Are you going?
I'm so excited! I've been chosen to be a mentor at the 1st annual Mount Hermon Christian Headstart Mentoring Clinic April 1-3, 2009
The Mount Hermon Writing Conference has done so much for me...if you go to one conference next year. Make it this one! More info, here!
Headstart Mentoring Clinic Combines with Mount Hermon's 40th Annual Writers ConferenceFor 39 years, Mount Hermon has created an exhilarating laboratory for training writers, whether unpublished or professional and this year has become the only place that offers help to writers at three stages:
Now They're Offering:
1) The Headstart Mentoring Clinic immediately before the spring Writers Conference for the beginning writer (application required), providing 100 percent takeaway through small group critiquing and one-on-one mentoring.
2) The Spring Writers Conference for all levels of writing proficiency, providing a wonderful overview to writing, editing and publishing (including a mentoring track with personalized attention to the intermediate writer who knows where he/she wants to go--application required).
3) The Professional Track during Spring Writers Conference providing seasoned veterans with new motivation and challenges.
Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center
PO Box 413
Mount Hermon, CA 95041
831-430-1238
www.mounthermon.org/writers
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Article Publishing 101!
Q: I have some articles I'd like to write. How do I go about getting them published? Do I just write them and send them around? Do I post them on my blog and try to get publishers interested? Help!
A: The *one thing* you need to do to break into magazine publications is to study key magazines completely and then tailor a unique article to fit their readers/needs/tone/style. Let me explain why you should do this, instead of trying what you suggested.
I tell my students that when most people approach article writing they do it as a knitter who is making a sweater. The knitter gets a pattern, picks out the yarn, and creates a perfectly beautiful sweater. After it's finished, the knitter decides she wants to sell it. So she sends it around to one hundred different people to try out. The truth is that even though the sweater is great, it doesn't fit 75% of the people. And of the 25% of the people it does fit, they don't really like the style. If by chance it fits someone and they like the style, there is always the problem of color. Out of the 100 people, there might be one in which the fit, style, and color is perfect ... and they might buy it. The problem is the 99 other rejections often wound the knitter's ego, and she's off to say ... crochet.
Better yet is to get Sally Stuart's Market Guide--or The Writer's Market--and target interesting publications. After picking your favorites, study those pubs until you know their unique fit, style, and color. Only then do you query the publication concerning article ideas. And ... once you have them hooked ... only then do you craft a sweater (or article!) that fits their needs.
This takes a lot of work at first, but out of the 1,000 knitters ... err writers ... who approached the pub, they will love you and come back to you again!
A: The *one thing* you need to do to break into magazine publications is to study key magazines completely and then tailor a unique article to fit their readers/needs/tone/style. Let me explain why you should do this, instead of trying what you suggested.
I tell my students that when most people approach article writing they do it as a knitter who is making a sweater. The knitter gets a pattern, picks out the yarn, and creates a perfectly beautiful sweater. After it's finished, the knitter decides she wants to sell it. So she sends it around to one hundred different people to try out. The truth is that even though the sweater is great, it doesn't fit 75% of the people. And of the 25% of the people it does fit, they don't really like the style. If by chance it fits someone and they like the style, there is always the problem of color. Out of the 100 people, there might be one in which the fit, style, and color is perfect ... and they might buy it. The problem is the 99 other rejections often wound the knitter's ego, and she's off to say ... crochet.
Better yet is to get Sally Stuart's Market Guide--or The Writer's Market--and target interesting publications. After picking your favorites, study those pubs until you know their unique fit, style, and color. Only then do you query the publication concerning article ideas. And ... once you have them hooked ... only then do you craft a sweater (or article!) that fits their needs.
This takes a lot of work at first, but out of the 1,000 knitters ... err writers ... who approached the pub, they will love you and come back to you again!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference discount!!!!!!!!
I just found out about this from Camille Cannon Eide from the Christian Authors Network...
Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference, being held April 3-7 2009, has made a tremendous offer. If you have never been to this conference, and if you register to attend between March 9-April 1, and if you mention on your registration form that someone already registered (like me or someone else that you know) invited you, you will receive $200 off the price of the conference!
