“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” — Ernest Hemingway.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
To end homelessness, we don’t have to choose between faith and facts. For over a century, the primary Christian ministry model for the unhoused in North America has been gospel rescue missions that offer shelter and food but prioritize evangelism over proven solutions. This approach often perpetuates homelessness rather than ending it.
In this inspiring and clarifying book, Kevin Nye highlights faith-based models that align with best practices, showing how churches and ministries can truly help end homelessness. Alongside critical evaluation of what groups have tended to get wrong, Nye shares hopeful stories about what’s going right. These exemplar organizations and churches illustrate how groups of all sizes can embody effective, evidence-based practices.
Hope for the Mission offers values to emulate and methods to embody as we follow Jesus toward solidarity with the unhoused. This book invites us to imagine a world where everyone has a home and equips us for the real mission before us: loving our unhoused neighbors in ways that lead to fullness and flourishing.
You may know it’s coming, or it may be unexpected. It may be a change you anticipate with joy, like a new job, a wedding, or the birth of a baby. Or it may be a shift you fear or even grieve: moving to a new city, changes that come with aging, or a lost or broken relationship. No matter what kind of transition you are facing, change is difficult. How can you find peace and hope even when everything around you is shifting sand? How can your faith help you weather change?
Pastor Courtney Ellis has walked alongside countless people facing changes big and small, welcome and dreaded. She’s found that the same two questions come up again and again: Why is change so hard? And where is God amid these changes?
Weathering Change invites you to discover how God equips us to navigate life’s inevitable changes. Ellis offers rich spiritual reflections from God’s created world and from Scripture that help you prepare for change and show you how to journey through it with curiosity, adaptability, and resilience.
In Weathering Change you’ll
-Discover how you can navigate life’s disruptive changes, big or small, with grace and courage, -Learn deep lessons from God’s creation about preparing for and adapting to change, -Learn how to find hope and peace amid the challenges and hurts of change, and -Use the included discussion questions to explore how these principles can be applied to your life in meaningful ways.
Ellis brings a unique perspective, blending theology, biblical narratives, personal insights, and stories from nature to illuminate how God remains present through times of transition. God’s “Second Book” of nature provides deep and abiding lessons to sustain us during tough transitions―lessons we can learn from nesting bald eagles, metamorphosing monarch caterpillars, migrating Mobula rays, microscopic aeroplankton floating along with the breeze, and more.
Though change is often painful, it is also ripe with possibilities for newness, growth, and transformation. Get your copy of Weathering Change today and begin to face change with grace and courage, finding strength in God’s ever-present guidance.
Can Black women have thriving friendships with white women in a society steeped in the realities of racism? Can such friendships experience the presence of genuine mutuality?
We Deserve to Heal: Black Women on the Perils and Promises of Friendship with White Women features essays from ten intergenerational Black women who consider these questions through themes such as identity, belonging, rupture, and freedom. This powerful and perceptive anthology speaks honestly of the beauty and the struggles, the welcome and the wounds. Each piece pairs with a response from another contributor, fostering an innovative conversation throughout the entirety of the book. While patterns emerge, the stories revealed by each writer are vast and dynamic.
By centering Black women’s voices, We Deserve to Heal actively cultivates authenticity, truth-telling, liberation, and healing. This collection offers validation for Black women and other women of color and also encourages greater compassion within any reader hoping to discover more. Patrice Gopo has edited a book, rooted in relationships, that empowers those who take time with these words to challenge and expand their understanding of friendship.
Contracts
Camden Morgante signed with Brazos Press for the August 2027 release of The Sacred Work of Reparenting.
Parker Settecase signed with Post Hill Press for the August 2027 release of Dune’s Philosopher King.
New Clients
Richard Gould and Jessica Ruttenber recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
The best way to avoid cold weather is to stay in and read a good book.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
Habits, whether good or bad, run our lives. What if there’s a simple, practical way to get rid of the bad ones and replace them with healthy ones?
If you find yourself habitually overeating, overspending, procrastinating, getting distracted, interrupting, people-pleasing, wasting time, automatically saying no, or drinking too much alcohol, neuropsychiatrist and best-selling author Daniel Amen, MD, has encouraging news for you: Your brain does what you train it to do. So even if you’ve trained your brain to normalize unhealthy behavior, you can also train it to turn bad habits into good ones in order to experience more joy and contentment.
In Conquer Your Bad Habits, Dr. Amen combines approachable neuroscience and years of clinical research as he reveals: the six most important brain systems that run your life the five basic steps to conquering your unhealthy habits and setting new goals how to overcome ten common bad habits what to do when bad habits become addictions There’s no better time than now to let Dr. Amen show you how to retrain your brain and eliminate your negative behaviors once and for all—so you can live a happier, healthier life.
Prepare Your Child to Earn, Save, and Spend Wisely · A fun, game-like approach to start children on a path to solid values and healthy habits surrounding money · Proven, research-based practice for establishing a household mini-economy · Makes financial education engaging and effective
Some of the toughest choices we make in adult life are about money, and so often we feel uninformed, unsure, and ill-prepared. We want better for our kids, but how do we teach them the things we never quite learned?
Teach a Kid to Save is your go-to, hands-on, research-based guide to teaching your kids about the wise use of money and the value of work through an innovative, interactive mini-economy. In the mini-economy, kids have jobs, earn a play-money income, make a plan for their money, shop at the household store, and even create their own businesses. The mini-economy gives kids a chance to practice making meaningful choices about money and work, helping them build healthy lifelong habits.
With chapters on work, rest, generosity, saving, spending, and entrepreneurship, as well as a quick-start guide, templates, visual aids, conversation starters, and a special appendix for homeschools, Teach a Kid to Save is the all-in-one resource you’ve been waiting for.
Forty minutes on February 21, 2019, changed Anjanette Young’s life forever. Her story made national news for months after it broke: A forty-eight-year-old social worker was winding down at home after a long day of work when police broke into her apartment with a faulty warrant and incorrect information. With guns drawn and flashlights shining, twelve cops converged in her home, demanding that Anjanette put her hands up, despite the fact that she was in the middle of changing her clothes. Naked and terrified, she watched as men in tactical gear ransacked her home.
The trauma from that night was devastating, but somehow Anjanette emerged a different person with a new purpose—to serve as voice for the voiceless, particularly those facing injustices by the very people meant to protect them.
