When is a book title more than the name of something to read? Late last week, a lively email thread started after Artisan publisher Ann Bramson sent out a plea for her missing scarf—and used the title of a recent Artisan bestseller for reference:

Whaaa…

I miss my winter scarf which disappeared earlier this week. It’s the color of the cover of Design*Sponge at Home. Have you seen it??

It began slowly. James, later that evening:

I think I saw it In The Sweet Kitchen.

Andrea gets it:

Really? I thought I saw it Beyond The Great Wall. But maybe I was Under Pressure.

Ann replied the following morning:

So you’re saying I have to Man Up! about this? Even though it was The Right Color?

Then gates seemed to open. Randy:

Whoever took it should be thinking What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? because when Ann finds out, you’ll just have minutes to live.

(sorry, couldn’t help myself)

Danielle, a minute later:

No Randall, it’s more like whoever stole it… your a$$ is ON THE LINE; 9781579653699 (James, I know how much you hate it when people send title emails w/out ISBN’s) ….

Shani, a moment after that:

Then they’ll wind up in The Obits…

Insiders will note that up until this reply, all references were to Artisan titles. Then James, the consummate insider, doubles-down with a cheeky reference to a Workman book Ann wrote that’s no longer in print:

If someone stole it, they should be more concerned with going to jail. They might wind up dropping The Soap: Making it, Enjoying it.

Elisabeth, with her imprint ignored so far, piles on from left field with Algonquin references:

My umbrella, I figured, by now is somewhere West of Here, Mudbound, or maybe being enjoyed by the Last Child in the Woods.

Mmm, ok. A second after that Jean returned us to relevant Artisan territory:

Along with the box of cereal that some Mad Hungry person took from my desk.

Rachel sagely added:

That’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting too much from people.

Natalya summed it up succinctly:

Well, ladies and gentlemen Sh*t Happens.  All we have to do is Work Hard, Be Nice.

But wait! There’s more! An hour or so later Greg got in the act:

You know, things like this just shouldn’t happen On American Soil, but I guess they do once in a Blue Moo……

So many things lost around here, maybe it’s not just, Arlo Needs Glasses?

Or should we stop focusing on The Wine Bible and try Drinks Without Alcohol…. Again.

Eileen, steered us back with a consoling reference to an OP Boynton title:

Sorry Ann, Hope you find it – Don’t Let the Turkeys Get You Down.

Nope, one last word, from Rachel:

Now just Hold Your Horses, Eileen!

Which no longer has anything to do with Ann, scarves, Artisan….but no matter. It’s good advice.

Thanks everyone!

As a publicity intern at Workman, my regular work includes putting together press kits and mailings. But every once in awhile, I get a task that’s a little more out of the ordinary! Like when I was recently asked to find a snake piñata for a Splendid Spotted Snake event.

After some brief research, I became determined to make a piñata myself. When I left work that day, I had my mind set on a large, snake-like balloon and papier-mâché piñata, which I would then paint and cover with crepe paper. Once I arrived home and consulted my mother, however, my plan quickly changed after she wisely reminded me that papier-mâché has never been my artistic medium. (To bring you up to speed,  I’ve had some scarring formative papier-mâché experiences: Picture a bespectacled third grader attempting to make a festive paper bowl with just a balloon, newspaper, glue, and a dream. Now imagine a loud balloon pop, a crumpled blob of gluey newspaper, and a newly disillusioned third grader. You get the picture.)  Not to mention, my mother was also careful to point out that the piñatas of my youth were radically unsafe (thanks, Mom), and that newer piñatas are equipped with colorful strings that, when pulled, open a secret trap door in the body of the piñata. The candy is then released into the ecstatic and, most importantly, uninjured group of waiting children. Oh, the wonders of modern piñata technology!

My very splendid, very spotted piñata!

I decided to go to Home Depot to look for a wide pipe of sorts that I could cover with a splendid spotted exterior. Luckily I found one that was lightweight and somewhat flexible. The downside: it was black and ribbed. I bought it anyway, took it home, and cut a hole for the trap door in its “belly.” To cover it, I wrapped it in a taut layer of plaster (the type used to make casts for broken bones — this can actually be found in craft supply stores). This step got rid of the ribs, giving me a splendidly smooth snake body, and covered the black exterior. For the head, I used this same plaster over a balloon (almost too close to the aforementioned bad experience for comfort) and for the tail, I wrapped the plaster over a freehand newspaper cone. Then I waited patiently for these parts to dry and attached it all with yellow duct tape.

