You are a Brand…Now Act Like One! - Katie Sukowski

What are publishers looking for?

Is this the first question you ask yourself when choosing a topic to write about?

Publishers do not think like marketers. Effective marketing will always be a big part of your job in addition to doing the writing, and it is your responsibility.

The top two questions you ought to be asking yourself first are:

1. Who is my audience?
2. What is my brand?

If you understand the audience that you and your product provides a solution or need for, you’re half-way to successfully identifying what your brand can be.

What exactly is a brand, and how do I turn into one?

A brand is a living, breathing animal. There is no one shape, no one form. In fact, if you create a new brand, all the better because now you own a niche market and you’re the only one in that space.

David Foster discovered Josh Grobin and cites him as a great example of someone who has carved out a niche, created a new brand, and owns that category.

What’s my brand?

Just like your agent cannot tell you what to write, your agent cannot tell you who you should be. The origin of this must come from you once you’ve done some serious soul-searching or thinking or whatever is your way of knowing who and what you are about.

I recommend beginning by asking yourself: What am I passionate about?

I, Katie, believe if you tap into your passion—not trends—you will stay motivated, committed, and energized to continue to build your work and your brand. You’ll stay ahead of trends and/or outlast them; and when things are not going according to plan, you will have the energy and optimism to persevere because you wholeheartedly believe in the work you are creating.

We all know success happens in peaks and valleys. By defining your brand and implementing strategy to building and growing your brand and audience, you are increasing your chances for more peaks over the course of your career.

Recently, I opened a fortune cookie that read, Take aim, and you will increase your chances hitting your target.

Sounds obvious, but that day it wasn’t. That fortune gave me the permission to keep trying innovative strategies to grow authors’ presence in the marketplace, grow their audience in numbers, and to communicate their brand effectively.

So I offer this advice: Take aim at your brand and strategy, and you will increase your chances hitting your targets—be they greater book sales, increased audience, more trafficked blog and Web site, etc.

Now that I know I am a brand, what do I do?

• Get a good Web site with all the necessary fixins
• Collect e-mail contacts; service e-newsletters/blasts
• Blog and publish in print magazines
• Keep creating more content and submitting ideas to your agent
• Form strategic partnerships
• Submit your articles to credible journals for publishing
• Concept amazing ideas
• Publishing 501: Pay attention to sales copy and think like a book retailer
• Hire a publicist to do ancillary PR pre-release of your book
• Cultivate a street team
• Do live speaking in any capacity to increase your exposure to your audience
• Do TV, Web, podcasting, and radio

How you can get the most out of your agent working with you on your brand:

• Feed him or her the latest news about your Website, PR you are doing, readings, and media you are doing and communicate how that can link into your book proposal.
• Get podcasts/copies of press of your talks as they happen. Give to your agent so he/she can keep a EPK on you and send out to publishers.
• Continuously dream up and pitch amazing ideas. Carve out time once a month or once every 2 weeks to dialog on those ideas and choose which ones to develop further.
• Choose strategic partnerships to go after and put your agent in touch with them (if in your network). If not in your network, choose well so your agent can be successful in contacting that person, author, or personality’s agent.
• Go over your goals with your agent. Let them in what you want to see happen over the next 3-5-10 years. Are you committed? If yes, be persistent and show up often. Agents need authors who can write excellent and write at a healthy pace. And authors, for the sake of your brand and growing your brand, YOU need to write at a healthy pace. We recommend releasing a book every year to stay current with your audience. If this is not where you are today, consider making this your goal in the near future and put a plan in place to get you there successfully.

Katie Sukowski is a Literary Brand Manager at Creative Trust Inc.

Our Calling as Writers

On May 4th of last year my first novel went to committee at B&H Publishing. I expected to hear yea or nay within a few days. Nope. May 7th, 10th and 17th came and went with no answer.

Around May 20th, as I was praying about it—no, not begging, praying—I felt God say, "Enjoy this."

Huh? Enjoy what? The anguish of not knowing if my book would be contracted?

Then he added, "It's going to sell; enjoy this time of anticipation."

Was I really hearing God's voice? I couldn't know for sure. But as I allowed his words to settle, a thought floated up from my heart. My calling as a writer means one thing. Obedience. Obedience to what God has asked me to do; write. Anything beyond that is out of my control.

In that moment I had a choice. Worry, or let go of my anxiety. I chose to rest in, and even enjoy his peace, knowing I'd invested the talents he's given me to the best of my ability. I had no regrets. I'd poured everything I had into my novel. That's my part.

