Chip MacGregor .com

What are you doing to improve your craft this year?

Word is out -- I'll be doing a webinar next week for Writers Digest entitled "Marketing for Authors." This is a business-focused, 90-minute webinar for authors who have books coming out soon, or authors who just want to learn more about the marketing process. It starts at 1 eastern next Thursday, April 8, and you're invited to attend. Chuck Sambuchino has blogged about it over on his "Guide to Literary Agents" blog...  http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/CategoryView,category,Webinars.aspx . You can get all the details there.

These days, publishers expect the author to really take charge of their own marketing efforts. That's a tough task for most of us who were trained as writers, and don't have much enthusiasm for becoming full-time publicists or marketing directors. So my goal in this 90-minute session is to try and break down some of the basic information authors need to know about marketing. We'll cover topics such as:

• Marketing in the new economy
• How to establish an author brand
• What to expect your publisher to do 
• Keys to writing great marketing copy
• Five things you can do to become your publisher's favorite author

I hope you'll check it out. You can sign up here: http://www.writersdigestshop.com/product/self-marketing-for-authors-webinar/?r=chipblog033010

By the way, I'm going to be speaking at the Calvin Festival for Faith and Writing in mid-April. It's the best writing conference for my own personal growth, and it happens every two years at Calvin College. Speakers this year include Eugene Peterson, Avi, Kate DiCamillo, Lisa Samson, Scott Cairns, Tim Stafford, Parker Palmer, Wally Lamb, and a host of others. The Festival always has an array of incredible talent, and is the conference I get the most out of personally. I'll be teaching a workshop on "Making a Living at Writing," and I'm doing a couple group appointments with unpublished authors. If you're going to be there, make sure to stop by and say hello.

And the weekend of April 23-24, I'll be team-teaching a seminar called Writing Bestselling Fiction in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. My co-teacher is bestselling author Susan May Warren, and in this seminar we'll explain the elements of a bestselling novel, show you how to create great characters, and get you going on plotting a story that will be both memorable and meaningful. We'll make the whole process understandable, and you'll leave having taken a major step forward in your novel writing. If you want to finally create that romance, suspense, mystery, or thriller that will gain a readership and get noticed in a crowded marketplace, you should come join us. You can get more info on the website, and readers of this blog get $50 off. Check it out at: www.themasterseminars.com

One last one to tell you about: Two of my favorite authors, Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner, are doing a seminar in Orlando called Adding Depth to Your Fiction. Susan is a widely respected author, and wrote the most decorated novel of the year in 2008 with The Shape of Mercy. Lisa Samson is widely regarded as one of our best literary novelists, having won a shelf full of awards and honors. Together, they've created a weekend retreat to help authors make their work better, deeper, and more meaningful. This is a rare opportunity to spend a weekend with a couple of talented, experienced novelists, focused on helping you improve your own craft. This sort of thing comes around rarely -- not a huge, 500-person convention, or a one-hour workshop somewhere, but a couple days away with experts. Doesn't get much better than that. The retreat takes place May 7 & 8 in the Orlando Embassy Suites, right by the airport. You can get your questions answered by Tiffany at tiffcolter(at) gmail.com. 

Of course, there are plenty of other good conferences coming up as well. Write to Publish happens in June on the Wheaton College campus in Illinois, and I know plenty of people will be at the Colorado conference in May. What are you doing to improve your craft this year? 

Newsday Tuesday ...

Given that it's (supposedly) spring, we've quite a lot of new books releasing. Be on the lookout this month for the following titles: 

Jon Acuff's STUFF CHRISTIANS LIKE

Kurt Bruner's IT STARTS AT HOME

Mindy Starns Clark's UNDER THE CAJUN MOON

Irene Hannon's IN HARM'S WAY

Tia McCollor's SHOWERS OF BLESSING

Vickie McDonough's THE ANONYMOUS BRIDE

Jim Rubart's ROOMS

Pat Rushford's CHASING THE WIND

Lisa and Ty Samson's LOVE MERCY

Shane Stanford's A POSITIVE LIFE

And in case you're a fiction author wondering what it takes to find your name on a "Soon to release" list, here's a valuable resource just for you:

Susan May Warren and Chip are doing a "Writing Bestselling Fiction" two-day seminar in Portland on April 23-24. There is still room available. You can find out more at www.themasterseminars.com .

