emilyakin
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Posts by emilyakin
Networking with Online Writers’ Groups
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Networking, getting to know editors and other writers, is absolutely necessary for getting your work published. The more contacts you have, the more likely you will get a lead on a market that fits your work. In my last online marketing class, one of the students lived in a northwestern state, far from any writers’ conference or writers’ groups. Her only opportunity for networking was the Internet. So, what are the options?
CWFI: Christian Writers Fellowship International (CWFI) Yahoo group was established by Sandy Brooks for subscribers to Cross & Quill. After the magazine ceased publication, the group was opened to non-subscribers. Weekly discussions are based on a Question of the Week, moderated by Donna Clark Goodrich. Overt promotion is discouraged on the group, but members are encouraged to report publishing successes. Apply for membership in the group at the link above.
CWGI: You must fill out an application form for Christian Writers Group International (CWGI), also a Yahoo group. There is no fee, so this is a much larger group. The last time I checked there were about 800 members worldwide. Discussions are made more interesting by input from members in places like Australia and South Africa.
TWV1: the Writers’ View 1 is for “advanced and professional writers in the Christian market. Topics are advanced and explore the entire publishing process.” Owned by Mary DeMuth, this group requires a membership application and there are a number of panelists covering a wide variety of genres.
TWV2: The Writer’s View 2 is “for beginning/intermediate Christian writers serious about taking their writing to the next level.” Membership application required for this one, too. You must choose which TWV you want to participate in, because you are not allowed to participate in both. Mary also owns this group, but the list of panelists is different.
ACFW: The groups mentioned in this blog are ones that I have participated in or investigated for myself. If you are a fiction writer, check out American Christian Fiction Writers. Member benefits include forums that might be helpful to you.
These groups not only help you improve your writing, but they help you get to know people who can introduce you to others in the industry. I invite comments on this post from people who have participated in other writers’ groups.
Should You Write for Free?
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Should you take any opportunity to get your work published, even if it means submitting to non-paying markets? My answer would be sometimes “yes,” and sometimes “no.”
Yes, because non-paying markets give you:
- Bylines to use when marketing to other publications. (You can sell reprints after the piece is published.)
- A chance to establish yourself as an expert in your subject matter and showcase your writing.
No, non-paying markets will not get your submissions because:
- It’s just not fair for publications not to pay their writers. (The Bible does teach that the laborer is worthy of his/her wages.)
- You need some income from your writing in order to justify spending time on it.
Maybe, if:
- I’m just not getting published, and I’m ready to try anything.
- I’ve had a lot of work published recently, and I want to “give back” to the community.
How do you feel about this? I’d love to hear your comments. Instructions on how to comment are in a previous post here.
Note: After last week’s article using the Four P’s of the marketing mix to analyze your writing effort, I decided to check and see how many of the articles on Blog4writers fit into the four categories (Product, Promotion, Place, and Price). I could not believe that I had not one single article dealing with Price. This article fills that gap, and I plan to add more this year.
And I need your assistance:
I’m planning subject matter for Blog4Writers 2011. Please help my participating in my one-question survey. Just click on the “Take Our Survey” button and go where it leads.
Conferences: A Must for Aspiring Writers
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Conference attendance is necessary for writers wanting to get published. In fact, conferences are a critical component of your marketing strategy. Conferences give you access to published writers and editors who can help you learn the craft and the industry. Whether you have anything to sell or not, networking opportunities provided by conferences are invaluable to you in promoting yourself as a writer. People are more likely to work with you if they have met you or if you are recommended by someone they know.
If you haven’t planned to attend a conference this year, now’s the time to consider it. If cost is a factor, look for a conference nearby to keep travel expenses down. If you have never attended a conference before, choose one of the smaller ones to “get your feet wet.” So, how do you go about finding the right conference?
- Search online for conferences in your area at Shawguides.com. For Christian conferences, go to Sally Stuart’s conferences page. Sally has not updated the list for 2011, but the list includes links to conference websites.
- Agent Steve Laube offers a conference list on his site here.
- Ask for recommendations from fellow writers. Members of online groups are happy to make recommendations if you don’t have local contacts to help you.
