The Invisible Pillar of Author Platform: Money

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, marketing, Newsletters, tips, writing 10 Comments

By Barbara M. Britton Does social media sell books? In the recent webinars I have attended, the answer is no. Social media may help in the “Rule of Seven” where a reader has to see a book seven times before they buy it, but purchases from social media do not seem to be significant. Not to mention the horror stories …

Research Doesn’t Stop with Publication

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Books, Learning, research, writing 1 Comment

by Glynn Young @gyoung9751 It was a year ago that the manuscript for my historical novel was attached to an email and sent to the publisher who requested it. I felt an incredible sense of relief. The thing was done. I could take a break from literally years of reading and research about the Civil War. Nine years of reading …

What on Earth is This Thing Called Deep POV?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Characters, Dialogue, Editing, POV, Showing/Telling, tips, writing 3 Comments

by Linda Glaz (Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency) I hear it all the time: at conferences, on social media, and from other authors, but what is it? And why should I care? What happens when you incorporate Deep POV into your novel? The READER becomes completely immersed in the character’s point of view/voice rather than the author’s voice. So much …

Who’s Driving?

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, revisions, tips, writing 6 Comments

by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope Writing a novel is like climbing into a car, pulling onto a long road, and driving until you reach what you think is the end. Along the way you will maneuver around twists, turns, unexpected side routes, and too many potholes to count. My guess is that most writers, even those who meticulously plan, are not …

The Writer in the Corner

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Critiques, Encouragement, tips, writing 3 Comments

by Chandra Lynn Smith I’ve been a professional dog trainer since 1988. A few years ago I trained a German Shepherd who had some dangerous fear issues. I stood at the kennel, leash in hand and greeted her. She growled. For those of you who read my opening sentence and thought what a fun job, well, not always. You know …

Gratitude for the Writing Community

ACFWACFW, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Friends of ACFW, writing 4 Comments

by Jenny Erlingsson Even though I have been a writer for most of my life (scribbles during toddlerhood count, right?), I really didn’t have too much knowledge about how the publishing process worked. Getting involved in the book development process over the past ten years has been such a fascinating and eye-opening experience for me. Some of my favorite childhood …

When Real Life Hijacks Your Writing Schedule (And How God Can Take It Back)

ACFWACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Time Management, tips, writing 14 Comments

by Fayla Ott There’s a saying around my house: If Mom plans it, watch out and cover your head. The sky will most certainly fall. Maybe that’s why my guys are known to wear hats. I’m addicted to planners, lists, and charts. It’s like a sickness that can’t be medicated. My office looks like an Office Depot had a baby …

Embracing YOUR Path

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Faith, Fear/Doubt, Plotting/Outlines, tips, writing 12 Comments

By Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 We’ve all been there. Whether we’re watching a virtual webinar, attending a conference, reading a craft book, or chatting with a fellow writer, we hear all about the BEST way to write a book. One person may tell us to throw out the plot, while another insists we plan every scene in detail. Some say …

Simple Tricks for Staying in the Room

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Distraction, Time Management, tips, writing 5 Comments

by Jane Kirkpatrick My forty-first book will be released in May (Across the Crying Sands, Revell) and I’m busy writing book two in the three book “Women of Cannon Beach” series.  I’m discovering some of the same old negative voices creep in to make me leave my computer and clean the grout which seems much more important.  To combat those …