Publishing Books Today

Modifying the original paradigm of how publishing takes place

Sep

2015

Fitness Is Fun!

Holistic and Holy

I think physical fitness is a great idea! Being holy and taking a holistic view on life are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Ever since Sue began a keep-fit program several years ago, it has inspired me to do the best I can with my own health. A workplace injury sustained in my former employment prevents me from doing anything too strenuous for the time being, but I do the best I can. Sue does better, exercising usually each week.

A few years ago, I first made the acquaintance of John Lehman. John is family and counseling pastor at a local church, Hampton Park Baptist Church, and he has written three books, two of which I have helped him publish, and the third is on the point of going to press.

The third book, titled Fit for the Master–Glorifying God in a Healthy Body, captured my imagination the moment John first told me about it. “This could be the book that people most pay attention to,” I told him. “I really believe you are on to something with this particular writing project.”

John has defined the purpose of the book in these words: “This book is intended to encourage everyone to be fit for the Master’s use. God created us, and therefore we should be as functional as possible, so bringing Him glory while being able to lead more efficient and effective lives.”

The editing and production process has been both interesting and enjoyable, not to mention stimulating! We’ve worked hard to sharpen it, and it covers a lot of really important points. Consider, for example, the chapter divisions below:

Glorious Creator; Wonderful Creation
(Thinking about your place in God’s universe)

Health, and a Healthy Self-Image
(Enjoying being the “you” that God intends you to be)

You Don’t Have to Over-Strain!
(Understanding the place of exercise)

Exercise Guidelines
(Developing a practical strategy that suits you)

Food for Thought
(Getting your nutrition the way it should be)

Digest This!
(Considering what happens to your food after you have swallowed it)

Rest, Relaxation and Sleep
(Improving your efficiencies through wise sleep strategies)

Blessed Are the Balanced
(Maintaining body-soul equilibrium)

Go On . . . Just Do it!
(Putting the principles into practice)

Extensively illustrated with numerous well-drawn diagrams (see some samples at the head of this page), the book packs a lot of information very concisely into 144 pages, and is being produced as a handy-sized hardback. You can read much more about it by clicking or tapping so get to John’s site HERE, and also view a one-minute video below. And you can also read some typeset pages on this site HERE.

Aug

2015

How to Write Good

I enjoyed reading this lighthearted entry I found on Facebook; it originates from Tutor2u.

1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. They’re old hat.
4. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
5. Be more or less specific.
6. Writers should never generalize.
Seven: Be consistent.
8. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
9. Who needs rhetorical questions?
10. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

Featured image derived from a graphic on http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

Aug

2015

Serving Others Joyfully

For the Joy of Ministry

A friend loves to end his emails with this strap line: “For the joy of ministry.” This resonates well with me. Jesus Himself took on the role of a servant. He came not to be ministered to, but to minister–to serve–and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Reflecting on this, I am drawn to some key thoughts in my editing and book production operation, Great Writing, and how I distilled an operational service ethos. These are the key points I wished to define:

Serving Authors: We Appreciate the Challenges

Being an author today certainly means having to navigate some heavy seas. There may be more ships on the water, but the oceans themselves have violent ebbs and flows. Writers’ block comes even to experienced authors; distractions, fatigue, and staleness are ever-present dangers to be guarded against; and the risk of just being, well, plain boring is there! Sympathy and understanding on the part of an editor can do wonders to help a writer!

Serving Editors: We Support the Process

My wife once put it quite bluntly: “To be an editor,” she said, “you have to be pedantic.” I hadn’t thought of it quite that way, but, yes, she could not have expressed it any more accurately. Is this according to the Chicago standards? Is there an exception to how this inflection should be rendered? Will the splitting of the infinitive actually offend our non-US readers? Should I adopt the purist approach and insist on absolute concord, or will the text read more evenly (and not over colloquially) with the grammatically less preferable rendering? These and a multitude of questions hustle around me anxiously and impertinently as I endeavor to polish paragraphs for other publishers.

Serving You: We Value Your Uniqueness

I deliberately chose a fingerprint motif to express this point. There really is no such thing as “one size fits all” when it comes to bringing the best out of an author. I once met an editor–a true pedant (and that in the worst sense of the word)–whose in-depth knowledge of linguistics equipped her well for the production of textbooks*. However, when it came to feeling the pulse of an author and helping him or her to express even better those things so passionately felt and articulated, this editor might just as well have been using a clothes iron set on “maximum” instead of an editor’s pencil.

