Thinking Thankful Thoughts

Is it really November 23? As I think back over the last few months, I am thankful and excited to share with you several updates.

1. Awakening Sun is available in both paperback and Kindle formats. If you can’t think what to get the teenager in your life for Christmas, may I suggest it would make a marvelous Christmas gift?
2. I’ve launched a blog called Think True Thoughts designed for teen girls and their friends. Living in today’s world is anything but easy for teens, and I’ve designed this blog community to be a place they can find refreshment, encouragement and motivation for living lives pleasing to Christ. Take a moment to stop by and visit!
3. I will be joining the faculty at the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference (FCWC) next year, presenting a workshop on free and easy technology tools available to help writers present themselves and their platforms with professionalism.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving 

This time of year leaves many feeling fatigued – as if they are sprinting to the year’s finish line – and sometimes, I feel that way myself. *Gasp* The year can’t be gone! I have so much else I want to do!!

When I feel that way, I have to pause and remember all the good things God’s given me this year – and also the things He’s chosen not to give me. (After all, God’s refusals are His mercies.)

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to enjoy quiet time, refreshment, and good old-fashioned fellowship with friends and family. I’m tempted not to look at the Black Friday ads, because I don’t want to face mobs and mounds of merchandise. I want to curl up at home and catch my breath. 

That’s my challenge to you this Thanksgiving: Take a breather and count your blessings. The year’s finish line is weeks away, and if we’re going to finish well, we can’t be out of breath.

Perceptions of Self-Publishing, Part 2

In opening orientation for the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference, the speaker asked the first time conferees to verbalize our conference goals. I turned to the lady next to me and said, “I want to learn if agents and editors consider self-published books and how they view self-publishing in general.”

Last time, we talked about an agent’s take on self-publishing. Today, let’s talk about what some editors had to say.

Of the four editors who met with me, only one said that her publishing house would not pick up self-published books. The fun side-note to this story is that she liked my books well enough to ask her editor-in-chief if they could make an exception by repackaging my books. Turns out, the answer was no, but in any event, the experience provided a booster shot to my confidence level.

The other three editors didn’t care if my books were self-published. Their interest seemed to lie in the following areas:

·       My pitch: Was it well-crafted? Did it meet their genre and audience needs?

·       My presentation: Was I prepared and had I done my homework on their publishing house? How did I “market” myself?

Meeting with editors and agents is like interviewing. Yes, they are interested in your qualifications and experience. But beyond that, they are interested in you as a person and if you are a good fit for their team.

If you’re a self-published author wondering if a publishing house might be interested in your book, the answer is maybe. Some publishers see self-publishing as competition and will not acquire self-published books.

Others will consider self-published works if what you have to offer matches what they need.

Look Up: Change Your Perspective

A week ago tomorrow, I checked into my room for the Florida Christian Writer's Conference, and the first thing I did was search for an electrical outlet. (Finding the Lake Yale Conference Center is not the easiest thing to do, and the GPS program had nearly exhausted the battery life on my cell phone.)

My eyes scanned the wall next to the vanity, expecting to find an outlet. There was none. I finally pulled the television cabinet away from the wall to plug in my phone.

The next day, Author Stephen James spoke about the need for writers to "change their perspective." In other words, try to look at ordinary things from a different perspective to gain a new appreciation and understanding.

That evening, I went to my room, and as I washed my face, I looked up. Guess what? There was an electrical outlet - above the mirror.

So accustomed to finding outlets along the wall, I never even thought to check above the vanity.

I think it's easy for us to develop "tunnel vision" and expect life to neatly fit into the box we've made for it. But how much more interesting would life be if we parted ways with our ordinary expectations and changed our viewpoint?

And how much less trying would life be if instead of trying to solve our problems with our own limited solutions, we remembered instead to "look up" to the One infinitely wiser than we?

FCWC Recognizes Wings of the Dawn

Saturday night was the FCWC (Florida Christian Writer’s Conference) awards banquet. Much to my delight, the directors announced that first place for the mystery/suspense/thriller fiction category went to Captive Beneath the Bahamian Sky, the first book in my Wings of the Dawn series.

To participate in the writing contest, fiction writers submitted a one paragraph description of their novel plus the first 2,000 words. (The contest was open to self-published works, allowing me to submit my first book for consideration.) Depending on the number of submissions, the directors awarded first, second and/or third place. In the mystery/suspense/thriller category, three writers received recognition.

Like a sponge, I soaked up everything I could from the conference, speakers and workshops. Is a conference worth the investment? Without question, the answer is absolutely!

Over the next several weeks, I’ll share with you what I learned at this conference – including the insights I gleamed into the market role and perceptions of self-publishing. Do publishing houses consider self-published works? Do agents represent self-published authors?

Check back soon.

First Writer's Conference: Goals and Thoughts

I’m excited to be attending my first writer’s conference this year. The Florida Christian Writer’s Conference starts February 27 and runs through March 3.

As I start planning for it, I just want to share a couple “first time attendee” goals of mine.

·         Be as prepared as you can, but don’t stress about it.

·         Contribute as appropriate, but focus more on listening.

·         Have an open mind and a desire to learn.

·         Enjoy the experience!

As a self-published author, I am also especially curious to see how Christian publishers, agents and authors view self-published authors and their works.

·         Do they respect the entrepreneur spirit and personal discipline of self-published authors?

·         Do they discredit self-published works as second class?

·         Do they want to discover well-written self-published works?

·         Do they welcome or resent self-publishing?

Stay tuned! The writer’s conference experience has been described to me as “drinking out of a hose,” so I know I will be overwhelmed (in a good way) with information which I look forward to sharing with you.

Have you been to a writer’s conference before? What advice would you give first time attendees?