- Visit author John Vonhof’s WritersConferenceGuidelines.com and browse the wealth of information he provides about how to choose a conference and prepare for attendance.
I can answer questions about Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, Indianapolis Christian Writers Conference, and Southern Christian Writers Conference, as I have attended all three numerous times.
See my previous post on conferences, Writers Conferences: Why-to, How-to.
Free “Ask Sally Stuart” Teleseminar
0In my last post, Start the New Year with Sally Stuart, I hope I convinced readers that Christian writers must own a copy of the latest edition of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide. Near the end of the post, I provided a link to the “Ask Sally Stuart” teleseminar hosted by Terry Whalin of Intermedia Publishing. (more…)
Starting the New Year with Sally Stuart
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Just this week, I received my copy of the 25th anniversary edition of Sally Stuart’s Christian Writer’s Market Guide, compiled and edited by Sally Stuart. What a great way to start the New Year and to jump-start my planning for my writing this year. I haven’t subscribed for the entire 25 years, but, since I received my very first copy, I realized that this is a must-have resource for Christian writers. (more…)
Online Bible Resources
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Part of observing the passing of the old year is looking back, sometimes with nostalgia and sometimes with thanksgiving. This year, as I made my writing plans, I looked back to how we used to get our writing done—with a typewriter, paper, and an eraser. A writer had to be truly dedicated to persist with those tools. Today, my job as a writer is so much easier with the technology available to me.
It’s hard to say which of the computer-based tools are the most useful, but for Christian writers, I have to say having numerous online Bible versions has to be near the top of the list. For my writing, I’ve tried to find one online source that offers all popular translations. I submit regularly to publishers who use the New International Version (NIV) or the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). In addition, I like to use The Message on my devotional blog. (more…)
Elements of Style: Strunk & White
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This little book has been recommended to me by numerous writers and editors since I began writing for publication in 1999. Since it has been around for a long time, there are several editions, my copy being the Third Edition. The 50th anniversary edition was published in 2008 and is available at retailers.
In the beginning, the book was developed by William Strunk, Jr., as a teaching aid in college classes at Cornell University. E. B. White was a student of Strunk, and, in 1957, he was asked to revise the book for publication after Strunk’s death. (more…)
Marketing Article Roundup
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Check out these great marketing posts on other blogs:
Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail (by T. L. Higley on Christian Author Network blog). This one offers some specifics about Facebook. Higley has other posts by the same title here and here.
Marketing Principles: Agent Rachelle Gardner features writer and marketing consultant Jim Rubart in a three-part series. Scroll to the bottom of the link to read the first article and work your way back to the top.
Twitter Bible
2I’m working on an article about the various online Bible study tools, but I’m not ready to post it yet. However, I recently discovered Twitter Bible, and I think it’s something everyone needs to see.
The Twitter URL is http://twitter.com/WWGT (What would God tweet). The writer’s moniker is Holy Ghostwriter, and the location is listed as “heaven.” The Twitter page shows a link to an article on a Web site named Not the LA Times. Huh? And, God Himself is supposed to be the writer.
The writer attempts to craft Bible verses in the latest modern language while keeping it under the 140-character per-tweet limit. Spiced with humor, the writing is very creative. On the Twitter venue, the writer is sure to reach some people who don’t know or have lost interest in the Bible.
Check out this example of the Twitter “translation.”
“Jesus foresees Twitter, shortens 10 Commandments to under 140 characters: Love God 110%, love neighbor like self. (Mark 12.30-31)”
OK, so I should have called it a paraphrase instead of a translation. I’m going to follow WWGT for a while and see where it goes. Check back next week for my article on the online Bible study tools.
Should You Publish Your Own Book?
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Have you developed a book proposal and had no luck selling it to a traditional publisher? Have you written a book but haven’t taken the time to prepare a proposal and market it? If you can answer “yes” to either question, you’ve probably thought about self-publishing.
There’s been a lot of discussion about self-publishing on the Internet lately because of recent announcements by royalty publishers that they are going into the self-publishing business. That must mean that self-publishing is the wave of the future. Or, it could mean that the royalty publishers are just looking for another way to enhance the bottom line. (more…)