Serving Your Audience: We Keep Your Book in Print

What is a book without an audience? It’s probably about as good as being an author without a publisher. That’s why I have come up with a completely new publishing and distribution model. It is totally low-risk, guarantees a professional outcome, offers a secure production and distribution model, and facilitates getting your book to where it needs to be–visible and available for ordering online.

Excellence in the Written Word

Find out more about my services by visiting my work site here. I endeavor to live up to the strap-line I have chosen: “Excellence in the written word.”

* From Hard Times, by Charles Dickens, consider this definition of a horse: "Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs, too. Hoofs hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth."

Aug

2015

Longing for Home

New from Shepherd Press

(This post is extracted directly from Shepherd Press and is the Preface to the newly released book by J. Stephen Yuille.)

Life-long Nostalgia, the Psalms of Ascent, and the Journey Home

Some feelings are difficult to put into words. Occasionally, I experience a sudden sense of familiarity, which creates a deep longing that I can neither express nor fulfill. It happens in front of a roaring fire around Christmas time, or on a cool autumn evening as the sun nears the end of its descent. It occurs when I see gray skies and barren hills, or I hear certain strains of music, or I smell freshly cut grass on a warm summer evening. It begins to stir as I drive past my childhood home or recall childhood friends. In each of these instances, I sense something familiar yet missing.

On a far greater level, all of us experience what C. S. Lewis calls “life-long nostalgia.” It stems from our inexpressible longing to be reunited with something in the universe from which we feel isolated—something familiar yet missing. This something is God, of course. He created us in his image, so that we might find our rest and center in him. But we broke away from him, and we have lived with the isolation ever since.

In 2012, an elderly woman in the city of Borja, Spain, realized that a familiar fresco painted on one of the church walls was looking a little faded. The fresco, Ecce Homo, was a rendition of Christ standing trial before Pontius Pilate. The woman took it upon herself to attempt a restoration of the nearly century-old piece of art. The result was disastrous. According to one report, she turned the painting into something resembling a “bloated hedgehog.” Sadly, that’s us. Sin has marred us beyond recognition. As a result of this defacing, we’ve lost the life of God and the enjoyment of God, and this isolation has led to our “life-long nostalgia.”

But the story doesn’t end here. Mercifully, the Son of God has drawn near to us in the incarnation. He who made all things was carried in the womb of a woman, and he who upholds all things was held in the arms of a woman. He clothed himself with our humanity—body and soul. He came so close as to experience life in a fallen world, bear our sin and shame, and taste death for us. He was bruised, that we might be healed; condemned, that we might be justified. At that moment of utter darkness and forsakenness upon the cross, he purchased the enjoyment of God for us—restoration and reconciliation. His forgiveness now supersedes our sinfulness, his merit eclipses our guilt, and his righteousness hides our vileness. His “abundant mercy” blots out our multitude of “transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).

By virtue of our union with Christ, we draw near to God and find in him all we could ever want: an eternal and spiritual good, suitable to our every need. Our knowledge of this God diffuses into our soul a satisfying peace in this life and a tantalizing taste of what awaits us in glory. Having returned to our center, we live in anticipation of the beatific vision—the day we will see God (Matthew 5:8). In one sense, we see him right now through the eyes of faith, but that’s nothing in comparison to what’s coming. At present, we see God’s perfections in their effects, namely his works of creation, providence, and redemption; but in the future, we will see him perfectly.

We will be like Christ and therefore able to commune with God to the fullest capacities of our souls. There will be nothing to obscure, confound, or hinder our enjoyment of him. Our knowledge of God will be full and perfect, constant and complete, resulting in hitherto unknown delight as we rest fully and finally in him. Until then, we’re on a journey fraught with joys and sorrows, pleasant valleys and perilous mountains, encouraging gains and crippling losses—a journey marked by rejoicing, grieving, searching, wondering, and longing.

And that brings us to this book, Longing for Home: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent. We are not exactly sure why these fifteen psalms—chapters 120-134—are called the Psalms of Ascent. One of the more plausible explanations for the description ascent (or degree) is that the Israelites sang this collection of psalms as they traveled (ascended) to the city of Jerusalem to celebrate one of their annual festivals, which we read about in Deuteronomy 16:16.

