one term president.

the professor and the madman

Simon Winchester. Harper Collins. Published in 1998.

The prompt for writing a quick review of this book is that I just started a third title by the same author, Simon Winchester, The Crack at the Edge of the World, and couldn't help but remember with fondness - yes, I used the word 'fondness' in regard to reading a book about how a dictionary was written - when I read The Professor and the Madman. Winchester is to my knowledge the developer and foremost practitioner of an immensely entertaining historical-narrative literary style whereby he lures us into turning page after page (rapidly) of a history book by telling a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story that reads like pulp fiction, and yes, which is set within a larger historical context and moment. Erik Larson followed the pattern in Devil in the White City , introducing us to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and how it changed the history of America through the lurid tale of a serial killer who was as big as Jack the Ripper before Jack found his first victim. In some parallel ways, Sebastian Junger employed this model, telling us about seemingly mundane things - the deep sea fishing industry, the physics of waves, the types of North Atlantic storms, and a little of the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts - through the sensational story of the crew of the Andrea Gail in his book The Perfect Storm, even better known for the George Clooney movie.

What is the historical setting and importance of the Professor and the Madman? The writing of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), of course. Now, without making any claims of being an academic, I must admit that topic kind of, sort of interested me anyway. I like the history of words and their definitions. But enough to read a book? I'm not sure. Even if it's less than 300 pages? Still not sure. It may never have reached the top of the stack. But even if you aren't that interested in what made the OED the finest reference work of its day - and perhaps the greatest reference ever created - the story of Dr. Charles Minor, the man who contributed thousands of entries, all painstakingly researched and neatly written from his home in Crowthorne, England, just 50 miles from Oxford, just might hook you.

What tied Minor to the OED and made his role so remarkable? Was it that he was an American creating something so peculiarly British? Nope. There was no snobbery as a sub theme. That he was a veteran of the Civil War, where he was surgeon for the troops of the North? Interesting, but not interesting enough to bring a dictionary to life. Was it that he maintained a long distance relationship with Professor James Murray - strictly by correspondence - for decades, despite numerous invitations from Murray to attend fundraising dinners or just stop by the office to meet due to his prolific 10 thousand entries? Not even close. Was it that he thought Irishmen were ... and that one night he went out and ... and because of that he ended up living in ... ? Yes. Yes. And yes.

I don't want to spoil the book for someone wants to know why it took 70 years to create the OED - Murray worked on it for 40 of those years but died before it was released - which contained almost 2 million quotations that helped define more than 400 thousand words. As an aside to those who love words and where they came from, one of the challenges of completing this monumental masterpiece was the stated goal that the OED would provide literary quotations, from oldest to most recent, to illustrate each word's first usage, evolution, and current definitions. Is it any wonder that the publisher had London book sellers place advertising tracts in the books they sold to solicit research help from the general population?

But back to Minor. I guess since I've already let you know that Murray was the professor, it is safe to reveal that Minor was the madman. When Murray finally insisted that he must meet the good doctor face-to-face out of respect for his unequaled contributions to the OED- and yes, if Minor wouldn't leave his home and travel to Oxford, he would come to him - you can imagine the shock he must have felt to show up at the front door and discover Minor was an insane murderer living at the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.

Who knows? Let this book rise to the top of the stack beside your nightstand and you might be shocked to discover yourself enjoying a scintillating read about the history of a dictionary!

anatomy of an apology

In his first apology he really didn't apologize for what he said but rather defended himself and even took shots at the ones he was apologizing to for making a big deal out of a possibly inappropriate joke he told that was the reason he was apologizing in the first place. Make sense? I may have to read that sentence again myself. Slowly. During this first apology, one of the things David Letterman explained was that the criticism he was receiving was based, at least in part, on a simple misunderstanding that could easily be cleared up. When he joked that Todd and Sarah Palin's daughter was getting 'knocked up' by Alex Rodriguez during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee Stadium, he thought people would know he meant the Palin's 18-year-old daughter, not the 14-year-old daughter who was actually at the game and who was therefore erroneously assumed to be the one he was referring to. As a parent, I would have felt a whole lot better, wouldn't you? He also explained he's told other jokes that he's not proud of. Again, just the kind of reasoning to help things simmer down in a hurry.

