Latest postings from Book Publishing, May 1, 2008

Publisher's Weekly reports that Fortune magazine writer, Peter Elkind, is publishing an Eliot Spitzer book. The New York Post has more details about the book which will be similar to Elkind's previous book about Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room.

The proposal that agent Liz Darhansoff has been shopping on the rise and fall of Eliot Spitzer has found a home. After PW reported last week that the book-to-be, by Fortune magazine (and Smartest Guys in the Room) writer Peter Elkind, was starting off at a base price of $350,000, expected winner Portfolio has closed the deal.

A book deal was closed about Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP-MorganChase. Penned by Duff McDonald and based on a piece in New York magazine.

S&S senior editor Colin Fox bested four other houses in an auction for Duff McDonald’s untitled book on Jamie Dimon; David Kuhn sold world rights. Derived from a cover piece McDonald wrote for New York magazine last month, the book will look at the career of the JP-MorganChase CEO—from protégé, then castoff, of Citigroup’s Sandy Weill, to Wall Street legend at age 52—to tell the tumultuous story of Wall Street’s boom and bust over the past 20 years. McDonald is also a contributing editor at Condé Nast’s Portfolio; S&S pub date is September 2009.

Reading on Walden Bookstore.

Jim Lehrer casts satirical eye at America's heartland

Mack to the Rescue is Jim Lehrer's new book, available now at Reading on Walden Bookstore.

When he’s not anchoring the NewsHour on PBS, Jim Lehrer may be found casting a satirical eye at America’s heartland in such books as Crown Oklahoma and The Sooner Spy. Mack to the Rescue is the latest of his successful One-Eyed Mack novels. Set in Oklahoma and tracing the exploits of a fictional lieutenant governor, the series allows Lehrer to address contemporary national issues with a unique blend of humor and insight. Rife with Oklahoma-isms and brimming with memorable characters, Mack to the Rescue employs ironic twists and sharp dialogue to poke fun at government foibles. Inventive and hilarious, it demonstrates once again that Lehrer knows Middle America and its ways all too well.

Books by political bloggers and other influential writers

Here are a few "must read" books by some bloggers and other prominent writers. And for those of you who don't know me, they all have a tendency to be left-leaning (that's an understatement).

The first is a new release by the "editor-in-chief" of the Huffington Post, blogger Arianna Huffington, who operates one of the most popular political blogs. Arianna tackles the issues at the heart of the 2008 presidential election with her trademark passion, intelligence, and devastating wit, according to her publisher's press release. The new book is called Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe (and What You Need to Know).

Next is a book by a co-founder of The American Prospect magazine, Robert Kuttner. The book is called The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity. Rober Kuttner has written for BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe and The American Prospect, and Kuttner has established himself as one of the most lucid economic and political critics. Now he delves deeper, illuminating how the elhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifite domination of American politics makes society less democratic and prosperous, according to his publisher. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

Sweet Reads for Parents and Children to Share

Here are some great books for mom and dad to share with their children. Order them today.

The Ultimate Guide to Grandmas & Grandpas!
by Sally Lloyd-Jones
illustrated by Michael Emberley
ISBN: 9780060756871
$14.99 Hardcover
HarperCollins
Pub Date: May
Here, at last, is a manual packed with sweet advice, pointers, and helpful hints on how grandchildren can best take care of their grandparents, like giving them lots of hugs and kisses.

T. Rex and the Mother's Day Hug
by Lois G. Grambling
illustrated by Jack E. Davis
ISBN: 9780060531263
$16.99 Hardcover
Katherine Tegen Books
It's Mother's Day, and T. Rex wants to plan something really special for his mama. In this sweet, funny story, Lois G. Grambling and Jack E. Davis demonstrate that sometimes the simple gifts are the best.


Mother, You're the Best!
(But Sister, You're a Pest!)
written & illustrated by Diane deGroat
ISBN: 9780061238994
$16.99 Hardcover
HarperCollins
Gilbert wants to show his mother that she's the best, but his little sister keeps getting in the way. Diane deGroat's heartfelt story and endearing illustrations will resonate with any reader who has ever had to share a parent's attention with a sibling.


Daddy Hug
by Tim Warnes
illustrated by Jane Chapman
ISBN: 9780060589509
$16.99 Hardcover
HarperCollins
Pub Date: May
Regardless of what daddies look like or what noises they make, daddies have one thing in common: They make children feel safe and snug with tender hugs.