A unique feature of the psalms in general is that they express the whole range of human emotions. John Calvin refers to them as “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul, for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror.” What is true of the Book of Psalms in general is true of the Psalms of Ascent in particular. In short, they’re a catalogue of human experience. They take us on a journey through life’s many ups and downs. In so doing, they shape our perspectives, regulate our feelings, and inform our judgments. They guide us into the path of God-glorifying desires, God-magnifying emotions, and God-honoring thoughts. They equip us to pray in faith, as they beckon us to fix our eyes heavenward.

Whenever we feel besieged on our journey, we tend to turn to whatever we think can help us—another program, another seminar, another counselor. Far too often, however, we neglect the help God has given us—the Book of Psalms, and the Psalms of Ascent, in particular. In them, we connect with people who’ve traveled the very road we’re traveling. If we listen carefully, they teach us how to look to God in every circumstance of life, and they demonstrate how this shift in perspective strengthens our faith and enlarges our hope.

I trust this pastoral emphasis will become apparent as you make your way through this book, and I pray God will bless it to your spiritual comfort and his eternal glory.

Deus pro nobis

Longing for Home: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent is currently available from Shepherd Press.

“Stephen Yuille guides us on a journey through this collection of psalms and shows how these ancient texts express the sighs of believers in Christ who are longing for their heavenly home.”
—Donald S. Whitney, SBTS

Longing for Home is a useful expositional study of Psalms 120-134… Useful for sermon preparation, various Bible Study formats or devotionally for the feeding of one’s own soul. I am delighted to give it my enthusiastic commendation.
—Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

A timeless resource for developing deeper spiritual convictions in our relationship to God. Stephen Yuille continues this heritage with a exposition of the eternal truths of the Psalms of Ascent for the twenty-first century.
—Josh Moody, Senior Pastor, College Church in Wheaton

Aug

2015

Shepherd Press Catalog Online

Resources for the Heart

It’s always an exciting matter to take what a publisher has on offer and to present the range in a systematized and visually appealing way.

The challenge any designer faces in a project such as this is to render a large number of items within the constraints of a relatively small space. So, the emphasis has to be on key descriptions, enough of a visual display to give a sense of what the items are like, and the power of written endorsements to encourage the pull of the “Buy Now” trigger. It was well said by Erasmus that he purchased books, and, if he had any spare money, he would buy less important items such as clothes and food!*

Shepherd Press Publications Are Excellent!

Shepherd Press offers a unique range of resources, all carefully designed and well branded. Included in its range of publications are the Lifeline mini-books (more details here). Here is the online version of a mini-catalog my editing and publishing operation, Great Writing, designed for hard-copy printing and circulation. You may view the PDF itself here if you wish.

*Erasmus quote: "When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes."

Jun

2015

Victor Borge on Phonetic Punctuation

Put the Fun back into Phonetics!

I am a former school teacher; I am now an editor and a publishing consultant, as well as functioning in an entrepreneurial role. So, words are important to me. I use them; and I love using them correctly.

Occasionally, something shows up that puts the work of a linguist in a better, more humorous light. We need this kind of light relief! Danish born Victor Borge had just the skill to do this. I’ll share more of his jokes in future posts. (It is recorded, by the way, that even though Borge did not speak a word of English upon his arrival in the USA in World War II, he quickly managed to adapt his jokes to the American audience, learning English by watching movies!)

Enjoy his verbal and visual way of explaining the place of those simple punctuation marks in the two-minute clip below!

Jun

2015

When You Are Called to Walk on Water

A Welcome Email . . .

When my in box notified me there was an email in from my namesake, Jim, (his last name is Albright–very appropriate!), I could not have imagined the delight his project would bring me in the months following. Jim had crafted a book, borne of his experience of God’s grace and calling to be obedient to serve Him in the ministry of the gospel, but felt it would be good to run it through an editorial process just to tidy up some aspects of it, and get it ready for a publisher.

The title? Uncareful Lives–aptly subtitled Walking Where Feet May Fail.

Don Whitney says:
“Warning: Reading this book can be hazardous to your health. And your wealth. And your plans. And more. Read it, and you may find that you begin to live a more ‘uncareful life’ for the glory of God.”

Jim has become a friend, albeit an unmet friend, during the course of our association. I asked to interview him online. Here is the script. The book is available from mid-July 2015.

