Client:
Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster

Product:
Branded trade books

Services:
Product Concept, Project Management, Writing, Editorial

Situation:
The Bible has been with us for nearly two thousand years, and the early books of the Old Testament have existed almost twice that long. Its enduring life attests to not only its great spiritual treasures but also to its amazing stories, astonishing miracles, and intriguing facts that continue to grip readers today. Livingstone wrote Mysteries & Intrigues of the Bible to retell those stories in a fast-paced format. After this first book’s release in 2007, Howard Books determined that they needed a series of three. Livingstone’s IdeaLab created two more titles in the series. First, Puzzlements & Predicaments of the Bible focuses on the weird and puzzling events in the Bible. Some of the puzzles are created by cultural issues, or by people making odd choices, or simply by the way God decides to work in certain situations. One good thing about the Bible: It can withstand any kind of scrutiny. Puzzlements & Predicaments of the Bible jumps headlong into the weird, wacky, and wondrous world of the Bible. Second, Saints & Scoundrels of the Bible focuses in on the people of the Bible. The gossip magazines at the local grocery store have nothing on the Bible. To read about people making either bad or heroic decisions, being wise or unwise in marriage, standing strong or following the crowd, or being perpetrators or victims of horrible crimes, then look no further than the Bible on the shelf. Saints & Scoundrels of the Bible introduces the reader to saints, scoundrels, and everything in between.

Solution:
The Livingstone team
•    Developed the series themes and titles
•    Created the outlines for all three books, with our own touch of whimsical humor
•    Went to our network of writers to help develop the over 100 entries in each book
•    Hired additional writers and wrote many of the entries ourselves
•    Edited all entries for biblical accuracy and clean, clear writing
•    Included Scripture references with each story
•    Built charts, “factoid” lists, and other types of entries as needed for visual interest
•    Developed indexes for each book
•    Delivered clean, copyedited, and proofread manuscripts to the client on time