New Twitter Page for Christian Writers @Tips4C_Writers

This year I’ve enjoyed using Twitter as @LaurieSargent and have an interesting assortment of followers, from parenting experts to writers. However, since I always seem to be bursting with news and tips specifically for Christian writers, I now have a second  Twitter page, 4 Christian Writers at @Tips4C_Writers (You can see  my current Twitter feed in the Sell Your Nonfiction navigation bar on the right.)

I’ve been connected with people in the Christian writing industry for two decades now, and blessed by many writers, editors, agents and publishers.  Nearly every day some great new writing resource comes to me in an RSS feed, a blog subscription, or directly from one of hundreds of authors I know.

By nature, I’m a “connector”. I feel compelled to share great things that cross my path. I’ve put many on Facebook at  Laurie Winslow Sargent: Tips for Readers, Writers, & the Eternally Curious  and will continue to do so, but think Twitter may be handier for writers to access for quick tips and links.

Q. “How will @Tips4C_Writers benefit me as a writer?”

A: Two ways. You will find: 1. great companies, organizations and people who help writers (in the list of those I Follow, not necessarily those who follow me) and 2. helpful resources and links, in my tweets.

I hope to help writers find information from and about:

• highly reputable agents
• book publishers (mostly traditional, royalty publishers within the Christian Booksellers Association: CBA)
• Christian magazines in print and online
• a few marketing resources, specifically for writers
• writing industry publications
• Christian writing organizations, and
• authors who teach other writers.

MY TWEETS INCLUDE:

• writing tips
• dates/locations for writing events (conferences & workshops)
• tech tips helpful to writers
• publisher news
• anything else I think will benefit writers. I expect my followers to be aspiring, intermediate and advanced writers, or folks who share my love for encouraging writers.

Q. “Will you follow me back if I am an author?”

I will most likely follow you back at @Tips4C_Writers  if you yourself provide valuable help for other writers. (However, I don’t often follow back self-publishing companies, especially ones I’m unfamiliar with.)

However, at my other Twitter page @LaurieSargent, I DO follow back most authors, bloggers, and organizations who help me grow as a person or benefit my followers.  @LaurieSargent is also connected with my parenting blog, and there I follow parenting organizations, child advocacy groups, Christian ministries, educational resources, Christian authors with family-friendly books, some general parenting authors, and family oriented blogs/websites.

I hope you’ll visit @Tips4C_Writers and click on my Lists to see people and companies in the Christian publishing industry and follow my writing-related tweets!

Laurie

“How can writers meet editors in person?” Part II: Conference Connections

“What are some methods used at conferences to introduce writers to editors?”

When registering for a conference, you should be told exactly if–and how–you will get to meet editors, and how long scheduled appointments last.  Editors generally attend conferences to present workshops and/or join panel discussions with other editors, in large group sessions, to reveal current editorial needs to conferees. Some, in hopes of finding new and talented writers, allow authors to sign up for brief personal meetings. Those meetings are conducted in a variety of ways:

The Individual Pitch Appointment gives you 10-15 minutes to sit down with an editor to pitch a specific idea. Ideally, you have an elevator speech down pat to clearly present that idea.

Consider this a query in person vs. on paper: equally concise, but delivered with more enthusiasm and clarity. If the editor is interested, he will ask you to send a formal query to his office after the conference. If not interested, that may be painfully obvious. But hey–you save months of pacing in front of your mailbox, right?

You will usually sign up for appointments when you register for the conference or on the first day you are there.  Here are a few ways editor-writer meetings may take place:

The Manuscript (MS) Critique Appointment allows you to hear, in person, an editor’s comments about a manuscript you submit in advance. It’s a time to listen and learn from a pro.

Your registration fees may allow for one solid editorial critique, or you might have to pay extra for this. However, if your manuscript is particularly intriguing and a good fit for a magazine or book house, the editor might ask you to make an individual appointment to meet later.

MS critiques can also exhaust editors. They must devote time in advance to reading what you submit and may stay up late the night before doing so. Show your appreciation for the editor’s time. If  you see a yawn, it may not be a reflection of your writing ability!

The Group Query is less taxing on editors and makes better use of their time, but won’t be focused on only you. A small group of writers sit in a circle. Each has a little time to pitch their idea to the editor, in the presence of the other writers. If the editor is interested, she will ask to meet with you privately later.

The Pitch-Slam method is akin to speed dating: a technique I’ve seen at only one conference, with Writer’s Digest. The editor sits at a desk. Writers line up single file in front of him. One by one, you move to the front of the line. The instant you get there, you start your few minutes of fast talk to pitch your idea. When the timer goes off, you stop talking—even mid-sentence. You hand the editor your business card (if he wants it) then walk away. Yikes. Talk about pressure! However, as with other writer-editor meetings, if you spark interest you will be asked for a second meeting, perhaps at the same conference.