Whether you're multi-published, longing to be published, or just starting to dream, remember this is not a journey of getting by-lines or contracts.

It's a journey of following him.


Jim Rubart
www.jimrubart.com

Obeying the 'Nudge' to Write - Mona Hodgson

I can’t say that I had a dream to write. It felt more like a nudge . . . even a nagging. Be that as it may, I felt compelled to explore the possibilities. That’s what took me to my very first writers’ conference. I’ve been a loyal writers' conference fan ever since.

Little did I know, as I took those first shaky steps, how crucial that conference would turn out to be for my 21-year (and still counting) writing career and ministry. I look forward to connecting with you at the Florida Christian Writers Conference.

Mona Hodgson
www.monahodgson.com

Why Bother with Writing Devotionals? - Mary Lou Redding

Let’s just get one thing out here up front: I admit that my opinion about the value of writing short meditations may not be entirely unbiased. But there are three reasons why writing for devotional magazines is a wise step, especially for beginning writers.

Reason #1: Editors are willing to take a chance with a new writer on short pieces.
Giving up one or two pages in a magazine represents much less production cost and editorial effort than preparing a book or even a long article.

Reason #2: Writers of devotionals can build a list of multiple publication credits relatively quickly.
All devotional magazines (I give out a market list in my workshop) need material, and if you can write effectively, to specification, you can publish in many of them.

Reason #3: Writing short pieces is a demanding exercise in craft that will sharpen your skills for writing longer pieces.
When someone says, “Writing short devotionals is easy; anybody can do it,” I know that person is either 1) a seasoned professional who has mastered the form over years or 2) that person has never published devotionals.

Anyone can write long. To write tight takes much more discipline. (Google Abraham Lincoln’s comments about how much time he would need to prepare a short speech versus a long one.)

My course on writing devotionals is really a course in the basics of writing well. Participants will learn about the characteristics of good Christian writing and, if they do the assignments, leave with a piece nearly ready to submit to a daily devotional magazine (not necessarily the one I work on – and you’ll learn the why of that in the workshop).

Writing devotionals opens a door to speak to many more people than will ever read the average Christian book. About two million people read The Upper Room each day in the United States alone (and many more internationally).

Open Windows, the Southern Baptist devotional magazine, and Living Faith, a Roman Catholic daily-devotional magazine, reach about three-quarters of a million people each.

Besides these, other devotional magazines reach hundreds of thousands more. If you have an insight that helps people apply a truth of the Bible to daily life, putting it into a devotional can have great reach. The workshop on writing devotionals will help you extend yours.

Mary Lou Redding is Editorial Director of The Upper Room Magazine.

Christian Speaking & Anthology Writing - Nancy B. Gibbs

By Nancy B. Gibbs
Author, newspaper columnist

I am excited to be a part of the faculty at the Florida Christian Writers’ Conference. It's hard to believe the event is right around the corner.

I will be teaching two classes:

1. The Christian Writer/Speaker (Thursday, 4-5 p.m.)
2. Writing for Anthologies (Friday, 4-5 p.m.)

The Christian Writer/Speaker

Once we begin writing and getting our names out there, people will call us to speak. I have learned that writing helps me get speaking engagements and speaking gives me writing opportunities. (Speaking also gives me the opportunity to sell my books, producing needed revenue, during a time that many churches and organizations can't afford large love offerings.)

During this class, we’ll have fun while learning a great deal about what works in the speaking arena. I will help you see how the topics you write about can become topics for your speaking engagements.

Writing for Anthologies

I have been published in approximately 200 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts Books, God Allows U-Turns, God's Way and many more.

I had one story that has appeared in several of these series. It was selected as the "promotional story" for the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology where it was published. This same story has appeared in national magazines, Sunday school papers, devotional books and on many Web sites.

In this class we will look at that particular story. We will dissect the story and talk about the elements that made it a successful story - worthy of publication. We will discuss the benefits of anthology writing. I will answer any questions you may have regarding anthologies.

If we have time, I'll help you get started with your first paragraph (by far the most difficult part of any anthology.)

If you haven't begun getting ready for the conference, it's not too late. Write a couple of pieces, perfect them and bring them along with you. You will receive lots of great information and will return home ready to reach your writing dreams.

Nancy B. Gibbs is a pastor's wife, mother and grandmother. Nancy is the author of 8 books and writes a weekly newspaper column. She has been published hundreds of times in anthologies, magazines, Sunday school papers and devotional guides. Nancy's writings have appeared in books by major publishing companies such as Honor Books, Standard Publishing, Health Communications, Adams Media and dozens others.

