Finishing Well

If you do an internet search on “year in review,” you’ll see some interesting results – everything ranging from the election to crazy celebrity hair styles. I think that looking back and learning from history is a worthwhile exercise, but I’m always amazed at what this world considers newsworthy.

But let’s take a step back and make “year in review” more personal. How was your year? How was my year?

Finishing well has become a focus of mine since one of my college professors first introduced me to the expression. Usually towards to the end of the semester as finals were fast approaching, she would tell us students not just to finish, but to finish well.

There is a difference. Most people can finish something. In college, most of the students stayed with the class to the end. However, when the end of the term neared, it was easy to tell the difference between students who had stayed on top of the coursework and those who were frantically cramming to get a C. The library became an unusually popular place the last week of school.

Yes, finishing is one thing, but how you finish is another matter entirely.

If you finished the year well, congratulations. If you didn’t, take an honest look at your goals and priorities, and evaluate how you can do better next year.

Whether you’re ready to put the year behind you or sad to let it go, the New Year is just a day away. Take your time to reflect; but then, close the chapter and pull out a fresh page.

We can’t rest on laurels. We can’t hide behind the past. We have to look ahead and ask God for the humility, grace and perseverance to meet whatever task He has for us.

The Apostle Paul understood this concept. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 3:13-14.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So finish well! I'll look forward to seeing you again in 2013.

Have a Thankful Noel

Have you ever heard the alternate lyrics to the Christmas carol, “The First Noel”? They go something like this:

“No Well, No Well, No Well, No Well. We’ve got no water ‘cause there’s No Well.”

I can relate. Last week, we literally had no water at my home for an evening, because something malfunctioned with our pump and well.

All of a sudden, simple things like brushing teeth, bathing, doing dishes and flushing the toilet became more complicated.

Fortunately, a plumber fixed the problem first thing the next morning, but the experience made me think about all the conveniences we take for granted – running water being one of them.

This time of year, we can easily become wrapped up in the holiday shuffle of parties, gift exchanges, and programs. None of these things are wrong, but if we’re not careful, they will wear us out and cause us to overlook the real reason for the season: Jesus' coming to earth as a baby, the first earthly chapter in God's redemptive story. 

The word "Noel" means Christmas, and "The First Noel" refers to Jesus' birth. The most well-known account of the first Christmas is recorded in Luke 2.

7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord...

This Christmas, set aside some time to reflect on all the blessings God has given you - the first and foremost being the gift of His Son. 

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

The Story behind My Cover

“Are you awake, Sis?”

I was, but I didn’t want to be. The minute my toes touched the cold, wooden floor of our family cottage, my first impulse was to retract them back underneath the warm comforter.

But I had promised my brother I would go fishing with him before sunrise. I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, slipped into an old pair of flip flops and grabbed my jacket. Then, I helped my brother pull our life vests and paddles out of the shed before starting for the beach.

The grass was cool and damp with dew as we made our way to the shoreline. The first light peeked behind the mountains that formed the backdrop to Lake Winona. Radiation fog danced across the water’s surface, and the gentle colors of dawn beckoned the start of a new day.

My brother pulled our burnt orange canoe from the bank and slid it into the water.

“Hop in,” he said.

“Wait,” I said. “Just look at that.”

My brother paused to take in the grace and beauty of the scene before us. He grinned, “Aren’t you glad I asked you to come along?”

I ignored him and fumbled for my camera. Never before had I seen such a breathtaking sunrise.

I honestly don’t remember if we caught any fish that morning, but the picture I took has been a favorite of mine ever since. And years later, it made its way onto the cover of my second book.

A friend and talented graphic artist combined stock art elements with my picture to design the cover of Secrets Beyond Lake Winona’s Shore. And yes, there are some “true life” experiences from my childhood at the cottage that slipped into my story as well.

Lake Winona is truly a testament to the handiwork of the Creator God. My hope is that my story will be pleasing to Him and afford my readers with the enjoyment of engaging in a Christian fiction mystery staged around this beautiful shore.

CreateSpace Kindle Conversion Service

As of November 16th, my print sequel Wings of the Dawn, Book 2 became available on Amazon, and less than a month later, is now available as an e-book, published through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Amazon's CreateSpace makes converting your print book to an e-book easy. For a conversion fee of $69 (very reasonable compared to the hundreds of dollars other self-publishing companies want to charge for the same service), CreateSpace handles the file conversion and uploading of your book to the Kindle Direct Publishing site. (Authors, please note that you must first set up the account and then complete the "rights and pricing" portion before you can publish.)

