It looks as though 2013 will be a another volatile year in publishing. No less so for me. Publishing has been in a state of upheaval for some years now, and so I guess it’s true that the more things change the more they stay the same—same as in more upheaval.

Is this the year of the indies? The year that self-publishing authors are finally accepted in the mainstream? (With some of the same benefits that the mainstream has enjoyed, like wide distribution to multiple sales channels?) I don’t know. Truly, the stigma surrounding self-publishing seems to be lifting in most circles. Though with authors by the (hundreds of) thousands flocking to Amazon to get their work out into the world of readers—who they may possibly out number—getting noticed is still a struggle. With the “democratization” of publishing pushing the retail prices of books and e-books lower and lower, the economics of the old model simply aren’t working. Amazon‚ the savior of self-publishing authors rewards low prices with higher royalties, which is good for consumers—but in no small part is responsible for the unsustainability of the old model for publishers big and small. Overhead simply can’t be supported on margins so slim.

So if trends continue this way, and they seem to be, it’s out with the old and in with the new. With every closed door, a new one opens. Adapt or die. All those clichés seem to apply. The question is—what will we do with these opportunities?

For me, I am mourning the loss of the old ways. Now I am standing on the edge of a cliff. Will I fall …? Or, fly?

I’ve been a follower of the Shatzkin files for a while now. Mike Shatzkin is a longtime guru in the “publishing industry,” and he usually has valuable insights for those of us on the outskirts of big publishing. This blog entry is particularly thought provoking.

It begins:

The announcement of what amounts to the first book publishing program spawned by Google demonstrates a paradigm we’re seeing repeatedly. It suggests a sweeping change in publishing from how we’ve known it. The bottom line is that most people employed publishing books perhaps as soon as 10 years from now won’t be working for publishing companies.

The trade publishing business over the past twenty years has been transitioning from what it was for a century. The Internet, which so many of us said two decades ago “changes everything” is ultimately responsible. Amazon.com has been the primary catalyst, with print on demand technology (especially Ingram’s Lightning Source) and ebooks (mostly Amazon, but others too) as supporting players. With so many more books to choose from and really available than there ever were before, the function of gatekeepers, which trade publishers and booksellers clearly and proudly were, becomes an anachronism.

The big question — at least for me — is what is trade publishing transitioning to?

I encourage anyone working in publishing, or writing with an eye toward publishing to read the full post. Only time will tell if he’s right.

In keeping with my audiobooks theme this month, I give you an interview with the narrator of our two newest audiobooks, Douglas Pratt. In January, Pratt voiced Geoff Schumacher’s books Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue about Hughes’s last years in Las Vegas. On the heels of that book he dove into Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas (Revised and Expanded). Both books went live on audible.com, iTunes.com, and Amazon.com in February.

We don’t hear that many non-fiction works in audio, as it seems to me, to be a form that is more suited to narrative fiction. However, Schumacher’s works, while dense in information, are written in a conversational style that lends itself to this format. We (at Stephens Press) knew these books would be near the top of our list to get into audio.
My aims in auditioning talent for these books was to find someone with a pleasant voice, straight-forward style, and an enthusiasm for the material. I think I hit the jackpot with Douglas Pratt.

Sue: Doug, would you share a little bit about yourself?

Doug: Ah, my favorite subject. I’m a sixty year old father of two wonderful kids, and I’ve had more careers than I can remember. I was born in a tiny town near Niagara Falls, in the northwestern area of New York State. My grandfather planted an arboretum with over 400 varieties of trees, a beautiful place that we are now turning into an educational center; you can see pictures at www.robinhillpreserve.com. I have been a printer, a programmer, a computer store owner, a radio announcer, a magazine editor, an author of nine books and countless articles, an NRA Pistol instructor, an association executive, and an IT contractor. I have a passion for the space program and a devotion to the hobby of model rocketry. I currently make rocket and science kits for schools through my company, Pratt Hobbies (www.pratthobbies.com), hoping to inspire another generation with things that go whoosh and zoom.

Douglas Pratt

Sue: Is that what drew you to the Howard Hughes story?

Doug: Howard Hughes was an instant “go!” because of my interest in aerospace history. If there is one thing you can count on aerospace people for, it’s great stories. Get them started, and they’ll go on for hours, waving their arms through their loops and turns. My uncle Stan Smith, who was the lead engineer on the Bell X-1, used to say that the quickest way to kill a pilot was to put him at a bar with other pilots and tie his hands behind his back. I try for that sort of thing when I narrate a book like this. (Sue: Doug’s enthusiasm for Hughes’s story was evident and that’s what won him this gig.)

