11/18/2010 - Dakota County Tribune Business Weekly

Page 1

Local radio personality inducted into hall of fame 6A One-man committee lights up Heart of the City 40A Eagan medical device manufacturer to be acquired 40A

JOHN GESSNER JOHN GESSNER JESSICA HARPER

dakotacountytribune.biz dakotacountytribune.biz

DATE ##, 2009 NOVEMBER 18, 2010

VOLUME 30, NUMBER # VOLUME 31, NUMBER 38

'DNRWD &RXQW\ 7ULEXQH Since 1884

B

U

S

I

N

E

S

S

w

e

e

k

Better living through literature

l

y

INSIDE BIZ FORUM

Our state needs broad-minded people to show our leaders how to work together to solve our budget woes. 4A

Lakeville woman and former teacher builds career out of young-adult novels by Aaron Vehling DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE

As it stands, Loretta Ellsworth is a subtle iconoclast. The modest, profoundly polite Lakeville-based author has figured out a way to earn an income doing what she loves: writing novels aimed at the young adult crowd. “Last year I made as much as I did as a teacher,� Ellsworth said during an interview with Thisweek in downtown Lakeville. Those royalties and advances may not be of J.K. Rowling proportions, but they are enough to support a middle-class lifestyle. With a new book, “Unforgettable,� coming out in 2011 (in Asia as well as the United States), this pattern looks Loretta Ellsworth to persist. But forget the idea of slow days peppered with sporadic writing that yields major returns. Professional authors are in essence independent contractors and thus have no income guarantees unless they are producing and selling. So in addition to writing, Ellsworth spends much of her time making revisions to her manuscripts and traveling the country speaking to organizations and classrooms about her books (and topics related to them). “Any way you can connect with readers is a good thing,� Ellsworth said. “School visits are one way. I talk about the writing process and let them know it is a career option.� She also gets her name out there via her website and Facebook and Twitter pages.

Royalties Ellsworth was a Spanish teacher at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Savage until 2007, when she left to focus on writing and to pursue a masters in children’s writing from Hamline University in St. Paul. Her books are published internationally and some, including “In

+&//: 800%4 "/ 45"$&: "$,&3. "/%3&8 .*--&3

" PG QSPN PUJPOT FQSFOFV S " " OFX A'SPOUJFS UFTUT ZP VOH FOUS " 5ISFBET *OLT S FOUFSUB JONFOU B (SBOE 4MBN GP

70-6 .&

/6. #&3

USJCVOF CJ[

EBLPUBDPVOUZ

4JODF

#

6

4

*

/

&

4

4

X

F

F

L

M

Agents and percents A literary agent gets 15 percent of a writer’s earnings as a fee for the successful sale of a manuscript. It sounds a bit much – how hard is it to sell a book to an editor at a publishing house, anyway? – but these people are an essential component of the process, Ellsworth said. “Big publishing houses won’t accept un-agented materials,� she said. In 2002, Ellsworth found an agent in Chicago who had connections in the publishing center New York City. She encountered her agent’s listing in the Writers’ Market guide. The agent has an idea of See Ellsworth, Page 2A

DANE SMITH FORUM

After the Republican takeover in the state House and Senate, what will Mark Dayton do if elected governor? 4A

PHIL KRINKIE BUSINESS 101

THOMAS FAFINSKI

Without proper planning, you could have your business partner’s ex-spouse or creditor as a new partner. 5A

FINANICAL SENSE

Financial planning should start early for special-needs children to ensure resources are there in the future. FPA OF MINNESOTA 5A

$ &

!""'! !

$

General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Advertising 952-846-2011

Interested in a FREE subscription?

une Dakota County Trib )JUUJOH

"6(6 45

Search of Mockingbird,� are part of educational curricula across the country (that particular book is a companion piece to “To Kill a Mockingbird�). But a sizeable income from writing is a new thing for Ellsworth. She published her first book, “The Shrouding Woman,� in 2002. Her first advance was $6,500. A publishing company will calculate that figure based on “the percent of profits that they think they will make� off the book, Ellsworth said. This “payment for potential� functions as a quasi-loan. Any royalties earned on the sale of books goes toward paying off the advance, she said. So if Ellsworth were to receive a $100,000 advance from her publisher, she would have to earn that much in royalties (less agent’s fees) before she saw any income above that number.

Z

*/4*%& #*;

'036.