In Past the Pain, Anjanette tells her story—of what happened that night, what came next, and most important, how others who experience trauma can draw on these lessons to move forward in their own stories. She shares advice from her beloved and respected therapist, Alicia Troff-Meade, designed to bridge the gap between simply reading about healing and actively engaging in it. And Anjanette details how, through the support of her church and her community, and by reconnecting with her legacy as the granddaughter of a civil rights activist who marched with Dr. King, she realized that God was truly with her, and she began to forge a future that is not dictated by trauma but empowered by resilience.
As a social worker and advocate, Anjanette shares practical insights for others to push past their trauma to find purpose and avoid burnout, engage in self-care, and protect their emotional and physical energy when working in social justice and advocacy support.
Congratulations to Kris Tarantino and Waterbrook Children’s Books for the February 3rd release of Bedslime Blues.
Bedtime routines get a jolt of silliness and some sweetness as four monster friends try to resist bedtime in this wonderful bedtime tale.
It’s time for bed… except monsters DON’T DO bedtime!
Iggy doesn’t want to take a bath. Zee-Zee’s jammies are icky. Fleck whines and stomps when it’s story time. The bedslime blues are impossible to escape—even for the usually cheerful and enthusiastic Snoodle!
With all their stomping and clomping, how on earth will these gruffy, grumpy monsters lie down for a peaceful night of ZZZ’s?
Author Kris Tarantino and New York Times bestselling illustrator Cori Doerrfeld partner once again with this fun and funny bedtime read-aloud for any “little monster” that won’t go to sleep!
When words are hard to find, prayer blooms in unexpected ways.
Sparrow wakes each morning, ready to sing a prayer of thanksgiving. But not today. Today his words get tangled and knotted in his beak like old yarn and straw. He feels sad and gray, and he’s not sure why. So Sparrow decides to ask his friends Turtle, Mousie, and Buck for advice on how to pray. Each friend shows Sparrow a different way to pray without words, through generosity, art, and movement. As the day ends, Sparrow meditates on a rose aglow in the evening light and has an epiphany: Every living thing does what God created them to do. Each life is, itself, a prayer of thanksgiving. Often, the most powerful prayers do not include words. Lyrical and unique, Sparrow’s Prayer is a tale about an unexpected and life-changing encounter with the holy.
Backmatter includes an author’s note with a reflection and suggestions for using different senses to pray.
For all those standing at the 80% threshold of their capabilities and who suspect their full potential is within reach, a guide to the oft-hidden paths to reaching one’s utmost capacity and finally breaking through the barriers that hold you back from extraordinary achievement.
In Unlocking the Last 20%, celebrated fighter test pilot and AI innovation leader Tucker “Cinco” Hamilton shares the framework that propelled him from high school dropout to commander of the military’s largest flight test organization. Drawing from his myriad experiences flying aircraft, leading combat missions, and pioneering autonomous aircraft systems, Hamilton unveils the crucial mindsets and actions that separate those who merely achieve from those who truly excel.
This essential resource delivers actionable strategies for professionals at all career stages seeking to transcend their current performance plateau. Whether you’re an established professional looking to break through career stagnation, or a young graduate building the foundation for future success, gain precise, actionable strategies to: Develop visualization techniques that program your mind for breakthrough performance Reflect on and help codify your purpose, laying the foundation of what success looks like Identify and eliminate the hidden distractions preventing your final push to excellence Apply the proven resilience framework that transforms setbacks into catalysts for unprecedented growth Leverage collective wisdom and cutting-edge innovation to amplify your individual capabilities Strike the precise balance between ambition and well-being that sustains long-term exceptional performance
This comprehensive guide doesn’t just inspire—it equips you with the practical tools to push beyond perceived limitations, establish meaningful success metrics aligned with your values, and catalyze breakthroughs in every aspect of your life. Through compelling personal narratives and practical insights, Unlocking the Last 20% is a mentor in book form, illustrating how visualization, purpose, preparation, balance, and resilience work in concert to unlock dormant capabilities.
Contracts
David J Bobb with Tony Williams signed with Diversion Books for the January 2027 release of Divided Over the Declaration: The Enduring Debate Over the Meaning of America.
Ryan Kell signed with Post Hill Press for the March 2027 release ofGulf Warrior: The Purpose and Danger, the Truth and Consequences of Serving My Country In Four Wars.
Carolyn Leiloglou signed with Penguin Random for the January 2028 release of The Restorationists Prequel.
Robert Bruce Jamieson signed with Penguin Random for the January 2027 release of The Death You Need.
New Clients
Simon Leyland recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
The lights are twinkling. The snow is flying. It’s time to say hello to a good book.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
When you think of popular Bible stories, like the Christmas story, you might imagine particular things — that Mary and Joseph were poor, that they traveled through the desert to get to Bethlehem, or even that Jesus was born in a dirty barn. But are those things really true? Sometimes we approach Scripture with Western eyes and English translations that don’t give us a complete picture of the historical and cultural reality of these stories. Wow! I Didn’t Know! dives deeper into the Scripture to shine a light on common misconceptions and reveal the more likely facts that can not only deepen our understanding, but change the way we view the stories that many of us know by heart.
Never sell to a stranger again, and double your income in ninety days… by simply serving people you already know.
Are you tired of cold calls and the constant pressure of chasing new leads? In Sell Less, Earn More discover a revolutionary approach to sales that transforms how you do business. Instead of transactional encounters with strangers, learn how to double your income by deepening relationships with people you already know.
This book is your cure for the common cold call. Imagine never having to pitch to a stranger again. Instead, what if you could naturally attract more business and boost your income by focusing on genuine connections with your existing network?
Key Takeaways:
Intuitive Approach: Replace stressful cold calls with nurturing existing relationships.
Effortless Growth: Learn how serving, not selling, leads to increased income and faster business growth.
Authentic Connections: Stop being transactional and start creating meaningful relationships that benefit both parties.
Time Efficiency: Make more money in less time by focusing on people you already know and trust.
Say goodbye to the exhausting cycle of selling to strangers. Embrace a new way of doing business where serving your current network not only feels better but also pays off significantly. Transform your sales strategy and watch your income soar in just ninety days with Sell Less, Earn More.
This full-color devotional based on the USA Today bestselling book takes us on a journey through the hurt, the hard, the hope, and the holy of following Jesus and loving his people.
