Are You Connected?

Me

You thought I meant social media, right? 

Wrong! 

Dora here, and today I want to talk about connecting to a local writers group.

"Just one more thing to swallow more of my time." 

Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on the group. The dynamics, the schedule, the speakers, even the centrality of the meeting location.

Recently, under the leadership of newly elected president, Myra Johnson, (Yay, Myra!) our group transitioned to every other month meetings from our previous quarterly schedule. We also moved to a new, permanent location, a fire station "community room" conveniently located to a major interstate that connects both North and South Carolina. The new facility boasts a kitchen, WiFi access, and a large meeting area that accommodates up to fifty people.

Carolina Christian Writers ~ New Meeting Location

Like the new digs? Yeah, me, too.

But I digress. Of course, you're not just interested in visiting the fire station. But what if a Fire Chief talked about fire scenarios for your fiction? What if he cited examples or helped untangle plot issues? 

Missy Tippens, Love Inspired Author

OK. Maybe you're not working on a fire scene right now. You're polishing your manuscript and praying over it before you send it off to a publisher. Would you be interested in the advantages of working with a smaller publishing house? Or in a multi-published, award-winning Love Inspired author's presentation on Writing Proposals That Sell The First Time?  

Perhaps you just received a rejection from a contest entry. Would you want to hear an author with vast experience in winning and finaling in contests share tips? 

Or maybe you just want to connect with like minds and hang out with some of your favorite authors?

From L-R: Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Myra Johnson, Dora Hiers, Sandra Ardoin (standing), Mary Annslee Urban, Lynette Eason, Jennifer Fromke, Amy Clipston. Where is Angie Arndt?

There she is! Angie Arndt

Would it be worth a couple hours every other month?

Not yet? Really?

Hmmm...

What if you received a publishing contract from one of these meetings?

Ahhh...your eyes just lit up. Now I have your attention.

I'm a member of the Carolina Christian Writers, the local ACFW chapter serving both Carolinas. My first contract with Pelican Book Group (PBG)/White Rose Publishing was a direct result of one of our meetings. One of my CCW friends directed me to PBG, who was about a year old and hadn't blipped my radar yet. Would I have found my publisher had I not connected with CCW? Only God knows that, but He definitely opened a door where I had no idea one even existed.

For me, the benefits and blessings I gain from my CCW connection far outweigh the time commitment. You see, on March 15, I celebrated my fifth release with White Rose.

What about you? Are you connected with a writers group? 

If not, did I convince you to get connected?

If you are, what meeting topics would interest you?

Purchase Link

After a humiliating breakup, best-selling romance author Teal Benning flees to Promise Lake to complete her current novel, minus paparazzi and flashing cameras. Suffering from writer's block and a broken heart, Teal accepts the offer of help from neighbor, Hunter Miciver. 

Hunter longs to be more than the friend who picks up the shattered pieces of Teal's heart, but when Teal finds out his secret, will she see him for the man he is—a man of faith and devotion, a man who would cherish her for the rest of her days—or will she lump him into the same category as all the other men in her life, including her father?

Will Teal recognize when truth whispers her name?

Crafting a Winning Book Proposal? It’s All About the Hook! by Marianne Evans

Marianne Evans

Publication is a progression of sorts, isn’t it? Most writers, me included, begin with a story we’ve completed—one we’ve cried, laughed and sweated bullets over. After that, we submit, we hope and we pray. Then, by God’s grace, a contract is offered. A much deserved sense of euphoria ensues.

But once we’ve celebrated with family and friends, once we’ve shared our blessing on Facebook and Twitter, what comes next? Generally, you want to keep publishing, correct? Maybe you’ll write another manuscript and submit it to your editor, or your editor just might come back to you and say, ‘Send me a proposal for something else. If it works, we’ll set up a contract.’

Regardless of which option comes to life, at some point you’re going to have to formulate a proposal; something that will grab your editor’s heart. I know of precious few authors who yearn to write an overview; crafting that three to four page overview is the bane of most every writer’s existence.