Surprisingly, this first apology wasn't received well by the Palins and others. Even women's groups not known as staunch Palin supporters expressed dissatisfaction.

So five days later Letterman apologized again, but this time he really meant it. Somber newscasters declared this second apology attempt as "heartfelt" and "sincere." The first apology was an obvious mulligan. In a blame reversal that even Bill Clinton would envy, a number of commentators took the time to criticize Governor Palin for inflammatory words of her own in an interview with Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show when she said it would be wise to keep Willow away from Dave. Matt didn't like that. Not at all. But as a hard nosed journalist that's his job. And think about it. Palin did have her nerve picking on a helpless 62-year-old television icon, going so far as to make a statement that could be construed to indicate that she thinks he is a dirty old man, when expressing outrage over what was said about her 18-year-old daughter - though not the 14-year-old Willow as was previously mentioned. Robert Schlesinger opined in his U.S. News and World Report blog that in her statement Palin had equaled Letterman for "cheap and classless jokes." I might agree with Schlesinger but it's still not clear she was joking and if it is determined she was, it was only one joke, not jokes.

So during the same week that protestors have taken to the streets in Tehran what does this compelling news episode teach us about apologizing? Just maybe, we ought to be straightforward, heartfelt, and sincere the first time out of the chute as opposed to a face-saving, self-serving, self-righteous, and sarcastic approach. Most of us know that's easier said than done. So if we can't pull off the contrite and clear method it seems that blaming the person we've wronged for putting us in a position to botch our apology is a good backup plan!

Big Government: Pendulum or Runaway Train?

Ever since FDR saved the economy - either through his welfare and public works programs if you like his fiscal model or by entering World War II if you believe the country was going to turn around on the basis of a business cycle anyway - the size and role of the federal government in the business life of America has continued to grow. Truman was too busy fighting wars and dealing with new international realities with our Soviet allies to leave a huge mark on America Inc., but conservative president, DDE, built the interstate highway system with a heavy dose of liberal spending, a symbolic and tangible symbol of a more federally driven America economy. JFK we hardly knew you. We'll never know his spending agenda based on his short tenure though his activism in other areas might lead us to believe he would have been big government in all ways. Inspired by political activists like author John Steinbeck, LBJ attempted to build a 'Great Society' - a phrase he borrowed from Steinbeck - to further expand the government's role and responsibility as the provider and protector of the people's welfare.

Let's break from this historical free for all for just a second. Everyone, including politicians of all stripes, is concerned with the welfare of 'the people' and individual persons. Whether one cares is not what is being debated, though in the political world it is posited by big government proponents that if you don't want government to take responsibility for people's welfare you don't care about people's welfare. The fiscal conservative or political libertarian will argue that he or she cares just as much about the welfare of individuals, he or she just does not think government does a very good job of supplying it. They want an old school model that limits the role of government to good laws and national defense - and leaves individual welfare up to individual effort, which will be much more productive and efficacious in a free enterprise system the thinking goes. But what happens when that doesn't work, big government proponents ask? Some free enterprise advocates agree with having clearly defined and limited temporary aid measures in place - others argue for the 'family and friends' program. But based on what we've seen so far in our historical foray, there really haven't been too may free enterprisers in control, no matter what we might assume from party affiliation.