Natalie Runion’s first book, Raised to Stay, brought challenging but healing conversations to churches around the world. Now in this inspiring devotional, Natalie draws from forty of the social media messages that have most deeply resonated with her Raised to Stay community of 200,000 followers. Highly relevant for our times, the Raised to Stay Devotional shows us the way back into spiritual and community life, offering:
Biblical hope for anyone who wants to follow God but is weary of his people
Acknowledgment of disappointment and encouragement to forgive
Exquisite photography and a contemplative design
Powerful takeaway statements for moving forward in specific areas of pain
Thoughtful prompts to invite engagement and further healing
A gentle but motivating companion, Natalie guides us toward a Jesus who welcomes our wrestling as we discover that what looks like a crucifixion might just be the start of a resurrection. Because when your soul aches and your faith falters … there is still a way home.
New Clients
Darla Kernell, Meredith Carder. and William Fleeson recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
November is the month to remind us to be thankful for the many positive things that are happening in our lives
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
From a licensed marriage and family therapist, this empathetic book is the key to achieving secure relationships with your loved ones and breaking away from painful patterns.
Our individual attachment style plays a crucial role in the quality of our relationships and is often the strongest predictor of how secure and connected we feel with others. Yet, many people remain unaware of their own attachment style—let alone how to shift from an unhealthy style to one that fosters safer, healthier, and more fulfilling relationships. Fortunately, awareness around attachment theory has grown significantly in the past decade. As this framework becomes increasingly central to modern mental health discussions, Marc Cameron is emerging as a leading voice in bringing this awareness.
Marc and his wife, Amy, have taken up the mantle of leading the How We Love brand, the organization founded by renowned attachment experts Milan and Kay Yerkovich. Building on the foundation of their groundbreaking book How We Love (with over 400,000 copies sold), Marc helps readers uncover and understand the attachment style they developed in childhood.
In this book, Cameron thoroughly explains each attachment style and provides easy methods for readers to self-identify with theirs. He offers clear, practical steps for moving toward a secure attachment style, providing the insight and direction so many are seeking to improve both their inner lives and relationships.
Understanding Your Attachment Style will not only help you understand your attachment style but also guide you in overcoming barriers associated with each style so that you can enjoy the healthy, loving connections you were designed for.
Contracts
Sarah Sanderson signed with MennoMedia for the April 2027 release of On Earth.
Kasey Shuler signed with Whitaker Corp for the December 2027 release of Move for Joy.
Diane Faulkner signed with Bloomsbury Academic for the November 2026 release of Don’t Get Sued, Get Smart: A Small Business Guide to Avoiding Employment Law Landmines.
Roger Hutchison signed with Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing for the January 2027 release of Into the Woulds: A Field Guide to the Inner Life for Tender Souls.
Kris Tarantino signed with Harper Collins for the December 2026 release of Grandma’s Little Sunshine.
Jerry Jamison signed with Bloomsbury Publishing for the December 2026 release of Dusty Springfield: The Unforgettable Story.
Colin Cahoon Signed with Post Hill Press for the February 2027 release of Vietnam 1965: America Goes to War.
New Clients
Parker Settecase, Rich Ingleby, Edward LaRow III, Stephen Adubato and Michael Wilburn recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to Patrice Gopo. 2025 North Carolina Book Award Recipients announced, NC AAUW Young People’s Literature Awards: Carol Baldwin for “Half Truths” in YA literature and Patrice Gopo for “Ripening Time” in Children’s Literature.
Additionally, Patrice Gopo is pleased to share that her book, Ripening Time, is a finalist for the Southern Book Prize in the category of literature for young readers! Finalists are selected by indie booksellers and represent, “the most beloved “handsells” of the year in fiction, nonfiction, and literature for young readers.” Voting is now open to the public to select the winners. Please cast a ballot!
Congratulations to Janie Sumner. The New York Public Library is proud to present our Best Books of 2025. Our annual recommendations of the best books for adults, kids, and teens—curated by our expert staff and librarians—encompass fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, poetry, kids’ books in Spanish, and much more.
The New York Public Library has chosen Please Pay Attention as one of their best kids’ books of the year! Congratulations!
October often highlights the crisp air, changing leaves, and cozy atmosphere, creating a perfect reading environment
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
Christian parents want to raise their kids in a godly way. But what if we’ve been sold a promise that “biblical parenting” can never deliver?
In The Myth of Good Christian Parenting, Marissa Franks Burt and Kelsey Kramer McGinnis explore how the Christian parenting book industry has shaped, and often strained, families over the past five decades, continuing into the present day. Drawing on history, sociology, theology, and survey responses from adult children and parents, they trace the rise of Christian parenting empires that idealize obedient kids and perfect households—but often leave parents and children feeling like they’ll never measure up.
The authors also analyze popular Christian parenting teachings. They argue that these teachings on authority, compliance, corporal punishment, and control have had lasting effects on family dynamics and spiritual identity—including loss of faith, estrangement, religious trauma, and deep regret for many older parents. This book equips Christian parents, adults thinking critically about their upbringing, and church leaders to pursue a new path of freedom and mutual respect within their families.
Christian patriarchy teaches that women are dangerous, manipulative, and untrustworthy. Whether painting women as the archetypal old witch in the woods or the biblical temptress, toxic religion vilifies their wisdom and uses fear to maintain male power. And these harmful stereotypes aren’t just historical; they persist in modern religious, societal, and political rhetoric, where confident women are called “nasty” or “radical.”
But there’s something they don’t want you to know about that old witch in the woods: She deeply trusts her sacred gifts and hard-earned wisdom. Embracing the Old Witch in the Woods is an invitation to reconnect with feminine wisdom that has been dismissed, maligned, and even persecuted over the centuries. When women lean into this wisdom, they learn how to trust their intuition, draw on their creativity, and lead with empathy.
Christian patriarchy separates us from ourselves, each other, and our Creator as well as from the traditions, practices, and stories that should have been passed down through generations. Angela J. Herrington draws on more than a decade of experience as a faith deconstruction coach and seminary-trained online pastor to offer practical strategies and practices for readers to rediscover and tap into deep ancestral knowledge that once defined and empowered women.
Embracing the Old Witch in the Woods is a road map for readers to challenge limiting beliefs, confront systemic injustices, and reclaim their inherent worth and wisdom. When we reclaim feminine wisdom, we liberate ourselves, our communities, and our souls, gaining strength and resilience through our connection to ourselves and to each other.
Despite the undeniable progress for women and girls in the 20th and 21st centuries, misogyny is still alive and well in today’s culture—often in ways that are more subtle and more insidious than the outright sexism of the past, and in spaces that we overlook or excuse as normative.
Misogyny has shape-shifted through the generations while maintaining a consistent through-line: it blinds individuals and cultures from seeing women as equal image-bearers, fosters hierarchies rather than partnerships, disdains vulnerability, and prevents all of us—women and men alike—from fully thriving.
