"Truth and Intimacy: A Couple's Journal" is Finally Available

For those who has awaited the release of Truth and Intimacy: A Couple's Journal by Lensey and Lacresha Hayes, you don't have to wait any longer. It is now available anywhere books are sold. For more information about this book and the authors, visit the book blog.

Truth and Intimacy explores the depths of marriage with positive reinforcement and biblical insight. This book will help you rebuild your marriage one day and one thoughtful expression at a time. Use the interactive section in the back of the book to bond with your spouse. Use the stories to strengthen your resolve to make your relationship work. Use the scriptural references to stay grounded in the truth of God's Word for your marriage. Get your copy of this book now!

Happy Birthday, Living Waters Publishing Company

Living Waters Publishing Company started in 2005 in the month of July. In its beginning stages, LW was a church publisher that specialized in brochures, pamphlets, newsletters and magazines. Lacresha Hayes, our founder and former President, poured her heart and soul into building a publishing house that cared about the people and their message. Even under new leadership, we have stayed true to that vision.

This year, we celebrate three years of service in the publishing industry. We've grown and evolved. We've had the pleasure of working with some of the best freelancers around. We've had some of the most dedicated employees any company could ask for. Most of all, we've been blessed to have some of the best authors of today. These are the things that has kept this business going and will keep it going another thirty years.

So, here's to the past three years of Living Waters Publishing Company and the next three!

Written by Christine Taylor and Jessica Davis

LWP Statistics

Many authors often ask how their books are performing, or how certain genres perform at our company overall. Here is a brief breakdown:

Bestselling genre - Christian Help/Self-help
Slowest sellers - Children's books

Our best performing titles for this past quarter were:

• The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive by Lacresha Hayes (approx. 2000 copies sold)
• Becoming: My Personal Memoirs by Lacresha Hayes (approx. 1800 copies sold)

Our best performing titles to date this quarter: (not final totals and barring no returns come in)

• The Rape of Innocence by Lacresha Hayes (approx. 680 copies sold)
• The Nazarene Commentary by Mark Heber Miller (approx. 500 copies sold)
• Life is a Game by Jim Copeland (approx. 600 copies sold)
• The Fire that Burns for the Last Days by Kevin O'Connor (approx. 200 copies sold)
• Becoming: My Personal Memoirs by Lacresha Hayes (approx. 100 copies sold)
• Stories from the Red Glass by LMH Christian (approx. 80 copies sold)
• Benjamin P. Blizzard by Karen Nivens (approx. 60 copies sold)

The title that performed best in pre-sales is:

• The Fire that Burns for the Last Days by Kevin O'Connor

Titles that have received the most media/reviews/online attention:

• The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive by Lacresha Hayes
• Life is a Game by Jim Copeland
• The Adventures of Katie-Bear: Fun Days at School by V.K. Sansone
• Benjamin P. Blizzard: Welcome to Christmastown by Karen Nivens

Children's books move at the slowest pace, but present constant growth over a period of time. Returns in this category have been almost non-existent. Christian and self help sell quickest, but bring in the highest returns.

Upcoming Release: Truth and Intimacy: A Couple's Journal by Lacresha and Lensey Hayes

Truth and Intimacy: A Couple's Journal by Lacresha and Lensey Hayes will be released in July 2008. This is book is a must-have for couples everywhere.

Another Successful Book Writing seminar

On March 19, 2008, we sponsored a Christian Book Writing seminar. It was a huge success and everyone had a blast. We spent an hour and a half discussing the ins and outs of book writing and the various genres that give writers a greater chance for success. Read some of our comments.

