Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published
I’ve been reading a wonderful book written by Lynn Austin titled Hidden Places.
More than once as I’ve read the gentle, lilting prose of this story I’ve said to myself “I wish I could write like this.”
I bet you’ve found yourself saying the same thing as you’ve read books that gripped you with the power of those well written words.
But this morning the very moment after I thought those words, God answered back. [Read more…] about Put an End to “I’ll Never Write Like That”
It’s the third Friday of the month, time for our debut author interview. Today, I’m visiting with Peggy Cunningham, author of the children’s book series Really Rare Rabbits. Book 1, Giant Ghost Rabbits Guarding the Inca Treasure Fires released in February.
Peggy has been burning up the keyboard this year. Since scheduling my interview with her, she has released the second book in the series, Giant Green Ghosts and the Secret at Peppermint Pass, and book 3 releases next month.
Debra: How long did it take to write your book?
Peggy: The idea of my book lingered in my head for a few years before my first attempt to jot it down. I scribbled the core of the story on a notepad in an hour or so. It remained in my files for a few years before I began writing it. I took a course on how to write book proposals and had to come up with a story for a book for the proposal. I pulled my rabbit story from my files and wrote the story in a matter of a few days. However, that was only the beginning of my book.
From that point, I developed a book proposal, edited my story, and acquired an editor to help me get it ready to submit.
Debra: What prompted you to take a course about writing book proposals and how did it help you?
[Read more…] about An Interview with Author Peggy Cunningham
Save yourself time and heartache over rejection. Analyze a magazine first, then submit to those that will be interested in your idea.
Front Page: design and headlines will help you determine the target audience.
The ads: Who are their advertisers? Read enough of the ads to get a feel for the target audience.
General topics: are the articles about [Read more…] about How to Analyze a Magazine
Listed below are 11 types of magazine articles you can consider writing. Each one has it own requirements and purposes.
The Devotional Article helps readers understand a biblical principle by applying a passage of Scripture to a life example. Devotionals are often short pieces of 300 words or less, but there are markets that accept longer readings.
The How-To Article is self-explanatory. This is a wide market as there are [Read more…] about 11 Kinds of Articles You Can Write
It feels like old home week here at the blog with another debut author interviewee returning to guest post. Today we hear from Kathy Nickerson about developing a marketing plan.
When a potential publisher told me, “We’d like to offer you a contract for your novel, Thirty Days to Glory,” I did the Happy Dance all around my kitchen. Then I read the second sentence: “But first we need to see your marketing plan.”
Right. Let’s see. Where did I put that file? [Read more…] about How to Brainstorm a Marketing Plan
I first met author J.A. Marx this summer when I interviewed her about her debut book, Destiny Defied. During that interview she spoke about publishing industry standards, so I asked her come back and share more.
J.A. has made a special offer for my readers with her post today. See the details at the bottom of this post.
Fiction writing is a form of art. It’s fluid. Like music and fine arts, it changes to express and reflect the shifting thought processes and beliefs of our culture.
This can madden or bless the writer, and I’ll sum up why in one word: Subjectivity
I entered Destiny Defied in a contest a few years back. Two judges’ responses:
Madden the writer: Agents and editors are equally biased for their own reasons, so research them before submitting anything.
Bless the writer: Write from your passion. Learn ALL the rules for writing before you start breaking those rules.
The essential standards (mentioned below) required [Read more…] about What Does the Publishing World Expect?
Recently I had more than one person comment about their struggle with waiting. I’m talking about the wait between when you submit (or pitch) your work and when you hear back from the editor (or publisher).
We all have a different tolerance level for waiting, and the instant society we live in compounds the problem. But we can stay encouraged and productive while we wait.
I think Kathy Carlton Willis offers the best advice with this quote from her upcoming book Your Life on Hold: Don’t Hate the Wait! “Sometimes between the ‘wait’ and the ‘yes’ we need to fall at Jesus’ feet and be caught up in total adoration of the Savior.”
We may not get a “yes” when the answer comes, but keeping our focus on the Savior provides us the peace and strength for every moment of the day, no matter what we face.
How about it readers? Add to the list the things that work for you. Leave your answer in the comments.
Debra L. Butterfield © 2013
It’s the third Friday of the month, time for our Friday Feature author interview.
This month’s debut author landed a publisher via a contest. Today I visit with Marie Wells Coutu, author of For Such a Moment, released earlier this year from Write Integrity Press.
Welcome, Marie. Thank you for joining us today. How exciting to win a contest that includes publication of your book. How long did it take to write your book?
Marie: I worked on this book for five or six years, off and on. Once I felt it was as polished as I could make it, and I still had not had any interest from publishers, I put it aside and began to work on a historical novel. But after I heard about the Books of Hope Contest, sponsored by Write Integrity Publishers, I dusted off the manuscript and polished it some more before submitting to the contest.
Debra: Obviously your hard work paid off. You won the contest and now book one of your Mended Vessels series, For Such a Moment, has been published. Congratulations.
Initially, at what point in writing your book did you begin to look for publishers?
Marie: Too soon, probably! [Read more…] about Friday Feature: Interview with Author Marie Wells Coutu