Nancy has had stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts, The Lookout, Mature Living, Happiness, On Mission, Decision, Woman's World, Family Circle, Angels on Earth, Marriage Partnership and numerous others.

Nancy has an early morning spot on WSST-TV two mornings a week called "Wisdom From the Word." Nancy also began her own Christian newspaper, Celebrations, last December. Celebrations started out strong and is doing very well.

Nancy is also a motivational speaker and has spoken in numerous states. Nancy is also busy trying to encourage her three granddaughters to love the art of writing. Visit Nancy at www.nancybgibbs.com.

Ginny Smith: Queen of Perseverance

This will be author and speaker Virginia Smith’s first time at Florida Christian Writers Conference, so we want to spend a few minutes getting to know her.

Virginia is a relative newcomer to the publishing world, but she’s hit the ground running. Her first novel, Just As I Am, was released in 2006, and this month she’ll celebrate the release of her seventh, Age before Beauty. In March of 2008 she was honored to receive the Writer of the Year Award at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference.

Seven books in three years. You’ve been a busy lady, Virginia!

Ginny: First off, my friends call me Ginny, so I hope everyone at Florida Christian Writers Conference will feel free. Yes, I’ve been busy, and enormously blessed! But I certainly didn’t start writing three years ago. I spent more than twenty years learning the craft, practicing my skills, and collecting a ton of rejection letters (one hundred forty-three) before the Lord gave me the idea that would become my first published book. I call myself the Queen of Perseverance.

Many people would have given up after that many rejections. What kept you going?

Ginny: What’s the alternative—stop writing? I can’t imagine ever not writing. It’s too much a part of who I am, who He made me to be. I never doubted that God gave me the desire to write. I wasn’t sure if His plan included publication or not, and that was hard. At times I thought maybe He wanted me to keep writing stories that nobody would ever see except my family. But I never doubted that He wanted me to write, and to keep learning to do it well.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

Ginny: My husband is a motorcycle enthusiast (when you see me at the conference, ask me how many he owns and watch my eyes roll!), and I enjoy going with him on long motorcycle trips. I’m strictly a passenger, though. You’d be surprised at the brainstorms for books I’ve gotten on the back of his bike! Plus, we love scuba diving. In fact, in the days just before Florida Christian Writers Conference we’re taking a quick trip to Mexico to do a little diving in Cozumel.

Give us a brief preview of what you’ll be sharing at Florida Christian Writers Conference.

Ginny: I’m presenting two workshops. Write Fiction Without Being Preachy is a topic that’s close to my heart – I love stories with a good message, but I dislike fiction that comes off as preachy. So I’ll be presenting tips on getting your point across without preaching at your readers.

Then in Creating Great Characters I’ll outline techniques to make characters so vivid and realistic your readers will add them to their prayer lists. I’ll also be on a panel of writers in the Career Track, and I’m on the team that will be critiquing manuscripts.

Any parting advice for conference attendees?

Ginny: Spend some time in prayer before you arrive, and ask the Lord to prepare you to receive from Him during the conference. Then go with a servant’s heart. There will be so many opportunities to be a blessing to someone else while you’re there, and if you’re focused on other people, you won’t have time to obsess about yourself. Just relax, and have fun, and come prepared to learn whatever He wants to teach you.

Virginia Smith left her twenty-year profession as a corporate director in 2006 to launch her writing career with the release of Just As I Am. Since then she has received contracts for ten books and published dozens of articles and short stories. Her recent releases, A Taste of Murder and Age before Beauty, were both awarded 4 stars by Romantic Times.

Ginny and her husband, Ted, divide their time between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean. Visit Ginny on the Web at www.virginiasmith.org

Bonnie Harvey’s Good Writing Rules

The Russian Nikita Khrushchev once remarked,

“It is not without reason that writers in our country are called ‘Engineers of the human soul.’”

Khrushchev’s observation could well be applied to Christian writers, too. Who can be called more qualified to “Engineer the human soul” than a Christian writer?

Since I teach fiction and non-fiction writing classes at Kennesaw University in the Atlanta, Georgia area and am always the consummate English teacher with a Ph.D. in English, I’m much aware of a writer’s needs. In addition, I work with writers in my editorial consulting business and am also a published author with 22 books and over 100 articles. These various pursuits feed into Harvey Literary Agency, too.

