The winner of the $25 Amazon Gift Card is

Cathy J

Congratulations! It will be on its way to you in just a few minutes.

Thanks to everyone who played and who have supported this site over the years. I really appreciate you.

My name is Karlene Browning.

I was the owner, operator and chief bottle washer of Rosehaven Publishing & Distribution, Inc. from 2000 through 2006.

I am still in the industry, doing freelance editing, typesetting, cover design, web design and e-book creation for self-publishers and small presses. My company is LibrisPro. (Go check out my newly designed website.)

And yes, I am the LDS Book Geek over at NewLDSFiction.com.

I also am Miles Ahead Learning Resources, which sells educational curriculum products and games. And I’m LDSeBookstore.com where I sell some of the e-books I’ve coded.

So I’m curious. Were you right?

Or did you really think I was Angela Eschler? Or maybe you thought I was Stacy Whitman? Or Lisa Mangum? (Those were the three women I was most often mis-guessed as over the years.)

No matter who you thought I was, I hope you’ll still be my friend over on NewLDSFiction.com.

And for those of you who don’t really care who I am but wanted to win the $25 Amazon Gift Card, I’ll be announcing that first thing in the morning. Today is the last day to enter to win!

Also, remember that all the New Release posts, monthly prizes, and reading challenges will now be at www.newldsfiction.com.

Quite possibly.

I’d estimate I know more than half of the regular commenters on this site in real life or via Facebook friendship under my real name.

And sometimes it’s really hard not to slip and mention something you’ve only told LDS Publisher when I’m talking to you in real life.

It’s even harder when some of you frequent commenters only know me as LDS Publisher, and then I see you in person—and I want to come up and give you a big hug like we’re old friends. Which is how I feel about you. But you would have no clue who that strange woman was who was suddenly hugging you. And I really, really don’t want to be arrested for stalking you.

Today’s hint: Go look at your list of Facebook friends. Compare what you know about them with the info on my About Page.

I’ll bet most of you will figure it out from this one clue, but if you do, keep it quiet for just a bit longer.

Now I want to know about you.

If YOU had a secret identity, what would it be?

Remember, you can earn more points for the $25 Amazon Gift Card by spreading the word every day!

Today’s Hint:

If you’ve ever been to a LDStorymakers Conference, you’ve probably passed me in the hall.

Or attended a class I was in.

Or sat next to me for a meal.

The very first time I went to Storymaker’s, I wore my work uniform—the one from my day job, way back when I worked at a publishing company.

I’ve been to every Storymaker’s Conference since then, except for one year when I was indisposed.

And I’ve attended every single Whitney Awards Banquet. Yes, every one. So if you attended any of them, I was there.

Are you suspicious? Do you think you’ve figured it out?

Here are a few more hints:

There are photos of me in the 2012 Conference Album here.

And at the most recent conference, I attended classes taught by John Brown, Sheralynn Pratt, and Jaime Theler (among others).

Now I want to know about you.

Were you at Storymakers this year? What were your favorite classes?

Oh, and before you forget, go enter to win the  $25 Amazon Gift Card!

…that’s me.

As long as the word “Book” goes in front of it, I’m okay with it.

And that is today’s hint.

I read. A lot.

As a child, my goal was to read every book in the library before I graduated from elementary school. I didn’t achieve that goal, but it was sure fun trying.

As a young teen, I’d sometimes read a book a day. No, I did not have much of a social life until high school. Once the teenage hormones struck, I dropped to 3 books a week.

As an adult, it depends on what else is going on in my life. Sometimes I go weeks without cracking a book, and sometimes I read like a crazy lady!

My favorite genres are YA, Speculative and Mystery (not necessarily in that order).

I do not have one favorite book. I have 100. Way to many to list here.

My all-time favorites from childhood are: Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron, and The Silver Crown by Robert C. O’Brien.

I have purposely not listed any of my favorite LDS authors, nor any of the books I’ve loved as an adult. Don’t want to give away everything with this very first hint!

Before you forget, go enter to win the  $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Now I want to know about you.

What were some of your favorite books from childhood?

Earlier in the month I hinted that there were some changes coming and that I’d make a big announcement. Well, here it is.

I’m ending this blog.

Don’t panic! I’m leaving it up as a resource and I’ll be indexing it so that it will be easier to find information. But basically, things have changed and I’ve run out of things to say.