And a note to our current authors - be sure to keep us posted on news you'd like us to share. We love to brag about you! Humbly, of course.

What do I do with my OOP book?

I've had several people write to ask if it's realistic to think they can take their old, out-of-print book, and make it available again themselves. (That is, to self-publish it, rather than trying to sell it to another publishing house, since that's become well nigh impossible.) I thought I should bring in an expert, so I ask my friend Jeff Gerke to respond to some questions on this topic. Jeff runs Marcher Lord Press, a publisher that produces and sells books through a publish-on-demand format. 

Jeff, how can an author who owns the rights on their own out-of-print (oop) book self-publish? 

We're living in the age of the small publisher and niche publisher. Most of the larger publishing companies haven't realized it yet, but a revolution is underway in book publishing that is akin to the YouTube revolution. With small presses--including print on demand (POD) operations--now anyone with content can produce professional-looking books and get them directly to the consumer who wants them, via the Internet.

In 2006 I began my investigation into POD as the technology I would use when I launched my own small Christian publishing company, which I did in 2008. Now that I see how easy and inexpensive it is to produce excellent-quality books through print on demand, I don't see why everyone isn't doing it.

The first question to ask about this author is probably, "Does she have all the files? As in printer-ready PDF for the cover, spine, and back cover? Typeset and printer-ready PDF of the interior?" If so, then she really is ready to go. Those are the only two files she'll need to supply. In that case, I'd have her use LightningSource (www.lightningsource.com). They're who I use for Marcher Lord Press. They're terrific. High quality books, excellent customer service, fast processing of orders, reliable shipping, reasonable rates.

Is it expensive?

It's been a couple of years since I signed up with them, so I don't remember if there were fees on the front end. I suspect there's some fee for getting set up with them as a publisher. But it would've been under $200, I think. Then there are lots of forms to fill out. When all the setup is done, uploading a book for printing is easy and relatively low cost. It's $40 to upload the interior PDF and another $40 to upload the cover PDF. If you want to generate a proof of the new title (which I recommend), they do that for $35, I believe.

Then the book will be available for printing and your writer friend can order as many or as few as she wants. Unit costs are based on pagecount, of course, so a trade paperback book of 200 pages or fewer might cost ~$5 to print, while a book of 700 pages (which I'm actually doing now!) can run about $10.50/unit. Then there's always a $1.50 handling fee. And then UPS shipping.

LightningSource will get the book listed with Ingram and Amazon, so that pretty much covers the bookstores. They'll also (for an additional fee) place the new book in some kind of catalogue that supposedly exposes the book to...I dunno...bookstore buyers and libraries, maybe? Not sure.

What other expenses are there?

Your friend will also need to buy an ISBN. You can get them from Bowker. They can be bought individually or in groups of 10 (which is what I do) or 100. And she'll need to register the book with the Copyright Office, which, if you do it online, is like $35.

I am signed up with LightningSource to be a digital download publisher, but I've never actually used them for that. I don't produce e-books, after all. Whatever e-publishing I do I do through Amazon/Kindle directly or off my own online store page. So I can't speak about how well LightningSource does on that, but I know they do it and I suspect they do it as well as they do everything else.

If your author needs editing, typesetting, and/or cover design, there are countless people in the industry who can help with that. And really, no author should produce a book that hasn't been seen and reviewed by someone else -- an outside editor who can see the problems and make changes. For that matter, I can help her with that personally. I'm doing all three now. If she needs copyediting help, for example, there are plenty of freelancers out there.

Another option, if she needs all that, is to use a company that packages a bunch of services together. If she's a CBA author, for example, she could go to someone like BelieversPress. I'm a service provider with them (editing and typesetting). It's like a food court for Christian publishing freelancers. You can get editing, publicity, covers, typesetting, printing, sales, the works, through BelieversPress. 

So since you're here, what can you tell me about Marcher Lord Press?

How much page space do you have? [grin]

Marcher Lord Press is my indie publishing company. We produce only Christian speculative fiction--science fiction, fantasy, supernatural thrillers, vampire, alternate history, end times, superhero, spiritual warfare... Or, as I like to say, anything weird. (From a Christian worldview, anyway.) We launched in October 2008 with three novels and are now on the cusp of releasing our fourth list, on April 1. Our novels have been reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the USA Today faith and fiction site, and more.

