Child psychologist and LifeTree author Dr. Vanessa Lapointe has been changing the conversation around parenting for many years, but it wasn’t until she became an author that she started reaching new audiences on an unprecedented level. Vanessa published her book, Discipline Without Damage, in January 2016 through LifeTree Media’s Best Book ... keep reading
Maggie Langrick shortlisted for 2015 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence
LifeTree Media is proud to announce that our very own Maggie Langrick was shortlisted for the 2015 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence, a peer-reviewed award given out annually by Editors Canada.
Maggie, who is LifeTree’s Founder and Publisher, earned the nomination for her work on Shell: One Woman’s Final Year After a Lifelong Strug... keep reading
What makes a great book cover?
Before a single word of your book is consumed, readers will form an impression of it through its cover. A book with an amateurish, confusing or dull jacket design sends a subliminal signal to the reader that the book itself may have been poorly thought out or carelessly put together. But a smart, attractive design conveys a sense of excellence and seriousness, as well as telling the reader something about the subject matter inside.
“A successful book cover is both an advertisement for the book and a beautiful object all its own,” says book designer and art director Peter... keep reading
Great Minds: Under the Covers with Chip Kidd
Chip Kidd’s home and office walk the fine line between collectible and cluttered, full of comic books, action figures, and other “Kidd-friendly” paraphernelia. The ad artists in Mad Men wouldn’t be caught dead with a collectible lunchbox, but Kidd displays his front and center.
Kidd isn’t a hoarder–he’s an award-winning book cover designer for Knopf, and has created both fiction and nonfiction covers for authors such as John Updike, Katharine Hepburn, Cormac McCarthy, David Sedaris, Neil Gaiman, and countless others. He’s perhaps mos... keep reading
Split Decision: How we split-tested a book cover
There are a lot of decisions to make in publishing. Some of them, like whether or not you need an author platform, are easy to make (the answer is yes, by the way). But sometimes we get stumped. We ran into this problem when one of our upcoming titles, Resolve by Hal Movius, was back from the designers with not one, but three great covers. We’ll call them Orange, White and Blue.
... keep reading
Don’t Be an Accidental Plagiarist!
When it comes to conducting research for your book, not all sources are created equal. Freelance editor Shirarose Wilensky offers an easy rule of thumb to steer you toward reputable sources: start with print-based materials such as books, newspapers, journals and magazine articles, then move on to online sources. This is because although some web-based publications have high journalistic standards, many (perhaps most) others simply do not.
Misinformation and unsubstantiated claims are rampant online. Inevitably, you will come across information that has been distorted by the grapevin... keep reading
Reusing Writing: How to obtain permissions from other authors
Research is an essential part of writing almost any nonfiction book. Whether you want to back up an assertion with study findings, illustrate a point, or simply put your ideas in context, you will inevitably find yourself referring to the work of other authors or researchers in your own book.
When it comes to dealing with previously published work, you need to be very careful about how you use it and credit its origins. Whenever you quote another person, living or dead, you must attribute their words to them, along with a mention of where and when the quote first appeared (if it c... keep reading
Avoid these research pitfalls at all costs
Without research, there would be no studies for Brené Brown to base her claims on. Without research, the anecdotes behind Malcolm Gladwell’s stories would remain with their owners. And without research, every biographical or historical nonfiction title would be very, very short!
Since research is the foundation of knowledge, it needs to be done right, and that means interpreting your findings properly. I’ve put together a few common research pitfalls; get familiar with this list and avoid these at all costs.
1. Mistaking correlation for causation
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Great Minds: How J.K. Rowling Brought Order to the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling famously thought up a school of witchcraft and wizardry while on a delayed train. Of course, as it often is when the muse decides to strike, she was penless (and, she admits, too shy to ask for one).
Rowling, of course, was eventually able to find a pen, and 400 million copies later, Harry Potter and his world of magic has become one of the most beloved stories of our time. But, as Rowling wrote each book, that world got bigger and bigger until not even a delayed train ride could help her organize it.
Instead, Rowling took to organizing on paper, creating a massiv... keep reading
Is LifeTree the Only Publisher that Builds Author Platforms?
“Industry analyst Mike Shatzkin said that authors have long been recognized as the consumer-facing brand that most matters (to publishers and readers), and that today every author can build some kind of digital presence. However, he said, while a few authors do that very well, most do it badly.” This is publishing expert Jane Friedman, who recently shared an keep reading