I started the blog in 2006, when I worked at a publishing company. Blogging was an attempt to help new writers who were completely stymied by the publishing process. By providing information and explanations, I hoped to prevent them from shooting themselves in the foot, so to speak.

I also hoped to make my life a little easier by reducing the number of completely inappropriate submissions I received from authors on a daily basis.

And it worked! It worked really well. And I’ve enjoyed watching the newbies who asked questions in the early days become successful published authors.

Over the past 7 years, the blog has changed a lot. It morphed from a free Blogger blog to this self-hosted site. The content changed from a simple question and answer format in the beginning, to include spotlights of new releases by LDS authors, guest posts by authors and other publishers, monthly book giveaways, story contests, and reading challenges.

My life has changed over the years, as well. I’ve left the day-to-day ranks of publishing. While I’m still actively involved in the  industry, I am no longer an acquisitions editor and therefore, no longer receive daily inspiration for blog posts. I’m also really busy in my new job and it’s been harder to find time to make the posts.

So after thinking about this for over a year, I’ve decided it’s time to archive this site and move on to other things—like the New LDS Fiction site.

A part of me is really sad about this. I’ll miss it. And so, to make me feel better about it, I need to celebrate with a party—the culmination of which will be a reveal of my true identity!

[Ha! You clicked the link, didn't you? You thought I was going to tell you today? Nope. Not until Friday.]

Not that my true identity is a huge secret anymore. A lot of you sneaky readers have tricked me into revealing my identity. And I’ve really made no effort to hide my writing voice, so astute “listeners” who also know me in real life may have already made the connection. And then some of  you whom I confided in during the early years have blabbed. (Shame on you!)

But for the handful of readers who still don’t know who I am—or who only suspect my identity—I will reveal myself on Friday.

Starting tomorrow, I’ll reveal a hint every day.

And I’m giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card
to one lucky person who helps me spread the word
about the New LDS Fiction site!

To enter to win the gift card, use the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back when I was first published (yes, check out the picture of me … little baby author Tristi) I had one main goal.

You see, when I got my contract, a friend of my mother’s said to me, “I hope you don’t change now that you’re going to be published. An author lives in our ward, and as soon as she got published, she became totally different. She won’t give us the time of day anymore.”

Other people said pretty much the same thing. “I hope that when you’re rich and famous, you’ll still have time for us.” “Well, it was nice knowing you.” “You’ll be different now, I guess.”

These comments all really bothered me. Why would getting a publishing contract mean that I would change? Why couldn’t I be a published author and still be myself—wasn’t there a way to be both? And so I set a goal, the main goal I mentioned in the first paragraph: I was not going to change. I would always be me.

My plan seemed to work. No matter how many book signings I did or classes I presented or book clubs I did, I was careful that I was always myself. I never put on any airs or acted stuck up or pretended to know stuff I didn’t know. I didn’t name-drop … even though I actually know some really amazing, highly famous people … and I tried to stay pretty low-key about some of the awesome experiences I had. I didn’t want people to look at me and say, “She’s changed. She got published and now she’s a totally different person.” I was going to fight that tooth and nail.

But then I realized something. I had changed.

I was more confident.

I was more educated.

I was more outgoing.

I was finding new talents to share.

I was becoming an expert in my field.

I was funnier.

I was more popular.

I was learning how to respect myself more.

I was making money. (Not a lot, but some. Still working on that.)

I was sought after.

I was viewed as a mentor.

I was stronger mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Oh, no. I broke my promise … I had promised not to change, and then I went and did it.

When I look at who I was back then and who I am today, I can’t say that I regret breaking that promise. The fundamentals of who I am have not changed. I’m still friendly and approachable and helpful and as cute as a button, but I’m also wiser and stronger and more able to hold my own. I have learned so much, and everything I’ve learned has shaped me. I’m a far, far better person than I was ten years ago.

And have I lost friends along the way? I’m sorry to say that I have. Some didn’t realize that I wasn’t going to dump them and they dumped me first, thinking they’d take it upon themselves. And some, even though I rarely even mentioned my writing, felt that I talked about it too much and thought I was bragging. What I’ve come to realize is this—the people who said “Don’t change” were really saying “Don’t leave us behind. Um, no, we aren’t going to pursue our own dreams—that’s too hard—so you stay back here with us so we can be more comfortable.”

I don’t like to think about the relationships that were left behind—it makes me sad. But a real friendship, a real relationship, doesn’t punish you for growing as a person, and I learned that the hard way.