Interviewing Jim

Jim Holmes: Jim, you first contacted me more than a year ago, and mentioned you had written a book. You had labored long and hard over the project, but you also communicated to me that you wanted to run it through an editing process. This proved to be the intersection of two Jims; my life has certainly been the better for meeting you. I enjoyed reading your sample chapters immediately I saw them, and I sensed how much of a passion you have for the topic—living a life of reckless abandon for the Savior. Tell our readers how it is that you first felt the burden to write this book.

Jim Albright: Quite simply… It’s what I’ve learned about God. He has taught me how utterly faithful He is as I have, with much trembling at times, simply obeyed Him. As I say in the book, “We can do all He says because He will do all He says!” It’s true. He is our license to live our faith as big as we dare! I wanted to say this about Him. I needed to say this about Him. It’s the life God has redeemed every Christian to live–a life of glad reckless joy obedience!

Jim Holmes: The title is an intriguing one—“Uncareful Lives” That seems to be almost a contradiction of everything we are taught in Western culture. The pundits tell us to seek secure jobs, not to risk ourselves, not to do anything that may cause embarrassment, to be sure that we have an emergency fund in our bank, to have life and medical insurance, a well-primed pension, and so many other earthly securities. Would you make a few comments to our readers about (a) why you called the book “uncareful” and (b) whether you really are encouraging your readers to live in ways that some may consider irresponsible?

Jim Albright: The title came from the passage God used to change the trajectory of my life. I had been a businessman for twenty years when God called me to preach. I wanted to preach. It was burning in my bones to preach but I was just afraid to leave the security. It didn’t look like the responsible thing to do. God took me to Hebrews 11 and challenged me on what I professed to believe. And, of course, when you read God’s definition of faith in that great chapter and then look at the lives of the men and women listed there, you immediately recognize that real faith is never principally concerned with being careful but only with being faithful. Real faith will always take us beyond the commonsense life of conformity. Real faith always transcends the current resume. It’s one of God’s better gifts to us–an invitation to walk on the water with Him. Do we believe He’s God or not? Real faith says, yes! And then joyfully steps into the uncareful life of radical obedience!

“Real faith is never principally concerned with being careful but only with being faithful. Real faith will always take us beyond the commonsense life of conformity.”

Obviously, irresponsibility is in the eye of the beholder. There were people in my life who said as much as I left business to go to seminary at forty-two years of age. Was Abraham irresponsible to leave the security of what he knew? Was Moses irresponsible to stand before Pharaoh and challenge him? Was it irresponsible for David to step in front of Goliath? Well, from a strictly human perspective, most would say, yes. But this is what every born-again Christian knows and understands–if the Creator-God has put it in your heart to do it, it would irresponsible not to obey. Of course the true life of faith is never a careless, reckless, thoughtless or rash kind of life, rather, it is a bold, daring, courageous, and abandoned kind of life in obeying Jesus Christ.

Jim Holmes: In a nutshell, what is the message or burden of your book?

Jim Albright: Our God is God! He is breathtakingly awesome! We can live Hebrews 11 because He is who He is! If we really believe this, we must really live this. Life is way too short not to give all of ourselves away to Him! And here’s the deal–every born-again Christian desperately wants to go with Jesus. My book is simply an exhortation to get on with it!

Jim Holmes: Your life seems to have been a series of adventures, especially since you quit your job in corporate business. What is the greatest challenge that you encountered along the way?

Jim Albright: The biggest battle was the first step. It was leaving the commonsense herd-life. It was cutting the cord of career security. It was that first step out onto the water. The first step was the hardest, beyond that it’s been pure joy. As I say in the book, Karen and I love the surfing metaphor. All we have to do is keep our balance and stay on the board. All we have to do is take the ride. All the power, direction, force, speed, and timing are in the wave. God is our wave. We’ve learned that our job is simple: just maintain our equilibrium, and He does everything else.

Jim Holmes: You mention your wife Karen several times in the book; does she share the same passion that you do for living uncarefully? And what did she think of your putting pen to paper to write your story?

Jim Albright: Yeah…She’s hopelessly in love with Jesus Christ. She knows He’s God and she knows He’s good. She would follow Him anywhere. Karen is just a perfect wife in the most important sense; she is always “all in” with God. She has always been my biggest cheerleader. She was jazzed about the book and was indispensable in the editing process.