In For the Love of Women Dorothy Littell Greco draws on in-depth research, interviews, biblical concepts, and vulnerable personal experience to explore how misogyny continues to impact six spheres of contemporary culture:
Healthcare Government The workplace Media and entertainment The church Intimate relationships While recent movements succeeded in raising consciousness and initiating important changes connected to misogynistic practices, alarming trends and rhetoric are on the rise in America today. We still have a lot of work to do—and the battle is more urgent than ever.
Like other deeply rooted, systemic injustices, misogyny is neither morally neutral nor random. It’s pernicious and calculated. For the Love of Women is for anyone who wants to educate, inspire, and empower themselves and women collectively to affect real change for everyone’s benefit.
Contracts
Brady Crytzer signed with Diversion Books for the June 2027 release of Commander-in-Chief: How George Washington Saved a Young Nation in Crisis,
Jim Burns with signed with HarperCollins Publishing for the April 2027 release of Parent’s Guide to Conversations About Sex.
Matthew John Milliner signed with IV Press for the October 2027 release of Mere Iconography.
Bryan Clark signed with Whitaker Corp for the April 2027 release of Tethered.
Walt Larimore signed with WWL Inc for the March 2027 release of Understanding the Nicene Creed.
New Clients
Samantha Stephenson, Katya Ungerman, Rachel Roth Aldhizer and Jeff Scott recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
September is a great month for Pumpkin Spice and a good book.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
What Google can’t explain and your doctor won’t — you have the power to take charge of your own health.
Women are told the pill is the solution to every hormonal issue, but it’s not. From painful periods to fertility struggles, real concerns are too often brushed aside. This empowering guide, written by a functional medicine physician, offers science-backed strategies that align with your menstrual cycle. You’ll gain the clarity and tools to balance your hormones, fix your periods, and feel your best by finally understanding the resilience, power, and wisdom of body.
While memory problems are common with aging, they are not inevitable. New research suggests it is now possible to dramatically improve memory and cognition, and to prevent and sometimes even reverse some forms of dementia.
In Conquer Memory Loss, psychiatrist and clinical neuroscientist Dr. Daniel G. Amen reveals how to start strengthening and rehabilitating your memory by: Recognizing your risk factors for Alzheimer’s and other memory problems, Understanding nutrition and consuming the right fuel, Exercising your brain, Finding the right medications. You aren’t stuck with the brain you’ve got. Let Dr. Amen show you how to take some giant steps on the journey to bettering your mental performance and improving your overall health and well-being.
A foe-turned-friend must learn to trust his new allies or risk losing his chance of finding a forever home in this thrilling conclusion of the award-winning Restorationists trilogy.
Ravi may be free from a life of crime and captivity, but he still feels trapped. Even though the Restorationists have welcomed him with open arms, he’s just not sure if he really belongs to this team.
While he’s agreed to help them infiltrate and bring down the nefarious Distortionists, Ravi keeps his escape plan—a stolen painting—close by in case things go south. But as the kids use their art-related Gifts to gain spots on the enemy’s heist team, new discoveries about his past have Ravi questioning his next move.
Can he risk trusting Vincent, Georgia, and the other Restorationists? Or is Ravi destined to always be on his own?
Contracts
Denise Pass signed with Whitaker Corporation for the February 2027 release of Thick Skin, Soft Heart.
Alexandra MacKillop signed with Baker Publishing Group for the October 2026 and June 2028 release of New Mom Syndrome and How To Live Forever.
Brian Doyle signed with Whitaker House for the March 2027 release of Guiding A Family.
Alan Cohen signed with Post Hill Press for the September 2026 release of Comfort Always Healing in The Age of Technology.
Marissa Burt signed with InterVarsity Press for the September 2027 release of Spiritual Treadmills.
Robin Michelle Warner signed with InterVarsity Press for the February 2027 release of Designer Diagnosis.
New Clients
Rebecca Knackstedt recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
As we prepare for Fall, let us still enjoy a good book in the month of August.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
Releases
Congratulations to Debora Coty and Christian Art Publishers for the July 1st release of Bless Your Heart.
Ever feel like you can’t escape the storm cloud hanging over you? Might be a soul problem, sister. Refresh your “beauti-tude” with Bless Your Heart: Daily Devotions to Warm Your Heart and Feed Your Soul, Debora M. Coty’s 365-day devotional.
Debora’s heartwarming and relatable devotions are reminders that God cares about you—even in the little things. You’ll find encouragement to love cranky coworkers, drop-kick fear, and reclaim your value as a daughter of God. The combination of humor and biblical truth is refreshing for an early morning read or an afternoon pick-me-up.
Each day offers a Bible verse that speaks to your soul, a devotional reflection that renews a joyful spirit, and a prayer to remind you of God’s praiseworthy character. Let Debora’s lighthearted and warm words soothe your soul and point you back to your true source of light—Jesus Christ.
Bless Your Heart is a joy-filled gift for any best friend, sister, mom, or grandma. You’ll want to buy at least two copies—one to share and one for yourself. Gift it to your small group leader to say, “thank you.” Send one to your BFF as a way to show you’re thinking of her. Bless Your Heart comes with a faux leather cover and has a sweet, floral, feminine design that she’ll love.
God has Jesus-joy waiting for you in His word. Let Debora remind you of it in Bless Your Heart: Daily Devotions to Warm Your Heart and Feed Your Soul.
Congratulations to Katie Powner with Bethany House Publshers for the August 5th release of When the Road Comes Around.
Only trouble can bring about the beauty of redemption and grace.
In the small town of Grady, Montana, twenty-four-year-old Tad Bungley has a reputation for trouble. When he lands a job at Come Around Ranch, however, his life seems to take a positive turn. As he develops a soft spot for Sam, the ranch owner’s disabled son, and a special bond with TJ, a rescue horse with a poor reputation of his own, Tad becomes determined not to bungle it up this time.
Forty-eight-year-old Anita Wilson is too young to feel so old, but rheumatoid arthritis limits her ability to work on the guest ranch she owns with her husband. It was a risk to hire Tad for the summer, but Anita is convinced he just needs a bit of encouragement to find his footing. What she doesn’t anticipate is that Tad’s presence at the ranch will change everything, including her relationship with her son. And when Tad finds himself in more of a mess than ever, he and Anita must learn when to hold on, when to let go, and what grace really means.