RMN actually toyed with price controls, which would made him a hero among Marxist ideologs and an enigma to his independent, puritanical forebears, but ultimately, he pored his attention on foreign policy and then shifted his focus to another set of problems that were a little more personal in nature. JC. We hardly knew you. Stagnation and malaise were the order of the day. The result of bad business or too much government intervention? Carter wasn't sure there was a possible solution from the government or private sector and suspected we might be headed for leaner days. That helped RWR, who was sure it was the latter, too much government intervention, get elected. He cut capital gains taxes, eliminated and simplified regulations to doing business, and cut income taxes for the middle and upper middle classes. (He would have done the same for the lower and wealthiest classes but it is impossible to cut anything from nothing.) It can be argued that he restored America's business star, setting the stage for the largest capital growth campaign in history and the rise of Bill Gates. What he didn't do, however, was cut government spending. And it wasn't just because he built up the military. Liberals and columnists - I would have said Liberal columnists but why be redundant? - bemoaned all the benefits he cut from the poor. Not true. He did occasionally cut government program increases but never spending. GHB (W's dad). We hardly knew you, either. I do recall H was kinder and gentler than Reagan and raised taxes to prove it despite the protests of lip readers to the contrary. WJC got his butt kicked on socialized medicine early in his first term. His solution? Keep Hillary away from Congressional hearings and enjoy Reagan's promised 'peace dividend.' Then he started experiencing the joy of balancing the budget and reducing the federal deficit so much he went out and tweaked some welfare policies so that they became workfare policies. For the first time in 60 years people were involuntarily cut from welfare rolls. Bill might be the last and the only fiscal conservative of the past 100 years. Deep down, I suspect that still bothers him. GWB. Or just W. A man of principle, faith, and profligate spending habits. He and the man who followed him, BHO, are architects and builders of an expanded role for government through TARP(s) that might have made FDR's head spin. Even the German socialists are confused. When they throw money at economic problems it is at least to save unnecessary jobs. In America's iteration of corporate welfare, it is to eliminate jobs and save companies. The latest Obama move has been to appoint a 'Special Master for Compensation' to oversee executive and employee pay at companies that accepted government bailout money. Any wonder so many are fighting like crazy to give this 'free' money back? Any wonder Hugo Chavez, left-wing socialist president of Venezuela, claims he is more right wing than Obama?

So is the size and scope of the federal government cyclical - a pendulum that is simply on a high note of growth? Or is it a runaway train navigating hair-pin turns as adroitly as possible?

If these economic days are tough on your personal welfare and you see a bright shining light ahead, it might mean there is hope at the end of the tunnel for you. Or it might mean you better jump off the track in a hurry if you don't want to get hit!

Wayman Tisdale - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now

He was a big man with a bigger smile. Great athlete. Better person. A cool jazzman who was maybe the best slap bass guitarist of his era. A man of faith. Deeply committed to his family.

Having lived a few years in Tulsa, I knew he and his family cast a huge shadow over that city. His father was pastor of the Friendship Church for 28 years. When he passed away in 1997, one of the local expressways was renamed the L.L. Tisdale Parkway. Wayman's older brother, Weldon, is now senior pastor at Friendship.

A high school basketball star at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Wayman went on to Oklahoma University where he was the first college basketball player to be named first team All American his freshman, sophomore, and junior years. He still holds the records at OU for points and rebounds. He played with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and other luminaries on the 1984 US Olympic team that was dubbed the 'Dream Team.' The 6' 9", 240 pound power forward played 12 seasons in the NBA, averaging more than 15 points per game. His music career began while he was still in the NBA with a Motown record called, appropriately, Power Forward. He recorded seven more albums, including Face to Face, which hit number one in sales for the contemporary jazz chart. His final album was Rebound and reflected his belief that he was not going to be defeated by cancer.

Wayman was diagnosed with cancer on the knee in February 2007, when he fell down the stairs at his house and broke his leg. Chemotherapy that spring didn't work and in August 2008 he had his right leg amputated. Tisdale kept his strong faith and never lost his trademark smile.

Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma said of Tisdale:

“Oklahoma has lost one of its most beloved sons. Wayman Tisdale was a hero both on and off the basketball court. Even in the most challenging of times, he had a smile for people, and he had the rare ability to make everyone around him smile. He was one of the most inspirational people I have ever known.”

As a c-jazz lover, I was a bigger fan of Tisdale's music than I was of him as a basketball player - he never played for 'my' team. But most of all I'm a fan of him as a man of persevering faith and and as an example of a resilient joy and hope exhibited and proven under all circumstances.

Anytime someone dies 'before his time' it is a sad story. Particularly for his wife, Regina, and their four children, along with a loving extended family. But his music is a joyful reminder of a life well lived and where he is now. Perhaps it's no coincidence that his number one hit was his take on the standard, Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now.

