Is Religious Book Publishing Dead?

Fake news has been with us for a long time. A century ago, after Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) had been out of the country several months on a speaking tour, an American newspaper published his obituary, asserting that he had died penniless in London. A correspondent for the New York Journal contacted him for comment. The author acknowledged that his cousin James Ross Clemens had been near death in London a couple of weeks earlier, but had recovered. “The report of my illness grew out of his illness,” he said in a laconic note. “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

Publishers of religious books find themselves in a similar predicament these days. Hundreds of bookstores have closed, including nationwide chains such as Family Christian Stores and Lifeway Stores. Major Christian trade shows have folded. Christian authors seldom appear on late-night talk shows anymore. With such visible changes, some people assume that Christian book publishing is dying.

If you hear that, take a look at the facts.

January’s statistical report from the Association of American Publishers (AAP) showed that religious book sales have increased more than any other category, up 8.1% from a year ago.  Click here to see details.

Brick-and-mortar bookstores are closing, not because people have stopped reading, but because they can find more books online. The largest physical bookstore can display just a tiny fraction of the new books published each year—nearly 305,000 new titles in the United States alone. Click here to see how our publishing output compares to other countries.

Then there’s self-publishing. First-time authors now have new technologies to publish their own books. Amazon says that more than a thousand authors earned over $100,000 each in royalties through Kindle Direct Publishing in 2017. Not all were Christian authors, to be sure, but many were. Click here to see details.  

So if someone tries to discourage you from writing because they think books are dying, give them a benign smile. As Mark Twain would say, that report is an exaggeration.

 

Publishing on the Amazon Platforms: Part 1

Last month, I released two books through Amazon's CreateSpace and Kindle platforms. It was my first attempt at this, so perhaps my novice experience will help you make decisions about whether to use these channels for releasing your own work.

The first book was actually that of a friend, Beverly J. Worth of Warsaw, IN. Beverly has a tax preparation service for ministers and has published Worth's Income Tax Guide for Ministers every year since 1973. At first, the book was published by Baker Book House. The tradition was continued by Appalachian Distributors and Evangel Publishing House. In recent years, Beverly has self-published the book.

When I met with her in February to begin work on my own tax return, I saw dozens of book cartons stacked in her office hallway. This was her inventory of the 2016 Income Tax Guide. When someone ordered a copy through her website or 800 number, she or a secretary would process the credit card, then pick, pack, and ship the book. When she needed copies for one of her tax seminar, a helper would pack the necessary copies and ship them to the distant venue--or she would lug a carton onto the plane as checked baggage.

So I told her about Amazon's CreateSpace service (http://www.createspace.com). As I understood it, this program would allow an author to upload her book as a word-processing or design file. CreateSpace then converts it into a printing file, which they use to manufacture copies of the book on demand (even if only one copy is needed). The title is available for sale through Amazon or other retailers, and the author receives a nice percentage of the selling price. By the way, I explained this was all hearsay, because I'd not yet finished preparing my first CreateSpace book.

"Why don't you delay yours a few days and help me put the Tax Guide into the program?" she asked. So we began our first test run.

Beverly gave me the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files that her local printer used to produce all those cartons of books in her hallway. I set up an account for her at CreateSpace (there's no cost to get started) and followed their online instructions to modify Beverly's file for their use. I have intermediate skills for using the computer, and I found the process incredibly simple to follow. After uploading the file, I ordered a proof copy for Beverly's review. She received it within a few days, found a few adjustments she'd like to make, and I revised the file. To this point, our only out-of-pocket expense was the cost of printing and shipping the proof (less than ten dollars).

When the proof was satisfactory, I pressed a button to release the book. Within six hours, it appeared on Amazon.com and orders began coming in. I'm writing this a week after Beverly's book went "live," and I see that she has sold 8 copies through Amazon, earning nearly a hundred dollars. Because of the Tax Guide's long-standing reputation, people come looking for it, so Beverly can continue preparing tax returns and stop handling book orders. And she'll collect a royalty check every two weeks. Nice!