The Casual Chat is ideal. It’s not really a formal meeting at all. It’s simply a matter of editors and writers choosing to lunch together in the same dining hall, and letting the chips fall where they may. Some very inspiring conversations can happen this way.

This opportunity arises more often at smaller conferences where meals are shared in a common hall or at conferences at more isolated retreats. I’ve seen this more often at Christian conferences than secular ones, perhaps because of the “we’re all in this together” mentality and the focus on spiritual issues as well as business. Like-mindedness and a higher purpose for writing also tends to develop more camaraderie and less competitiveness among writers.

If you do have the opportunity to sit at a lunch table with an editor, you strike a delicate balance between eating and getting to know each other more casually. After all, he wants to eat too!

This is ideal when you don’t have a burning desire to pitch a specific project, but are interested in an editor, magazine or book house in general.  Or you may have an appointment set up, but simply want time to enjoy meeting the editor more casually. You simply enjoy interesting conversations unrelated to your own projects.

Later, when you do pitch ideas through the mail or email, you can refer to having enjoyed meeting them, if indeed you did and you truly clicked. This helps them connect your name with your face and personality.

Caution: if you are with a group, don’t monopolize the time. That’s what individual appointments are for. (Even in those, ask about, and listen to the editor, to find out about their own interests.) Also during community meals, get to know your fellow writers and encourage them. You may end up friends for life!

One of the best things about meeting editors in person is realizing they are simply people, like you and me: not to be feared nor unnecessarily revered.  They do need their time and energy valued, just as you value yours.

Editors who go to conferences show willingness to share their knowledge and experience.  Yet they do hope that when they get back home, they will have found at least one gem they can  polish and present brightly to their readers. You could be that gem.

 

Now, a question for you my dear blog readers:

Have you ever been able to pitch an idea in person to an editor in a different kind of appointment other than what I’ve mentioned?  Or did an editor appointment have positive long-term results for you, in launching or enhancing your writing career?

Write On!

Laurie

 

© 2011 Laurie Winslow Sargent

SellYourNonfiction.Wordpress.com

“Can writers meet magazine editors in person? Does it help?” Part 1

“How can writers meet editors in person?  Is it helpful?” Part 1

Yes, it’s possible to meet some, and yes, it can be helpful.

Yet by nature, freelancing tends to be a long-distance business. You will sell to editors you never meet in person, especially if you write for national or specialized publications or for book houses in cities miles from your hometown.

And that’s OK. It’s your words on paper they buy, not your good looks. What they see in print from you is what their readers will see, after a bit of editorial polish and spit.

That’s not to say that you won’t develop relationships with editors. Between emails, phone conversations, chat, and snail mail you may work together very closely, and for many years. You will learn and grow from their input. They will become familiar with your experience, knowledge, and writing skill sets. That leads to more trust, and repeat assignments.

If someday you finally get a few minutes to meet them, that’s a bonus and a pleasure.

However,  I admit that I got a nice jump-start in writing for one magazine by meeting the primary editor at a writer’s conference. You can do the same.

That doesn’t mean it necessarily gave me an edge over other writers. It simply means that instead of trying to get that editor’s attention in a sterile, black and white, 12 point Times New Roman font, I had 15 minutes to reveal my enthusiasm for the magazine and my fountain of ideas, while pitching one idea more specifically.

After the conference, when I sent the formal query in the mail for him to consider more closely, I had the privilege of it being moved to a smaller stack on his desk than his towering slush pile, due to my scribbled words  “requested material” on the envelope. However, that one meeting did lead to my writing for nearly every issue of the magazine for six years, so it was the beginning of great working relationship.

Not all editors attend conferences, and not all conferences are suitable (or affordable) for you to attend. Find several conferences that appeal to you. Look online at the brochures to see who is attending. You might see an editor listed who would be a good fit for a query you are working on.

However, the purpose for attending should not revolve solely around the one meeting. Look for workshops and keynote presentations that excite you. Look  forward to learning a ton and developing new friendships. Before I go to any conference, I pray that my time there will be well spent, to help others as well as getting help myself.

Consider the whole conference a relationship-building experience, in addition to a chance to build writing skills. Your excitement about being there in general will carry through into your editorial appointments.  Then if a serendipitous moment happens, say a prayer of thanks.

Next up is Part 2: ” Can writers meet magazine editors in person? How are appointments arranged?”

Write on!

Laurie Winslow Sargent

SellYourNonfiction.Wordpress.com

“Is my personal experience story publishable?”

One form of nonfiction is the personal experience story.

This type of story uses elements of fiction, including dialogue and scene-setting. With “creative nonfiction”, you get to flex both your fiction and nonfiction muscles!