Sue: With your varied background, what got you into doing narration work?

Doug: People are always asking me to read to them, so I decided to try doing it professionally. I’ve always loved listening to audio books. Audio books, like radio, don’t demand your total attention; I can work in my shop or putter around the house and still get a good book in. So I spent a year getting professional voice coaching and learning the business.

Sue: How long have you been doing narration? How do you like it?

Doug: When Audible unveiled their ACX (Audible Creators Exchange) service that allows voice artists to connect with publishers who are in the market, I jumped right in. It took a while, but I was starting to get some notice when Stephens Press gave me the opportunity to do Geoff Schumacher’s outstanding Howard Hughes biography. I think that is going to be my breakthrough project.

I don’t have a very versatile voice with a lot of characters, since I don’t have a theatre background. I have to look for projects that are right for me, and that means books I can get excited about. I love narrating books. I’ve always loved books, coming from a literary family. I’ve written nine books of my own, it is enormously hard work writing a book. Don’t get me wrong, narration is work, especially if you care about doing justice to a book…and I never narrate a book I don’t care about. It just isn’t the same massive effort it takes to write the darn thing.

Sue: Was there anything in the Hughes book that surprised you or that you never knew about the man?

Doug: I thought I knew Howard Hughes pretty well, having researched him a bit at the time I built and flew a radio controlled model of the H-1 Racer. I knew he was an interesting character. I knew Howard Hughes primarily from the aviation standpoint, so it was very interesting learning about his movie work. But the most striking thing about the story to me was his descent into paranoia, his gradual surrender to his germ phobia and hermit lifestyle. It’s not so much a human tragedy, as Hughes really wasn’t a very sympathetic character … it’s hard to feel sorry for him. It’s primarily a tragedy because of the wasted potential.

Sue: You dove into Sun, Sin, and Suburbia right after finishing Hughes.

Doug: Yes! The two books really complemented each other. At the end of Hughes we learn that after Hughes’ death his cousin Will Lummis assumed control of the estate. Lummis is the real hero of the story. He could have sold off the pieces at a loss and wrapped it all up. Instead he ran it as a business, managed the divisions until they were worth something and then sold them, and developed the Las Vegas land Hughes owned into the planned community of Summerlin. It’s a fascinating end to a long and interesting story.

Sue: As a sometime visitor to Las Vegas can you describe your experience with Sun, Sin & Suburbia? Schumacher really got into the nitty-gritty of the city’s evolution in more recent history. This isn’t a subject area that tourists get to know. Will it change your view next time you visit?

Doug: Absolutely. My family and I spent two weeks in Las Vegas when my daughter Valerie competed in the NFL National Championships … that’s National Forensics League, not football. She was a champion debater in high school, and because I was working in my own business I could travel with her team. I wouldn’t trade those four years; hanging around with high school debaters will restore your faith in the future. So when she got a Nationals qualifier and we heard it was in Las Vegas, we planned a family vacation. Everyone had a blast, but my personal favorite was the Valley of Fire State Park … it felt like we were driving around Mars. I knew it was impossible to take in all Vegas had to offer in two weeks, but now that I’ve read Schumacher’s book I am itching to go back. I understand so much more about the place now, and that deepens the pleasure of visiting. I like to think it makes us more than just average tourists, that we can get more out of it by understanding just why Las Vegas is a unique thing. And there is so much more I want to see … the Symphony, the parks in Summerlin, even the Zappos headquarters in the old City Hall.

Sue: I noticed that your voice really changes when you are reading something that strikes you funny. There were some places in both books where I imagined you turning off the mic and cracking up. True?

Doug: True indeed. As I said, I don’t do character voices, so my enthusiasm for the book is what I can bring to the table. When I was working with voice coaches, we spent a lot of time deciding how much is too much…it can get over the top quickly. But I am genuinely excited by the books I narrate. It’s like being at a party or a dinner, and having a story that you’re just dying to tell … that’s what I try for.

A funny soundbite from Howard Hughes.

Sue: Thanks so much Doug for talking with us! Working with you has been a real pleasure. For those fascinated (as I am) with the technical side of the craft, I am going to run a follow up with Doug on the recording process! Stay tuned.

