In this podcast episode, I talk about my brand new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (Nashville: Thomas Nelson).
Yesterday was the official publication date. I am celebrating this entire week with a special, AMAZING offer that I can’t wait to tell you about. If you can’t wait, you can find the offer here.
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In this brief, seven-minute video, I interview Allen Arnold, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s fiction division. I have known Allen for almost 20 years. When I first met him, he was in marketing at Word, Inc., a company that Thomas Nelson eventually acquired.
Allen is one of the most creative people I know. He is truly a great publisher. He has that rare combination of being unwavering in his core values along with the ability to spot projects that have commercial potential. In his eight-year tenure as Nelson’s fiction publisher, he has built one of the company’s fastest-growing divisions and become an industry thought-leader at the same time.
This has been an incredibly busy week. On Monday, I announced that I was stepping out of active management and turning over the CEO reins of Thomas Nelson to Mark Schoenwald.
On Tuesday, Mark and I flew to Dallas to make the announcement to our Live Events team. That afternoon, I flew to Chicago and, on Wednesday, I attended a board meeting for a nonprofit ministry I support. On Thursday, I packed up my office at Thomas Nelson. On Friday, Gail and I began setting up my home office.
Today at Thomas Nelson we promoted Mark Schoenwald, our President and Chief Operating Officer, to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer. Effective immediately, I am stepping out of active management of the company, and turning over the reins to Mark. However, I will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.
I hired Mark in 2005 to be our Chief Sales Officer. I promoted him to President and Chief Operating Officer in 2009. I have watched him grow and develop over the years. He is an outstanding executive in every way, yet humble and committed to our company’s Christian mission. He was my first choice as a successor, and I know he will do a terrific job.
Just three months after publication, Heaven Is for Real by Todd Burpo (with Lynn Vincent) is a publishing sensation. With more than one million copies in print, it the #1 bestselling non-fiction, trade paperback book on the New York Times list.
Todd Burpo is the pastor of a small Wesleyan church in Imperial, Nebraska, just 150 miles from my hometown in Kimball, Nebraska. He is also a wrestling coach and a volunteer fireman. He operates a garage door company with his wife, Sonja, who is also a children’s minister, busy pastor’s wife, and mom.
At least once or twice a week someone asks me, “So why do eBooks cost so much?” This is a fair question. After all, digital publishing eliminates the costs of physical manufacturing and distribution. What expenses do publishers have left?
As it turns out, plenty.
Last spring, Jim Bradford, Dean of Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, interviewed me on my leadership philosophy and practice. He asked some tough questions. I tried to be as candid as I could be.
I intended to share the video here on my blog a few months ago, but it got lost in the shuffle. However, I thought about it today and thought you might enjoy seeing it.
Every month, I review a set of market share reports prepared by one of our internal analysts. While the data behind these reports are not perfect, I do believe they represent the best view of the book publishing market currently available. As a result, even though it’s been almost two years since I posted a high-level summary of the data, I thought it would provide you with some insight into our industry.
A little over a year ago, we announced the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program. The purpose of the program was to provide free books to bloggers in exchange for a 200-word review of the book. We don’t require positive reviews. We want bloggers to be honest in their assessment of the books they read.
These are the amazing people who help moderate my comments and provide leadership to our growing community.
MICHELE CUSHATT is a communicator and storyteller whose speaking experience includes Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, and Compassion International. As emcee and communication coach, Michele is in her sixth year on staff at Dynamic Communicators International. She lives in Colorado with her husband Troy and three teenage sons. You can connect with Michele on her blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
BARRY HILL, JR. is a storyteller, blogger, speaker, barista, and is in his fifteenth year of full-time ministry to teens and their families. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Rachel, and their six children—“the circus.” You can usually find Barry where fresh coffee and good ideas are brewing. To join in the conversation, drop by his blog, The Ordained Barista, visit him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
JOE LALONDE is a husband, explorer, challenger, and an adrenaline junkie. He has served as a youth leader for E3 Ministries for over 10 years. He is usually found wandering the woods, enjoying the company of his wife, or running the trails. Joe enjoys helping others expand their influence and leadership skills. You can connect with Joe at his blog or Twitter.
RACHEL LANCE is originally from Alaska but now lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband and daughter. She works in technology and communications for the Willow Creek Association. She holds a degree in information management and is working on her Master’s in Library Science. Given the gift of time, top on her list would be a long bike ride, a great novel, and a farmer’s market dinner. Follow her on Twitter.
JIM MARTIN is the minister of Crestview Church of Christ in Waco, Texas, where he has served since 1994. He also leads a mentoring group, primarily composed of younger Christian leaders, and serves as a Mentoring Partner for MentorNetwork Ministry. He and his wife, Charlotte, have been married for 33 years. Read his blog, A Place for the God-Hungry, and follow him on Twitter.
TIM PETERS is the Co-Founder of Resolute Creative, a digital marketing group. He loves seeing organizations of all sizes come alive when they identify the best digital solutions to advance their cause. Tim enjoys working out, running marathons, playing golf and spending time with his wife and three kids. Connect with him on his blog, follow him Twitter or connect with him via LinkedIn.
JASON STAMBAUGH is a husband, father, former fat kid, accidental techie, and founder of Wevival and Shop My Church. Jason also blogs at Heart Your Church about church ministry in the social media era. When he’s not helping customers, or working on his latest project, you will find him hanging with his family, reading, learning to code, cooking, hobby farming, and exercising. Connect with him on Twitter and Google +.
JEREMY STATTON is an orthopedic surgeon in Louisville, KY. Although he enjoys writing, reading, and running, his first love is his wife and four kids. His family is currently in the process of adopting a son from China. He is also the author of Grace Is: A Practical Guide to God’s Love. He is an avid blogger at JeremyStatton.com focusing on helping others live a better story. Follow him on Twitter.
JOHN TILLER is an inspirational speaker and writer. He travels with his family to churches, conferences, and other events sharing their remarkable survival story. He enjoys real estate investing, serving at his home church, watching NFL and NASCAR, improving his 10K time, and hanging out with his family at their Powhatan, Virginia home. Connect with John via blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
JUSTIN WISE is the social strategist for Monk Development, builders of Ekklesia 360. A proud husband and dad, Justin and his family live in Des Moines, Iowa. When not running, reading, or cooking, find him blogging at JustinWise.net, online at Justin.am, or on Twitter.
Hi, my name is Michael Hyatt and I am the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the world's largest Christian publisher. In my free time, I enjoy my family, writing, speaking, running, and occasionally playing golf. Learn more about me »
I speak on topics related to leadership, productivity, and social media. I have been speaking publicly for more than 25 years and have keynoted more than 100 events. I have also appeared on more than 1,500 television and radio shows, including all three major networks.
I would love to make a presentation to your group!
The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.”
— John Pierpont Morgan
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