New Release ~ "Wait on the Lord, I Say Wait" by Sabriena Williams

We're proud to announce the release of Wait on the Lord, I Say Wait by Sabriena Williams.

This book makes a strong appeal to have faith in all situations, particularly when it comes to family life. Shavon is a strong, proud, Christian woman who adores her family, her job and her work for God. Follow her struggles and triumphs in this captivating and uplifting novel.

Title: Wait on the Lord, I Say Wait
Author: Sabriena Williams
Publisher: Living Waters Publishing Company
ISBN: 978-0-9821153-1-2
Price: $16.95

Announcing our Teasers Blog

After much feedback from our authors and customers, we've added another blog. Introducing our LWP Teasers blog, http://lwpteasers.blogspot.com

There are three things we've gotten from every purchaser of our books in the last 60 days:

1. They want to see reviews.
2. They want chapter excerpts.
3. They'd like more book information.

We're giving them and our authors what they want. This blog will be updated frequently. Every book published by Living Waters will be featured on this blog at least once. So, tell your family and friends about it. We hope this will boost sales for our authors and enjoyment for our buying public.

The Importance of Amazon.com Sales

For those who have been keeping up with the Amazon issue, you may already be aware of the lawsuit pending against them, and the fact that SPAN has officially said that they do support the lawsuit.

Amazon.com has never been a major source of sales for most of our titles, though we do get some sales through them. However, we don't want to minimize the importance of Amazon.com in sales. Even with many of the customers who purchase at our online store, about 1/3 of them browsed Amazon first. That says a lot.

Here are the official Living Waters figures:

Online vs. Bookstore Sales

Online sales ~ 70%
Bookstore sales ~ 20%
Other sources ~ 10%

Online Retailers

Living Waters store ~ 55%
Borders ~ 25%
Amazon ~ 10%
Powell's ~ 5%
Other stores ~ 5%

We will keep these statistics updated as changes develop. Keep a check on this blog.

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 Celebration for our 200th Title - "Dear God Diary" by Beverly Teibel

Living Waters gladly announces our 200th title, newly contracted "Dear God Diary" by Beverly Teibel. This is a celebration of a major milestone. Now all that is left is to get them out there for the world to read!

Congratulations, Ms. Teibel. We plan to do you proud.


Living Waters staff

Updated Systems to Make an Author's Life Easier

FINALLY!

Over the next few weeks, Living Waters will be upgrading our website. We will add a program that is integrated with our systems to give you up to the minute reporting for publication status of your book, as well as sales figures. The latter will take a bit longer to put into place, but the first we expect to be up and running by the end of May.

It is our goal to build a system that is user-friendly. For this reason, your continued feedback is greatly appreciated.

No Amazon Worries

Living Waters has been closely following the lastest Amazon.com news. We've written a letter to Amazon, joining our voice in with the other independent and smaller publishers.

By the same token, Living Waters has been a part of the Amazon Advantage program for some time, though we'd mostly gone without having to use it. Please be assured that we are working with others on a solution to the program, but in the meantime, we have this program in place and will begin using it with your books if the situation is not resolved soon.

We will keep you updated as we know more.

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.

Message from the President, Lensey Hayes

As the President of Living Waters Publishing Company, my first priority is to institute a more interactive business model. We want, you, the authors to be able to sign into the website and get up-to-the-minute information on the status of your books.

One of my strongest gifts is vision. Together with our small management team, we will begin to focus more on building each author's recognition and less on attracting already known authors. We will begin to do free seminars for LWP authors. These will be training seminars and webinars focused on building name recognition, follow-ups and improvements to established books, and expanding on target markets.

Lastly, I'd like to say that I will be a voice for the smaller, unknown author. This company was founded for the purpose of spreading a message. We are going back to that, to a model that focuses more on the message than the messenger. We are going to grow and we want every one of our authors to grow with us. Thank you all for choosing us. It is our goal to make sure you get all you hoped for and more!

Lensey C. Hayes

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!

Book Marketing Webinar Starts Tomorrow

Living Waters Publishing Company is pleased to announce that we are sponsoring our 12th Book Marketing seminar, but this time due to popular demand and to make it more affordable for our participants, we will have it online!

From February 19-21, we will host participants in our exclusive marketing webinar. Each session will be one hour.
Our topics include:

• Preparing your book for marketing before it's published
• Getting the important reviews and maximizing their potential
• Obtaining shelf space and prime placement in bookstores
• How to guarantee your book gets some media attention
• Improving Amazon placement and rankings
• How to create or dominate a niche market
• Selling out during book tours
• The power of direct mail
• Targeting television and radio interviewers
• How to tell if your book could make a good movie or cartoon
• How to tell if your book should be in multiple formats
• Following up with latter books that breathe life back into the first ones

The red denotes session one, blue for session two and green for session 3. On Saturday, February 23, we will have all three sessions, 1 hour each with a 45 minute break in between each session. Please see the schedule below.

Session 1 ~ Tuesday, Feb. 19th from 8pm-9pm CST, Saturday, Feb. 23rd at 10am CST

Session 2 ~ Wednesday, Feb. 20th from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb. 23rd at 11:45am CST

Session 3 ~ Thursday, Feb. 21st from 7pm-8pm CST, Saturday, Feb. 23rd at 1:30pm CST

Registration is required and will be taken from now through February 22 at 7 pm. We will give away 2 books for each session and 3 total on Saturday, for a total of 9 books. We will also giveaway one grand prize: a $50 Walmart gift card, to be annouced on Saturday night!

Living Waters has been made over

Living Waters Publishing Company has been making itself over, so to speak. We have a nice new logo and a beautiful new site to match!

We're working daily to be what our authors need. We've expanded our marketing programs, including more online marketing with the offline targets. God is increasing our territory, and it's because of our wonderful and supportive authors and employees. This company has prayer going up for it nearly around the clock and around the globe.

Please, when you get the opportunity, visit our site at www.livingwaterspc.com. While you're there, use the contact option and lend us your feedback!

May God continue to increase and bless each and every one of us! AMEN!

What Are Our Authors Saying

"Since the time I signed on with LW, I've been delighted with the services. My book is performing, and just the other day I found a copy in a local borders in NY." Kim

"I was so pleased with my cover and illustrations. My marketing plan and material are great and already I'm getting reviews. I have no complaints." Ann

"I nearly didn't sign with LWPC. I'd heard all sorts of mean things. After doing my own research, however, I'm glad I did. It's like being a part of a family now. We all are praying for the company and for each other. You don't get that just anywhere. I get input into every part of my book. I'm always in the know. It's just a great company. I'll use them for all of my books." Erica


So many authors are abused by the publishing industry. Living Waters takes care of our authors and their books. We work around the clock to get attention and major distribution for our authors. We approach this business from the perspective of pushing each individual book as far as it can go. We NEVER quit! And, we're fortunate to have authors who share that sentiment!

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

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!"

Introducing Still Waves Publishing Company

Living Waters would like to introduce a sister arm of our company, Still Waves Publishing Company. This company will focus on Sci-fi, fiction, etc. It is NOT a Christian company.

Under the leadership of Montario D. Hampton, Still Waves Publishing will operate alongside Living Waters Publishing Company, not as competition, but as another alternative for authors who are not Christian, or who do not write Christian material.

Please, show your support for him and his new company. His website, www.stillwavespublishing.com, will be up by February 12th. In the meantime, you can visit his blogspot at http://stillwavespublishing.blogspot.com.

If you are interested in submitting a manuscript, please send it to stillwaves@livingwaterspc.com.

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