by Julie Gwinn B&H Publishing Group We had a digital summit at B&H recently to try to get our heads around the changes taking place in the publishing industry. It was two days of information and presentations with some startling statistics: In 2006, there were 296,352 books published. In 2010, that number jumped to 3,092,740. Thank goodness I am in …
The Right Conference?
by Tamela Hancock Murray Steve Laube Agency As you pursue a writing career, one big question is how much time and money to devote to writers conferences. Conferences have many benefits, including the chance to meet face to face with editors and fellowship with writers. Some writers have plenty of time and money and love to attend conferences because the …
A Change of Perspective
by Eileen Key Writing is a solitary journey, and sometimes we are asked to move from behind our computer screens and step out of our comfort zones. I find myself quaking in my boots when asked to speak to a group about me, myself and I. Yes, I’m proud of my work; yes, I can tell you how a book …
What is your writing budget?
by Danica Favorite If you’re going to take your writing seriously as a business, one of the things you need to consider is your writing budget. A writer’s income isn’t always steady, so if you don’t have a plan for your writing income, it’s easy for that money to get lost on other things. Oftentimes, a person’s plan for attending …
Quills of a Feather Should Flock Together
by Ane Mulligan I’m having dinner in a restaurant with the hubs and friends, when a snippet of a conversation at the table behind me catches my attention. Tuning out my friends’ chatter, I lean back in my seat to get closer. A female voice hints at panic. “I left my camera in the taxi.” It sparks a “what if” …
The Emotion Thesaurus
by Vickie McDonough As a writer, I’m always looking for resources to help make my writing better and my characters more realistic. To show and not tell and to find new ways to say the same thing. Well, I found a doozy of a resource. For a long while, the Bookshelf Muse has posted a Character Traits Thesaurus in the …
Research That Has Nothing To Do With Google or Libraries or Trips to Historic Sites
By Victoria Bylin I write historical romance, so I’m often asked about research. Do I like it? Do I prefer the internet or real libraries? Do I research and then write, or research on the fly? What mistakes should a new author avoid? All those questions are important, but today I want to look at a different kind of research. …
Pitch Sessions: An Editor’s POV
by Ramona Richards Abingdon Press Sue Brower had some terrific advice last week about preparing for a writers conference, especially ACFW. One piece of advice she gave made me want to give her a cheer: • DON’T go to editor and agent appointments unprepared. Now…that may sound like common sense for most of you, but I thought I’d share a …
CAUTION: Beautiful Experiences Ahead
by Lacie Nezbeth My family and I recently returned from a week long camping trip up the Oregon coast. Four miles from where our lush campground sits, there is a great lookout point for viewing sea lions that gather to sunbathe on the many rocks jutting out from the surf. We knew immediately that we wanted to make the hike. …
5 Spiritual Disciplines for Writers
by Carrie Fancett Pagels Disciplines we shouldn’t skip: 1) Time in the Word. When your bible bookmark hasn’t moved in weeks-there is a problem. You must know the truth found in God’s word. Bottom line fundamental fact. 2) Prayer. What a joy and privilege it is to pray for the saints. And to pray for the unsaved that they might …