Comments on: Chapter 1: Our History

By: Why Agents May Be Opposed to Self-Publishing

Why Agents May Be Opposed to Self-Publishing — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:34:15 +0000

[...] we are fully capable of managing our own brand. We have been in business since 1798. We understand what our brand represents. It is mostly about innovation and refusing to accept the status quo. We see WestBow Press as fully [...]

By: peter claringbull

peter claringbull — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:45:11 +0000

Dear Sir
I have a book the details of which are:
By R.D. Blackmore
Title Lorna Doone a Romance of Exmore
Illustrations by A. M. Trotter
Front piece coloured illustration by E F Skinner
Spine has Oak Leaf impression and OAK CLASSICS.
As this book is not dated I would be most interested if you could any details of its origin
Many thanks.
Peter Claringbull

By: Herman Villanueva

Herman Villanueva — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:38:42 +0000

Hi Mike,

I am between writers’ critique group meetings. My mind is itching for materials to work on. Here are some comments:

1. I commend you for having a corporate philosophy booklet.

2. It is not encouraging to read these statements: “the were not immune to hardship, It was the end of an era, It began to drift, In reality this was the death of the company.” Find another angle, word order, and word choice to share the decline of the company. Share but shorten the details during this era. Accenuate the vision and strenght of the company.

3. Need to bring out more of the passion, vision, and heart of Thomas Nelson during the formative years of the company. Highlight more of his character and subordinate the historical information. Details.

4. The tone is a little bit lackluster. Need to use more words like: vision, passion, drive, hard work, inspire, spiritual dimension, bring out more heart and soul.

5. The last paragraph is powerless. Need a stronger message to inspire employees. Need to open a door for employees to enter in. Incorporate the visions of the company.

6. Need to present the publishing climate during early years of the company. Also, expose the hunger of the populace for knowledge. Bring out some information about the transformation of society during the industrial revolution and spiritual awakening.

7. Delete some of the adjectives. These words lessen the impact of the sentences. These words dampen the effectiveness of the thought presented. For example, “Our company has a long and fascinating history.” This is a more direct sentence, “Our company has a fascinating history.”

8. Share the impact to the Christian community of the King James Version of the Bible printed in 1885. Find an angle where Thomas Nelson fits in the publishing industry and global evangelism.

9. Incorporate the employees in the scope of the writing. Find ways to talk to the reader and be a part of the story. Ask Questions. Incorporate the message of carrying the legacy of Thomas Nelson.

10. Mike, thank you for opening the inner sanctum of your company. I bid you well.

By: matt Karnes

matt Karnes — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:23:45 +0000

I agree with RBonser. The ansers to the question he (she?) raises might make for a more fascinating read.

By: Russ N.

Russ N. — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:55:53 +0000

What a fascinating, rich history. I understand the desire to have short chapters; however, I’d love to see an expanded version of the history of the company.

By: thom

thom — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:41:42 +0000

Are internal editors reviewing the text? The “himself” mentioned above is not needed, and the 81 should be spelled out and hyphenated. The best line is “Now I must finish my chapter.” Thanks for sharing; what is past is prologue.

By: RBonser

RBonser — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:50:49 +0000

Nice, inspiring read. I would have liked a few more details that would give me a little better mental photo of the times. I think this could be done without sacrificing the immediate, quick-read style. For instance, what kinds of books did Sr. build the business on? I’d like to know what the “common folk” were reading back then — just a point of curiosity. And why was Ian such a poor manager?

Thanks for the excerpt.

By: Bryan Cathererman

Bryan Cathererman — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:46:30 +0000

What a great history. And what a great idea to print you materials into a book. In the bookstore were I work, we’re forced to keep our handbook and whatnot in electronic and saved in a shared folder. I guess that’s cheaper then even printing paper to put in a binder.

By: Alan Nelson

Alan Nelson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:36:49 +0000

Mike, bah humbug on the comments of “Anon Nelson” above. “It’s not a history but an assembly line of dates and names. Is that what’s ‘important’ to you?” How pompous — and from someone who didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to register an actual name and email address to boot.

Here’s a “cheers” to the positive and constructive feedback from the remainder of the comments above. Well deserved, and I for one congratulate you for engaging in such a public discourse with your employees (and customers).

By: Rusty Shelton

Rusty Shelton — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:41:06 +0000

It is very interesting to learn about the rich history of Thomas Nelson. I think compiling this information into a book is a great idea–what better way to quickly bring a new employee, prospective author, bookstore manager or investor up to speed on company values and history than by giving them a book.

One topic that left me wanting a bit more was the reference to the first US office of Nelson, opened in 1854. I think some may be interested in learning more how successful the first international venture was. What unique challenges were in place in New York vs. London at that time? This may be coming in a later chapter but it is something that I would be interested in hearing more about.