what is the biggest media format globally?

A lot of people will be surprised to discover that good old book publishing is larger than movies, magazines, video games, and music in the global media and entertainment industry.

The global estimates for book publishing include trade, educational, and science-technology-medical publishing.

With the explosion of digital publishing, there are those that have declared the "book is dead." But the oldest communication technology is still alive and kicking!

The data was gathered by Rudiger Wischenbart Content Consulting for the International Publishers Association 2013 report.

what are the biggest book markets in the world

The United States is the largest book market with a 26% share, followed by China at 12%, Germany at 8%, and Japan at 7%. The top 10 markets make up approximately two-thirds of the global book industry.

The data was gathered by Rudiger Wischenbart Content Consulting for the International Publishers Association 2013 report. The chart reflects the value of each market as determined by book publishing per data along with number of new titles per 1 million inhabitant.

a time to fast

One of the hot new trends in the diet and exercise world is known as IF - intermittent fasting.

Tyler Graham explains in Men's Journal, The Magazine:

IF is not what most people typically think of as fasting – going without food or sustenance for days. Instead, IFers believe you can reap all the benefits (and more) of chronic calorie restriction after as few as 12 hours without food. Which means that simply skipping breakfast and waiting until lunch to eat any food (most say it's OK to put a splash of cream in your coffee) counts as IF.  It seems counterintuitive, but skipping meals helps you feel more energized, recover better from exercise, blast fat, and retain lean muscle mass, and even protects your body from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline – which is why NASA is interested in looking at fasting to improve the cognitive functioning of pilots and unmanned-aerial-vehicle operators.

But many doctor's warn against using a fast for weight-loss. A WebMD article argues:

"Fasting is not a weight loss tool. Fasting slows your metabolic rate down so your diet from before the fast is even more fattening after you fast,' says Joel Fuhrman MD, author of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Plan for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss and Fasting and Eating for Health. Fasting for weight loss carries other health risks as well.  While fasting for a day or two is rarely a problem if you are healthy, "it can be quite dangerous if you are not already eating a healthy diet, or if you've got liver or kidney problems, any kind of compromised immune system functioning, or are on medication - even Tylenol," says Fuhrman, a family physician in Flemington, N.J.

But the time to fast I'm speaking of isn't about health or weight loss. The spiritual tradition of fasting is that there is a time to abstain from food in order to focus on God in prayer.

what makes a real home?

A home is a house with a heart inside.

Author Unknown

She was a single mother with a five-year-old son and a ton of bills. Just to stay afloat, she rented a musty, cramped camper at a local RV park. She was embarrassed and discouraged by her surroundings. She cringed one day as she overheard someone ask her little boy if he wished they had a real home.

But her grimace was replaced with a tear and a smile when she heard him give this reply: “We do have a real home; we just don’t have a house to put it in.”

Maybe you’re not happy where you are and want more. But no matter how bad things look or how long the journey to get where you want to be, don’t get so focused on the future that you miss the good things you have right now. God has a good plan for your future—but He has also sprinkled gifts and blessings in the life you have now.  Make sure your eyes—and heart—are open to see them.

Even if it was only a trailer, the little boy saw what was real and what mattered. His faith, love, and optimism created something that was real in the here and now.

God sets the lonely in families.

Psalm 68:6

Excerpted from A Daybook of Grace (published by Fall River Press, 2014). Created by Mark Gilroy. Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other fine booksellers.

do e-readers cause more eyestrain than paper and ink? (it depends)

In 2010 I wrote a blog, Why I Bought the Kindle Instead of the iPad, which listed the reasons that I had selected the simple black and white Kindle (E-ink technology) over the iPad, Nook, Sony, and other dedicated E-readers (all using LCD backlit technology). At the top of the list was the prevailing wisdom that E-ink and paper-and-ink cause less eyestrain than LCD during longer reading periods.

(Incidentally, it is hard to believe that the tablet format was new at the time! The first iPad was introduced April 3, 2010.)