Instead of painting it, I decided to give the snake texture by wrapping it in yellow crepe paper. I sprayed the snake with adhesive and then wrapped the snake in strips of the crepe paper.

Lest you think it was ALL about the piñata...there were lots of activities to keep kids entertained!

So now I had a yellow snake with a big hole in its belly! I crafted the spots and face out of felt, and glued them all on with tacky glue. To keep with the theme, I then filled the snake with: gummy worms (like little snakes), gold and red Mardi Gras-type necklaces, and confetti (aka flying spots).

Spots, spots, and more spots! Kids decorated their own spotted snake art.

SPOTTED at the event: Authors Betty Ann Schwartz and Alexander Wilensky!

To seal the great beast’s belly, I sewed one ribbon onto a big sheet of felt, and taped 15 or so ribbons to that same sheet. These were the trick ribbons! Only the magic ribbon would unleash gummy worm joy onto the children. So once the snake’s cavity was stuffed, I fitted the felt into the hole and my snake was complete!

After about 7 hours of crafting, a few haunting childhood memories, and a major glue meltdown, I was done! I  drove my masterpiece into the magical land of New York City, and led it into the magical offices of Workman Publishing, where my efforts were recognized with the  esteemed title of “Intern Extraordinaire”!

The Splendid Spotted Snake piñata made its grand appearance at an event at McNally Jackson in NYC on Saturday, November 5, 2011 where it was a big “hit”–or pull, as the case may be. Thanks again to everyone involved in the success of this event!

Ladies and gentlemen, swap your closets: It’s time to trade in your sundresses and sandals for sweaters and socks. The recent arrival of fall weather has inspired some noticeable fashion trends around the office, and I’m not talking about bundling up. In this edition of Workman Trendwatch, Workman office-mates Bridget, Frank, and Megan (and her baby-to-be) model the latest in autumn couture: bright fuchsia!

Whether you want to call it “plum,” “berry,” or even “Bordeaux,” there’s no denying that a warm pinkish-purplish hue can brighten even the dreariest of fall days. So on behalf of all my coworkers, allow me to extend a special thanks to Bridget, Frank, and Megan, for bringing their happy, colorful vibes to work!

Sometimes we think there’s something in the water, other times we can rest easy knowing it’s just something in our closets! Last time we took a fashion reading, it was stripes galore, but today’s trendwatch shows off some animal instincts….  It’s leopard print (in all hues!) for Workman-ites Andrea, Liz, and Emily.

What-oh-what will be trending next in these stylish halls of Workman — will these leopards change their spots back to stripes or is there a new, undiscovered trend on the horizon? Submit your predictions!

We just got advance copies of Embroider Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp in the office this week, and boy, do they look spiffy! And as we flip through the pages of techniques and projects, we’re reminded of the process that it took to get us to this place. Because beyond the months of editing and layouts, there were the photo shoots, illustration revisions, and more! Today, though, we look back at the photos that went into making Embroider Everything Workshop look so splendid.

The very talented photographer Jim Franco invited us into his studio as he began shooting some of the tabletop items. Here, he props the cross-stitched Fancy First Aid Kit (flip to page 210 in the book to check it out!) on a marble tile surface with some bandages and other basic fix-it gear. Then he switches out the surface for a more rugged wooden one to shoot the embroidered Return to Sender Luggage Tag (page 192).

Jim’s studio is right next door to an amazing prop room, where he had access to dishes, fabrics, mirrors, and other furnishings of all shapes and sizes (and color-coded, too!)–it was a wonderland of artfully organized treasures.

Below, author Diana Rupp works with Jim to style the satin stitched Peony Jewelry Box project (page 183) to get it juuuust right.

Each project gets photographed multiple ways, to ensure that we get a winning shot. Remember that luggage tag, above? Here, it’s attached to vintage suitcase with a bright red ribbon. Since he’s changed the angle of the camera, Jim takes a light reading before he clicks the shutter.

