I'm Agented!

That's right, folks, and I don't mean real estate! I'm so very happy to announce that Karen Solem of Spencerhill Associates is now my literary agent. I put the contract in the mail yesterday. And I even took a picture. So if you don't believe me, there's proof.

I was privileged to have several agents look at the material, and I am so grateful for each one of them, especially one whom I consider to be a very close friend.

But in the end, I truly believe Karen is the perfect fit for me as well as my work, and what an incredible privilege it is to be working with her and to be counted among her list of dynamic authors, many of whom are heros of mine, like Colleen Coble, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter. My mind is still twirling around that someone with such a great deal of expertise wants to partner with me to make my project the best it can be. Plus, she's just all-around wonderful.

You can find her website here: Karen Solem at Spencerhill Associates

I want to give a little shout-out to two amazing women who have graciously allowed me to "adopt" them as mentors and have guided me in this journey. Cara Putman, my life wouldn't look the way it does without you. And I mean that. And Jenny B. Jones, sometimes I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that we're friends. Thank you for being among the first to believe in my writing and for championing me on. I love you both so much. Free customized jewelry and scarves for you two for life.

Goodnight, faithful readers.

Writing's Like Dating, Part 3: The Courtship

If there's one thing everyone likes about the writing process, it's the courtship phase. You know the stage. It's all chocolate candy and flowers until someone throws around the word "rejection." :)

In all seriousness, though, something that stirred me at the ACFW conference was the complete lack of reverence on a few authors' parts when communicating with very respectable folks. Now, this wasn't a prevalent issue throughout, don't misunderstand, but one or two in a crowd is more than enough. Think about this with a little perspective. Editors and agents are the equivalent to managers, vice presidents, and presidents in businesses (and some of them literally function in both realms). Would you walk up to the president of your company and say, "Hi, I know you don't really know me, but you should go out of your way to listen to my idea, and if you don't like it, that's your loss"?

So what's the appropriate way to woo an editor or agent, and what if--lucky duck--you find yourself to be the object of the wooing?

Well, you've got to think of it a lot like a relationship.

At the conference, Allen Arnold, VP of Thomas Nelson, said entering into a contract with an author is a lot like entering into a marriage. Because if they have doubts about you in the beginning, those doubts are not going to get better over time. :) It's so true, isn't it?

So what can we learn from this?

Don't be a bridezilla.

No, but really, you need to be pleasant to be around. Don't be pushy, but on the other hand, don't be afraid to talk about your work.

Take time to find the right fit.

Just as you wouldn't marry the first guy you dated (mercy, can you imagine?), you probably won't sign with the first editor or agent who expresses interest. That's okay. What's important is that you're following God's plan in all of this. And I assure you, He knows what He's doing.

In the meantime, do your research. "Date" your options. See who's a good fit. And stay true to yourself. Find strength in your writing voice so that when you do finally make that perfect match, you'll have something of substance to offer.

Thoughts for the evening.

Questions for comment:

Have you found yourself courting an agent or editor, or, even better, being courted? What have you learned?

Anyone have any funny dating stories to share?

Thankfulness

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."- Psalm 37:4

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you."-Psalm 32:8

I just returned from the ACFW conference a few days ago, and as I look back on my experience there, one word sums it up: thankfulness.

I was happy to meet many of you who read my blog and who gave me feedback about the video blog. Thanks for introducing yourselves!

While at the conference, I had a God-moment. Well, quite a few, actually. But one stands out in particular, and that is meeting my heros. I won't go into specifics for propriety's sake, but let's just say that out of every single person at the entire conference, God put the person I most wanted to meet (and most respect) in my path and allowed me the privilege of talking with him about my book. Funny how God's plans outdo our own, even when we imagine ourselves dreamers.

This person spoke words of affirmation into my heart and my writing pursuits. I am still in complete awe over the conversations I had with this person, and his faith in my dream.

I'm also missing all of you guys, my new friends!

Questions for Comment:

So, how was your conference experience? Are you experiencing a conference high or a conference letdown? I, for one, managed to get a cold... I think I overestimated my socializing stamina!

Also, many of you commented to me at the conference that you enjoyed my video blog, so I'm planning to do more of them. Any particular subjects that you'd like to hear more about?

Pitching Tips Forthcoming

I'd hoped to post my pitching vlog today, but it's been one of those no makeup, wearing fuzzy socks kind of days because I'm fighting off a cold. That said, I'm hoping to get it up very soon! In the meantime, I wanted to give you a few things to think about as you prepare your pitches for next week's ACFW conference.

1) Who are your characters? Florists? Firefighters? Children's pastors? These kinds of details are important to give the flavor of your story.

2) What are the stakes? What does your character have to lose, and what is pushing your character forward? Rachel Hauck did a brilliant segment at last year's conference, alongside Susan May Warren, where she said that your characters should have a push and pull motivation. They should be pushing against some variable, and they should also be pulled toward some goal. It's important you know what those are in case editors ask.

3) What's the takeaway value, particularly spiritually? What do you hope readers will learn? You don't want to explicitly say, "Readers will learn to be more disciplined in their devotions," for instance (you only have 30 seconds, after all!), during your initial pitch. However, editors and agents might ask these kinds of questions after your pitch, and you should be prepared.

Also, keep the action at the forefront of your pitch. You want to hook them, after all, not give them seventeen random details about the clothing depicted in your historical novel.

What to Bring to the ACFW Conference

This is my very first vlog attempt. Hope you enjoy it!

Do you have anything to add to my list? What are you bringing to the conference this year?

Writing's Like Dating: Part 2-- Know Yourself

Have you seen Runaway Bride? Do you remember that part of the movie where Julia Roberts' character changes her egg preference based off what her fiance likes? Then the guy she ends up with realizes this problem and has her eat a bunch of different kinds of eggs to figure out what she likes?