Until recently, I’ve been a devout ‘Pantster.’ I loved the process of letting my story and characters take me away without benefit of a roadmap. Now I write on proposal, so I’ve had to completely shift gears and become a ‘Plotter.’ During that process, here’s what I’ve learned:

Don’t leave your editor hanging. You need to paint the full picture to your editor so they know what to expect. In other words, don’t say, ‘There’s a plot twist in chapter eight that’s a stunner!’ Spell it out and be clear about what will happen to drive your story. Your reader will want to be kept in suspense—your contracting editor—not so much. They’ll want to know the whole picture.

Don’t let the above guideline be stifling! There’s wiggle room. If something occurs, like a story development or character arc you never saw coming, that’s OK. Keep within the basic parameters of what you’ve pitched to your editor but let the story develop. If there’s an issue of concern, touch base with your editor. They’ll guide you. For instance, I had to ask my editor about a book-ending for my upcoming series, Sisters in Spirit. Reaching out gave me peace of mind as I moved forward.

By now, you might think: ‘But Marianne, you talked about hooks. I want to win my editor’s attention!’ Absolutely. Here’s the hook I’m referring to when I talk about winning proposals:

Let the power of your writing shine through. Proposal writing is book writing in miniature. You’ve got an incredible idea. Pour that passion into the way you create the overview of your book. Don’t just say, ‘Jillian’s boyfriend broke her heart. She knew she needed to move on.’ Rather, try something like: ‘Jillian’s boyfriend jilted her at the altar, stirring self-doubt and a need to reevaluate her life.’ See the difference? The words are just as compact, but a bit more engaging and revealing. 

Storytelling within a proposal. It isn’t about suspense and surprises. It’s about enticing your editor and pouring your passion into the way you create the overview of your book! Good luck, and God bless!

Dora here. What about you?
Do you dread writing proposals?

Care to share your tips on writing them?

Purchase Link

Escaping the black residue of her past, Callie Phillips finds sanctuary at Queen of Angels Church. The reformed rebel is a middle-school choir teacher by day, and music director on the weekends, mingling with parish members over breakfast at her favorite after-church haunt, Sal’s Place.

Luke West embraces a devout belief in the sacredness of human life. An EMT, he takes charge of life-and-death situations and acts as guardian for his ten-year-old niece, D awn West who has a child’s zest for life and a God-given gift for music.

When Callie takes the little girl under her wing and becomes a mentor and surrogate mother to Dawn, Callie and Luke are thrown together. She’s drawn to the dynamic and handsome EMT, but her sullied past threatens any future she and Luke might share. Despite Callie’s former life, can Luke’s love teach her there’s nothing God’s mercy can’t wipe clean? Will Luke forgive even the bleakest form of sin and desperation in order to embrace the love of an extraordinary woman?

Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laud her work as: ‘Riveting.’ ‘Realistic and true to heart.’ ‘Compelling.’

Evans’s novel, Hearts Communion, earned Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year honors in the Romance category as well as best inspirational romance of 2012 by ACRA, a chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Evans has also won acclaim in such RWA contests as The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence where she has been a finalist twice, and the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence contest. 

A lifelong resident of Michigan, Evans is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. She’s also active in American Christian Fiction Writers and the Michigan Literary Network. Connect with Marianne:  Website  Blog  Facebook Reader Page  Twitter 

Follow Through

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” (Rev. 3:8 NKJV)

What if the only thing stopping your advancement is you?

Yikes. Wow…

I was just cleaning my desk and God brought me this question. I might be procrastinating right now. I might. You tell me. The dusting spray is out, the right side of my desk is dazzling, and the left side? A manual on how to make that book proposal sparkle.

Ugh.

First, I need a little company here in my procrastination pool. Raise your hand if you love writing proposals… Anyone? Hmm. That’s what I thought. Oh, wait, I see that hand in the back. *wink* Good for you. I hate it.