Jim Holmes: As I was working through the book from an editing point of view, I was struck by the number of OT and NT characters who lived by faith and who were called to do remarkable things for God; should we, as modern-day believers, expect to have to face the same kinds of challenges? Could you let us have some examples of how modern Christians might have to apply some of these principles?

Jim Albright: Yes, of course! If God-believing, Word-doing faith pleases God, which Hebrews 11:6 clearly says is true, certainly we can expect that He will perpetually bring us to crossroads of faith throughout our lives. God loves faith, and what every true Christian discovers as we genuinely begin to walk with Him, is that we love it too. It’s just one God-encounter after another. It’s addicting. Once you’ve tasted that kind of life, you can’t live small anymore.

God means for His people to bring Word-doing faith to bear in every circumstance of life. There is not one area of life exempt from radically believing and obeying Him. Christianity is pretty simple. Jesus says, “Follow Me!” And real believers get up every day and do just that.

Jim Holmes: Tell our readers—what was the trigger that put you into a writing trajectory?

Jim Albright: The Lord gave me the title five years before I ever started writing. I knew I wanted to say these things about Him; in fact, I needed to say these things about Him. It was my great honor and joy to give testimony to His faithfulness in our lives. I could not, not do it. I had to tell everyone what I’ve learned about Him. Radically going with Christ is just the best life available. Life is way too short to settle for anyone or anything else. His words in John 14:21 are true. In obedience He “discloses” Himself! It doesn’t get any better!

Jim Holmes: Now here’s a request that might be a hard one: Could you let us have a favorite paragraph from your book?

Jim Albright: What a terrible question to ask an author! [Laughter] Too many favorites to mention but I will share one of the closing paragraphs of the book as I challenge readers to embrace the uncareful life of walking intimately with Jesus Christ:

I know, some of you are looking at the wind and waves and feel you need to opt out on the water-walking thing for one very good reason or another. What is Satan telling you? Is he telling you it’s impossible? He’s right. Is he telling you it’s risky? He’s right. Is he telling you it will be costly? He’s right. Is he telling you your life will radically change in unpredictable ways? He’s right. Of course he’s right! He’s merely parroting what God has already told you about discipleship. This is not new information! C. S. Lewis insightfully writes, “It is a remarkable fact that on this subject Heaven and Hell speak with one voice . . . What Heaven desires and Hell fears is precisely that further step, out of our depth, out of our own control.” Satan wants you in the boat. You’re no bother to him there. You pose no threat to him there. It’s those pesky water-walkers he hates. He knows they’re the most dangerous people on the planet! They’re the ones God uses to turn the world upside-down!

Jim Holmes: What other books do you have in mind to write?

Jim Albright: I have three more in my head right now. I’m actively working on one of them. I love the breathtaking power, genius and exuberance of God displayed in the created order. It’s in my heart to write about this. The project is intimidating but I feel Him leading me on.

Jim Holmes: How can people get a copy or copies of your book?

Jim Albright: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes. Also, check out the links I’ll let you have at the end of the interview.

Jim Holmes: Are you open to special speaking projects, etc., as you get this book into the public arena?

Jim Albright: Yes of course…It would be a tremendous honor and great joy!

Jim Holmes: Do you have a special website or any way that people could see you and hear you speak?

Jim Albright: Yes, there various places on social media where I can be found. The key ones are these:

A dedicated site for the book itself, uncarefullives.com

The church where I am the pastor, International Church of Milan, icm-milan.com

Jim Albright sermon podcast

Facebook

Jim’s book is published by Ambassador Emerald International. A trade paperback of 160pp, the ISBN is 978-1620205303, and the suggested retail price $12.99. It has good endorsements from Lance Quinn, Don Whitney, Curtis Thomas and Jim Elliff.

The text of this interview is © copyright, blogspot52.com 2015 and may be reproduced in its entirety provided due acknowledgement is made of the copyright holder, with or without graphic or illustrative content.

Jun

2015

A Little Bird Told Me

Some months ago, I completed work on an editorial project involving Dr. Timothy Cross. Timothy, author of over thirty books, resides in Cardiff, Wales. When he first showed me his proposed manuscript, I liked it immediately, and recommended it for publication by the company I was working for at the time. Then, through a series of events, it ended up being brought into print by Christian Focus. The title chosen makes me think of Twitter. And that could be a blog post in and of itself!