Being an author does change you, whether you want it to or not. Every experience you have in life should change you—that’s what life is for. If your life isn’t changing you, you aren’t living it right. We should not leave this planet the same people we were as when we stepped on it. We should be stronger. We should be smarter. We should be more compassionate, more aware, more giving.

I like who I am now. I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea—a little Tristi goes a long way—but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. I still have a lot to do—weaknesses I want to turn into strengths, character flaws I’m not too crazy about—and, unfortunately, I know that growth will hurt. That’s just part of it. But what it all boils down to is this—I’ve changed. I’ve changed for the better, for the smarter, for the wiser, and no one should ask you to stay the same either.

Experiences that don’t change you aren’t worth having.

Tristi Pinkston is the author of seventeen (and counting!) published books, including the Secret Sisters mystery series. In addition to being a prolific author, Tristi also provides a variety of author services, including editing and online writing instruction. You can visit her at www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com or her website at www.tristipinkston.com.

Dear LDS Publisher,

Did you know that some of your posts are disappearing? Most specifically, the post about MY book? And also other book spotlight posts? What’s up with that?

Why, yes, I did know that. Thank you for noticing.

They’ve all moved over to the New LDS Fiction site at www.newldsfiction.com.

Most of them moved over smoothly, with comments and star ratings intact. I’m in the process of making sure they all made it over and that even the earliest posts have the newer post format with the ability to click a star rating for them. Currently, I’m in 2011 and working backwards in time.

Go check and see if your post is there. If it’s not or if it needs updating, send an email.

One of the hallmarks of the Renaissance of the 15^th century was that new voices were heard in the areas of art, literature, religion and basically all aspects of cultural life, touching and influencing thought from the highest levels of power down to the lowest, allowing the common man to finally realize his potential.  William Tyndale, who translated the Bible to English, was key in this transformation. He captures its essence in these few powerful words to a noted clergyman:  “If God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!”

For the past five decades, the publishing industry, represented by what is commonly known as “the Big Six,” have been the ones controlling what books were available in bookstores and libraries. When the offerings were the best literary voices of our time, nobody complained; but when it veered to commercial garbage that sold in huge numbers (think Harold Robbins, Jacqueline Susann and their copycats), then people wondered where all the good books had gone.

Small niche publishers emerged to offer books not available through the large publishers. The self-publishing movement is often seen as a backlash, not only to the power held for so long by the big publishers, but also to these small independents  with their choosy submission guidelines. By self-publishing, you can write what you want, how you want, publish it immediately, and avoid the gatekeepers altogether. This movement is quite accurately referred to as the “self-publishing revolution” because its proponents are revolting against all the old rules of publishing.

Although William Tyndale revolted against the rules of the Pope in his day, and subsequently gave his life for his principles, I believe his role was more Renaissance than Revolution. The word renaissance means “rebirth,” the word revolution according to Wikipedia is “from the Latin revolutio, a ‘turn around’, a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.” The Renaissance took centuries, a revolution happens quickly.

There’s no doubt that a publishing revolution has occurred, and it has been a very exciting time indeed.  However, I believe it is time for writers and publishers to use these opportunities to create a literary renaissance, not just a publishing revolution. How to do that?

Think of men like Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Were they simply revolting against the status quo, or were they contributing knowledge and truth through the medium of their art? Scientists like Copernicus and Galileo Galilei were first and foremost seekers of truth in scientific knowledge and methods.  Religious leaders such as Tyndale, along with Thomas More, Martin Luther, and John Calvin fit into the same category—not simply part of a revolution but because of their devotion to truth and the good of mankind, were part of something much more than a tirade against the Pope or the Church of England.

Millions of books are now available that could never have made it through the gatekeepers of old. To name just a few types: poorly written, barely edited “novels” written fast and published even faster;  10 or 20 page ebook summaries using widely searched keywords, like how to simplify one’s life or write a Kindle bestseller; erotica, basically pornography masquerading as romance for women.

In other words, if you can write it you can publish it; whether it’s any good or contributes to the literary culture is beside the point. The focus is on the selling rather than on the writing. Really, how is this any different than the era of The Valley of the Dolls? The publishers may have changed names from the Big 6 to one million ebook writers, but if the focus remains on churning out stuff for the mass market, where is the revolution? It’s just a whole lot of people now trying to get in on the action.  What the self-publishing revolution has done for writers is what the state lotteries have done for gambling. Remember when people had to go to Vegas to gamble? Talk about the old days! Now you can go to your corner convenience store, buy a lotto ticket and hope to win big.

