I Need Your Help by James L. Rubart

A friend of mine posed a question to a group of authors last week I think is intriguing. Why do we buy the books we buy? Or put another way, what is the path you take when buying a book?

He posits there are three phases before someone buys a book:

• Stage One- Learning the book exists
• Stage Two- Becoming interested in the book once you know it exists
• Stage Three- The trigger that causes us to purchase the book

If you’d like to play, tell me the name of the last book you bought (not one of those free downloads) and what led you to buy it.

I’ll go first to show you what I mean: 

I was at a marketing seminar in Austin, TX in early April. While at the seminar, a guest speaker came and told about his journey of publishing. He showed his latest book, THE ONE THING, and explained the cover design and why they did the back cover copy the way they did it. It looked intriguing so I put it on my Wish List.

A few weeks later, my wife asked if I’d buy her a book. I went online to order it, and took a quick look at my Wish List. There at the top was THE ONE THING. I read a few reviews, liked what I saw and decided to order it.

Your turn, I’d love to hear from you!

Before Kindle and Nook, There Was Le Book! by James L. Rubart

In the age before e-readers … 

  

 

EasDon’t Think About the Cross this Easter by James L. Rubart

The cross has not only become the symbol for Easter, it’s become the symbol for all of Christianity.

The reason I say “become” is because it hasn’t always been that way. For the early Christians, the symbol of Christianity was the empty tomb. And by early, I don’t mean the first few years of the church.

The cross didn’t become into prevalent usage in art or churches until the 4th century.

Forgive me for repeating myself, but it was the EMPTY TOMB that the early Christians kept in the forefront of their minds.

Do we do the same?

I’m not trying to lessen our attention on the cross, only make sure we give equal focus to the power of the resurrection -which is the triumph of Life over death. It is the picture of our rebirth into men and women who have become the temple of God and have the Spirit living in the new Holy of Holies, our hearts.

He is risen. The tomb is empty. Let us focus and rejoice in that, the greatest news of all time, and live our own resurrected life because of what He has done.

The Verdict’s In On My Kindle and it Ain’t Good by James L. Rubart

I just got a Kindle and I’m not sold on it.

Am I too old? Maybe that’s the problem. But I don’t think so. I love technology.

The other day a friend was selling their Kindle (an older version) very inexpensively. Since I’d been trying to decide between the Kindle and the Nook I figured, “Why not? It’s cheap and I can see if an e-reader is going to work for me.”

Yes, it will work. If I’m flying and don’t want to haul any books with me I get the appeal. Anywhere else, forget it. It’s too much work.

Maybe it’s because I’m a visual person. I like to see all my books on my shelf at a glance. I like to be able mark a book up without having to take five minutes to highlight a section. I like to be able to find my books fast and when they’re all sitting in front of me I can do that.

My friend Randy now reads exclusively on his Kindle. Don’t get it.

Do you? Help me and explain what’s wrong with my brain. (For the Kindle! Not the other stuff!)

It Can’t Be Done? by James L. Rubart

Do you believe in the can’ts? I do. I believed in them before I got published.  I believed the voice that said, “You can’t write.” I believed in the cant’s when I wanted to sing on the worship team at church. So many things I believed I couldn’t do that turned out to be lies.

You can do it, whatever your “it” is. Really. If God is for it, you can. Now there is the necessity of gifting and desire to be in sync. For example, I still have a desire to play in the NFL. But the talent isn’t there. It just ain’t going to happen in this age.  And I have a talent for playing guitar, but I don’t have the desire needed to do anything significant with it.

But if you have the gifting and the desire … look out. The only thing that can stop you is the can’ts you allow to stay in your mind and heart.

And now for little inspiration from a young man doing something I have neither the skill or desire to do … but WOW! He’s shown me something I thought couldn’t be done certainly can be.

This Cracked Me Up by James L. Rubart

I love this guy. Why? I get this. I think he’s saying, “Why would I read a book on my Kindle if I can hold it in my hands?” Me too.