Why?

For the same reason I procrastinate, I think, because it means I could actually break in this time. Or, what if I don’t?

I just came from the big ACFW conference in Missouri. And I had some great meetings. And requests for proposals. So, like a faithful little writer, I’m trying to get my act together, learn what these different agencies and houses want in their proposals, and get them sent. Right?

Or maybe I’ll just work a bit more on clearing off my desk. After all, this little corner was a hotbed of preparations just a couple of weeks ago, prior to conference. And I have things strewn all over that I haven’t had a chance to pick up, or file. And then there’s the dust… Oh, the dust. And then, there’s…

Well, there’s the proposal I need to polish.

So, there I am when God asks me: What if the only thing stopping your advancement is you?

Did you feel that all the way over there? Yeah, me too.

So, I’ll research, and I’ll polish. (Say it with me now.) And I’ll follow. Through. (C’mon, say it… good job!)

I made a new friend at conference. She lives locally, but we met at the airport. (Don’tcha love that?) She relayed a story where an editor asked every single person around the lunch table (what is that, ten, besides the editor?) to send her their proposals. All ten of them. And how many followed through? Can you guess? I mean, here’s an open door. An. Open. Door. How long do we writers wish for, beg for, pray for, fast for, search for an open door? And they all had one. Now, I’m not saying there were any guarantees, we know that’s not possible in this biz or any other, but they all had the same invitation. And guess how many took this editor up on it?

ZERO.

Not one.

What if the only thing stopping your advancement is you?

What if your lack of following through (believe me, this hurts me as much as it does you) is what’s keeping you from breaking through??

God has heard your prayers.

God has held your hand.

God has given you open doors.

WALK THROUGH.

Follow through.

Don’t be the reason you don’t advance. Don’t do that to yourself, to your dreams, to your future. Buck up. Settle down. Forge ahead. And follow through.

And we’ll be here cheering you on. 

~Annette

How to Write a Book Proposal, Part Two by Rachelle Gardner

Last week, agent Rachelle Gardner visited to explain non-fiction book proposals. This Manuscript Monday, she's here to help us with our fiction proposals. Even when we've been writing proposals for a while, it never hurts to brush up on the basics. Having the right tools makes the task less daunting. Read on!

 How to Write a Book Proposal: Part Two*

by Rachelle Gardner

Last week, we discussed non-fiction, but what about fiction?

If you've written a novel, you still need a book proposal but it will look slightly different. The most important thing with fiction is the writing itself, so your sample chapters must truly shine to capture an agent's or editor's attention.

However, just like with non-fiction, the author's involvement in marketing is of utmost importance. So, much of your proposal will look similar to a non-fiction proposal because it's about YOU and how you can help market your own book.

In a fiction proposal, you'll be most successful at capturing attention if your first page includes a killer "hook" and a concise synopsis that doesn't necessarily tell the whole story, but intrigues the reader enough that they feel they MUST read your book.

(Jeff Gerke has a great post on writing a fiction proposal HERE.)

Here's a rundown of a great fiction proposal:

Title page: Title, authors’ names, phone numbers, email addresses.

One sentence hook: This is more of a tagline, one sentence that creates interest in the book.

Brief overview: This should read similar to back-cover copy. It should be exciting and make someone want to read your book. It tells the publisher in a succinct form what the book is about. Two to four paragraphs.

The market: Whom do you see as the audience for the book? Why would somebody buy this book? How is this audience reached? Do you have any special relationships to the market? What books and magazines does this audience already read? What radio and TV programs do they tune into? Demonstrate an understanding of exactly who will buy your book and why.

About the authors: Half page to a full page on yourself. Why are you qualified to write this book? List any previously published books or articles along with sales figures. Any awards or special degrees or certificates in creative writing? Anything that helps establish you as a novelist goes in this section.

