As a novelist, you probably spend a lot of time sitting at your desk, banging out words, pondering your story. You do some research online, write out a chapter, do some revising. Sure, you spend some time emailing friends to try and see what else everyone is up to, but for the most part the things you do as a …
To come or not to come: Gayle Roper
Are you still debating the wisdom of coming to the ACFW conference in September? It is, after all, a lot of money and time. Maybe I can give you some thoughts to help you make up your mind. First you will be taught by folks who have been making their way successfully in the thorny field of publishing. We all …
SPENDING MONEY (EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANY)
Today, I’m offering my true confessions as a shopaholic (unreformed). You see, shopping is all about feeling like you got a good deal. That’s right! Regardless of what you might believe, shopping does not go hand in hand with spending. At least, not for me. In fact, I only spend when I think I’m getting something of value from the …
Setting the Spiritual Tone, Cynthia Ruchti
One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Colossians 3. Yes, the whole chapter. It’s one of those pages in my Bible that is heavily marked—brackets, underlining, asterisks, arrows to a repeated thought, boxes drawn around key points like “Christ is all and in all,” exclamation points in the margins. You may not appreciate the idea of marking up your …
Birthing a Book in Less than 9 Months, Deb Raney
Recently a writer friend compared birthing a book to birthing a baby. Indeed, when I first started writing, it would take me at least nine months to write a book from “once upon a time” to “happily ever after,” not counting some major rewriting after my editors got hold of it. So I was shocked the first time I realized …
How to Create a Marketing Plan
ACFW Publicity Officer, Angie Breidenbach: Please welcome Chip MacGregor, my guest today 🙂 I’ve asked him to share how to help writers reach their goals and dreams in publication… Chip MacGregor: I had a chance to sit down with a marketing specialist the recent ACFW conference. This wasn’t just a publicist who knows a bit about the industry, but a …
Denver Dining Options #3 During ACFW Conference
Submitted by Megan DiMaria I had previously listed restaurants located in the dining hall AKA food court of Park Meadows Mall. The following restaurants are located at Park Meadows Mall but are not in the dining hall AKA food court. Some of them are inside the mall, the others are located in the parking lot surrounding the mall. For more …
Calming First Time Nerves
by Cara Putman Attending a conference is nerve-wracking. Let’s face it, you’re taking huge risks by going. You’ve invested a lot of money: registration, hotel, airfare, some meals, and other incidentals. You’ve invested who you are – by attending you’re joining the ranks of those who have moved from wanting to write, to those who have taken steps to actively …
The Redeemer of Disappointments
by Cynthia Ruchti What do writers do if they don’t have confidence in the God of All and instead think everything’s up to them? It’s up to them to figure out how to catch the ear of an agent and editor. It’s up to them to decide which editors and agents are the right match for their project. It’s up to them to make their …
What if I Can’t Come to the Conference?
by Deborah Raney Now that the conference is mere weeks away, excitement is building, and talk among writers turns to conference topics, it’s hard not to feel left out if circumstances keep you from coming to the conference this year. Despite how disappointing it might be to not be attending this year, there are still ways you can participate in …