Q: How well do book publishers and retailers work together?

A: Publishers and retailers work together well in some areas - but there is a huge disconnect based on competing self-interests that make it difficult to help each other succeed.

What makes for a successful retailer? More revenue than expenses, of course, but not just a simple profit and loss reckoning, but profitability within a biz model that includes a positive monthly cash flow. Healthy cash flow is achieved through healthy inventory turns. What are turns? For a bookstore that mean ordering copies of a title on payment terms (often 60- and more often 90-days to pay) and then hopefully selling those copies and getting money for them at the cash register before writing a check to the publisher. How likely is that to happen if you are stocking 200 thousand inventory items in a big box national chain? Not likely. But hot selling titles will hopefully push overall performance numbers up. But what happens if there's no new Harry Potter or vampire title to average in with the laggers (and even help them move more briskly because of increased consumer traffic) on the aggregate? What if you are a retailer and your inventory piles up to the point that you don't have the funds to buy new books (referred to as 'open to buy dollars')? Simple. You return slow-moving titles, of course. Store buyers place their orders with publishers (and/or distributors) based on projections of how many copies of a book his or her stores will sell in the first four to six weeks. How does the buyer come up with those projections? He listens to the publisher's sales rep give the key selling points, comparable titles, and publicity plans. He then combines the sales rep's projections with what his reports on the comps and his own gut tells him, and then places his order a couple weeks or months later. With the large chains the buyer will get a personal report card based on how well his titles met those projections. He has the further accountability of a finite dollar number in his corporate check book. Once that number nears zero without being replenished, his 'open to buy dollars' are done. So not only will he return books if they are not coming close to meeting forecasts, but he may be forced to return some borderline performing titles in order to have more dollars available to purchase a hot-selling title. To the publisher this feels like the retailer is paying his bills with returns.

The preceding paragraph sums up what is in a book retailer's best interests - and what their challenges are. What about the publisher?

A publisher feels like she will do well on a single title when she adds up pre-press expenses (cover and interior design and editing), manufacturing expenses, direct marketing expense, overhead, a return reserve (usually an aggregate percentage applied to each title that assumes not every copy printed will actually sell and will have to be disposed of as an overstock or remainer), and royalty expenses (including advance against royalties), and then subtracts that number from sales projections - usually three-month, six-month, and 12-month projections. How does she come up with those projections? She reviews the performance of comparable titles and considers the author's ability to help promote sales of the title to come up with her own number. She then shares her thinking with sales and marketing teams who will listen and agree or disagree in some measure and come up with their own projections. Different companies settle those differences in different ways. The publisher will do well on a single title in reality when the retail buyer brings in the number of titles projected (sell-in) and consumers buy enough copies of that title off the shelf (sell-through) to generate reorders. The publisher will get her report card on the basis of meeting or exceeding the original projections. She will do particularly well when overall sales pay off any advance against royalties and re-orders are frequent enough to keep inventory levels down (books sitting in a warehouse are like bananas - they can go bad overnite!).

The common success denominator for retailers and publishers is managing inventory levels. The retailer tries not to over order in the first place and is quick to return laggers. Both dynamics hurt the publisher who saves money on higher press runs and gets killed by returns. When publisher and retailer both get too conservative in order to combat this, another negative occurs. Stock outs. What happens when a customer comes to the store and the book he is looking for isn't there? She forgets about it - or if he is persistent, he orders it online and waits for it. That kills brick and mortar retailers. Another less obvious impact of conservative buying patterns is the lack of merchandising. There was a day when you would walk into a bookstore and there would be numerous titles stacked high to capture attention and send the message that this was a book that just had to be purchased. With a few notable exceptions, like the afore-mentioned Harry Potter example, title emphasis is more subtle - and much easier to miss (or ignore).

