Just whined and complained...by Linda S. Glaz

I just whined and complained on my own blog about the tough skin it takes to be an agent. But it was all true. I get so many really "good" books, but as Terry Burns taught me last year, a good book is no longer enough in today's market. A book must be great--stellar!

I'm not complaining, mind you, but it would be so much easier not to have to write an author who wrote a really good book and tell them they have to keep at it. Strengthen it, re-edit, polish, run it past a crit group, take some more writing classes, all the things that change a work from good to stellar.

I wrote half a dozen of those letters this morning. And it really breaks my heart to have to turn down a story that is so endearing, so exciting, just because the writing needs to be bumped up a few levels. A bit of work, I'm happy to take on, but when the entire book needs serious editing...

Okay, so I am whining a bit. There are some wonderful authors out there who just send their work out way too soon, and it's a shame. A bit more work and the book could be accepted.

***HUGE SIGH***

Preparing & Planning for Contests by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Authors often hold contests during their book launch. Some of us hire professionals to handle our contests for us, but many of us are on a shoe string budget and must do the planning ourselves. On Monday, I'll be hosting my first contest beyond a simple book drawing on my blog.

I thought I might share a few observations and tips I've learned over the last few months as I've prepared for my contest.

1) Determine the purpose of your contest. While I hope sales will be a result, the main reason I'm hosting this contest is to build my social media platform and to raise awareness about the content I produce. This means I hope to gain more followers to my blog, FB and Twitter pages, as well as subscribers to my quarterly newsletter.

Studies show that buyers don't typically buy a product or service the first time they hear about it. Therefore, I'm after access to them. I want a means of being able to connect with them and share news and updates so that I can relate to them before I try to sell them something. I want to offer them more than just my books. I want to offer them uplifting news about God's Word, inspire them when they're feeling down, and motivate them to think positive when the rest of the world is trying to criticize them. I want to offer hope.

2) Determine your contest theme and entry method. Your purpose will depend on your contest theme and what you will require for entry. My theme is centered around the launch of my new book and the methods of entry will encourage people to follow my blog, Twitter page, like my FB page, subscribe to my newsletter and retweet or share a particular message promoting the contest. These are my calls to action.

Don't just let them leave a random comment on your blog. Have them do something that validates their entry into the contest and will promote you and your work. We can shout about our work all day long, but our network of reaching people is limited and it doesn't mean as much when we stand to gain something from it. However, if people have something to gain, they are more likely to share the info with their friends--thus, the free gifts. They like being appreciated by their friends and in the "know" about what is going on. You can't reach their friends, but they can. This expands your reach beyond your network and it indirectly gets others talking about you, your work, and coming to your site or social networks.

3) Determine your budget and your free gifts. Consider your target audience. Who are you trying to reach and what can you provide that might appeal to them? You might think that it would be best to have a nice, expensive gift to draw more people, but it may draw people beyond your target audience and then you're self-defeating your purpose. They will enter your contest for the chance at the free gift, but as soon as the contest is over, they are more likely to unfollow you and unsubscribe from your content. It's best to give away several small gifts that target your audience than a major gift that will draw a broad range of people.

4) Determine how long and when the contest will run. If you only host it for a couple of days, it will be over by the time people really start to hear about it. If it goes on for months, you may lose momentum, a sense of urgency, and risk people forgetting about it. A good length of time for a contest is a couple of weeks. Set the timing of the contest around something new to piggy-back on the excitement of a new offer. People always want the newest thing.

5) Study the laws and protect yourself with official rules. Each state has various laws on hosting contests. It's impractical to know them all and understand them and you can't possibly know where all your visitors will come from. Therefore, I recommend studying other official contests from reputable companies who have already hired legal attorneys to set their official rules for them. You can use these rules as a template and modify them as needed. Be sure to host these officials rules on your website/blog and make sure a link is provided to them wherever you promote the contest.

6) Plan the contest several months in advance. This will give you time to determine if you want sponsors for the gifts, a chance to contact them and make arrangements. If you choose not to solicit sponsors, it will give you time to save and purchase gift items on sale or at bulk so that you can take advantage of discounts. In my case, I set aside some funds each month and purchased a few items here and there. That way it didn't seem like it was a huge financial burden.

These are just a few tips and ideas. Feel free to share other tips from your own experiences.

Marketing Question: Where has your $ paid off in Book Sales? by Diana Flegal

Hello Dear Readers;

I have been carrying on a discussion with published and non published authors about the personal investments they have been making or are considering to help promote and sell their books.

The question arose, "Should I put my money into a book trailer or a launch party?"

Since the launch party 's expense promises to be higher and the venue had only the space for 60 people- the author has decided to go with the Book Trailer, thinking it is where the author would get the largest bang for their buck ($).

I am thinking their is still great power in word of mouth sales and wondering if that was the best choice.

Can you all please contribute to the conversation by sharing where, in reality- the best jump in sales has come from and what you might do differently next time in book promotion?

The experts weigh in on blogs and through their marketing business' but from an author viewpoint- can you let us know what has worked for you?

Have a great writing day and may your POV come across as you desire, and quote worthy phrases spring forth from pen to paper!

Diana

My First Conference by Andy Scheer

This week I’m getting ready for my first writers conference—as a literary agent.

Yes, it’s not my first writers conference, or even my first time to attend the San Diego Christian Writers Guild’s annual fall event. I attended my first conference in 1988, when I was an editor for a magazine then called Moody Monthly. And I’ve taught and taken appointments at San Diego both when I was acquiring articles for Moody and when I was coaching writers for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

But even after more than twenty years, it’s still easy for me to catch the pre-conference jitters.

