In recent times I’ve had the privilege of looking through a couple of manuscripts that have really caught my attention. There is one in particular that stands out amongst everything that I have ever read so far. It is a book that is a record of a series of visions that God has given to a faithful servant – along with the interpretation! It is a book that would make an ideal series for discussion topics at a Bible Study or in a home fellowship meeting. More on this book in a later Blog.
There are several other things that are still in the development stage of the Festoon Publishing website. Would-be-purchasers will soon be able to view the first half dozen pages or so of a book before committing to buy. This I believe will give an added level of confidence to the purchaser as you can’t always tell a book by its cover.
When a book has gone through the hoops of editing, proofreading, typesetting, and so forth, there are other steps that can be very frustrating for an author – and that is the issue of copyright. The process of obtaining permission to use an image or drawing from the rightful owner of the material can take weeks or even months to procure, and in the meantime, an assumption must be made that permission could be denied. What then?
It is during the days, weeks and months of patiently waiting for copyright approval that the refinement of the book has an opportunity to develop. This is where friends, relatives, knowledgeable persons, etc., get to see a pre-publication version and make their comments. This can have an enormous impact on the final product, especially if the same comment is repeated in all the forthcoming reviews. It is here that the author and publisher have to look at the matter with ‘fresh’ eyes and make the hard decisions about what needs to be done. Questions need to be asked, for example, were the reviewers the wrong target group? If so, could their opinion be disregarded to some extent? Were the reviewers looking for hidden faults that are simply non-existent? Or even the opposite can occur, where they all give rave reviews as they are all wanting to encourage you?
There are various ‘styles’ that a book can take in conveying a message that an author seeks to impart. Adopting the wrong style can kill a book dead before the end of the first page. An author that has a history of preaching from a pulpit can write in such a way that is very off-putting. Nobody likes to be preached at – especially in a book, and especially when the reader does not know the writer personally.
Another common error that publishers come across quite regularly, is when an author tries to create an authoritative treatise which is no more than a collection of opinions that is without citations or references to back up any of their claims. On the other hand, the easiest work to manage is usually the author that is simply telling their life’s story, or the publishing of children’s books. Children’s books have their own quirks that take some mastering before they get to the printing stage, but once learned it can be a delight to see the book in a book store, or in the hands of a child learning to read – and enjoying it.
Books are a treasure especially if the contents are edifying, encouraging, enjoyable, and illuminating to the soul!
Do you have a favourite book that you had as a child, and as an adult you still cannot part with it? I’d love to hear about it. Send a message to info@festoonpublishing.com.au and if I get enough responses I’ll feature these books in a future blog.