The name of the press comes from the marcher lords in medieval history. On the border between two countries -- England and Wales, for instance -- the boundaries were contested and barbaric. The English created a series of castles on that borderline, called the marc or march, to maintain the perimeter and protect the homeland from invasion. The knights who held those castles of the march were called marcher lords.

When it came time to name my company, I turned to the idea of the marcher lord. I loved the connotations of a brave knight holding a keep on the borderlands, the tip of the spear against the enemy -- and the bastion from which civilization could extend outward. Plus, I just love knights and castles. My company logo shows a brave warrior standing defiantly, flag planted in the ground and flapping fiercely in the wind. "This far; no farther," the warrior seems to say. 

As a Christian SF/fantasy company we're out on the fringe in a number of ways, but that fits with the imagery of the marcher lord...and my penchant for being the rogue indie out doing his own thing. Come check us out at www.MarcherLordPress.com. Maybe you have it in you to be a marcher lord author yourself. And certainly there is someone in your circle who would love a fantasy or science fiction novel as a gift.

What skills does a writer need to develop?

Samantha wrote me this past weekend and asked, "If you were my mentor, what are the skills you would share with me to help me develop a career in writing?" I love the question...may I just create a laundry list as my answer?

1. Develop a writing schedule (i.e., have a time and a place where you write regularly)

2. Have a goal (perhaps "create 1000 salable word per day")

3. Learn to get the words down on paper (you can revise later - it's always easier to edit something than to create something)

4. Create short assignments for yourself (you're not trying to write a book all at once -- if you break it into pieces, you're trying to get each small assignment done)

5. [This is going to offend some people, but hear me out] In the words of Anne Lamott, be willing to create shitty first drafts (okay, forgive the language if it offends you -- that's stolen from Anne Lamott's fabulous book Bird by Bird, and it's one of the best writing lessons ever. So what should I say? "Poopy" first drafts? First drafts of deep doo-doo? It seems weak to say, "Be willing to create first drafts that aren't very good." So...I'll just ask you to live with my colorful use of the language today.)

6. Know what makes a good story (understand what a plot is and how to follow a story arc)

7. Learn to create true-to-life dialogue (nothing keeps people reading more than a great conversation)

8. Establish a place (many novelists has lost the art of establishing a setting)

9. Characters make your story (newer writers often want to focus strictly on plot, but strong characters are what add depth and texture to a story)

10. Understand what makes superb writing (great themes, the deep questions, wrestling with morality, decision making, choices that may not be correct)

11. Learn to organize your life (in the words of management guru Bobb Biehl, everybody needs a calendar, an address system, a filing system, and a "To Do" list)

12. Learn to partner "a big idea" with  "great writing" and "a solid platform" (publishers want all three)

13. What is unique about your idea? (Solomon was right -- the writing of books is endless, so figure out what is different or special or fresh about yours... If you can't answer the "so what?" question, you're in trouble.)

14. Establish your voice (the hardest thing to do in writing, but the single most important step to becoming successful)

15. Network so that you can create strong relationships with other authors, with editors, and with publishers (it's who you know in publishing...just like every other business)

16. Know your audience (books are read by individuals, so know exactly which individual is going to be reading your book)

17. Create perfect proposals (work to create a proposal your publisher can't say "no" to)

18. Seek to understand the market (you don't have to be driven by trends, but it's important to know what they are)

19. Understand what helps writing sell (fiction is for entertainment, nonfiction is for education, but great writing for either should change me)

20. Know how to sell (your book, your idea, your self)

21. Establish a relationship with a good agent (there are some lousy agents out there, but a good agent can help shape your career as much as any choice you'll make)

22. Know how to plan a writing career (how to write, what to write, when to write, who to write to, how to move forward, and when to go full time)

23. Be able to read through a publishing contract (understand what you're signing and what it means)

24. Be able to negotiate (even agented authors need some basic negotiating tools)

25. Work hard at marketing (the author is the person most responsible for marketing the book, not the publisher, the editor, the sales team, the publicist, or the marketing director)

26. Know how to manage your money (writing is feast and famine...knowing how to fill in the gaps is a really handy ability)

27. Understand yourself and your writing (plan your work and work your plan)

28. Politeness counts (express appreciation to others -- success should be matched by grace)

29. Learn to give back (every good writer is a mentor who carries on the craft by investing in a protege)

30. Keep perspective on your life and work (publishing doesn't make you smart or pretty or holy; getting your name in print doesn't validate your life)

There you go -- my list of things I'd share with you. If this interests you, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Carolyn See's wonderful little book Making a Literary Life. In it, she encourages authors to write 1000 words and send a "charming note" each day. If you only did those two things, you'd probably be miles ahead of the pack. Maybe the best advice I know.

