Thursday Review—Southwest Christian Writers Studio

Today I want to welcome Linda Mitchell. She and I met at the Southwest Christian Writers Studio and I was instantly impressed with her level of knowledge and professionalism. Linda also serves on the faculty of the Florida Christian Writers Conference.

When I mentioned to a friend that I had chosen to attend the Southwest Christian Writers Studio in Glorieta, New Mexico, he asked, "Why this conference?"The answer was a no brainer for me, "I want something different and I think this conference has it." Like most writers, I'm on a tight budget so I put a lot of thought into what I wanted from a conference and into deciding which one would best meet my goals.

I expected a great director…after all, Alton Gansky has written over 30 books, operates Gansky Communications, and in conjunction with Lifeway, directs the successful Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina. What I didn't expect was his fun sense of humor and his desire to make certain I not only gained knowledge about the craft of writing but had a blast doing it.

I expected a lovely location…after all Glorieta is in the mountains of New Mexico. What I didn't expect was the closeness I felt to God in the prayer garden or the personal message in His lavish display of beauty.

I expected a talented faculty willing to guide me in efforts to improve my craft. What I didn't expect was their generosity and graciousness in meeting me where I was in my writing journey and then coming alongside to walk with me and offer suggestions targeted to my individual needs.

I expected a lot but I received more. I came for ice cream and got a banana split, piled high with whipped cream, covered in chocolate, and topped with a cherry… I scarfed down every bite.

• Michelle Adams and Edie Melson teamed up to offer a megawatt, fast-paced workshop on making money in the freelance world. I left with so much info it was leaking out my ears and with enough hand-outs to bump my suitcase over the weight limit. 
• Alton Gansky's track on Writing an Unforgettable Nonfiction Book was to writers what a GPS is to directionally challenged travelers. He taught from his experience as an award winning author but willingly recalibrated when any one of us took a side road with a question or a need.
• Chip MacGregor shared his extensive knowledge and expertise, but the best was when he offered "What do you want to know?" and gave us a glimpse into the mind of a brilliant agent, editor, and writer. This workshop alone was worth the price of the conference.

I was impressed with the accessibility of faculty and their genuine heart for writers. From award winning author Jack Cavanaugh to Emmy winning producer Cecil Stokes, they were available at meals, after hours, and for individual consultation.

SWCWS fostered camaraderie, created an atmosphere of encouragement, and provided an opportunity for creative minds to meet and shoot some sparks. I arrived alone and knowing no one—violin music please—but by Thursday night when we piled in cars to visit Santa Fe I had new friends with similar life maps. When I headed home on Friday I felt inspired and equipped to better serve God with the talents he has given me. Expectations met. Ice cream anyone?

Industry Submission Standards—Part Three

Today we’ll finish up with How to Format a Book Proposal for email submission. One thing I can’t stress enough is the need to find out if the editor/publisher you’re submitting to will allow emails with an attachment. There is no industry standard. Some publishers allow attachments and others require submissions to be pasted into the body of the email. For our purposes, we’ll assume you’ll be sending an attachment. If they require it to be within the body of the email, just make sure everything is included.

After you’ve determined how to send your proposal, the next thing to do is to check the publisher/agent’s website. Many of them have specific requirements for submitting a proposal. ALWAYS follow those requirements. The information I’m giving is general, never give that more importance than what the website says.

NOTE: Unlike an email query, the parts of a proposal need to be formatted so that they can be printed out, if the editor/agent so desires.

COVER LETTER—every proposal, whether fiction or non-fiction, needs a cover letter. This is in addition to the introductory email that you will of course send.

• Author’s contact information – Name, physical address, phone number and email
• Editor/Agent contact information – Name, title, physical address, phone number and email
• Short hook – to remind them of why they requested the material
• Specifics of when they met you or requested the material (possibly through a previous email)
• Short explanation of the material (This is a 30 day devotional or This is a 85,000 word romantic suspense)
• Formal signature line

COVER PAGE—this will be included in any proposal, no matter the length

• Title—in bold letters and large font, centered
• Contact Information—Repeat your contact info
• Genre and Manuscript Length

TABLE OF CONTENTS—no matter the length of the proposal, always include a Table of Contents

NOTE: Everything after the table of contents should include a header and a footer. These should be single spaced. For the header, include an extra line below the second line to separate it from the body of the proposal pages.

HEADER

• Upper left corner—Title/Genre
• Upper right corner—Word Count
• Second line of upper left corner—Your name
• Second line of upper right corner—Your email address

FOOTER
Page Number—this can be centered or in one of the corners, just make certain that the placement remains consistent throughout the proposal. Include the COVER page and the TABLE OF CONTENTS in the page count. This means page 3 will be the first page where you see the page number on a page.

LINE SPACING
Most of your proposal will be single spaced. Here are the exceptions.
SYNOPSIS
If the editor/agent wants a synopsis that is more than one page long it should be entirely double spaced. If they only want a one page synopsis it should be single spaced.
SAMPLE CHAPTERS
These will ALWAYS be double spaced.

There are multiple, excellent websites that include sample proposals for fiction and non-fiction. These detail what to include much better than I ever could. Here are a couple of the best:

• MacGregor Literary
• Books and Such Literary

To follow up on a proposal you’ve sent, ALWAYS check the website guidelines. If there are no guidelines, I recommend waiting at least three months and then follow up with a polite email. NEVER call the publishing house or the agent.

I hope you’ve found this series helpful. If you notice anything I’ve forgotten, please add it in the comments section!
Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

Thursday Review - Valuable Blogs & Websites!

