Good Morning from Joyce.

I’ve been thinking about rejections this morning, especially since I’ve received three already this week. And yet, I’ve received some good news too, proposals going to committee, a publisher reconsidering a book that he turned down. All in the course of the work that we do here at Hartline Literary Agency. I know rejections are disheartening, they are for all of us, and believe me we get our share of them.

And then again, we get a good share of offers for publishing.

Here is an explanation from an editor of a rejection that I got yesterday:

“However, the basic reason we reject most of the proposals that we look at is that we decide, for a variety of reasons, that we won’t be able to sell enough copies of the book to make it a good business decision. That touches on the topic, the audience, the size of the audience, whether the audience in question is likely to buy a book on the topic (or would they be more likely to get their data off the Internet), the other books that are already out there on the same topic, and so forth.

All of this (and more) comes into play with every proposal we look at. If we don’t feel that we can move large numbers in year 1, with low returns, we don’t go after a book no matter how much we might like it personally.”

I hope this will help you to understand the business of publishing a little better. Rejections are not necessarily personal.

We all have to realize that publishing is a business, an expensive business. For many publishers it is also a ministry. However, those companies have salaries to pay, utilities to keep on, upkeep on buildings, etc. They have to make a profit to stay in business and publish the books they do buy.

Keep on writing and don’t get discouraged when you get rejections. Well, you can get discouraged a little while, but then get up and write some more. One well-known author wrote eight books before he got one sold. As I’ve said before it takes consistence and perseverance.

May you all have a wonderful day, encourage one another and write for His glory.

In His service,
Joyce

Free books? by Terry Burns

It is a good idea to think it through and decide what our free book policy should be. I did think it through and came up with one before I had books to give and made it known. That’s easier than trying to change policy midstream.

I do give copies to immediate family, mom and kids, although one or two like to have a collection of them but rarely if ever read them.

Traditionally one is given to whoever the book is dedicated to.

To other family and friends I make it clear that I get a limited number of author copies and once they are exhausted have to buy books to have personal stock so I expect people to buy them. I have a local bookstore that I consider my ‘home store’ and keeps my books in stock. I apologize for being out of author copies and refer family and friends there to get them. I also count on family members to come to book signings in their area and to help turn out a crowd. It is a key factor for a decent book signing to have someone who will assume a personal responsibility to have people there and make phone calls to make that happen. Family are the most likely candidates if that role is made clear to them.

Blog tours and reviewers plus any that might be given away with an interview I don’t consider giveaways but advertising and they show up on my income tax just that way. It’s hard to quantify what sort of impact these have on book sales but all contribute to the ‘word of mouth’ promotion that everyone agrees is the most important of all of the strategies for book promotion. There are some reviewers that have to be done in advance of the release of the book and often these have to be done by the publisher rather than the author. These are the critical reviews, the ones that book buyers for libraries and bookstores count on for selecting products they will acquire since they obviously cannot read all the books.

At church I will often give signed books if they will put an appropriate amount or more in the building fund in my name, then I deduct that amount from what I give to the building fund. That means I am putting the amount in the building fund I intended to give and putting a few books out in the process. That also makes me feel less like one of the ‘sellers in the temple’ where Jesus overturned their tables and tossed them out. That’s not company I want to be in.

The point is, the smart thing to do is to think it through before the process starts in order to be able to articulate just what the policy is. The most important phrase for those family and friends that think they should get a free copy is “I’m sorry, I have exhausted all of my author copies now and have to buy them just like you do.” But be careful about exceptions, exceptions lead to more exceptions.

I'll be interested to see your further thoughts on giving away free books.

Terry

Interview with Diana's client, Author Cleo Lampos

Cleo, when did you first develop your passion for writing? During high school and college, I loved any written assignments. Keeping journals during those years taught me to express emotions. When my children were growing up, I wrote devotionals based on their antics for our church newsletters. During their teen years, our family experiences became short stories and narratives for Sunday School papers and magazine articles.

You recently retired from Teaching. How did teaching influence your writing and did you get any of your story ideas from experiences at your school? The 26 years of teaching regular and special education translated into numerous articles for magazines such as Teachers in Focus. Whenever a student overcame a challenge, I wrote their anecdote in my notebooks. So many children in an urban setting struggle against great odds. Recording their victories inspired me as a teacher. These notes are the basis of story ideas.

