The Retiring Editor

So Long for Now!

2010-11-15T06:00:00.001-06:00

Dear Blog Followers,

This post is in the form of a letter because that's how I've communicated my plans with my other friends and colleagues.

The Lord and I have had a few come-to-Jesus moments in the last month, and He finally won. My husband Mike is in 100% agreement.

After much thought, prayer, pushing, and prodding, I have cancelled all freelance work, workshops, conferences, and blog postings for this next year. In short, I'm retiring . . . for now.

Some of you may know that I battle fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and probably chronic fatigue syndrome, but what you don't know is that those conditions aren't under as much control as I wanted people to believe. Over the years I've learned to compensate and push through the pain and disguise it from employers and friends.

But I never know when I'll have a bad day or week, and when I do my life comes to a grinding halt. Not a good thing when I must work on deadline. Work stress has played a large part in exacerbating my problems.

Rest and restoration will be my bywords for the next year.

I'll finish out the 2013 contracts for Abingdon, and then after selling our house we'll head to Florida to live near our granddaughter. I wish I were there now walking on the beach.

I don't know what God has for me on the other side of this season, but the Lord has made it abundantly clear this is the right choice. A dear friend and author, Cynthia Ruchti, shared a Scripture with me that will carry me through.

"But we encourage you . . . to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands . . . so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone."
--I Thessalonians 4:10b-11, Holman Bible.

I've never given myself permission to lead a quiet life; hard work is all I've known since I was 19. I'm now 62.

The NIV version of that verse reads to make it your "ambition" to lead a quiet life. I’m seeking a quiet and peaceable life. It’s a foreign concept in today’s world where position and money are the yardsticks of success. Yet Jesus encouraged His followers to store up treasure in heaven.

Interesting . . . my decision to retire comes during our 30-Day Prayer Challenge for the Christian publishing industry, which ends tomorrow. As I’ve prayed, I’ve changed, and I've observed a few major changes in the book business:

Christian books sales have dipped for the fourth straight month.
Summerside Press has been sold to Guideposts.
The sales of digital books are increasing.

In Christian Retailing, David Almack, U.S. Director of CLC International, which publishes books and runs CLC Bookcenters in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey, has called on book sellers to return to their first love.

"In our current economic environment, I have come to the conclusion that we must all become avid readers or we will die," he said.

He challenged book sellers to turn off their televisions, put down their cell phones, and take a fast from Facebook. I would add, if you don't read, how can you sell books?

Doom and gloom? Not at all. I think the CBA industry faces challenging times, but bold new leaders will emerge. They will take the baton and run the next lap of this race. Will one of them be you?

So long for now, dear friends. May the Lord bless and keep you and make His face to shine upon you. In Jesus name, amen.

Blessings,
Barbara

* * *

This is day #29 in our 30-day Prayer Challenge for the Christian book industry. What changes have you noticed? Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Mark Twain and the Topic of Weather

2010-11-05T06:49:00.000-05:00

Recently, my friend and Abingdon author Rita Gerlach (Surrender the Wind) introduced me to a little known book by Mark Twain titled The American Claimant published in 1892. The only parts I’ve read so far are the prologue and his appendix, and I must confess, they are the most innovative I've ever read.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Editors tell you to never write a prologue. That’s because most authors use them as a back story dump, and most people don't read them. If you can write a prologue like Twain’s, have at it.

In this post, I’ll kill two birds with one stone—yes, a cliché I know—but quite apropos in this circumstance. Editors also tell you to never start a novel describing the weather. Who cares if giant raindrops reflect back your tears?

And an appendix is usually unnecessary in fiction. But I didn’t realize that Mark Twain felt as vehement about the topic of weather as I learned in his prologue. This is unusual, but I want you to read the whole thing. I needed a laugh this morning.

* * *

THE WEATHER IN THIS BOOK

No weather will be found in this book. This is an attempt to pull a book through without weather. It being the first attempt of the kind in fictitious literature it may prove a failure, but it seemed worth the while of some dare-devil person to try it, and the author was in just the mood.

Many a reader who wanted to read a tale through was not able to do it because of delays on account of the weather. Nothing breaks up an author’s progress like having to stop every few pages to fuss-up the weather. Thus it is plain that persistent intrusions of weather are bad for both reader and author.

Of course weather is necessary to a narrative of human experience. That is conceded. But it ought to be put where it will not be in the way; where it will not interrupt the flow of the narrative. And it ought to be the ablest weather that can be had, not ignorant poor-quality, amateur weather. Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article of it. The present author can do only a few trifling ordinary kinds of weather, and he cannot do those very good. So it has seemed wisest to borrow such weather as is necessary for the book from qualified and recognized experts—giving credit, of course. This weather will be found over in the back part of the book, out of the way. See Appendix. The reader is requested to turn over and help himself from time to time as he goes along.

* * *

How clever! How wry! How sardonic! Mark Twain in all his glory. In the Appendix to The American Claimant he offers the reader “Weather for Use in This Book.” Evidently, writing about weather was a problem in his era too.

Did I ever tell you that my paternal grandmother was his second cousin? Yep, Missourians all.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! (And yes, I know the exclamation point police are on their way. I just heard the sirens.)

* * *

This is day #19 in our 30-day Prayer Challenge for the Christian book industry. Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Don't Forget to Vote Today

2010-11-02T09:56:00.000-05:00

The future of our country may depend on your single vote. God bless America!

The Life of a Freelancer Takes Faith

2010-11-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

This will be a short posting today because I'm feeling a bit puny, as my mother would have said, so I'm sacked out on the sofa watching Fox News and election coverage. I spent the last week working for Abingdon, and this weekend, I finished a children's book about Joseph. I have two other projects waiting in the wings.

Deadlines are deadlines. Delivery of a quality project is essential. If the work takes longer than you anticipate, you still need to come through for the customer. For me, it took rolling out of bed at 5 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

My goal is to manage my time better and take weekends off. It might not be possible. Every freelancer I know works weekends, nights, early mornings, and rarely takes time off. When they have a lull in business, they play and pray for more work.

Tomorrow I'll finish up a short edit and the day after I start on a manuscript-length macro edit. I also have the possibility of writing a work-for-hire fiction book for teens. The pay is good, but I won't receive any royalty, and I have a feeling the deadline will be short. I can see more 5 a.m. start times even if I get the job. It takes faith to walk this road.

But enough about me.

Are you still praying for the CBA book industry? I expect to see movement in this area with all of you praying for owners, executives, editors, authors, marketing and sales people, production people, and book buyers and sellers.

These are tough times for the book business, but I have great faith that prayer makes a difference. We may not know the outcome in our lifetime, but I do believe the God of the universe has made adjustments because of our pleas. May He bless each and every one of you now and forever. Amen.

* * *

This is day #15 in the 30-day Prayer Challenge for the Christian book industry. Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

What Every Writer Wants

2010-10-27T06:00:00.007-05:00

Lately, I’ve had a lot of conversations with authors who want one thing in life: to quit their day jobs so they can write full-time. Let’s look at the odds of that happening.

I don’t want to discourage anyone, but the truth is that there are at least 75,000 to 80,000 books published every year in America . . . maybe more. And this week I read that only about 200 or so writers make enough money to stay home and write full-time. I’d give you the source, but I can’t remember where I read that stat; I only remember that it slapped me upside the head with reality.

So should you stop writing? Of course not. But you do need to establish the reason why you write. Is it to get rich? To live comfortably and pay your bills? To serve God? Because you can’t NOT write? All or none of the above?

I started this blog to inspire authors to write the truth. Before you can do that, you need to wipe the scales from your eyes and look at publishing, especially CBA publishing, in the bright light of day. Take off your sunglasses and follow me.

You struggle for years to write your first novel, or your first seven, before you make a sale. Now you’re a debut author. If you’re fortunate, you may have a series planned that a publisher loves. But since you’re a new author they may not want to take a chance on whether you can deliver a manuscript every six months for at least three books (anything less is not a series). The editor acquires your first book.

Depending on the publisher, that first book may net you an advance of anywhere from $3,500 to $10,000. But remember, that money is called an advance because you have to earn it back for the publisher, and they want you to earn it back within the first year.

How do you do that? Your agent will negotiate a royalty rate, and most publishers will give you an escalating advance as an incentive to sell enough copies to pay back your advance. For instance, you may be offered 12% for the first 10,000 copies you sell; 14% for the next 10,000 copies, and 16% for every copy you sell after 20,000. That’s just an estimate. Some publishers set the escalating percentages much higher. The average CBA title sells about 4,500 to 5,000 copies. Publishers who pay you a $10,000 advance want you to sell twice the average or more.

Let’s say your book sells for $12.99, and you make 12% of the net amount (about half of the retail price) or about 78 cents per copy. Actually, it may be less depending on what your percentages are for selling into markets that demand a higher discount from the publisher. That’s why an agent is worth the 15% you pay her or him. After paying your agent you may make about 65 cents per copy . . . or less.

But you don’t get the entire amount of your advance up front. Normally, it’s paid out in thirds, although some are now dividing the advance into fourths. Abingdon still pays the advance in two checks.

Let’s say you are paid 1/3 of a $9,000 advance at contract signing: that’s $3,000. The next third will not be paid until the editor accepts your manuscript. You’ll be living on about $1,000 a month until you finish your second book. The last $3,000 will be paid on publication, which may be 9 to 12 months down the road.

You won’t see a royalty check for about 18 months—that is if you see one at all. Remember, you need to sell enough copies to earn out your advance before you are paid any royalties. You also may have high returns, and those will be subtracted from your total sales.

Can you quit your day job and live on $1,000 a month? Add it up. It takes most writers at least 6 to 8 months to write a book. Unless you want to live in a tent in the woods and eat off the fat of the land, you better keep working.

Of course, if you have several successful books that pay you regular royalties, you might consider a full-time occupation as a writer, but be prepared to supplement your income by teaching workshops, selling books at conferences, and helping other writers for a fee.

I can hear your wheels turning. “But you quit!” Yes, I did, but I jumped off a 1,000-foot cliff without a parachute. If it weren’t for the Lord’s peace that passes all understanding, I’d crawl under my desk, suck my thumb, and sob while I rocked to and fro.

For the moment, I’m still receiving a small stipend from Abingdon until I wind up the contract stage of the 2013 acquisitions. At the beginning of October, I made a $1,000 for editing a manuscript. Yesterday, I took on a work-for-hire assignment to write a children’s story for $500, and an author called me today to read her initial chapters for my opinion. That will pay me another $100 for four hours of work.

My husband’s Social Security pays our house payment, and I’m responsible for paying the rest of the bills: utilities, credit cards, medical, taxes. In January, I’ll collect my Social Security, which is $500 less than what I would have made if I had waited until I was 65 to draw it out. That’s slightly more than $1,000. But the government will deduct $1 for every $2 I earn. By then my work at Abingdon will have expired.

If you see Mike and I living in a tent on a beach in Florida, drop by and say hello. But I trust the Lord has a plan. I have contacts, and those contacts know the quality of my work. God has plenty for me to do. And that’s the truth.

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This is day #10 in the 30-day prayer challenge for the Christian book industry. Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Network, Schmepwork

2010-10-25T06:18:00.000-05:00

Half your life as a writer will be spent in networking. Maybe more. The days of Hemingway sipping espresso in a Paris café while he scribbled his first draft are gone. Of course, his main network time was spent drinking all night with F. Scott Fitzgerald and running around Spain, watching bullfights and fly fishing. No one can deny that Hem lived life.

I yearn for those days when kids still played baseball after school until dark, or we could spend an afternoon lying on the grass watching clouds scuttle across the sky. Our best writing came after daydreaming in a swing, drinking iced tea and staring into space. Now we feel guilty if we spend five minutes daydreaming in the shower.

Today writers network instead. We’re consummate multi-taskers. Some of you set timers on your cell phones or watches to remind yourself to sign off Facebook or stop Tweeting how many pages you’ve produced.

We’re addicted to social networking, e-mail, and a thousand other ways to postpone the inevitable: starting at a blank page. Hemingway used actual paper. Imagine that. We use a computer screen with a blinking cursor that silently screams “hurry up.”

Yet I know writers who are able to balance their marketing, sales, and networking efforts while giving birth to another manuscript. I’m amazed. They can produce two or three books a year. I’m even more amazed.

We’re writing what the market wants to read. But, just for a moment, think about this: What if you decided to write a book that you wanted to write . . . one that continually nudged you over the course of years? Maybe God wants you to produce the next great American novel rather than write something in a popular genre.

A few agents and editors want to slap me about now. Because once you’re in the game of publishing, you will be expected to churn out at least one or two books a year to satisfy your audience.

After agent Rachelle Gardner recommended Betsy Lerner’s book The Forest for the Trees, I ordered it and just finished it last night. I highly recommend it; you will find yourself between its covers.

In the last chapter Lerner writes, “Publishers are concerned that the business model that has long served their business will no longer work. All this is disheartening for writers. It’s no wonder that some are tweeting for their supper. . . . I fear that we are dancing on the deck of the Titanic.”

But you know me: I look at life from the perspective of a glass half-full. Publishing is changing, and no one in the business (CBA or ABA) has figured out where it’s going or what to do about it. Remember that old cliché that if you’re digging a hole and it’s only getting deeper, stop?

This is day #8 in our 30-day prayer challenge for the Christian publishing industry. We can’t go back to the lazy days of the fifties. As authors and publishers we need to embrace the digital age. It’s here to stay.

But frankly, I think if publishing execs spent a little more time daydreaming, they might just find the way out of this mess. What do you think?

* * *

This is day #8 in my 30-day prayer challenge for the Christian book industry. Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Engaging the World on the Internet

2010-10-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

Last night I spied on enemy territory. I actually listened in on blog conversations where Christianity is an anathema. These people were quite sincere in spouting their opinions, but none of them had any facts—truth—to back up their assertions.

If you haven’t been published yet, consider engaging the world on the Internet. Your impact is immediate: no editors, no Pub Boards, no book buyers to please. Think about it. Put on the armor of God, pick up the sword of the Spirit, and like Caleb and Joshua, go spy on the giants in another land on the Internet.

Do you remember the story of the spies that Moses sent into the Promised Land? Only two—Caleb and Joshua—came back with a bold and courageous report that the Israelites could take out the bad guys. The other spies were afraid of the giants in the land. So the whole tribe of Israel had to wander through the desert until the older generation who remembered Egypt had died off.

Why do we write? To preach to the choir? If the Christian book industry is in trouble financially, what will you do if the number of bookstores continues to decline? What will you do if there is so much competition for publication that you could be waiting in line for years before you have a book published?

Did you know that one online magazine article might touch the hearts of 50,000 readers, but your first book might only sell 4,000 copies?

Now is the time to pray for God’s will in your life . . . not your own. Can you lay down a dream to pick up God’s dream? If you are called to write a book, then write it and stop worrying where you will sell it once it’s written. God will open doors you can’t even imagine.

But if you are more in love with the idea of being a writer than the actual writing process, now is the time to admit it. Pray for God’s will in your life. Is He instead calling you to write magazine articles or to post on your blog?

Now for a really wild idea. Is the Lord calling you to spy on enemy territory and take the land He has given you? Consider listening in on a blog for awhile and when you see error, refute it with the truth in love. It’s a big world out there.

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This is day #4 of our 30-day prayer challenge for the Christian book industry. Please share your prayers and thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Authors: To Thine Own Self Be True

2010-10-18T05:45:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember that old TV game show called To Tell the Truth? Since 1956 the show has appeared in some form over the course of six decades.

Here’s how the game was played: A panel of four “celebrity” judges would attempt to guess the correct contestant with an unusual occupation or experience. Two other people would pretend to be that person and were allowed to lie to the celebrities’ questions. The “real” person had to answer the questions truthfully.

This morning I awakened at 4:30 a.m. and lay in bed contemplating truth. Yes, I know . . . weird. As a writer this is not an unusual occurrence. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

We’re in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area this weekend checking on the house we had to leave more than two years ago when I was laid off from my job and we moved to Nashville for my position at Abingdon Press. The house still hasn’t sold.