Check out Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue and Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas. Both are available on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. You don’t have to be a member of Audible to buy books there. (Though I highly recommend becoming a member if you like audiobooks, it is the cheapest and easiest way to get lots of listening pleasure.) The process of getting a book into your: computer, iPod, smartphone (any brand that plays music), Kindle, iPad, or other brand of tablet, or any brand mp3 player, is painless and automatic. If you haven’t tried audiobooks I urge you to sample these two. If you have a smartphone there is an Audible app for managing and playing your audiobooks (I recommend this) or you can play through iTunes or other music program. Incidentally, Amazon also offers syncing the audiobook with the Kindle ebook version, so you can start reading at the same place where you stopped listening!

Stephens Press continues its venture into audiobooks with the publication of their bestseller, My Brother’s Voice by Stephen Nasser. This true story about a young boy surviving the Holocaust has been a perennial favorite since its first printing in 2003. The book debuted in hardcover, followed by trade paperback and there have been numerous reprintings in the intervening 10 years. It came to Kindles and iPads everywhere in 2012. And in all those venues it continues to sell well, and spread its message.

Mr. Nasser is the dynamo behind the lasting impact his story has had on his many audiences of students and adults, alike. He has spoken to groups upwards of 800 times all around the USA, and the world. He continues to do so almost on a weekly basis. Soon, the story will come alive in a stage play.

When Stephens Press first decided to venture into audiobooks, My Brother’s Voice was high on the list of books that publisher, Carolyn Uber, (and myself as the newly dubbed “audiobooks coordinator”) wanted to hear in audio. We knew that this book would need a special voice, to bring the story to life. So I began the audition process on ACX (audiobook creator’s exchange) a division of Audible.com. I knew that I wanted a younger voice and one that could convey the emotion and drama of this story, but without going overboard toward maudlin or melodramatic.

I listened to many sample “reels,” and chose a few narrators and sent requests for a “sample” reading. Most all of them obliged me with a five minute reading from our book. What struck me was how different the interpretations all were. They were all good, in different ways, but the one I knew I wanted stood out for me right from the start. That one was Maxwell Glick.

Max had exactly the right tone, and a balance of drama and matter-of-factness. His clarity and pronunciation, superb. He also portrayed just the right amount of youthful “naiveté” that I felt suited they young “Pista” Nasser of the story. And, Max is an actor—that was also something I felt we needed for this story—because only an actor would “get” how to convey the emotional component. He does and boy did he ever!

I was thrilled when Max agreed to work with us on narrating this book. We’re lucky enough to have an interview with Mr. Glick, and following that an audio sample of his work on My Brother’s Voice.  Please read on for your reward!

Well… and the other novellas in this fine book, by my fellow writers: Devin O’Branagan, Keri Lake, K.L. Schwengle, and Krista Walsh. Oh the places we’ll virtually go!

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood got a nice mention on the blog of Llewellyn Publishing today! Our blog tour officially begins!

You can read an excerpt of my novella Shadows of Dreams right here!

UPDATE: Author, Sean Hayden, reviews WH:OTB here: Sean Hayden’s Blog. (He liked it!)

An author recently asked me for my opinion about a small publisher. I was familiar with the name, but I hadn’t looked at their offerings in a long while. So, I visited their website and looked at their list. I sampled some titles on Amazon. (Same as I would have done in a bookshop). Even bought a couple of books. When I had looked at this publisher a few years back, they looked like they might be a good one, and a good match for the book this author was considering sending to them. The author also queried her agent about the publisher. The agent reported that they had been reputable, and published good books, but in recent times quality had really slipped. Responsiveness was very slow, to nil, and advances very limited.

Judging from what I’ve seen and heard I would have to concur with the agent. I don’t think it’s a lack of caring. It’s that small publishers in particular are really suffering. They’ve had to lay off support staff, including slush readers, and staff editors, or contract ones. They are pushing more work through a smaller pipe trying to get out of the red, or at least to stay alive. It’s all too familiar a litany these days.

That they offer advances at all is a miracle. Unfortunately this story is common with any press that is not supported by a university or other deep pockets. Soon it seems the only ones left standing will be the mega publishers, who are hurting too, but not as much, and self-publishers—who won’t be making much (any?) money. To a large degree, this is the fault of the Internet, Amazon, and the rest of their ilk that have exploited this opportunity—opening of the flood gates of self-publishing. It is a two-edged sword. On the positive side, they’ve made it possible for tens (hundreds?) of thousands of people to publish to the widest possible audience with books that never go out of print. On the negative side—the same. There is such a glut of titles that it isn’t possible for a book to sell as many copies as it might have in earlier times. Supply and demand. (I’ve been barking about this for as long as Kindle Direct Publishing has been in existence.) But I am not saying I don’t like Amazon et. al. Not at all. They’ve been a boon to me, and you.

