Perigee Bookmarks

Found in Translation

Posted by Marian Lizzi

It’s always great to hear that our Subsidiary Rights team has sold translation rights for one of our books. It’s happy news for the author as well as for everyone who worked on the book. New readers in faraway lands—every author and editor’s dream.

What’s less certain is what the book will look like in its new, translated edition. Taste in book covers varies widely around the world, as a quick glance at the Freakonomics foreign editions page makes eye-poppingly clear. What makes a cover design work brilliantly here in North America but look dated, random, or just plain unattractive overseas?

Beats me.

Here at Perigee, we’ve received some beautiful foreign editions of our books. Some of them remain pretty true to our original design. For example, here is our cover of Ammon Shea’s Reading the OED with the UK edition (in hardcover….more on the paperback in a moment).

Our edition:

UK edition:

 
Here’s our cover of Keri Smith’s This Is Not a Book with the German edition – a lovely hand-drawn rendering that approximates Keri’s original version:

Our edition:

German edition:


 
 
And some of them present a lovely surprise – an entirely new design in a direction we hadn’t chosen but which works quite nicely. For example, Signe Pike’s Faery Tale.

Our edition:

 
 
UK edition (to be published by Hay House next year):

 
 

However.

It’s also a fairly common occurrence in the life of an editor to receive a stack of freshly printed foreign editions only to spend several minutes trying to figure out what book it is.

Here are a few examples we happen to have on hand – recent foreign editions of titles from our backlist (expertly photographed by me in my office).

 

Help Your Baby Talk

Our edition:

 
Korean edition:

 

The Insomnia Answer

Our edition:

  
Complex Chinese Edition (Yes, that's a sleeping polar bear.):

 
 
 

What’s the Worst That Could Happen? (A book about climate change)

Our edition:

Korean edition:

 
Whatever works….

 

And finally, sometimes a foreign publisher changes a book’s title (just as US publishers sometimes do when we publish a book that originated abroad). A case in point: Reading the OED (again). For their paperback edition, Penguin UK decided to change not only the cover design but the title itself. The result?

 
 
 
If you’re wondering what the title means, you’ll have to read the book.

Just kidding. It means a love for words.

I wonder if there’s a word for a love of foreign covers. I’ll have to ask Ammon. It would surely come in handy around here.

 

If you have a favorite foreign cover (funny, strange, beautiful, etc), feel free to email me about it at Marian.Lizzi@us.penguingroup.com, or comment below.

The Gift of Divorce

Posted by  Diana Mercer, JD

When my publisher and I were discussing the best time to publish Making Divorce Work, I pointed out that the busiest months for divorce are November and December.  Sure, plenty of troubled couples power through Halloween to New Year’s Day, but even more file for divorce as the holidays approach.

It is a curious phenomenon since one would expect that people would wait until the post-holiday time when all the world is making resolutions for the New Year and everybody’s thinking  about pushing the reset button on their lives – including getting out of a crumbling relationship.

While the divorce decision may come as a shock to friends, family, or even a spouse, statistically the partner who initiates the divorce has been thinking seriously about it for an entire year.  And with the impending holidays—and all the attendant stress for the spouse who initiates the proceedings—the idea of having to survive another six weeks keeping the secret that they’re unhappy in a marriage becomes intolerable. As a result, they file for divorce or separation in November or December, vowing to make a clean start in the new year. No more procrastinating.

For many people the timing may be an emotionally charged decision, but as I counsel all my clients, I hope it will be the last one in the whole process.  

As a divorce professional, I try to prepare myself to handle the influx of pre-holiday business with the same patient and thoughtful service my clients expect in February and June.  Almost every year I mediate a holiday custody dispute on December 24.  I also work almost every New Year’s Eve.  While simply closing the office and making people work it out themselves would be easier, the idea that a child’s Christmas will be ruined by fighting parents is just too heartbreaking.

So if divorce is a gift that you’re giving this year—or one that you find yourself receiving—it’s worth it to keep the holidays as peaceful as possible for your children, your family, and for yourself.

 

Diana Mercer is  a family law mediator and founder of  Peace Talks Mediation Services in Los Angeles and a regular contributor to Huffington Post Divorce. She is  the co-author of Making Divorce Work:  8 Essential Keys to Resolving Conflict and Rebuilding Your Life.  

Join the conversation and community at http://makingdivorceworkblog.com.

'Tis the Season (for Holiday Gift Guides)

Posted by Christina Lundy

My family and friends know by now to expect books from me at Christmas.  I try to fight the urge to give books to everyone—they aren’t all big readers, after all—but I can’t help myself.  I always end up finding a book that seems written just for them.  I love books.  Is it too much to ask for everyone else to love them, too?  Here are a few Perigee books that I think would make especially good gifts this year.

 

For at-home chefs: The Lost Art of Real Cooking – Put some love and elbow grease back into your meals, and leave the store-bought mixes and pre-fab food behind.  Beautifully packaged and not at all intimidating, even for beginners.

 

 

 

For memoir lovers: Faery Tale – The story of Signe Pike, a 20-something editor who searches for something to believe in after the unexpected death of her father.  Belief in fairies not required.

 

 

 

 

For creative types: Wreck This Box - Boxed set of Keri Smith favorites Wreck This Journal, This Is Not a Book, and Mess.  Guaranteed to make you think outside the box (sorry).

 

 

 

 

 

For kids: Make These Toys – Perfect for when they inevitably get tired of all their new toys.

 

 

 

 

For trivia nerds and bathroom readers: Anything from The Book of Useless Information series – Filled with seemingly endless facts that I can never recall on trivia night.

 

 

 

 

 

For the person who hates their job: The Art of Non-Conformity – Inspiration to figure out what you love and to do it at all costs, from an entrepreneur who has never had a traditional job.

 

 

 

 

Check out the Penguin Gift Guide for more ideas.

 

Comfort in Traditions

Posted by author Madhu Gadia

Holidays are a wonderful time for family and friends to come together, when you want to let go of the daily grind and focus on fun and traditions. Each family has its own traditions related to the holidays. In India, Diwali is one of the main Hindu festivals and is celebrated with similar reverence and merriment as Christmas in the West. Diwali is translated as the Festival of Lights, signifying victory of good over evil.

I started having a Diwali party when my kids were small with the intention of educating them about their own holiday. After a couple of years all my friends started calling it Madhu’s annual Diwali party and looked forward to it. The next thing I knew, this annual Diwali celebration became a tradition among my family and friends. I have been hosting this annual gala for over 20 years. The house is lighted inside and out. My son decorates the front yard with lights and my daughter strategically places candles around the house. My husband takes care of the drinks and, of course, I’m the cook and the organizer. And now my son-in-law fills in and helps all of us. It’s a family affair. And friends help too. Everyone comes to the party dressed to impress in colorful Indian clothes and we spend hours feasting and regaling. As the night is winding down, we play cards – a little gambling is part of the Diwali tradition. I’m sure you can relate these to some of your own family holiday traditions.

Diwali has come and gone and I am now looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. We have created some traditions around these holidays too. All I can say is, holiday and traditions go hand in hand and bring us great comfort in our lives.

At your holiday party this year; wow your friends with a flavorful, spicy, and vegan Black-Eyed Pea Dip.

 Click here for a recipe and a video of Black-Eyed Peas.  

For more Indian recipes from The Indian Vegan Kitchen and New Indian Home Cooking go to www.cuisineofindia.com.

 

 

The Indian Vegan Kitchen

 

 

 

 

New Indian Home Cooking

Being Hands-on in the Online World

 Posted by Jeanette Shaw

One of my heartbreaks as an editor is when a book I’ve worked on, that I’ve been positive should be a big seller, instead seems to fizzle out soon after the initial publicity burst during pub month. It’s a big disappointment for me, for the author, and for the publisher.

In a perfect world, every book would make its way into the hands of its ideal readers with a minimum of effort. For big-name authors, this is generally true. But for most books, if the author doesn’t come to the table with an established platform even at the proposal stage, it’s going to be harder for even the most talented publicist to convince reviewers and media outlets to spotlight one unknown book and author in an absolute sea of other books clamoring for attention, and it’s going to be harder to generate continued interest in the book after the first few weeks on sale. In the end, it’s essential for an author to be actively involved with their own publicity and marketing. These days, that especially includes a strong grasp of online marketing.

 Here are just a few examples of crucial steps authors can take online to reach the widest possible audience, inspired by the invaluable resource Publicize Your Book by Jacqueline Deval, which has been revised to include extensive discussion of online marketing and is a must-read for any author serious about maximizing promotional opportunities:

 

• Make your own website/blog. Publishers lack the resources to set up sites for every author, so it’s your responsibility. Make sure it looks professional (check the sites of other authors you admire for ideas), and make sure to update it frequently to encourage repeat traffic. 
• Become a social networker. Make a Facebook page; create a Twitter feed, and use it wisely – don’t just promote your work constantly. Create personal connections with other authors and followers and they will be more inclined to support you – and your book – in kind.
• Create your own database of blogs and sites that would be good places to promote your book, particularly if you’re writing about a specialized topic. Publicists are often pitching multiple books in various genres every month, and aren’t going to know about every possible site or publication that would be ideal to promote your book. Your expert knowledge is invaluable.

