Compilation Books—Why and How to Write Them

by Crystal Bowman

Compilations books are a collection of stories written by a variety of writers. Even though Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen struggled to get their first book published (like having 144 publishers say “no thank you”) the success of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series—with more than 500 million copies sold internationally—has proven that they have a place in the world of publishing.

Marketing for Writers - Create a Facebook Group Campaign

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

Have you created a Facebook group yet for your readers? I discussed this in the blog, Connect With Readers Through Closed Facebook Groups. My Facebook group, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar, Carbs, and Gluten, has grown to 1500 members in the past two years. These people are my ideal readers who continue to purchase my books, courses, and digital products.

When Should We Start Editing?

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I can’t turn off my internal editor. Thoughts like these often zip through my mind:

• Those praise music lyrics are missing punctuation. (Does that drive you crazy, too?)
• I’m writing compound sentences in my e-mails without commas. (And feeling guilty about it.)
• I can’t send this text until it’s perfect. (Half the time I’m missing something.)

My internal editor is always on. Posting on Facebook takes five extra minutes because I’m worried I have a typo, and my voice-to-text feature frustrates me because it doesn’t capitalize properly. Doesn’t it know you have to capitalize book titles?

Watch Your Words!

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindaSMcDowel

The next six weeks in our country will be full of words. Promises. Taunts. Pledges. Boasts. Truth. Untruth. Mockery. Threats. Loyalty. Division. Hope. Despair. Fear. Faith. Unity. Encouragement. And, did I mention, Hope?

SPEAK UP WITH CONFIDENCE Guide for Authors

by Yvonne Ortega @YvonneOrtega1

I read Carol Kent’s revised and updated edition of Speak Up with Confidence from cover to cover. Her passion to speak words of eternal value and bathe every step of the process in prayer spoke to my heart. I hope it speaks to yours, too.

When Rejection Comes

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

He was a washed-up shoe salesman, caught up in a town-gossiping war. 

In the Andy Griffith episode, Those Gossipin’ Men, Aunt Bee and a friend sat in the local drug store, enjoying a cool drink on a hot day. While spreading a little gossip among themselves, they were startled when a stranger came in and tried to sell them a pair of shoes. Surprised because he didn’t try extremely hard. In fact, they labeled him as the “tamest shoe salesman” they’d ever seen. He offered once, they said no, and he went on about his business. Little did he know a gossiping war between the ladies of the town and the men who hung around at Floyd’s Barber Shop would soon engulf him.

Choosing to Give Ourselves Some Credit

by Beth Vogt @BethVogt

As I write this blog, we are three days into September. Most people who I talked with reacted to the turn of the calendar page with, “I can’t believe it’s September already!”