It’s fun, because unlike with fiction, you don’t have to worry about making up the plot. You simply (or not so simply) tell the story in a way that helps the reader feel as if she or he were there with you.

Personal experience stories can be published in:

“What’s the fastest way to get an editor to reject my query?”

We’ve discussed how you can net an article contract based on a well-written, one-page query letter. You don’t have to write the whole article in advance. However, don’t shoot yourself in the foot from the start. Your query letter must be as error-free as possible.

I sincerely hope this note about grammar goofs preaches to the choir. I want to assume that you all write flawlessly, and merely need to find homes for your excellent writing. But as I focus on basic article marketing and move on to advanced concepts, I’d be remiss in not at least mentioning how critical it is to check and double-check every sentence you send to an editor, and why:

“How do I find online writer’s guidelines, to tell me what magazine editors want and need?”

This post addresses Question 5 of 12 in the Magazine Writing Basics blog series.

To read posts you’ve missed, click to the ARCHIVES. To get future posts sent to you automatically, scroll down to the EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION box at the bottom of this page.

Q.  “Where can I find more detailed guidelines from publishers?”

The easy answer to this question is that a publisher is likely to post a version of their writer’s guidelines on the magazine’s website. (It may be a trimmed-down version, compared to that in market guides.) However, that sub-page within the website may be a little hard to find.  Here are a few clues for finding information you need on who to send your submissions to, and how:

“Kill fee and SASE: What do writing market guide terms mean for ME?”

This post addresses Question 4 of 12, listed in Magazine Writing Basics on the Sell Your Nonfiction blog.

Q. “How can I understand terminology in market guides, and know how those terms apply to me, at this stage in my writing? For example, should I send my article or story to a magazine that buys ‘all rights’?”

Anyone reading a market guide can quickly look up definitions of terms. But what do those terms mean for you?

In a moment, I’ll offer you scenarios and advice (about what terms to beware of or embrace), based on my own experience in this industry. But before getting into the details on what can help beginners and advanced writers, let’s spend a few paragraphs on a quick overview of four kinds of information you can glean from listings:

“How do I find market directories that list magazine titles, editor contact information and editorial needs?”

This post addresses Question 3 of 12 listed in Magazine Writing Basics on the Sell Your Nonfiction blog.

Q.  “How do I find market guides, and what do they include?”

I still recall my amazement in 1988 when I saw my first Writers Market, containing over 4,000 listings for magazines that I could potentially sell my articles and personal experience stories to. It was mind boggling.

The 2011 Writer’s Market Deluxe Edition has 3,000 updated markets (including magazines, book publishers, and literary agents) with an additional 4,500 listings online. There are also specialized market books that focus on specific audiences, including markets for poets, writers for children, and song writers. Another market guide I’m less familiar with is the The Writer’s Handbook 2011: The Complete Guide for all Writers, Publishers, Editors, Agents and Broadcasters. For inspirational writers, the top source is Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers Market Guide.

To make it easy for you to find these resources and help you get started right away:

“How do magazines pay writers for articles and stories?”

This post addresses Question 2 (see Magazine Writing Basics for all 12 questions) about how to start writing and selling to magazines.

Q. “How do I get paid for my articles or stories?”

Freelance writers for magazines are usually paid per published word. (Newspapers usually pay per column inch or per column.) How does this translate to actual income?

Articles are usually submitted in 12 pt, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1” margins. This translates to about 250 words per typed page.

A magazine page with all text would have about 1,000 words. Of course, most magazine pages contain at least 1/3 graphics, with plenty of additional white space created by the use of lists, headers, quotes, fillers, etc. Many articles are about 750 words long (in other words, three of your typed, double-spaced pages). In some magazines, features run 2,000 to 3,000 words, but you will notice that material usually includes sidebars or a collection of mini articles on one theme. (I will explain later how to increase your article sales by strategically writing filler and sidebar material.) If you do the math, what this means is:

“How do writers submit articles to magazines?”

This post addresses question 1 in the Magazine Writing Basics blog series.

(Questions 1 and 2 were also already posted on the static page, Magazine Writing Basics, which also offers an overview of this series. However, that content seems not to have entered the subscription feed.) 

This post reveals 12 common steps to publication. REMEMBER that each step will be covered in much more detail in other posts and articles!  This offers simple answers, just to give you the overall picture, and to let you know where you are headed in your new nonfiction writing journey.

Q. “Can you help me understand how the industry works?”

Most magazines buy writing from freelance writers, in addition to having their own in-house writers.  A freelance writer is self-employed and paid per article. Each article you write is a stand-alone product, with its own contract, even if you sell many articles to the same magazine.  Here’s how the process generally works . . .