“Katie Powner is my go-to author for multigenerational tales that take a tender and honest look at the human condition. . . . This is my favorite Powner book yet!”–AMANDA COX, Christy Award-winning author
“When the Road Comes Around is a stick-with-you testament to why nurturing hopeful perseverance in ourselves and others is always the best route to take.”–SARA BRUNSVOLD, Christy Award-winning author
Congratulations to Jamie Sumner and Simon & Schuster for the August 26th release of Schooled.
A bighearted novel from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner about new schools, unexpected friendships, and overcoming loss.
Eleven-year-old Lenny Syms is about to start college—sort of. As part of a brand-new experimental school, Lenny and four other students are starting sixth grade on a university campus, where they’ll be taught by the most brilliant professors and given every resource imaginable. This new school is pretty weird, though. Instead of hunkering down behind a desk to study math, science, and history, Lenny finds himself meditating, participating in discussions where you don’t even have to raise your hand, and spying on the campus population in the name of anthropology.
But Lenny just lost his mom, and his Latin professor dad is better with dead languages than actual human beings. Lenny doesn’t want to be part of some learning experiment. He just wants to be left alone. Yet if Lenny is going to make it as a middle schooler on a college campus, he’s going to need help. Is a group of misfit sixth graders and one particularly quirky professor enough to pull him out of his sadness and back into the world?
Congratulations to Grace Hamman with Charity Spencer and Zondervan Publishing for the September 9th release of Ask of Old Paths.
Traditional Christian virtue and vices like abstinence, gluttony, and sloth make many of us bored or uncomfortable. At their best, these words sound dead or confusing, like incomplete fossils that belong to a distant past awkwardly enshrined in a museum. At worst, they signify a prejudiced past, when these words were wielded like weapons.
Yet in medieval writing, the language of the virtues and vices was powerful, lively, and delightfully weird. Patience is described as a peppercorn. Unicorns preach chastity. Knightly virtues fend off devious vices by throwing roses at them. In medieval books, words like avarice and meekness meant different things and carried different weight than they do today. And great medieval preachers and poets taught the virtues as crucial to what it meant to live a life of holiness, right alongside the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed.
Ask of Old Paths, by Grace Hamman meditates upon those strange and wonderful word-pictures and explanations of virtues and vices found in medieval traditions of poetry, sermons, and treatises long confined to dusty corners of the library. It focuses on the ancient tradition of virtue language called the Seven Capital Vices and their Virtue Remedies: pride and humility, envy and love, wrath and meekness, avarice and mercy, sloth and perseverance, gluttony and abstinence, lust and chastity.
In accessible and thoughtful chapters, scholar and writer Grace Hamman shows how learning about these pairs of medieval virtues and vices can help us reevaluate our own washed out and insipid moral vocabulary in modernity. Our imaginations for the good life are expanded; our longing for sanctification sharpens. Old ideas can give us new fire in our practice of the virtues—and in that practice, we imitate Jesus and become more human.
AI Goes to Church unpacks one of the most significant technological advancements of our time―artificial intelligence―and what it means for the ministry. More than just another tech fad, AI presents both profound challenges and extraordinary opportunities for the church. This book equips pastors, ministry leaders, and thoughtful laypeople to engage with AI through a biblical and theological lens, fostering human flourishing while remaining grounded in Christ’s teachings.
Writing in an accessible, nontechnical style, pastor and missiologist Todd Korpi seamlessly integrates theological reflection with practical application. Whether you’re grappling with ethical concerns, curious about leveraging AI for mission, or simply seeking clarity in this rapidly changing landscape, this book provides the guidance you need to steward AI wisely in service of God’s kingdom.
With its emphasis on thoughtful, lasting principles over fleeting technical hacks, AI Goes to Church serves as your road map to faithfully navigating the complexities of faith, technology, and human flourishing.
In AI Goes to Church, you’ll find:
A Theological Foundation: Gain a deep understanding of how AI intersects with Christian theology, exploring implications for human identity, the image of God, and the church’s mission.
Ethical Discernment: Learn to critically evaluate AI’s potential to enhance human flourishing while remaining vigilant to its risks, such as harm to vulnerable populations.
Practical Integration: Explore actionable insights for leveraging AI in areas like discipleship and mission, while staying true to the gospel.
A Missional Vision: Understand how to see digital spaces as mission fields and use AI creatively to engage those who might not be reached otherwise.
Hopeful Engagement: Approach the technological age with confidence, holding on to biblical principles while discerning how to innovate with integrity.
AI represents a profound challenge―but also extraordinary opportunities―for today’s church. Whether you’re a pastor, ministry leader, or thoughtful believer―discover how faith and technology can intersect in meaningful ways. Get your copy of AI Goes to Church today and navigate this new era with a gospel-centered vision.
Contracts
Jerry Jamison signed with Bloomsbury Publishing for the July 2026 release of 11 HOURS: A True Tell of Madness, Mob Mentality, and the Media and the September 2026 release of Just Desserts: The Shocking true Tale of America’s Most Prolific Femail Murderer.
KatyMcCown signed with Andrews McMeel Publishing for the October 2026 release of Pray It Out: 40 Days of Casting Your Cares on Jesus.
Courtney Ellis signed with Augsburg Press for the March 2027 release of The UnDevotional.
Bonnie Kristian signed with Penguin Random House for the January 2027 release of In Defense of Evangelicalism.
New Clients
Matt Daniels and Grace Stark recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
Forty years after the publication of Eugene Sledge’s memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa comes The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed by Eugene’s son, Henry, adding new material and immeasurable depth to his father’s story.
The Old Breed… The Complete Story Revealed brings to life an abundance of new material from the original manuscript of Eugene Sledge’s classic memoir With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa. By interspersing his own personal anecdotes throughout, Henry Sledge takes his father’s work and gives it newfound context, sharing memories of conversations between father and son. The result is a flowing narrative that portrays an intimate look at a WWII veteran and his struggles to adapt to civilian life following the war.
Contracts
Shannon Evans with Eric Clayton signed with Paraclete Press for the July 2026 release of The Seagull on the Roof.
R.B. Jamieson signed with Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing November 2027 release of God from God: The Trinitarian Christology of the Gospel of John.
Abigail Favale signed with Penguin Random for the June 2027 release of The End of Sex: What We’re Made For and Why We Keep Missing It.
Jessica Hooten Wilson signed with HarperCollins for the October 2026 release of Twice Rebels.
Gretchen Hammond signed with Globe Pequot for the October 2026 release of American Unpeople.
Sarah E Frazer signed with Revell for the January 2027 release of His Night Song Is With Me.
Steven Argue signed with Brazos Press for the March 2027 release of Right On Time.