A couple of weeks later, we hit the streets of Brooklyn (with lighting assistants, and cute young models!), photographing on the sidewalks (the Smocked with Love dress, page 127) as well as the Patch ‘Em Ups stitched patches for kids (page 122).

Then we scouted locations in the park, where we clicked images of the Bargello Belt (page 112), the Monogrammed Sneakers (page 106)–which Diana thoughtfully stitched onto a pair of cute kicks in her editor’s size!!), the Stag Hoodie (page 102), and the Dashing Vest and Tie (page 90).

But the real treat was shooting at a farm in upstate New York for two days. Below, Jim experiments with the lighting while shooting the Something Blue Hanky (page 225).

“Did we get it right?” Jim and Diana check the computer monitor to see if he got the shot.

The model waits patiently to confirm that they have a good one before moving! And, to whet your appetite, here’s a closeup of the amazingly stitched keepsake.

Next up? The Sashiko Top and Tunic dress (page 86) using the traditional Japanese pattern called “Seven Treasures of Buddha.” Diana stitched white on navy for the dress bodice, and switched it up with a variegated floss on white along the sleeves and bottom of the shirt.

Again, Diana and Jim check the computer monitor to see if the photo is a keeper (it was! You can see the final one on page 86 of the book).

And here’s the project that’s up first in my queue: the Crewel But Kind Giraffe (page 118). I already ordered the fabric from my local quilting shop and the iron-on pattern comes in the pocket at the front of the book! A perfect project for my subway commute.

Keep an eye out for the book when it hits shelves later this fall–and check back to our website, too, to see if Diana will be doing an author event (and make-and-take) for Embroider Everything Workshop in your area before Christmas!

As many of you know, we recently celebrated an exciting and important milestone–10 years on the New York Times bestseller list for What to Expect When You’re Expecting. And what better way to celebrate than with our dear author, Heidi Murkoff, plus babies (okay, baby pictures), balloons, and ice cream (with all the toppings)!

The poster below represents just a handful of Workman babies that have been born under the wisdom of What to Expect over the last 25 years, more than 200 reprints, and 4 editions of the book! (Oh, after you get over those sweet faces and chubby cheeks, there is of course, the sweet spread of ice cream toppings–I detect a theme.)

The tubs of deliciousness didn’t last long once Workman party-goers started digging in! Strawberry, cookies and cream,  chocolate, coffee, vanilla ….Mmmm.

There were enough champagne flutes for plenty of toasting (I estimate at least one for each reprint of the book!). Below, Workman group publisher Bob Miller clinks glasses with author Heidi Murkoff and her longtime editor Suzanne Rafer. (Fun fact: Heidi delivered the original proposal for the book to Workman the same day she delivered her daughter!)

And the next generation of What to Expect babies are already on the way! There are three pregnant ladies in this photo — all of whom received a lucky belly pat from Heidi — can you spot them? (Trick question — without insider knowledge, it’s likely you’ll only be able to identify one, we think.)

What do you suppose the people below have in common…besides the fact that they’re attractive actors and actresses?

If you guessed, “THEY’RE GOING TO BE IN THE FORTHCOMING MOVIE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING!!!” …you are exactly right!

Last week Heidi Murkoff herself came into the office for the official celebration—10 years of What to Expect When You’re Expecting on the New York Times best-seller list! That’s 520 weeks (13 gestation periods!) for all you math geniuses. We had ice cream, champagne, and toasted the success (past, present, and future) of the ever popular bible for parents-to-be. Heidi has helped over fourteen million women get through the unknown, sometimes scary, but always exciting, territory of pregnancy. 

While she was here, Heidi regaled us with tales from the set. Much like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day (you saw that, right?), the movie will be a compilation of intersecting stories about… well, you can probably guess. Though Heidi couldn’t reveal who will be pregnant with whose baby, she was excited about the film’s star-studded cast.  We anticipate that the stork will deliver What to Expect just in time for Mother’s Day 2012!

In the Office…Editorial Library, 9th floor.

Maybe it’s because July is sailing by, or simply because of our office’s proximity to the Hudson River, but the Workman editorial crew sure is feeling nautical today.

