Working Titlez

Reposted from - Sue Campbell, the book designer, February 25, 2013:

Stephens Press continues its venture into audiobooks with the publication of their bestseller, My Brother’s Voice by Stephen Nasser. This true story about a young boy surviving the Holocaust has been a perennial favorite since its first printing in 2003. The book debuted in hardcover, followed by trade paperback and there have been numerous reprintings in the intervening 10 years. It came to Kindles and iPads everywhere in 2012. And in all those venues it continues to sell well, and spread its message.

Mr. Nasser is the dynamo behind the lasting impact his story has had on his many audiences of students and adults, alike. He has spoken to groups upwards of 800 times all around the USA, and the world. He continues to do so almost on a weekly basis. Soon, the story will come alive in a stage play.

When Stephens Press first decided to venture into audiobooks, My Brother’s Voice was high on the list of books that publisher, Carolyn Uber, (and myself as the newly dubbed “audiobooks coordinator”) wanted to hear in audio. We knew that this book would need a special voice, to bring the story to life. So I began the audition process on ACX (audiobook creator’s exchange) a division of Audible.com. I knew that I wanted a younger voice and one that could convey the emotion and drama of this story, but without going overboard toward maudlin or melodramatic.

I listened to many sample “reels,” and chose a few narrators and sent requests for a “sample” reading. Most all of them obliged me with a five minute reading from our book. What struck me was how different the interpretations all were. They were all good, in different ways, but the one I knew I wanted stood out for me right from the start. That one was Maxwell Glick.

Max had exactly the right tone, and a balance of drama and matter-of-factness. His clarity and pronunciation, superb. He also portrayed just the right amount of youthful “naiveté” that I felt suited they young “Pista” Nasser of the story. And, Max is an actor—that was also something I felt we needed for this story—because only an actor would “get” how to convey the emotional component. He does and boy did he ever!

I was thrilled when Max agreed to work with us on narrating this book. We’re lucky enough to have an interview with Mr. Glick, and following that an audio sample of his work on My Brother’s Voice. Please read on for your reward!

Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Maxwell Glick from Long Island, NY. Live in Los Angeles, CA, and I’m an actor!
What inspired you to get into audiobook narration?
As an actor you’re constantly on the lookout for as many opportunities to work as possible. I started doing some voiceover work, and then heard about the website ACX, where authors search for narrators for their books. I love books and I love doing voiceover work, so I thought this was something I could do!

How long have you been doing audiobooks?
Since starting over a year ago, I’ve narrated almost 20 books now. It’s been great.

Do you also do other kinds of voiceover or narration?
I’ve done many voiceovers for all different kinds of things. I’ve done a bunch of commercials, cartoons, and e-learning guides. I’m currently working on a new cartoon where I’ve become the voice of a blue elephant named Bubbles. We’ll be hearing more about that soon once the show really gets underway. (Sue: Max is too modest. He’s also guested TV shows since he came to L.A., including appearances on The Office and, more recently, on Castle.)
What attracted you to My Brother’s Voice?
Stories from the Holocaust are so important for everyone to read and listen to. Holocaust survivors are some of the most brave and inspirational people this world has known. Their stories need to live on forever, and getting the opportunity to tell Stephen’s story was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.
What was the experience of recording this book like for you?
This was such an incredible experience for me. It definitely was not easy at times. Throughout the recording process, I’d have to pause and regroup because some of the scenes are so emotional that I’d get choked up during the reading. When I finished the recording, I just wanted to tell everyone all about it because it was the best audiobook experience I’ve ever had. I just want the world to hear Stephen’s story. It really was an honor to get to tell it.
Tell us a little bit about the process of narration?
Audiobook narration is a very unique gig! It takes a long time and you need to keep your voice in good shape for the duration of the book.
Where do you record, how long does it take, etc.
It depends on the length of the book how long it takes me to record. I can usually finish it in 1-2 weeks. I record from my home! I have a home studio literally in my walk in closet. I’ve transformed it into a space where I can work!
Do you do any sort of preparation to get yourself ready for it?
My preparation for a book is to read it, and look up anything I don’t know the meaning of. For this, I got to talk to Stephen and actually have him pronounce all of the Hungarian words I didn’t know which made my life much easier going into the book.
Is it just like acting?
Audiobook narration is like acting, but a very different kind of acting. You’re all the voices!