"Living Waters was a lost jewel that I'm elated to have found. I've had hundreds of ideas for books, but could never get them down on paper. The most useful part of the seminar was in going over the various outline styles when organizing ideas on paper... In three days, I've done outlines for five books. I've written two chapters of one book. It seems so simple now, but I guess I needed someone to help me start. Thanks, guys!" Stephanie Phillips

"I could never have imagined finishing the first draft of a children's book in two days, but I did it, thanks in no small part to Lacresha. I'm amazed at how much easier writing is when it's done in an organized way. I think the most important part of the whole seminar was the learn your writing style quiz. It was priceless! The seminar was priceless! I'll be attending again." Olivia Nelson

"The seminar was organized and professional. The food was good. The quizzes and games were better. Great job and a value for my money." David Wilks

"I enjoyed the partnering during the end of the seminar. I had the opportunity to share my ideas and glean from the ideas of others. I think what made the seminar worth the drive for me was that the group was small enough so that each person got attention to their project, but it was large enough so that a nice diversity of ideas were presented. I would most definitely recommend the seminars and will gladly come to any others the company sponsors." Greg Patterson

"To be honest, I only came because it was an opportunity to submit my manuscript to a Christian publisher. However, once I was there, I found several of the techniques discussed could be useful to the particular style of writing I possess. I thought it'd be a waste of time, but I was very wrong! Writing a book does not have to take months or years when you know your subject matter and organize your material. The best part of the seminar was the quiz. I learned a lot from it and have posted it above my workspace so that I don't get sidetracked ever again. Job well done!" T.R. Matthews


The seminar was full of learning tools. We'll sponsor many others over the coming weeks. If you are interested in learning about writing and publishing, please contact Jessica Davis at info@livingwaterspc.com.

Lacresha Hayes to Leave Living Waters Publishing Company

In the world of business, things change so quickly. It is amazing to see a business expand and gain life all of it's own.

It is so hard to say goodbye, but I must. It has come time for LWPC to move forward without me. With all the rumors and gossip, it's only fair to put everyone's mind at ease. Living Waters is nowhere close to going out of business. We'll be around for the next thirty years if we have anything to say about it. LWPC is not going bankrupt. With any luck, we'll stay debt-free for years to come.

However, I am leaving. The business will be in good hands with Lensey Hayes and the rest of the board. He, Larry, Chris and Kevin will take this business to the next level of excellence and integrity. With the host of experience they all bring to the table, I believe everyone will see a tremendous change immediately.

It was my dream to run this business as a family of authors who all want to succeed together. I've learned, though, that business is business and family is family. It's extremely hard to mix the two of them together. Hard, not impossible. Still, I hope that the authors will continue to fellowship with one another, helping each other selflessly as you all have in the past. If I'm leaving anything behind, I hope it is that nothing is impossible. If you can dream it and plan it, it can work. Never let the old heads in the publishing industry tell you what you cannot do or what is impossible. We've done everything they said we couldn't do. We've gotten the big reviews for some of our authors. We've secured shelf space for many of our books. All it takes is faith! Faith because faith is substance and evidence. What more do we need?

I'll miss you all. Keep writing and keep the faith!

Lacresha Hayes, author of The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive and Becoming: My Personal Memoirs

Getting Published Webinar

Date: February 27, 2008
Time: 7 pm-8 pm CST
Cost: $27 per person

Information:

You may have written a book and thought that the hard part was over. Maybe no one told you the ins and outs of agents, submissions, query letters, royalties and advances. There is a lot of language authors need to know. This industry is full of pitfalls for new authors.

This webinar will deal with the next steps after writing your book. What you do and who you choose to represent your book can be the difference between sinking or swimming for your book. You do not want to miss this webinar.

Hurry! Register today! Contact Lacresha Hayes at preacha1975@yahoo.com or lacresha.hayes@livingwaterspc.com. Space is limited!

Comments from webinar attendees so far

Here are some comments about the Book Marketing webinar so far:

LMHChristian said…
Hi Lacresha...It was a really good seminar meeting tonite...Thank you for all of the info that you give, and I look forward to a blessed and prosperous journey together...Many Blessings... LMHChristian Author of 'Stories from the Red Glass' with LivingWaters.