I’ve mentioned several time the importance of attending writing conferences, but I know many of us are limited by our budget, as well as our time. So how do we make connections and learn from instructors if we can’t attend or can only choose one or two a year? The answer—Websites and Blogs.

We live in an amazing time, when we have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips through the Internet. Virtually all the instructors you find at a writing conference also have websites and/or blogs. And, a lot of them post on the topics they regularly teach.

There are so many good sites out there, that I’ve had to limit myself on how many I visit regularly. Some of the ones I like best even send their posts directly to my inbox. Here is my list of MUST VISIT writing sites.

• Chip MacGregor
• Cec Murphey’s Writer to Writer
• Rachelle Gardner
• Jack Cavanaugh’s Word Forge
• Vonda Skelton
• MBT Ponderers
• Susan May Warren

I’m certain there are others that are just as wonderful, so I’m hoping you’ll chime in with some of your favorites.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

Thursday Reviews

This week, instead of reviewing a book on writing, I want to share my experience at a writing seminar I attending last weekend.

As I mentioned on Monday, I had the opportunity to spend last weekend in Atlanta GA, at an amazing seminar, Writing Bestselling Fiction, led by Chip MacGregor and Susan May Warren. It’s one of several seminars offered by The Master Seminars.

These seminars are the brain child of Chip MacGregor, President of MacGregor Literary. He’s teamed up with some outstanding professionals in the writing industry, including Susan May Warren, Lisa Samson, Susan Meissner, Jim Rubart and Tiffany Colter.

Practical Value
There are several things that made this particular seminar valuable to me.

• First of all, the teacher/student ratio. Although they do accept registration in some of the seminars for up to fourteen students, the one I attended only had ten. I felt like I got to spend two full days with industry professionals advising me on my writing and career.
• The second thing I got out of this weekend was practical writing instruction that I could immediately apply to my work. It was an intimate enough setting so that I felt very comfortable asking specific questions about my WIP (work in progress). So many of the classes and lectures I’ve attended haven’t always been that relaxed and the lessons not that easy to apply.
• The third thing I took away was encouragement. Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of conferences and seminars encourage writers. But very few give specific, encouraging feedback about what the writer is currently working on and the direction of his career. I got those very things from Chip and Susie.

Specific Details
The Master Seminars take place once a month at various locations. The three seminars currently being offered on a rotating basis are:

• Marketing Your Novel
• Writing Bestselling Fiction
• Adding Depth to Your Fiction

I personally recommend the seminar I attended - Writing Bestselling Fiction - and if it’s any indication (and I believe it is) you should run, not walk to register for one that fits your schedule. I will definitely be registering to attend the other two that are offered. For me, this was a great investment and I will continue to reap the benefits for years to come.

So tell me, what seminars or workshops have you attended?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

Writing Conferences and Events

I don’t know about you, but my inbox is stuffed to overflowing with announcements regarding upcoming writing events. There are national conferences, regional conferences, local workshops and online courses. How is a writer to choose which ones will be most helpful and appropriate?

Last week I posted a tongue-in-cheek top ten of why to attend a conference. This week, let’s get serious and I’ll give some good guidelines to help with the decision.

The first thing you should consider is your experience level. You need to look at where you are with your writing, that will be the biggest factor in your decision. As you look at the categories realize that your experience may overlap.

Beginner

• Never submitted anything for publication
• Hasn’t told many people he writes
• Has submitted a couple of things, but nothing published

Advanced Beginner

• Has several rejection letters and a couple of acceptances
• Is a member of a local or online writing group
• Regularly reads articles or books about writing

Intermediate

• Has attended a writers event (either a workshop, conference or online class)
• Has an idea of where he wants to go with his writing
• Has been paid for his writing

Advanced

• Spends time each day working at the craft of writing and has an income derived from writing
• Has definite goals and aspirations for his writing

Once you know which group you fall into, it’s easier to evaluate each individual event. There are 2 reasons to attend a writers event.

1. To learn more about the craft of writing
2. To network with professionals within the writing world

Here’s a general breakdown of what is usually offered at each kind of event.

These events vary slightly, so the following information is generalized. You should read all brochures and websites carefully to know what to expect.

Large, National Writing Conference
Expect lots of classes for the beginner and advanced beginner writer.
Some conferences do have a few sessions aimed at the advanced writer.
Continuing Classes – these are classes that last for more than one class period and concentrate on one subject. Even though they are continuing, they rarely provide advanced information on a given subject.
Workshops – these are classes that give an introduction to a concept (like dialogue, plot or setting).
Breakouts or Panels – these are groups of professionals giving instruction on a given subject. The information here is usually very basic.
Appointments with Faculty – most large conferences include a private appointment with a member of the faculty. This is where you would pitch a book or article idea to an editor. It can also be valuable to let a seasoned author look at your writing and give one-on-one feedback.

Regional or Local Writing Conference
Again, lots of classes for the beginner and advanced beginner writer.
Depending on the length of time, the conference will follow the same basic setup as a national conference.

Workshop or Seminar
Many of these are very specific in what they offer. They aren’t for a large number of writers and generally target the intermediate or advanced writer.

Online Classes
Again, they are very specific in what they offer and vary widely in who they cater to.

It’s never a good idea to write in a vacuum. I have always tried to attend one large conference a year to expose myself to the writing industry, both for networking and education. I also try to attend at least one focused workshop or seminar each year I and I try to keep my eyes open for online writing courses and take at least two a year.

This past weekend I attended a fabulous workshop, The Master Seminars, by Chip MacGregor and Susan May Warren and I'll be reviewing it in my Thursday Reviews post.

Let me know what conferences and events you've attended and how they've helped your writing journey.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie