SOURCEBOOKS PICKS UP SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS

When Susan Higginbotham completed her first novel in 2005, she knew it was good, but she was too impatient to go through the traditional publishing channels. At the time, print on demand publishing companies like Lulu and iUniverse were becoming popular, offering writers an easy way to publish their works.

"I thought The Traitor's Wife was publishable," Higginbotham told FTW, "but I knew it might be a long process, and being in my forties, I just didn't have the patience to go through the process of finding an agent, then having my manuscript sit on a publisher's desk, and then another publisher's desk, and so on. So I decided to self-publish and see what happened..I figured it was worth the gamble."

She published through iUniverse, and the gamble paid off last year when an editor from Sourcebooks contacted Higginbotham, expressing interest in her historical novel.

"Sourcebooks has been having tremendous success with historical fiction," Sourcebooks editor Sara Kase told FTW. "So we've been reading a lot of historical fiction and visiting Web sites. And Susan is everywhere, so I realized this is somebody I should be familiar with.

The Traitor's Wife (978-1-4022-1787-6), which will be published by Sourcebooks' Landmark imprint in April, tells the story of life in Edward II's court. Protagonist Eleanor le Despenser is the king's niece and a lady in waiting to the queen. Her husband is suspected of piracy, and the two of them share the secret that the king's heart belongs to Piers Gaveston, the Earl of Cornwall.

The book had already found success in its self-published incarnation. It took silver in the historical fiction category of ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards and received positive reviews at blog sites including BookPleasures.com and Reviewer's Choice.

"I just approached as many Web sites and bloggers as I could and offered to send them a review copy," Higginbotham explained. "It helped too that my novel was historical fiction, because the Historical Novel Society, a respected source of reviews for this genre, has an online site where self-published books are reviewed. Once I got a favorable review from them, I was able to quote from the review on my Web site and on my Amazon page, which I think helped sway other reviewers who otherwise might not have given a self-published novel a chance."

Successfully publishing a book through a self-publishing service is not easy. Higginbotham advises potential self-publishers to devote time, energy, and money to marketing. Sara Kase agreed.

"It helped that she has fantastic reader reviews at Amazon, because it showed that she connects with readers," Kase said. "We were also impressed that she had won the silver award from ForeWord. It can be hard to get any recognition as a self-published author, so those things said a lot."

Inexpensive ways to spread the word about a book include creating a Web site with interesting content, using Google ads, and writing a blog. Higginbotham also says it is important to produce a quality and professional product.

"Nothing puts off a reviewer or a reader more than a self-published book that's full of typographical and grammatical errors," she said. "In fact, some readers who encounter such a self-published book may never give another self-published book a chance! I used to work as a freelance copy editor and proofreader, so I was confident that my books were in good shape in that respect, but if an author doesn't have that type of experience, he should pay the money to have it proofread."

Despite the success she found on her own, Higginbotham is grateful for the resources that an established publisher can provide.

"It's great to have an editor giving me feedback, and it's been nice having someone else doing the legwork as far as contacting people to review my book! But the mainstay of my marketing efforts has always been to maintain a strong online presence, and working with a traditional publisher hasn't so much changed that as enlarged my opportunities," she said. "One thing that I never did have much luck at was getting my book into brick-and-mortar bookstores, so I'm really looking forward to seeing it on a shelf."

The author's second book, Hugh and Bess, tells the story of Eleanor's son and his new bride. Originally published through Lulu, Hugh and Bess (978-1-4022-1527-8) will be released by Sourcebooks later in 2009.

"We think Susan has a tremendous voice that deserves to be heard," Kase said.

by Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor

March is Women's History Month Celebrate with the inspiring story of the childhood of Mahalia Jackson, the "Queen of Gospel." Don't miss the other heroines and heroes in the Young Patriots Series of historical fiction for children ages 8-12. fkichler@patriapress.com www.patriapress.com

FOREWORD BOOK CLUB

Danny Romero's short story "Mice," our Book Club selection this week, examines the life of "mister longhair," a middle-aged, part-time library page, full-time wino, and eavesdropper. By "examines" I mean that Romero puts our eyes on him, doesn't let him out of our sight---but in no way does he pass judgment. "Mister longhair's" life, well, it is what it is.

His life is slightly more interesting now that the old lady who owned the building died and her relatives started moving in, the latest being a woman "with a hole in her face where her missing teeth should have been" and her three kids. Kids are kids: they start fires, swing cats, and break bottles on the driveway. "Mister longhair" watches them, yells at them, listens to them when they plot his demise in the garage. To tell the truth, "mister longhair" gets a charge out of it.

Danny Romero was born and raised in Los Angeles and teaches at Sacramento City College. "Mice" is published in the anthology Pow Wow: Charting the Fault Lines in the American Experience--Short Fiction from Then to Now edited by Ishmael Reed, with Carla Bank, and available this month from Da Capo Press (978-1-56858-342-6).

by Heather Shaw, Editor-in Chief

The short story "Mice" is available for the whole week at the ForeWord Book Club.

This week at Shelf Space, Elizabeth Burns asks how you read.

At Publishing Matters, Eugene Schwartz explores the immediate future of book publishing.

At Editor’s Notes, Editor-in-Chief Heather Shaw suggests more books for Black History Month.

At Publishing Insider, Tom Christensen offers a primer on book design.

Visit www.forewordmagazine.com for publishing news, book reviews, and the ForeWord Book Club.

FAST FOREWORD

Voting Open for Last Year's Oddest Book Title

Voting is open for the annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year contest. The shortlist includes such titles as Baboon Metaphysics, Strip and Knit With Style, and The Large Sieve and its Applications.

The prize was established in 1978, when it was won by Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice. This year's winner will be decided by a public vote at www.thebookseller.com, and will be announced on 27 March.

Michigan Bookseller Explains Financial Crisis

This week, Michigan's Ann Arbor Chronicle published an open letter by Karl Pohrte, the owner of Shaman Drum Bookstore, which informs readers about the difficulties faced by the store and encouraging them to shop locally.

"I audited a University of Michigan course on the History of the Book in which I learned that every 500 years a major technological shift occurs," he writes. "Five centuries ago Gutenberg invented (or perfected) moveable type. Now, with the digitization of print, we find ourselves in the middle of another sea change."

The store is located near the central campus of the University of Michigan, and Pohrte says the store's current problems stem from a drop in textbook sales. He is exploring the possibility of donating the bookstore to the community to form a nonprofit company.

GNYIPL Hosts Small Press Event

On Thursday, March 12, the Greater New York Independent Publishers Association will host New York State of Mind, an evening of sizzling readings and hot tips on independent publishing, at the Cornelia Street Café in New York City.

The performers will include author Perry Brass, poet Kat Georges, editor Heidi Russell, and author Robert W. Cabell. Tickets are $12. To RSVP, email gnyipa@aol.com.

From staff reports. Share your news and information with Whitney Hallberg, Managing Editor.

The Dysfunctional Father's Guide to Pregnancy Birth and Babies The ideal gift book for expectant and/or new dads. A humorous look at becoming a father from birth classes to the first birthday party. And an opportunity for their wives to know what they really think about it all. mross@bridgeross.com http://www.bridgeross.com

FOREWORD FOOTNOTES

Body, Mind & Spirit. LESS: ACCOMPLISHING MORE BY DOING LESS by Marc Lesser (New World Library, 184 pages, softcover, $14.95, 978-157731-617-6): executive coach, Stanford University teacher, and Zen instructor offers a transforming lifestyle from endless to-do lists into a contemplative, self-nurturing approach "that is more productive in every sense"; chapters include "Distractions" and "The Art of Less."

Family & Relationships. THE NO-FAULT DIVORCE TOOLKIT: ALL OF THE TOOLS YOU'LL NEED TO FILE FOR A NO-FAULT DIVORCE IN ANY STATE by Daniel Sitarz (Nova Publishing, 7 x 9, CD, 384 pages, softcover, $39.95, 978-1-892949-35-9): attorney-at-law and author of Divorce and Dissolution Laws of the U.S. presents inexpensive ways to obtain a divorce: included are discussions on property division, custody and visitation, and alimony and maintenance.

Juvenile Fiction. FRANKENSTEIN, OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS by Mary Shelly, retold by Fiona Macdonald, Penko Gelev, illustrator (Barron's Educational Series, abridged, 48 pages, softcover, $8.99, 978-0-7641-3781-5, hardcover, $15.99, 978-0-7641-6057-8): part of the Graphic Classics series about an unhappy and unloved creature who says, "I am malicious because I am miserable"; gray and blue tones create a glacial feel and different picture sizes and shapes add emphasis; includes a Shelly biography.

Juvenile Nonfiction. PROBLEMS OF A NEW NATION: 1800-1830 by Saddleback's Graphic American History series (Saddleback Educational Publishing, 54 pages, softcover, $9.90, 978-1-59905-359-2): begins with Thomas Jefferson leaving his boarding house March 4, 1801, for his inauguration and ending with Martin Van Buren's difficulties with the banking system; sharp browns and greens add to the vividness of forts, fields, and forests.

Political Science. THE CORPORATION: RUSSIA AND THE KGB IN THE AGE OF PRESIDENT PUTIN by Yuri Felshtinsky and Vladimir Pribylovsky (Encounter Books, 537 pages, hardcover, $35.00. 978-1-59403-246-2): author of Blowing Up Russia and Byzantine studies specialist discuss the thirteen opposition figures to Putin who have been slain and the current government's resemblance to Soviet autocracy; topics include the suppression of the media and the "age of assassins."

Psychology. GHOSTS OF FUTURES PAST: SPIRITUALISM AND THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY by Molly McGarry (University of California Press, 282 pages, hardcover, $27.50, 978-0-520-25260-8): assistant professor of history at the University of California and author of Becoming Visible: An Illustrated History of Lesbian and Gay Life in the Twentieth-Century America outlines the mysterious world of Spiritualism; chapters include "Mediomania: The Spirit of Science in a Culture of Belief and Doubt" and "Indian Guides," where the author notes "Indian spirits began to appear as guides to the afterworld."

Religion. CHRISTIANITY BEYOND BELIEF: FOLLOWING JESUS FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS by Todd D. Hunter (IVP Books, 250 pages, hardcover, $22.00, 978-0-8308-3315-3): adjunct professor of evangelism and postmodern ministry at George Fox University, Fuller Seminary, and Wheaton College argues that the goal of the Christian life is "spiritual transformation into Christlikeness": discussions include the "problem with getting saved" and "it's the kingdom now, not just heaven later."

Religion. LESSONS FROM SAN QUENTIN: EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED IN PRISON by Bill Dallas (Tyndale House Publishers, 256 pages, hardcover, $22.99, 978-1-4143-2656-6): former real estate embezzler who served a five-year sentence and is currently CEO of the Church Communications Network (a satellite-based training system for churches) reveals his life from "narcissistic playboy to suicidal inmate to spiritual apprentice"; includes twelve core principles that inspire such as "shape your attitude" and "cling to hope."

Sports. HYDROPLANE RACING: IN THE TRI-CITIES by David D. Williams (Arcadia Publishing, 200+ b/w photographs, 128 pages, softcover, $19.99, 978-0-7385-5827-3): hydroplane driver and Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum director presents a history of unlimited power boats fitted with aircraft and turbo engines that raced along the Columbia river near Kent, Washington; references include Sharon Haln's "Atomic Roostertail" hairdo, Bill Muncey's 1980 Gold Cup win in his "Blue Blaster" Atlas Van Lines, and the deafening roar of Miss Budweiser's twin Rolls Royce Griffon-powered engines.

Travel. SMART SAVVY HIKING: WHAT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS TO KNOW ON THE TRAIL by Kim Lipker (Menasha Ridge Press, b/w illustrations, 240 pages, softcover, $15.95, 978-0-89732-67-1): columnist for Rocky Mountain Parent Magazine and author of The Best in Tent Camping: Colorado extols the virtues and benefits of walking through the countryside; notes include checking hunting seasons, hiking while pregnant, and how to avoid being attacked by man or beast.

by Alex Moore, Book Review Editor

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