Author marketing: This is where you'll talk about your platform. How are YOU able to reach your target audience to market your book? This is NOT the place for expressing your "willingness" to participate in marketing, or your "great ideas" for marketing. This is the place to tell what you've already done, what contacts you already have, and what plans you've already made to help market your book. A list of speaking engagements already booked is great; radio or television programs you're scheduled to appear on or have in the past; a newsletter you're already sending out regularly; a blog that gets an impressive number of daily hits. This is NOT the place to say that your book would be terrific on Oprah, unless you have documented proof that Oprah's people have already contacted you.

Comparable books: Instead of a "competition" section, you'll want to include four to five novels that you see as similar to yours in some way. It helps the editor develop a big-picture understanding of your book. It's best not to include blockbuster bestsellers (The DaVinci Code, Left Behind) but do include well-known books with solid sales. Include title, author, release year, and a couple of sentences about the book and how yours is similar and would appeal to the same audience.

Details: How many words will your book be? (Words, not pages.) How many chapters? Have you included book club discussion questions? Is your manuscript complete? (Note: Unless you're a multi-published novelist, you must have a completed novel before approaching agents and editors.)

Longer synopsis: In several pages (2 to 6 is a good guideline) describe the story. In this part, don't worry about preserving the "surprise" factor. This is where you have to explain the story, start to finish.

Sample chapters: Include the first 40 to 50 pages of your manuscript (ending at a natural chapter break). Don't include random chapters - you need the FIRST few chapters. Make sure they’re polished and perfect! THIS is what will determine whether you get a request for a full manuscript or not.

For other posts I've written about book proposals, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: Please note that you normally only send a full proposal if requested by an agent or editor based on your written query or a face-to-face meeting at a conference.

~~~~~~

* This article (and Part Two) originally appeared on CBA-Ramblings, Rachelle Gardner’s blog. Click here for more info.

**For information specifically concerning submitting a proposal to Rachelle at WordServe Literary, see her blog for instructions.

How to Write a Book Proposal, Part One by Rachelle Gardner

Raise your hand if you love writing book proposals. Anyone? Yeah, me neither. Hey readers, Annette here. Though writing proposals may not be our favorite activity as writers, we still need to do them and having the right tools always helps. This Manuscript Monday, we welcome agent Rachelle Gardner back to Seriously Write. For the next two weeks, she's here to help us with our book proposals. Read on!

How to Write a Book Proposal: Part One

by Rachelle Gardner

There are several great books available on writing book proposals. My favorites for non-fiction are:

* Book Proposals That Sell by W. Terry Whalin

* Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff Herman. I like this one because it contains ten real-life proposals that sold.

A good book for fiction proposals is:

* Your Novel Proposal: From Creation to Contract by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook

Here are bare-bones outlines of what a book proposal looks like.**

For Non-Fiction

Title page: Title, authors’ names, phone numbers, email addresses.

One sentence summary: It captures your book. It should be more hook than description.

Brief overview: This should read similar to back-cover copy. It should be exciting, informative, and make someone want to read your book. It tells the publisher in a succinct form what the book is about and who the market is. Three to four paragraphs.

Felt need: What needs will your book fulfill that your audience is already aware of? What questions are they asking that your book will answer? What do they want that you can give them?

About the authors: Half page to a full page on each author. Why are you qualified to write this book? List any previously published books or articles along with sales figures. Make a good case for YOU as the best possible author for a book on this topic.

The market: Whom do you see as the audience for the book? Why would somebody buy this book? How is this audience reached? Do you have any special relationships to the market? What books and magazines does this audience already read? What radio and TV programs do they tune into? Demonstrate an understanding of exactly who will buy your book and why.

Author marketing: This is where you'll talk about your platform. How are YOU able to reach your target audience to market your book? This is NOT the place for expressing your "willingness" to participate in marketing, or your "great ideas" for marketing. This is the place to tell what you've already done, what contacts you already have, and what plans you've already made to help market your book. A list of speaking engagements already booked is great; radio or television programs you're scheduled to appear on or have in the past; a newsletter you're already sending out regularly; a blog that gets an impressive number of daily hits. This is NOT the place to say that your book would be terrific on Oprah, unless you have documented proof that Oprah's people have already contacted you.

The competition: What other books are in print on the same subject? How is your book different and better? (There is always competition.) First, give a general discussion of the state of the marketplace as regards books of this topic. Then do a list of 4 to 8 books that could be considered most comparable to yours. List the title, author, year of publication. (Only books in the last five years are relevant, unless they’re still bestsellers.) Then write a couple of sentences explaining what that book is about, and how yours is different, better, and/or a good complement to it.

Details: How many words will your book be? (Words, not pages.) How long after the signing of a contract will it take you to complete the book? (This is usually 2 to 6 months.)

Chapter outline: This is where it becomes crucial that your book is well organized and completely thought-through. You will need chapter titles, and a couple of sentences capturing each chapter’s theme.

Sample chapters: This is usually the Introduction, plus one or two chapters. Make sure they’re polished and perfect!

Those are the basics, but I highly recommend you get a good book on proposals before writing yours. Mary DeMuth has a 50-page book proposal tutorial available for $10. Click here to go to her website and order it. (Mary writes incredible book proposals, and she knows what she's talking about.)

Next Monday, we’ll discuss fiction book proposals.