Two relatively recent technological developments that are helping publishers more than brick and mortar retailers are print-on-demand and the e-book. Print-on-demand vendors provide a pretty high quality book (and the print quality is getting better all the time) - though without bells and whistles like foil and embossing - overnight and at a reasonable price. Not as good a price as printing 100 thousand books on an offset press, but a good enough price that beats the heck out of an excess inventory fall bonfire! An e-book is never out of print. Add those two dynamics together and any book is technically available within 24-hours to a retailer or individual consumer without the risk of large print runs.

But back to the publisher-retailer relationship. Even print-on-demand can't totally mitigate the damage to performance numbers that occurs because the two parties have conflicting interests when it comes to inventory management.
Is there a solution? If you follow the financial reports of major publishers and retailers, neither side of the equation is doing well enough to give much in the give and take of business.

The solution for the author who wonders why his or her book isn't selling like it should is to look in the mirror and ask him or herself what he or she can do to build demand. The book publishing and selling environment isn't currently emulating the Fields of Dreams. Just because you wrote it doesn't mean it will sell.

Q: What must I do to copyright my writing?

A: Nothing.

The moment you write something original in idea or expression on the back of a napkin, in your journal, or any other sheet of paper (or any other textile or surface) - or input it into your computer, you own the material. Unless you sell your copyright to someone else (i.e. a Work Made for Hire Agreement).

Outside of that nebulous area called "Fair Use" no one else can publish your material without your permission. You created it; you own it. When publishers offer you a book contract (and "book" is very inadequate term to convey what they want), they are purchasing your permission to own exclusive sales, distribution, territorial, and publishing rights to your material. Publishing rights means they have all control over the printing of your work, whether on paper with ink, whether in audible voice, whether in dramatic presentation, whether in workbook form, whether in electronic medium - or in any other medium that exists now or will in the future exist in all the universe. And so forth. (Get the idea?)

But YOU will still own the copyright. It is your intellectual property. You just can't do anything with that property. Unless you reserve certain rights, you no longer are allowed to do anything with your material that is no allowed by your publisher. If you want to donate three chapters to your church for a ministry booklet, that's fine - if and only if it's fine with the publisher.

One of the classic historic battles between writers and publishers was over copyright ownership. Even into the 90s (and yes, this Century), many boilerplate contracts indicated that the publisher was acquiring ownership of the copyright and that the book would be copyrighted in the publisher's name. That battle is mostly over, with most publishers agreeing to register a book with the U.S. Copyright Office (or the country of origin) in the author's name.

But I thought I didn't have to do anything to copyright my work? Why would a publisher go to the trouble?

There are some smaller publishers who actually don't go to the trouble and in most cases, it won't be a big deal. It won't change the legal standing to the work. But registering the material is an action that conveys a publisher is going to protect the copyright, which is a huge issue.

Protecting copyright is the source of much acrimony and confusion in the world. As an example, I lived in a city where a local high school copied a university's trademarked logo (a trademark is different than a copyright, but you get the idea) for their football helmets. The university, after learning of the violation after several years of use, issued a cease and desist letter. The moral outrage and outcry by supporters of the high school team was loud and sometimes vicious - and wrong. If the university had not protected their trademark in this instance, they would lose the ability to control something essential to their identity and possibly lose millions of dollars in licensing fees in the future.

Does that mean you can't let others use your material? Of course not, but I wouldn't recommend it without requiring proper attribution, including the (c) designation with your name. In a church bulletin? Yes. As a chapter in someone else's book? Definitely. If you don't protect it that way, why would a publisher offer you money for it at a later date? Be generous all you want, but be consistent in protecting your ownership.

Bible publishers have done a good job of granting generous permission for authors and organizations to use the material from their translation, in many cases at no charge, but always with the requirement of proper attribution and copyright notification. Outside of the King James and a few other public domain translations, there will be specific guidelines set forth in the front matter of your Bible or on the publisher's website. Check it out as a good case study.

There are a host of subplots surrounding the topic of copyright. I've already mentioned Fair Use, which deserves its own blog and is still too slippery to nail down. There's subrights issues, international and U.S. differences on the term of a copyright, tricks for extending copyright beyond its expiration date, review rights, Work Made for Hire issues, serial rights, and other nuances. This blog is in no way exhaustive, but is at least highlighting one simple application for you as an aspiring published author: protect your property.