 

There are many other great tips in Publicize Your Book, for online as well as traditional marketing and publicity, so if you are an author I absolutely recommend you check it out. Happy publishing!

 

Publicize Your Book!

My Money or My Life?

Posted by Jeanette Shaw

I’ve been engaging in a typical urban dweller activity the last few months: apartment hunting. Having lived with roommates for most of my adult life, I’ve decided it’s time to experience the joys of living alone. (As my one coworker enthused, “You don’t have to wear pants if you don’t want to!”)

The New York metropolitan area being as expensive as it is (I live in New Jersey) I knew this would be a difficult hunt. I have certain requirements: the commute can’t be too much longer or more expensive than my current one; I need a parking spot for my car; and I need an elevator building because I host holidays at my place and my grandmother is long past the days of being able to climb stairs. Now of course, for these kinds of amenities, I’m going to pay a pretty penny, more than I should be spending on rent by all the financial experts’ standards. They say your total monthly debt to income ratio (housing expense plus recurring debt to gross income) shouldn’t be more than 36%. Around New York that number is often more like 60%.

I could find an apartment that meets purely financial standards. I’d have to give up certain things but I’d certainly never have to worry that I’m stretching my budget some months. But is the financial benefit worth the personal costs? Not having a car would make it harder for me to see my friends. I love being the hostess at Thanksgiving and Christmas; not having an elevator would mean I couldn’t do that anymore. Cooking is a big hobby of mine; I would hate to give up having a decent kitchen.

These are the kinds of questions personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich tackles in her upcoming book The Real Cost of Living. Carmen explains that for every life decision, big or small—whether to buy a house, go to college, or buy that daily latte—there are financial and personal costs and benefits. The trick is recognizing them, weighing them, and making a decision that is ideally a balance of fiscally responsible and personally satisfying.

In my case, I’ve found an amazing apartment that has everything I’m looking for. The rent is high, and some months I may find myself eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and dinner for a week, but I’ll still be hosting the holidays, my commute is staying the same price, and my car will be safely parked in the building’s garage. The tradeoff might not be worth it to some people, but it is to me. Everyone’s “real cost” is different, but we will all benefit from Carmen’s advice—I know I did, and I can’t wait for you to as well.

 

The Real Cost of Living is on sale in January.

From The Bugman’s Perspective

Posted by author Daniel Marlos, AKA The Bugman

In September 2008, I received a very interesting email in the WhatsThatBug.com mailbox from Maria Gagliano who identified herself as an editor at Perigee Books. Maria’s email was very complimentary of the website, and she wrote: “I think What’s that Bug would be a perfect launching pad for a fun book that explores the curious world of bugs. Not so much a bug identification guide, but a miscellany of wacky, wonderful bug facts that you’ve collected during your years of research.” I was flattered and the thought of writing a book was intriguing, but I also harbored serious doubts.

Sure, I had been writing What’s That Bug? for ten years. The column began in an obscure ‘zine called American Homebody produced by my longtime collaborator Lisa Anne Auerbach. When Lisa Anne originally asked me to write a column for her new photocopied publication, I quickly came up with a column named What’s That Bug? When she questioned the potential interest in a column on insects, I quickly responded, “But everyone wants to know ‘What’s that bug?’” That mantra has proven true through the years.

In 1999, American Homebody staked out some territory on the World Wide Web, and What’s That Bug? went along for the ride. It was quickly evident that the column had a much broader appeal than the incestuous circle of friends who formed the website’s fan base, and letters from strangers began to arrive. After about another year, I purchased the domain name and What’s That Bug? ventured out on its own.

When Maria’s email arrived, it was the time of year that the most identification requests come in. Between June and September, an average of 140 identification requests arrive daily, a virtually impossible task for a lone Bugman. The first thought that ran through my mind was, “Do I really have the time to write a book?” I knew I couldn’t ignore the daily postings to the website, and a new semester had just begun at Los Angeles City College where I am the Department Chair of Media Arts as well as a full time photography instructor. To make matters even more difficult, I teach part time at the Art Center College of Design, and when time allows, I continue to make and exhibit personal artwork. I pondered again, “Do I really have the time to write a book?” and then I remembered the words of my dear friend Tomata du Plenty who believed, “When you want a job done, go to a busy person.”