I so much like the way that Timothy wrote the book, that I thought I should share some background to the story with you. It comes in the form of an interview. Enjoy!

To purchase a copy of the book, check out this link here or here.

Jim: The English language uses many sayings from the Bible, and people often quote them without even realizing they are quoting from the Word of God. You have been working on this fascinating book, “A Little Bird Told Me–Everyday Expressions from Scripture”, for some months. How did you first come up with the idea?

Timothy: Like an oak tree, the book grew from a small acorn! I kept on hearing politicians, colleagues and even footballers using expressions from the Bible without realizing it, and I thought that pointing out that these were biblical expressions, and explaining their meaning would make for interesting messages for my gospel slot on the monthly South Wales Talking Magazine. The response to the messages was very encouraging, and I typed up some of them and these were published as a mini series in the Evangelical Times. This wider audience response was also very favourable and I thought ‘I’m on to something here’. Surprisingly, the subject does not seem to be very well covered in Christian literature, and this motivated me to get a compilation of everyday expressions from the Bible and their meaning into print. My experience reveals that both Christians and non Christians seem to have a fascination for the origins of and background to expressions from the Bible which are in everyday use.

Jim: Tell us about some of the blessings to you personally in working on this project.

Timothy: If one is convinced that the Bible is no ordinary book but the very Word of God itself, then digging into Scriptures–whether it is preparing a sermon or researching a book or for personal devotions–is one of the greatest privileges and blessings possible this side of eternity. The more I study the Bible (and I have been at it a long time!) the more I am convinced of its divine inspiration. According to 2 Timothy 3:15, the purpose of ‘all Scripture’ is to lead us to Christ. Thus when a believer studies Scripture in the right spirit, the Lord Jesus always draws closer. The inspired Word and the incarnate Word, while distinguishable in principle, in practice are inextricable in our personal experience.

Jim: We’ve heard it said that all writers get “Writer’s Block”. Is this true of you? How do you deal with it?

Timothy: At the risk of being a heretic I have never suffered from ‘writer’s block’ and I have written over thirty books. A godly elder once told me that when it comes to sermon preparation, ‘Let the message make an impression on your soul, then there will be no trouble with expression.’ The same applies, I believe to Christian writing. Christian writing is unlike secular creative writing in that it is not original but rather a matter expounding the Scriptures which have been given. Saying that though all Christian writers and preachers aspire to expounding the Scriptures with both clarity and passion and not put any human barriers between them and the hearers/readers.

Jim: What was the most surprising or inspiring saying that you think you used in this book?

Timothy: When people say ‘I’m almost at my wits’ end’ they never fail to be surprised when you say to them, ‘Did you know that you have just quoted from Psalm 107:27?’ Choosing the most inspiring saying from the fifty-two is difficult. You are asking me to choose a Quality Street chocolate! I personally though find it incredibly heartwarming when Almighty God refers to His redeemed children as ‘The apple of my eye’–see Chapter 1.. This can only be explained by divine grace–God’s love for the undeserving and ill-deserving.

Jim: There are 52 readings in this book. That could seem an unusual number. Tell us about this.

Timothy: There was no predetermined plan to this, but rather just the way the work panned out. It began with six chapters, and I never thought that these would go beyond the South Wales Talking Magazine and Evangelical Times. The Lord’s people kept encouraging me, though, so I continued my research, and the chapters came to 31, which I thought would be suitable for daily devotionals–31 days being in most months. A publisher–you!–then asked me to increase the chapters to 52. I was reticent, as I was by then working on other writing projects. Before I knew it, though, extra ‘Everyday Sayings from the Bible’ came to my mind and attention, and these were written up. In fact I now have several extra chapters which are not included in the work. Books have an ideal length in my opinion. I like them to be neither too long nor too short. Fifty-two–the number of weeks in a year–seemed to be the ideal length. Each chapter is self contained while being in line with the overall theme. It can be read either one chapter at a time or a few chapters at a time in a pick up, put down manner. It might even make a daily travelling companion for someone commuting to work, or a spiritual ‘pick me up’ during the lunch hour.

Jim: You are very good at drawing lines of application from the truth you are writing about to us in our modern world. How would you advise ordinary people to cultivate this practice when dealing with family, friends and neighbours?