Sarah Varland signed with Harlequin for the November 2026 and April 2027 release of two books.
New Clients
Ryan Kell, Marty Mosher, Michael Jones, and Holly Guertin, recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
From the desk of Emma Fulenwider
Yesterday, I was lamenting to a fellow writer about running out of time to thoroughly judge an essay contest. There are 30% more submissions this year, and I’ve been pleading with the organizers to give me an extension so that I can deliver the 1st-50th place winners, in order, like I did last year.
Chanté looked over her glasses at me. “I think you’re trying to do A+ work when they’re only asking you for A- work. You have enough time. Do an A- job and move on.”
She was absolutely right.
Last month, we talked about how platform isn’t the path to a book deal, it’s the path around a book deal that allows authors to get their message out and engage their readers without depending on a publisher.
So if authors are doing all this work to connect with their audience and market themselves, what’s the point of letting a publisher take a cut of the profits when you can self-publish instead?
The short answer is: because self publishing is A- work. At best.
There is a place for self-publishing. Self publishing is for the books you just want done. Not perfect, just done.
Last year, I was working on my book about raising kids toy-free when an acquisitions editor reached out and pointedly asked if I knew anyone who was writing a book for moms about “having less stuff.” I could have pitched him my book right then. I thought about it for 1.6 seconds. I mean, what are the odds?
But I knew that working with a trade publisher would mean increasing my word count from 20K to 60K, investing heavily in a social media presence that I loathe, and spending the rest of my life drawing the flaming arrows of the internet for being a mean mom. I knew I didn’t have it in me to produce and launch an A+ version of this book, I just wanted to finish the thing and use it to promote my Patreon.
So I replied back. “I do know someone working on a book like that, but she decided to self-publish.” She being me.
Before I was an agent, I helped authors self-publish their books. The low-quality work I had seen by other assisted self-publishers (often calling themselves “hybrid” publishers) motivated me to get in the game and do it right, with excellence. At one point, I was running an indie imprint and managing their annual anthology series. Not only have I helped authors self-publish a dozen books, I buy more self-published books than anyone I know.
Without fail, our best work falls short of what I know it could have been. A self-published book always feels like a prototype.
Here are three major benefits to working with a publisher instead of self-publishing:
QUALITY
Even when I outsourced the editing, proofreading, cover design and formatting to professionals, even when I had a marketer working with me, I was never able to match the level of excellence that I see in traditionally published books. Self publishing does not compete with traditional publishing when it comes to quality, and it rarely competes when it comes to sales.
People think that self publishing is a chance to prove publishers wrong. 99.9% of the time, it’s how authors prove publishers right.
FUNDING
In self-publishing, you pay up-front for cover design, formatting, proofreading, etc. In my experience, these expenses ran into the low thousands in value if not actual cost. If you have friends who are great at cover design and willing to work on trade, you’re still trading your time and managing the project, which is a cost to you.
In traditional publishing, your team not only takes on all of the financial risk, they even give you a chunk of your share in advance.
GROWTH
There is a hidden benefit to working with a publisher that I believe is more valuable than the embossed hardcover, the advance and higher overall sales. In fact, it’s the reason I left self-publishing to work for an agency. Mentorship.
When you self-publish, there’s no one helping you get better at what you do. You are always the expert, and therefore your growth is limited. Similar to how a small fishbowl stunts the growth of a goldfish, self-published authors mostly release books that are of the same quality as their last book. They don’t grow. Publishers, on the other hand, are invested in your entire career as an author. They want you to succeed over years and years, and books and books. They are a massive aquarium of knowledge, connections and pep talks.
Now that my toy-free book is out in the wild, I have zero regrets about self-publishing because it has freed me up to focus on projects that deserve my A+ work.
The contest organizers did grant me that extension, though.
QUESTIONS to ask yourself
Is this a topic I like to talk about occasionally (A-), or am I willing to talk about it nonstop for 5 years?(A+)
Is this project only worth my time if I sell 5K copies (A+), or would I be happy if I only sell 100 copies? (A-)
Am I willing to trade ownership and creative control to make this book be the best it can possibly be (A+), or is it more important that I retain creative control and ownership of my work (A-)?
There’s nothing better than slowing down the busy-ness and pausing to read for a while at any time on a warm summer day. Morning, afternoon, evening… they’re all great times to read!
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
A road map to free your kids from the harms of digital technology and to recover the beauty, wonder, and true purpose of childhood—by a leading tech policy expert
It’s no secret that addictive digital technologies like smartphones and social media apps are harming a generation of kids socially, mentally, and even physically. But a workable solution seems elusive. After all, don’t kids need phones, and won’t they be vulnerable or socially isolated without tech?
Clare Morell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and director of its Technology and Human Flourishing Project, argues that the answer is no. She exposes the lies parents have been sold about managing the dangers of tech through parental controls and screen-time limits, and demonstrates that another way is possible—even if your children are already using smartphones or social media.
The Tech Exit maps a doable pathway to freedom from digital technology for families, local communities, and society. Drawing on dozens of interviews with experts and with families who have gone tech-free, as well as Morell’s own work as a policy expert, The Tech Exit shows how digital technology is anything but necessary for children to live happy, healthy, and socially full lives.
The Tech Exit is essential listening for any parent who has felt stuck between an awareness of the dangers of digital technology for kids and the feeling that tech is necessary and inevitable. Clare Morell’s message is simple and compelling: You and your family can be free. The life you want for your children is within reach.
This companion to Jim Putman’s book, The Power of Together, provides a 9-week Bible study to encourage spiritual growth and community building. Trusted discipleship leader and pastor Jim Putman invites you to dig deeper into what it means to “do life” in close fellowship with other believers and to grow in your understanding of why fellowship is important for spiritual maturity.
Structured as a 9-week program alongside The Power of Together, this workbook offers daily insights and exercises to help you grow in your faith and embrace a more vibrant life in Christian community. Each week is dedicated to a specific theme, such as discipleship, relationships, spiritual maturity, and the power of community. This helpful resource includes:
A reading plan to use this alongside The Power of Together book,
A versatile 9-week study that can be used in both individual and group settings,
A “Growing Together” section at the end of each week, providing weekly group discussion material.
When the U.S. administration of Jefferson Rhodes—acclaimed as “world president” of an enlightened new world order—celebrates the half-twenty-first-century mark, progressivism seems to have solidified a complete political, cultural, and social triumph. Conservativism, Christianity, and traditional American values are distant memories.