How? You don't have to put (c) Your Name on all your work. But why not do so anyway as an initial precaution. Make sure you establish when you created your work in case someone claims that you borrowed or stole from them. Let others enjoy and use your work before you are able to turn it into a payday, but only with proper attribution and notification - and any other conditions you would want to stipulate. And when you have a publisher ready to buy your work, make sure you understand exactly what you are selling. If you are a new author, the publisher is going to want to buy all rights from you to make sure he or she can "exploit" those rights in any way necessary to make your deal profitable for both parties. (Exploit sounds awful but it's not a bad word in this context!)

The small things can save you big problems later. If you think disagreements over physical property gets brutal, wait until you see a fight over something that is a product of the mind!

Q: Do I need an agent to sell my book proposal?

A: It depends.

This is almost like me asking you if I need a realtor to sell my house. Okay, in light of the current housing market, that might not be a very nice parallel. But then again, a quick look at the publishing industry might make that comparison even more apt. But back to the question and topic.
In the "old days" of publishing, let's say prior to 1990, there was a common publishing phrase that referred to an unsolicited manuscript that was sent to a publisher as something that "came in over the transom." (A transom is literally a hinged window over a door. Think of the book return slot at a library.) In other words, a writer sent in his or her manuscript to a mail drop, which then ended up in one of several 4-foot high stacks in a junior editor's office, and which after six or seven months of collecting dust was either rejected with a form letter - or voila, it got discovered and published. One way many publishing companies handled submissions that came over the transom was to hire college interns to sift through hundreds or thousands of manuscripts over summer break and separate the winners from the losers.

Many publishers were still leery of agents in the mid-90s. (Many still are.) Since acquisitions is the lifeblood of publishing, they preferred to take the initiative and go find someone with a marketing platform to promote their own work; if that person couldn't write, the publisher would help them write it with a ghost writer or collaborator. If an author didn't have a platform but had exceptional verifiable credentials - for example a professor at a university with a reputation for expertise in a particular discipline - the publisher would still take the initiative. Both of these and many other scenarios still happen all the time but even when the publisher is responsible for basic ideation, it is more common to work deals through an agent. And next to never over the transom.

The worry for publishers back in the "old days" was that once an agent was involved, he or she would demand too much money up front as an advance and too much in royalty rates and thus damage the economies of publishing. (Okay, the publishers were right on this point for many deals.) But even with that concern, sometime in the mid and late 90s, agents went from being a luxury for big name authors who wanted to sell projects to one of the big publishing companies, to a near necessity for almost all writers interested in placing a project with almost any size publishing house.

Today, many publishers will no longer receive unsolicited manuscripts from authors. They prefer and require agent involvement. In a sense, the agent, for many publishing companies, has become a way to streamline the acquisitions process - and maybe even reduce head count. (In other words, the agent has become the primary acquisitions editor for a lot of publishers.) The hardcore, full time, certified agent - and yes, there are many former editors and other publishing staffers who moonlight at agenting - earns his or her commission (more often 15%, up from 10% even a decade ago), along with a trustworthy reputation that opens doors to a variety of acquisitions editors and publishers, by carefully screening authors and projects and vouching to the publisher that the author can deliver both great material and can help market it.

What does this mean for the aspiring author? It means that finding an agent who will represent your work can feel - and be - as hard as selling the project.

So, do you need an agent? The answer is YES, if ...

1. You don't have inside connections with one or more publishers who are already disposed to buying a project from you.

2. You haven't been approached by a publisher to write a project, which is a dream come true for anyone who has toiled with speculative work (you still might be better off with an agent if the deal seems fishy in some way).

3. You don't have a large established platform (connection to a well defined audience that is motivated to buy from you) whereby you can guarantee a certain number of sales. (Some publishers will make a deal with this kind of author if the author commits to buying X number of copies, which becomes part of the contract. Some authors, particularly if they speak to large audiences, will then determine that they'll make more money self-publishing.)