In the decades of the 50s to the 90s, when there was only a few dozen of well-known writers being mass-marketed by the big publishers per season, they had the widest possible audience. A few books/MANY readers. There weren’t many entertainment options then. Today, it’s the opposite. This isn’t going to change. But, would I want to go back to the old days when people with a bug to write and have their writings read, by someone, anyone(!) simply couldn’t get heard, or published. No I wouldn’t.

Self-publishing is the embodiment of free speech in a new, broader form. I never want to see opportunities for self-expression limited. However, it could be we’ve reached a new tipping point as well—when the numbers of authors are beginning to exceed the numbers of readers, or reader’s appetites for new books. Maybe that’s overstating the problem—maybe not. Certainly, there will never be an end to the need for new information—books that fill a niche for needed expertise in a particular area. Also, there will always be a desire to hear a “new” story for fiction lovers, but supply will exceed demand—it’s already happening in some subject areas.

What self-publishers will have to do, already have to do, is readjust what success as a writer means to them. So many, possibly all, new authors deep in their hearts feel a teeny hope when they push the publish button—that this one may hit big. That they will be discovered, lauded, and the bucks will start flooding in—sales through the roof! It’s not unlike feeding nickels (today, your credit card) into the slot machine and waiting for the bells, lights, and jingle of coins spilling into your lap. The odds are about the same. When it happens I imagine the thrill, the rush, hits the same pleasure centers in your brain.

It can happen of course—we’ve all read the amazing accounts over and over, but like the days of old, it happens to a small number authors—and an infinitesimal number of self-published writers. We all still keep buying Lotto tickets though, don’t we? Of course, because we are optimists! So that definition of success—wealth and fame—is by and large out of reach to all but a lucky few.

Though certainly, the satisfaction of doing the writing—the journey itself—is reason enough for many writers to keep doing it. That they completed the writing of an entire book, polished it, perfected it with the help of some professional help, or even without help, is no small feat. They have every right feel proud of that accomplishment, and share it if they wish. If, with even more work, they can attract a small following of people who read their work and like it—well that’s gravy. Quite likely these authors won’t be profiting much, or even coming close to minimum wage from their writing. Maybe that’s ok. It’s not the dream—but it can still be satisfying to the dreamer.

You might be asking, “Why, oh why would she be feeding us this bitter pill?” When after all, I make my own living creating book designs? Because I still believe the dream CAN happen, but being the pragmatist that I am, I don’t want to see people’s unrealistic hopes dashed and their dreams shattered. By all means write! Publish! Or, seek the validation of a publisher! We do want to see you succeed. Your success is our success.

As my grandma, the chicken rancher, used to say and mean it quite literally, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Have another way to make a living—have other dreams—and make them happen. I write too. I dream too. But, I don’t think I will ever quit my day job.

Am I completely wrong? I am not claiming any kind of authority, or insider knowledge. I am only pontificating my opinion formed by being an interested observer and small time participant in the publishing industry. I welcome your comments.

I don’t know why I have such a mental block about promoting my writing. I certainly am not shy when crowing about other’s books—and especially the ones graced with my covers. I am generally quite proud of my design work, and that it’s done is support of writers is a karmic bonus. So why do I blush and p’shaw about my own written words? Maybe it’s because I get paid (nicely) for my design, that I consider myself a professional—and worthy of praise. I’ve never yet been paid for fiction. So I guess I feel like an amateur. I read great writers everyday—published ones, and those striving to be published. I even do a little editing and critiquing—and some people think I know what I am talking about. I’m not shy in saying that I know how to write marketing copy.

Still … bragging on my little stories seems a conceit. And it shouldn’t. Maybe other writers feel this way too. It holds us back. It’s hard to sell books these days. People who follow our blogs can always skip that post if they’ve heard it before. (Though nothing quite hurts like an “unfollow.”) So, I swallow my distaste for self-promotion and offer here a little commercial for our book, Witch Hunt: Of The Blood. Besides there are five of us writers in this book—and I love promoting them! I gave this story to Devin for her book—and I thought (and still think) it a worthy project. Witch Hunt: Of the Blood follows up on her very successful novel, Witch Hunt. We five writers each took up a character from that book and explored what might have happened outside of their parts in that family saga. The project was challenging—and great fun.