5IF -FHJTMBUVSF DPVMEO U CBMBODF B CVEHFU UIF HPWFSOPS DPVME 0, CVU UFOEFE UP PUIFS IPU UPQJDT 1)*,3*/,*&

"

#64*/&44

EVSFT EF TBMPO FO 8 IJMF GBET GB

" NFOUPS DBO IFMQ B ZPVOH XPSLFS SJTF UISPVHI UIF SBOLT PG BO PSHBOJ[BUJPO PS MFBE UP PUIFS DBSFFS PQQPSUVOJUJFT

)"30-% " 5033&/$& TLJMMT UISPVHI BOE EFWFMPQJOH UIFJS %T 5*$&4 UIF #&45 13"$ SFBEJOH WJEFPT BOE $ BMTP DSFBUFE ,OPXJOH UIF 5IF DPNQBOZ XIJDI FO EJGGFSFODF CFUXFFO 4UBS 5ISPXFS QSPHSBN H BOE QSPGFT BEWFSUJTJOH BOE IBODFT TFMG MFBSOJO OU 5FBN NFN QVCMJD SFMBUJPOT TJPOBM EFWFMPQNF E UP BUUFOE DBO IFMQ CVTJOFTTFT CFST BSF FODPVSBHF JEF FWFOUT UP DSFBUF CV[[ UIBU JOEVTUSZ BOE OBUJPOX XPSLT FN TUBZ BCSFBTU PG USFOET TFWFSBM IBT DLFSNBO 45"$&: " CZ 4UBDFZ " $PMF T 4BMPO JUI UIF DPN /5: 53*#6/& / %",05" $06 "$,&3." QMPZFFT XIP WF CFFO XVTF UIFZ LFFQ $PMF T GPVOEFS PG QBOZ GPS ZFBST CFDB UISPVHIPVU %PVH $PMF 4U 1BVM #BSCFS 5*$&4 HSPXJOH #&45 13"$ MFBSOJOH BOE 4BMPO BUUFOEFE FSF IF MFBSOFE 1JYBS QSPNPUFT UIFJS DBSFFST CFFO BMM * OFFE UP 4DIPPM BU BHF XI IJT MPOHUJNF 3JFOUT B DVMUVSF PG i$PMF T IBT TVDDFTTGVM BOE CF GSPN +FSSZ DPNNVOJDBUJPO BU NBLF NZ MJGF VSQIZ B NFOUPS XPSLT UIBU SFBQT U UIF GVMGJMMFE w TBJE +BOFM . 5PEBZ 3JFOUT MPO BT B CBS 4BMPO WFUFSBO i"BCPVU JOOPWBUJPO BOE SOEPSG GPS ZFBS $PMF T 1IPUP CZ 3JDL 0 $PMF T "QQMF 7BMMFZ TB * GFFM HPPE QSPmUT JO IBT CFFO EPJOH VFT PO 5JN FOE PG UIF EBZ PPE w CFS XIJDI IF OUT DPOUJO NPWJF NBLJOH 5SJTI .FMJTTB )BOT NBLJOH PUIFST GFFM H IBT UIF QBTU ZFBST 3JF +&'' O IBT HSPXO UISPVHI " IJQ GSPN MFGU -BVSB JTI 4UPSIPGG GPS $PMF BOE $PMF T 4BMP OVSUVSJOH FNQMPZ *45 UP CF B NFOUPS UIF MBTU GPVS EF $PMF T 4BMPO MFBEFST BS 5PVSUJMMPUU BOE 5S "11&-26 CZ GPS QMFT w /VH UIF ZFBST JOTQJSFE IJN B MPZBM DMJFOUFMF $PMF %PVH $PMF $I PZ BOE QSJODJ UIF (PMEFO BOE CVJMEJOH FFO TFFJOH UIF DBEFT IBT UBVHIU IJT FNQM IBU $PMF TUBSUFE FNQMPZFFT FFT FE IJT GJSTU $PMF T 4B XBT UIJOH $PMF MBTU ZFBST BOE JT X D HFUT QSPHSBN JO XIJDI OVH .BOZ DMJFOUT IBWF C M ZFBST $PMF PQFO JO *U UP XSJUF FFT GPS UIF TJOFTTFT TV TBNF TUZMJTU GPS TFWFSB F LFFQT NF MPO JO #VSOTWJMMFTPVUI PG UIF SJWFS BSF DIBMMFOHFE NFS TFSWJD IF BUUSJCVUFT UP IJT CV UIF POMZ TBMPO TFSWJDFE UIF FO HFUT JO TJY NPOUIT BSF QVUUJOH i5IF DVTUP TBJE 5SJTI 1FSLJOT UIBU DFTT $PMF PQFOFE i(PMEFO OVHHFUT *U JT DPNJOH CBDL w 7BMMFZ TBMPO BU UIBU UJNF IF MBUF T *O %PVH BU UIF "QQMF JO PVS NJOE 4PVUIEBMF TJDB UJSF GBNJMZ %VSJOH U JOH BOE JU XBT #BSCFS BU HPPE UIJOHT TFMG UBML BOE TFMG B DMJFOU FFO TFFJOH TUZMJTU +FT $IJMESFO T BU BHF FMZ QPTJUJWF XIP IBT C #VSOTWJMMF XBT CPPN Z GPS $PMF UP F ZFBST MBUFS POF BCPVU ZFBST i5IFZ EFGJOJU JMM Z BOE .BMM 5ISF B QFSGFDU PQQPSUVOJU UIPVHIU w $PMF TBJE UIF TBMPO CFDBVTF FNQMPZFFT 4UBQG GPS BU ZPV XBOU +FTTJDB X w DPNNVOJU DMPTFE $PMF T PG IF UIF I POF IFZ DBUFS UP XI FF[F NF JO HSPX XJUI &WFSZ FNQMPZFF XBT UPP NVD * EJEO U JT HJWFO B OPUFCPPL JO XIJDI U T UBLF NZ DBMMT BOE TRV HFE JO UIF SBJTF IJT PXO GBNJMZ QBOZ XJMM BHF UP BGGJSNBUJPO CFS UIF DPN 8IJMF B MPU IBT DIBO Z i'SPN I XBT EFUSJNFOUBM UP NZ XSJUF EPXO QPTJUJWF UIF DPN (FOFSBM 5IJT 0DUP F XJMM SFDFJWF NF UP PWFS ZFBST ZFBS BOOJWFSTBS MFBSO XIJD %JTUSJCVUJPO FODPVSBHFE DFMFCSBUF JUT DVSSFOUMZ PQFSBUFT FWFSZ EBZ TVDI BT i8 i)BCJUT MFBWF CVTJOFTT U DIBOHFE JUT DPSF WBMVFT CVTJOFTT +FSSZ UZ FMJFWFw BOE "EWFSUJTJOH S B EBZ w $PMF QBOZ IBTO 5IF CVTJOFTT OTWJMMF "QQMF TUBSU MFBSOJOH BO IPV CFHJOOJOH XIBU XF C GSPN USVTU BOE IPOFT IBT B XIJDI TUFNUT PG iHSPXJOH ZPVSTFMG w 4BWBHF UIF WFSZ GJWF TBMPOT o JO #VS B USBJM w 4BMPO BMTP JO &BHBO BOE $PMF TBJE i'SPN B MFBSOJOH DVMUVSF 7BMMFZ UXP &BDI $PMF T XIFSF FNQMPZFFT BOE DPOTJT 4FF $PMF T 1BHF " XF FTUBCMJTIFE UP CFUUFS FNQMPZFFT o BOE IBT MFBSOJOH MFBSOJOH MJCSBSZ IJT MPDBUJPOT HSPVOEFE JO UIF EFTJSF F WBMVF UP PVS BSF FODPVSBHFE UP LFFQ TUSPOH IBT QVSQPTFGVMMZ LFQU WBMVFT SJWFS UP GPSN PVSTFMWFT QSPWJEF USV MJWF CZ PVS TPVUI PG UIF DVTUPNFST BOE DPNNVOJUZ UJFT O IPVS B EBZ JT TPNF -FBSOJOH B