To get ready for San Diego, I’ve tried to do my homework. I’ve studied the online faculty list to see which acquisitions editors I can renew acquaintances with, and which I’ll be meeting for the first time. As I send out proposals from my clients, I appreciate when those recipients are people I know.

I’ve also reviewed Jennifer Hudson Taylor’s Hartline blog entry from September 2: “Tips on Preparing for Writing Conferences.” Then I followed the link to one of Jennifer’s previous blog entries: “Surviving the Pitch to Editors & Agents.” She sold me with the title.

As I anticipate my upcoming appointments (which I hope to survive), I remember the scenarios I describe when I teach about writing query letters.

A successful pitch is not necessarily one to which the agent says yes. That’s true only if the underlying project and proposal are indeed ready for prime time. If they’re not ready or inappropriately targeted—and the editor sees that and so informs the writer—then the process has also been successful. Especially if the editor or agent, as most of them will, use the rest of the appointment time to explain how or why the writer can strengthen her work.

Where things get tricky are those situations in which the concept and the manuscript are good—but the pitch or proposal falls short. So if, during our appointment, I ask a lot of questions of the kind Jennifer mentions that agents may ask, don’t assume I’m trying to put you on the spot or that I think your concept won’t work.

Like manuscripts, usually the best pitches and proposals are ones that have undergone considerable revision. Compared to simply dismissing something, it takes far more work for the person across the appointment table to identify a piece’s most significant shortcomings and then to suggest how to remedy them.

As I meet with people at San Diego and other conferences, I hope and pray I’ll do my best to listen critically and well. And that when I respond, they’ll return the favor.

Christian Authors Guild in Atlanta by Terry Burns

I knew I was at a special place when the front door was a carved . . . yes carved relief of Jesus rising from the door. Amazing!







The Lodge at Simpsonwood is a Christian adult and family retreat center on the outskirts of Atlanta associated with the United Methodist Church. It was a perfect place for a Christian Writing conference. Set in peaceful woods with no hint of the presence of the large city just outside the grounds it was a time to work on our craft with presentations from a great faculty, great worship time, and just a time to de-stress.

Bestselling author Cec Murphy did the Keynote and taught several sessions. Editor and Author Lin Johnson, editor or Christian Communicator and author of more than 70 books was on the faculty as was writing coach Tiffany Colter. Other faculty included editor and author Mary Lou Redding, editorial director for Upper Room Magazine and author of six books, and Les Stobbe and I were the literary agents in attendance, taking appointments and teaching sessions.

The Christian Authors Guild is an organization in the Atlanta area that meets monthly and has a very strong membership. While they have had extended workshops before this is their first venture into a full writing conference, but judging from the comments from the attendees it surely won't be their last.

It was well organized, in a perfect setting, and is a conference that is easy to recommend. Pit on your schedule for next year, and you can find out more at http://www.christianauthorsguild.org/

Observe a Lot by Andy Scheer

“You can observe a lot,” said baseball great Yogi Berra, “just by watching.”

To that I add, “and by listening.”

This weekend in Denver I attended the annual convention of a group that collects books and memorabilia linked to adventure writer Clive Cussler. (The group's president, whom I met at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, asked me to call a square dance at the end of their Friday evening session.)

I had read at least a dozen novels by the evening's speaker, veteran writer Justin Scott, so I looked forward to his talk. I expected I'd hear about his experience co-writing with Cussler—especially his latest, “The Race,” about a 1910 cross-country airplane competition.

But I didn't expect to receive practical help on one of my own projects. Good thing I was listening.

Someone asked Scott about his research, as he'd never before written about aviation. I wasn't surprised when he spoke of visiting the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a living history museum for early aviation. Then Scott mentioned a book “Stick and Rudder,” that, while written in 1941, had educated him about the basics of flight and piloting. Though his book was set thirty years earlier, the aviators in his novel needed to apply and be able to talk about those principles.

I wasn't prepared to take notes, but I found a napkin and jotted the title. Just what I needed for a story I'm writing that's set in the mid twenties and involves an aviator.

Then someone asked about Scott's writing practices, which enable him to create two novels a year: one for Clive Cussler and another (using his pseudonym Paul Garrison) for the estate of Robert Ludlum.

Not surprisingly, Scott said he gets up early and goes straight to his office so he can put in six hours of work by lunchtime. During those hours he doesn't take phone calls, check email, or succumb to other popular distractions.

Then he added a detail I've never heard an author mention: He uses two computer screens. One always shows his work in progress. The other displays resource material: his outline and notes, a dictionary, a search engine, and such. Reserving a second screen for those tools means his project always remains before him, open.

Maybe this technique can help you work more efficiently on your own big, research-dependent project.

Over the years I've observed that successful writers are always learning. Once when I was on staff at a writers conference, I rode in a car for some twenty minutes with two of the keynoters, novelists Jack Cavanaugh and Francine Rivers. Rather than discuss the North Carolina scenery, they took advantage of the time together to talk shop: How did they each approach a certain aspect of the craft?

After all, you can observe a lot by listening.

Best Laid Plans by Linda S. Glaz

We all have grand plans from time to time. Sometimes they come to pass, other times, we simply hope and then put the plan aside for another time.

Our lives are carved with extreme care as we dream about tomorrow, but what is God’s plan for our lives? Do the two coincide?

Our characters should also have dreams, plans, grand visions for their lives.
What dream or plan have you had that has been snatched from your hands for whatever reason? Maybe God simply said “No” and you had to put the dream away for a time. Hearing about others’ dreams and visions helps us to make richer characters in our novels: characters with depth, weaknesses, and strength.

Care to share one?