Out of sight, sinister forces are at work. Led by the third-generation scion of its founder, the clandestine Palladium cabal is tightening its noose around the Oval Office. Hidden deeper behind the scenes, shrouded in the mists of Middle Eastern antiquity, another third-generation scion is poised to climax a deceptively cunning strategy for world domination, with the Islamic takeover of America as the centerpiece of a world Islamic state.
Unseen by either of these nefarious crusades against truth, a remnant of Christ’s true Church is waking around the world, reclaiming its first-century power to prevail against the very gates of hell.
Which of these three historic movements will emerge to determine the future of America’s destiny?
Contracts
Sean Castle signed with Whitaker House for the August 2026 release of Investing Now and an unnamed Book #2.
Karissa Tunis signed with Familius for the October 2026 release of Notes for My Daughter and Notes for My Son.
Katie Powner signed with Crooked Lane Books for the September 2026 release of Peaceful Pines Trailer Park for Seasoned Adults.
Gretchen Hammond with Julie Belshe signed with Prometheus Books for the October 2026 release of American Unpeople.
New Clients
Naomi Epps Best recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
May is recognized as Get Caught Reading Month, a time to encourage reading for all ages and to celebrate the joy of literacy.
Our highlights below include new releases, contracts signed, notable reviews and PR events, new authors to the agency and other news of note by clients and agents.
Love and delight characterize this special book on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Eight appearances of Mary in different countries range from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, to Our Lady of La Vang in Vietnam, to our Lady of Lourdes in France. This book shows that no matter where or how Mary appears, she is always the same mother who delights in all of God’s children and who reaches out in love to draw them to her Son.
The Catholic tradition asserts that Mary has appeared to those in need around the world, even long after her time on earth had ended. In these apparitions, not only does Mary accompany the vulnerable, but she appears as part of the local community in her dress, her skin color, the language she speaks. What does this tell children about the nature of God?
Children who read this book will see Mary appear all over the world in different guises, coming in looks and language that is familiar to local cultures and communities. Ultimately, children will come to understand that God, too, is present in their lives and can be encountered through the customs and traditions of their own families, communities, and countries.
In this story, Mary’s pilgrimage of faith begins in Nazareth, but it doesn’t end there. Readers will see her appear to people all over the world, ultimately coming into their own lives–and sharing God’s love.
Chicago is a world-class city, but it is also a city in crisis.
Crime is up, schools have repeatedly shut down due to conflict between City Hall and the powerful teachers’ union, and COVID-19 only deepened the entrenched poverty, institutional racism, and endless tug of war between the city’s haves and have nots.
For four years, the person at the center of this storm was Lori Lightfoot. A groundbreaking figure—the first Black, gay woman to be elected mayor of a major city and only the second female mayor of Chicago—she knew the city was at a critical turning point when she took office in 2019. But the once-in-a-lifetime challenges she ended up facing were beyond anything she or anyone else saw coming.
Chicago Tribune reporter Gregory Royal Pratt offers the first comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the tumultuous single term of Mayor Lightfoot and the chaos that roiled the city and City Hall as she fought to live up to her promises to change the city’s culture of corruption and villainy, reform its long-troubled police department, and make Chicago the safest big city in America.
Some of Chicago’s problems can be explained by forces greater than the mayor: national polarization, long-standing cultural and racial tensions, our plague years. But some are the result of Lightfoot’s poor leadership at City Hall, a story that hasn’t been told in full—until now.
Fifth-generation homesteader Melissa K. Norris offers over 100 time-tested, budget-friendly recipes for cooking, cleaning, and caring for your family.
As the cost of food, cleaning supplies, and personal care items continue to skyrocket, are you looking for new ways to cut costs and seek healthier solutions for your family?
Melissa K. Norris, host of the popular Pioneering Today podcast, shows you how you can make many of the meals and products you’re currently paying for at a fraction of the price.
Melissa shares easy-to-follow recipes, ideas, and tips for… baking a variety of delicious pastries, pies, pizzas, and more cooking hearty soups, stews, and sauces creating scrumptious sourdough treats and other fermented foods growing your own herbs for seasonings, salves, and tinctures simplifying your life in every room of your home celebrating the holidays with homemade charm Home and Hand Made helps you do more with less and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing all the ingredients that go into what your family eats and uses each day.
A road map for finding inner peace and bringing peace to others
These days, everyone is looking for peace. But too often we look in all the wrong places.
In Finding Peace Here and Now, award-winning Catholic author Eric A. Clayton shows you that peace starts from within. By looking inside yourself, you can discover and embrace who you are meant to be in God. Using Saint Ignatius of Loyola as a guide, Clayton offers:
● stories from the Ignatian tradition ● meditations on God’s unique dream for you ● spiritual reflections to help you experience peace ● practical tools for becoming who you want to be
These resources will lead you along a path of inner peace, which you can then extend outward to bring peace to others and challenging situations.
This book will resonate with those who are familiar with the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises as well as those learning about them for the first time. In the end, you’ll learn how to navigate your own journey to inner peace and a love of self while discovering how this journey is tied to better loving and serving neighbors and working for global justice–all for the greater glory of God.
Congratulations to Monica DiCristina and Worthy Books for the May 13th release of Your Pain Has A Name.
Therapist Monica DiCristina brings proven psychology techniques to readers looking to understand and embrace their pain so they can begin to heal and move forward with a full life ahead of them.
Monica DiCristina struggled for years to describe the pain she was experiencing inside. Without knowing what was behind her anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and fears, she created other names for them: “not good enough,” “unworthy,” “messed up,” and “wrong.” Through the slow process of understanding her own story, she discovered a glorious path to healing, as well as a calling to become a therapist to help others in the same way.
Now, Monica has created a guide to help you identify the patterns and barriers that are keeping you from being your authentic self. While not every wound may fully heal, each one can be understood, and that understanding starts when you confront the pain—not just recognizing the hurt, but naming and honoring it.
In Your Pain Has a Name, Monica offers a compassionate, open space for you to give voice to your pain. With the nurturing curiosity often found in a therapist’s office, she will help you: ·Uncover your hurts: Pinpoint and define the hidden pain that’s holding you back. ·Name your pain: Accurately describe and validate your feelings. ·Reclaim your identity: Distinguish yourself from the false stories your pain has created. ·Embrace your healing: Release the pain that no longer serves you and step into your truth.
In finding the language to describe your hurts, you gain the space and courage to become your fullest self—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Join Monica on a journey to release the pain that isn’t yours to carry.