Chip MacGregor

Newsday Tuesday

 

A NEWS UPDATE: Due to a family emergency, Sandra won't be able to attend the Mount Hermon conference this week, as planned. Sorry, everyone. She'll try to come next year. 

AND due to circumstances, Chip won't be able to attend the Blue Ridge writer's conference in May. Apologies to everyone -- just couldn't be helped. 

Okay, so  I'm hoping someone on an island in the Pacific might not notice that I'm quite late with today's post. Sorry. Stuff happens. Stuff that makes me incredibly grateful for our current health care system, thank you very much. Ahem.

But, in other news...

Chip and Jim Rubart taught a great marketing seminar in Nashville last weekend. If you attended, feel free to leave a comment and let others who have yet to attend a Master Seminar session know why it's well worth the money and time.

The next two upcoming sessions, also facilitated by Chip MacGregor, are on craft:

On April 23-24 in Portland, Oregon - Writing a Bestselling Novel - with best selling author Susan May Warren. This is a perfect weekend for authors who are at a place in their writing where they want to learn the secret to moving forward in their careers and enjoying commercial success (aka ... how to write books that sell!)

- Adding Depth to Your Fiction - on May 7-8 in Orlando taught by novelists Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner. This is a rare opportunity to share a weekend with two nationally-recognized writers. (And if Orlando is just too fun or too far for you, no worries. This seminar is also scheduled to take place in Detroit in June.)

Check The Master Seminars website for more info and to register.

A few upcoming books to look forward to:

Jennifer AiLee, author of THE PASTOR'S WIFE will be doing a second title with Abingdon Press, titled THE MOTHER ROAD.

AMG is working with Eva Gibson to release a new bible study, THE THREE MARYS.

Tia McCollors has contracted to write STEPPIN' INTO THE GOOD LIFE with Moody Press' Lift Every Voice line.

And I'm sure there's more news. But it will have to wait 'til next Tuesday. I think I hear the sun setting somewhere over Samoa...

Newsday Tuesday ...

 

I've somehow managed to recover after Glenn Beck's accusation that I may be a leftist, rice eating, Nazi sympathizer and (gulp) supporter of social justice. It was (sniff) quite difficult.

In other news ...

--Jim Rubart is doing a 3-book deal with B&H (coming on the heels of his first novel, ROOMS, which is about to release!).

--Holly Gerth, who runs the popular (in)courage blog for Dayspring Greetings, is going to do a devotional book with Harvest House.

--We're about to announce a book deal for Deanna Favre, wife of NFL great Brett Favre, and author of DON'T BET AGAINST ME with Tyndale a couple years ago. Deanna has a great message to those who struggle with chronic pain or illness, and we're very happy to be representing this book.

--Two of the most well-respected novelists in CBA -- LISA SAMSON and SUSAN MEISSNER -- are going to be hosting a writer's retreat May 7-8 in Orlando, and again July 23-24 in Michigan. Lisa has won the Christy Award and is a multi-time finalist for Christian novel of the year. The author of 21 novels, she is widely regarded as one of the best Christian novelists in the country, and both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly have listed her books as the best religious novels of the year. Susan is the author of THE SHAPE OF MERCY, which was the most decorated book of 2008, winning nearly every major award, including the Gold Medallion as Novel of the Year. Her work has been also been sited by industry sources as examples of the best in Christian fiction, and her WINDOW TO THE WOLRD was named one of the top ten Christian novels by Booklist. Together they are teaching a workshop designed to help novelists understand what brings depth to a novel. Each participant will be asked to submit a writing sample before attending, and the weekend is designed to be a small group, hands-on session, with lots of one-on-one time to help you move forward in your writing career. It's being held at an Embassy Suites hotel, and there are five slots left available for this writing retreat. For more information, go to www.themasterseminars.com

--Melanie Dobson's historical title about the underground railroad, LOVE FINDS YOU IN LIBERTY, INDIANA has been submitted for consideration in the "Best Books of Indiana" contest sponsored by The Indiana Center for the Book, a program of the Indiana State Library and an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. 