You have tried your hand at writing historical and contemporary fiction genres, as well as non-fiction. What is your favorite book you have written so far? I really enjoyed writing Second Chances, a novel with a teacher fresh from the country trying to survive in Diamond Projects, an urban school. Of course, she meets the local police officer with a mysterious past. Her struggles to connect with her students parallel my own challenges as a first-year teacher from a dairy farm facing a class of forty-two culturally deprived students in a high crime district. Wouldn’t this make a great series about other teachers in Diamond Projects?

I certainly think so! Hopefully the publishers will too.

You have a published book titled, Grandpa’s Remembering Book. Can you tell us a bit about this book and why you wrote it, Cleo? Grandpa’s Remembering Book is inspired by the heart wrenching deterioration from Alzheimer’s of my Aunt Lois, and the illustrator’s father-in-law. In the book, the steps for passing memories from one generation to another is provided. The practical text engages the reader in a journey of empathy depicting a tool to use with memory loss in loved ones. Although it looks like a children’s picture book, it is a family informational book.

What has been the response from its readers? Several nursing homes in the Chicago area share the book with the families of new patients suffering memory loss. Oddly, speech pathologists claim that it has been of special help to them. Anyone who is a caregiver has found the book to be helpful and encouraging. A Writer’s Digest review begins, “It is an amazing little book.”

Cleo, the story I signed you on with was about the Orphan Trains of America’s History. Do you know before I read your manuscript these Trains were totally unknown to me? Your story is a beautiful one of a Mother’s love for her children and the great sacrifice the mothers at that time were called upon to make. Is it written from any personal family history?

My brother’s family lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota, one of the stops for the orphan trains. As the orphan train riders grew to adulthood, they held reunions in which they told their stories. The local town people listened to them and invited them to speak in the schools. Today, the grandchildren of these orphans relate their experiences. The county museum in St. Cloud houses many books about the orphan trains and personal narratives as well. These resources became invaluable in my research.

Do your characters just pop in your head? Where do they spring from? My characters for A Mother’s Song are based on the types of women who entered the orphan train experience. One is the women who must give up their children and the other is the women who adopt these children. Their stories are as varied as the women themselves, but underneath the motivation of most women is their love for children. Widely reading their narratives enabled me to feel their pain and longings.

How do you research your historical stories, do you spend a lot of time at your library? Yes, I utilize the local library, but I actually buy a lot of books so I can underline and go back to passages. Through the internet, I gleaned a lot of information as well as contact with the resources at the Orphan Train Museum in Kansas.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your books? We all face difficulties and problems, whether as an orphan, urban teacher or caregiver. In every book that I have written, the power of love to overcome obstacles is evident. Our ability to love comes from a deep realization of God’s faithfulness.

Cleo, I know that you’re a member of ACFW. How has this been a help to you? Do you belong to a local chapter? ACFW is the first inbox mail that I open in the morning. I enjoy reading other author’s opinions, suggestions, struggles and triumphs. Such inspiration! I do belong to a writer’s critique group with Lynn Austin, Jane Rubietta and Joy Bocanegra. They keep me accountable both professionally and spiritually. Writing is not a Long Ranger adventure. We need each other to make it.

I would imagine like most authors, once people know you are writing you get a lot of advice. What has been the most helpful to you? At the Wheaton Write to Publish Conference, one of the panel members said she used the “button chair method” to write. It really works!

Do you use any of the newer technology in your writing habits? I am connecting with other authors through Facebook, and tend to Google a lot more. A yellow legal pad is still my best bet for writer’s block. The feel of a lead pencil on paper is magical.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing and your previously published title? I am on Facebook, loving to communicate with other authors. Amazon.com carries Grandpa’s Remembering Book.

Would you like to offer the other authors out there a last word of encouragement? Our words can be healing in a broken world. We need to hone our craft and become the best communicators of God’s love that we can in a fresh and relevant way. That is my desire.

Cleo, thank you so much for joining us here today. It has been good to get to know you better. It is apparent your writing is ministry as well as a labor of love. May your Grandpa's Remembering book continue to help families deal with their heartbreak and we hope to see your others tiles join this one on Amazon.

From my heart to yours,

Diana

Interview with Terry's Client Bill Garrison

What is your latest project? Tell us about it.

