Looking for direction on your project?

Weathervane will assist you with all of your editing needs. Whether you need help conceptualizing an idea or developing the organization of your project or you need extensive rewrites, careful line editing, light cleaning up, or even just a quick second look, Weathervane Editorial Services will help guide your project based on your needs.

Every project receives personal attention and will be crafted based on your needs, timeline, and goals. We specialize in quick turnarounds, careful editing, reasonable rates, and uniquely personalized guidance. Our areas of expertise are nonfiction books (genres include outdoor recreation, nature, sports, fishing, hunting, local interest, history, current events, and instructional), technical project/contract proposals, resumes, cover letters, and online content, but we are willing to consider any type of project.

Please see the Testimonials for what people have to say about our services or Clients for our client list. For more information or to discuss a project you need assistance with, please email jess.haberman@gmail.com.

We look forward to working with you!
—The Weathervane Editorial Services Team (WEST)

A "Pinterest" in books

Note: The original post can be found at the Dragonfly Editorial blog. 

We’ve all heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” With Pinterest, that’s exactly what you are meant to do.

For those of you who haven’t latched on to the social media craze that rose to stardom nearly overnight, you may already know that Pinterest is a virtual corkboard for your favorite interests, hobbies, and “pretty stuff.” Unlike other sites that let you “like” or “favorite” photos and hyperlinks, Pinterest also lets you organize them.

Pinterest allows you to create “pinboards” based on the interest or hobbies. Mine include “Books Worth Reading”–a place to show off books that I’ve edited, read, or want to read. Whether you read in book format or electronically, you can use Pinterest to store and share images of books you love or recommend.

The majority of pins from my friends are recipes (I’ve never seen so many cupcakes in my life), home decor, and cute animals. But there is a lot of great stuff for the book lover, too. You’ll find DIY craft projects, like bookmarks and Scrabble-tile coasters; inspirational quotations; book covers as a means of sharing book suggestions; and lots and lots of photos of gorgeous libraries, clever book shelves, and book nooks for the home. Build your pin-buddies by following your book-lover friends and favorite bookstores, like Tattered Cover.

Pinterest has a predominantly female audience (as much as 95% female users), but it’s growing a wider audience.  Pinterest appeals to the magazine browser, the mom looking for kid-friendly projects, collectors of pretty pictures, and compulsive organizers, among its more than 10 million users. And if you’re anything like me, you really like to organize things. Thank heavens for Pinterest.

Interview with Jessica Haberman, Acquisitions Editor

Interview with Jessica Haberman, Acquisitions Editor, Globe Pequot Press, FalconGuides originally published at BookMarketingBuzzBlog.

Jessica, as the acquisitions editor for Globe Pequot Press | FalconGuides, what are you looking for in the authors you decide to publish? 
FalconGuides is known for its cadre of outdoor experts who are active in their local communities and can help pinpoint the very best outdoor recreation information—the best hiking trails, climbing routes, bike trails, camping sites, surf spots, and more. In addition to authors with outdoor expertise, we value authors who can effectively market their work, whose enthusiasm doesn’t end when the manuscript is turned in. And we’re looking for traits that make outdoor experts great writers: an engaging voice, attention to detail, and a desire to exceed expectations. Authors who thrive on tight deadlines are especially attractive.  

What do you love about being a part of the book publishing industry? 
I love being part of a community that adores books and that appreciates a dog-eared, cover-ripped, spine-cracked volume as much as any pristine copy shipped from the printer. I also love the way industry professionals have found ways to turn big challenges into opportunities to try new things and succeed with different types of projects and formats.

Where do you see the book world heading? 
While I was speaking with our app developer partner, he shared a quote from Alan Kay that I think accurately describes our role in the book world right now: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” I’m working on an app right now with authors of a field guide, and we’re finding many fascinating features of an app that actually make the content better and easier to search. Does it mean the end of the printed book? Definitely not. It’s difficult for me to imagine an outdoors industry, for instance, without printed books. Books get dirty and wet, pages get ripped. Climbers aren’t bringing their iPads and Kindles while they scale El Capitan. Kayakers aren’t taking their devices with them while paddling through the New River Gorge. Books can withstand a beating, and when they’re beyond repair, you spend $20 for a new one. Furthermore, when you’re in the backcountry, you don’t have a cell phone signal to download the latest hiking guide. That’s why we love printed books—but I expect they will decrease in number as many folks move toward electronic books and apps. Printed books will be around, but they’re going to be more expensive as the quantities decrease and cost of printing goes up.

Do you intend to release enhanced e-books, and if so, what do you hope to add to them? 
We are examining different ways to package our content, and we are looking into enhanced e-books—specifically, e-books that contain video. We’re working on an initiative to acquire more video content, and we’re looking at lots of different ways it can enhance our written content. Although video is by no means a new format, it’s a new way for us to think about promoting our content.

What advice do you have for struggling writers? 
It’s such a cliché these days, but “write what you know.” This is why our books work—our authors are writing about and researching (aka hiking, camping, climbing, etc.) their favorite activities. Thorough research is important. When I get stuck or I have trouble focusing, I dig back into the research. Chances are there is something I missed, something I can dissect a little deeper, or an interesting fact that inspires me to think about something a different way. Good research means a better book. With the amount of competition for printed books, yours really needs to stand out. In my work, it doesn’t mean it needs a fancy hook; I care more that the information is accurate and well-presented. I do look at unsolicited submissions. In fact, I just signed two books from the slush pile. If you do good market research and you have a good sense of what the publisher’s key areas are, you can craft a great proposal. Think broadly (readers want more than the hikes in your backyard) and know the competition. Show us your enthusiasm.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Planned Television Arts. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person.

Amazon takes on kids' books

Note: The original post can be found at the Dragonfly Editorial blog.

Looks like Amazon is at it again!

The New York Times reported last week that Amazon has continued its push into publishing. The company recently acquired more than 450 titles from Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books, a niche publisher best known for its educational titles.

There seems to be no stopping this giant in its quest to take a larger share of both the bookselling business and the book publishing business. Seems unfair, doesn’t it?

Personally, I don’t know much about the children’s book publishing industry, which is quite different from the trade book publishing world in which I live. Nonetheless, I don’t feel too worried about this move.

Undoubtedly, some authors will flock to Amazon because (from what I understand) they offer very competitive royalty rates. And as Amazon will most likely hire the best editors and designers they can find — and there are many without work these days — I expect they will operate as well as any publisher.

But each publisher is different, and each offers a different experience. I’d like to believe that even with Amazon’s continuing forays into creating books — not just selling them —there will still be a place for many other publishers. Not ones that are necessarily more discerning — but ones that have a more specialized focus, offer more personalized services, or see the potential in bringing unique voices to market.

In any case, I have to admit that I much prefer that authors flock to Amazon’s publishing arm than to self-publishing tools (and tools offered by others, including some actual publishers!).

Self-publishing is growing fast, and despite the endless hype about successful authors who’ve turned to self-publishing after being ignored by mainstream publishers, the backlash against poorly edited, poorly designed e-books has already begun.

I am definitely curious — both as a reader and acquisitions editor — about how this will all play out. My guess is that by this time next year, the landscape will already be dramatically different.