This same thing happens all too often in real life dating relationships. Men and women both try to be something they're not to make themselves more appealing to the other person, more likable. After a while, these daters might even forget or lose touch with their own preferences, and before you know it, they're drinking plain vanilla milkshakes instead of chocolate (with extra chocolate drizzle).

I know what you're thinking. What does this have to do with writing, aside from the fact that I crave chocolate every time I sit down to reach my word count?

Well, I'm glad you asked.

1) You can't market what you don't know. If you're trying to market a novel you've already gotten into print, or if you're trying to get a novel published, either way you're probably hoping to impress people. How can you sell your writing (and yourself, for that matter) if you don't even know your strengths?

Let's take that to the dating scene... let's say you have a horrible, hormonally-induced pimple on your shoulder that makes its grand appearance the morning of your first date with someone. Do you choose the strapless sundress for that evening's apparel? Probably not. You cover it up with a nice little three quarter length cami or something equally Loft-ish.

On the other hand, let's say every guy you've been out with has commented on your green eyes. You're probably going to spend some extra time doing your makeup so you can accentuate your best features, right?

So why don't we do this with our writing? Each writer has strengths and weaknesses. Maybe your giant pimple is inexperience or poor grammar. Do the best you can to overcome that weakness by studying and practicing the craft. But whatever you do, don't call attention to your unattractive attributes.

Too many writers start off pitches by calling attention to the giant pimple of their writing. Bad idea.

2) Trying to imitate someone else's voice never works. Remember our example from Runaway Bride? Pretending to be someone else, to like what someone else does or to think like them, is both unfulfilling and unsatisfying, not to mention, people can tell. Have you ever met someone who acts differently with each boyfriend because she thinks she has to meld to their interests in order to impress them? Is she ever happy? Does she ever end up with someone who really respects her for who she is? Does anyone even know who she really is as a person, including herself? Probably not, because she hasn't done the work to go through life establishing and finding her own inner voice.

Same thing occurs with writing. When we try to imitate another writer's style because, for instance, he or she is a bestseller, or that genre is doing well, it simply does not work.

God called you to write the stories He has given you.

That job is already in-depth enough... why complicate it by trying to be something you're not? You're free to be yourself... so be yourself boldy!

Questions for Comment:

Have you ever found yourself trying to be someone or something you're not in your writing? What helps you find and develop your own writing voice?

ACFW Conference Appointments: Debunking the Bad Guy Myth

Remember that high school feeling of getting caught talking in class? Maybe it wasn't your fault. Maybe your friend in the seat beside you wanted to cheat, and you were actually saying, "No, I will not give you my answers," but all the teacher heard was your mumbling, and next thing you knew, you were rambling on and on in some kind of ill-formed explanation of your merit.

Now imagine a line of authors feeling that exact same way--fidgeting their hands, grasping their one sheets, and considering breaking out super-sized bags of dark chocolate, the Christian version of taking shots. Maybe that's not so hard for you to imagine. Maybe you've been one of those authors.

But is that the way it has to be?

Last year, I interviewed the now-retired Etta Wilson for my conference tour blog. Something she said about new authors struck me, and I still think about it often: "Believe in your work and be kind. We're all in this together, and the writing and publishing of wonderful reading is a high calling for all of us."

What if instead of panicking over our 30 second pitches as if we're being graded, we stepped outside ourselves and remembered that ultimately we're all in this together? How would the landscape of appointments change? Because really, editors and agents want to buy quality fiction just as much (or more) than you want to sell it.

One moment in particular at last year's conference changed the entire experience for me, and in some ways, it even changed the way I look at writing. That moment was when Colleen Coble introduced me to Ami McConnell, and Ami hugged me. Hugged me.

Now, you might not understand the dynamic implications of this. See, Ami has edited almost every one of my favorite books, and I had to restrain myself from gushing so I didn't sound like a suck-up. She probably thought nothing of hugging me, but to me it made all the difference. When I attended my appointment with her the next day, I wasn't so scared anymore. Did she say my book was the best she'd ever seen and that she wanted to buy it immediately? No. She said I wasn't ready yet. And you know what? I wasn't. I realize that now. But I still came away from the appointment excited because of her encouragement.

So if my personal anecdotes aren't enough, here are several myths I think we should debunk in striving toward professional relationships:

1) Editors and agents are monsters.

They are people too. Be nice, and don't treat them like a one-dimensional way to get your written words disseminated. As an instructor, I know all too well how it feels when people simply want something out of you.

2) Editors and agents want to see you fail.

Actually, they want to see you succeed. Why do you think they chose this profession? Most editors and agents love the idea of finding great new talent.

3) Editors and agents are going to be mean.

At conferences like ACFW, rarely are editors and agents ever going to be unkind. Be prepared that they might offer constructive feedback, but that's only to help you grow.

4) Editors and agents enjoy being stalked.

Okay, so most of you don't actually believe this one, but I thought it still worth mentioning. Do not follow your favorite editor back to his or her room in hopes you'll get to pitch. It's perfectly fine to approach that person in a normal setting, but don't creep them out. If you do this, don't be surprised to see other editors running away from you.

5) Editors and agents will forget you.

I've saved the biggest point for last. Editors and agents have very good memories. Just because someone doesn't request your manuscript during this conference--and most won't--does not mean he or she will forget about you. In fact, the opposite is usually true, so that street goes both ways. Throw a fit, and that's what you'll be remembered by. Be gracious, and when you have another project to pitch next year, you'll be remembered by your kindness and willingness to cooperate, which can get you far.

When all is said and done, though, just remember that you are passionate about your story and your characters. Let that passion shine through, and with some determination, you're sure to eventually find a good match for your work.