We’re staying in a Comfort Inn on 28th Street near the airport and they begin breakfast service at 4:30 for those people catching early flights. I dressed quietly so as not to wake Mike or Riley, our Chihuahua (some watchdog he is), and took the elevator to the breakfast room. There’s nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning.

These may seem like disjointed thoughts, but as the prosecutor tells the jury on Law and Order, I will show that all these facts prove my contention that the witness is telling the truth about her occupation and experience. Join me in the courtroom.

* * *

Prosecutor: Isn’t it true that in your capacity as an acquisitions editor that you’ve been traveling around the country since mid-August?

Me: Yes, that’s true.

Prosecutor: And isn’t it also true that you’ve helped other writers understand their craft and clarify their mission in life?

Me: Yes, Sir.

Prosecutor: Could you tell the court how this lifestyle has affected you?

Me: Do I have to?

Prosecutor: You are sworn to tell the truth. Judge, please instruct the witness to answer the question.

Judge: Please answer the question.

Me: (Sigh) I’m tired.

Prosecutor: Would you please elaborate for members of the jury?

Me: I fall asleep when I’m driving sometimes, and I ache all over from sitting in a seat for hours at a time.

Prosecutor: Isn’t it true that your fibromyalgia flares up and you have periods of anxiety and depression from the stress?

Me: Do I really have to get into that?

Prosecutor: Might I remind the witness that you have sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Me: Yes, that’s true.

Prosecutor: What’s true?

Me: The part about my physical and mental condition.

Prosecutor: Ah! So you admit it’s true?

Me: Yes! I said it’s true.

Prosecutor: Let’s move on to your spiritual condition. Have you spent time in prayer? Do you regularly read your Bible?

Me: Mike and I have taken a “prayer walk” almost every day for this last month. I recall Scripture, but I’ve neglected my Bible reading. I mean I read my Bible, but usually before I close my eyes at night. Usually a Psalm.

Prosecutor: I see. A “prayer walk.” What does that mean?

Me: We pray while we walk. We praise God for His glorious creation. We pray for our nation and those in authority over us. We pray for friends and family and our world. We pray for the Abingdon authors and . . .

Prosecutor: I think the court understands. Do you pray for your occupation?

Me: Yes . . . a lot.

Prosecutor: And what have you deduced from your prayers.

Me: That the Lord is calling me to leave Abingdon Press as of December 15.

Prosecutor: What does He expect you to do if you sever your connection with Abingdon?

Me: Good question. To rest, to write, to edit, to pray. And . . . something else is coming . . . something good. I just don’t know what it is yet.

Prosecutor: To continue to travel?

Me: Not so much.

Prosecutor: I have no further questions, your Honor. It's up to the jury to decide whether this witness is telling the truth.

* * *

Now pretend you are the jury, dear readers. After hearing the evidence I intend to step out in faith. Will you as well be true to what God is calling you to do? Will you follow Him in faith? That may mean taking a job, or volunteering, or continuing to spend your time writing.

For the next 30 days I ask you to pray with me for the Christian book industry, for our roles in it, and whether the Lord might be calling some of us to sow, others to water, and still others to reap the harvest. What is He calling you and me to do? Will you join me in prayer?

Blessings on your day!

The Roving Editor Is Out to Lunch

2010-10-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Literally. So I don't have any words of wisdom to post. It's Pub Board day, so I'm preparing my presentation and then having lunch with the Editor-in-Chief. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. CST in downtown Nashville, and I have no idea how long the marathon session will last. I'm presenting the Spring 2013 list, and believe it or not, I've prepared a Fall 2013 list.

As always, there will be give and take, lots of discussion and input from representatives in editorial, production, accounting, marketing, sales, and even the print buyer. Really? Really.

I'm not proud. I need your prayers for wisdom and for the Lord's leading in what we should publish. Some authors will be disappointed; some will be thrilled with the outcome. I will weep with those who weep, and I will laugh with those who laugh, because that's who I am.

Whatever happens in the meeting, I need to walk in knowing that I believe in every project and communicate my passion to those who will sit in judgment of every author's work.

Thanks for backing me up on the spiritual side. You're the best!

Guess Blogger Kay Marshall Strom: Writing Secret Revealed!

2010-10-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

Like Solomon, I've had to decide this week how to cut the baby in half. Lest you call the police, let me explain. I'm in the process of deciding who will make the cut for the Spring 2013 list at Abingdon Press: so many great books, so little room.

Since I need prayer time, some reading time, some listening time, I've decided to make this the last blog for the week and introduce you to another Abingdon author, Kay Marshall Strom, through one of her past blogs.

Kay had written 34 non-fiction books before her agent sent me her first novel proposal, a historical series titled Grace in Africa. You've already seen the first book in the series, The Call of Zulina, released last Fall.

The second book, Voyage of Promise, has just released and been selected for inclusion in Booklist's top ten Inspirational Fiction Books. It also will be featured in the November 15 issue of the American Library Association's Booklist Magazine.

I urge you to look for her books about the beginnings of the slave trade on your bookstore's shelf. Kay's passion is to end the slave trade today. Yes, the problem still plagues our world and has more than doubled since the late 1700s when this series takes place.

Now, here's Kay on her secret for writing . . .

* * *

All the time, at writers’ conferences and on airplanes and just out doing my shopping, as soon as people find out I’m a writer, they want to pull me aside and whisper conspiratorially, “So, what’s the real secret to writing?”

Sigh! If there were one great secret, don’t you think it would be sold in a book for $99.98? Or presented at a one-day seminar for $599.99? Or at least written up on a blog?

Oh, right . . . that’s what I’m going to do right now on this blog.

Okay, here it is:

The secret to great writing . . .

is . . .

WRITE!

No, really. It’s true. Too many people spend the majority of their time talking about writing, reading books about writing, wishing they could write, dreaming about the writing life . . . you get the idea. But the fact is, writing is work, and to be a writer one must write and write and write some more.

That’s not to say that instruction doesn’t help. It most certainly does. Which is why, having made the point about actually writing, I want to go ahead and suggest these . . .

Six Rules For Great Writing

Kay Marshall Strom

1. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. It is true that short sentences and paragraphs feel comfortable while long ones feel threatening, and also that short ones give the feeling of something one can manage while long ones feel overwhelming, not to mention the fact that a shorter sentence is easier for readers to follow than a long, long, long confusing sentence in which they tend to get lost and wonder how it all started. Whew! Break up that sentence! When you have a longer sentence, follow it with a short one. And surround a long paragraph with shorter, punchier paragraphs.

2. Prefer the simple to the complex. The preponderance of didactic scriveners who lucubrate their discourse with rubbish is abominable. I know! You see what I mean, then? Often people argue with me on this point, insisting that their novel or whatever is aimed at an educated audience. Well, I am a college graduate. I’ve read plenty of college textbooks in my life. But I can assure you, it’s been a long old time since I’ve curled up in front of the fireplace on a rainy night with a cup of cocoa and a college textbook! Write to express rather than impress.

3. Show, don’t tell. Yep, you’ve heard this one before. But it’s so true. In movies and on TV, we can see what’s happening. But a book author must paint the pictures with words. You can do this with anecdotes, with good dialogue, by writing out a scene rather than just telling us it happened. ”Show, don’t tell” is important in both fiction and non-fiction.

4. Tie in with the readers’ experience. If your reader can’t comprehend what you are saying, you may as well not say it. Here is a good example: “BP must set aside $20 billion for those who suffered damage and loss in the horrendous oil spill.” Yes. Um-hmm. Here’s the problem: that word “billion” is constantly being thrown around, but it is outside our actual experience, so it means little to us. How much more effective if you tie it to something to which we can relate: A billion seconds ago, it was the year 1959. A billion minutes ago, Jesus walked on the earth. A billion hours ago, our ancestors lived in the stone age. Yikes!

5. Give your reader something to take away. Remember, you are writing for your reader, not for yourself. You may feel better for having poured out the agonies of your gall bladder surgery, for instance, but what is in it for the reader? Why not reshape your personal experience article to something like: “10 Ways to Help Your Loved One Recover” using your experience as background?

6. Write, write, and write some more! Keep on writing. Everyone gets better and better. No one gets worse and worse.

There you have it. The writer’s big secret!

“To write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write is to write.”

--Gertrude Stein

Find more inspiration from Kay Strom at her blog titled Kay's Words. Here's the link: http://kaystrom.wordpress.com/

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Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

The Power of Your Words

2010-10-05T06:00:00.004-05:00

In 2003 I read a powerful novel by my friend Nancy Rue titled Pascal’s Wager. The book takes place in modern times on the campus of Stanford University, which I know well, since I received a certificate from the Stanford Mass Media Institute in film in 1983.

As I read her novel, Nancy’s words transported me twenty years into the past, and I walked the campus along with her characters. I remembered my experiences there as though they had happened yesterday: sitting in a booth sipping coffee, the smells in the antiseptic halls of the medical center, the soaring architecture of the buildings, a forest of eucalyptus trees.

The novel so inspired my friend and author Gwen Ellis and I that we adapted the book into a screenplay, which has never been produced, but our faith and friendship deepened as we worked on the script. The words of Nancy’s book had power to move us to action.

Why did Nancy title her book Pascal’s Wager? For that matter, what is Pascal’s Wager? How did Pascal’s words shape society’s dialogue about the existence of God?

Blaise Pascal was a 17th-century French mathematician, who had a mystical experience of Christ that caused him to give up his mathematical pursuits and instead live his life drawing closer to God through philosophy and theological studies. Basically, Pascal’s Wager is this:

Even though man cannot prove the existence of God through reason and science, a person should toss the dice and wager that God exists. If God doesn’t exist, the person has lost nothing; if God does exist, the person has won eternal life. (See Note 233 of his work titled Pensées written in the latter part of his life as he worked on a treatise of Christian apologetics.)

How does Pascal’s Wager relate to the power of our written words? Pascal, a mathematician, had his life planned out, but his encounter with the living Christ changed him forever. He wrote words that have lasted for centuries. Nancy Rue’s words moved at least two people to action. Your words matter too. What will they accomplish?

Here’s what Pascal wrote about the power of words:

“Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them wrathful. Kind words also produce their image on men’s souls; and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer.”

Your words have power. Let them inspire and comfort your readers.

* * *

The Truth Shall Set You Free

2010-10-01T06:00:00.007-05:00

What is truth? If I want to inspire authors to write the truth, I should understand its properties. We should have a mutual understanding of its definition.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, truth is “fidelity and constancy [archaic forms]; sincerity in action, character, and utterance; the state of being the case: fact; the body of real things, events, and facts: actuality; often capitalized: a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality; a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true (truths of thermodynamics); the body of true statements and propositions; the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality; chiefly British: true; fidelity to an original or to a standard; in accordance with fact: actually.”

Yet, today, I hear people on TV and in conversation say that “my truth is not necessarily your truth.” If truth is fact, how can that be?

I started my search for truth in high school, and it led me into numerous metaphysical movements, cults, alternative religions, other world religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, the concept of reincarnation, other spiritual realities, and metaphysics, plus so many more I can’t even name them all. Let me put it this way: If it went bump in the night, I wanted to know why.

But for all my searching for truth, I found only confusion and misery. If everyone had their own truth, then how could one movement or religion claim only they knew the truth passed down from “ancient masters.” The answer given was that I was not enlightened enough to understand.

Arguments over truth have consumed humankind from the earliest recorded times. An entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy from June 13, 2006 [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/truth/] states that “The problem of truth is in a way easy to state: what truths are, and what (if anything) makes them true. But this simple statement masks a great deal of controversy. Whether there is a metaphysical problem of truth at all, and if there is, what kind of theory might address it, are all standing issues in the theory of truth.”

Theory. Huh. If truth is fact, why do people argue over its meaning? Truth is truth: fact, reality, fidelity, constancy.

One day the disciple Thomas asked a question of Jesus after the Lord comforted His followers by saying that He was going home and He would prepare a place for them and they would know the way to this place.

Confused, Thomas said to Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:5-7 NIV

Jesus is the truth. He is fact. He is reality. He is fidelity. He is constant. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He died on a cross, was laid in a tomb, and rose bodily three days later. The tomb is empty. What other path of enlightenment can claim that their leader—their ancient master—rose from the dead and showed his (or her) wounds to friends, family, and followers?

Jesus appeared first to Thomas so that the disciple could see with his own eyes the Lord’s nail-scarred hands.

I had known the truth as a child. But I forgot, or maybe the other voices screaming at me from their metaphysical money booths shouted Him down. In 1982 I found the truth. It . . . He . . . has never failed me.

Christian fiction contains more truth than the realities of life in our confusing world. Grasp that fact, write from the truth in your heart, and you will not need to include a conversion scene in your novel. His Holy Spirit will show the truth in your stories to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Book Sales

2010-09-29T06:00:00.006-05:00

Editors usually attend sales conferences and may even present your book to a room filled with sales reps who cover key accounts, independent bookstores, special sales, chain stores, big box stores, and catalogs. There are other marketing channels, but let’s keep this explanation simple.

Even after a contract is offered, editors talk about your book to the sales reps they meet in the hall or at lunch or at meetings. By now, the reps have heard about a hundred other books in process at the publishing house. The key is for the editor and marketing manager to keep reminding them of your book.

A long time ago, I worked for seven years as both an inside rep and a field rep for the McGraw-Hill College Division, selling textbooks to professors and acquiring their manuscripts. Selling books is a grueling marathon, especially since sales territories are usually large. Lots of travel is involved. Reps talk on the phone a lot. They stay on top of orders because if they don’t, a buyer might forget to order your book.

Before the sales reps hit the ground running, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and a few other publications need the ARC (advance reader copy) six months in advance so that your book has a chance to be reviewed. These reviews start buzz and alert book buyers about future titles. Buzz is good.

This isn’t true in every house, but Abingdon sales reps want ARCs with final covers for every fiction book and they want them by sales conference. Our sales conference for the Spring 2011 list was held earlier this month. At the sales meeting, the reps heard details not only about fiction, but non-fiction, academic books, gift books, devotionals, Bibles, and other products.

As soon as the conference is over, the reps start calling on their accounts. Deals are made. Pre-sales numbers are tracked. The first print run will be determined by how much the book buyers like your book. We want them to like your book a lot.

How does a sales rep keep all that information in his or her head? They don’t. That’s why they have catalogs and folders. But what really sells a book is enthusiasm and a story. Your story about why you wrote the book. It should be short and carry an emotional punch.

When reps sit down with book buyers, they have a limited time to cover dozens of books in numerous categories. What will make the sales reps remember you? What story can they tell about your book?

Here are a few suggestions: Send an email through your editor, thanking the reps for their efforts on behalf of your book. Include a couple of anecdotes about how this story impacted your life or the lives of others who have read it. Tell them God stories about how He inspired you to keep writing. Keep it short and heartfelt.

Sales reps rarely get a note of thanks from authors. Make it a practice. The editor or marketing manager will forward the email to the sales director or his assistant who will then forward it to all the reps.

For the sales conference, can you afford to send some type of treat from your region of the country? Or baked goods from a recipe in the book? Or? Think creatively. Talk to your marketing manager about what you might be able to do for the reps.

After the sales conference, follow up with another email, assuring them of your prayer support. List whatever the Lord puts on your heart: safe travels, good health, safety for their families when they are on the road, favor with buyers. No one needs our prayers more than sales reps. They have the pressure of meeting financial goals and numbers for each book, including yours, in addition to the physical stress of travel. It’s a tough job but rewarding.

Experienced authors: Please share any experiences you’ve had with sales reps. One of the greatest honors is to be invited to speak to them at the sales conference. Let’s pray that the reps from every Christian publishing house will be inspired and encouraged this season as they help to put your books into the hands of readers.

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Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Marketing 101: You and Your Marketing Manager

2010-09-27T06:00:00.037-05:00

Editors rarely attend marketing meetings, although marketing managers sit in on Pub Board meetings and help decide whether the publishing company will offer you a contract. The editor is your champion. The marketing manager wants to know if you have a platform and where she can place your book for maximum exposure.