(+* +)

$PMF T 4BMPO DFMFCSBUFT ZFBST

F JUJPO POMJO VS EJHJUBM FE ta County Tribune Dako

$IFDL PVU P

QBHF in JQw UP UIF OFYU LT UP UIF ST PG UIF QBHFT UP [PPN JO 5IF MJOG UIF QBHF $MJDL PO DPSOF PUUPN P PQ PG BOZ QBHF UP $MJDL PO UIF U C 4JUFT XJMM BQQFBS BU UIF C PVS FTT $MJDL PO "EWFS UJTFS 8F QBSUJDVMBS CVTJO -PPLJOH GPS B FY BU UIF UPQ PG UIF QBHF "EWFS UJTFS *OE FZ XPSE 4FBSDIBCMF CZ L

&44 8

&&,-:

#64*/ #VSOTWJMMF CJ[ $P 3E PVOUZ5SJCVOF XXX %BLPUB$ "%7&35*4*/(

Just complete this form and mail it to: Attention: Subscriptions Dakota County Tribune 12190 County Road 11 Burnsville, MN 55337 or fax to: 952-846-2010

__________________________________________________ _____________________________ BUSINESS NAME

ATTENTION

________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS

________________________________________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP

__________________________________________________ _____________________________ SIGNATURE

DATE

________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.