“The Solomon Project” is currently being pitched. It is a corporate suspense novel about a corporate prodigy that discovers fraud at the company he is working for. The fraud may involve his family and closest friends, and threatens to destroy everything believes in. The plot revolves around a construction company bidding for a large state contract. I have experience in that field, so I was able to “write what I know”

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I really get inspired by the feeling I get from reading a good book, whether it be thrills, chills or tears. I want to create the same feeling in the reader when they read my novel.

What has been the hardest part of writing your latest book and how did you overcome it?

It’s been awhile, so I can’t remember too much, but I did learn a lot about POV while writing that book. It finally clicked for me.

What do you hope people will take away from reading your book?

I want people to realize they don’t have to be a pastor or a minister or a saint to be a witness to someone. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen, God can still use you for someone who is searching.

What new projects are you working on?

Current project is “The Day She Died,” a suspense novel with an element of time travel. Who hasn’t wished they could relive their formative years knowing what they know now? I know I have. That served as a launching point for this novel in which the main character gets to relive parts of his life, including the day his girlfriend was murdered, to try and find out who killed her.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing? The programs and speaking that you do?

I’m not published, so I’m not active in speaking or teaching yet, but I’m on facebook and shoutlife and have web domains bought for future use…

What is the best writing advice you ever got? The worst?

Best would be that “being a published writer is hard” which helped me realize I couldn’t do it all by myself and that it was okay to ask for help. ACFW has been a great resource for me.

Anything else you'd like to take this opportunity to say?

Other than that Terry is the best agent ever, I think there is no greater thrill than reading a good book. The publishing industry may change over time, but there will always be a place for good writers.

Interview With Joyce’s Client Christy Barritt

I’m pleased to introduce my client Christy Barritt to you. Christy has just recently received a contract from Steeple Hill to write a story for their Love Inspired Suspense line. We believe this is only the beginning of her career with Steeple Hill. Christy writes really good mystery stories. Her Squeaky Clean series published by Kregel Publishing was a favorite with my church book club.

Tell us about your family and your ministry.

I’m married to a wonderful man named Scott, who’s a teacher and youth minister. We have a three year old boy and another baby on the way this summer. When I’m not writing and spending time with family, I’m very active with our church. I’m also on staff part-time there as a worship leader.


What do you write besides books?

For the past seven years, I’ve been writing for my local newspaper. I write feature stories about people doing positive things in the community—I love it and have gotten to meet some wonderful people through these articles. I also freelance for various magazines and publications.

What book are you writing presently?

I’m currently working on a book titled “Keeping Guard” for Love Inspired Suspense. The book is about a woman who goes to a small Virginia town to escape a man who’s been stalking her. While there, she works for her brother’s best friend, a former Coast Guardsman who’s taken over his father’s restaurant. Their past relationships have tainted their view of each other—and of God. They both must work to overcome their pasts in order to save their futures as a madman closes in.

Where do you get your inspiration?

The better question might be “Where DON’T I get my inspiration?” LOL I seem to find inspiration in so many things—from watching the news, to eavesdropping on conversations at the hair salon, to visiting new places. For me, ideas always come pretty easily.


Is there an area in your writing that you are working on developing more?

Even as a published author, I’m always working to develop my writing more in every area. I have to say that plotting comes pretty naturally to me. I have to constantly work on characterization, however. I can see characters in my head, but I have to remind myself to express their thoughts and explain their actions within the book. Having both a strong plot and strong characters is so important to a well-developed book.

What is your all time favorite writing ‘How To’ book? One that you would like to recommend to other authors.

I really do like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I think I discover a new gem in that book every time I read it! It’s loaded with so much helpful information, both for new writers and seasoned ones.


Have you had to overcome any obstacles in your writing journey?

I’ve had to overcome discouragement many times before. Writing isn’t an easy business and I daily have to surrender everything to God and trust that He’s in charge. Balancing writing with family can be a challenge also, so my mantra is that people always come before projects. God will take care of the rest as long as loving Him and loving others is my priority.


What has been your best and your worst advice?

I think it’s funny because in high school, people always told me that no one could make a living with either writing or music, that I should find a “real” career. I’m happy to say that today I’m making a living with a combination of both music and writing! So, even though I know what the intentions were behind that advice, it was probably the worst advice I could have listened to. The best advice I’ve received would be “Don’t give up!” Giving up can be very tempting when rejection letters pile up! Tenacity is a required trait for those who seek to be published.