I”m not down on e-readers. I have Kindle and Nook on my iPhone. I have ‘em on my laptop and desktop and I’m just about to buy a dedicated e-reader. I flew to San Jose and back the earlier part of this month and it would have been great to have 1,000 books at my finger tips.

But if I have a choice I’m still picking up a physical book every time.

You?

Please, Tell Your Story by James L. Rubart

You’re a reader. You love reading powerful stories. Do you realize you have a fascinating, powerful story as well? Has anyone read it?

I hear what’s going through your head right now: “No, I don’t, Jim. There’s nothing particularly interesting about my story.”

I disagree.

I do branding for other authors and when we work together I start by asking them what is unique and intriguing about themselves. Often they say, “Nothing really. I’m pretty ordinary and I’ve lived a rather ordinary life.”

Not true.

In every case, once we dig down into their desires and hobbies and anecdotes from their life, I find a scintillating  person and a captivating story. My guess is it’s the same for you.

And there are people in your life who want to hear that story.

In his later years my dad wrote down all the experiences he could remember from his life starting when he was a little boy all the way through to his present. Do you realize what a gift this is to his family?

Maybe you’re not up for writing it all down. If you are, great. If not, why not simply get together with a friend and tell them your story from the beginning? Then listen to theirs.

I promise you, it will be a time of great richness.

How ’bout doing this with your children? Priceless.

Tell your story, please, there are people who need to read it.

Kindle or Nook? by James L. Rubart

I’m just about there … ready to pick up an e-reader. (Yeah, I know, I’m behind the times.)

I have the Nook app and the Kindle app on my computers and iPhone, but I don’t have the real McCoy yet.

So help me. Which one should it be? K or N? Or maybe it’s Kobo or even another.

I can read what the experts say, but I want to know what the ordinary people like me say.

So which one should I choose O fellow readers of various tomes? Inquiring Jim’s would like to know.

Is Vicki Right or Wrong? by James L. Rubart

Was Vicki right in her post yesterday? She says you’re supposed to follow your bliss. Really?

Before I answer that, think about your bliss. What would you do with your time and life if $30,000,000 appeared in your bank account tomorrow? What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail?

It sounds like Vicki is saying it’s okay to pursue those things.

Hold on a moment. What about following what Jesus wants you to do instead of following your bliss? Think about that for a moment before reading any farther. Do you have that task in mind? The thing you know He wants you to do?

Here’s my fear: That the thing people want to do (their bliss) and the thing they feel they should (What Jesus is telling them to do) are very different.

That’s a problem.

Christianity has been infiltrated to a staggering degree by religion. A spirit of religion which says it’s impossible for what you love to do and what God’s purposes are you to be the same thing.

They can. They truly can. Passion never comes from duty. Passion comes from desire. And if we are to accomplish what God wants us to do on this earth, we need passion.

David was a man who was given the desires of his heart. (Psalm 34:7) But have you read what’s said about him in Acts 13:36? “… after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors …”

Did you catch that? David DID THE WILL OF GOD.

His purposes and your desires are the same. He put them in you. He divinely designed you with specific loves and passions.

Yes, we can pervert those desires and let them crowd out God. But for the person who is fully surrendered to him, who has invited the Holy Spirit to dwell in the the holy of holys–the human heart–those passions burning inside you are from Him.

In this new year I encourage you (as Vicki did) to follow your bliss. He is there.

Making Sense of the Senseless by James L. Rubart

Has it been hard for you since Friday? Trying to make sense of the massacre?

Me too.

Our boys are 20 and 17, but moments ago they were in grade school and my mind skips a beat when I try to fathom what I would feel like if … well, you know.

I’ve cried. Prayed. All the things you’re doing and what much of the nation is doing.

So many people are shocked by this evil. But I wasn’t. Why? A blog post by author John Eldredge captured what I couldn’t put into words and explains my thoughts far better than I could say it. You’ll find it here.

