Deseret Book, relevant or not?

[praetorius]

Do you feel that Deseret Book is a relevant entity in the publishing business?

 

Do you like the content that is produced?  

 

It is a fact that the "legitimate" publisher of the church has been considered Deseret Book.  If it is not published with Deseret Book, members are hesitant to buy the book.  Do you agree?  Do you feel that Deseret Book is focused on the Fiction world, or that which is trendy in order to sell and make money rather than focus on content?

[pam]

Yes I like the content that is published through Deseret Book.  If I am wanting to read a book from one of our General Authorities or others within the church, that's where I would go.

 

I disagree immensely that most members would only purchase books if published by Deseret Book.  The ratio of my book buying experience is probably 20-1.  The one being from Deseret Book.

 

I think Deseret Book focuses on those things that would be uplifting to read. Whether fiction or non fiction.

[carlimac]

I feel it's legitimate. I know some people who are too (what's the word??) to consider anything from Deseret Book, especially fiction to be worth reading.   One of my Relief Society presidents was that way.  Oh well. Her loss. 

 

Are you talking about Deseret Book as a store or as a publisher?   I can get some LDS books cheaper at Seagull Book and Amazon. But for the most part, with, their Platinum program, I have gotten so many free books that overall it's been worth it to shop at DB. 

 

LIke Pam, I read at least 20 times more books not from Deseret Book.

 

Curious. Why do you ask? 

[Palerider]

I like Deseret Books. I buy books from them and other publishers. I read mostly Church History books. If I like the book I will buy it. I don't look at the publisher when doing so.

[Just_A_Guy]

Do you feel that Deseret Book is a relevant entity in the publishing business?

Define "relevant". Overall--no, I don't think any publishing house whose target audience is less than two percent of the national population can be considered "relevant" on the national stage. But within Momonland--it's a giant, no doubt about it.

Do you like the content that is produced?

I like the GA writings, though I don't read as much as I ought. The caliber of their scriptural scholarship has improved by leaps and bounds over the last decade. History is a mixed bag, though I suspect you know how touchy that topic has been in the church as a whole.

It is a fact that the "legitimate" publisher of the church has been considered Deseret Book. If it is not published with Deseret Book, members are hesitant to buy the book. Do you agree?

Yes, but not for the reason you think. I think most Mormons aren't overly picky about which publishers' books they read. But books are expensive. If I want a book about baptism that I can refer to again and again, including use for Church lessons; and I'm considering a title from Deseret and a title from Signature and I've only got thirty bucks in my wallet--I'm buying the Deseret title first. Not because I'm closed-minded; but because that's the most efficient allocation of my limited funds.

Do you feel that Deseret Book is focused on the Fiction world, or that which is trendy in order to sell and make money rather than focus on content?

I've never noticed that. I interned at Covenant about a decade ago, and it seemed that all parties understood that Covenant's emphasis was fiction and Deseret did only a limited amount of that sort of thing. I haven't kept up on the LDS publishing world, but I don't imagine that's changed much even after Deseret bought Covenant.

I think generally, Deseret does try to avoid controversial stuff--precisely because they understand that their works carry a sort of authoritative aura. You won't usually see them pioneering new ideas or interpretations and otherwise rushing in to speculative theological ground where the GAs fear to tread; and I think that's OK given Deseret's affiliation. And, yeah, they do try to tailor their new releases to coincide with the Church's curriculum for the year; so I suppose they're "trendy" in that regard.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Just_A_Guy

[Guest]

I like Deseret but I tend to go to Seagull, because they're a little cheaper.

[pam]

I do check out Deseret Book first before going to Seagull.  Many times (at the downtown SLC location) you can find many books with a limited number of signed copies by the author which I think is kind of cool.

 

The last one I purchased was signed by President Monson.

[askandanswer]

Many times (at the downtown SLC location) you can find many books with a limited number of signed copies by the author which I think is kind of cool.

 

The last one I purchased was signed by President Monson.

 

Pam, I feel like this is a good time to have a discussion about the joy of giving.  :)

[pam]

Pam, I feel like this is a good time to have a discussion about the joy of giving.  :)

 

hahahahaha that seriously had me laughing out loud.

[sxfritz]

I have two LDS fiction books I have self-published because I was unwilling to negotiate the efforts of getting the limited number of publishers Deseret uses to review my work (I have tried). I would love one of the publishers to pick me up because I know most members won't take the work seriously if it isn't available in Deseret. I also found other Christian publishers are not interested in LDS stories. That leaves us hopeful writers in the self-publishing world and limited in distribution to Amazon. 