~~~~~~

* This article (and Part Two) originally appeared on CBA-Ramblings, Rachelle Gardner’s blog. Click here for more info.

**For information specifically concerning submitting a proposal to Rachelle at WordServe Literary, see her blog for instructions.

Creating Good Fiction Proposals by Jeff Gerke, Part 2

Please welcome back author and editor Jeff Gerke to continue his series on creating good book proposals.

What Not To Include in a Good Book Proposal*
by Jeff Gerke

Last week I listed what to include in your proposal. Today let’s look at what is not included.

First, there's no lengthy marketing analysis or list of comparative titles. Other editors may disagree here, but I always found such things to be useless. Besides, it's my job to know what else is out there that would be similar to or might compete with any given book.

Individual authors don't usually have access to the industry sales figures like I have, so I can find that information quickly. And authors often don't have the same breadth of knowledge I have. Seeing, "As far as I know there's been no other book written about dinosaurs being brought back to life" does not encourage me about the author. Better to just leave all that off, imo.

There's also no life history of the author. "Born in Tuskogee, Michigan, to a rice farmer and a brain surgeon, Joe Author had a hard but starch-rich childhood..." Yawn.

Dude, unless you're a former mountain climber writing a novel about climbing K2, we pretty much don't care about your life story. Unless something in your life pertains to something in your novel, leave it out. If something in your life does pertain to your novel, then by all means mention it. But I don't need to know where you went to high school.

Finally, there's no mention of your awesome marketing plan. I don't know why writing teachers tell novelists to put in this kind of information. It's silly and, most likely, what you can do as an individual is kind of pathetic compared to what the publisher could do. It's like "Display Your Anonymity Day."

I'm poking fun at myself, too, when I say that, so don't hear me wrong. Most individuals, and especially most of us mousy novelist types, haven't erected massive media empires we can bring to bear to market our novels. And if we have, we'll probably self-publish and keep all the dough for ourselves!

Putting on a sheet of paper that you can guarantee the sale of fifty copies of your book or that you intend to create a Web page or you've been invited to speak to a group of two hundred people may be impressive to the lady in the cubicle next door, but it's all but laughable to a publisher.

Another source of chuckles for editors is when novelists write that they are ready and eager to devote themselves to multi-city book tours and interviews with Oprah. Um...okay. But unless you're funding and arranging those things yourself, they're probably not going to happen. It's not like publishers are sitting around waiting to publish the first person they can find who would be willing to go on the talk show circuit.

Now, if you really do have some impressive "platform" abilities, like you're a speaker for Women of Faith or PromiseKeepers or you're the head of Salem Communications and can put content on 300 radio stations, then be sure to mention that in the proposal.

