Saturday May 31, 2008

Celebrating ‘Cultural Creatives’ ...

For the eighth year in a row, the Nautilus Book Awards are recognizing the leading edge of the leading edge of books (and audio books) about where the culture is heading by the people who are taking them there – the over 50 million “Cultural Creatives” – so named by Paul H. Ray, PhD and Sherry Ruth Anderson, PhD is a market that includes the Body-Mind-Spirit books.

“I’ve never liked the term ‘New Age’,” confesses Marilyn McGuire, the woman behind the Nautilus Book Awards. Her publishing and promotion efforts over the years have cultivated books, which seek conscious living and positive social change, combine innovation and new ideas, along with large helpings of religion and spirituality.

The Nautilus Gold Awards go to titles in 25 categories and include one for audio books. McGuire, principal of the firm Marilyn McGuire & Associates, says this year’s entries numbered close to 800 books from big publishers who know the niche well, to many small publishers – presses that, like the little engine who could, don’t produce a lot of books, but do it very well. This year’s Small Press award goes to Small Planet Media, for Getting a Grip:Clarity, Creativity and Courage in a World Gone Mad by Frances Moore Lappe’ (Diet for a Small Planet), the pioneering social activist.

This awards confer more than honor, says McGuire. They’re a gift for backlist, and they can also open new doors. Publishers hunt talent among the silver and gold winners. Last year’s Small Press and Ecology/Environment Gold winner, Planetwalker by John Francis, PhD, was republished by National Geographic.

“It’s not a big moneymaker, but it gets feedback that makes it worth doing,” says McGuire. The 25 Gold Winning books – whose authors include T.A. Barron, Deepak Chopra and Gregg Braden – along with additional Silver Winners, will be on display at the Nautilus Book Awards booth (4312). Select authors will sign. Check the booth for times.