Tag: authors

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15 Survival Quotes for Writers

ebay 8-12-09 001

This blog post first appeared here, September 8, 2016.

Recently, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Association yearly conference in Nashville. Armed with my program booklet for the four-day conference, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the various sessions the conference offered.

In this post, I’ve included only a snippet of key elements and survival tips taught in the sessions–elements that caused me to sit up and take notice. Hope they are an encouragement to you as well.
Erin Healy, How To Think Like Your Editor

  • Authors who edit place high values on their books. (And readers will thank you.)
  • Don’t give up ownership.
  • Read your story like a reader, for emotion. Read your story like an editor, for clarity.
  • About Erin

Susan May Warren & Rachel Hauck, Supercharge Your Series

  • Put all your good stuff into one book, and pitch that book.
  • Create over-arching character.
  • Put the secret in the middle of the book. Don’t wait until the end.
  • Keep raising the stakes.
  • About Susan

Steve Laube, Developing a Thick Skin

  • Criticism is a form of rejection, but “No” means “I believe in you. You can do much better,” which essentially, is a huge encouragement.
  • Don’t engage the critic publicly. Own the mistake.
  • Emotion is essential to good writing.
  • Persistence is Key.
  • About Steve

What survival tips do you have? Please share!

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The Publishing Dictionary

Mary Hollingsworth
The Publishing Dictionary

(first published in 2018)

Next to owning The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style and The Chicago Manual of Style, all people (who have even a small part) in the publishing industry need to own

The Publishing Dictionary by Mary Hollingsworth.

Any writer, agent, editor, publisher, and anyone in between, will tell you that when they attended their first conference, started writing or editing or learning about the publishing industry, they hadn’t the foggiest idea what copyedit, point of view, on spec, characterization, dangling modifier, types of layout, book proposal, etc. meant. Mary’s here to offer a dictionary to those who need a hands-on reference guide.

If you’re to work with small publishers or large publishers, you’ll need to know what deal points are. Is a reader really one who purchases and reads your book? A signature is more than your scrawl across a page.

While I’ve not personally met Mary Hollingsworth, author of this helpful resource dictionary, I have spoken with her over the phone, and I’ve just gotta tell you—she’s one of the most welcoming, helpful, and knowledgeable people I know.

Mary’s celebrating 35 years of servant leadership in the publishing industry. Congratulations, Mary! Thank you for all you’ve done for our industry, for those you’ve guided, mentored, and served in this wonderful publishing industry.

Be informed. This book fits alongside your laptop! To purchase a copy of this treasure trove of a dictionary, go to Amazon. It will be the most profitable $11.99 you’ve ever spent!

Plus, what’s not to love about quotes like this:

“When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes.”

–Desiderius

106329777811101CDP - Version 2 – Version 3About Mary Hollingsworth

Mary Hollingsworth is celebrating her thirty-fourth year in Christian publishing. She is author of more than one hundred ten Christian books, which have appeared on bestseller lists more than one hundred times. Three of her books have sold more than one million copies each. Total sales of her books now approach 8 million copies.

One of Mary’s bestsellers, Hugs for Women, was a finalist for the Christian Booksellers Association Inspirational Gift Book of the Year award. Her children’s book Polka Dots, Stripes, Humps ‘n’ Hatracks received the C. S. Lewis All-Time Top Ten Favorites award. She has also won several literary awards, including Howard Books/Simon & Schuster’s Spiritual Development Award, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Gold Book Award (twice), and the ECPA Platinum Book Award (twice). In April 2018 she received the Global Media Summit’s Platinum Award for Excellence in Communication.

Mary currently serves as president and publisher of Creative Enterprises Studio, hosting two hundred of Christian publishing’s top editorial and marketing freelancers. Through CES these freelancers work on books for major publishers, such as HarperCollins, Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Harvest House, and many independent authors, companies, and ministries. They work regularly with such bestselling authors as Max Lucado, Tony Evans, Sheila Walsh, Rick Warren, Candace Cameron Bure, John MacArthur, and many others.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in business education degree from Abilene Christian University, with minor equivalents in Bible and journalism. Her master’s work is in mass media from Texas A&M Commerce.

For a more complete review of Mary’s career, see MaryHollingsworth.com.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

15 Survival Quotes for Writers

ebay 8-12-09 001

Recently, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Association yearly conference in Nashville. Armed with my program booklet for the four-day conference, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the various sessions the conference offered.

In this post, I’ve included only a snippet of key elements and survival tips taught in the sessions–elements that caused me to sit up and take notice. Hope they are an encouragement to you as well.

Erin Healy, How To Think Like Your Editor

  • Authors who edit place high values on their books. (And readers will thank you.)
  • Don’t give up ownership.
  • Read your story like a reader, for emotion. Read your story like an editor, for clarity.
  • About Erin

Chip MacGregor, Working With an Agent in the New Industry

  • The writer has opportunity more than ever now in the publishing industry.
  • How and where can I market? (author branding)
  • All art is hard.
  • The author is a miniature business
  • About Chip

Susan May Warren & Rachel Hauck, Supercharge Your Series

  • Put all your good stuff into one book, and pitch that book.
  • Create over-arching character.
  • Put the secret in the middle of the book. Don’t wait until the end.
  • Keep raising the stakes.
  • About Susan

Steve Laube, Developing a Thick Skin

  • Criticism is a form of rejection, but “No” means “I believe in you. You can do much better,” which essentially, is a huge encouragement.
  • Don’t engage the critic publicly. Own the mistake.
  • Emotion is essential to good writing.
  • Persistence is Key.
  • About Steve

 

What survival tips do you have? Please share!