[pam]

I've had a couple of friends go through Cedar Fort publishing company.   They publish a lot from LDS members.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I have two LDS fiction books I have self-published because I was unwilling to negotiate the efforts of getting the limited number of publishers Deseret uses to review my work (I have tried). I would love one of the publishers to pick me up because I know most members won't take the work seriously if it isn't available in Deseret. I also found other Christian publishers are not interested in LDS stories. That leaves us hopeful writers in the self-publishing world and limited in distribution to Amazon. 

 

I feel similarly.Unless I want to continue self-publishing, there is no point for me to write anything Christian (let alone LDS).  I think that is a real shame for would-be LDS authors.  I wrote my non-fiction book as non-denominational partly for this reason, but later realized that some Christian agencies insist that potential client/authors sign a "Statement of Faith"...which includes belief in the Trinity.  So yeah, really no point to try and write Christian or LDS unless I plan to self-publish.

 

I agree with Pam that most of the books I buy are not from Deseret, but I also agree with you that if it is an LDS book--most people are wary to buy from anyone but Desert, Seagull (who is not a publisher), Cedar Fort or Covenant.   One of my friends had a "leader" in her ward question her about reading and sharing with her children David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell!  (an awesome book BTW, that isn't actually about religion, with the exception of that story) because it wasn't from Deseret.

 

Pam, I know about Cedar Fort, and Covenant, but still that means there are only three LDS publishers.  Most books (even great ones) are rejected more than three times before they find a home.  Chicken Soup for the Soul which is one of the best selling books EVER, was rejected 150 times before HCI picked it up.  

 

Twilight (say what you like about it...it was a huge seller, movies...household name now...) was rejected seven times.

 

By not having more LDS publishers I think we are missing out some potentially great works by LDS authors.  And that's a shame.  

[Just_A_Guy]

Granite Publishing and Distribution is also LDS-oriented and stays pretty orthodox. They're based out of Orem.

Seagull was set up as a retail distributor for Covenant products--they were both started and, for a long time, owned by the Kofford family, and were both sold to Deseret Book in 2005 or so. I last visited a Seagull about 3 years ago and was frankly appalled at their lack of selection.

[Vort]

One of my friends had a "leader" in her ward question her about reading and sharing with her children David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell!  (an awesome book BTW, that isn't actually about religion, with the exception of that story) because it wasn't from Deseret.  

Apropos of nothing, I'm a big fan of Gladwell. The NYT-mongering literati tend to sneer at him, which sort of reinforces my fondness for his books.

[skalenfehl]

I've bought books at Deseret, Seagull, B&N, Amazon.com and also ma/pa bookstores with really good collections of old lds works. I mostly buy/read doctrinal/historical LDS books. I don't understand the context of the OP's use of the word relevant. I don't care about who the publisher is, I care about the subject. The price isn't so much a concern, though I do think all of Nibley's works and also the Joseph Smith Papers books are ridiculously priced. I think the best deal I got was when I bought Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling at B&N, not because of where I bought it, though. This gem is 700+ pages and was only $18.95. I don't know who set that price, but you just can't beat that price for the content. I've paid a LOT more for a LOT less content. There are plenty of fluffy books with higher price tags. I don't mind spending more for something that is "nutrient dense," which is why I was very pleased with this book.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Apropos of nothing, I'm a big fan of Gladwell. The NYT-mongering literati tend to sneer at him, which sort of reinforces my fondness for his books.

 

Me too!  His books not only make me think about what he is discussing, but he inspires me to want to learn more about everything!  I guess I just want to be him when I grow up, LOL!

 

I've bought books at Deseret, Seagull, B&N, Amazon.com and also ma/pa bookstores with really good collections of old lds works. 

 

 

Yes, but do you buy self-published books...inquiring self-publishers want to know.  :)  (I'm only teasing)

[NeuroTypical]

Amazon.com used.  Not really any reason to go anywhere else for anything bookish.

[sxfritz]

I've had a couple of friends go through Cedar Fort publishing company.   They publish a lot from LDS members.

Thanks Pam. Cedar Fort has the most onerous and extensive submission process of any publisher I worked with. Nonetheless, I've navigated the waters and will keep trying.

[Blackmarch]

Do you feel that Deseret Book is a relevant entity in the publishing business?

 

Do you like the content that is produced?  

 

It is a fact that the "legitimate" publisher of the church has been considered Deseret Book.  If it is not published with Deseret Book, members are hesitant to buy the book.  Do you agree?  Do you feel that Deseret Book is focused on the Fiction world, or that which is trendy in order to sell and make money rather than focus on content?

it's one more resource among many. it is helpful in that it is very LDS oriented, which makes for a good filter. But no one source can cover every good thing. 

I think putting it up on a pedestal is going to lead to some painful moments for an individual tho……………. but were I to put any public publishing organization on a pedestal, deseret book would probably be first in line.