-- Carla Stewart's upcoming release CHASING LILACS will be reviewed in the May edition of Christian Retailing Magazine.

--Bookspan (http://www.bookspan.com) recently picked up Anita Higman's contemporary romance, LOVE FINDS YOU IN HUMBLE, TEXAS.

--Sandra is working out the dates and locations for her soon-to-launch 'Best Book Proposal Ever" seminars. Stay tuned for more info, and be sure and let us know if your group is interested in offering this one-day event in conjunction with a writers retreat or conference.

--It seems fitting to close this post with a link to a recent interview of Theresa Flores, author of the social justice memoir, SEX SLAVE ACROSS THE STREET. Theresa was interviewed last month on The Takeaway,  a morning news program co-sponsored by The New York Times, BBC World Service, WNYC, Public Radio International and WGBH Boston.

Feel free to give it a listen, Mr. Beck ...

http://www.thetakeaway.org/2010/feb/12/ohio-human-trafficking/

Guest Blogger: A First-time Author Shares Her Story

Chip asked me to tell the story of how I got published. Here’s the thing: I have the world’s worst memory when it comes to things like timelines. Maybe all writers are the same. Maybe just women. No idea. Regardless, consider this my official disclosure if dates and details are a little fuzzy or a year or two off here or there. But I think I can recount the gist of how this all worked out for me.

In 1997, I had the brilliant idea that I might be able to be a stay at home mom if I could actually bring in some cash. Writing had always come easier for me than most, so me being the genius that I am knew that this would be the way to bring in some fast, easy, cash. Ahem, yeah, well…

So, for the next six months or so I wrote everything from greeting cards, to articles to short stories, poetry, and my personal favorite—rhyming children’s books with strong morals featuring talking fruits. I sent this little gem to all the best New York literary agents in fancy, twenty-four point font, wondering how I would ever decide which agent to allow the privilege of representing Anna Banana.

Needless to say I collected quite a pile of form rejection letters. I cringe to think that some of my earliest work is probably framed above some agent or editor’s desk just for laughs. Despite my stupidity, laziness, and lack of knowledge in the publishing world, I did manage to get my first pay check six months in for a magazine article. I was a published author!

I had a little more luck over the years which followed—a few articles, but not a whole lot. In 2003ish, a girl at church was talking to the congregation about writing her second novel. My mouth dropped. She was just seventeen! If she could do it, surely I could. With all the know how I used to launch my rhyming fruit books, I set about penning my first novel.

In six weeks I had my first novel. I took this masterpiece, (which was so good it needed no editing,) to sell at the Blue Ridge Christian Writer’s Conference. It was at this conference that I picked up my first copy of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, a book that would teach me a thousand times more than I previously knew about editing. I also met my critique partner Ane Mulligan, who I half suspected was insane. Turns out she is, but pleasantly so, and together with Jessica Dotta, the three of us have remained critique partners for the last 6 years.

It was at this conference that I also met the man who would become my agent, Chip MacGregor. He scared off a lot of people with his brash frankness, but I saw a truth teller. I pitched him that first novel. He blinked at me a few times, smirked a little, then said, “Gina, I’m with Alive. We’re the top agency in the business. I’m really not looking for authors who are just starting out….in fact, I’m a little surprised that you’re pitching me.”

Ouch. Undaunted, Chip and I prayed together before I left that appointment and I’d made a friend. With the help of Self- Editing and my new critique group, I spent the next year or two editing that first novel, and learning the basics of the craft of writing. After that, I wrote my second, third and fourth novels, all suspense. All of the novels I wrote came close to publication, but somewhere between an editor’s interest and the publishing board meeting, interest waned and rejection after rejection . . . after rejection followed.

Through all these years, I ran Novel Journey, wrote, edited, mentored and was mentored. I attended many writer’s conferences, built relationships in the industry and learned all I could about the business. I had several agents who weren’t quite right for me and then at an ACFW conference Chip announced he was starting his own agency. He also made it clear that he was interested in representing me. Chip and I were friends, our philosophies lined up and I knew he was very good at what he did, so the partnership was a no-brainer.