I've continued to advise people to purchase a separate, inexpensive, dedicated E-ink device for long form reading. But when someone recently challenged me on this issue and asked where I got my data that LCD backlit screens increase eyestrain, I had to admit I couldn't remember where I got the information and that I had never personally read a primary research piece.

 I was delighted to find a fairly recent (December 13, 2013) peer-reviewed journal article, E-Readers and Visual Fatigue (Kevin Paterson), which is available to you in its entirety with compliments from the National Library of Science if you want to go through the design, methodology, and data of the study to draw your own conclusions.

And just in case you were wondering, with the explosion of digital reading, whether it be on E-reader devices,  smartphones or computer screens, there is a scientific name for eyestrain caused by digital reading: Visual Fatigue Syndrome (VFS).

So do e-readers cause more eye strain than E-ink or paper-and-ink reading?

The results were based on two objective measures - BPS, blinks per second and CFF, critical flicker
frequency (those moments when separate visual stimuli fuse together and appear as a single stimulus), and a single subjective measure of VFS, the subjects' own perception of six post-reading feelings: dizziness, headache, eyes feel funny, can't see as well, eyes feel tired, and numbness.

The results were conclusive. (And click on the link above if you want more details.)

the secret to writing so others will like it

Write something to suit yourself and many people will like it; write something to suit everybody and scarcely anyone will care for it. 

Jesse Stuart

The fact that I have made a living in the world of publishing for some thirty odd years is proof that I have acquired, written, edited, published, and sold what others wanted and asked for many times. I have helped publish a number of very successful books and series that were not necessarily what I might be looking for as a consumer and reader myself—a new devotional for mothers is a good example—but I knew that the material would meet a real need for many others.

can you transform your life from the outside in?

Some would argue that true transformation only happens inside of us - it's a matter of the heart. Others point to the outside and argue that if you change a person's external circumstances that person has a much better opportunity to become a new person from the inside out.

get rich fast - guaranteed!

If you want to get rich fast ...

• rework your budget and cut out some extras and immediately grow richer in your ability to save and invest.
• invite new neighbors to your house for dinner and immediately grow richer in hospitality.
• read a great book and immediately grow richer in knowledge.
• introduce your child to a new hobby you can work on together and grow richer as a parent.
• find a way each day this next week to practice a random act of kindness and grow richer in kindness.
• write a check to a ministry or charity you believe in and grow richer in generosity.
• think of a friend who is going through a tough time, write him or her a heartfelt note to say how much you believe in them, and grow richer in encouragement.
• forgive someone that wronged you and immediately grow richer in grace.
• volunteer to help at a homeless shelter and immediately grow richer in compassion.
• make a list of as many of your blessings as you can think of and grow richer in gratitude.
• spend time in prayer and immediately grow richer in your relationship with God.

We usually think of growing rich as getting more money. Cultivate the right habits and that just might happen. But the first step in growing rich is knowing what matters most to you. Then you can pursue dreams and riches that reflect your values.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

- Jesus (Matthew 6:21, NIV)

What do you value most? How can you get started getting rich fast?

richard jury returns - one of my favorite literary detectives is still solving crimes

Chief Inspector Richard Jury is surrounded by colorful characters - from the idle rich Melrose Plant (who gave up his hereditary title of Lord) who assists him on cases, to his assistant Sergeant Alfred Wiggins (a hypochondriac of the highest order), to the copper-haired fortune teller Carole Anne (is Jury her father figure or a "person of interest") who lives two floors above him, and the residents of Long Piddington, his frequent stop from London to the scene of the crime.

the 4 queens of crime - when women ruled murder mysteries

Growing up I consumed a lot of Agatha Christie novels - but I met my favorite author from the "locked room mystery" genre when I was a junior or senior in high school - Ngaio Marsh.

She was born in New Zealand and split time between there and London. She wrote 32 crime novels and was considered along with Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and Margery Allingham one of the "Queens of Crime." Women novelists dominated the genre in the 20s and 30s. (They don't do too bad today either.)

the most important step is the first step (and the hardest step)

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The first step is often the hardest.