In other words, marketing managers have the power to give a thumbs up or thumbs down on your project, but editors have no control over marketing strategies. I can’t speak for all houses, but that’s the process I’m used to.

So here’s the deal . . . don’t ask your editor about the marketing plan for your book. We don’t know. By the time marketing strategies are implemented for your potential bestseller, acquisitions editors have moved on to future lists; sometimes we’re working two years ahead. For instance, on October 12, I’ll present the Spring 2013 list to Pub Board.

If editors are fortunate, an author or marketing manager will pass on one of your reviews or tell us about your book launch, but we have no idea what specific ads your book has appeared in or what publicity or media opportunities you might have or how much money is/was spent.

Bottom line? Get to know your marketing manager. Coordinate your efforts at the beginning of your campaign. If you want to send an ARC (advance reader copy) to a particular blog for a review, or contact local media, or even hire a publicist, you don’t want to cover the same territory as your publisher.

But please don’t bug your marketing manager with a daily email or phone call. She can’t do her job if all she does is answer your questions. Make contact when it’s imperative that a copy of your book needs to land in the hands of your reviewer by a certain date. The more important the reviewer, the more time that person needs to read your book and give you a thoughtful review.

It’s important that you find out when the marketing manager needs information from you about your marketing plans. Yes, plan to market your own book as well. The days of long book tours, expensive hotel rooms, and chocolate-dipped strawberries are over, unless you’re a million-dollar author.

Make friends with your marketing manager and supply her with the information she needs on the date she needs it. If you’re responsive and professional, your positive attitude will convince the marketing manager that you’re an author who can handle a radio or TV interview.

Fiction sells by word of mouth. If you’re a new author, prepare yourself now. Learn to speak to groups, even small ones. Set up a website or blog or visit other websites and comment on blogs.

Get to know bookstore owners. Engage in social media. Write blog or magazine articles. Do it now and you’ll be ready to hop on the marketing train when your book is published.

People in publishing will notice your efforts.

* * *

Life Happens . . . Even to an Editor

2010-09-24T18:43:00.000-05:00

I got up late this morning even though I planned to write my blog early. Yesterday, my husband Mike decided for the first time to mow the hill in our front yard with his ride-on mower. It flipped back on him and we spent the afternoon in the E.R. No broken bones, thank God. You’ve already heard of my adventures on the way home from ACFW.

Life happens. We plan our days to accomplish something important, but forget to set our alarms; a loved one is injured, and we rush to the hospital; a neighbor goes into early labor and asks us to take care of her small children.

Life. Minutes and hours tick away on eternity’s metronome. Scripture says our lives are but a breath. We only have so many days, so we cram them full of busyness.

We pick our kids up after school and drive them to ballet, or swimming, or soccer, and they fall asleep before their heads hit the pillow. When do children play? They carry planners with them from first grade on. Their lives are so filled with scheduled activities that they lose the ability to dream and create.

I’ve tried every time-management system available. None of them helped me plan for life’s unexpected emergencies.

Life will never follow our well-constructed plans. People are a messy, chaotic bunch of souls. We can either have panic attacks or we can roll with the punches and pray for a better day tomorrow. Then tomorrow comes, and a friend needs to cry on our shoulder.

We need to make plans for the future, but we need to live fully in the present. Our lives are in God’s hands. When we get to heaven, I don’t think He’ll be handing out gold stars for keeping all our appointments and finishing all our tasks. Instead, I think He’ll be pleased that we smiled at a child, or encouraged a friend, or bought a homeless man a McDonald’s combo meal and a large sweet tea.

Our words please Him. Our writing pleases Him. But our obedience pleases Him more. If the Lord has called you as a writer . . . write. If you don’t meet your word quota for the day because you were busy living life, I don’t think He’ll mind. Keep writing when you can.

* * *

An Editor’s Tale of ACFW

2010-09-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Today’s blog may be shorter than usual but I thought you would want a view of the conference through the eyes . . . or feet . . . of an editor. I drove to Indy on Thursday and headed for the airport to pick up two authors: Joyce Magnin, the author of Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise, and Christa Allan, Walking on Broken Glass.

A simple task, right? Wrong. A double-wide mobile home had gotten stuck between two railings on the overpass of my exit to the airport. What to do? The nice man in the state trooper’s uniform knew what to do. Keep moving.

I give the second state trooper a little more credit. I rolled down my window, and since he was already dealing with one hysterical woman (the one stuck on the exit) he was used to a deer in the headlights look. He told me to get off the road, turn around, get back on I-70, and exit at the airport.

Faith kicked my hysteria in the posterior, and I moved on. Adventure runs in my veins. After all, I’m distantly related to “Dr. Livingston I presume,” the great missionary doctor people thought had been lost in the jungle. He wasn’t lost. He knew where he was all along.

Authors were picked up on time, we checked into the hotel, and the marathon began. On Thursday, I paced myself. How can you mess up registration, picking up an appointment schedule, and dinner?

Over the next two days, I met with 30 “scheduled” conferees, and received innumerable escalator and elevator pitches, Starbucks pitches, and between hither and yon pitches. Also lots of wonderful conversations with people who only wanted to say hi—even some of you who have followed my blog.

By Saturday night at the Abingdon author dinner at P.F. Chang’s, I was on a roll. Energy high. Still awake. My laughter button working. I was running full tilt.

On Sunday night after my self-editing workshop and the awards banquet, my feet were swollen to twice their size, I felt as old as Moses, and I was facing a six-hour drive back to Nashville the next morning at 6 a.m. Reality kicked in.

But I finished my race and passed the torch to Rick Acker, author of When the Devil Whistles. He’s younger, and I thought he could stay up longer that night.

After saying good-bye to Joyce, Christa, and multiple award-winning author Jenny B. Jones at the airport on Monday morning, I sailed away in my 2002 Camry that I named Silver Streak that morning. All this without a drop of coffee in my veins.

By this time dawn had broken, but I could barely keep my eyes open. Silver Streak raced off the freeway at the first Golden Arches she saw. I thought an Egg McMuffin and a soda would do it. Not so much. (I don’t like McDonald’s coffee. Sorry Mickie “D”.)

I hit the road . . . back north instead of south. Before I could turn around in commuter traffic, I had made a 20-mile mistake. Eventually, I made the loop on I-65 and headed south. Only 265 miles to go.

More yawning, but now, I’d become a danger to myself and the public. I pulled off at a convenience store and gas station, changed into tennis shoes, which I couldn’t tie because of the swelling, drank a venti-size bold roast, and decided it was naptime. I laid back my head and snoozed for an hour.

Before I got home, I had poured at least five large caffeine drinks into my body. Next time I’ll fly, or Mike will come and act as relief driver.

Wait! The conference. Yes, it was the best ever with 620+ conferees and more divine appointments than I can tell you about. They say my author Cynthia Ruchti, outgoing president of ACFW and author of They Almost Always Come Home, walked those halls early every morning, praying for the event and the conferees. The Lord was pleased, and He was present.

If you ever have a chance to attend, pace yourself. Don’t attend every workshop. Meet people and make lifelong friends.

Now it’s your turn. Were you there? Tell us your stories. What was the highlight for you?

* * *

Cross-pollination: A Logical First Step to Networking

2010-09-20T06:00:00.047-05:00

This is the last day of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in Indianapolis. Since I won’t return to Nashville until this evening, I’m continuing Guest Blogger Week. I hope it’s been fun and beneficial to read such inspiring blog posts from some of my talented authors.

Linda S. Clare
Today’s guest blogger is Linda S. Clare, whose debut novel The Fence My Father Built has received wonderful reviews. Unknown to Linda, I had been using the word cross-pollinate to describe how Christians should help one another as writers. She had adopted the same word. Hm. Do you think God is trying to tell us something?

Here’s one of the many 5- star reviews posted on Amazon.com:

The Fence My Father Built by Linda S. Clare is a poignant novel about finding where you belong. Muri Pond is taking her two children, Nova and Tru, home to her father's home in the desert area of Oregon after the loss of her job and the end of her marriage. She grew up never knowing Joseph Pond, but after his death, she finds she has nowhere else to go, so going to his home makes sense.

Until she finds out that his home is a trailer with a group of cobbled together additions and is occupied by her quirky aunt and uncle and their potbellied pigs. That's only the beginning of Muri's trouble, however. Joseph left a fight over water rights with the town's best-loved citizen in which Muri quickly finds herself trapped in as well, plus Nova has no intention of living in the middle of nowhere. Clare puts Muri in the middle of an impossible situation and every turn of the page only seems to turn up the heat. Her writing is powerful and deeply human. I hope she writes more fiction soon! —Christina Lockstein, Oconto Falls, WI, “Christy’s Book Blog”

* * *

By now, even the beginning novel writer knows they'll need to market both themselves and their book once it's published. Some writers believe if they promote themselves, they must step on other writers' toes and that marketing is something like muscling your way to the head of the line. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As daunting as it sounds, all marketing and book promotion starts out as networking. I'd like to encourage you wherever you are in your writing journey to do what I call cross-pollination. For Christian writers, this term has even more significance. Instead of regarding fellow writers as competition, embrace them. Help them thrive, and your career and books will thrive too.

When I first started promoting myself as a writer, I started blogging, joined FaceBook and Twitter—you know the drill. I had exactly one follower for my writing blog, Linda Clare’s Writer’s Tips, http://GodSongGrace.blogspot.com. One.

Then I did two simple things. First, I focused on my blog. I teach writing, so I’ve quit waxing poetic on random subjects and now post brief writing tips several times per week.

Second—and here’s the cross-pollination part—I started asking others to follow me. My followers have increased in a big way.

When my publisher, Abingdon Press, gave my novel, The Fence My Father Built, a free Kindle promotion on Amazon, I contacted every writer I could and asked to swap publicity. The only authors who said no had serious health issues in their lives. But those who did were happy to help me, and I was happy to return the favor. The promotion was wildly successful thanks to all my new author friends spreading the word.

So, how can you grow your traffic/friends/followers? Cross-pollinate!

Bees know this secret. Instead of sticking with one flower or always returning to the same place, they cross-pollinate lots of flowers and places. The bees benefit, the plants benefit, everyone benefits. And we end up with the honey.

If each writer looks up 10 other writers’ blogs, FaceBook and Twitter accounts and signs up to follow, friend, or whatever, we all win. The more you follow another’s pages, the more followers you’ll begin to see on your own.

Most writers and pros I know are busy bees, pollinating readers in Christ’s love. We're committed to the Cross.

As you implement this simple, free way to help get the word out about you and your work, please let me know if your traffic increases. Email me at Lindas352@comcast.net. For now, get out there and cross-pollinate. Bzzzzz.

* * *

Shelley Gray’s Sales Story for A Texan’s Promise

2010-09-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

This weekend while I meet with dozens of aspiring authors at ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and attend the conference in Indianapolis Thursday through Monday, I thought it would be fun and beneficial to invite some of my talented authors to share their experiences and inspiration with you.

Shelley Sabga

Today’s guest blogger is Shelley Sabga, who writes Amish novels under the nom de plume of Shelley Shepard Gray. Shelley has enjoyed great success writing about the Amish and visits Amish communities in Adams and Holmes Counties in Ohio several times a year.
A busy wife and mother of two, she spends her days writing and keeping track of her teenagers. Her two dogs keep her company while she writes in her basement in southern Ohio. Please visit her website at www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news, or become her friend on FaceBook.

There are some things I never tire of. Things like a hot cup of coffee, talking to my children, or sitting on our back deck with my husband. And, of course, I really love getting a phone call from my agent.

See, usually the only time Mary Sue calls me instead of sending an email is when she’s sold one of my books. I’ve been with her for eleven years, and every time I see Mary Sue’s name on my Caller ID, I get a little thrill. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have received quite a few of those lucky phone calls.

But earlier this year, I had one of my favorite calls from her ever. Mary Sue called to tell me that she’d sold A Texan’s Promise.

A Texan’s Promise is a historical romance set in Texas right after the Civil War. It’s the story of Clayton Proffitt, my Best Hero Ever, and Vanessa, the woman he takes to Colorado when she’s in danger. They leave on horseback in the middle of the night, and every time I think about their story I sigh.

I wrote A Texan’s Promise on weekends and in the evenings for fun. Ever since my dad made me watch Gunfight at the OK Corral with him, I’ve loved westerns. My dad passed away years ago, so writing westerns and thinking about my home state of Texas makes me think—for just a little while—that he’s nearby.

Now here’s some more information about A Texan’s Promise: I loved it. And, for the life of me, I couldn’t sell it.

Oh, it came close to being sold several times. It came really close. Editors asked me to change sections of it. Over five years, I rewrote it, made it tighter, made it better, and then was disappointed again. Three times it went all the way to different publishers’ editorial boards.

But it never quite got the okay. It was always a little too romantic. Or a little too historical. Or a little too . . . (insert adjective here). You name it.

Every few months, I’d get a call from Mary Sue, telling me I’d sold another book. Hooray! Then she’d tell me the bad news. After much deliberation, yet another publishing house had decided to pass on A Texan’s Promise. But she wasn’t giving up.

However, I kind of did. I’ve been around long enough to know that not all books I write will sell, or that all proposals I submit will be accepted. And that’s okay. So, with regret, I put my hopes for this book away. Now, I didn’t think writing it was a wasted effort. I’d enjoyed writing the book, and I’d learned a whole lot of interesting trivia about guns, horses, and Civil War veterans. I’d also learned a lot about myself and about rejection with this book. There’s something to be said for that.

Then one day I received an email from my agent, saying there was a chance that Abingdon Press would take a look at it. I actually told her that it had been rejected by them. But then Mary Sue reminded me that when Abingdon had rejected the book, they weren’t in the market for historicals. But now they were. So off it went again. To say I wasn’t hopeful about a positive outcome was something of an understatement. Besides, I was under contract for a few other things. I had books to write, not dreams to fulfill!

Then, one Friday night, my cell phone rang. I was actually in a room at a bed and breakfast with my critique partners, having a writer’s retreat. I almost didn’t take the phone call. But, of course, there was no way I was ever going to ignore Mary Sue!

And that’s when she told me that she’d sold A Texan’s Promise. The folks at Abingdon Press liked the book!

To say I was happy is kind of an understatement. I hung up the phone, gave a little shout, told my critique partners and smiled. I was stunned.

Yes, God is good. He gave me the ability to write, and the ability to dream too. He gave me wonderful people in my life to support me and to work with. And He gave me Mary Sue, the agent who truly never stops believing in me.

So though A Texan’s Promise is officially the thirtieth book of mine Mary Sue has sold, it is truly one of my very favorite books, and it has one of my very favorite “sales” stories. The book was inspired from time spent with my dad, was written just for the simple joy of putting my imagination to paper, and was sold in spite of myself.

I’m forever grateful. And I’m thrilled to be a part of the Abingdon Press family of authors.

* * *

The Rest of the Story

What Shelley doesn’t know is that I fell in love with A Texan’s Promise from the moment I read the first page. I had to finish it, even though we weren’t in the market for historical fiction. So I set it in my precious little stack of manuscripts I wanted to publish someday and acted like a squeaky door in Pub Board, reminding everyone that historical romances, especially those set in the West, were hot. Finally, they listened, and the rest is history. I still sigh when I think of Clayton Proffitt, a true American hero. If only all men were as good and true as Clay.

* * *

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Rejection as a Stepping Stone

2010-09-18T06:00:00.111-05:00

Good morning, everyone! Today I will meet with more than a dozen aspiring authors at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. While I’m away from my home in Nashville, I thought it would be fun and beneficial to invite some of my talented Abingdon Press authors to share their experiences and inspiration with you.

Author Rita Gerlach

Today’s guest blogger is Rita Gerlach, author of the historical romance Surrender the Wind. She and her husband Paul live in the Baltimore area with their two sons.

Recently, I had the pleasure (along with my husband Mike) of having dinner with Rita, her husband Paul, and Larry and Loree Lough. Paul and Mike kept us in stitches the whole night. Rita and I compared notes and agreed that living with them is a bit like living with Robin Williams, only our husbands are Christians. I think they are gifts from God to encourage us when we forget that the Lord is directing our careers.