As writers, why not turn this revolution into a renaissance? Let’s contribute to the literary culture, not just churn out stuff as quick as we can. Let’s write stories that are true, with characters who are “real,” using language that transcends common everyday speech. Let’s write books that, using the very best of our skills, polished and practiced, will carry our readers to a greater plane of understanding as we enlighten and entertain.

It’s time for writers who care about books to contribute to a re-birth of literary excellence. Opportunities abound. Let us take advantage of the many ways to make our voices heard as we do our best work, write meaningfully and well, and become part of a new renaissance in literature.

About Karen Jones Gowen: Born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a Methodist minister from Indiana and a school teacher from Nebraska, Karen Jones Gowen has down-to-earth Midwestern roots. Karen and her husband Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing near Salt Lake City. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Gowen’s writing. She is the managing editor for WiDo Publishing and the author of four books, all of which fit loosely into the category of LDS Fiction. Karen’s website: karenjonesgowen.com. WiDo Publishing website: widopublishing.com

There are a lot of things about the publishing industry of which most authors are not aware. By learning about what goes on behind the scenes with your publisher, and in the industry as a whole, you will be better equipped to understand the environment in which you are trying to sell your book.

Here are a few facts.

Average book sales are shockingly small, and falling fast

Combine the explosion of books published with the declining total sales and you get shrinking sales of each new title. According to BookScan—which tracks most bookstore, online, and other retail sales of books (including Amazon.com)—only 263 million books were sold in 2011 in the U.S. in all adult nonfiction categories combined (Publishers Weekly, January 2, 2012). The average U.S. nonfiction book is now selling less than 250 copies per year and less than 3,000 copies over its lifetime. And very few titles are big sellers. Only 62 of 1,000 business books released in 2009 sold more than 5,000 copies, according to an analysis by the Codex Group (New York Times, March 31, 2010).

A book has less than a 1% chance of being stocked in an average bookstore

For every available bookstore shelf space, there are 100 to 1,000 or more titles competing for that shelf space. For example, the number of business titles stocked ranges from less than 100 (smaller bookstores) to approximately 1,500 (superstores). Yet there are 250,000-plus business books in print that are fighting for that limited shelf space.

It is getting harder and harder every year to sell books

Many book categories have become entirely saturated, with a surplus of books on every topic. It is increasingly difficult to make any book stand out. Each book is competing with more than ten million other books available for sale, while other media are claiming more and more of people’s time. Result: investing the same amount today to market a book as was invested a few years ago will yield a far smaller sales return today.

There’s little agreement among publishers about what advertising does, other than make the author and the author’s agent feel better, and demonstrate that the house is capable of spending money on ads.

If you’re lucky enough to publish with a house that has a publicity and marketing staff so much the better. You’re one of the lucky ones. Advertising and marketing are some of the gambles that make trade publishing so risky.

Most books today are selling only to the authors’ and publishers’ communities

Everyone in the potential audiences for a book already knows of hundreds of interesting and useful books to read but has little time to read any. Therefore people are reading only books that their communities make important or even mandatory to read. There is no general audience for most nonfiction books, and chasing after such a mirage is usually far less effective than connecting with one’s communities.

Most book marketing today is done by authors, not by publishers

Publishers have managed to stay afloat in this worsening marketplace only by shifting more and more marketing responsibility to authors, to cut costs and prop up sales. In recognition of this reality, most book proposals from experienced authors now have an extensive (usually many pages) section on the authors’ marketing platform and what the authors will do to publicize and market the books. Publishers still fulfill important roles in helping craft books to succeed and making books available in sales channels, but whether the books move in those channels depends primarily on the authors.

No other industry has so many new product introductions

Every new book is a new product, needing to be acquired, developed, reworked, designed, produced, named, manufactured, packaged, priced, introduced, marketed, warehoused, and sold. Yet the average new book generates only $10,000 to $20,000 in sales, which needs to cover all of these expenses, leaving only small amounts available for each area of expense. This more than anything limits how much publishers can invest in any one new book and in its marketing campaign.

You may have noticed that the numbers of bookstores have decreased significantly over the past decade. Most notably was the demise of Borders, which had a large market share. You have probably also seen that the ranks of publishers are thinning.