Mommy's Best Kisses
by Margaret Anastas
illustrator Susan Winter
ISBN: 9780061241307
$6.99 Board Book
HarperFestival
There are many ways to say I love you to a child, and now way is sweeter than with a kiss. Margaret Anastas's loving rhyme and Susan Winter's gentle illustrations of animal mamas and their adorable babies will make this a family favorite.

Also available this great children's book by actor Billy Crystal:
I Already Know I Love You
ISBN: 9780061450570
$7.99 Board Book

Now available in a board book format--the #1 "New York Times" bestselling debut by comedian Billy Crystal, in which he describes the cavalcade of feelings that comes with becoming a grandfather for the first time. Full color.

Publisher Comments

Grandpa can hardly wait

Starting with the anticipation of a new baby's arrival, this book from Emmy Award-winning comedian Billy Crystal celebrates all the moments, great and small, that a new grandpa is ready to share. Whether it's taking a nap together or attending baseball games, this grandpa just can't wait for his grandchild to be born.

Abigail and John Adams: A Love Story and Dearest of Friends

Order this book today.
The recent success of the HBO series seven-part mini-series, John Adams, has stirred interest in John Adams and Abigail Adams. Check out this book of letters of these two friends and lovers, John and Abigail. The letters were often addressed to "My Dearest Friend."

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE PUBLISHERS COMMENT:
Separated more often than they were together over a 40-year span, John and Abigail Adams shared their lives through letters that each addressed to "My Dearest Friend." This new collection invites readers to experience the founding of a nation and the partnership of two strong individuals, in their own words.

Part of a short interview with Margaret Hogan Host: Chris Gondek ] Producer: Heron & Crane

In 1762, John Adams penned a flirtatious note to "Miss Adorable," the 17-year-old Abigail Smith. In 1801, Abigail wrote to wish her husband John a safe journey as he headed home to Quincy after serving as president of the nation he helped create. The letters that span these nearly forty years form the most significant correspondence--and reveal one of the most intriguing and inspiring partnerships--in American history.

As a pivotal player in the American Revolution and the early republic, John had a front-row seat at critical moments in the creation of the United States, from the drafting of the Declaration of Independence to negotiating peace with Great Britain to serving as the first vice president and second president under the U.S. Constitution. Separated more often than they were together during this founding era, John and Abigail shared their lives through letters that each addressed to "My Dearest Friend," debating ideas and commenting on current events while attending to the concerns of raising their children (including a future president).

Full of keen observations and articulate commentary on world events, these letters are also remarkably intimate. This new collection--including some letters never before published--invites readers to experience the founding of a nation and the partnership of two strong individuals, in their own words. This is history at its most authentic and most engaging.

So you want to write a book and get it published, well here is another jump start

The title of the book I am suggesting is very telling when it comes to writing and then publishing your book. It is called 78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published and 14 Reasons Why It Just Might by Pat Walsh.

Drawing on his experience as founding editor of MacAdam/Cage, Pat Walsh gives writers what they a need-specific, straightforward feedback to help them overcome bad habits and bad luck. He avoids the optimistic sometimes misleading directions often found in publishing how-to books and presents the industry as it is, warts and all. Here is the first guide that tells writers just what the odds against them are and gives them practical tips for evening them.

It is important to remember that the odds of getting your book published are not in your favor, but if you truly believe in your project and believe you have a message that will resonate, don't give up. You probably do have a message.

Pat was recently featured in Publishers Weekly. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

So you want to write a book and have it published too, well here are a few more tips

Try this book to help you send a winning "book query" and a winning "book proposal."

The book pictured to the left, Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman.

Publishers Comments about this book:

Charismatic authors and literary agents Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman have successfully sold hundreds of titles and learned--through trial and error--how to write a flawless book proposal that publishers can't resist. Now you can benefit from their hard work and publishing savvy. In this new edition, they offer guidance and advice that will inspire, educate, and, most importantly, give you the necessary edge to get your book published. They explain:

- How to shape your idea and create a title

- Ways to get to know the market and competition

- Tips on writing an effective outline, query letter, and sample chapter

- The art and science of fiction and nonfiction book proposals

- How ten actual proposals (included were successfully sold to publishers--and why

It is not enough to just write a book. You may have written the next great American novel. While that part is important (and essential), you must also sell your book to a publisher. While it is not essential, having a literary agent represent your work is a plus. Most of the major publishing houses do not accept book queries, proposals or manuscripts from unagented authors. It is no impossible to have a "major" publish your book. you must have a way of getting your foot in the door. A celebrity has a very good chance of picking up the phone and saying for example, "This is Brad Pitt and have I got a story for you."

