Wait For It... Wait For It...

Self-publishing house Xlibris has issued a press release on "Successfully Publishing a Christian Book." Among the five guidelines is this gem: "Third, pray. Ask for guidance, focus and inspiration. If you are writing a book on divine matters, then you are going to need divine inspiration. Once you receive direction and guidance for your book, you can then begin your outline."

The full press release is here. (Thanks to the Inkwell Bookstore Blog for the catch.)--David E

Data Privacy? Not So Much

Love the anonymity of the book world's online behemoth? This story might encourage you to shop more locally.

Ottawa resident Michel Cuhaci bought a book through amazon.com, only to find that a printer's error meant he had a defective book. He posted a comment and forgot about the matter. That is, until the author (pictured above) tracked him down at home on Christmas Day, to deliver a replacement copy. (Details are here.)

Please know that if you buy a book from us, we will not hunt you down. We're committed to good customer service, but we know how to keep your private information private.--David E

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Venerable publisher Penguin is dusting off its image to launch a dating website through the auspices of match.com. The personals include books read and other such literary information to aid in the decision making process. The site is only for UK booklovers, though. Yanks will have to do it the oldfashioned way.

In an unrelated note, I'll point out that Magers and Quinn is located in the heart of Uptown and is open until 11pm on both Friday and Saturday nights. Just saying.--David E

What Your Books Do When You're Not Watching

from the Sydney Morning Herald--David E

Old Book Smell

It turns out there's a scientific explanation for that used bookstore smell. The answer comes from the book Perfumes: The Guide (via the Paper Cuts blog).

Authors Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez say, "Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good-quality vanilla absolute."

Now you knows.--David E

Marketing from Heaven

Indonesian author Tung Desem Waringin promoted his new book--on marketing, no less--with a novel method. He threw 100,000,000 rupiah (about $11,000) from a plane. Around 500 people assembled in a stadium below scrambled for the windfall.

Details are here and here.--David E

Hand to God--Part 2

The woman ghostwriting Britney Spears' mom's forthcoming book on motherhood talked to the Grand Rapids (MI) Press--not usually a source for book news, I know. “One thing I do want to make clear is that she’s not a stage mom,” said Lorilee Craker.

Oh, and the book is slated for release on Mother's Day, 2008. You can't make this stuff up.--David E

Hand to God

Britney Spears' mom has signed a contract with Christian publisher Thomas Nelson to write a book on parenting. Read the details here.--David E

To Get Rich Is Glorious

The syndicated radio program "The Engines of Our Ingenuity" (think Mr Wizard in audio format) recently ran a fascinating episode about the Gutenberg Bible. Among the gems about Gutenberg's design (the proportions of the page and the type block both follow the Golden Section) and late medieval reading habits (reading silently to oneself was considered "spooky") is this financial tidbit: It has been estimated that Gutenberg grossed about fifteen million dollars (in today's money) from his 150 bibles. Take that, Harry Potter.--David E

Cooking the Books

The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is hosting the "Incredible, Edible Book Contest." Dishes depicting the title of famous books are on display, but through the wonder that is the internet, you can see them without venturing to the Kansas capital. The couscous representation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic Dune is a naive triumph.

The report says, "The tradition takes place in 28 states and 15 countries, but this is Topeka's first edible book festival!" [exclamation theirs]. There's been a Rice of the Ancient Mariner in Texas and a Finnegan's Cake in the UK. How did I miss this? --David E