Over the following months, I would get calls from Chip every now and then making sure I wasn’t planning on jumping ship just because it was taking us a while to get a contract. I think we were both concerned we were letting the other down during this time. Chip always kept my spirits up by letting me know he believed in my writing and that I would get published eventually because “greatness will out.” I think he represented me close to two years before I was contracted.

In 2008 I think, I started reading things like Memoirs of a Geisha, Peace Like a River, Jane Eyre, Watership Down, etc., and thought that maybe I was writing in the wrong genre. I wasn’t sure, so I figured the only way to find out was to try writing something a little different.

 I presented a third-person medical mystery to Chip along with a few chapters from my first-person women’s fiction novel about a young mother dying of cancer. I asked Chip which one he thought we ought to pursue. He said, “They’re both good and I can probably sell either, but Crossing Oceans seems like your true voice.”

That was it. I knew he was right.

At the ACFW conference that year, two editors asked to meet with me. Normally, I’m the one stalking them, so this was way different for me. They both had some suggestions on improving my story. One editor was on fire for it. The other, was really more passionate about seeing me get published because she thought I’d done so much to help others. In the end, one pursued me and my story and that passion is what won out at the end of the day. I sold my novel before it was completed. It’s rare to do it, but we did. Not only that but Chip scored me an advance that far exceeded my expectations.

Long before I understood that Tyndale was really going to publish Crossing Oceans, Chip knew. He kept congratulating me before we’d even had an official offer. I trusted him, but was afraid to get my hopes up. Finally, he called me when I was at work in the hospital nursery, surrounded by crying babies, nurses and doctors. Via cell phone, he said, “Gina we have an offer. It’s okay to scream now.”

I had to sit down. The whole nursery grew quiet as everyone listened in. My coworkers knew I’d been at it a long time. I spilled a few tears, so did some of them. That night, I couldn’t get anyone on the phone. Not my critique partners, not my family, no one. I couldn’t tell anyone that after ten long years of rejection my dream was really going to come true.

At least I get to tell you. That’s my story.

 

Gina Holmes’ first novel, Crossing Oceans, will be released by Tyndale Publishers on May 1. 

Guest Blogger: Thinking about Writing Communities

Often my writing receives attention because of the writing communities in which I am involved. Because of my submissions, blog posts, comments on writing networking sites, and the personal connections I have established, my name is becoming known enough for editors to read my work within the short story genre, whether or not they accept it.

I’ve read and enjoyed your pieces in other journals so did give your story a quick read anyway.

While the above mentioned story was not accepted, it was, at least, considered.

My goal is to write or edit the best stories possible. However, often there are discrepancies between what I think is “best” and what others find appealing. Thankfully, I have found an amazing set of friends/mentors who encourage me within my writing and editing process, even the “not best” productions. I have made it a point to intentionally reach out and be involved within each of these communities.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I would be remiss not to give a shout out to the best literary community in the world, but I am more than slightly biased as this is the university from which I received not one, but two, graduate degrees. I still keep in touch with several friends/writers from UWM through facebook and email. While attending the university, I had the privilege of reading and thinking about my colleague’s writing, and they encouraged me in mine. If I start naming people, I am sure that I will forget someone, but I do have to say that Liam Callanan (All Saints, The Cloud Atlas) is a fantastic mentor and writer. If the opportunity affords, attending a school with an MA, MFA, or PhD program is rewarding and benefits one’s literary career. A scholastic literary community allows one to directly connect with other writers; although, it is not the only way through which to grow in one’s writing.

Emerging Writer’s Network. While at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful literary folk. Dan Wickett from Emerging Writer’s Network is one of those people. I have been following his blog since 2008 with the hope that he would one day feature my book. However, Dan also became useful when Notes and Grace Notes started marketing Allan’s book, The Butcher and the Breather. Dan allowed me to write a book review and feature some of Allan’s writing on his website: http://emergingwriters.typepad.com/emerging_writers_network/2009/12/holiday-shopping-guide-sarah-joy-freese.html. Online literary communities are (generally) free and require a low amount of commitment. It may take a while to establish connections, but it is worth the wait because once those friendships are made, amazing opportunities are afforded. Still, face-to-face connections are often the most memorable.