The "learning curve" for me was familiarizing myself with some e-book basics, since I actually do not own a Kindle, and sorting through Amazon's two royalty options - 35% and 70%. (The 70% option is somewhat of a no-brainer, but conditions do apply.) If you're an author and would like to learn more, here are some helpful links:

• Amazon's Sales and Royalties FAQ page
• Amazon's List Price Requirements page

I also learned some new terminology, namely, DRM or Digital Rights Management. Amazon gives authors the option to enable DRM or not. If you opt to enable DRM, you prevent the sharing of your e-book. If you do not enable DRM, users can share or send your book to their friends for viewing.

For more information, check out this helpful article called Amazon add optional DRM for Kindle publishers which does a nice job summarizing this option.

From what I have read, the conversion process can also work the other direction. In other words, if you start with an e-book through Kindle Direct Publishing, you can then create a print book with CreateSpace.

Have you converted your e-book to a print book, and if so, do you think it's easier to start with an e-book or with a print book? I welcome your feedback.

Writers, Have Your Elevator Speech Ready

I remember attending my first trade show to represent a company and its products. My supervisor asked me, “Do you have your elevator speech ready?”

“My what?” I replied.

An elevator speech is your content condensed into the amount of time you spend in an elevator. In other words, it’s your small window of opportunity – most likely a minute or less – to interest your prospective customer in your product.

The concept of having an elevator speech for my book didn’t dawn on me until I was preparing for my first book signing.

I asked myself the question, “What will I say when someone asks me what my book is about?”

The answer may not be as obvious as it seems. As an author, you know your book better than anyone else. There’s the pro. The challenge is distancing yourself from everything you know and finding a way to summarize your 200+ page novel into two or three short sentences.  

So what should an author’s elevator speech include? Here's what I suggest.

Genre

What category or categories does your book fall into? Is it fiction or non-fiction? If it’s fiction, is it a mystery, romance, fantasy, or other? If it’s non-fiction, is it a biography, informational book, or devotional? There are dozens of genres, so be specific in identifying which ones apply to your book.

Audience

For whom did you write the book? Identifying your target audience will help anyone you’re conversing with decide if the book is right for them or someone they know.

Hook

What is so interesting about your book that would make people want to read it? This is your chance to share just enough information about your story to arouse curiosity. Don’t try to summarize your entire plot; you’ll lose your audience, and find yourself floundering to finish your sentences.  

Then, take these elements, and combine them in a way that is conversational. Here’s an example for my newly released book:

Secrets Beyond Lake Winona’s Shore is a Christian fiction mystery that young adults and families will enjoy. Abigail "Abby" Grant, my heroine from book one, stumbles upon a mystery in the lakes region of New Hampshire and must uncover forgotten Cold War secrets in time to save a man’s life. The plot explores right and wrong ways to respond to situational dilemmas while underscoring the value of forgiveness.

A related exercise would be to take your elevator speech and condense it into one sentence. For a formula, check our Rachelle Gardner’s blog on Writing a One-Sentence Summary.

The takeaway from all this is to be prepared. Don’t be caught off guard when someone says, “Hey, congrats on the new book. So what’s it about?”

Be ready to answer.

Marketing Gone Bananas

I like to watch for clever new marketing techniques, and this week, I spotted one in the fruit bowl in my kitchen.

One of the bananas had a sticker that read: I Heart Lunch Boxes. I doubt that sticker would influence anyone's buying decision, but what it does create is memorability. It's not something I expected to see, and therefore it grabbed my attention. I think marketers call that generating visibility for your brand.

Think of a commercial that's stuck in your head. Why did you remember it? Usually, it has a catching tune or something that makes you laugh - oftentimes unrelated to what the commercial is trying to sell.

Have you seen the Pampers "Beautiful Mornings" commercial? I would never have thought it possible to make a diaper commercial attractive or cute, and yet, I think Pampers has succeeded with this one - combining adorable babies with the song "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story.

And then there's the holiday season that puts on a dazzling display of marketing techniques - targeting audiences of all ages.

What lessons can self-published authors learn from all this? I think the short answer is to get creative with how you promote your book and maybe focus less on thrusting your book in front of readers and more with raising visibility and awareness for your message.

What are some "outside the box" methods you've used to market your book? Did they work and why?

Kristen Hogrefe Presents a New Christian Fiction Mystery the Whole Family Will Enjoy

The press release for my second book is now available on free-press-release.com.

Summary: This second installment in the Wings of the Dawn Series offers teens and families a fresh, page-turning mystery just in time for the holiday season.

For the full press release, please follow the hyperlink below.

Kristen Hogrefe Presents a New Christian Fiction Mystery the Whole Family Will Enjoy - Christian Fiction,young adult fiction,adventure books