Timothy: If this compliment is true, it stems from my years in the pulpit. Pulpit preaching is a matter of the explanation and the application of a biblical text–not so much a matter of making the Bible relevant, but rather bringing people under its eternal relevance. While the Bible was written in a certain context which should always be borne in mind when accurately expounding it, as the Word of God it is also timeless. God is our eternal contemporary and thus His Word is always relevant. Similarly, human nature does not change even if human technology does. Those in Bible times shared the same hopes, fears, aspirations, stresses and perplexities as we do. But their needs–just as our needs–were met by the saving and sustaining grace of God in Christ.

Jim: Are you available to give talks to people at churches, conferences, etc., on the topics in this book? What is the best way for people to contact you if so?

Timothy: Yes!–though I have quite a full diary of preaching engagements, involved as I am in the local church. I am contactable via the contact section of my website.

Jim: Dr. Cross, it has been a pleasure interviewing you on this subject. Thank you for taking the time for this interview!

Timothy: You are more than welcome. If the readers find half the blessing in reading the work as the blessing I had in preparing the work, I will be more than amply repaid.

To purchase a copy of the book, check out this link here or here.

To read a sample excerpt from the book, click or tap here.

This interview is © copyright, blogspot52.com 2015 and may be reproduced in its entirety provided due acknowledgement is made of the copyright holder, with or without graphic or illustrative content.

Jun

2015

Tedd Tripp Talks about the Lifeline Mini-Books

Help!

Each title in the Shepherd Press imprint, Lifeline Mini-Books, begins with the word “Help!” And helpful is exactly what this series is intended to be.

In an earlier post, December 2014, I mentioned the release of some more titles. Subsequent to that, four more new ones have been published. Their details are linked below:

Help! I’m Being Deployed

Help! My Anger Is Out of Control

Help! Someone I Love Has Alzheimer’s

Help! I’m in a Conflict

As I have previously expressed, the Lifeline Mini-Books are packed with biblical content, written with feeling and concern for readers in the issues covered (all the authors are in the trenches of ministry themselves–here is no ivory tower, distant academic theorizing!), written with personal application projects to help readers engage practically with the issues concerned, and, especially important, written with a call to turn from sin and trust the Savior. All this in just 10,000 words (that’s 64 pages of small-format reading) makes for an excellent resource to use and give away.

Consider this series of excellent resources in your ministry, your church, for your friends and family, and for your own use!

Two Minutes with Tedd Tripp

You may view a two-minute promotional of video of Tedd Tripp from the Lifeline Mini-Book website here, or click on the screen image below.

May

2015

Perpetually in Print

Great Opportunities, but Challenges, Too*

“I have prepared a manuscript. I believe it has value, and that it should be in print, but all the publishers I have approached seem to think otherwise. What can be done to get it into print?”

It is not uncommon to hear words such as these. The good news is that it has never been as easy to publish a book as it is today! However, with the opportunity of doing so, there are also challenges that have to be met. It may be relatively easy to rush a book into print, but just as easily, the outcome can be quite unsatisfactory. Often, a well-meaning family member or friend takes care of the editing, and the friend of a friend looks after the cover concept, but the quality standards are just not high enough for professional publication and distribution.

Another scenario involves taking shortcuts with the book’s internal design. Maybe it looks OK on the screen of your computer, but in real life, what you end up with is a disaster in print.

Then there is the matter of the bar-code, Bowker registration, and establishing a realistic retail price. Without these matters being carefully considered and planned, your home-made efforts may just be an accident waiting to happen.

What about warehousing and distribution? Who takes care of that? How does your book get placed on Amazon and into the hands of key vendors such as Ingram? Is there any possibility that your book will make it when it gets out there in the real world?

Are you likely to end up with cartons of unsaleable books in your garage?

Well, here’s a solution you should think about!

Because of considerations such as these, we have developed a model we call “Perpetually in Print” or PiP for short. PiP is a unique way that explores, considers and harnesses efficiencies, minimizing all costs, maximizing quality elements, and ensuring a realistic set of production costs to get your book into print.

The PiP model allows you the best of everything. In short, this is how it works:

You present a manuscript or writing idea to us;

We guide you through the developmental aspects of it, ensuring that the outcome is a publication-worthy piece;

We prepare your piece for publication on a perpetually in print basis.