Writing Conferences. It has been said that the Festival of Faith and Writing (FFW) is the best writing conference. But there are several others and many more ways in which one can connect with other writers/readers. This year, I am excited about attending both FFW and AWP—a writing conference that will be held in Denver, Colorado. If you are a short story or literary writer, this is the conference to be at! The featured writer is Michael Chabon, so even if you aren’t a short story or literary writer, this is still a conference you need to attend. The journal with which I am currently an associate editor has been established across state lines; I have never met the other editors face-to-face. At AWP, however, I am excited to meet both Harmoni and Allan, editors of Notes and Grace Notes.

Notes and Grace Notes. Harmoni and Allan are the best team for which one could wish. Both inspire me to discover amazing writing and think not just about what Notes and Grace Notes is as a current literary entity, but what it can become. And thanks to them, it is becoming! Because of my experience editing and reading through Notes and Grace Notes, I am growing in my ideas as a writer and a lover of words. I am also able to meet and encourage up and coming writers. Did I mention that Harmoni and Allan are awesome? Still, there are several other literary journals through which one can become involved.

Literary Journals. Again, there are too many to name! Because of the relationships that I have established with writers and editors, mostly through the submission of my own work or reading the work of other writers within the journals to which I submit, I have grown as a writer and a person. Pick a few literary journals to which your writing really connects. If you have any aspirations to be a short story writer, get to know the writers who are published within them. Email the editors and ask for copies of past journals (sometimes you can receive these for free!). Remember that establishing connections takes effort on your part, something that I have consciously determined to do with all of my literary connections, which brings me to my final point.

Email. C.S. Lewis responded to every single letter that he received. While, I am not much of a letter writer, I do believe in the importance of a thank you. Every time I read a book or a short story, if the author is still alive, I write them a thank you email explaining why I liked their book, my favorite character(s), and what their book meant to me at that point in my life. This has allowed me to establish several literary connections throughout the years. It is important to let writers know that you care about their work.

Establishing literary connections has been a fun part of my growth as a writer and an editor, but it’s been a process. I am excited to see where the journey continues to take me, and I am even more excited about establishing new relationships as I continue to learn and develop. Maybe, I can even meet some of you along the way!  

Our guest blogger today is Sarah Freese, a young writer and editor who I thought had something interesting to say. Sarah, like me, is a short story lover and an editor. She is going to do a short series of blogs, touching on some topics I think will be of interest.

Newsday Tuesday ...

So. For the first time since the Academy started handing out awards for best director, a woman took one home.  And an actress with a pretty cool first name beat the unbeatable Meryl Streep. I'm just sayin ...

In other news:

A couple MacGregor Literary authors were recently profiled in Publisher's Weekly:  Gina Holmes, founder of Novel Journey and author of CROSSING OCEANS, releasing from Tyndale in May; and Mark Bertrand, author of BEGUILED, co-authored with Deeanne Gist, which is in stores now and BACK ON MURDER with Bethany House which is kicking off in May.

Irene Hannon and Mark Bertrand both recently hit CBA's best seller's list.

In May, Susan Meissner and Lisa Samson are hosting a retreat on Adding Depth to your Fiction.

Sandra will be at Mt. Hermon at the end of March; Oklahoma Writers Federation in April; and the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May.

Tia McCollors is doing a new book with Moody's Lift Every Voice line.

A limited time free release of Renee Riva's SAVING SAILOR is currently ranked at #10 in Kindle "Bestsellers" and #12 in ALL categories.

Tune in next Tuesday for more news. We'll roll out the red carpet just for you.

Several people have written to ask if a NONFICTION writer could attend our marketing seminar in Nashville next weekend.... absolutely. And he or she would get a lot out of it. Happy to have you join us, if you're a nonfiction author who really wants to learn the basics of marketing your book. Send a note to the seminar direction, Tiff Colter, or get more info at www.themasterseminars.com. 

Some good news today -- two authors I represent (Gina Holmes and Mark Bertrand) are profiled in Publishers Weekly. Woo-hoo!

And some bad news -- my MacBook melted down. I'm completely dead at this point. Sigh... Tough running a business when you run everything from a dead computer.