Kate said...
I was ready to learn. It's getting better each night. It's important to learn this stuff if you're an author.

Jamie said...
Lacresha, thanks for this opportunity. I enjoyed the PPT. It was excellent and because I have a copy, I can reflect back to that when my book is released through Xulon. My imagination was sparked and now that I understand how all of it works together, I think I might have enough freedom to even ad lib a little bit, putting my own flavor in my package to reflect my book. Thank you for this information.

Kevin said...
I learned so much from this webinar. I thank you for having it. I'm full of ideas now and I plan to put them all into action. It was exciting!

Cathy said...
Technical difficulties aside, I really enjoyed the information. You brought out some very overlooked aspects of marketing books. It was innovative and thorough. I would suggest you not let people ask questions in the open chat so that only the presenters and panelists can speak in the open chat. Seems some of the questions were redundant. Nevertheless, you were really good at keeping a balance and a light, carefree atmosphere in the meeting. I'd rate it at least an 8 for content alone.

Upcoming Release: Poetic Infinity: Passion and Promise by Lacresha Hayes

Are you a poetry-lover? Does it seem that a good poem can brighten your day and make you smile? Then Lacresha Hayes' latest book is definitely for you.

Poetic Infinity has something for everyone. Each poems builds more and more momentum, sucking the reader into a world of serenity, joy and meaningful thought.

Upcoming Release: The Culpepper Family series

The Culpepper Family series, a 3 book set, is due out next month. This is Lacresha's first public attempt at children's literature and is already causing waves. The reviewers are loving it. Don't miss the first three books in this series:

~ Praying for Cyle Culpepper

~ Resurrection Celebration

~ The Arrival of Gabriel and Michael

(Cover art by WillowRaven Illustration and Design Plus)

Let the praises ring: Mark Heber Miller Voices His Opinion and Praise

I have to say, I was very, VERY pleased with this testimonial. I was so deeply invested in getting it out that when I finally got the proof copy, I nearly cried. It felt like a huge relief and a gigantic victory to have finally published this work. Here's what Mr. Miller wrote about us:

**********************************

Lacresha is my angel! Living Waters Publishing is a miracle and the answer to a prayer. Between 1996 and 2007 I had written Bible commentaries and posted these on the Friends of the Nazarene web page. [www.nazarene-friends.org] BUT I had always wanted to publish some of these in hard copy but had no idea how to go about it. I prayed to the God I believe in - Abba the Father - and asked if it was His will He would direct and guide me to someone who would tackle this tremendous job of publishing The Nazarene Commentary: 21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures with 12,000 footnotes; AND, 6 other books on Christian living and teaching.

Enter Lacresha and Living Waters Publishing! What a caring champion for my work, though the project was so daunting. Just as I struggled to write the original, LWP worked for months to help edit and prepare the first soft cover copies. Hard cover editions will be available in the coming months.

I cannot priase Lacresha and her group at LWP enough. They were so encouraging and patient as they held my hand throughout the publishing and printing process. Actually, I can think of no criticsm regarding LWP and would recommend them to any writer entering the spiritual/inspirational field. I look forward to the year 2008 as six more books will be published: Nazarene Apocalypse: The Jesus Prophecies [a comprehensive study of Revelation]; a four volume work containing 165 articles on Bible topics: Nazarene Teachings: Follow the Lamb!; and my life story, Messianic Confessions.

Most sincerely,

Mark Heber Miller

Upcoming Releases You Don't Want to Miss

Spirit: The Inner Man by Mary K. Thomas

The Fire That Burns for the Last Days by Kevin O'Connor

Nonficton Tips

From the beginning of books until now, people assume authors are somewhat of a professional in their fields, particularly authors of nonfiction. When you set out to do a book of nonfiction, there are a few pointers that will help you succeed at it:

1) Don't be afraid to interview other professionals. In the world of nonfiction books, it is true that no man is an island to himself. Incorporate help. It will improve the content, worth and sales of your book.