If you're like most of us, though, and you're just a regular Joe, keep it out of your proposal. The publisher will be able to do much more than you can, and you'll save yourself the pointing and laughing (not that such immaturity ever happens in the hallowed halls of Christian publishing; ahem).

Next week, we'll analyze some of the components that do belong in a good fiction proposal.

Jeff Gerke is a mild-mannered author and book editor living in Colorado Springs. He and his wife have a daughter and a son and in 2009, they adopted a little girl from China. See this site for more. Jeff's first novels appeared in the mid-1990s, followed in the early part of the 21st century by his Operation: Firebrand novels. His nonfiction books were published in 2003 and 2005. In 1999 Jeff came on staff with Multnomah Publishers in Sisters, Oregon, as an editor. Over his career he has been on staff with Multnomah, Strang/Realms, and NavPress. In October 2008 Jeff became the founder of Marcher Lord Press, a small indie publishing company dedicated to producing the finest in Christian science fiction, fantasy, and other wonderfully weird genres.

* This series of articles was taken from Jeff Gerke's Where The Map Ends Web site. Used by permission.

Creating Good Fiction Proposals by Jeff Gerke

Recently, Dawn featured Jeff Gerke's writing helps on a Writer's Journey Wednesday. (see that post here) This Manuscript Monday, please welcome Jeff as he begins a four-part series on creating great book proposals.

What Goes into a Good Fiction Proposal?*
by Jeff Gerke

So you've written the first draft of your novel (you have, right?) and you're ready to approach agents and acquisitions editors to begin your path to certain fame, eh? Good for you!

Each Monday for the next four weeks, I will tell you how to put together a first-rate proposal for your novel.

I've served on the editorial staff for three Christian publishing companies and have read literally thousands of proposals as an acquisitions editor and imprint manager. Plus I've written proposals that have sold my own novels, so I know what works and what it is that editors and agents are looking for.

An acquisitions editor, by the way, is the person who goes through all the proposals submitted by agents and authors and decides which are good and should possibly be published, which are not and should help start fires, and which to get very, very excited about.

Here are the elements agents and acquisitions editors need and value in the fiction proposals they review.

Note that while I'm speaking largely of my own experience and some of my professional colleagues may disagree with one or two points, if you build a proposal like this you won't go far wrong.

Also note that I'm assuming you'll put all of these elements into a single Word file and attach that file to an e-mail message you'll send to the agent or editor in question.

The Elements of a Good Proposal:

1. A cover letter
2. One page with:
~ A very brief (~10-word) hook
~ A short (~100-word) blurb
~ The title of your novel
~ The genre of your novel
~ The length (in wordcount!) of your novel
~ The audience for your novel (age, gender, etc.)
~ Whether or not the novel fits into a series
~ Your previously published books (if any) and the to-date total sales of each
3. A 1-2-page synopsis that does give away the ending (here's how to write such a synopsis)
4. One page with anything else you think is pertinent: short bio on you, historical note, personal experience that undergirds the story, reason for special timeliness, one-paragraph summaries of other books in the series, etc.
5. The first 30-40 pages of your novel (sample chapters)

That's it. I'll discuss each one in detail in the coming weeks.

Jeff Gerke is a mild-mannered author and book editor living in Colorado Springs. He and his wife have a daughter and a son and in 2009, they adopted a little girl from China. See this site for pictures and more information. Jeff's first novels appeared in the mid-1990s, followed in the early part of the 21st century by his Operation: Firebrand novels. His nonfiction books were published in 2003 and 2005. In 1999 Jeff came on staff with Multnomah Publishers in Sisters, Oregon, as an editor. Over his career he has been on staff with Multnomah, Strang/Realms, and NavPress. In October 2008 Jeff became the founder of Marcher Lord Press, a small indie publishing company dedicated to producing the finest in Christian science fiction, fantasy, and other wonderfully weird genres.

* This series of articles was taken from his Where The Map Ends Web site. Used by permission.