As you understand the risks and responsibilities of publishers you will be much better able to interface with them, your expectations will be significantly refined, and your project is much more likely to succeed.

Lyle Mortimer and Lee Nelson started Cedar Fort in 1986. Lyle has been an active participant in the company for over 25 years. Cedar Fort’s vision is to publish uplifting and edifying books. You can connect with Cedar Fort at the website, www.cedarfort.com.

I know this has been posted elsewhere today—I’ve seen it all over Facebook. But I wanted to congratulate the winners on a job well done! And also to offer my personal thank you to all those behind-the-scenes people who make the Whitney Awards and Gala possible.

Also, my candy dress was a hit with my table mates! (But it’s a good thing I wore a  jumpsuit under it. They were hungry!)
 
 

EVERNEATH
By Brodi Ashton
Best Young Adult Speculative Novel

AFTER HELLO
By Lisa Mangum
Best Young Adult General Novel

THE FALSE PRINCE
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Best Middle Grade Novel

THE RENT COLLECTOR
By Camron Wright
Best General Novel

MY LOVING VIGIL KEEPING
By Carla Kelly
Best Historical Novel

EDENBROOKE
By Julianne Donaldson
Best Romance Novel

CODE WORD
By Traci Hunter Abramson
Best Mystery/Suspense Novel

THE HOLLOW CITY
By Dan Wells
Best Speculative Novel

THE FALSE PRINCE
By Jennifer A. Nielsen
Best Youth Novel of the Year

EDENBROOKE
By Julianne Donaldson
Best Novel by a New Author

THE RENT COLLECTOR
By Camron Wright
Best Novel of the Year

Lael Littke
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Carol Lynch Williams
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Okay, that was lame. I know. Sorry.

These are the last two Whitney Award finalists categories for this year.

General

Dancing on Broken Glass	Paige	The 13th Day of Christmas	A Night on Moon Hill	The Rent Collector
Ka Hancock*	Annette Lyon	Jason F. Wright	Tanya Parker Mills	Camron Wright

Historical

Espionage	My Loving Vigil Keeping	Spinster’s Folly	The Five Books of Jesus	Within the Dark Hills
A. L. Sowards*	Carla Kelly	Marsha Ward	James Goldberg*	Sian Ann Bessey

In the comments, tell us:

• How many of these 10 finalists have you read?

• Which ones did you really, really love?

• And if you had to pick just one from each category—like, if you were at the bookstore and you only had enough money to buy ONE book—which is your winner and WHY?

Remember, these comments enter you to win one of the books featured in sidebar!

The Whitney Awards Banquet is this weekend! And after working with hundreds of top-notch, internationally renowned, elite fashion designers, I’ve narrowed it down to three.

1. The Blue Fairy

I like this one because blue definitely sets off my hair, which is my best feature. And I already have glasses frames to match. I would wear this outfit exactly as is, but with my hair flowing down below the absolutely striking hat.

2. The Green Dream

I like this one because my eyes are green. And also it has a fashion-forward feel to it. Plus, if anyone annoys me, I can turn my head quickly and smack them with my hat—then pretend it was an accident.

3. The Blood Sugar Booster

This is the one I’m sort of leaning toward because I lurve the colors. Plus I have trouble with my blood sugar so if I get hungry, I can have a snack.

But I’d wear these shoes.

So what do you think??? Please give feedback and tell me which one to pick in the comments below. I NEED your help because the last thing I want is to look like a fashion fool at the banquet!

Romance and Mystery/Suspense make a nice couple, don’t they? I mean, romance has always been a mystery to me. And a good suspense thriller is always better with a smidge of romance thrown in, right?

Okay, two more categories to chat about.

Romance

Lady Outlaw	Of Grace and Chocolate	Smart Move	Twitterpated	Edenbrooke
Stacy Henrie*	Krista Lynne Jensen*	Melanie Jacobson	Melanie Jacobson	Julianne Donaldson*

Mystery/Suspense

Banana Split	Code Word	Deadly Undertakings	Line of Fire	Tres Leches Cupcakes
Josi S. Kilpack	Traci Hunter Abramson	Gregg Luke	Rachel Ann Nunes	Josi S. Kilpack

In the comments, tell us:

• How many of these 10 finalists have you read?

• Which ones did you really, really love?

• And if you had to pick just one from each category—like, if you were at the bookstore and you only had enough money to buy ONE book—which is your winner and WHY?

Remember, these comments enter you to win one of the books featured in sidebar!