Hi again! It’s Jennifer, friendly intern and your eyes-and-ears into the Workman office. By now you’ve heard about my time in sales and at Algonquin Books. My next stop was the Workman editorial department.

I’ve had a great time sifting through “slush,” which is a colloquial publishing term for the unsolicited proposals sent in by people without agents. At first, I was armed with just the guideline that Workman does not accept fiction or memoirs (that’s the domain of Algonquin), so my “Maybe” pile soon towered above the “Yes” and “No” piles. However, after sitting down with one of the editors, who patiently pointed out the reasons why proposals would or would not be accepted, I gained a better understanding of what it takes to be published. It isn’t often that a proposal from slush is actually realized as a published title, and there are several reasons for that. For example, calendars, which I saw a lot of, usually do best when they already have a brand or book behind them. My Gift Sales boss has been talking about how popular LEGO: The Calendar is going to be; its success will be based on the timeless appeal of LEGOs.

That model of the Taj Mahal is made entirely of LEGO bricks.

The proposal also has to be well researched and backed with the proper credentials. Perhaps more importantly, the idea has to be original and innovative, and should not be too similar to titles Workman already publishes or is thinking about producing. There were some picture book proposals in the pile, but generally, the children’s books that Workman publishes are more than just picture books—they are machine-washable and “indestructible,” or interactive, or fun to touch; they are more than just a story. Submitters should take heart in knowing, however, that their proposals are not left to languish in a corner. Every proposal is looked at by a real person (and, no worries, not just an intern—proposals are screened after I look at them, too).

I’ve also done some fact-checking for 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and The Obits: The New York Times Annual 2012. For 1,000 Places, fact-checking has involved determining hotel rates with more calling (but fewer abrupt farewells, because hotel staff can’t really hang up on someone who might be a customer). Most people seemed unfazed by or indifferent to the fact that the hotels they work at are being featured in a well-regarded travel book, but it was nice when people, such as one woman at a hotel in the South, maybe one of the Carolinas, asked which book I was fact-checking for and expressed pleasant surprise when I told her. (The woman I’m talking about answered, “Who doesn’t know about it?” when I asked if she knew of 1,000 Places.) Fact-checking for The Obits has been more computer-based, but it’s still fascinating to read these posthumous celebrations of people’s life accomplishments. I especially enjoyed reading the obituaries for the distinguished Elizabeth Taylor and for Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman to run as a Vice Presidential candidate for a major political party, about whom I learned in US History class this past year.

I can’t believe I’m nearly finished with my internship. I could work here forever and may attempt to do something like that, as my experiences so far have really piqued my interest in working in the publishing world. I would love to do this as a career, although I am a little sad that I would have to choose a department and stay there instead of floating around to different ones.

Thanks for reading!

—Jennifer

We’re doing a new feature called Workman Nights and Weekends in which Workman employees reveal their hidden talents, secret hobbies, and other extracurricular pursuits. The first installment features a member of our Art Department, Jose Martin Vegas.

Jose and a colleague

Five mornings a week, Jose Martin Vegas is up with the birds. Actually, he wakes up before the birds—as a professional falconers at one of the city’s major airports, it’s important that he gets to work before the avian population starts its day.  These feathered birds, some of them quite dainty, paradoxically pose a tremendous threat to the enormous steel birds taking off and landing on airport runways. Falcons are sent up in the air to keep the little guys away.

Jose’s love of falconry goes back to his childhood in Lima, Peru, and, fittingly, began with a book. Browsing in the library one day, he found a visual encyclopedia on birds of prey and was immediately hooked. His mother (who must be the soul of patience and fortitude) let Jose get a falcon of his own. He built a mew (an enclosed room for birds) in his backyard and soon, he was training up to five birds.

Falconry remained a hobby until his late teens when, seeing a business opportunity, he and a couple of fellow falconers hired out their services to the local vineyards and other companies needing to keep birds away. A few years after moving to New York in 2004 with his then girlfriend, now wife (and Page-a-Day designer) Cynthia Garcia, the opportunity arose to do the same work for the airport.

It’s remarkable to think that in an age where computers and technology make so many things possible, the best way to protect airplanes from bird strikes is to send up a bird that no other bird wants to mess with.

Thanks for sharing, Jose!