A lesser-known author with a lesser-known book has to be more proactive in marketing it. An author may also want to self-publish a book through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing program, which was ill-suited for Beverly's book. That's where the story of my book begins--next time.

Why you shouldn't worry about the publishing industry

A lot of Christian authors are fretting about Family Christian Stores filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy and what it could mean for the Christian publishing industry.

I'll admit it's scary. The store's financial crisis means publishers won't get paid. As a result, publishers will suffer financially and may be reluctant to take a risk on a new author. Exisiting authors may receive less money for contracts than they received in the past because the money isn't there.

 And so, the doors, which may have opened more easily for unpublished authors, could now be slamming shut. 

But that's no reason to stop writing.

Especially if God called you as His scribe.

Many are called to preach, but they don't get paid to do it.

 Many are called to sing, but they don't have contracts, and yet they sing every week in their worship services to the glory of God.

 Many are called to teach, but volunteer their time in Sunday School. 

I'm not saying that all writers should be glad to give their work away. But the reality is, not everyone is chosen to have a full-time paid writing life. Most writers are bi-vocational. And a lot of musicians, preachers and teachers are, too.

We can't peer into the future and know what will happen in the publishing industry. Publishers themselves are a bit in the dark.

There's only one thing I can guarantee: nothing is for certain.

And yet, I don't think there's been a better time to be a writer. A mere 20 years ago, writers couldn't find the audiences that we have access to now via the Internet.  Blogging wasn't a "thing" until the late 90s, and even then, many folks had no clue what it was. (I'm happy to say I did.)

Now, via our blogs and social media, we write and publish our thoughts immediately. I feel giddy thinking about it. What do you suppose Shakespeare or  Hemingway would have blogged about? Just think of the tools we have that they never dreamed of.

As never before, we have a global reach as writers. People in far away countries have read my books. I don't think it would have happened so quickly 10 or 20 years ago.

God placed us in this world for such a time as this. And we can trust Him with our call. We may not get to do the things we want, but we will definitely get to do the things He's created us for if we obey. We may never be interviewed on CNN or have our books listed in Publisher's Weekly, but that's okay. Because what really matters is that we're listed in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that those we write for have the chance to consider their place in its pages, too.

The devil would love nothing more than to silence you. Don't let him win. His voices aren't quitting. They continue to churn out filth and drivel in every language. And they take no shame in spewing their message via self-publishing.

Self-publishing is a viable option. I repeat. Do not be ashamed to self-publish. It's here to stay. It's not going away. It's just too easy now. (Having said that, do NOT publish until your work is pristine. I'll blog more about self-publishing later.)

I predict that traditional publishers will look at those who self-publish successfully, as much as they look at social media credentials and talent, when considering a contract.

Where it used to be considered unprofessional to self-publish, if you do it right and you're successful, it's now considered admirable. It shows you have the stick-to-it-ness and work ethic needed for a good author to be successful.

 However, the irony is this: if you're self-publishing successfully, why would you want to go the traditional route? (More about this later, too.) And herein is why publishing companies are in a bit of a quandary, wanting to play it safe (I don't blame them), and afraid to take risks on new voices.

There is room, nay, a need in this world for the Christian voice. If we quit writing, our voices, which are so often drowned out, will for certain never be heard. God delights in using the small things of this world, and He can use our voices to reach those He longs to draw to Him. Even if only three people read our blog--if they are the people God has brought to us, how exciting is that?

As Christian authors, our art has a different purpose than writing for our own pleasure or the pleasure of our readers. When we write, we also write for HIS pleasure and HIS purpose. What an extraordinary thought. If the only audience we have is the audience of THE ONE, isn't that all that matters?

When I think how our Christian brothers and sisters are struggling, suffering and dying under the oppression of ISIS, the perils of the Christian publishing industry in the United States pale in comparison, do they not?

One day we will face our Lord on the other side of eternity, and He's not going to ask us why we didn't make the best-seller's list. But we will give an account for how we used our gifts to reach a lost and dying world (Matthew 25:14-30).

Just because you're not published with a traditional company doesn't mean your writing doesn't count. If you don't have an agent, that doesn't mean your writing isn't legitimate in God's eyes.

