Books Out Loud with Bill Watkins

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet author Bill Watkins, you're missing out! So here's the next best thing: Bill Watkins reading part of his memoir A Celtic Childhood. Accompanied by Tom Dahill on the accordion. Enjoy!

A Taste of Reading's Adventures - Yum!

This summer, Scarletta is coming out with its first food-related book: Knives on the Cutting Edge by Bob Macdonald. And let me tell you, copyediting a book about food makes you HUNGRY! Which got us thinking, what other books have made our mouths water? So we set out to create a list of the foods found in our favorite books! And then we went on to find the perfect recipes for them.
Here's a sample of the list below:

• Chili for Get In if you Want to Live by John Jodzio
• Lamb stew with dried plums for The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Southern potato salad for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Tabouli for A Beirut Heart by Cathy Sultan

You can check out the rest of our list here.

Are e-Readers Environmentally Friendly?

There are many reasons why someone might buy an e-reader nowadays. eBooks are cheaper than their print counterparts, travelers can carry hundreds of books with them instead of only a few, and now, a slightly controversial reason: ebooks are more environmentally friendly.
The question then is, "But are they really?" It's easy to say that ebooks use less paper than print books, but what about the materials wasted every time someone throws away their old e-reader to buy one that's newer and more exciting?
National Geographic recently ran an article on this topic, and they claimed:

"The amount of paper used for books in one year was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons, and each book produced gave off an estimated 8.85 pounds of carbon dioxide. Study groups have found that the carbon released from eBooks is offset after people read more than 14 eBooks. For the life cycle of a device for reading books, the carbon emitted is offset after the first year. The savings in carbon emitted into the air is around 168 kilograms for the following years after the first year of use."

Digital Reissue vs Reprint

With the rise of e-reading and ebooks sales skyrocketing, many would tell you that digital reissues are where the money's at. But what about the good 'ol reprint?

We started thinking about this topic after reading an article about how Frank Giovinazzi published a digital version of an out-of-print self-help book (How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World by Harry Browne) because he couldn't find a reasonably priced copy of it.

In the article, Giovinazzi states, "I contacted his widow, Pamela Browne, along with her representative and asked them if they held the publishing rights and if they would allow me to issue the book in digital format. They were delighted to have the book issued in this format and we signed a contract – and if sales of this book support it, we are going to go ahead and publish other Harry Browne titles as well."

And while we think this is great, did anyone consider a reprint? In 2011, we reprinted two of Bill Watkins' books A Celtic Childhood and Scotland Is Not for the Squeamish. In addition to that, we also released both works as ebooks. And do you know what we found? Bill's books sell better in print than their ebook counterparts.

Bad Jokes & Great Reviews - Long Live The Litigators!

A librarian, book reviewer, and legal historian all walk into a bar, and the bartender asks, "Now how much did all of you love The Litigators?"

Ok, sorry! Bad joke. I've been watching a lot of romantic comedies lately, where bad jokes are king. But seriously, a librarian, book reviewer, and legal historian did walk into a room, and they all had wonderful things to say about The Litigators.

To give a little background on the book, it's one we're especially proud of! Why, you ask? Because The Litigators was the first book we published here at Scarletta, and book publishers will tell you, you never forget the first book you help publish. The Litigators was published in 2005 and was written by lawyer Lindsay Arthur. The book takes place in Minnesota, and it exposes the truths and failures in today’s court system.

Nalah and the Pink Tiger Book Review & Giveaway

Nalah and the Pink Tiger just received its first review from a mommy blogger! Here's what she had to say:

"We have read this book a couple of times now and my oldest loves it. It's not wordy at all, so even my 13 month old will sit through it."

"The book is so cute and my oldest thinks it is really funny. And it even gave me a few giggles."

"I think this is a great book for kids, and one that parents will enjoy reading more than once as well. :)"

We'd like to thank the Open Hands blog for such a sweet review! You can read the rest of it here.

And DON'T FORGET to sign up for the book giveaway by Friday, April 13, 2012!

Why You Should Preorder Your Favorite Books

Why do people preorder books? Are they just too lazy to go to a bookstore the day the book arrives? Actually, people preorder books because they love their authors! Each book you preorder tells Amazon/Barnes & Noble/whoever that one more person needs this book so badly that they're willing to pay for it long before they'll actually receive it. Maybe you're thinking, well what does that change? It changes the number of books those same companies (Amazon/Barnes & Noble/etc) will purchase for their shelves (or in the case of Amazon, their warehouses).
The more buzz and preorders an author can get, the more likely booksellers will promote that book. Because there's already proof that it's something people are interested in.
And you're not just helping out your favorites authors by preordering their books, you're also helping out your checking account. How's that, you ask? Most preordered books are discounted.