What is the most important thing on your current ‘To Do ‘ list?

It’s not writing-related, but honestly, right now the most important thing is just to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby! Since I’ve had some pregnancy hypertension issues, this means I have to take it easy. Not easy for a Type A!


Tell 3 things that we wouldn’t know about you.

Three things? Hmm…I love potato chips (almost any kind), but I wish I didn’t, I’m clumsy—as in, I can trip over lint clumsy, and I sing or hum constantly—without even realizing I’m doing it sometimes!

What led you to the career choice of becoming a writer?

I’ve always loved to write, ever since I can remember. In fact, I wrote two or three novels in high school (that will never, ever see the light of day, by the way!). I knew I couldn’t make a living as a novelist, so I went to college, studied communications and got a job as an assistant editor with a Christian publisher. When my dad became ill, I decided to move back home (12 hours away) so I could be near him. This move propelled me back to my love of writing. I began freelancing and working on my books again. Eventually, many rejections later, I got my first book contract! To this day, I simply love stories. They’re my passion!


Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

Hartline is a great agency to be with. They truly care about their clients and I’ve never once regretted signing with them! Having a good agent is so important nowadays.

Where can we find you on the web?

My website is www.christybarritt.com. I’m also on Facebook and Shoutlife! I love connecting with readers there.
Thanks Christy – it’s a joy to work with you. I love your writing.
Christy’s Squeaky Clean series from Kregel is available on her web site or on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Book 1 – Hazardous Duty was an ACFW book of the year in the mystery/suspense category, Book 2 – Suspicious Minds won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery.

Diana's Review of the 7 Decisions for Personal Success

In the final chapter of The Travelers Gift, Seven Decisions for Personal Success, before our traveler returns to his family, he walks into the future and glimpses the probabilities of his personal success due to the application of the Seven Decisions.

Last night our book club met. Our leader choose this book for our Feb. read. I wanted to wait before writing this final blog to hear what they had to say about this book and how the author, Andy Andrews, wrapped the story up in it's final chapter. And an interesting discussion it was. Some ladies felt the books focus was too material. Should financial gain be our focus as a believer? We agreed not. Others did not take it that way at all, seeing the practical aspects of the decisions for a believer in all aspects of our lives. All agreed that the decisions themselves were great and that anyone who would put these decisions into practice will have a different life than they might have if they do not. A more successful life, not necessarily materially successful, but spiritually and inter personally in our relationships as well.

We spoke about the word of God, how we are to meditate on it, believe God wrote that book for us to have the opportunity to get to know Him. In Proverbs and all throughout we see divine principles that if we heed, will result in less pain and heartache to the believer and a more abundant life offered to us by a loving God. In the end we gave it a thumbs up as a great read and we appreciated getting acquainted with the Seven Decisions.

For review I have listed them here in one place for your consideration as you consider your goals for 2010.

7 Decisions for Personal Success:

1: The buck stops here. I am responsible for my past and my future.
2: I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.
3: I am a person of action. I seize this moment. I choose now.
4: I have a decided heart.
5: Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
6: I will great this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.
7. I will persist without exception. I am a person of great faith.

May this year bring you to a place where you are experiencing all that God has in store for you in your writing goals and personal relationships. May those success' bring Glory and Honor to He who has given us, 'everything we need for life and godliness'.

From my heart to yours,
Diana

Introducing Joyce’s client, Amanda Cabot.

I’m pleased to introduce Amanda Cabot to you today. Her latest book Scattered Petals has just been released by Revell Publishing.

1. Tell us a about a little bit about yourself

From early childhood on, I had two dreams – to live in Europe and to write a book. Though I would never have expected it, the two wound up being related. I lived in Europe, first in France as a college student, then in Germany when my husband was stationed there with the U.S. Army. Those experiences provided the background for my first short contemporary romance, my first long historical, and my first book for the CBA market, Paper Roses.

For pretty much as long as I can remember, I’ve been writing – first short stories (seriously lacking in plot and characterization, but what do you expect from an eight-year old?), neighborhood newspapers (no competition for The New York Times) and plays for my grade-school classmates. (No, they didn’t make it to Broadway.) On the positive side, all that writing helped hone my skills, for I’ve sold more than twenty-five novels, four non-fiction books and what I describe as “enough technical articles to cure insomnia in a medium-sized city.”