The next day, Rita and Paul drove us to Harper’s Ferry, and we toured the area where her next series—Daughters of the Potomac—takes place. Did you know the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers flow together at that point? You could actually see the change in water.We stood on a high cliff above Harper's Ferry, and I could almost see Rita's main character sitting on a bench and dreaming about her future.

Later we had lunch at a little outside café with faded red umbrellas and red-checked tablecloths. Since our Chihuahua Riley is such a well-behaved dog, he was allowed to have lunch with us. Not that he ate anything. That’s how he keeps his svelte figure. ;-)

Now for Rita’s guest blog . . . be inspired!

On a recent forum post on ChristianWriters.com an aspiring writer wrote about her feelings and view on rejections. I thought I would share my response to her in hopes that it will encourage those of you who are in the doldrums.

Dear Cowgirl Poet,

As I read your post, my heart went out to you. I've been in that exact same place where rejections seemed an endless circle. Please be encouraged and know that the piece on rejection that you wrote may only be temporary. There are two things a Christian writer must have in order to succeed besides a tough skin—persistence and patience. Persistence is continuing to write, improving the craft, sending out queries. Patience comes out of humility to God by turning over your writing career into His hands.

You wrote that rejection is a “non-stop part of a writer's life.” It is true for the moment. You will face rejections. However, the day you land your first publishing contract, rejections will fall to the wayside. Oh, you might get a rejection from your editor on a new proposal, but you can ask what you can do to make the manuscript better, what can you change to meet her expectations. As you grow as a writer you'll begin to view rejections as stepping stones to something better—to make you a better writer, to make your manuscript the best it can be, and to put your work into the right hands.

I had been writing for several years and found a print-on-demand company to publish my first three novels. Easy. They'll accept any book that comes their way. There were downsides to POD, and they almost, if I had allowed them, defeated my career. I refused to give in and prayed that God would release the works of my hands out of the hands of ungodly men. A few weeks later I had my contracts canceled, and it was one of the best things to happen to me.

I started a new historical and thought I had finished it. So I started sending out queries. One Christian agent whom I highly respect told me, “In my opinion, this is not finished.” Those were all the words he gave me. Of course, I wished he had said more, but I had to revisit the manuscript.

Then one July day a year later, I sat down at my desk and asked the Lord to show me what He wanted me to do with this book and with my career. I have a little verse sitting in a frame on my desk that says, “Commit your work to the Lord.” And so, that is what I did. If He wanted this novel published, it would be, and I had to be patient for the right door to open.

Fifteen minutes later I saw on Brandilyn Collins' blog that her friend Barbara Scott had been hired as the new acquisitions editor at Abingdon Press and that they were starting a fiction line. Barbara was only announcing it on Brandilyn's blog at the time. Historical fiction was one of the genres she was looking for. I sent her a query, and she requested the manuscript.

I was offered a contract and Surrender the Wind came out in August 2009. In November I was offered agent representation. Last week I signed again with Abingdon for a three-book series. Oh, and one of the books that I had begun to write as a standalone, Barbara rejected initially, not because the writing was bad but because of how it would not fit in their line. I asked her if I could make changes and resend. She said yes. In the shower one morning (I pray a lot in the shower) the Lord showed me I needed to tell the story in three novels. Thus the series. Barbara looked at the proposals and loved them.

I'm not posting this to toot my own horn. I am nobody special. I just want to share my testimony and hope it encourages you to look at rejection in a different light. Rejections are stepping-stones to something better. When an agent or publisher turns you down, tell yourself they were not the right fit for you and move on. Commit your work to the Lord and He will direct your path.

I want to send my thanks to everyone that has read Surrender the Wind, to those who were gracious to host me on their blogs, and those who wrote reviews. It's been a great year! Watch for the new series due out early in 2012 . . . Daughters of the Potomac.

Blessings,
Rita Gerlach

* * *

It's been one year since Abingdon Press officially released Rita’s historical novel of intrigue and romance entitled Surrender the Wind. Recently, a reader in the UK sent Rita this message.

Hello Rita, just finished reading your book Surrender the Wind. What can I say? It was absolutely amazing—the best book I've read for a long, long time—[with] intrigue, suspense, passion, love. I've never ridden so fast on a horse as I did with Seth. God certainly gave you a gift. Keep using it. From Deborah (England)
* * *

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

And please visit Rita’s website at www.ritagerlach.com/ and her blog at: http://inspire-writer.blogspot.com/.

The Word "Oops" Doesn't Exist in God's Vocabulary

2010-09-17T06:00:00.106-05:00

This week while I attend the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in Indianapolis Thursday through Monday, I thought it would be fun and beneficial for you to invite some of my talented authors to share their experiences and inspiration with you.

Today’s guest blogger is Bonnie Calhoun, who has coauthored a new fun suspense novel Deadly Accord with Michelle Sutton. Bonnie is the publisher of the Christian Fiction Online Magazine and runs the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. She is also the Northeast Zone Director for ACFW. Check out what Bonnie is up to at the websites posted at the end of this blog.

Bonnie S. Calhoun

For any of you out there who are aspiring to be a published author, or have just recently gotten your first contract, I know the majority of your brain power is being expended dreaming about the journey you are embarking on (I know . . . *sigh* . . . I ended with a preposition).

I’m here to tell you that it is everything that you are dreaming about: well-wishing friends, long lost relatives who now want to claim you because you have a published book, people that “get” your stories, and people that “don’t get” your stories.

But there’s another side to publishing that you probably never thought about: cover art discussions, title discussions (don’t ever try to set a title in stone, ‘cause someone will come along with a big hammer and smash that rock to pieces and come up with a much better title), macro edits and content edits, and enough kinds of edits to make your head swim.

But never fear! All of these changes are not meant to hurt you but rather to help you be your upmost finest as an author! And that brings me to my actual subject today.

Fear!

Now that we’re here at the ACFW conference, my burning desire is to address the fear and anxiety that comes along with attending the conference. I have heard all of these remarks at least once:

“What will happen to me since I didn’t get the appointment that I wanted?”
“I’m crushed because that agent didn’t like my work.”
“That editor didn’t even seem to be paying attention to me?”
“I’m going to throw up again; I’m so scared and nervous about pitching my work to strangers.” (No kidding. Someone said that on their Facebook page!)

People! We are children of the One True and Holy God. Father did not create us with the spirit of fear. There is one word that I am absolutely positive is NOT in Father’s vocabulary. That word is “Oops!” (accompanied by a smack to the forehead.)

Nothing that we do, or that is done to us, or even that happens to us at the conference, takes Father by surprise! When it’s your turn to shine, He will get you there no matter what circumstance has to be overcome. All things work together for His glory, and there is no way on God’s green earth that His plan for your life and your writing can be thwarted.

Yes, I give you the option of being nervous meeting new people, but remember when you go in to meet those people, Father’s Holy Spirit is right there inside of you. Just take a deep breath, and tell Father you are ready for however He orders your journey.

www.christianfictiononlinemagine.com, www.christianfictionblogalliance.com, and www.bonniescalhoun.com.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Cross-Pollination: A Logical First Step to Networking

2010-09-15T20:51:00.003-05:00

No Mile Along the Journey Is Wasted

2010-09-15T05:30:00.000-05:00

Good morning, everyone! It’s a little after 5 a.m. in Nashville, and I still haven’t washed the Sandman’s visit out of my eyes. This week while I prepare for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and attend the conference in Indianapolis Thursday through Monday, I thought it would be fun and beneficial for you to invite some of my talented authors to share their experiences and inspiration with you.

Today’s guest blogger is Richard L. Mabry, MD, a retired physician and medical school professor who achieved worldwide recognition as a writer, speaker, and teacher before turning his talents to non-medical writing after his retirement. He is the author of Code Blue and Medical Error, the first two novels in The Prescription for Trouble series from Abingdon Press; one non-fiction book, and his inspirational pieces have appeared in numerous periodicals. He and his wife, Kay, live in North Texas. He’s one great guy, and his stories reflect his decades of medical experience. You’ll love his romantic suspense! Visit Dr. Mabry at his website: www.rmabry.com. Heeeerrrrreeee's Richard!

Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

My children must have hated some of our family road trips. From the moment we were out of the driveway with me behind the wheel, I was focused on my goal: getting there. Bathroom stops were grudging, food consumed at a gallop. It couldn’t have been easy for my sweet, patient wife. After it was much too late for the “kids”—who could no longer be called that—to reap the benefits, I discovered that the journey is as much a part of the trip as anything.

Some writers approach their art in the same way. Work really hard, keep your eyes straight ahead, never stop to look at the scenery, pay no attention to the people you encounter along the way, think only about “getting there.” But it doesn’t have to work like that…and that’s good. Because taking time along the way is never wasted. The journey is a wonderful part of the trip.

Like a lot of neophytes, I attended my first writer’s conference hoping to catch the attention of an agent or editor, submit my work, and be published soon thereafter. By the second day, I’d given up that idea and started to enjoy the experience of meeting fellow writers, becoming acquainted with well-known authors (who, I discovered, were pretty much real folks), and finding that editors and agents weren’t so fearsome and some of them were even fun. I was beginning to focus on the trip, not the destination. And the people I met along the way were some of the nicest I’ve ever encountered.

For years I worked to learn the craft, but I also decided to work on becoming a member of the writing community. I kept in touch with the people I’d met. I made a point of speaking to writers, editors, and agents as our paths crossed again. Some of them even remembered my name. There were times that I attended a conference or a meeting for the sheer joy of fellowship, with no hope of achieving anything other than refreshing my soul and recharging my writing batteries.

Did anything come of this? One of the editors with whom I became friends at my first conference ended up being my agent. My relationships with established authors allowed me to approach some of them for possible endorsements. Several of the same editors who passed on some of my early work (and, in retrospect, with good reason) rejoiced with me when I told them I had a contract. And a myriad of fellow writers, at various stages along their own road to publication, were nothing but gracious in their congratulations. All because I’d taken the time to relate to them as friends and colleagues, not as someone whom I could use to achieve my goals.

So, to all of you who are on the journey to publication, wherever you happen to be located right now, please remember to pull into a rest stop from time to time. Meet some people. Enjoy the fellowship. You’ll find it’s one of the neatest parts of this thing they call writing.

And the great reviews for Richard Mabry keep rolling in. Here’s one from writing guru and author James Scott Bell after reading Code Blue:

“A healthy dose of mystery, with ample injections of suspense and romance. Richard Mabry’s splendid debut novel is just what the doctor ordered.”

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Guest Blogger Cynthia Ruchti Asks "What If . . . ?"

2010-09-13T06:00:00.016-05:00

Today’s guest blogger is Cynthia Ruchti, President of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association, who also writes and produces the daily 15-minute radio broadcast The Heartbeat of the Home and is editor of the broadcast’s Backyard Friends magazine. Her debut novel, They Almost Always Come Home, published by Abingdon Press, has received rave reviews, including this one by Colleen Coble, author of The Lightkeeper’s Daughter and the Rock Harbor series: “A stunning debut novel. Exquisitely written. Highly recommended.”

A writer wields a “what if . . . ?” as a top chef wields a Santoku knife. To a novel, “what if” has the effect of a starting pistol for a runner. It propels a story forward, launches characters off the couch and into a scene, makes the plot pick up its knees, and stirs up some dust.

Cynthia Ruchti and Barbara Scott at the Christy Awards

We know that. We authors value the scintillating possibilities in a good “what if.”

Applied liberally to a story, “what ifs” turn ordinary into exceptional and make readers buy reading light bulbs in bulk.

What happens when we apply “what ifs” to our writing lives and in particular to [ACFW] conference week?

What if the Lord wants me to wait longer for my next contract because He has a life-changing lesson in the wait?

What if the conference isn’t about finding opportunities but about seeking Him?

What if the writer friends I see at conference need my prayers more than my brainstorming abilities?

What if I paid the price of a hefty mortgage for the privilege of discovering my WIP [work in progress] has a major flaw?

What if it isn’t my newly released novel that impresses people but rather my patience with an overworked waitress?

What if this year I am less awed by the big name authors and more awed by the Name Above All Names?

What if I jettison some ego so I can fit in more Fruit of the Spirit?

What if making a sale and making an impression bowed to making Him known?

What if my great idea isn’t publishable and the book of my heart isn’t the apple of any editor’s eye?

What if I spend the whole conference waiting for an unrealistic expectation and miss the God-carved moments?

What if the attendee who tazers my nerve endings is the very person God assigned me to bless?

What if I give more than I get? What if I pick up my cross rather than whine about its splinters?

What if I spend as much time at conference on my knees as I do on networking?

What if His plan for me includes not winning an award, not having an invitation to send a proposal, not securing an appointment with my top choice? What if He’s smarter than I am about what I really need, what my career really needs? Yeah. What if?

What if the Lord didn’t give me an editor so my book would find a publishing home, but so I would find a forever friend?

Books—and the writing life—get more interesting when writers ask “What if . . . ?”

Visit Cynthia at www.cynthiaruchti.com and www.hopethatglowsinthedark.com.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Apply Triage Techniques to Your Manuscript

2010-09-10T06:00:00.010-05:00

Some writers have been destroyed by bad critiques and are so demoralized they never pick up a pen (or keyboard) again. Usually, critiques are offered at writers’ conferences or workshops on the first few chapters or fifty pages of a manuscript.

Critiques should be given in a professional manner. If you receive a critique that you feel contains snarky, rude, or offensive remarks, ask a few trusted friends to read the notes. Your sensitivity to criticism might cause you to read an emotion into the comments that was never meant.

But if your friends also feel the observations were out of line, report the incident to the director of the conference. You need to grow a thick skin in the publishing business, but in the Christian arena, there’s no room for so-called experts who take potshots at other writers.

I’ve critiqued many manuscripts. Some were excellent. Some were good. Some needed a lot of work. Some had so many mistakes that it was difficult to know where to start on my notes.

This past weekend one of my author friends and I had a conversation about the proper way to critique a manuscript. I asked her, “How do you handle a critique on a manuscript that’s bleeding to death?” Her response? “I triage.”

Triage is a practice used by medical professionals or soldiers on the battlefield to determine who will survive and who will not make it. The walking wounded are asked to move to another area so that medics can determine who is incapacitated and cannot move. Some of the wounded are conscious. Some are not. Some are bleeding profusely. Medics stop the bleeding first to determine the extent of the injuries.

In a similar way manuscripts go through a form of triage. We suggest how to stop the bleeding. We look for a few major errors that if treated first can help the manuscript live another day. The author receives a report with suggestions on how to tackle those key areas that need the most attention.

If your piece is one of the walking wounded, it’s easier to spot a problem area and offer suggestions on how you might fix it. The piece has no gaping wounds, but it may have been hit by shrapnel and needs a good self-edit to dig out the parts that don’t belong or to flush out too many adjectives or adverbs, or correct head-hopping syndrome in your POV. Surgery is minor.

Just like a physician or medic, the one who critiques your manuscript has a responsibility to help you, not to harm you. You should be given clear suggestions, and the expert also should tell you what you did right. If your manuscript has legs, that’s a big plus, and the person helping you should encourage you to work hard on the rehab of your manuscript.

Here’s a tip. Reexamine a critique you received in the past. Through the prism of your current experience, decide what comments were valuable and which ones were not. Do a triage of your own. Take the helpful criticism and use it to resuscitate your piece. Then throw the snarky comments in the trash.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Discovering Your Unique Voice: Part 2

2010-09-08T06:00:00.001-05:00

After writing Monday’s blog, on 5 Ways to Discover Your Unique Voice, all I’ve thought about for the last two days is voice and what a unique voice sounds like.

On my bedside table and spilling onto the floor are forty-eight books, most of them novels, but I can also spot a few devotionals, books on early American history, and two Bibles. The novels fall into every category (almost) from women’s contemporary to romance to suspense to literary. Oh, and my dead Kindle is charging on top of one pile.