Typesetting to the highest professional standards

The option of eBooks, too

Cover concept and design from an artist well qualified in the industry

ISBN purchase and registration

Production, including a thorough copyediting and proofreading process of all internal pages and the cover

Placement of your book in a warehouse and distribution supply portal located in Tennessee. At this point, your book is a virtual entity, so the distributor is able to print any number of copies (one is the minimum order; each copy is always at the same cost) and ship them out to the customer in the USA on the same day the order is received. An ONIX feed ensures that your book’s data is always right up to date, and that it reflects as being currently in print

The distributor offers international distribution capability and also takes care of all sales and receipts; warehouse storage charges are minimal owing to the virtual nature of your book until such time as there are specific orders for it

A preferential discount is offered to you as the author; you may order as many or as few books as you wish, whenever you wish. Trade terms are made available to all prospective customers

Support of your own promotional initiatives via a social media and the related construct of strategic activities through other portals associated with Great Writing, including personalized website design and hosting

And here’s the best part of all: You avoid the heavy costs of conventional printing and yet your book never has to go out of print!

Prices are assessed on considerations such as the scale and scope of the project, the need for editorial intervention, and such related considerations. Contact us to discuss your project, and we will come up with the best possible deal!

*This post is extracted from one of my editorial services websites, Great Writing, and introduces a new concept I am working on.

Are you an existing or first-time author? Is this something that might interest you? Then, why not go ahead and contact me, share your idea, and let’s see if this is a model that could work for you.

Publishing Books Today

Fitness Is Fun!

Holistic and Holy

How to Write Good

Serving Others Joyfully

For the Joy of Ministry

Serving Authors: We Appreciate the Challenges

Serving Editors: We Support the Process

Serving You: We Value Your Uniqueness

Serving Your Audience: We Keep Your Book in Print

Excellence in the Written Word

Longing for Home

New from Shepherd Press

Life-long Nostalgia, the Psalms of Ascent, and the Journey Home

Shepherd Press Catalog Online

Resources for the Heart

Shepherd Press Publications Are Excellent!

Victor Borge on Phonetic Punctuation

Put the Fun back into Phonetics!

When You Are Called to Walk on Water

A Welcome Email . . .

Don Whitney says:
“Warning: Reading this book can be hazardous to your health. And your wealth. And your plans. And more. Read it, and you may find that you begin to live a more ‘uncareful life’ for the glory of God.”

Interviewing Jim

“Real faith is never principally concerned with being careful but only with being faithful. Real faith will always take us beyond the commonsense life of conformity.”

A Little Bird Told Me

Tedd Tripp Talks about the Lifeline Mini-Books

Help!

Two Minutes with Tedd Tripp

Perpetually in Print

Great Opportunities, but Challenges, Too*

Introducing Perpetually in Print©

What Do You Get in the PiP© Model?

What Does It Cost to Be a PiP© Author?

Windows on My World

Jim’s Recent Posts

Jim’s Recent Twitter Feed

Receive Jim’s Occasional Updates

Recent Comments

Categories

Holistic and Holy

For the Joy of Ministry

Serving Authors: We Appreciate the Challenges

Serving Editors: We Support the Process

Serving You: We Value Your Uniqueness

Serving Your Audience: We Keep Your Book in Print

Excellence in the Written Word

New from Shepherd Press

Life-long Nostalgia, the Psalms of Ascent, and the Journey Home

Resources for the Heart

Shepherd Press Publications Are Excellent!

Put the Fun back into Phonetics!

A Welcome Email . . .

Don Whitney says: “Warning: Reading this book can be hazardous to your health. And your wealth. And your plans. And more. Read it, and you may find that you begin to live a more ‘uncareful life’ for the glory of God.”

Interviewing Jim

“Real faith is never principally concerned with being careful but only with being faithful. Real faith will always take us beyond the commonsense life of conformity.”

Help!

Two Minutes with Tedd Tripp

Great Opportunities, but Challenges, Too*

Introducing Perpetually in Print©

What Do You Get in the PiP© Model?

What Does It Cost to Be a PiP© Author?

Windows on My World

Jim’s Recent Posts

Jim’s Recent Twitter Feed

Visit Jim’s Social Media Sites.

Receive Jim’s Occasional Updates

Recent Comments

Categories

Don Whitney says:
“Warning: Reading this book can be hazardous to your health. And your wealth. And your plans. And more. Read it, and you may find that you begin to live a more ‘uncareful life’ for the glory of God.”