Keeping Khrushchev’s ideas in mind, here is my compilation of “Harvey’s Good Writing Rules”:

1. Write daily at your peak time.
2. Read widely—fiction, history, biographies, travel books—analyze what you read, see how the author puts her book together.
3. Write about who you know—find characters from your own acquaintances and friends—you’ll find that characters often take on your own traits—that’s ok, ‘cause who do you know better than yourself?
4. Story equals a character & a problem—unless the character struggles with a problem, you don’t have a story; also make your protagonist strong, but with a fatal flaw, and let him be in conflict with another character.
5. Start in the middle of the story—and in the middle of the action—avoid setting scenes or explaining background at first.
6. Use all five senses—avoid just using description—even in non-fiction writing; use dialogue, active verbs to make scenes active.
7. Point of View—try to stick to third person POV when first writing a story (It allows for the narrator to view each character and doesn’t limit)—don’t mix points of view—too confusing.
8. Make your manuscript readable—double space with Times New Roman 12 point font. Have title, name, address, phone, and e-mail on first page.

My “Writing Your Life Story” class can help you find strong ideas for your articles and books. I look forward to seeing you there!

Visit Dr. Bonnie Harvey at www.bookimprove.com.

Workshop Preview: Writing With True Grit - Lee Emory

By Lee Emory
Owner/operator, Treble Heart Books publishing
Christian division: MountainView Publishing

There is a strong need for grittier Christian stories. The material and inspiration for them is everywhere. I have the pleasure of presenting Writing With True Grit at the Florida Christian Writers Conference.

Cool Stuff

Two novel writing assignments are ready to give out during my presentation to authors who are looking for a new and challenging project. When the assignments are given (with up to a full year to research and complete the mss) then the books will be published by MountainView, so there will be a contract for each assignee.

This is serious business. If you are interested, please plan to attend my workshop. Attendees will learn all about these assignments toward the end of my workshop. Two enthusiastic authors will be chosen based on their writing experience and sincere enthusiasm for these projects. These will not be assignments for inexperienced writers. Ideally, I would like one male and one female for these assignments.

Pitch Your Project

I’m also available to take appointments. Please be prepared to pitch your ms by knowing your subject fully so you aren’t nervously rambling or lacking direction to make your point. You will be treated respectfully no matter what. If you don’t know your story well enough to concisely explain its premise then you’re not quite ready for an interview. You may not want to use it, but an excellent guideline for this is the story question by Robin Perini.

Example:
Jacob Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena Jones' father, only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.

Lee Emory tells it like it is, is a morning person, owns two cats, and snores disgustingly loud.

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You Are Not Alone

By Jim Rubart
Co-owner, He Blogs, She Blogs, LLC

You're not alone.

• In the fear of sitting down with an agent.
• In the fear of putting your idea in front of an editor.
• In the fear of laying in front of them words you've taken years to craft.

Why are we afraid? Because these people are the gods of the publishing world. They can send us soaring to the heavens or crush our dream with one word: "No."

But that's a lie, isn't it?

There is One who is in control. One who holds our destiny in His hands.

For many years my fear kept me from showing my writing to anyone. I'd dreamed of being a writer since grade school. I subscribed to Writer's Digest, I bought books on how to write fiction, non-fiction, how to create characters, and how to write screenplays. And I wrote. In secret. Short stories, ideas for novels, screenplays. I went to half-day writing workshops in the Seattle area, but I never allowed what I wrote to be read by another.

In 1992 I wrote a Seinfeld script with my best friend on a whim. Our attempt wasn't serious; it was a bit of a joke, so I could risk it being read. The script ended up in the hands of David Isaacs, one of the more prolific TV writers of the past thirty years. He said we were talented and should pursue writing for TV. I didn't. I kept the dream buried.

What I finally admitted around 2000, is as long as I didn't take concrete action on my dream, it could always exist. If I pursued the dream and was rejected as a writer, then I had nothing. No safety net to fall back on. My greatest dream would be finished.

Are you scared? Terrified your dream will die if you fling it out for others to see?

You are not alone.

It's time to step into your fear and meet the others who walk alongside you. Its time to know if God put the dream in you, it cannot die.

Every writer has been where you are. It’s why going to a gathering like the Florida Christian Writers’ Conference is critical. Every successful writer has fought through rejection, through wondering if the dream can ever come true, through doubts about their talent.

At conference like FCWC you'll meet scads of writers. You'll laugh with them, hear their stories, be inspired, encouraged, and discover for yourself, you are not alone.

Follow Your Dream to Publish a Children's Book - Mona Hodgson

Publishing children’s books isn’t for the faint of heart. I wouldn’t dare try it without having sat under the teaching of several published children’s book authors.

If you dream of writing and publishing children’s books, plan now to come to my comprehensive class for children’s writers at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, February 26-March 1, 2009.

-Mona Hodgson
www.monahodgson.com