Tweet this: His eyes are the only ones that matter.

Keep writing. Lives are at stake. It's not about ego or pleasure. As a Christian author, it's about redeeming the time we've been given to share the most important message of all: God's grace and His soon and coming return.

What will you do today to fulfill the call?

 Karla Akins is the author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots and narrative biographies for children. She currently serves as Vice President of ACFW-Indiana.

When she's not writing you can find her on her motorcycle looking for treasure.

Follow Karla here:

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A Sourcebook for Self-Publishers

Self-publishing is an honorable way to launch a literary career. Considering the hurdles we have to clear with traditional publishers, more of us are considering it. I recently came across a book on self-publishing with the unlikely title of APE, replete with a sketch of King Kong glowering over the skyline of Manhattan. On closer inspection, I found that APE stands for "Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur," the 3-in-1 role that a self-publisher must play. Fair enough. Perhaps there was something of value here.

Popular author Guy Kawasaki decided to investigate the world of self-publishing when his big-time NYC publisher (Penguin) didn't know how to respond when a large corporation wanted to give 500 copies of the e-book version of his newest release to its employees.

"Penguin...doesn't sell e-books directly, so it referred this lead to Apple," Kawasaki says. "Apple told the company to buy five hundred gift cards, scratch off the back, and then enter individual gift codes one at a time into iTunes. At that point, the company gave up on iTunes and tried Amazon and Barnes & Noble. An employee of the company ended up making five hundred individual credit-card purchases."

This was just 3 years ago (2011). So Kawasaki and his author colleague Shawn Welch wrote and self-published APE: How to Publish a Book. It's available from the usual retail outlets...

Click here to Barnes & Noble's listing for APE
or Here to Amazon's listing for it.

Despite my skepticism (I mean, what would you expect from a book with a cover like THAT?),  Kawasaki and Welch "crowdsourced" the contents of this book. They circulated the first drafts to dozens of self-published authors for their feedback, corrections, and contributions. As a result, the book brims over with resources for authors who are toying with the idea of self-publishing: editorial and design services, file conversion services, distribution channels for print and e-books, social media promotion tips, and much more.

It's well worth a look. If you go to their website (www.apethebook.com) and look VERY carefully, you'll see how to get your copy for free...like I did.

__________________

Joe Allison and his wife, Judy, live in Anderson IN, where Joe serves as Editorial Director of Discipleship Resources & Curriculum for Warner Press, Inc. Joe has several nonfiction books in print, including Swords and Whetstones: A Guide to Christian Bible Study Resources. He's currently writing a trilogy of Christian historical novels set in the Great Depression.
 

Visit Joe's blog at http://southernmtns.wordpress.com

Five Keys to Publishing Success by JoAnn Durgin

I must preface this post by saying I’m certainly no expert on anything, but I'd like to share some of what I've learned with you in the hope it might somehow encourage you in your own writing journey. By the end of 2014, I’ll have been traditionally published as well as indie published with ten books (six full-length novels and four novellas) to my name. All in the last four years, in addition to working full-time. So, that’s got to count for something.

Not to sound like a dreaded infomercial (I’m not selling anything here although I am posting a photo of the boxed set of my first four books as well as the cover of my newest release, Moonbeams), I’d like to share with you what I consider the five key factors to success in pursuing a full-time writing career. I’m hoping to quit my full-time job in the near future, and—based on the income I’ve earned in the past three months—I believe it can be done.

The following steps are nothing more than common sense, really. You know these things, too, but sometimes it helps to have someone else put it in perspective.  As I mention at the end of the post, please feel free to add your own ideas.

 *Pray. Begin every writing, editing or marketing/advertising session with a time of prayer. Whether it’s one minute or 15 minutes, I always present my petitions, both large and small, to the Lord. He has been my Partner in my writing journey from Day One. I firmly believe without Him at my side, and living inside me, I could not have accomplished as much as I’ve done with anywhere near the same measure of success. Write for His glory and know you can hold you head high when you meet your Savior one day.

