The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Marketing Different Books Simultaneously

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Marketing Different Books Simultaneously Kathy Nickerson Interview

Author Kathy Nickerson released a book in March and will release another one in July. Today she’s here to share how she’s managing the marketing of these books.

Kathy, thanks so much for joining us here today. I always enjoy your books and your blog. You have a sense of humor I like, and that comes through clearly in your voice.

In March you launched The Secret of Serendipity, a middle-grade novel, and next month you release Rose Hill Cottage, a women’s contemporary fiction. How have you handled the marketing for two books in such a short period of time? [Read more…] about Marketing Different Books Simultaneously

3 Things You Need to Know About Flash Fiction

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Today’s post is by Ben Wolf, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Splickety Publishing Group. I had the privilege of meeting Ben last month at PenCon (a conference for editors). He gave an inspiring keynote speech on day 2 of the conference.

I enjoyed his keynote so much, I decided to ask if he’d be willing to guest post on my blog—and yes, I had to encourage myself to be brave enough to ask. He graciously said yes.

Ben Wolf, Splickety Publishing Group3 Things You Need to Know About Flash Fiction
by Ben Wolf
Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Splickety Publishing Group

Instant gratification reigns supreme in today’s fast-paced society. I could go into a spiel here about Twitter, DVR, multi-tasking, and Big Macs, but we all live it (and, in most cases, love it) every day. [Read more…] about 3 Things You Need to Know About Flash Fiction

Editors, Rejection, and Attitude

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Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. Winston ChurchillRejection in publishing is inevitable.

In fact, if a writer told me he/she had never received a rejection letter, then I’d say he/she had never submitted any work.

Yes, rejection is hard. Yes, it hurts. As writers, we must develop a tough skin so rejections don’t readily wound us. Further, we can’t let that rejection stop us from submitting our work somewhere else.

In addition to a tough skin, our attitude affects whether we handle rejection in a way that promotes our growth as a writer. We need a persevering attitude so we can overcome and reach our goals.

We all know our attitude [Read more…] about Editors, Rejection, and Attitude

Nurture Your Heart

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Nurture Your HeartAs I write this, I’m sitting in my son’s living room, located in beautiful Colorado Springs. This past weekend, I attended PenCon, a conference for editors. Yes, editors need conferences just like writers.

I can’t say enough good things about this conference organized by Kathy Ide and members of The Christian Pen. I heard terrific speakers, made new friends and connections in the editor world, and learned so much. I’m going home a better editor and a better person. Success all the way around for attending a conference.

Part of what I learned was to nurture your heart, to do things you enjoy and that refresh you.

And I planned this conference well, because in addition to the conference, [Read more…] about Nurture Your Heart

5 Places to Sell Your Devotional Articles

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Writing a short devotional for a daily devotional magazine is a good way to bring in some $$. Many markets pay $20-$25 per devotional, and most devotionals run around 200-300 words. That’s not bad money for so few words.

But writing devotionals is exacting. Requirements for devotional pieces vary widely and can be very detailed. Be sure to thoroughly read each market’s submission guidelines.

5 Devotional Markets

The Upper Room: http://www.upperroom.org/about/writer-guidelines/upper-room

Augsburg Fortress, http://www.augsburgfortress.org/company/submit.jsp This submission page contains links to several submission opportunities including download files for their 2 devotional magazines The Word in Season and Christ in Our Home.

Light From the Word, https://www.wesleyan.org/wg   scroll down to find specifics

The Secret Place, http://judsonpress.com/catalog_sp_guidelines.cfm

Research: Why It Matters to Your Novel

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Research: Why it matters to your novel

CrossRiver Media recently accepted a second book (working title Where Destiny Awaits) from author Catherine Ulrich Brakefield. She and I connected last month at the Omaha Wordsowers writers conference, at which time she handed me a half-inch thick folder of research documents—complete with an official map of Tennessee, where her story takes place.

I could have hugged her. (Maybe only an editor can feel that way about research.) [Read more…] about Research: Why It Matters to Your Novel

The Conference Is Over, What Now?

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This past weekend I was at the 2016 Wordsowers Christian Writers’ Conference where I taught on Scrivener, and also heard pitches from authors.

During the opening session, the conference director, Kat Crawford, asked how many were attending their first writers conference. I was pleasantly surprised to see nearly half the attendees raise their hands.

Kudos to you for taking that first major step toward honing your craft and getting your words out into the world.

Now that you’re back home, you might be wondering what to do now. [Read more…] about The Conference Is Over, What Now?

A Better, Easier Way to Create a Page Break

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For the indie author, correctly formatting the elements of your manuscript, such as a page break, is essential (unless of course you pay someone else to do it).

Page Break

If you’re seeking traditional publication, all publishers have submission guidelines. Those guidelines often include such items as what font to use (e.g. Times New Roman), what font size (12 pt.), and to double space. Most people have no difficulty with creating those settings in Word.

But two consistent issues I see in the majority of manuscripts submitted to me, are using multiple returns to create a break between chapters and using a tab for the beginning paragraph indent.

While these aren’t make or break problems, they cast a degree [Read more…] about A Better, Easier Way to Create a Page Break