(You can follow more about Max’s career on www.maxwellglick.com and follow his twitter feed @maxwellglick. He also has his own YouTube Channel and is a regular on the popular Lizzy Bennett Diaries on YouTube. What a busy guy!)
Listen to a sample of My Brother’s Voice. The audiobook is available at Audible.com; iTunes; and Amazon.com. We expect the book to soon be available on Amazon’s Whispersync which will let you listen or read on your Kindle device and it will sync your place in both formats! Even if you’re read the book before hearing it narrated by a consummate performer like Max is a totally new experience, and one you won’t want to miss.

Sue Campbell’s novella, “Shadows of Dreams” can be found in Witch Hunt: Of the Blood. She designs award-winning books and jump-off-the-shelf covers from her Colorado studio, assisted by her standard poodles, Pepper and Bella.

The following is reposted from the Redpengirl’s blog of February 23, 2013:

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Good writing doesn’t always have to be serious!

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a phrase or sentence surprises the reader (or listener) to rethink the beginning of the phrase/sentence. It can be used for humorous or dramatic effect.  Stand-up comedians call ‘em punchlines, political pundits know them as zingers, mystery writers might use them for a “twist.”

Regardless, they keep our readers (or listeners) on their toes. A  few examples …

• Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
• Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
• There’s a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can’t get away.
• Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.
• The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!
• Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?
• I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
• The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on the list.
• If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

Got any of your own?

Jami Carpenter is an editor who works with independent writers as well as traditional and boutique publishers, including Stephens Press, Hardway Press, and Trapdoor Books. She is the co-author of Education in the Neon Shadow and hosted the Vegas PBS talk show, Book Club. Jami can be reached through her website: http://www.redpengirl.com/ and followed on her blog: http://redpengirl.wordpress.com/

by guest blogger Jami Carpenter, aka Redpengirl

Las Vegas typically conjures up images of showgirls and slot machines, neon lights and all-night parties, mega-bucks and mega-resorts.

What might surprise people is that the entertainment capital of the world is also dedicated to offering programs that promote reading and literacy, that support
and nurture the community of local writers, and that attract the attention and participation of national and international authors.

This weekend Las Vegas again celebrates the written, spoken, and illustrated word with the eleventh annual Vegas Valley Book Festival, an event that draws more than 10,000 attendees each year. Since its founding in 2002, the fall festival has presented over 600 authors and speakers and has produced or sponsored over 450 events, sessions, readings, workshops, and book signings.

The Festival provides an opportunity for readers and writers of all ages to get involved; with puppets, storytelling, activities for children, comic books (for the kid in all of us), young adult fiction – a genre of increasing popularity, and award-winning authors of both fiction and non-fiction.

It is especially exciting to see the Festival’s commitment to the contributions of home-grown writers, providing a platform for them to share their successes, and giving friends, family, and fans a chance to see their craft in action.

Don’t miss this opportunity to surround yourself in literati – Las Vegas style.

Jami Carpenter is an editor who works with independent writers as well as traditional and boutique publishers, including Stephens Press, Hardway Press, and Trapdoor Books. She is the co-author of Education in the Neon Shadow and hosted the Vegas PBS talk show, Book Club. Jami can be reached through her website: http://www.redpengirl.com/ and followed on her blog: http://redpengirl.wordpress.com/

Author/Teacher Maralys Wills is one of our most active when it comest to lectures and speaking engagements. Her calendar is always jammed. Why? For one, people rave about how much they learn. For another, she makes it easy for them to refer her to other groups or organizations to book her for a presentation. Key to her strategy is this flyer, that gives people multiple ways to keep in touch with her and plants the very clear suggestion that she’s available to give talks. And those speeches begat book sales … and consulting and editing projects … and more speaking engagements. Once you prime the pump sufficiently, and keep delivering what your audience needs and wants, the water just keeps flowing! Maralys places one of these flyers on each seat at her speaking gigs … what about you? Are you accessible and do you encourage contact from your readers?

We are proud of each and every book we publish, but when one of ours is nationally recognized, we just can’t contain our enthusiasm. And in this case, we feel like we are ‘walking on air’ … Carolyn Uber, president, Stephens Press

Stephens Press announces the selection of Play in the Clouds, a title from the Tomas the Tortoise Adventures series, to represent Nevada at the 12th Annual Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington DC.

The illustrated series featuring a desert tortoise helps children explore the diverse terrain and environments of Nevada. “Tomas and his friends, including Chacko the Coyote and Luis the Lizard, interact with other native creatures,” says author-illustrator Mike Miller, “as they travel around the Silver State. From experiencing snow for the first time on Mount Charleston to exploring the ghost town of Rhyolite and taking a dip in Lake Mead one very hot day, their adventures are relatable to what real kids living in Southern Nevada can experience.”