*Write.  The only way you can get a book published is by writing it. The only way you can learn and grow as a writer is by continuing to write, edit, hone and fine tune your work. Make each and every book your best effort. Write a good book and the Lord will get it in the hands of those who most need to read it. Word-of-mouth promotion will kick in after a while, but don’t get greedy and don’t get impatient. Sometimes—especially with a first novel—it takes time to build the momentum, especially if you’re not with a big publisher. But don’t ever get lazy. And keep writing and releasing. The more books you can offer readers, the higher the potential for income.

Give up the idea of writing the “perfect” novel. It’s simply not going to happen. A book can be grammatically perfect, a book can follow all the rules, but it doesn’t mean it’ll touch hearts. How many books have you read where it’s sound from a technical standpoint but doesn’t affect a reader’s emotions? How many reviews have you read where the reviewer says, “I can tell the author was on deadline because the ending felt rushed”? Write from your heart and finish your story. Then it will reach others with the message you want to convey.

*Join. Become a member of a writers’ group. Critique group. Something. Any organization where you’re around others who share your passion. Guaranteed, you will learn more about the craft of writing. The energy to be gained from fellowshipping with other Christian authors, in particular, is infectious and one of the best things you can do. After I joined the national ACFW, I learned so much just from reading the email loops. One of the best things I ever learned was from Indiana’s Colleen Coble who advised me to write a scene in the POV of “the one who has the most to lose.” Give others the opportunity to teach you and be willing to share what you’ve learned with others.

*Persevere. More than half the battle is sticking with it. Writing can be a lonely existence at times. It will be joyful and yet there will be the inevitable lows. You will be uplifted by others and sometimes you will feel a bit wounded by the careless words of others or by a reviewer who just didn’t “get” the message of your book. There will be those who rejoice with you and others who will try to tear you down. That’s a big part of standing firm in your faith. The Lord never said it would be easy, but He said He’d be there for us. And, oh what a comfort that is! I cling to His promises, folks, and I trust that you do, too. Keep at it and pursue the calling of writing the Lord has placed in your heart. Tell His stories your way. And tell your story His way.

*Marketing/Advertising. As it is, there are millions of books written every year. With the advent of self-publishing, anyone can write anything and get it published, and that can be both a good and a bad thing. Be creative and inventive. Seek out your focus group. My book series (five books now in release and more to come) is based in the Houston area, although settings from all over the country (and more) are featured in the subsequent books. After the third book released, I prepared and sent a slick “ad” to a number of big Houston-area evangelical churches. I addressed them to the ladies’ ministry coordinators. Do I know whether or not it had an impact? No, but based on the sales of the books shortly thereafter, I believe it certainly didn’t hurt.

Without going into detail, I managed to get my debut novel (at the time published by a small Canadian publisher no one had ever heard of) into the illustrious CBD catalog. It only stayed there for two or three issues, but I accomplished my goal. After meeting the CBD rep at the ACFW and then getting no response after several emails, I used my common sense and got the job done. 

Be willing to spend money to make money. One of the biggest boosts to my writing is discovering websites such as BookBub and Ereader News Today. The first is expensive but more than worth the cost. Guaranteed, if you advertise with BookBub, your book will make it to bestseller status, even if only for a day or two. BookBub has a subscriber list of thousands and many of their members download their daily recommendations. You must be willing to reduce your eBook price (free and 99 cent books do the best, and the first of a series book does even better). Seriously, your jaw will drop at the number of downloads! Ereader News Today is a wonderful outlet, especially for those who are self-published. The results are only a small portion of what BookBub can do (hundreds of books downloaded as opposed to thousands in one day), but their cost is relatively small but well worth it.

https://www.bookbub.com/home/overview.php?source=mssitelink_about

http://ereadernewstoday.com/

 

These are only a few helpful hints that have boosted my visibility in the contemporary Christian romance market. They’re tried and true in my case. Feel free to share any tips that have worked for you! I’d love to hear them. After all, we’re here to help one another!

Blessings, friends.

~JoAnn Durgin

Matthew 5:16

Publishing Dilemma! HELP!

What do YOU think? Should I publish an incomplete novel?

That's my dilemma, and here's why I'm considering doing so.

