BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

Novel Marketing

[Chip MacGregor is one of the best known personalities in Christian publishing. The ace agent, former publisher, writer, teacher, is now a conference director. He and Jim Rubart will lead conferences in how to market fiction, something of interest to every novelist. I met Jim at a conference in Florida. I don't impress easily, but Jim managed to do it. He has worked in marketing for years and his first novel comes out soon. Marketing fiction is tough, and since novelists are, well, novelists and not marketing experts, the task is even more difficult. Chip posted the following on his blog (http://chipmacgregor.com). I asked permission to run it here. --AG]

Interested in Marketing Your Fiction?

[Get ready. I'm going to offer a commercial. At the end, I might even offer you a Ginsu knife. You've been warned.] 

I've long been bugged by the fact that most marketing books you read about in publishing are focused on non-fiction. They tell authors to create websites that give away content, or to go on a speaking circuit and talk about your topic, but most of the ideas are really best for non-fiction. What do you do if you're a novelist? 

I've been talking about that a lot in recent months -- how novelists can create a readership, build a following, establish a presence as a novelist. Several of my recent blog posts have been focused on things like social media, and establishing an author brand, and the importance of social media. So, working with longtime marketing specialist Jim Rubart, we've put together a two-day seminar on marketing your fiction. This is aimed at writers who have a book coming out sometime in the next year, and want to be able to create their own marketing plan. In fact, the goal of this seminar is to make sure, at the end of our weekend together, each novelist walks away with a unique marketing plan for their upcoming book.

Okay, so we're not going to include a bunch of hype, or motivational you-can-do-it speeches, and there won't be any pie-in-the-sky, "maybe this could work" type of ideas. We're not going to sell you any products. Instead, here are a few things we're going to cover:

• What a novelist’s brand is, how to, discover it, and how to establish it

Five things you can do to become your publisher’s favorite author (and get extra help because of it.)

What you should expect from your publisher, and what you shouldn’t

 How get the maximum impact out of social media, your Web site, and your blog.

The seven keys to great ad copy, and how you can use those keys to get free (or nearly free) advertising

How to find new, untapped markets for your books

Three strategies for working successfully with an outside publicist

Most importantly, we'll show you how to create and implement your own, personalized marketing paln to make your novel stand out in a crowded marketplace. And we'll cover the philosophy behind WHY to do certain things. We'll get you thinking like a marketer. 

Jim and I have already beta-tested this material, and found it to be really helpful to authors. We are going to do this next month -- November 20-21, in Dallas. Then we're going to repeat it December 4-5 in Indianapolis. We'll be meeting at a hotel conference room close to the airport, so you can either stay at the hotel, or drive in if you're local. (We plan to do this again next spring in Nashville and Chicago.) We're going to keep these small, so that there will be lots of one-on-one time for each author, and it'll be very hands-on. You'll be creating the plan, not just talking about it. 

Okay, so the cost is normally $499. We decided to charge $399 for these first two, just as an inducement to get people involved. But then I had a bunch of readers of this blog ask about participating, so... tell you what. If you go to the website (www.themasterseminars.com) and mention this blog, you can come for $300. And yeah, space is limited. There's just two of us, and we can only work with a small group. 

Can this sort of focused marketing really work with fiction? Well, I've been working with novelists for years now, and have a good track record of helping them move forward in their careers. So if you really want to figure out what to do in order to market your fiction effectively, plan to come join us. I'd love to meet you there. Thanks for letting me offer you a commercial. 

(Yes, I should have worked for Ronco -- "And, if you order before midnight tonight, we'll send you this lovely set of cheese straightners for FREE!") 

Chip

Learning from the Best

Writing should have a purpose. Writing should conform to the message. Most of all, writing should touch the reader. Many writers miss the point. It's not about them, it's about the reader. No one demonstrates this better than Philip Yancey. Known for his insightful, honest books on faith, Yancey is also a master of the "short piece." Long time contributor to Christianity Today, Yancy conveys complicated and emotional topics in flawless prose.

I was reminded of his skill as I read Intensive Care Week, a brief work about the week he spent at the side of his brother's hospital bed. Yancy makes no attempt to pull our heart strings, to manipulate our emotions, or make us feel sorry for him. Instead, he relates his experience in a way every reader can understand.

We could take time to analyze everything he did right: how he began with a quote and ended with a strong and memorable line. But this article is an open door to his brother's hospital room and such analysis somehow seems rude. Still, Yancy is one of the best and the kind of writer other writers study.

Read the article and see if you don't agree that it is what all writing should be: personal, direct, honest, and meaningful to the reader.