I am a very productive person and can work for hours without interruption. But only when I get started. Some days I start earlier than other days.
Often for me - and perhaps you - the first step is the hardest.
You have things you should do. Things you can do. Things you want to do. Things that will make your life better and improve the life of those around you. Things that will improve your self esteem. Things that will make you healthier. Things that will improve your relationships. Things that will deepen your spiritual life. Things that will make you smarter and more interesting. Things that will help you fulfill a dream in your heart.
Things that maybe you've given up on because ... well, because you never got started. You simply haven't taken the first step.
One of my annual rituals is that the first time I go to a pool that has a high dive, I head straight there first. Why? I know it is harder to go head first off a ten or twelve-foot spring board every year and I want to serve notice up front - to no one else but me - that I can still do this.
What do you want to do today? This summer? Before the year is over? In the next decade? Before your life is over?
The most important step to get there, to do it, is the first step. Begin it. Be bold.
What one step can you take even today?

Jerusalem: A Biography - reviewing Montefiore's history of the holy city

Most of us know that in 1493 Christopher Columbus sailed the "deep blue sea." But one of his key motivations for sailing west to secure the riches of India never made it to our childhood textbooks. It can be found in a section of his letter to Ferdinand and Isabella that is often redacted: "before the end of the world all prophecies have to be fulfilled - and the Holy City has to be given back to the Christian Church." It is usually taught that the Spanish monarchs commissioned Columbus to beat the Portuguese in the search for the west route to India. But what is left out is that the drive behind the commissioning was they felt exactly the same way as Columbus - they needed more gold to fund a new Crusade to the Holy Land.

Jerusalem: The Biography
by Simon Sebag Montefiore

That is just a tiny sampling of the fascinating history found in Jerusalem - from King David to
the Six Day War; from the birth of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to the concurrent rise of Jewish and Arab nationalism to the Israel-Palestine conflict - woven throughout Montefiore's

why do authors use initials instead of full name?

When Cuts Like a Knife was first introduced, my sister Susan asked me, “What’s with the initials on the cover of the book instead of using your full name?”

My first response was it seemed to have worked out fine for Joanne Rowling—and no, no one has been able to confirm whether her middle name is Kathleen or Katherine. (Do you know why?)

 That raises a bigger question then why I went with M.K. rather than Mark. Why did Joanne become J.K. To my knowledge she’s never answered that question directly.

So I’m left to assume that she used initials to make her author name gender neutral, which sort of makes sense for the launch of a series categorized as children’s literature.

john rebus: the literary character I hate to love

The literary character I hate to love is Inspector John Rebus. Rude, arrogant, churlish - his brilliance in solving Edinburgh murder mysteries is matched only by his self destructive love for booze, cigarettes, and conflict with authority.

I'm a bit like those few who are close to him in Rankin's novels - loyal and able to see past his coarse exterior - but always wondering what he will do next to get in trouble with the bosses - and drag me along with him!

In Exit Music, author Ian Rankin finally put Rebus into retirement and introduced a new series character in The Complaints. I can only assume fan reaction won the day as Rebus made his typically messy but triumphant return in Resurrection Men.

3 secrets of working with an editor

SECRETS OF WORKING WITH AN EDITOR from Mark Gilroy

what are people reading?

2013 Reading by Category

80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year

is jack reacher the most unique character in commercial fiction?

In Jack Reacher, Lee Child created one of the most unique and interesting male characters in commercial fiction today. Army brat, West Point grad, and decorated military veteran, Reacher never lived in one place more than a year in childhood or work career.

When he leaves the Army - as a matter of honor, of course - he begins a new life as a drifter - traveling by bus or as a hitchhiker with the clothes on his back, a toothbrush, and an ATM card. He always finds trouble - and he is always ready to fight for the underdog.

Reacher hit the big screen in 2013 with Tom Cruise in lead role, which created a storm of controversy with fans of the 6' 5" literary character.

As of this writing Child has created 18 full novels ... the series might finally be losing steam (at least for me), but Child has pulled off no small feat.