I'm about halfway finished with the third novel, Jade Cross, in my Yangtze Dragon Trilogy. My novels are stories inspired by my family's China and Taiwan experiences, dating back to 1882 until the present time. At the rate I'm progressing, I doubt I'll finish this third novel before the end of the year.

My problem?

I plan to dedicate Jade Cross to several significant others from my life when I was growing up in Taiwan. They are now elderly, and recently one moved to Glory. I would like the others to see my forever gratitude in print before they, too, finish their days on earth.

So I'm considering publishing part of Jade Cross and sending it to them. Incidentally, they have read my first two novels, and have expressed eagerness to read the final one.

Since I can quite easily do this as a self-published author,
should I? Or am I overlooking some serious drawbacks?

Plus I'm curious!

For those of you who've read the first two novels in my trilogy, would you like to read a few more chapters of the story while you wait for the finished novel?

I hope you'll let me know what YOU think!

Millie Nelson Samuelson
www.milliesbooks.org

PS: To celebrate our New Year, all four of my Kindle books are on sale for only 99 cents each this month of January on Amazon: Hungry River, Dragon Wall, A Missionary Memoir, Women of the Last Supper.

The Perils (and Blessings) of Publishing by JoAnn Durgin

I’ve seen a lot in the last (almost) three years since I’ve been a published author. If nothing else, you can always count on me for being honest and upfront about my life, including my writing career. Something happened in the past few weeks that might have devastated me six months ago…but now? Not so much. Let me explain: the publisher of my Lewis Legacy series decided he didn’t want to publish anymore. “Nothing personal,” he said, and I know he means it. He simply wants to concentrate on his own writing, editing and publishing projects. So, I’m being cut loose. I liken it to the bird in the nest who's now ready to fly on its own. So, on a wing and the proverbial prayer, here I go.

What to do now? Well, I could shop the series (four books out now and more to come) to other publishers, but I don’t think I’m going that route. You see, I believe the Lord prepared me for this to happen and I’ve expected it for some time. Like so many in the publishing industry, including the CBA, I’ve kept a close eye on several well-respected, multi-published authors who’ve taken to self-publishing their backlist titles or new, shorter works and listing them for sale at a low-cost price. And now these same authors are saying they’re earning their “bread and butter” from these books. Interesting, eh? Sure, they’ve been traditionally published and have earned a strong, large and loyal following…that certainly helps. Keep reading.

Let’s face it. There used to be a certain “stigma” attached to self-publishing. As Michael Hyatt told his audiences at writing conventions two years ago, “The stigma is gone.” Honestly? I never expected to be published by a big CBA house, if I was published at all. Not because I didn’t believe my writing measured up, but for the very fact that my writing is “different.” I write outside-of-the-box, non-formulaic contemporary Christian romances. From the beginning, I wrote because I simply love telling a story. I understood—if I was published at all—it would most likely be with a small, independent publisher. I wasn’t personally willing to compromise to make my stories fit the “safe” mold required by most mainstream publishers. Among other aspects, my books are longer in terms of length, and my characters unashamedly refer to scripture and things of the Lord (without “beating them over the head”), and support conservative “causes” many publishers don’t want to touch. So far, the readers aren’t complaining, and my books are reaching an audience beyond the typical “Christian” mainstream reader, and I now have a small but strong and loyal following upon which to build. I couldn’t be more thrilled. Praise the Lord!

To test the waters, perhaps, I released Catching Serenity on my own a few weeks ago, something I’d planned to do before I learned of my publisher’s decision. Again, I believe it’s because I knew this was coming. I’ve been harder on myself and agonized over this one book because it’s all mine. Put it this way: it’s a good thing Amazon doesn’t charge for reloading a file when changes are made. Self-publishing is a scary proposition and yet an exciting one. To be clear, I’ve also published with a couple of other small CBA publishers and I plan on producing more books with those same publishers in the future. As always, I’ll continue to follow His leading first and foremost, in writing as in all aspects of my life. Like anything else, writing and publication is a journey. I’m sure I’ll stumble at times, but hopefully I’ll also have times when I’ll soar. But I’ll have the freedom to help design my book covers, set my own deadlines and schedule, but more importantly to me? I’ll have the freedom to tell my story my way. And that’s just fine with me.