Discovering New Dimensions in Faith-Based Community Work
“A welcome and needed book addressing the current tensions and opportunities. . . . Dr. Ward’s foundational book points us to a way forward. I am enthused at what this book can do to lead us as church leaders and agency leaders to a new synergy.” – Jerry E. White, international president emeritus of The Navigators, a Christian parachurch organization
In a world where the church’s relevance is often questioned, Angie Ward offers a compelling blueprint for a unified ecclesial future in Beyond Church and Parachurch. Beyond Church and Parachurch is not just a historical and theological exploration; it’s a roadmap for rethinking the very essence of Christian ministry. Whether you’re a pastor, mission leader, or nonprofit executive, you will be challenged to transcend conventional boundaries and discover the full spectrum of the church’s potential.
Holistic Understanding: Develops a comprehensive view that integrates both traditional and emerging forms of ministry. Innovative Strategies: Beyond Church and Parachurch presents forward-thinking approaches to facilitate collaboration between churches and parachurch organizations. Inclusive Leadership: Emphasizes the importance of diverse leadership in fostering a more inclusive community. Practical Applications: Offers actionable insights and case studies to apply the concepts in real-world contexts. Future-Oriented: Focuses on long-term vision and sustainable practices for impactful ministry work. Dive into a fresh understanding of the church in all its forms—be it campus ministries, mission agencies, or church-planting networks. Ward’s vision dismantles the silos that fragment evangelical efforts, urging us to view the church as an interconnected ecosystem of apostolic networks. This paradigm shift empowers leaders to maximize kingdom impact, fostering cooperation and collaboration across organizations. With practical insights and visionary guidance, Beyond Church and Parachurch equips Christian leaders to serve a world in need with renewed purpose and unity. Transform your ministry approach and join a movement that redefines what it means to be the church.
Contracts
Jim Ramos signed with David C Cook for the July 2026 release of Guardrails (Book One) and Bring It (Book Two).
Maria Olsen signed with Bloomsbury Publishing for the May 2026 release of Before and After the DNA Test.
Kelsey Kramer McGinnis signed with Brazos Press for the June 2027 release of Clean and Holy.
Adam Boggs signed with B&H Publishing for the July 2026 and May 2027 release of The Fallen Kingdom and The King of God’s Kingdom.
Jonathan McKee signed with Focus On The Family for the December 2026 release of Until She Left Me.
New Clients
Mark Filidei,Crystal Johnson, Timothy Kelly, Brad East, Brian Cosby, Dan White, and Myles Werntz recently signed with WordServe. Welcome,
From the Desk of Emma Fulenwider
I’m going to make you a bet, and then I’m going to make you a promise.
First, I bet I can make you say “ugh” out loud in the next five seconds. 5…4…3…
How’s your platform going?
…1
Yep, platform. The hamster wheel that the internet rudely added to the author journey. We used to be able to sit in our attics with our writing hats and think the things and write them beautifully and that was enough for the people who had the power to make us famous. Now, we have to become minor celebrities on our own power, capitulating to the soul-less algorithm for attention.
Once upon a time, our work vouched for us. Now, nobody gets past the front door unless the Machine vouches for them. It’s all too much, and so unfair.
At least, that’s what it feels like.
Here’s the promise. I promise that by the end of this article, you will feel so excited about platform that you would do it even if you knew with absolute certainty that you will never publish a book.
The Purpose of a Book Deal
Let’s start with why you want a book deal. Here are the reasons I hear most as an agent that only represents adult non-fiction:
“I have something to say that other people need to hear.”
Wonderful! I’m glad that you’re an expert in parenting a special needs child. Or improving mental health. Or getting a business off the ground. Please tell us what you know.
“My story is important to history or current national conversations.”
Fantastic! As a society, we can learn a lot about our justice system from the story of a falsely accused citizen who served 20 years before being exonerated. We absolutely need to hear an economist’s solutions for the current housing crisis. Do share.
“I want to add another stream of income to my current business.”
Super! You recognize that not everyone can come to your workshops, or hire you as a consultant, and you want to package your solutions in a way that reaches more people. Makes total sense.
Now, let me ask you this.
What makes publishers so special that you only trust them to 1) connect you with your readers, 2) handle your legacy, and 3) manage your new income stream?
Publishing Before There Was Platform
When platform is the thing standing between us and a book deal, it’s natural to think “If not for platform, I would be published.” The truth is quite the opposite. Platform is what made publishing more democratic and more merit-based than it was before.
Before platform, you couldn’t just think the things and write the words either. You had to shoot your shot just right to get a seat at the table, and it was a much smaller table.
Between 1966 and 1996, book titles published per year doubled from 30K to 60K. By 2010, that number quadrupled to 240K.[1] Book sales, on the other hand, have stayed at about $25.5 billion annually for the past 25 years.[2]
Publishers are diversifying their lists, taking a chance on four times the number of authors than they were at the turn of the millennia. Why are they doing that? Why would the gatekeepers go to all the trouble of finding four of the best proposals when they could pick one good one and make it an overnight success and bring in the same amount of money? Platform.
The term “gatekeeper” is almost laughable when you think about how publishing has changed over the last 50 years. The Publishing Gate was once the only way to reach readers. If they didn’t publish your book, forget about anyone finding it.
But then blogging happened, and Youtube, and podcasting, and social media. Publishers today stand guard in front of a gate that has a million bypasses around it. They can no longer risk putting all their golden eggs into 25K random baskets. They are spreading their eggs out over 250K baskets, and they’re looking to readers to help them decide which baskets are their best bet.
The existence of “platform” has increased your odds and your control over whether you get a book deal.
Fun Fact: The Point of Platform is NOT to Land a Book Deal
Let’s say you write a newsletter, start a podcast, become a speaker, build an online community around your online course – let’s say you do all the platform stuff and never get a book deal. In doing so, you have shared your solutions, told your story, and added an income stream to your business. Platform is about accomplishing the mission you thought was only possible with a book deal.
The secret that publishers are afraid you’ll realize is that they can’t predictably lay golden eggs anymore. You have the levers now. You have the ability to connect with your readers and contribute to the national conversation and get paid for your intellectual property.
So. You want to say the thing? Say the thing! No one is stopping you.
That’s what platform is—the freedom to reach people with your message without needing permission or validation from the gatekeepers. And if you still want a book deal, platform is how you prove to publishers that you’re about to lay a golden egg.
“Okay, so if platform is how I bypass the gatekeepers to reach my goals, then what’s the point of working with a publisher?” I’m so glad you asked. We’ll talk about that next month.
WordServe Water Cooler 