Please join us in today’s prayer, written by a member of ACFW’s Forty Days of Prayer team. God’s presence and blessing at the conference Psalm 127:1–Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. Lord, we pray that even now a sense of your …
Polishing Your Opening Chapters
Are you headed to the ACFW conference or preparing to submit your proposal to an agent and editor? If so, you need to polish those first three chapters until they shine. The synopsis, marketing ideas, platform and bio are important, but the strength of your writing in those chapters is what makes the agent or editor keep reading and ask …
Librarians–Authors’ Best Friends
By Mary Ellis Often writers are curious to learn which marketing and publicity ideas work for other writers and which do not. I, too, am curious about the very same thing. We blog and interview on various blog-sites; we e-mail newsletters to established fans and snail-mail publicity postcards to announce upcoming books; we FaceBook and Twitter and network and wonder …
ACFW Volunteer Spotlight
Another volunteer whom I’m privileged to spotlight is Jan Warren, a member of WIN-ACFW. Jan Warren was one of the founding members of WIN, the first ACFW local chapter. She was the original “Rose Lady” who presented silk roses in celebration of member raves (contest wins, signing with an agent, signing a contract, etc.). She’s opened her home for fellowship …
My ACFW Conference Journey
by Gina Conroy Since I started writing fiction seriously and pursuing publication in 2005, I never missed an ACFW conference…except last year. Each year my motivation to attend ACFW was different. Each year I had new goals and dreams. Each year I grew as a writer and took home something specific I would need on my journey ahead. And each …
ACFW Conference Appointments: Ashley Clark
Remember that high school feeling of getting caught talking in class? Maybe it wasn’t your fault. Maybe your friend in the seat beside you wanted to cheat, and you were actually saying, “No, I will not give you my answers,” but all the teacher heard was your mumbling, and next thing you knew, you were rambling on and on in …
Elevating Your Elevator Pitch
by Janice Thompson You’re wrapping up the best book you’ve ever written. It’s all you can think about. You can’t wait to go to that next conference to meet with an editor or agent. However, you realize that your face time will be brief. How will you pitch your novel in a way that will garner the attention it deserves? …
If it weren’t for writer’s conferences . . .
Maureen Lang I wonder how many authors I know, myself included, would be published today without having been to a writer’s conference? The publishing industry has always been a competitive field. According to one study I read, approximately 80% of the general public believes they have a book in them. Understandably with the advent of computers, this number is probably …
Headed to Conference? A Tour of St. Louis
September 22-25 is the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The Hyatt is the smaller building on the left of the Arch. That’s where we’ll be staying. If you walk out the building and turn right it’s a short walk to the Arch grounds. Under the arch is the Museum of Westward Expansion. It’s free admission so …
ACFW Volunteer Spotlight
Another outstanding volunteer for ACFW is Dorothy Featherling, one of the founders of the CenTex chapter. She served as the president of that ACFW chapter for four years. She is one of the members responsible for making contact and networking to get good speakers for the monthly meetings. What an inspiration to her fellow members of CenTex and ACFW. Thank …