Blessings,

JoAnn Durgin

Proverbs 3:5-6

Interview with Donna Benson

I'm in a small critique group. We had a point when we had lost a member and Donna Benson contacted us. She's the author of the Sanctuary Series.

Jeff Reynolds:  Welcome, Donna. Let's start with how you came to Christ.

Donna Benson: Hello. I can’t remember a time Jesus wasn’t there. He’s always been in my life from my earliest memories. I went forward at Easter when I was ten and was baptized. I have been learning and growing in faith and understanding since.

JR:  Am I correct that you're a truck driver? What's that like? How does it influence your writing? And any truck-driving stories you'd like to share?

DB: Yes, my husband and I are what the industry calls a team. We’ve been driving for over 15 years. It’s a job traveling around the country, picking up and delivery freight. At first I struggled being gone weeks at a time. I would much rather be home. But we make a good living and my husband likes it so here I am.

Everything we do influences our life. Traveling has given me a love for home, the people of this country, and knowledge we are more alike than different.

I recently posted a story on my blog about an experience while on the road. Here's the link to it:  http://fleetothemountains.com/just-enough-just-in-time/

JR: What led you to get interested in writing in general and your Sanctuary Series in particular?

DB: I have enjoyed writing for years. I started with articles for my church blog. Six or seven years ago I had a dream. It was about a ranch in the mountains where Christians fled when violence against them began to spiral out of control. Our country was in turmoil everywhere. It was interesting…my husband also had a similar vision around the same time. We wanted a way to warm people of difficult times ahead. From there the fictional story was born. I finished the book five years ago and simply put it away because we felt it wasn’t time to do anything with it yet. Then last year we just knew it was time to publish.

JR: Could you tell us about Flee To The Mountain, and your thoughts as far as follow-up books in the series?

DB: The story is about the Hamilton family, led by God to establish a small mountain community they call the sanctuary. They set out to prepare their hearts for hard times. Large numbers of supplies, food, and other necessary items are purchased knowing they will have to help others. When the world falls into chaos and persecution runs rampant, the Hamiltons open their community to displaced believers.

I have three other books in mind to follow Flee to the Mountain. The second is nearly completed. Rescue God’s Children deals with those who come under fierce persecution, detainment, or fall into the hands of evil people. God puts together a group of ex-military men to rescue some young people from places like a brothel and a school where the kids are forced to work in a community garden as slave labor. The entire series will deal with those people called by God to help others, traveling toward a refuge, or dealing with the evil around them.

My entire focus in this series is to get Christians to prepare for hard times ahead. It is my belief God is warning His people to prepare and band together in order to survive. That's not to say He won't help us, but we need to do our part. We must prepare spiritually to deal with the escalation of evil around the world and begin to stockpile supplies of all kinds.

JR: Your book is published by a self-publishing company which is linked with a major Christian publisher, one I had considered using. Could you tell us about how you selected them and the pluses and minuses of being self-published?

DB: Since Flee to the Mountains is a Christian book, I felt a Christian publisher would best fit my needs. To be honest, I don’t think I would use them again. They are very nice people, but I feel it’s all about money for them. They don’t really care about the books or the authors…at least that is my impression. I have found if you plan to self-publish, it’s best to find the least expensive with the best quality. I’m not sure there are any pluses to self-publishing. The minuses are promotion and marketing, though it’s my understanding regular publishers don’t do as much as they used to. Many bookstores will not carry self-published books. That’s a huge minus. You may have the best written book on the planet, but chances are slim most people will see it. In my case, my book is a ministry. So it’s never been about making money. I give them to people who I believe will benefit from them. But people can buy them online at Amazon or Barnes and Nobles.

JR: You're a member of the ACFW, and also a member of my small critique group. How has your involvement with the ACFW and the group helped you as a writer?