Reprinted from my Pinterest board, Spies, Detectives, Hit Men, and Vigilantes.

daily grace

I wrote and compiled most of A Daybook of Grace a couple years ago and "packaged" it for Fall River Press (an imprint of Sterling Publishing, owned by Barnes & Noble). After three years in the market, the publishing team at Falls River recently updated and upgraded it with an exquisite new cover. (Thanks Stefan and Betsy.)

This project will always be near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. Of course I like (and really need) a daily devotional book to help me focus spiritually and emotionally each morning. I also like the title and the theme of daily grace. There are certainly some mad-dash sprints in life, but overall it is a marathon that takes daily endurance.

how to make march madness even madder

On "Selection Sunday" each year, a committee appointed by the NCAA selects and seeds the top 64 Division I men's basketball programs to play in their championship tournament. Oh, in case you missed it, there is an Opening Round that started in 2001 where two teams played for the final spot in the tournament. Starting in 2010 there were four play-in games, so 68 teams get selected for the tournament. The winner of each play-in game would go to one of the four regions, except this year, when two went to one region. Go figure.

What most of us think of as the first round is actually the second round. But on to my point of how to make March Madness even madder.

Even with 68 teams making the tournament, there is angst and gnashing of teeth and cries of "no fair" for those "bubble teams" that don't make the tournament. No matter where you draw the line this would be the case, of course. (Note: Just because the top four NCAA DI college football teams play a mini tournament starting this year, don't believe for a second that there won't be impassioned cries of "unfair" from the next few teams in the final BCS rankings or whatever rankings they use.)

a look at the Christian fiction category

Publishing professional and friend, Dan Balow, recently took a look at the Christian fiction category in his blog for the Steve Laube Agency. His analysis includes some counterintuitive insights for publishers and some very specific advice to retailers that I wanted to share here. (Since my novels are considered "tweeners" - somewhere between the Christian and general markets, I especially appreciated what he had to say.) Dan - thanks for permission to use the following!

Just how well is Christian fiction doing?

Last year, two Christian publishers downsized or suspended their fiction programs. Currently, some Christian publishers are nervous about fiction and in a wait-and-see mode before they attempt to expand it or try new things. Others are excited about growth potential in the category and are taking an aggressive stance toward it.

the first super bowl: 6 fun trivia facts

The Chief's' Willie Mitchell tackles the Packers' Carroll Dale.

The first Super Bowls was held January 15, 1967, pitting the Green Bay Packers of the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. The two competing leagues had just merged, so there was even more animosity tied to the game than usual. The Green Bay Packers from the more established NFL won, as expected, 35-10.

To football fanatics the basic facts stated above are common knowledge. But here are six fun trivia facts you might not know.

1. The first Super Bowl actually wasn't called the Super Bowl. It was first touted as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.  The game was such a big hit by the second year that it was felt the

5 Stars for Sherlock

CBS has brought a contemporary Sherlock Holmes to America and added a whole new look (and gender) to Dr. Watson (played by Lucy Liu) in their hit show Elementary. I hear it is very good. I'm sure it is. But I have a problem with it even though I've never seen it.

It's not the BBC's rendition of Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the world's greatest detective, and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. (Freeman starred as Bilbo Baggins in the second installment of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug, and I kept waiting for him to help someone solve a crime.)

Having read all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and novels as a kid, I love that the producers are steeped in the history and nuances of the Victorian Holmes. They have done a masterful job in bringing him to life in modern London while honoring Doyle's original stories. It is obvious they are raving fans. And thank you to another fan, my daughter Lindsey, who introduced me to the BBC iteration.

improve your life by improving your choices!

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.

William James

Happy New Year!

It's time to put up a new wall calendar and it's the season when our thoughts turn to goals and resolutions that will improve our lives. Advertisers love to remind us: new year, new you.

I don't know if the following choices qualify as goals or resolutions, but as I pondered on what makes life better, here are five choices I want to make this year.

1. let go of a grudge.

Life is too short to live in strife. Even if you have been done wrong and own a legitimate grievance ...