Have I read all of them? Most or parts of most. Books are my job, but they’re also my passion. My husband Mike jokes that when we move, one truck is filled with our household goods and the other with boxes of my books.

I give away tons of books, but just as many are given back to me, and I spend way too much money on hardbacks, trade paper, and mass market paperbacks. Not to mention the Kindle books I buy. Abingdon Press bought one of the first Kindles for me so I would stop killing trees by printing out proposals and manuscripts. And I forgot to mention the books filling two massive bookcases in our TV room and two more bookcases in my office.

But what does my collection of books have to do with voice? Everything. If you want to recognize a unique voice, you must read. You must read constantly, even though you are a writer. Writers read, and if they don’t, they miss out on the opportunity to read with a discerning eye. Compare how writers treat the same subject. Romance is romance, but the way the story is told (voice) can make it Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet or Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook.

We are original human beings. One of a kind. Individuals. I advised you to remember who you were at the age of five. Your personality was formed then. If I’m going to dish out advice, I thought I should put it into practice too.

At the age of five, I was the youngest of three, laughed a lot, and made silly faces in the mirror to entertain my family. I started first grade that year and was thrown out of the hokey-pokey circle with my “boyfriend” because we put our hips in the circle and shook them all about. I think we shook them a bit hard and giggled a lot. Our teacher Mrs. Sun was not amused and made us sit out the rest of recess in disgrace.

When my turn rolled around for Show and Tell, I told the class that my mommy was going to have a baby. I don’t remember my exact words, but once again, Mrs. Sun was not amused, and I was asked to sit down. Since I talk with my hands, my “show” may have been too graphic for my teacher’s 1953 sensibilities.

Every teacher after that wrote on my report card, “Barbara does not live up to her potential because she talks too much in class.” I’m an extrovert. What can I say?

I loved music. I loved to dance, and in the third grade, I stood up in the cafagymatorium and conducted the orchestra along with the visiting conductor. My teacher called my parents to tell them how talented I was and that they should enroll me in special classes to nurture my abilities. My mom and dad were amused. I think I was a bit of a mimic.

Even now when I listen to a symphony, I either conduct in my head or choreograph whole ballets. I’m amused. However, if Mike drags me to a pro baseball or football game, I always bring a book. A $95 ticket is a total waste of money on me.

Before I left college I had attended twenty-seven different schools. It was not until my poor father was in his 80s that we discovered he was bipolar and that was the reason he couldn’t hold a job for too long. Childhood was a series of ups and downs and walking on eggs to make sure I didn’t cause one of his rages.

Of course, if I had to live with four kids in a 27-foot trailer without a bathroom, it might have made me a little crazy too. No offense to those who are bipolar. Our family is filled with people who suffer from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and drug addiction. But we’re quite creative. According to family history, Mark Twain was my paternal grandmother’s second cousin. Now he had a unique voice.

I could write a serious novel, and I have, but I’ve finally found my voice in that five-year-old girl who loved to laugh.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Five Ways to Discover Your Unique Voice

2010-09-06T06:00:00.001-05:00

Voice seems to be the most difficult concept for writers to grasp. Yet just as each of you has a distinct set of fingerprints, you also have a unique voice.

Then why do writers cry, “I don’t know what voice is?” Why does one book sound exactly like another in the same category? Why do editors pull out their hair reading proposal after proposal looking for a unique voice?

It’s simple, my dear Watson. You have a voice, but you’ve played nice for so long with your smiling church mask secured firmly in place that you don’t know who you are. To express your voice, you need to “know thyself.” Hmmm. Where have I heard that before?

Voice expresses your unique personality. To find it, you must dig deep into the corners of your soul and dredge up the pain and sorrow you’ve tried so hard to forget. You must remember the joys of your childhood and the quality of the air—the scents, the sounds, the sights. You get my drift.

“But, what if no one likes the real me,” you ask. Are you a child of the Living God? Did He knit you together in your mother’s womb? Does He love you? Then be true to the person He designed you to be.

Okay, I promised you five ways to discover your unique voice. Here you go:

Chose different words and cast about for a unique topic to write about than the author who’s written a best-seller. Populate your setting with characters we’ve never met. Take us to places we’ve never been. We don’t need another Lisa Samson. We need you. Lisa is popular because—you guessed it—she has a unique and wonderful voice. Let your personality shine through in what you write.
Find your passion. Don’t write another mediocre romance just because you can. If you love romance novels, discover your niche. Sandra D. Bricker, who is brilliant and funny, found her voice in her distinctive style of humor. Read and laugh your way through Always the Baker, Never the Bride (Abingdon Press, September 1, 2010 release) and you’ll understand. She chose to write romantic comedy.
Express honest emotions. There’s nothing worse than reading a book that manipulates your emotions. However, if those emotions flow out of the wellspring of your author’s heart—your experiences—they will touch your readers’ souls.
Communicate your stories with authenticity—the truth of who you are. Why do you think politicians are unpopular? Because politicians all sound alike and promise voters the same things. Voters have a difficult time discerning who is a liar and who is telling the truth. Inspire readers with the truth. Fiction can be more real than life.
Spend time daydreaming and remembering your life experiences. Your personality was established by the age of five. Can you remember who you were then? Do you let your individuality shine through in your narrative, dialogue, characters? Would anyone know who you are by reading what you write?

You have a voice. Use it. At first it may be painful and sound like rusty pipes to your ears, but you’ll get used to it.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

Keep Your Divine Appointments at ACFW

2010-09-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do I get published?” There is no simple answer.

When you arrive at the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference in Indianapolis this month, keep your heart open to hear the still small voice of God. The secret to hanging up your shingle as a Christian book author is to keep the divine appointments that the Lord has set for you.

If you’re sitting in a workshop that falls flat on your ears, slip out the back and into another class. As creative writers you plan and prepare for this once-a-year conference, marking the workshops you need to attend, but the plans that you have made may be preempted by God.

During mealtimes sit at different tables and network with the people you meet. It’s an interesting phenomenon, but at every conference I’ve found that the Lord directs people with similar interests to sit together for a meal and conversation.

Join a group for coffee or sit in the lobby with a new friend. We always assume that we’re sent to a conference for our benefit, but what if the Lord wants you to encourage a writer who’s ready to give up the dream?

Year after year I hear the most amazing stories about how someone first came to be published. It might have been because they met an agent, editor, or another author in the hallway and struck up a conversation.

One night at dinner an author told me his inspiring story about attending his first writers’ conference where he received a harsh critique of his work. Convinced that his desire to write the best Christian boys books was nothing more than a pipedream, he left the critique room and strode down an empty hallway toward the outside door.

All that stood between him and the door to giving up his dream was one small woman—an agent who just happened to block his way. She encouraged him to continue writing, and he has written several devotionals for boys, who are often neglected in the Christian publishing world. The author’s name is Tim Shoemaker.

When you feel discouraged or depressed and don’t know why you even came to the ACFW conference, remember Tim’s story. And don’t forget to keep your divine appointments.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

5 Ways to Maximize Your Time with an Editor or Agent

2010-08-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

Supamom’s question left in the comment section of yesterday’s blog made me realize that for an unpublished author, an appointment with an editor or agent is a new experience.

Here’s what she wrote:

Hi! I am a newbie writer and really appreciate this straightforward outline for writing proposals. I am attending the ACFW conference and I planned on bringing a one sheet with me if/when I pitch my manuscript. What are your thoughts on the one sheet versus a proposal at events like this?

Appointments also can be nerve-wracking experiences. Below are five ways to take the mystery out of the process and maximize your time with an editor or agent.

BE ON TIME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT. This is common courtesy. And if you decide not to keep the appointment, please let someone at the appointment desk know. There is probably another potential author waiting for an opening.
OFFER A ONE-SHEET. A one-page description that includes your short pitch, a longer two-paragraph description, a short bio, your contact information, the category, and word count is an excellent conversation starter with editors and agents at the ACFW conference.
RELAX AND LISTEN TO SUGGESTIONS. Greet editors and agents with a smile and tell them your name and where you’re from. Without my reading glasses, I can’t see what’s printed on your name tag—even across the table. Hand everyone your one-sheet. They will either take time to read it, or they will ask you to pitch your story. We know you’re nervous, especially if you’ve never done this before. Answer questions and listen to suggestions. Think of their advice as a personal letter sent back to you with a rejection. Editors and agents want you succeed.
KEEP YOUR PROPOSAL IN YOUR FOLDER. Editors and agents do not have time to read your proposal at the conference, and their suitcases are as stuffed as yours. Have your proposal handy but realize that most editors and agents will not want to lug it home. Instead, if they show interest, ask if you can send a query letter or proposal to them at their e-mail or mailing address. In the sales world, this is called “the close.” All they can say is no.
LEARN TO ACCEPT REJECTION. This is an excellent time to grow a thick skin. Most pitches are declined, and your 15-minute relationship with an editor or agent will end there. Rejection is not the end of your career; it is only the beginning. One of my authors, Richard Mabry (http://rmabry.blogspot.com/) who writes medical romantic suspense, conducted a survey and found that most editors and agents only ask to see four or five proposals out of the dozens of pitches they hear at ACFW, and of those, they might sign one project. Don’t despair. ACFW is the perfect place to hone your craft and learn about the realities of the Christian publishing industry. The Lord will make an opening when the timing is right.

How to Write a Proposal That an Editor Will Love: Part 2

2010-08-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

The ACFW Annual Conference draws near, and I promised you a Part 2 on writing a proposal. Editors love proposals that are easy to read and scan, therefore use no more than two different fonts that are easy to read and include the basic elements below:

COVER SHEET: The title of your book, your name, and all of your contact information. Seems simple, but you'd be surprised by how many aspiring authors fail to include contact information.

PAGE TWO: Include the date, your book title and name, and the hook (elevator pitch) that will keep a busy editor reading. Reveal the antagonist and the antagonist’s goal, the protagonist, the main conflict, and the resolution. The ideal elevator pitch should be about 25 words, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule. The shorter, the better. Also include your manuscript’s word count, the sales category (romantic suspense, contemporary women, historical romance, fantasy, etc.), and the audience (YA, adult women). If you have room on page two, write a short two- or three-paragraph summary that expands on your elevator pitch, or place it on page three.

MARKETING: Today, an author is responsible for much of the marketing of his or her book. List how you plan to market your novel after publication. Are you a seasoned speaker? Do you blog or regularly post on social networking sites? Are you willing to set up and participate in blog tours or approach book stores or other venues for book signings? Notice how other authors market their books. A clever marketing strategy will catch an editor's attention.

BIO: An editor will want to know if you're a debut author and that you have finished and polished your manuscript. Include writing credits from magazines, newspapers, or blogs. List any organizations to which you belong such as ACFW.

COMPETITION: List authors and novels that would be comparable to your book.

SYNOPSIS: A one-page synopsis (no more than a page and a half) is an essential part of the proposal. Start with a paragraph about your antagonist, followed by a paragraph about her goal, and then give the editor a paragraph each for the antagonist, the conflict, and the resolution.

SAMPLE CHAPTERS: Most editors require that you attach the first three chapters. Many new authors will write and rewrite those sample chapters without subjecting the rest of the manuscript to the same vigorous self-editing. After you find an agent to represent you, he or she will require that your proposal be written to a specific set of guidelines.

For those of you who plan to attend the ACFW conference in Indianapolis, I hope this post has been helpful and wish you all the best in marketing your manuscript to an agent or editor.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This becomes a two-way conversation when you post a comment. Often I jump back on the blog during the day and will answer your questions or respond to your comments. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor, and we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn from your experience. Let’s talk!

How to Write a Proposal That an Editor Will Love: Part I

2010-08-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

A great proposal is your calling card because before you can present a proposal to me, you first need to impress an agent. Like most editors, I rarely read unsolicited queries, proposals, or manuscripts unless they are sent to me by an agent, or I meet you at a writers workshop and think your pitch is special.

So if I don't take unsolicited queries or proposals, you must think it's impossible to get published. I won't sugarcoat my answer. It is hard. You need to work at your craft. How many hours a week do you spend writing? I'm not trying to make you feel guilty, but I do want you to examine your priorities.

Would a baseball player expect to play in the majors if he never practiced? Of course not. Do you think Stephen King or other famous writers were born with their fingers tapping on a typewriter or keyboard, spitting out words?

No, they're just like you. They were born with the same burning desire to write. What makes them stand out are the reams of paper covered with words that they tossed into the trashcan. They practiced, and they never gave up.

Before you can interest an agent or an editor in you as a author, you first need to write and rewrite your manuscript.Then learn the art of pitching your story. A professional proposal with polished sample chapters will impress an agent that you have what it takes to succeed.

If you don't know how to write a proposal, check out Agent Chip MacGregor's website at macgregorliterary.com. Under his resources tab, he's posted at least two proposals as examples. Check out other agent websites as well to find out what they look for in a query or proposal.

Every editor looks for similar elements in a proposal because when we take a project to Pub Board, we have to sell it to colleagues from almost every part of the publishing house. In Part 2, I'll discuss those elements.

In the meantime, your homework is to read as many agent blogs and websites as you can. Read and analyze proposals. You may find you're ready for your breakthrough!

                    Let's talk about your dreams in the comments section. What is your
                    dream worth to you? If your dream to write is God-given, ask Him
                    to help you make time to spend practicing your craft. Remember
                    the Scripture, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Roving and Blogging: Not As Easy As It Seems

2010-08-10T20:40:00.000-05:00

Good evening everyone! It's not 6 a.m., but it is before midnight, so I'm ready to count this as my Tuesday blog.

I found out over the last two days that roving and blogging at the same time are a challenge. On Sunday night I wrote Monday's "pitch" blog, scheduling the post for 6 a.m. the next morning, and then on Monday we headed out in our car for Pennsylvania.

We spent our first night in Salem, VA, near Roanoke at a Day's Inn that could not find our reservation that I had made with Hotels.com. Turns out, the reservation date had been made for September 9. Sigh.

The motel also didn't have wi-fi in the room--only the lobby--but when six bikers on Harleys roared in and asked where the nearest bar was, I decided it might not be wise to hang around the lobby by myself. By that time it was after 8 p.m., so we ordered Domino's and crashed. Heartburn city!

This morning, we found a Starbucks. Yea! Free wi-fi. Yea! Answered work e-mails. Double yea! Switched over to write my blog. Computer went into hibernation. Boo, hiss! It was 10:30 a.m. by that time, and my husband reminded me we had a long drive to Pennsylvania.

So here I am at 9:30 p.m. in a hotel under renovation somewhere near Philly. Don't ask me where. I could give you directions for anywhere west of the Mississippi, but the East Coast? I'm lost. All my ancestors came from this neck of the woods (New England, but that's close, isn't it?) but my kin were all frontiersmen and women. They all left in covered wagons or with pack mules generations ago.

This morning I was able to answer a few e-mails from readers who told me how encouraged they were by yesterday's blog, and tonight I read your comments for the first time. As the professor said to Eliza (It was Eliza, wasn't it?) in My Fair Lady, "By George, I think you've got it!" I'll try to dash back to yesterday and comment.

I apologize for not blogging on proposals tonight, but I have to admit, after crawling out of a car with my husband, our Chihuahua, and way too much baggage, my brain is fried. Hopefully, I'll get an early start tomorrow. Thanks for your understanding and patience!

Oh, and remember this blog and my body are on Central time, so that "posted at 8:30" something below is bogus!

I hope you'll make this a two-way conversation. Have you ever experienced a couple of days like this? I can't be the only one who has ever suffered on a trip. If you have a funny story to share, please give us all a laugh. Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength. ;-)

How to Pitch Your Novel in 25 Words or Less

2010-08-09T06:00:00.054-05:00

Pshaw! It’s impossible, you say. Tell that to a scriptwriter. The first rule of screenwriting is to reduce the story line to 25 words or less. Think about the blurbs written for your favorite TV shows. Notice how short they are?

I didn’t say it was easy to reduce your story to its simplest form, but you need to learn to pitch your book in one sentence—two at most.