After you read it, I’d be interested to know your thoughts.

Your Opinon of Audio Books Please by James L. Rubart

When Brilliance Audio bought the rights to my first novel ROOMS, I asked if I could try out to be the narrator. They said, “Sure, send us a sample.”

I recorded the first chapter, sent it to them, and they hired me. And I’ve been fortunate to voice my other three novels as well.

This past Saturday my mom said, “I’m liking Soul’s Gate (my just released novel) even more hearing you read it.”

Do you agree? (Not about Soul’s Gate, about hearing a book read where a narrator can create character voices, use inflection, etc.)

I have a friend who only listens to audio books. He’s busy and his time to “read” is in the car on the way to work and back.

What about you? Do you like being read to? Is price a factor in your buying more audio books? If audio books were as inexpensive as e-books or DTBs (Dead Tree Books) would you buy more?

Talk to me. I’m listening.

This Cracked Me Up by James L. Rubart

As novelists we strive to craft words and stories that stir emotions in our readers. One guidelines we all use to make this happen is to avoid clichés. Clichés dumb down writing, bore people, and tell our readers we didn’t put a great deal of effort into being original.

How ’bout you? Even if you’re not a writer I bet you’ve fallen into the world of cliché when choosing  words to describe your Christianity. Click on the image below–it will take you to the vid–and let me know if I’m right. (Sorry, I couldn’t figure out how to embed the video in my post.)

 

So did you laugh? Why? Because you heard phrases that roll off your own tongue with more than a little frequency?

What do you think non-Christians would think of this kind of lingo?

And finally, do you have a burden for any phrases you’d like to add to the list? (Yes indeed you astute reader you, I did just slip one of own most hated phrases.)

This Is How Writers Do It by James L. Rubart

You’ve wondered how us authors get all our words written? Now you know.

Looking Down the Barrel of the Empty Nest Gun by James L. Rubart

If you’re an empty nester, or are soon to be, has your behavior changed because of this?

My oldest son, Taylor started his second year of college a few weeks back. Our younger son, Micah is buried in his junior year of high school with a number of honors and AP classes. Plus he’s ultra-social (no idea where he got that from) so Darci and I hanging out in the domicile just the two of us quite a bit these days.

• The good news: Even after 26 years of marriage we’re still madly in love.
• The bad: Our sons are outstanding and we love having them around. So the dwindling time together as a family is hard.
• The good: Darci has never been a reader of fiction. Over the past five years she’s read four novels. Three of them have been mine. But now she’s decided to start reading fiction. Sorry for the pun, but she says it’s time for a new chapter in her life—which means diving into novels.

Your turn.

Has the empty nest syndrome made you read more? Or do something else you’ve never had time for? Hike? Bicycle? Take a cooking class? Travel? Read non-fiction (I’ve heard that’s what they call books that aren’t made up.)

How Long Does It Take You To Decide? by James L. Rubart

You’re in a bookstore. A cover reaches out its hands and grabs you. (Yes, of course metaphorically, we’re not doing a Stephen King thing here.)

How long before you decide to buy it or put it down and keep looking? Before reading further, think about it. Got it?

Last week I was at the ACFW conference (American Christian Fiction Writers) and I bumped into my friend, literary agent Steve Laube. I commented on a long ago talk I heard him give where he demonstrated how long the typical shopper takes before deciding if a book is right for them or not. He said stats hadn’t changed.

The length of time frame surprised then (before I was published) and depresses me now.

Twenty. Not minutes. Seconds. That’s it. The average shopper looks at the front cover, turns it over and reads the back cover, then opens the book and read a few lines. That’s it.

Books we authors have taken sometimes years to write are given twenty seconds of consideration by the typical potential customer. That’s why the cover and back cover copy are so critical—cause people do judge a book by its cover.

How ‘bout you? How long do you take? And do you take longer when shopping on line?