I stretched writing muscles I didn’t think I had. I don’t usually write anything magical, or paranormal. There are aspects of both in each of the stories. And each of the stories is set in a completely different time period. I do write historical fiction though—and read it—and love it. That was something I could sink my teeth into, and even if this isn’t a paid gig, I am actually kinda proud of what I did. But, that’s not the half of it. (It’s about 1/5th of it!) The other stories are really quite good. No matter how you feel about witches, or religion, or history, or war, or … or …. There is something here for nearly every reader.

You don’t have to have read the first book first, there isn’t really anything here that could mar that experience for you. But the original Witch Hunt is a darn good read. And I think that Devin is having a bundled sale on her website for the books together. Or, they are both available as e-books if you prefer that. So if you are looking for a last minute Christmas gift … you can gift these books on Amazon. And buy one for yourself. If you do read it, please consider reviewing or at least rating the books on amazon and/or Goodreads. This helps writers SO MUCH with being discovered. Thanks. Now back to my regularly scheduled pimping of other people’s books!

And of course, the covers are pretty special.

PS: You can read an excerpt of my novella: Shadows of Dreams on my other blog.

What was going to school like for African American children in Las Vegas before forced integration? This book gives candid accounts from the memories of the students and teachers of Westside School from 1923–1967.

The book is full of old photos and memorabilia collected by the Alumni Foundation. It was a given that this photo topped the list for the cover—it’s so telling of the times! I enjoy this type of book so much. And this one presented its own challenges. Every story was written by an alumnus and many were accompanied by images in varying degrees of decrepitude. My challenge, as with many of these type of books, was to make it look good while respecting the age of the images (and in some cases “aging” reproductions appropriately!).

I created the cover and interior for this precollege guidebook, and converted it to epub. High school students study for the SAT test, but when they get to college find that they are floundering. They need a strategic plan to succeed—and this is it.

The cover shows the confusion that students face their first time away from that structured high school environment—I thought the maze was an apt symbol. This is a composite of three images: the student, the maze and the sky, add a title treatment and the cover pops.

Lori DeBoer, founder of the Boulder Writers Workshop and writing coach recently interviewed me for the Colorado Writers News.

You wear a couple of hats when it comes to the book world—as a cover designer and as a writer. Can you tell us about your attraction to books and why you seem drawn to this industry both as a visual artist and a storyteller?

For me, the two disciplines are intertwined. I have always been both an artist and a writer. A book designer in particular must have an appreciation, and deep understanding, of the meaning and significance of words and literature. I began my professional work in advertising and marketing—from that I learned that words and visuals are powerful manipulators of human behavior. A book cover is not so very different—more on that later.

I started drawing very young and made my own illustrated picture books because I wanted to emulate what I saw in the ones I read. Though my parents were not highly educated, our home was always full of books—reading was something important and honored in our family. My sister became a publisher so for me to become a book designer just seemed natural.

What came first, the graphic design involvement or the writing?

Undoubtedly the art came first—and I got great feedback from parents and friends, which encouraged me to keep going. I’ve looked back at my early writing, and I must say I didn’t develop any real skill until after high school. I think working in advertising actually helped me develop as a writer, too.

You are working on a Young Adult novel that is historically based. Can you tell us about that project?

I have an abiding love of historical fiction, and I am fascinated by those difficult, emotionally intense, formative, teen years. The ones we all remember with possibly equal measures of nostalgia and mortification. I was just getting back into writing, trying different things … I decided to challenge myself by attempting to write in the voice of a fifteen-year-old boy. I found I could do it, but that it had to be one who’s life was set in a time I know better than circumstances for today’s youth. So the 1960s was the time and the Cuba Missile Crisis was a dramatic backdrop that I thought I could explore. My story has grown out of how I thought the characters would react to such a paranoid, scary time. I started writing it as much to learn about the time, place, and characters as to create a great story—but luckily the story came together also.

(Author adopts breathy trailer voice) Imagine a world: where 90 miles off Key West nuclear missiles are armed and pointed at the USA, and a crazy dictator has his finger on the button. A thousand miles away a teenager is ripped from his bitchin’ Southern California lifestyle to go live in a bunker in the desert—awaiting the “end of the world.” It might as well be the end as far as he’s concerned, but once there, he finds a hot chick and her sweet little sister, just dying for some excitement. Dad’s becoming a tin-foil hat-wearing nutcase, Mom is very unhappy, and his Down Syndrome little brother follows him everywhere. It’s a strange way to start a love life, but he’s willing to give it try—if he doesn’t get blown up by the Cubans first.