Marketing guru Michael Reynolds caught me off guard a few days ago when he asked me to pitch Sedona Storm. I stuttered. My brain shut down. My hands shook. It had been so long since I had shared the story line that I froze. I’m glad he wasn’t Steven Spielberg. Pitching takes practice.

Screenwriters call these pitches “loglines.” I don’t know why, but I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind that word. Novelists call them elevator pitches. I suppose in the old days authors would corner New York editors in the elevator, blurt out their pitches, and shove manuscripts into the editors’ hands.

Notice they are not called “bathroom pitches.” Never pitch to an editor in the bathroom. It’s the cardinal rule that should never be broken.

What is a pitch? First, it’s a sales tool that you need to master. When I read a query letter, I want to know what the story is about in the first sentence or two. It should excite me. The pitch should create a desire in the editor to request the full proposal, and the proposal should create a desire to read the entire manuscript.

But let’s stick with the pitch for now. When you pitch your manuscript, you need to communicate the drama of the story in its simplest form. You don’t include subplots or secondary characters, and you don’t give away the ending. A pitch should include who the story is about (the protagonist), the goal of the protagonist, and what force or antagonist stands in the protagonist’s way.

You don’t need to use the protagonist’s name, but you might describe her as a lonesome widow or a conservative politician. Then you must let your audience know the primary goal of your protagonist. Is it to win an election, or to find love, or to seek revenge? What stands in the way of your protagonist reaching her goal?

In The Wizard of Oz Dorothy’s main goal was to go back home to Kansas. Lots of people and events stood in her way, but her main antagonist was the Wicked Witch. As an experiment write the pitch for The Wizard of Oz in 25 words or less. It can be done.

Here’s the pitch for my novel Sedona Storm written with my coauthor Carrie Younce:

When an investigative reporter seeks to uncover who is responsible for a series of bizarre cult murders, her life is threatened by the secretive leader.

Now write a short pitch for your work in progress. Keep it handy and as you write, it will remind you of where your story is headed.

Please let me know how today’s blog has helped you. This is a two-way conversation. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor every day, and we need to hear from everyone so that we can learn from experience. Share your pitch with us, either for a book you’ve already written or for a work in progress. If you have trouble identifying the components of a pitch, we’re here to help. Let’s talk.

Why Do I Write?

2010-08-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

The better question is, “For whom do I write?”

One day in the early 1990s I walked into a Christian bookstore in Springfield, MO, and felt overwhelmed. So many books! How could I possibly write something new that had never been written before?

It was as though the Lord said that every one of those books had been written for at least one particular person. The book might not be a success by publishing standards, but it was a success in God’s eyes. Words on the written page change people’s lives.

In 1993 an idea formed in my mind, and it wouldn’t let me rest. Finally, I lay on my face and cried out to God to let me write a book that would fulfill His purpose. The rest is a remarkable story of how the Lord truly moves in ways we can’t even imagine.

Someone at church knew a Christian agent. I sent a proposal to him, and that weekend he took it to Palm Springs, CA, where he and his wife drove for a quick vacation. Unexpectedly, he ran into the fiction acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson, who also was in Palm Springs for a short vacation.

The agent mentioned my proposal, and the Nelson editor told him it was just the kind of spiritual warfare manuscript they were looking for as a “competitor” to Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness.

In the meantime I had asked a friend, Carrie Younce, to write the book with me since she seemed invested in the story. The Nelson editor presented the proposal to Pub Board, and I was asked to write a detailed chapter-by-chapter synopsis since the book wasn’t finished yet. After they were satisfied with its viability, they offered us a contract. It happened incredibly fast.

After Carrie and I joined together as an author team, the book was finished in two weeks. It was as though the Holy Spirit sat in the room with us, day after day, and on some days, we wrote as many as forty-plus pages together. It was an amazing experience and one I’m not sure could be repeated.

Here’s a brief description of the novel Sedona Storm that became a bestseller in 1994:

“When a reporter exposes a bizarre series of cult murders,
she soon finds herself running for her own life.”

At the core of the story is the issue of abortion and its consequences. Abortion is never mentioned on the cover or in any advertising copy. It was a topic not many would have touched.

But soon after the book was released, the sister of a woman at church was kicked out of a troubled relationship by her boyfriend because she was pregnant. She ran to her sister’s home and scheduled an abortion. She saw Sedona Storm on the coffee table (our friend had not even read the book) and asked if she could take it to her room. She was bored.

At the end of the day she walked downstairs and told her sister, “If this is the Jesus you know, then this is the Jesus I want.” She gave her life to Christ and canceled the abortion.

The second book in the series, Secrets of the Gathering Darkness, which was not as successful as Sedona Storm, was dedicated to Zachary, the little boy who was born six months later to the woman who had planned to abort him.

As a Christian and a writer, your calling is not to become a bestselling author, although publishing houses might disagree with me. Your calling is to write the truth . . . to write the story that burns in your heart like fire shut up in your bones. Learn your craft and write the story that pleases your God.

Please let me know if this blog has inspired or helped you in any way. This is a two-way conversation. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor every day, and we need to hear from everyone so that we can learn from experience. Also, leave me a note about a topic that you would like to see me cover: business plans/financials; the printing process; how sales work; in-house marketing or publicity. Nothing is off limits. Let’s talk.

Don't Quit Your Day Job

2010-08-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Aspiring or first-time authors sometimes hold the misconception that they will hit it big with their first books. Visions of bestsellers dance in their heads. It’s time for a reality check.

The statistics have not changed much in the years that I’ve been involved with publishing. In the entire Kingdom of Bookdom, which includes every book sold in every category—not just Christian books—maybe ten percent of authors make a living solely by writing books.

In the Christian book industry I doubt if that many authors make a living with their writing. The authors you meet at conferences may still have day jobs, or if they freelance, they edit manuscripts, ghostwrite books, or put on their own workshops. Or they still have day jobs. They work all day, and then come home and write their novels at night. Or if they’re early birds like me, they hop out of bed at 4 a.m. and sit down at the keyboard before rushing out the door to make it to work on time.

Another group of writers may be blessed with a spouse who is the sole breadwinner of the family. Mothers who are writers take care of the kids and write during naptime. I’ve known stay-at-home writer dads as well. The whole family tightens the purse strings and lives on a budget.

Of course, a handful of authors inherited their fortunes and live on Fantasy Island.

Here’s the reality. The average Christian novel sells about 4,000 to 5,000 copies . . . maybe. Some sell less; some sell more. You notice I didn’t say that the first-time author only sells about 4,000 copies. No, that includes experienced and newbie authors as well. Do the math.

A smaller percentage may sell 10,000 to 15,000 books each time. Now we enter more rarefied air. A much smaller group sells 20,000 or 25,000 books, but those are usually long-time authors or a new author who happens to write a book that hits a nerve with readers who purchase books.

Only a tiny few sell in the 50,000 to 100,000 or more range consistently. You know their names. They live on the bestseller lists. You see their names month after month after month after year after year after year on the CBA or ECPA bestseller lists.

And once in awhile, the industry catches lightning in a bottle, and you have series like Left Behind or a single book like The Shack.

So please, if you are a newcomer to publishing, adjust your expectations, and if you knock it out of the ballpark, you’ll be as surprised as your agent and your publisher. We pray for bestsellers!

Please let me know if this blog helped you in any way. This is a two-way conversation. I have both published and unpublished authors who read The Roving Editor every day, and we need to hear from everyone so that we can learn from experience. Also, leave me a note about a topic that you would like to see me cover: business plans/financials; the printing process; how sales work; in-house marketing or publicity. Nothing is off limits. Let’s talk.

Are You Sick and Tired of Editing Yet?

2010-08-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

By the copyediting stage of a manuscript, I'm thoroughly sick and tired of editing. No offense to authors, but as the acquisitions/development editor, after a manuscript has received a thorough macro edit and a substantive/content edit, I'm ready to move on--waaaayyyy on. At this stage looking for errors reminds me of a scientist in a lab searching for a virus under the microscope.

The next step of the editorial process is copyediting. Copyeditors are a different breed. They are detail people. They love searching for misplaced commas, punctuation errors, and misspelled words. They scour through each word of a manuscript as though looking for a flaw in a near flawless diamond.

Just as our macro and substantive editors use the Chicago Manual of Style and Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, so do our copyeditors and proofreaders. [More on proofreaders in another blog post.] As an author you'll never out-edit a copyeditor. I can't, and I've been at this for **muffle, muffle** years. Of course, when I was a newspaper editor, I used AP style (Associated Press) and in my master's program, MLA was the style guide of choice.

Learn to love copyeditors because if a reader finds an ambiguous or wrong word choice, you'll hear about it. Some readers love finding errors in books so they can write and tell you how much smarter they are than you. In the South we seethe on the inside, smile, and say, "Bless their darlin' hearts." In the North an editor or author might yell, "Get a life!" Either works for me.

Remember, folks, this is a two-way conversation, so if anything strikes a chord, let me know about it in the comments section. In the meantime, think about the title of Richard Carlson's book that made its debut in 1996: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and it's all small stuff.

Winner of The Roving Editor Philly Fiction Workshop Registration Announced

2010-08-02T18:02:00.001-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS!

Beth Glash, writing as Jenna Victoria, is the winner of a free registration for The Roving Editor Daylong Intensive Writing Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 21, at the Springton Lake Presbyterian Church in Newton Square, PA, near Philadelphia.

We received several entries, but Beth's short essay stood out from the rest. Here's what she wrote:

"I am astounded at the manic popularity of demons, vampires and explicit erotica. I know paranormal romance is 'in' but I am heartsick at its breadth. Who will stand in the gap? I feel a new calling that God wants me to write for His Kingdom, not for Satan’s. I am writing an inspirational romance series but frustrated by doubts and frozen by technical questions on converting my WIPs for the Christian market. A free registration to your workshop will mean I receive critical input for this new focus since I cannot afford to attend ACFW this year."

In the comments section, please join me in congratulating Beth on her winning entry. There are still a few spaces left for attendees. Cost of the daylong intensive fiction writing workshop is $159, which will include a light lunch. If you are interested in attending, please contact Joyce Magnin Moccero at jmagnin56@gmail.com.

The Substantive or Content Edit

2010-08-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Life is full of surprises, and there is nothing more filled with surprise than an author's first substantive edit. It bings in electronically to the author's in-box in an unassuming e-mail. Some editors still work on hard copy, but not many. Most of my work lives in a virtual world.

In a blog last week, I described in depth the purpose of a macro edit. After the author responds to the comments in a macro edit, the substantive or content edit is the next step in the editorial process. It can be a light edit if an author is experienced in self-editing, or it can be a heavy edit if the author has not had time or the experience to turn in a clean manuscript.

When an author opens the manuscript file, it can be a shock to the system. You see, editors use the "track changes" feature on the Word doc, and even the slightest of change will show up in a sea of red.

Experienced authors take a deep breath and read through the manuscript either accepting or deleting changes. If you find yourself deleting more changes than accepting them, you and the editor need to talk. You have a failure to communicate.

I've heard authors say, "I'm shocked. The last editor didn't touch a thing." That may be because the editor didn't have time to edit the manuscript because of his or her workload or the publisher has a policy of sending manuscripts out for copyedits only. That's sad, but it's an economic reality in publishing. Edits cost money: big money. If you've never had a true edit, you've missed out on a learning opportunity.

My hope is that you will tackle a substantive edit on your own manuscript. The following guidelines are what we send out to freelance editors when the in-house editor is buried with other projects:

Guidelines for Freelance Editors

SUBSTANTIVE/CONTENT EDIT

Abingdon Press Fiction

REFERENCE WORKS

 Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition--specifically sections 2.47 through 2.68 to understand the various edits

 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged

 Both of these resources are available online

DEFINITIONS

CMS [Chicago Manual of Style] Definition-2.55: Substantive editing [Note: also called content editing]

"Substantive editing deals with the organization and presentation of existing content. It involves rephrasing for smoothness or to eliminate ambiguity, reorganizing or tightening, reducing or simplifying documentation, recasting tables, and other remedial activities. (It should not be confused with developmental editing, a more drastic process; see 2.48.)"

GENERAL TIPS

 This list contains general instruction but is not an exhaustive list of things to check. Use CMS as your guide.

 It is your job to correct errors by making changes in the electronic version of the manuscript.

 Use Microsoft Word or save the file in MS-Word format.

 Work with Word's Track Changes feature turned on. Every edit you make must be tracked.

 Look for places to tighten the description or dialogue. Remember, less is more.

 Look for pet words or phrases employed throughout the text. Look for clichés or trite phrasing. Either make a simple substitution for overused vocabulary or make a note to the author in a comment box.

 Be aware of repetitive sentence constructions that can lead to boredom. Make changes that will add variety to sentence structure or make a note to the author in a comment box.

 Remove unnecessary modifiers and redundant words or phrases.

 Hunt for passive sentences and replace with active verbs. The use of helping verbs with present participles that end in “-ing” or past participles that need “was” creates a passive voice. Recast those sentences to eliminate as many of them as possible without affecting the tone, the point of view, or the voice of the story.

 Always keep the author’s voice in mind. Remember, the manuscript is the author’s work, not the editor’s.

 Avoid over editing.

Some authors are content with work that is "just good enough." You need to decide whether you want to settle for being an adequate writer or a writer who continues to grow. I do remember, however, a Scripture that says we should do our work as unto the Lord. Doesn't that mean that we should always do our best?

Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

2010-07-30T06:51:00.000-05:00

My title has become a cliche, but behind every cliche is a bit of truth. The other day my BFF and I were talking about how her marriage had improved since she and her husband had gone to a counselor for a tuneup.

That led to a conversation about my childhood, high school, college, and the tough years since then. I got hoarse thinking about all I'd have to say to bring a counselor up to speed. Yeah, everyone's got regrets, I said, but it would take years to slog through that muck, so why bother? I decided that the past is past, the future is tomorrow, and today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Yesterday was my last day in a cubicle in a publishing company. Feels great! I'm still the acquisitions editor for Abingdon Press, but my field of vision has widened beyond the windows of the 5th floor office building in downtown Nashville. I'm now working from home and planning workshops and trips across the country with my hubby and our Chihuahua. I feel a sense of excitement again.

For the last several months at work, we've experienced blasting and the noise of heavy machinery as a several block area was destroyed to build a new convention center. It's been quite fascinating, although noisy. Actually, I think it was an answer to prayer. On one corner, we had a strip club hemmed in by a large parking lot and the bus station across the street--a magnet for prostitutes, drug users and dealers, and that one murderer the police caught a few blocks away after he took a bus into town. All gone. That strip joint was knocked down in a day.

My point is: life can change that fast. One minute you're living in the broken-down neighborhood of the past, thinking, "I'll never make it as a writer. I don't know anyone. I don't have any contacts. My writing stinks." And the next minute, God knocks down all your preconceived notions about your future and builds a career on the rubble of your past.

God is our secret agent . . . our secret literary agent. When you're ready, He'll open doors you couldn't even dream of. So don't despair that you haven't published yet. Keep writing! That's the exact short sentence my high school English teacher wrote in my yearbook. Before I left college, I had gone to 27 different schools. Her encouragement rang in my head through all the hard years. Let it ring in your ears today: Keep writing! That wrecking ball is about to destroy your disappointing past and build a new future on its foundation.

Be encouraged, dear ones.

Part II: The Macro Edit

2010-07-28T11:51:00.000-05:00

Today, I will share a trade secret with you. Shhhh. Pull down the blinds, turn off the phone, and promise you won't tell a soul. Just kidding. You can share it with any writer you want. There is a great deal of confusion in the publishing business about what constitutes a macro edit and exactly what an editor is looking for during the edit.

Because I use experienced freelance fiction editors who may have worked for other publishers and editors, I decided to research as many sources as possible, talk to other editors, and come up with a one-page set of instructions that is sent to any freelancer who works on one of our author's manuscripts.

The rest of this blog will contain those instructions. I'm sure some of you will disagree with many of my guidelines; others may celebrate that someone actually wrote these secrets down.

My next post after this one will cover the content/substantive/line edit. It's called many things by many different people, but after another exhaustive search into linguistics, I found out that we were all talking about the same set of rules/suggestions.