DB: Any time we open ourselves up to others we can grow...at least when those people have a heart for God and try to help you. It was hard for me at first to receive from them. My books are my babies and I tend to hover over them. But I believe the groups are helping me. My only hesitation is changing my writing to the point it is just like everyone else’s. God made us individuals and unique. The same is true for our writing styles. I want to incorporate some of the techniques I am learning from my critique partners, but I want to maintain my uniqueness as well.

JR: What influences have you had both as an author and otherwise which have shown up in your writing?

DB: I used to read in all my spare time...now I write. I enjoy a great many authors. Dee Henderson, JD Robb come to mind first, but I have a huge library of both Christian and secular books. (I like to actually hold the book I read.) Funny thing is before I started writing I never paid much attention to how it was written. Now I notice things I never saw before.

To be honest, I'm not sure how much any one of them has influenced me though. I am a believer in Jesus to the foundation of my soul and I incorporate that into my writing. If my work does not challenge others to live a Godly life and share the message of the cross, I am a failure. On the flip side, if even one person reads my work and it helps them in their personal walk with the Lord…I am a success.

JR: What advice would you give a young Christian interested in writing?

DB: Start writing from your heart. Join a writing group, take some classes on writing and read, read, read different kinds of books. It will help you establish your own style and find your area of interest. And don’t give up. God give each of us gifts. If one of yours is writing, you must use it.

JR: Thank you for your time. Is there a webpage people can keep up with you on?

DB: Thank you     http://fleetothemountains.com

5 Ways to Ruin Your Good Name in the Publishing Industry

Writers know the importance of making a name in the industry. We carefully choose a pen name. We devise and implement a brand. We strategically title blogs and websites to draw the most hits on the Web. But the surest way to ruin your good name in publishing is to put our writing in front of the people who matter--agents, publishers, and readers--before it is ready.

I recently paid good money for a self-published book recommended to me by a colleague. I don't want to get into an argument about the pros and cons of self-publishing, for that is not the point I wish to make. The point I wish to express is that this author put her cart ahead of her proverbial cart. Sometimes agents, editors, and publishers reject manuscripts for good reasons. This novel might be the best example of how to make sure your name is remembered--and not for any of the things for which writers hope.

So whether you are self-publishing, entering a contest, or submitting a manuscript to an agent, here are a few things you should do if you want to make your name infamous in publishing--and probably ensure you won't ever get a read again.

1. Disregard proper form and style. In the book I read, the author either did not have any idea how to properly write dialogue or she thought she had enough clout to create her own style. On the plus side, the writer was consistent. She wrote every line of dialogue in the entire book incorrectly.

2. Freely abuse the English language. Write the way you talk and if you mispronounce words or use improper syntax and context, stay true to form. Write things like, "James feared Melissa was a cereal killer" or "Marty didn't hafta check the phone number, he knew it by hard."

3. Ignore continuity. One character's last name changed mid-way through the book with no explanation. Another character fluctuated between two different spellings of her name. Tomato, to-mahto, potato, po-tahto. Let's call the whole thing off, Molly--or is it Mollie?

4. Skip spell-checking, editing, and proofreading. This particular author misspelled the same words with enough frequency that it could not have been an accident. Repeated misuse of homonyms made it clear that the author just didn't know witch, I mean which, word to use. I guess some people just don't want to be told what to do--even by their spell checker.

5. Get your facts wrong. A simple subtraction problem should have shown the author that her character could not have been married for 22 years unless she walked the aisle at the age of nine. And at one point, two characters flew home to Seattle, went to bed and woke up the next morning in their beds--in Las Vegas.

I found the story idea engaging, the voice interesting at times, but the inaccuracies, errors, and typos convinced me that I won't ever spend my hard-earned money on another book by this author, nor will I take seriously another recommendation from that particular colleague. Some more time snuggled up with a good critique partner, a dictionary, or a computer with spell check would have made a tremendous difference with this manuscript. Did this author ruin her good name and her chance of ever signing an agent, getting a publishing contract, or securing a fan base?

I'd love to hear what you think.

*Note: My goal is not to bash this author, which is why I don't list the author or the title. I've also altered some of the telling pieces of information so as to make it more difficult to recognize the book in question.