2) ALWAYS include a table of contents and an index. These are important factors that, if forgotten, can make you look like an amateur. When people buy nonfiction, they want swift access to the information they need. Make your book a keeper by first, making the information easy to find, and then, giving them an index they can't live without.

3) You can't be shy. When you are writing nonfiction, your participation is necessary for the book to accomplish any level of success. Promote yourself and your book with every tool you have and do it on a continual basis.


Provided by Living Waters Publishing Company
Lacresha Hayes, President

V.K. Sansone sounds off about Living Waters

"When I first met Lacresha a year ago (has it been that long already?), we became friends pretty quickly. She is a darling person and I believe she lives what she preaches! As for being a great publishing co., I believe Living Waters is really wonderful. They seem to help all of their authors, and I do know that they help aspiring new authors to climb up the ladder of hope! It is a great place to learn how to write, how to market and know that you will be taken care of in case you fall on your face! Since being with Living Waters Publishing Co. and having my first book coming out in a week or so, I am very happy with their business with me and the advertising they do for my material. They are fair, open-minded, and kind people, and very helpful. I do believe that we will be working together for a long while in the future and that the Katie Bear book series will go far with Living Waters Publishing Company backing it. GOD bless them all."

Katie

A Testimonial from Rosalee Wilson

I was moved to tears by the sweetness of this testimonial. It was a blessing to me.

"My name is Rosalee Wilson, author of Elijah the Penguin. I would like to say that my experience with Living Waters Publishing Company has been a dream-come-true! They truly care about their authors as much as the books they are publishing. They work with you and let you know what is going on with your books every step of the way. If you have questions, they are always answered in a timely manner. Lacresha has been wonderful to work with and I am so glad that God led me to this publisher: someone who loves the Lord and works with their authors in a very personal way. I hope to publish more books with them in the future. If you are looking for a Christian publisher who cares about your book and its success then Living Waters Publishing Company is definitely for you!"

Never Be Too Proud to Receive Correction (Personal note from the President)

Living Waters Publishing Company is about to be made over.

As I'm sure many of you know, we've been under constant fire lately by various groups. It's unfortunate that there are so many hateful/spiteful people in the world. Not everyone is, which was a blessing for us. When the rumors, lies and deception were at their peak, God sent us some angels in the form of Marion Gropen, Kevin Scott Collier, Terry Kennedy, Pete Masterson, and Jeanette Patindol to bring some corrections.

Sometimes, we have a tendency to blame people when we're attacked. I felt as if someone was attempting to destroy my "baby". I love this industry and I wanted nothing to get in the way of building Living Waters to be a new kind of company, one with a real heart. At any rate, after cooling down and being at the point of initiating a lawsuit I was sure to win, and after spending 3 days in revival, God spoke to my heart. When I went back over the posts that had been forwarded to me, I found an opportunity.

I've never made it a secret that we offer various programs to help people see their work published. We have everything nearly any other publisher has and then some. The business model was perfect. But, and that's a big BUT, we were doing a poor job in communicating who we are! The attack against my character and the viability of the business forced me to take real inventory. Needless to say, after all the tears and prayer, we've decided to change the website. As a matter of a fact, the entire company is getting a makeover.

We've operated the three publishing programs too close together. So, we are hiring a separate Acquisitions Manager for each program. We are going to further separate them by causing our traditional program to have it's own website while our cooperative and self-publishing assistance programs are on another site together.

You will notice these changes beginning soon. By the end of February, our new sites will be fully functional. We've hired a Web Designer for the sake of the sites and keeping them updated. We've also made contact with another distributor who specializes in the children's book market. We are further separating the distribution of children's book to guarantee the success of our chldren's book authors and everyone else.

We extend a huge thank you to the above mentioned people for their honesty, integrity, their fairness, their desire to truly build this industry, their willingness to help others and so forth. We will keep you posted further. Your prayers are appreciated.

Lacresha Hayes, President of Living Waters Publishing Company