Take these guidelines for a macro edit and apply them to your writing, your editing, and share them freely. If you want to add anything, please leave a comment. Here you go . . .

GUIDE FOR FREELANCE EDITORS: MACRO EDIT, ABINGDON PRESS FICTION

Reference Works
 Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition

 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged

 Both of these resources are available online

A macro edit should detail for the author any suggested changes in character, plot, pacing, structure, point of view, dialogue, or other major issues that would help make the manuscript stronger.

Did the author begin the novel too early or include too much back story? Did the story begin too late? Are the characters' actions and dialogue consistent and believable?

Is the main plot clearly resolved? Is there enough conflict to make the story compelling? Do the turning points/inciting incidents appear in the right places?

Is a subplot necessary or is it a “rabbit trail”? Would a subplot enrich the book? Does the plot sag in places? Is there a satisfying balance between narrative and dialogue?

Does the author “tell” instead of “show” in places? Is the point of view consistent or does it leap back and forth in the same scene, causing "bouncing-head syndrome"? Are there redundant descriptions and scenes? Does the author tie up all loose ends by the end of the book?

Please use comment boxes within the manuscript to point out those places where a manuscript can be strengthened. As you read through the manuscript, please feel free to correct obvious spelling or grammatical errors or highlight examples of pet words and repetitive sentence structure.

Also prepare a cover sheet for general comments. This allows the in-house editor and the author to see overall comments without having to scroll through the text.

The in-house editor will pass this letter on to the author along with the manuscript and the imbedded comments. That means you are asked to be diplomatic, sensitive, and tactful in all your communications. If you encounter a problem you feel you cannot broach gracefully, you should contact the in-house editor with your concern.

GENERAL TIPS

 This list contains general instruction but is not an exhaustive list of items to check. Use The Chicago Manual of Style as your guide.

 It is your job to suggest changes to the author by using comment boxes in the electronic version of the manuscript.

 Use Microsoft Word or save the file in MS-Word format.

 Work with Word's Track Changes feature turned on. Every edit you make must be tracked.

 Always keep the author’s voice in mind. It is the author’s work, not the editor’s.

 Always be tactful and gracious in your remarks.

Once the macro edit is complete, it is sent back to the author for a rewrite. Some authors have little to do and it may only take a day; other authors' manuscripts may take up to three or four weeks to fix.

When the manuscript with the author's changes is sent back to the in-house editor, it then enters the content/substantive/line edit stage. More about that in another blog.

If you found this information helpful, will you please leave a comment? As most of you know by now, I want this blog to be a two-way conversation. Thanks for your participation!

Part I: The Dreaded Macro Edit

2010-07-27T06:08:00.000-05:00

After performing the macro edit [the first pass on an unsuspecting manuscript] I send it back to the author with an e-mail that reads something like this:

Hi Author (insert name), [notice the breezy tone]

Attached is the macro edit of your manuscript Bestselling Novel. Many writers have been known to throw themselves across the bed and cry for three days before they could move forward. Please don't. I know it can be painful, but my job is to take a 50,000-foot viewpoint of your book and offer comments that will make it sing like a Stradivarius violin.

I honor you as the author, and my suggestions are intended to strengthen your structure, plot, and character arc so that your voice soars off the page [and hopefully, about a bazillion people will want to buy your book.]

[This is the point in the e-mail when authors run for the Xanax or stand up and circle their desks as if they've just discovered a cobra sitting on the computer. Some pace. Some throw things. As the editor, I'm glad I do this long distance.]

You will notice there are a great many comments inserted into your manuscript, most of them in the earlier chapters. I trust that you will look for and find those same problem areas in the rest of your manuscript. If I spot a consistent pet word or phrase or a favorite sentence construction, I'll track changes and point that out as well. For instance, many authors are quite fond of using the word then to connect two phrases. You might want to use the global search function and capitalize the word. You might be surprised how often you've employed that sentence construction [like maybe 2,342 times!].

Continuity can be another issue. If your heroine has brilliant green eyes in the first chapter [Don't all heroines have green eyes?] you don't want her eyes to turn brown in chapter 18. Make sense? It's always a good idea to keep a notebook or note card handy with a full description of each character.

As well, watch for passive language. Active language propels your story forward as though you were shooting the rapids on the Colorado River. Passive language steers you into a log where your canoe sits for what seems like hours. At least 95% of the time, you can eliminate the word was and recast your sentences in a more active tense. Sometimes was is just the right word to use, but not often.

First, read the macro edit letter I've attached before moving on to the comments and suggested changes in the manuscript. It will explain my reasons and ask questions about holes in your plot.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm always available by e-mail or phone during the editing process. I'm quite flexible, and I'm sure we can make your manuscript shine like that highly polished Stradivarius.

Blessings,
Barbara

In tomorrow's blog, we'll dig deeper into the macro letter and the actual macro edit. Please ask any questions you might have about this process. If you've never had your manuscript macro edited, it can seem daunting. But trust me, it's all part of the standard publishing cycle. Questions? Comments?

The First Line Should Kick a Novel Into High Gear

2010-07-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

The first line of a novel should propel the reader into reading the second line. Why bother with 512 pages of a novel that bores you on the first page? In my younger days I had a rule that if I started a novel I needed to finish it. I've read a lot of dreadful novels.

Then my good sense kicked in and if I couldn't remember the first line of a novel by the end of the first page, I tossed the book into a box for Goodwill. How do you justify rejecting a Pulitzer Prize winning novel?

I tried to like Olive Kitteridge, the trade paperback by Elizabeth Strout published in 2008 by Random House. The first three pages are packed with endorsements from major newspapers. The review in O: The Oprah Magazine, started with the line, "Perceptive, deeply empathetic . . . Olive is the axis around which these thirteen complex, relentlessly human narratives spin themselves into Elizabeth Strout's unforgettable novel in stories."

In addition to a Pulitzer, the book also received a starred Kirkus review. That should have been my first clue. I rarely agree with Kirkus. Olive Kitteridge screamed literary novel. I like many literary novels. One of my recent favorites is Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I bought it for the title. Let's compare the first paragraphs and see which you like best.

Here's Olive's first paragraph in the story titled "Pharmacy":

"For many years Henry Kitteridge was a pharmacist in the next town over, driving every morning on snowy roads, or rainy roads, or summertime roads, when the wild raspberries show their new growth in brambles along the last section of town before he turned off to where the wider road led to the pharmacy. Retired now, he still wakes early and remembers how mornings used to be his favorites, as though the world were his secret, tires rumbling softly beneath him and the light emerging from the early fog, the brief sight of the bay off to his right, then the pines, tall and slender, and almost always he rode with the window partly open because he loved the smell of the pines and the heavy salt air, and in the winter he loved the smell of the cold."

I fell asleep that night after the first line, but I did persist in reading the entire story convinced that if this book won a Pulitzer, it should deliver the goods. Even though the reviews of "mesmerizing . . . exquisite" and "maserfully wrought collection" impressed me, the passive snooze of the first paragraph left me in the dust, or should I say, stranded on the side of the author's roads: the snowy roads, the rainy roads, the summertime roads, and the wider road, not to mention the fog, the pines, the salt air, and the cold. It was a guy driving to work. Sorry.

Should I keep trying to broaden my horizons? I dropped Olive on the floor (fourteen bucks down the drain) and picked up Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. I knew the book was comprised of a series of letters dated just after World War II in London and on the Island of Guernsey--not a rousing structure for me--but a device that has been used successfully in the past. Here's the beginning of Guernsey:

"Dear Sidney, Susan Scott is a wonder. We sold over forty copies of the book, which was very pleasant, but much more thrilling from my standpoint was the food. Susan managed to procure ration coupons for icing sugar and real eggs for the meringue. If all her literary luncheons are going to achieve these heights, I won't mind touring about the country. Do you suppose that a lavish bonus could spur her on to butter? Let's try it--you may deduct the money from my royalties. Now for my grim news. You asked me how work on my new book is progressing. Sidney, it isn't."

What a clever way to begin a novel by a character who is a novelist: with great humor and the grim news that her latest book is stalled. How could I not keep reading?

Weather and road conditions? Breezy letter. Which would you rather read? I know. Many of you are saying, neither. I don't read literary novels. Well, neither do I, but one of the hallmarks of a great writer or editor is that they read outside their comfort zone. If you're a romance writer, read a few good thrillers or a literary novel. Your writing will improve with cross-pollination.

I looked for a list of the top 100 bad first lines in novels, but I couldn't find one except for the annual contest called The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest in which entrants write their versions of bad first lines. However, no one seems to have compiled a list of real bad first lines. Seems like an easy task.

However, the editors of American Book Review have compiled a list of the 100 Best First Lines of Novels. Perhaps this is the better route. Read great first lines, and it should inspire you to write a great first line for your novel. Following are a few of my favorites:

"Call me Ishmael." Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, 1851.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.

"They shoot the white girl first." Tony Morrison's Paradise, 1998.

"You better not never tell nobody but God." Alice Walker's The Color Purple, 1982.

What are your favorite first lines? Any genre, any era. I'd love to hear from you.

Every Character Needs Motivation

2010-07-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

One of my Abingdon authors and I had a great discussion about motivation for one of her book's characters . . . a dog. In the first chapter, the dog, who is in the arms of its owner, bites her friend on the face. The incident springs out of nowhere.

I asked, "But what was the dog's motivation?" Am I starting to sound like Marlon Brando? A little perhaps. Like method acting, characters must have a compelling motivation for action, and if not, readers are left with little question marks over their heads. Not an attractive look.

There is a misconception in writing land that characters can only be people. Not so. Ask any fantasy writer. Giant worms make compelling characters. Characters can be objects or animals or even weather. Anyone ever see the 1956 movie The Rainmaker, starring Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn? Great flick! I highly recommend renting it. The hot, dry, dusty weather is a character that longs for rain.

Back to the dog. My point was that a normal, sane dog who has met the owner's friend numerous times doesn't just haul off and bite her on the face for no good reason. Of course, you need to be a dog lover to understand that. Dogs only bite if they feel threatened or if their brains are wired wrong. This was not an insane, mistreated dog.

So editor and author discussed the dog's motivation at length. Can you imagine someone listening to that conversation on the other side of the cubie wall? I have a great job! I also have a discreet suite mate, and we always pretend that we never listen to one another's calls.

The next time one of your characters steps up on the toilet and looks out the tiny high window at a neighbor's house, she should have a history and motivation for spying on the guy next door. Did he drag a dead body across her front lawn? Does he leave bloody axes lying around the garage? And why stand on the toilet? Isn't there a better vantage point? Yes, it's funny for someone to stand on the toilet, but construct a reasonable explanation for her behavior.

The next time you invent a character, ask what that character wants. No dog bites a woman on the face unless it's a sociopath. And that, my friends, could be the subject of several blogs. Watched any Criminal Minds episodes lately?

Tales of Woe After the Contract Is Signed

2010-07-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Editors are much like bartenders, although as Christians, we wouldn't know about them. Editors are much like psychiatrists then, unless you don't believe in mental illness, natural disasters, man-made disasters, or stress that makes you want to jump off a building. Let's just go with the psychiatrist analogy.

If you're really fortunate, you'll have an editor who can be reached by e-mail or phone who will talk you off that high ledge when you threaten to throw yourself off. You know that first book that took you three years to write and polish? Well, now you have to do it in a year . . . okay less. We don't tell you that part up front.

Yep. That's the danger of signing a contract with a real live publisher. You're such a brilliant writer, we might want you to write a series now. Or a couple more 90,000-word standalone novels.

After the glow of signing that binding legal document wears off, you'll notice those due dates in your contract. Usually the first book might be deliverable a year after signing. Piece of cake, right? It's already written. Ah, yes, but you haven't seen the macro edit yet, which might cause you to rewrite extensive portions of your novel to strengthen character motivation or fix the structural bridge that has collapsed about halfway through the middle. We'll talk more about the macro edit in another blog post.

But the second and third books might be due only six months apart. Which means you need to fix your first book in six months so that you'll hit your due dates on the other two after spending a couple of weeks in the hospital after slipping on the ice at Christmastime, or someone rear-ends your car at a stop sign, or your husband's boss downsizes the company and you become the primary breadwinner.

You think I'm kidding, don't you? At Abingdon, thanks to my excellent author and friend Robert Elmer (Wildflowers of Terezin), we started a Yahoo author's group where we could share information with one another and stay in touch. It quickly became a prayer loop.

Without naming names, we've had authors in danger of losing their homes, a couple of husbands who have lost jobs, an author who had to take another job across country, authors hospitalized for major surgeries, and sisters, brothers, children, nieces, nephews, and friends who have been gravely injured or ill. We've held each other up when an author lost her mother. We've suffered through pneumonia together, and when we've reached that level of stress that makes us want to throw in the towel, someone feels led to write a word of encouragement. We've become a family who prays together.

You see, when you become a published author, life still happens, only you are obligated to continue writing because a whole team of marketing and sales people have told buyers that your book will be published on a certain day. Those buyers have spent valuable "buy dollars" to bring your book into their stores. The publisher's budget for the year has been planned out counting on the money that will be made from your book to cover the advance that has been paid out and to pay all the other employees and vendors, like printers, who help get your book into the hands of readers.

The Abingdon authors came up with their own motto: "Write Anyway." They even had cups designed and printed with that slogan, and when we drink coffee, or tea, or hot chocolate out of them, we remind ourselves that writing is a higher calling. People depend on authors to keep their promises.

Don't get me wrong, we celebrate our victories and successes as well. There have been many starred reviews, accolades, and awards.

And we laugh . . . a lot . . . because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

The Top 5 Reasons to Attend a Day-Long Writing Intensive Workshop

2010-07-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

A sign used to hang in my mother-in-law Betty's kitchen that read, "Life is short. Eat dessert first." The older I grow, the more I understand this axiom. Rather than worrying about things that might never happen and wasting our lives cleaning the refrigerator more than once a year, we should spend more of our time living our lives for God.

Has God called you to be a writer? What are you doing about it? Do you attend a conference once a year, get fired up, and then put writing at the bottom of your "to do" list when you arrive back home? If writing is God's calling, shouldn't it be near the top of your list of priorities? To help you in your quest, here are my top 5 reasons to attend a day-long writing intensive workshop with me:

1) You deserve to spend time working on your craft with people who share your passion and can help you grow as a writer.

2) As an editor, I can rend the veil between writing as a hobby and succeeding in the Christian publishing business. It's a chance to ask me every question that's ever plagued you about how to break in.

3) We'll spend time working on your individual project so that you have a solid writing plan when you leave.

4) I'll teach you what kills an editor's interest in the first paragraph of your sample chapters, and how to write a proposal that sparks my interest.

5) I'll help you discover your unique voice, refresh your knowledge of the basics of fiction writing, teach you how to self-edit your work, and hopefully, make writing fun again for you.

Sound like a plan? Then join me at my first day-long writing intensive workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 21, at the Springton Lake Presbyterian Church in Newtown Square, PA (near Philadelphia). Award-winning Abingdon debut author Joyce Magnin will be in attendance to tell how she caught my attention, and how her book The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow was named as one of the top 5 Christian books of 2009 by Library Journal. Cost is $159 for the intensive workshop and includes a light lunch. Dress is casual. To register, please contact Joyce at jmagnin56@gmail.com.

SPECIAL OFFER: Because I want every writer in the greater Philadelphia area to have a chance to attend, I'm giving away one free registration to the writing intensive workshop. Just tell me in 100 words or less why you want to attend this event and how the free registration would make that possible. Send your entries to nashvillescotts@comcast.net by midnight CST Sunday, August 1. (Abingdon authors may attend my workshops free of charge at any time, so they are not eligible to win the free registration.)

If you are interested in setting up one of my day-long workshops in your area, please contact me at the email address above.

The Roving Editor Receives a Blog Makeover

2010-07-19T10:20:00.000-05:00

Social Media Maven Laura Christianson of Blogging Bistro fame (http://www.bloggingbistro.com/) chose my new blog to review on Makeover Monday today. I can't wait to implement her suggestions. Here's the link: http://www.bloggingbistro.com/blog-makeover-the-roving-editor-by-barbara-scott/.