The bottom line for the major publishers is the bottom line. Will the book sell? Why would I buy the book? Why would I be excited about your book?

My own selling points are compelling. I am a bookstore owner with a wealth of contacts with bookstore owners.

It is just as difficult to get a literary agent to represent you as it is to have a publisher even consider your work. The great majority of cases publishers will either reject your work or ignore your work. If a publisher likes your work, you will hear from them quickly. They will then pass it around the office and make a decision. I had the good fortune of having several agents and a couple publishers take a look at my work. I received a positive response to my "first query," which spoiled me. The book was ultimately rejected and the reason is that it was not well-written or thought out. Upon closer inspection, the book I submitted originally was literary garbage. But the query and the proposal were adequate enough to draw interest. The idea is to induce them to want to read more.

I have since improved my product and have every confidence I will find the right venue for my book. I have since re-read my own work and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. We will be discussing this next time. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

So you want to write a book, well here is a good start

These are a few of my favorite books, Volume 3
As many of you know, I am writing a book about my bookstore experiences surrounded by such work as our community involvement with CAPS (community policing), neighborhood watch, court watch, garden walks, marches against crime and drugs, political campaign work (with candidates like Barack Obama, Alexi Giannoulias, Debra Shore), book and political discussion groups.

This books has been a challenging and exhilarating experience which I highly recommend. When you write a book, I believe, you write it to please yourself Of course you want to sell it, but you must be pleased with your work. You are the audience.

I am often asked, "I am writing a book too (or at least have an idea about writing a book) and I don't know where to start."

I say start with the Writers Market 2008 Deluxe Edition.

The 2008 Writers Market Deluxe Edition will incorporate all the great information writers have to come to expect for more than 80 years, but this edition will move the book and site to a new level of excellence. From the higher profiles of its author interviews to the five new market sections (newspapers, syndicates, screenwriting, playwriting, greeting cards), the 2008 Writers Market Deluxe Edition will push the title to new limits while providing all the best and most up-to-date market listings available to help readers find success. The book will also include the ever-popular How Much Should I Charge? feature. The Deluxe edition provides the reader with access to the WritersMarket.com online database of over 6,000 listings updated daily. Additionally, in early 2007 the database is receiving a newly redesigned interface and enhanced search features.

We will continue this discussion and please let me know about your experiences. Let's have some great comments and ideas about writing your book. If you have any memories about our store or if you have any questions about your book, no matter how small you might think it would be, I'd love to hear about it. Please call me at 773-233-7633 or email us at readingonwalden@att.net. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

Reading on Walden Bookstore.

These are a few of my favorite books, Volume 1

The next few days I will be taking a break from my usual political writing on this blog, although I will still be posting my political rants on The Political Inquirer, MyDD.com, BooManTribune.com and of course, The Daily Kos. What I will be doing here is talking about books. My favorite books. And I would also like to hear about your favorite books too. I am writing a book about books and discuss books that transform people's lives. You can discuss a book that changed your life or a book that you thoroughly enjoyed for no particular reason except that it made you feel good.

And this space will be available to anyone that wants to talk about their favorite book. Or about a book that you wrote and published. Yes, if you are an author and want to talk about your book for the sole reason than to entice someone to purchase it, then my friend you have absolutely come to the right place. Just send me an email. My email address is readingonwalden@att.net. You can also call me at 773-233-7633.

The first book I want to discuss is a novel by Tom Robbins called Still Life with Woodpecker. The theme of the novel is that it is never too late to have a happy childhood. I had a happy childhood as a youth and today I am still having a happy childhood. The bookstore was just another element that I experienced as a happy child. It was downright giddy at times. Not only did I have a happy childhood, but the main theme of the book is that the novel continuously addresses the question of how to make love “stay.”

If you'd like to order this book, you can click on the book or the title and that will take you to our website. Send me an email at readingonwalden@att.net or call at 773-233-7633. Reading on Walden Bookstore.

Single-Payer Health Insurance - get a "Second Opinion"

For more information on single-payer health coverage, get A Second Opinion: Rescuing Americas' Health Care: A Plan for Universal Coverage Serving Patients Over Profit By Arnold S. Relman. John Presta.