--Alton Gansky

Procrastination Made Perfect

Angie Hunt, keynote and faculty member from the 2009 BRMCWC always has something interesting to say. Last week she posted the following on her blog site and gave permission to reprint it here. Ah...the writer's life. --AG

So . . . Tuesday my goal was to get the first 5,000 words of THE GRANDMA GENE into the computer. So I got up, did all my morning stuff, and was at my desk by 11:00 a.m. Opened my writing program and stared at the little note cards on the screen. My job was to fill them in with scenes, lots of scenes.

I looked down and noticed that my keyboard had a hair on it. Oh, no. Had to stop and remove the hair. Had to then turn the keyboard upside down and shake to dislodge any miscellaneous pieces of personal DNA that might be hiding there. Then had to get the antiseptic wipes and clean the entire shelf on which the keyboard sits--can't have a dirty shelf, can we? Oh! And that's dust on the printer and the phone. Excuse me while I dust said printer and phone and Kindle and work area . . .

Back to the desk. Emails arrive, several of them. Yea. I answer them immediately.

Oh! The UPS man. I run out to the porch and retrieve the package, then come in and open it. A book. One I've looked forward to reading--THE HUNGER GAMES. Am tempted to start the first chapter, but no, I must write today. Set the book aside.

Oh, my, I think it's lunch time. Lunch break.

Back from lunch. Sit down, open shelf, hands on keyboard. But look, more emails have arrived. I answer them immediately.

Hands on keyboard when I hear the rumble of the mail truck. Mail call, and there's bound to be a lot of mail because yesterday was a holiday. Go out and grab the mail, then come in and sort it. Toss, toss, file, toss, toss--oh! Two books: Randy Alcorn's IF GOD IS GOOD (autographed, no less!) and Dean Koontz's A BIG LITTLE LIFE. I skim through Randy's book and find myself tearing up at the truths written there. Have to stop and send him a thank-you email.

With an effort, set books aside. Hands on keyboard, but look! Dog wants to go out. Okay.

Get up and take dogs out. While they are doing their thing, I take a few moments to water the plants, scoop poop, consider rearranging the porch furniture. No, too hot. Maybe later.

Back inside. At desk. In chair. Hands on keyboard. Who are these people and whatever made me think I could write a novel about them?

Phone rings. Hubby calling. Chat about nothing important.

Emails come in. Answer them immediately. One is from a friend who wants to know when's a good time to call. NOW, I respond.

He calls. We talk. I hang up.

Hands on keyboard. Eyes straight ahead. Oh my, I'm thirsty. Need Diet Coke. Up to kitchen, empty glass in hand. On way back to desk when I remember laundry in dryer. Oh my, can't let those clothes wrinkle. Stop and fold laundry--some of it, anyway.

Back to desk. Hands on keyboard. Wait--still thirsty, because cup, Diet Coke, and ice are in laundry room. Off to fetch them.

Back at desk. Emails come in! Yea! Write chatty notes to friends. Stop and stare at people walking by on sidewalk. Who are they? What are they doing in the neighborhood? What are their dreams?

Scold self--should confine imaginings to characters in work-supposedly-in-progress. Hands on keyboard. Type.

Stop typing and laugh. Think this would make a good blog post. Consider writing it out now, but sternly remind self that 5,000 words must come first. Hands on keyboard. Wonder about Jon and Kate. Sigh for those eight children.

Type.

~~Angie

Ministry Multipliers

I TEACH A WEEKLY Bible study for a small group of friends. We've been on hiatus for a number of weeks but resume again next Monday. In preparing lessons for a study on the Kingdom of God, I went looking for books to help me. I sampled a couple of books on my Kindle and downloaded both. As I reviewed one of the books--Gospel of the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd--I noticed it was published in 1959. I was six years old in 1959.

Such realizations set me to thinking. Fifty years ago, Professor Ladd didn't have me in mind when he released his book. I wonder if, as he sat at his typewriter, he imagined his book being purchased 50 years later. Ladd died in 1982. Twenty-seven years after his death I electronically plunked down money to buy his book. Material from that book will help me teach twelve other people. Professor Ladd is still teaching.

That is the power of writing. It is a ministry multiplier. It can continue to do good work decades after it is published. I never met George Ladd, but many seminary students have, not because they attended his classes, but because Ladd chose to put his knowledge down on paper.

When you write, you are speaking to people you may never meet, and maybe to people who will encounter your work long after you're gone. That is the beauty of writing: It is a ministry multiplier.