If you need help in setting up a website or blog, Laura is a great resource. In fact, I bought her CDs from the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference and listened to them 3 times before I started to blog.

I've written another blog for today that is supposed to post at 10 a.m. However, I failed to find out what time zone Blogger is using, and it's still not up. So, folks, you'll just have to wait until noon or 1 or whenever to check it out. In the meantime, maybe you can clean out your refrigerator or hunt for dust bunnies under the bed.

Agents: An Editor's First Line of Defense

2010-07-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Now please don't take this the wrong way, dear authors, but without agents I would look like that cartoon of a body being pushed down a hallway by a mass of paper. When I worked for Honor Books, we did a study once on the cost of reading unsolicited proposals, writing a decline letter (I hate the word rejection), and dropping it in the mail. We included the salary and time for our editorial assistant to read the proposals and craft the letter. In 1999, the total cost to send back all the paper that had been sent to us was more than $30,000. In all the years I've been in publishing, I don't think I've ever published a proposal from the slush pile.

Agents are an editor's best friends. Because of their years of experience, they look at your work first and can tell you whether it stands up to the test of quality demanded by publishers. If they think you have potential, they will work with you to lift the bar on your writing. It might mean rewriting your sample chapters or your proposal, but their advice is solid. They know what editors are looking for (most of the time. Editors change their minds a lot.) and can keep you updated on publishing trends.

They earn their 15% when it comes to contract time. If for no other reason than they can get your proposal to an editor's desk and can help negotiate your contract, they are worth what you pay them. Contract language is confusing, and I read it all the time. Why is it confusing? It was written by attorneys. They are trained to make the language confusing. The advance and royalty are negotiable as are some of the sub-rights clauses. Some clauses and percentages are non-negotiable. A good agent looks after your interests and can explain the contract to you. If they can't, you need another agent or an attorney.

I need to pause here and apologize to my dear friend and author Rick Acker, whose book When the Devil Whistles releases this fall from Abingdon Press. Rick works as an attorney for the Department of Justice in California, prosecuting corporate fraud cases, and writes fast-paced thrillers. Check out Rick's website at http://www.rickacker.com/ or his blog at http://rickacker.blogspot.com/. I meant no offense to you as an attorney, Rick.

How do you get an agent? Just like editors, they attend writers' conferences and are also looking for the next big author or that diamond in the rough that can be polished and sold. You can query them by e-mail or mail, and the agents I know have websites that list their submissions guidelines. Here's the deal. To sell a first-time author to a publisher, the agent requires that the author have written . . . a novel. Would you take a risk on someone who tells you they can write a novel when they've never done it before? Exactly.

I will never recommend an agent to you because the relationship between an agent and author is crucial to your success. If the two of you aren't in sync and can't communicate in the early stages, it will be a nightmare later. You need to trust your agent, and they need to be able to trust and depend on you.

Any questions?

What Do Authors and Editors Talk About?

2010-07-14T09:11:00.000-05:00

Just as with any friendship, authors and editors talk about different things, depending on where they are in their relationship. So this blog starts at the beginning: our first meeting. Is it a God-appointment, or did an author not listen to instructions and sign up for a slot before they were ready? In another blog, I'll write about how an author/editor relationship deepens . . . or comes apart at the seams.

As a caveat, remember that each editor has his or her own personality that comes into play when speaking with authors. Some hold an author at arm's length not wanting to give false hope that the project has any chance on God's green earth of being published by their company.

If you have never heard of the Myers-Briggs personality test, now would be a good time to Google it. The test and the discovery of various personality types can be a useful tool when crafting characters. But it also can help you be more objective when one editor seems to wrap you in a warm embrace and the next editor is abrupt and tells you your work is trash and you need to go back home and work harder. It gives you a little perspective on rejection techniques.

In the Myers-Briggs world, I am an ENFJ: extrovert, intuitive, feeler, judger. On three of those fronts, I'm fairly balanced, but my intuitive side is pegged and resides in my gut. It niggles. What the Sam Hill does that mean? My husband thinks I'm making this up, but I can walk into a meeting and take its temperature. Are people really happy, or are they all afraid of losing their jobs tomorrow. There's an undercurrent of tension. I know whether that handsome guy across the room, laughing at everyone's jokes, is sincere or he's all smoke and mirrors--a charlatan.

Let me put this in author terms. I love meeting with authors at writers' conferences. It's tiring but exhilarating at the same time. I could be on the verge of discovering another Lisa Samson or a Brandilyn Collins or a Terri Blackstock. Editors who are STs (Sensor/Thinkers) and depend more on their five senses and their thought processes to make decisions might immediately ask certain questions such as, "Have you published before? What's your platform? How much time and effort are you willing to put into marketing your book?"

Important questions to be sure. But because of my NF (Intuitive/Feeler) status, I'm more concerned with you as a person. Are you nervous? Is that why you're having trouble telling me your story? Did you have to mortgage the house to get to the conference? Did you have a flat tire on the way in? Are your kids sick with colds and you feel guilty for leaving them with your husband? See what I mean? I have my own methods.

For seven years, I was a sales rep for the McGraw-Hill College Division and sold textbook adoptions to professors. Try walking into a biology professor's office when she doesn't want you there. If the smell of formaldehyde doesn't deter you, the frigid stare will. The first rule of any sales call is to establish rapport, so as an editor, I try first to put you at ease and then slide in the harder questions later. All the while, I'm taking your temperature, listening to my gut. I prefer to think I'm listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I remember quite well the first time I met Cynthia Ruchti, the current president of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She was a stranger to me when she first sat down, but she had a great smile, and within 30 seconds we felt comfortable with one another. She had a one sheet, so rather than ask her a bunch of questions, I asked her to tell me about her novel. Soon I was caught up in her enthusiasm for the story titled They Almost Always Come Home, canoeing with her through the Canadian wilderness, searching for a lost husband who could be injured or dead. Goosebumps rose on my arms. I knew that I knew that I knew this could be a terrific book. The rest is history. We signed this debut author and her book released to rave reviews in May of this year. If you haven't read it, you're in for a treat.

Do I always know that early? No, sometimes I let my feelings run ahead of my intuition, and when later I apply the test of what we're looking for to a list, projects fall by the wayside. It was only "coincidence" that shortly after signing Cynthia, she was asked to become the next ACFW president.

Editors are not cut from the same cloth. One might be enthusiastic about your project, and another might be lukewarm. It doesn't necessarily mean that you won't be published. It just means your novel might be more appropriate for one publishing house than another.

But if you hear the same objection from every agent and author with whom you meet, take a clue and don't be offended. Go back home and spend your time fixing an obvious problem. However, if you're convinced it's perfect just the way it is, hang on to your convictions. Your book may never be published, or it may be breaking new ground, will be rejected more than 200 times, and then become a hit. Just ask Frank Peretti and Bryan Davis.

The Top 10 List of Things Editors Talk About

2010-07-12T23:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I promised you a look into the minds of acquisitions editors by sharing what we talk about when we see each other at conferences or trade shows. It should come as no surprise that we talk about:

1. Books. I've gotten some great recommendations for my next novel from another editor. Sue Brower of Zondervan fame once told me I just had to read Diane Setterfield's Thirteenth Tale. It's a phenomenal book of secrets, and I never could have guessed the ending. A real page turner.

2. Authors. Yes, we talk about writers and whose doing what in the industry. Here's the secret to a long and happy career. We avoid divas like the plague. Life is too short to put up with high maintenance authors who can't be bothered to meet deadlines (even close), demand the impossible, and rankle at every suggestion for change. I live on Prilosec as it is.

3. The Publishing Industry. It's popular with some trade journals to wail about the demise of publishing. Books are disappearing and being replaced with digital content. Oh, please. A book is a book is a book, no matter how it's delivered. Content is still king, and every editor will tell you that. Without authors, there is no publishing industry. But authors should beware the rush to self-publish. I haven't met a manuscript yet that an editor couldn't improve. Self-publishing can be a career killer, especially for fiction authors. Do you want to be known as a mediocre writer, or a brilliant author? Guess who helps you get there?

4. Food. Chocolate specifically. Or Diets. We're one of the few professions that spends our days never using our legs so some of us are pleasantly pudgy and have a little middle-age spread. Except there is a new crop of editors who seems to watch their diets and exercise. I'm sure they'll live longer. I don't know how they squeeze in the Iron Man or running a marathon.

5. Grammar. This topic isn't as popular as it once was since the English language is changing so rapidly. Too many can't spell, let alone identify a run-on sentence. I remember a long conversation with another editor while cooling off in her swimming pool, debating the need for a serial comma. Exciting, huh?

6. Ideas. We live to brainstorm! Most of us have brains that run like freight trains that never stop. You can hear the wheels clacking, "What if? What if? What if?" On one magical trip to Brandilyn Collins home in Idaho, another editor and I chatted in the boat while Brandilyn and her husband rescued a distressed dead-in-the-water craft. Our "what ifs" just wouldn't quit. The set-up was perfect for a thriller. What if these people were really kidnappers and only used the distressed boat signal as a ruse. The plot was quite complicated. By the time we dropped off the hapless mariners at the dock, they looked as though they'd escaped a Stephen King novel.

7. Money or the lack thereof and how much more work we've taken on in these lean Egyptian years. Editors used to have more editorial assistants and access to lots of development editors. Now we use a lot of freelancers or rely on "self service." Research on competition? Self service. Writing up pub board proposals? Self service. Chasing down sales numbers? Self service.

8. E-mail and its insidious draconian rule over our lives. I've known some editors to have more than 700 e-mails in their queue. Every morning, I have at least 80 to 100 waiting for me, and at least that many more come in through the day. Have you ever tried to edit a manuscript with an e-mail bell dinging in your ear? I've spent many an hour in Starbucks or Panera's editing a manuscript on a laptop just to escape e-mail. And if you take a week's vacation, it punishes you by either shutting down and bouncing back important messages, or it just fills up your in-box with 500 or more that have to be dealt with when you get back.

9. Reading tea leaves. We spend a lot of time trying to make sense of company restructures and why management makes the decisions they do. I'll stay on the creative side, thank you. I have no desire to build a fiefdom.

10. We catch up on each other's lives--kids, husbands, grandkids--and we laugh and pray for one another. It saves our sanity.

Congratulations to the 6 Winners of 15-minute Writer Mentoring Sessions!

2010-07-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I offered a 15-minute phone mentoring session to the first 5 writers who signed up to follow my blog. Within a few moments, 12 people were following The Roving Editor. Five were Abingdon Press authors and one an agent I know well. They can call me anytime for advice. So that left 6 candidates. Since I couldn't discern who signed up first, I've decided to offer the mentoring phone sessions to all 6 of them.

Drumroll please. The winners are Julie Jarnigan, Wanda Dyson, Carrie Padgett, Julie Pollitt, Rebecca Vincent, and Jessica Nelson. Congratulations! I hope this call will be a turning point in your career.

I'm still in the process of setting up my website and official e-mail address, so winners, please contact me at nashvillescotts@comcast.net with your contact information, including an e-mail address and phone number. I can call you in the evening after 6 p.m. CST (Central Standard Time) or anytime on Saturday. Please let me know your date and time preference. I'm so excited to chat with you and answer any questions you might have about your writing careers!

Tomorrow's blog: Have you ever wondered what editors talk about among themselves? Stay tuned for the answer.

The Five Best Ways to Meet an Editor

2010-07-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

Acquisitions editors are the busiest people I know and the most elusive. If we admit what we do for a living, people want to send us their grandmother’s self-published poetry or a best friend’s novel that she wrote in high school. We may be your next door neighbor or the guy who picks up his dry cleaning every Saturday morning, but you’ll never know. We’re not flashy dressers. We don’t talk about publishing trends in the checkout line. And at parties, if someone asks us what we do for a living, we mumble and then wave at an imaginary friend. “Nice meeting you,” we say before darting to the other side of the room.

Then how can a writer catch a break? Ah, grasshopper, you must know the secret lives of editors…not bees. Following are the 5 best ways to meet an editor:

1. Make friends with other writers, especially those who have published at least one book. They’ve made the leap and most are willing to help you achieve your dreams. Attend their workshops at writers’ conferences and please don’t act like a stalker. Listen and ask intelligent questions. Learn the craft of writing, as well as marketing, your book. Then write an actual manuscript. You’d be surprised how many people have an idea for a novel, but have never applied their behinds to the seat of a chair. How can meeting other authors help you meet an editor? Published authors know editors, and if you have actually written an entire manuscript that other authors like, they’ll be more than willing to give you a recommendation.

2. With your polished manuscript nearby, query agents (make sure to read their guidelines for submission) or pitch your project to an agent at a writers’ conference. Attend the best conference you can afford. One of the perks of attending a conference is that you can request an appointment with an agent. Agents know editors. They know if your manuscript is ready to be published. Listen to their advice and rewrite your manuscript if necessary. An agent can be your ticket to meeting an acquisitions editor.

3. Acquisitions editors attend writers’ conferences as well. They set up appointments with agents. They take 15-minute appointments with conferees. Sometimes they will agree to critique your manuscript for a fee. Don’t waste your 15 minutes. I can’t tell you how many people have sat across the table from me and pitched a project that our company would never publish. Not every publisher has jumped on the vampire bandwagon . . . or Volvo.

4. Attend workshops taught by editors. For instance, I teach workshops that vary from character development to how to self-edit your novel. Some of us will even hold evening roundtables. Not me. I’m an early to bed, early to rise kind of person. But you might smile and say hi at the coffee bar early the next morning. I may not be coherent, but I’ve been known to sit down and have a nice little chat with a newbie writer. But remember, no stalking behavior. No passing manuscripts under the bathroom stall to an editor. Yes, Virginia, this has happened before and you, too, will gain a reputation as a crazy person. And no following an editor to their hotel room door. This is especially creepy.

5. Attend a daylong intensive workshop with an editor or a small group of writers and editors. Some editors and writers have even scheduled whole cruises around a writing theme. I’m looking into this because I think my creative juices would really flow in that atmosphere of free food, sun, and tropical breezes. However, the price could be prohibitive for most writers, especially unpublished writers, but it’s a nice excuse for a vacation.

As of August 1, I will no longer hide in my cubicle at Abingdon Press. Instead, I’m hitting the road as The Roving Editor and sharing my experience in a town near you. Here’s my plan:

I’ll still be the exclusive acquisitions editor for Abingdon fiction, but I’ll also be dropping by the homes of my existing authors (and agents) and brainstorming new projects. They can feel free to invite their writing buddies or critique group friends for a “meet and greet” in a local bookstore or wherever they like to hang out.

I’ll schedule a daylong writing intensive workshop in the area so that writers can spend time honing their craft with me and perhaps with one of my authors. There will be plenty of time to discuss ideas, work on story, characters, plotting, dialogue, setting, and narrative description in an encouraging atmosphere. Come ready to write and expect useful critiques.

Our first Roving Editor Intensive Writing Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Springton Lake Presbyterian Church in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Joyce Magnin, author of the award-winning book The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow and her next Bright’s Pond novel Charlotte Figg Takes Over Paradise will be on hand to offer her expertise as well. Fee: $159 per person. Includes a light lunch. Feel free to bring your favorite snacks. Dress is casual.

I’ll attend numerous writing workshops during the coming year, where I’ll teach the craft of writing, answer questions, and meet with conferees.

During August 12-14, 2010 I’ll meet with attendees during 15-minute slots at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. Check out the details at http://www.writehisanswer.com/philadelphia if you would like to sign up. I’ll also teach a workshop and meet with conferees during the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Annual Conference set for September 17-20, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis, IN. http://www.acfw.com/conference/ I’ll update you later on my full schedule.

I’ll also offer one-on-one mentoring sessions where we’ll laser focus on your writing and the next steps of your writing journey. This can be done over the phone or in person if I’m in your area. Fee: $100 for a half-hour session.

The first 5 people to subscribe to The Roving Editor blog
will receive a free 15-minute mentoring session by phone!