4. You want to be with a larger publisher (not necessarily the right option for every author or project) that will present your work to bookstores and other retailers. (I have a friend who has sold more than 1 million copies of his self-published book. He still feels disatisfaction because the books he did with big time publishers did not do well in the trade.)

5. You have a big idea and a big audience that loves you, but don't know the first thing about book publishing and aren't really fond of writing.

That list isn't close to being exhaustive and even if you can turn each point around and answer it conversely, you still may not need or want an agent. And acquiring the services of a well connected agent who really believes in your work is no guarantee that your work will be purchased by a publisher at all, much less at terms that feel reasonable to you. Plus, today there are many more professional quality self-publishing options available to the aspiring author. You can even go on the internet and typset and design a cover for your own book with a service like lulu.com.

So do you need an agent? Unless you have the ways and means to sell a self-published work or have incredible connections within the publishing community, the answer is probably yes. I'd wish you well in finding the right agent for you - but I'll save that for another post!

Q: Why won't a publisher read my manuscript in a timely fashion?!

A: A better question might be this: Why should he or she give two or three hours in his or busy schedule to pore over what you've written?

Let's start with the simple reality that most of the publishing world is situated in a low demand, high supply section of the supply-demand curve. That means publishers must deal with the fact that we publish more books than there are interested readers. You, the writer, are likewise part of a supply group that is sending more manuscripts than a publisher has demand for in his or her world of limited open slots.


Note that the third variable in the SD Curve is Price. High supply + low demand = low price. Price, for you the aspiring author, is the publisher's motivation to read your manuscript. Don't get mad that the price you can charge is low, just understand it and do what you can to change something on the graph. Incidentally, I know a lot of publishers and acquisitions editors who are very nice people and would love nothing more than to encourage and help you. Those who spend a lot of time doing this, however, tend to be ex-publishers and ex-acquisitions editors. It doesn't pay the bills nor justify the salary.

Publishers aren't looking for more manuscripts to review but we've got to publish something, so unless we have a strong cadre of proven authors signed to long term deals we do want to read the right ones. (See my blog on whether you need an agent to round this discussion out.) What makes a manuscript the right manuscript? Bottom line: It offers something unique and compelling to a well defined audience. If you can't articulate in a sentence or two what makes your book special for a group of readers that the publisher has some history or means of reaching, then an acquisition specialist probably won't sort through your material to develop your "elevator speech" for you. Let's break down the components of the sentence that is set in bold face.

1. Articulate: Is your sales pitch as well articulated as your manuscript? (Both are well written, right?)

2. In a sentence or two: When you skim book shelves or magazine contents or advertisements or any other message, how long do you give it to catch your attention? Five seconds? I doubt it. Why would you expect a publisher to be any different than you, particularly since he or she knows that the finished book will have the same requirement to nab attention in a second or two put on it by consumers. Hint: There's something that goes on the cover of a book that serves as the best sales pitch available. (I'll address titling and subtitling in a future blog.)

3. What makes your book special: If you have quoted someone elses work in every chapter, there's a good chance your book is not needed. If you haven't created something with a new angle, a new discovery, a new application, a new character, a new anything that is important and compelling - why bother?

4. For a group of readers: Chances are your book idea will not appeal to everybody. So bold assertions that millions will want to pick up this book is a real turn off and indication you haven't thought through who will actually take the time to look your book over and purchase it. Better to be honest about the size of the group that your book appeals to.

5. That the publisher has some history or means of reaching: Textbook publishers don't effectively market to fiction readers and fiction publishers don't do a good job of marketing to preachers and ministry publishers don't tend to reach romance enthusiasts and so on! When you determine who to send your manuscript to, make sure that the publisher has published comparable titles.

This Q/A is as philosophical as it is practical. It's about helping you measure your expectations and understand why the process is frustrating without getting to frustrated. I'll come back to the major points of a good book publishing proposal (because whether or not you hire an agent, you're going to be the one who has to write it!), which will have significant overlap.

Okay, back on topic. Why won't a publisher just read your manuscript and proposal? Don't blame him or her. You haven't yet articulated a concise and compelling reason to do so.