The regular cost varies according to your room choice, it ranges from $845 and up - so minus $200 if you take them up on this offer and attend this 5 day conference for $645. This price includes EVERYTHING: conference tuition, materials, accommodations, totally excellent food, (it is really good!) snacks between sessions, and all the editor/agent appointments and high quality workshops, morning tracks and keynote evening sessions you would expect from a professional writer's conference. The morning mentoring tracks are awesome too (10 students-to-1 teacher, intense daily critique sessions) but you need to sign up for those ahead of time and those cost a little extra.
Check out the conference here: http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/
But even though it is a professional conference, the atmosphere is casual, serene and inviting. Mt Hermon is a sprawling, secluded campground nestled into a gorgeous redwood forest and includes scenic hiking/running trails. The evening sessions are awesome, beginning with a sweet time of worship. (I love it when hundreds of people from various places and backgrounds worship the Lord together...makes me think of what it will be like in heaven...) The setting is beautiful, peaceful and inspiring! Of course, the company isn't bad either. You'll meet editors, agents and Christian writers from every facet of the media. I came away with some great friends whom I still keep in contact with. It really is a wonderfully inspiring conference. I came away from it last year full, excited, changed and inspired.
If you sign up, I or the person you mention will get to share in the savings too. So everyone will benefit! If you have never been to Mt Hermon and you register BETWEEN MARCH 9 and APRIL 1st and give the name of the person who invited you, that person will also get $200 refunded back from our conference cost. I think this is a huge offer on their part, and certainly makes going to a high quality Christian writer's conference more affordable for us all.
Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference, being held April 3-7 2009, has made a tremendous offer. If you have never been to this conference, and if you register to attend between March 9-April 1, and if you mention on your registration form that someone already registered (like me or someone else that you know) invited you, you will receive $200 off the price of the conference!
The regular cost varies according to your room choice, it ranges from $845 and up - so minus $200 if you take them up on this offer and attend this 5 day conference for $645. This price includes EVERYTHING: conference tuition, materials, accommodations, totally excellent food, (it is really good!) snacks between sessions, and all the editor/agent appointments and high quality workshops, morning tracks and keynote evening sessions you would expect from a professional writer's conference. The morning mentoring tracks are awesome too (10 students-to-1 teacher, intense daily critique sessions) but you need to sign up for those ahead of time and those cost a little extra.
Check out the conference here: http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/
But even though it is a professional conference, the atmosphere is casual, serene and inviting. Mt Hermon is a sprawling, secluded campground nestled into a gorgeous redwood forest and includes scenic hiking/running trails. The evening sessions are awesome, beginning with a sweet time of worship. (I love it when hundreds of people from various places and backgrounds worship the Lord together...makes me think of what it will be like in heaven...) The setting is beautiful, peaceful and inspiring! Of course, the company isn't bad either. You'll meet editors, agents and Christian writers from every facet of the media. I came away with some great friends whom I still keep in contact with. It really is a wonderfully inspiring conference. I came away from it last year full, excited, changed and inspired.
If you sign up, I or the person you mention will get to share in the savings too. So everyone will benefit! If you have never been to Mt Hermon and you register BETWEEN MARCH 9 and APRIL 1st and give the name of the person who invited you, that person will also get $200 refunded back from our conference cost. I think this is a huge offer on their part, and certainly makes going to a high quality Christian writer's conference more affordable for us all.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Advice for Novelists (Part 63)
C.J. Darlington, co-founder of TitleTrakk, is running a great series on her blog: She started a series of blog posts in which industry professionals (editors, agents, publicists, authors, etc.) share their responses to this question:
"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"
Roxanne Henke: Actually, I’d say two things.
1. Read.
Analyze good books. What makes them resonate with you? Pull apart the not-so-great books. What would you do to make that book sing?
2. Write.
Day-dreaming about writing isn’t writing. You need to sit in a chair, in front of a keyboard and put words on paper (or a computer screen). Only by writing will you find your “voice” and tell your stories. I’ll say it again, read and write.
--Roxanne Henke, author of Learning to Fly, the Coming Home to Brewster series, and more. Visit her website here.
"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"
Roxanne Henke: Actually, I’d say two things.1. Read.
Analyze good books. What makes them resonate with you? Pull apart the not-so-great books. What would you do to make that book sing?
2. Write.
Day-dreaming about writing isn’t writing. You need to sit in a chair, in front of a keyboard and put words on paper (or a computer screen). Only by writing will you find your “voice” and tell your stories. I’ll say it again, read and write.
--Roxanne Henke, author of Learning to Fly, the Coming Home to Brewster series, and more. Visit her website here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