For many years I worked in Information Technology and was a director of IT for a Fortune 50 company. Now I’m delighted to be a full-time writer and speaker living happily ever after in Cheyenne with my high school sweetheart who’s been my husband for more than thirty-five years.

2. What led you to the career choice of becoming an author?

I really cannot remember a time when I didn’t write – or at least want to write, and so I wrote sporadically until I was almost 29 (graduating from short stories and plays to novels). Since then I have come to believe that authors have at least one thing in common with oysters, namely that we need irritation to produce our pearls … er… our books. For me, that irritation was moving to a new city and discovering that what had appeared to be an ideal job was truly awful. Of course, that happened at a time when jobs were hard to find, so I stuck with the one I had for over three years. But the irritation was enough that I decided it was time to become serious about writing. After I sold my first book, I continued working full time but still managed to write at least one book a year.

3. What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the first draft (sigh!) of Book One in the Wyoming Winds series. The reason for the sigh is that first drafts are my least favorite part of a book. I refer to them as the skeleton, and like the skeletons you see at Halloween, they’re ugly, but they form the foundation for the book. It’s not all drudgery, though. Since I live in Wyoming, I’m having a lot of fun, introducing readers to my new home state.

Wyoming Winds is the trilogy that will be published after the third of the Texas Dreams books.

4. How do you do the research for your historical books?

I spend a lot of time at libraries. (I suspect that I’m the queen of ILL (inter-library loan) in Cheyenne.) One piece of advice I was given (and which I give to other writers of historicals) is to start in the children’s section. The books there give enough detail to provide the framework for a story but don’t bog you down with thousands of pages. You can fill in details once you’ve outlined the story or – in my case, written the first draft. By then you’ll know exactly what information you need. That advice has saved me countless months of research.

I also travel to each of the locations I’m writing about. As wonderful as the Internet is for research, it can’t tell you what the air feels like or what colloquialisms people have. Even though most of the towns in my books are fictional, the details come from first-hand visits.

5. What has been the hardest part of writing your books?

First drafts are always the most difficult part for me. I typically get to the middle of the first draft and am convinced that I’ve just written the worst prose ever found in the English language. If I didn’t have a contract, I’d probably stop writing right then. But when I reach the end and start the second draft, I realize that my fears were unfounded. Sure, what I’d written wasn’t perfect, but it gave me the skeleton I needed before I could add the flesh and blood.


6. What do you hope people will take away from your books?

My most fervent prayer is that my books will touch readers’ hearts and deepen their faith.

7. What is the best writing advice you ever got? The worst?

The best was to write in multiple genres until I found my niche. The worst, to follow market trends. Some authors can do that successfully, but I can’t. I need to write from the heart, not necessarily for the market.

8. What new projects are you working on?

I have six more books to write for Revell, the three Wyoming Winds books and then three set in New Jersey during World War One. I’ve also just completed a proposal for a Christmas novella and am waiting for a decision on that.

9. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

My advice to aspiring writers is to never give up.


Give us a short summary of your book that is being released currently, Scattered Petals, the second in the Texas Dream series.

Scattered Petals is a historical romance set in the Texas Hill Country beginning in late 1856. Although completely accurate, isn’t that a boring description? Who would read a book if that was all you knew about it? Let’s try again. Here’s the back cover blurb, which I hope intrigues you more than that plain vanilla first sentence.

Longing for adventure, Priscilla Morton leaves Boston in 1856 and heads for the Texas Hill Country, never dreaming that the adventure she seeks could have heartbreaking consequences. Although attracted to her, ranch foreman Zachary Webster knows Priscilla deserves a cultured East Coast gentleman, not a cowboy who’s haunted by memories of his mistakes.

When necessity draws them together, Priscilla and Zach begin to forge a life filled with promise. But then the past intrudes.

Book 2 of the Texas Dreams series, Scattered Petals weaves a tale of drama, love and second chances as beautiful as the Hill Country itself.

For more information about the book and to read an excerpt, please visit my web site: www.amandacabot.com.

Thanks, Amanda. It’s such a pleasure to work with you and I love your stories. I hope our readers will go find your books in their bookstores or online.
Thanks to our faithful readers for following our blog.

In His service,
Joyce