Alton Gansky

www.altongansky.com

www.facebook.com/altongansky

www.twitter.com/altongansky

The Golden Pen: A Writer’s Essential Tool

--Our guest blogger is Jack Cavanaugh, award winning author of 25 novels. Recently he started Word Forge, a blog dedicated to writers. This blog struck a cord with me, so I wanted to share it with you. By the way, he helped me become a writter. Now you know where to lay the blame. Used by permission.

Be yourself. 

Victor Hugo said, “A lion who copies a lion is an ape.” 

The same can be said for writers. 

Read other authors. 
   Analyze other authors. 
      Learn from other authors. 
But write like yourself. 

C.S. Lewis is our teacher today....

When asked, “How do I develop my own style?” he offered two points and an illustration—

1. Know exactly what you want to say. 
2. Be sure to say exactly that. 

 “The reader, we must remember, does not start by knowing what we mean. If our words are ambiguous, our meaning will escape him. I sometimes think that writing is like driving sheep down a road. If there is any gate open to the left or the right the readers will most certainly go into it.” 

That’s the key to creating your own style. 
Shepherd the sheep your way. 
What you discover will be golden.

There once was a weaver in China whose tapestries were revered throughout the land. Students came from every province to learn from him. And he taught them. But none of their tapestries could rival the magnificence of their master’s tapestries. 

Some accused the master of withholding essential secrets, to which he replied:

“I use the same materials as you. The same stitches. The difference is that I have found the golden needle.” 

He was referring to his own creativity. It turned his needle to gold. 

Look within yourself, 
  Know exactly what you want to say, 
     Say it as only you can, 
And once you have done that,
      You’ll find yourself writing with a golden pen.

--Jack Cavanaugh

Wanna Change the World?

For years I've had a love affair with magazines. Thirty years ago I came close to starting one. About a decade ago, I published a small magazine called Persuasion. There's something about the information and entertainment that come with magazines. I've written 35 books, but if there is a  book and a magazine on the coffee table, I tend to pick up the mag first. Go figure.

Well, I'm staring an online magazine. I've been thinking about this for over three years. It's time for me to get off the dime. (I will still be writing books.)

Edgeland Online Magazine is meant to deal with the borderland where the Kingdom of God rubs against the world. We will address a wide range of issues and do so with a reasoned voice. If you're interested in writing for Edgeland, then shoot me an e-mail at alton@ganskycommunications.com. I'll send a link where you can learn more.

Alton Gansky

And Speaking of Characters...

Yesterday I blogged (how's that for verbifying a noun) about characters. This morning, I discover that Jack Cavanaugh has done the same. I especially like his four steps to creating a memorial and life-like character. His post is worth reading. Visit Jack at Word Forge.

I also notice that agent Chip MacGregor has had a guest blogger: none other than the much admired and respected Cec Murphey. Cec was one of our keynote speakers and teachers at the 2009 BRMCWC. When Cec speaks, writers listen. Take in a little of Cec's wisdom at Chip MacGregor's site. Note, there are three postings

How about you? Run across anything on the Internet helpful to writers? If so, then share them with us.

Al Gansky

www.altongansky.com
www.ganskycommunications.com
www.facebook.com/altongansky
www.twitter.com/altongansky

A Tiny Tale of Horror--and Adrian Monk

Horror attacks us on routine days.

My wife and I had a simple errand to run: taking one of cars to the dealership for servicing. We had done it before and although I considered it an interruption to the day, I knew it needed to be done. To avoid having to sit in small lobby waiting for the work to be finished, we decided to leave the car and pick it up later. That meant driving two cars. My wife led the way; I followed.

To get to our destination required a drive down busy Palmdale Road and a U-turn to get to the street that led to our destination. Becky began her U-turn. I was directly behind her.

A car came through the intersection.

I can still hear the sound of a pick-up truck striking my wife's car. I can stilll see her small vehicle pushed sideways.

I can still see her behind the wheel.

A half second later, more tires squealed on the pavement--my tires as I floored the accelerator and fish-tailed my car through the U-turn. Ten seconds later, I was parked behind Becky, my car providing a barricade. My wife was uninjured and had the presence of mind to move the car from the roadway to the curb. The impact left her sore for a week or so, but considering the injuries she could have received we were grateful.

That was a long time ago, maybe a decade and a half, but the memory has stayed with me. Although I am well beyond the shock of seeing the collision, it remains with me. I seldom think of the incident now--unless I'm driving behind a car piloted by a family member. I hate doing that. If for some reason, I and one of my family have to take separate cars someplace, I tend to lag far enough behind that I can't see the other vehicle.

Cowardly? Probably.