Play in the Clouds will be featured by the Nevada State Library in the Pavilion of the States on the Washington Mall on September 22, 2012. Presented by the Library of Congress, honorary chairs are President and Mrs. Barack Obama. The Pavilion of the States salutes the literary traditions of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Play in the Clouds will also be featured in the Library of Congress’s brochure, “Discover Great Places Through Reading,” which will be available to all attendees to the Pavilion.

“Each state selects only one book from their state to represent adventures in reading,” said Stephens Press publisher, Carolyn Hayes Uber. “The committee liked the book because it was for children and highlighted the great diversity of our state’s landscape and dispels the myth that Nevada is only a vast desert.”

For more information about the book series visit www.tomasthetortoise.com.

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Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Stephens Press publishes both fiction and non-fiction titles and markets books online, through newspapers, bookstores, and specialty retailers. Topics include history, current events, travel, entertainment, nature, sports, lifestyle and more. Stephens Press is the book division of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Contact Stephens Press at 702.383.0201 or info@stephenspress.com or visit the Stephens Press website.

Always a treat to put a new book in the author’s hands! Publisher Carolyn Hayes Uber presents Maralys Wills with the first copy of BUY A TRUMPET AND BLOW YOUR OWN HORN: Turning Books into Bucks in Tustin, California on Sunday morning. The book details what does (and doesn’t) work marketing books from not only Maralys (with thirteen published books under her belt) but also seventeen other authors who shared their best tips. The book is a companion to her previous title published by Stephens Press, DAMN THE REJECTIONS, FULL SPEED AHEAD: The Bumpy Road to Getting Published.

Book signings, blog posts, Facebook entries … all are great ways for a publisher to introduce a new book and its author (or authors) to the public. An easily dismissed medium, but equally as powerful, is the good old-fashioned radio talk show. In fact, listeners get an added bonus: they can actually hear excerpts in the authors’ own voices!

This Sunday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Coast to Coast AM radio (100.5 AM and 840 AM, Las Vegas), Emmy award-winning journalist and radio host George Knapp will be sharing the microphone with Vegas Rag Doll co-authors Wendy Mazaros and Joe Schoenmann. They’ll reminisce about days gone by, the Las Vegas mob, and Wendy’s former life as the wife of a hitman.

It promises to be a (late) night to remember: a prize-winning interviewer, an accomplished writer, and a woman with a story that’s difficult to imagine come together to burn up the airwaves with humor as well as drama. If you’re not a nightowl, or won’t be in Las Vegas for this holiday weekend, you don’t have to miss the entertainment; check out the radio’s website here for archived shows and station call numbers across the country.

Kevin Janison

Writers used to squirrel themselves away in remote cabins, dusty offices, revealing themselves only briefly to hand over completed manuscripts to their publishers or to appear shyly at the corner bookstore or coffee house for a book signing or reading. Rarely did authors speak to large audiences or get involved in marketing their great American novel.

But times have changed. Bookstores are closing — both big chains and little indie shops — providing fewer opportunities for book signings and appearances. Authors develop follows through their websites, tweets, and Facebook pages, but never meet face-to-face with their audience. Readers buy online or download straight to their Nooks and Kindles.

Stephen Nasser

What’s a writer to do? Stephens Press authors have found a way to reach out to the community and share their stories by visiting schools and speaking to students. Stu Michaels, author of You Can’t Make This Up! spent time with high schoolers in a creative writing class. Stephen Nasser, author of My Brother’s Voice, has presented stories of the Holocaust at middle school assemblies and Kevin Janison, has entertained elementary-age students with his Deputy Dorkface series. What a delightful partnership! Professional authors doing what they do best — telling stories — and inspiring a whole new generation of budding readers and budding writers.

Stu Michaels

Recently, Cedar Rapids, Iowa native Betty Auchard returned to her roots and spoke with Charity Nebbe of Iowa Public Radio. Click here to listen to Betty as she tells stories from her newest book, The Home for the Friendless.

Betty Auchard, author of The Home for the Friendless and Dancing in my Nightgown, returns to Iowa this month to speak at Prairie Lights Books, one of the premiere independent bookstores in the country. If you happen to be in Iowa City on June 14, come listen to Betty read and share stories from her newest book. If you aren’t in Iowa City, you still have time to get there – an evening you won’t want to miss!