Publisher Comments
The U.S. health care system is failing. It is run like a business, increasingly focused on generating income for insurers and providers rather than providing care for patients. It is supported by investors and private markets seeking to grow revenue and resist regulation, thus contributing to higher costs and lessened public accountability. Meanwhile, forty-six million Americans are without insurance. Health care expenditures are rising at a rate of 7 percent a year, three times the rate of inflation. Dr. Arnold Relman is one of the most respected physicians and health care advocates in our country. This book, based on sixty years experience in medicine, is a clarion call not just to politicans and patients but to the medical profession to evolve a new structure for healthcare, based on voluntary private contracts between individuals and not-for-profit, multi-specialty groups of physicians. Physicians would be paid mainly by salaries and would submit no bills for their services. All health care facilities would be not-for-profit. The savings from reduced administrative overhead and the elimination of billing fraud would be enormous. Health care may be our greatest national problem, but the provocative, sensible arguments in this book will provide a catalyst for change.

A note from ARNOLD RELMAN
I wrote this book because I had to. During more than sixty years as a physician, I have seen the practice of medicine transformed from what was primarily a profession to what is now mainly a business. I have seen our health care system change from a social service to a rapidly growing industry that consumes almost a sixth of our economy and is straining the resources of all who must pay for its services.

I have been privileged to enjoy a uniquely varied professional career as a medical practitioner, consultant, educator and researcher, an officer or trustee in national societies and health care institutions, a medical journal editor and, most recently, a member of a state medical licensing and regulatory board. All of this experience has convinced me that American health care, despite its scientific and clinical achievements, is failing to meet some of its most important obligations to society. I believe that certain major reforms are urgently needed, and that the public and the profession, when they understand the facts, will want these reforms.

This book describes what has been happening to our health care system, explains why I am persuaded it must change substantially, and suggests the direction these changes should take. It is a personal manifesto, I suppose, but it is also intended to be a fact-based, readable assessment of one of our greatest domestic problems. If I have done my job, this book should be a useful resource for the many coming debates on health care policy.

About the Author
Dr. Arnold S. Relman is Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and the former Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. He received his M.D. from Columbia University in 1946, and has taught at distinguished medical schools including Boston University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University. He was appointed by The White House to serve on the Health Professionals Review Group and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve on the Board of Registration in Medicine. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Dr. Arnold S. Relman is Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and the former Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine. He received his M.D. from Columbia University in 1946, and has taught at distinguished medical schools including Boston University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University. He was appointed by The White House to serve on the Health Professionals Review Group and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve on the Board of Registration in Medicine. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Aesops Fables: Hillary Clinton staffers haven't learned any lesson from "The Fox and The Grapes"

I am writing a book about my bookstore experiences and I must say the most difficult part of the writing process is finding your voice. The theme of my book is that "books transform." By extension, owning a bookstore or being involved with books are "life transforming experiences."

I have been asking friends and customers and relatives the one question, "What book transformed your life?" "What book changed you?" One of my absolute favorites is Aesops Fables. One of the best of Aesops Fables is "The Fox and the Grapes."

Hillary Clinton staffers said after losing the Iowa Caucus, "Iowa is not that important." Apparently the sour taste of Iowa grapes to the Clinton campaign was too much to bear. I wonder how the New Hampshire grapes will taste. I suppose it depends on who is eating them. John Presta.

The Fox And The Grapes

It was a very hot and sunny afternoon. A fox, which had been hunting the whole day, was very thirsty.

"How I wish there was some water," the fox thought to himself.

Just then, he saw bunches of fat and juicy grapes hanging from a vine above his head. The grapes looked ripe and ready to burst with juice.

"Oh, my! Oh, my!" the fox said as his mouth began to water. "Sweet grape juice, quench my thirst!"

The fox stood on tiptoe and stretched as high as he could, but the grapes were out of his reach.

Not about to give up, the fox walked back a short distance and took a running leap at the grapes. Again, he could not reach the grapes.

Still not ready to give up, the fox walked back further and took another running leap at the grapes. Again, he could not reach the grapes.

The fox jumped and leapt, again and again, but each time he could not reach the grapes. Until, at last, the fox was tired and thirstier than ever.

"What a fool I am!" said the fox furiously. "These grapes are sour and not fit for eating. Why would I want them anyway?"

With that, the fox walked away.
Some people despise and belittle the things they cannot have.