Why this tiny tale of horror? Because as writers, we learn to impart emotion in the action we describe and the characters we build. Fiction writers know there is no story without a cast of characters. For characters to be real, they must have depth. By "depth" I mean some history, and most of all, some reason for being the way they are. This goes for good guys and bad guys.

One of the most interesting television programs is Monk, now in its final season. It's funny, engaging, and poignant. Monk is a former San Francisco homicide detective with a brilliant mind and an eerie eye for detail. He is also a germaphobe and suffers from mild obsessive-compulsion disorder. Why is he this way? Fans of the show know that when Monk was a child his father "went to the store" and never came back; that Monk's brother also suffers from emotional challenges; and that Monk's wife Trudy was murdered--not just murdered, but killed by an explosive device placed in her car. Monk has never been able to solve her murder.

This background gives Monk a reason for being the way he is. Your characters need reasons for being the way they are. Why is your antagonist an antagonist? Why is your protagonist brave or frightened. We are all the sum of our experiences. So are your characters.

This also applies in nonfiction. When I read about Bernie Madoff, I want to know not just what he did, but why he did it. How did he become the man he became. Readers what characters with depth, so give it to them. 

Alton Gansky

www.facebook.com/altongansky

www.twitter.com/altongansky

Blogs Sunnyside Up

Writers are not only word creators but word consumers.

Shallow reading leads to shallow writing. No matter what we write, we must consume a steady diet of literature. And, just as we eat a variety foods, we need to digest a variety of material: magazines, nonfiction, novels, short works, long narratives, and even blogs.

Blogs? Yup, but I refer to blogs with value. There are over 100 million blogs in cyberspace. Some are dead. Some are thriving. Many are important; some are just silly. Each morning, I try to take in a few a few blogs. I have to be careful, because I can easily lose the whole morning. Sometimes I eat breakfast while reading some of my favorite digital dandies.

This morning, I turned to a few of my favorites.

Literary agent Chip MacGregor always has something informative and encouraging to say. He is also a bare-fisted blogger, meaning  his posts can land like a right-cross to the chin. He is out spoken, direct, open, honest, and almost always right. His post about the use of social media is spot on. Visit his site frequently.

Writer Jack Cavanaugh has started Word Forge, a "writer's studio" blog for new and experienced writers. LIke his many novels, Jack's blogs are written in a clean, lean, smooth prose seasoned with humor. At Word Forge, one leans and smiles at the same time.

For spiritual feeding there are several great sites. This morning I visited Randy Alcorn's blog. Randy is insightful and always brings something worth knowing to the table.

Albert Mohler always makes me think. The president of The Southern Baptist Seminary offers conservative Christian views.

That's a short list. What about you? Do you have blogs to recommend? I'd love to know what you're reading.

Alton Gansky

www.twitter.com/altongansky

www.facebook.com/altongansky

Most of us are here today because our parents did not die as children.

Some sentences are meant to be funny. For example:

1. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

2. Two silk worms had a race. They ended in a tie.

3. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

4. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

However, there are those sentences that unintentionally bring a smile.

1. Sign on a dry cleaner's shop: This is a great place to drop your pants.

2. From a recent draft of one of my books. A medic is describing a soldier's wound: "…but I'm sure it's done a job on his eternal organs."

3. And from a college student's term paper: Most of us are here today because our parents did not die as children.

4. From Elements of Style by Strunk and White: Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house very cheap.

The more you write, the more likely you are tinadvertently create a funny. My wife collects mine in a little book. How can a writer avoid such embarrassments? First, proofread. However, it is difficult for a writer to proofread his or her own material. The brain reads what it wants to read. When I'm called on to line edit another author's work, I find it easy to pick up their mistakes; mistakes I'd miss checking my own material. Nevertheless, I do my best, but I also ask someone I trust to read it.

Recently, I was on a tight deadline and had to focus my attention on composition. So I had I three people I trust read the material. What Reader One found, Reader Two missed. What Reader Two found; Reader Three missed. It's an imperfect art.

Another way to catch unfortunate sentences is to read the material aloud. I catch many mistakes by listening. I also let my computer read to me. It's called text-to-speech (use your help menu in MS Word to learn how to use this feature). I often highlight a passage and listen while the computer reads.

No one writes perfectly. Sooner or later, something gets by us. I have grammar books that have grammatical errors. Not to worry, there are people out there who will quickly point out your mistakes. Just remember, no matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

(Any and all typos and grammar blunders are intentional and provided for the amusement of the reader.)

 

Al Gansky

www.twitter.com/altongansky

www.facebook.com/altongansky