I wrote back to Maria and expressed my interest, but I was compelled to come clean about my credibility. I was an artist and not an entomologist. Maria wasn’t phased by that confession, and she wasn’t really interested in a scientific tome anyway. If I harbored any misgivings about writing a scientific text, they paled by comparison to the anxiety of trying to be entertaining and producing a book with pop culture appeal. Sure, I was capable of a modicum of wit when crafting some of the responses on the website, but that was just a few sentences. It wasn’t a whole book. Maria persisted, and I succumbed based in large part on her faith in me as an untried and first time author.

Again I delayed, stricken with writer’s block. I answered letters submitted to the website every day, but the book scared me. There were countless distractions. I worked in the garden. I sewed quilts. I became increasingly active in local Los Angeles politics in my Mount Washington neighborhood in an attempt to help preserve endangered California Black Walnut Trees from rampant and ill-conceived developments. I thought quite a bit about what I wanted to include in the book, writing it in my mind, but alas, there wasn’t anything committed in type.

When I actually did begin writing, the words came in a torrent. I awoke at four every morning and wrote several entries every day. I was well past the lower limit of my word count goal when the revelation came that I had no room for the chapter on garden insects: The beneficial but sometimes frightening creatures that need to be befriended by the conscious gardener as well as the invasive critters that are the bane in every backyard vegetable patch would not have a place in the current volume. I justified this by thinking that at least I would have the material for a sequel.

Once the manuscript was completed, Maria advised on what to cut, and I defended things that were needed, and Candace B. Levy caught my grammatical errors and checked my spelling. Thankfully Maria stayed patient with me throughout the entire process, and without her firm but gentle guidance, it is doubtful I could have written this book, which I hope you will find engaging, and entertaining, and perhaps even informative.

 

The Curious World of Bugs

Some Books Begin in the Most Curious Ways

Posted by Maria Gagliano

About 95% of the time, our books begin as proposals from literary agents. Agents get to know us as editors, our lists, our likes and dislikes, and send in projects based on that knowledge. But sometimes—every now and then—book ideas creep up in the most peculiar ways.

Back in 2006, I lived in a shoebox-sized apartment in the East Village. It was the apartment of every city gal’s dreams: edgy neighborhood, only one flight up, laundry and sushi nearby, amazing rent, and an even better roommate. It had everything you’d expect from a quintessential NYC apartment, city wildlife included. It started out with a few roaches. Fine. We could deal with that. We even saw little mice here and there. Still nothing we couldn’t handle. We were city girls, after all. We could manage anything, right?  

Right. That is, until the other creature showed up—the crawly thing that laughed in my tough-girl face and turned me into a squealy mess. There I was, sitting on my mini couch on a quiet Monday, when a giant, hairy, leggy beast scurried across the room. It went over my shoes, straight into the closet. That was not a mouse, I thought. Or a roach. It wasn’t even a spider—it was way too quick and spindly. Were there many other options for city pests? My shock morphed into a scream that brought my roommate running.

“WHAT’S THAT BUG!?!?” was all I could choke out. She dutifully looked around, following my frantic pointing to the closet, but it was gone. Its movement was so fluid and ghostly, there was no hope in finding it.

I was left alone with my horror, wondering how I could ever find out what that bug was. I couldn’t even Google it; I didn’t know what it was called, and my descriptions of “leggy” and “creepy” were getting me nowhere. Eventually, in my frustration, I just Googled “what’s that bug.” Bingo.

There it was: www.WhatsThatBug.com, a mecca for curious and creeped-out bug witnesses. People write in with pictures of mysterious bugs they’d found, and the patient “Bugman” identifies them, usually with an interesting tidbit about the species. Turns out, my nightmare bug was a house centipede, and they’re actually beneficial since they eat cockroaches and other pests. I’ve seen countless more since that first encounter, and each time I’m reminded of my shameful first impression. Poor, misunderstood house centipede!

I became addicted to www.WhatsThatBug.com. The Bugman’s identifications never disappointed, and his archives were so vast that you could keep reading for hours. That got me thinking…wouldn’t a quirky, gee-I-never-knew-that book about bugs be cool? Not an identification guide, but an offbeat look at the beautiful side of bugs. I’d certainly buy it.

So I dropped the Bugman an email, introduced myself as an editor at Perigee, and asked if he’d ever thought of writing a book. Turns out, he had. He just needed to get his ideas together. He’d already been in touch with an agent—she and I even knew each other! So together, we urged Daniel to get his book proposal together. I’m so glad he did: The Curious World of Bugs went on sale last month, and it’s as fascinating, surprising, and charming as you’d expect from our favorite lone Bugman.

 

 The Curious World of Bugs by Daniel Marlos