Christian E-Authors Blog on Writing and EBook Publishing

movie trailer

2007-08-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

I made a movie for my first book. Okay it's less than 20 seconds long but a fun way to promo. I put it on my blog.
www.pencildancer.com It was easy to do with a free program if anyone wants to know how ask away.
Diana

New EBook Released - Ouch! Sunburn!

2007-05-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

OUCH! SUNBURN!
by
Author: Donna J. Shepherd
Illustrations: Kevin Scott Collier
A Wings of Faith Children's Book
ISBN: 1-933090-60-X

ISBN 13: 9781933090603

From the Publisher: Donna J. Shepherd’s snappy rhymes along with the 15 colorful and fun illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier help children see the need to protect their skin in the sun. Sun Safety Tips in the back of the book reinforce the book’s theme. 27 pages. 94 word easy reader.

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/ouch!sunburn.htm

2007-03-12T18:02:00.000-04:00

Self-Publishing Primer

2007-02-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

Topsy Turvy Tour

2007-01-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at the cover of Topsy Turvy Tour, a mini-topsy turvy tale written by me, Donna, and illustrated by who else but Kevin Scott Collier! We are pleased to announce the story will be featured in a new Children's E-Zine called Stories for Children. Eventually, we will release it as a free ebook complete with coloring pages! Look for more updates soon!

Writing about Tragedy

2007-01-17T00:26:00.000-05:00

In the latest issue of her newsletter, author Gayle Trent shared a dilemma. Should she write about a tragic and violent incident that resulted in two deaths at her husband’s workplace? Although she would like to write something that might help prevent future incidents of this kind, she is deeply concerned that what she writes might bring more pain to the families of the victims.
Gayle invited feedback, and I told her of my own experience in a similar situation.

The first book I published, Look Beyond Tomorrow: the Carola Spencer Story, was about a similar incident. The abusive boyfriend of an an answering service employee (the boyfriend had been fired from the company) shot and killed his girlfriend and a co-worker and shot the company owner (my friend Carola). Several other people escaped out the back door.

The shooter killed himself, but the police didn’t know he was dead. They thought my friend and another woman were being held hostage; the two women were actually hiding in separate offices, Carola holding her face together, fully expecting the shooter to come after them. They were eventually rescued - the other woman unharmed and Carola shot several times in the face. She lost an eye and had several extensive surgeries to re-build her face.
Carola didn’t have any medical insurance, and a group of friends got together to raise money to help her with medical expenses. The idea of my writing a book kept coming up, and I resisted - fearing that it would look like I was taking advantage of the tragedy to get a book published, that I would cause more pain for the people involved, and that I wasn’t capable of writing a good book. But circumstances (or as I believe God) just kept pushing me in that direction. Everything lined up to make it happen: a printer volunteered to print the book at cost, an artist donated the cover art, several people offered to edit, friends signed on to sell the book through their businesses …

Then when I talked to Carola and her employees, I discovered they wanted their story told. I went to the office and interviewed each employee, and in most cases, I just explained what I was doing, turned on the tape recorder, asked them to stop periodically so I could change tapes, and listened until they said everything they wanted to say. I did ask a few questions, but in general the people I interviewed just talked and talked and talked.

I wrote a draft from those interviews, took the finished manuscript to the office, and gave each person a copy to read to make sure everything was accurate. They were all intrigued and said things like “I didn’t know that happened!” They had all been in different places (even Carola’s boyfriend several hundred miles away happened to be on the phone with an employee when the shooting started and maintained contact throughout the ordeal with the woman who hid under a desk in a locked office). When I took each individual story and wove them together, it was the first time they had seen the larger picture. Reading the manuscript also gave them a chance to share their feelings with each other again.

There are several major differences in what I did and what Gayle is contemplating. One of the main ones is that Carola’s assailant killed himself so there was no trial. The alleged perpetrator in the situation Gayle is considering is coming up for trial.

Carola’s business was, however, a small company, and everyone had close ties to the victims as well as the killer: they had worked with him before he was fired, one of the employees was the killer’s cousin, and others had invited the man to church and had been trying to help him. The husband of a woman who escaped the shooting by running out the back door was a clergyman who conducted the killer’s funeral. So they all had concerns about what people would think of them being related to or friends with a murderer. I told the cousin I would leave her out of the story if she felt uncomfortable (she was not involved in the actual incident as she wasn’t working the shift when the shooting occurred). However, she decided that it was important for people to understand how she was able to deal with the situation through her faith.

And that leads to a second difference: I wrote the book from the perspective of how the people involved responded to the tragedy rather than focusing on the event itself. Remarkably, Carola’s employees returned to work the next day - most intending to quit - but a young office manager told them that Carola had lost two dear friends and was fighting for her life. He didn’t want her to lose her business too, so he was going to do everything he could to keep the business going while she recovered. They all knelt down where the bodies had lain, prayed together, and went back to work. Carola herself showed remarkable faith and courage throughout the ordeal.

So while I told the story of what happened, including background on the prior problems with the killer both on the job leading to his being fired and abuse of the girlfriend, the main thrust of the story was how the victims coped and recovered.

And I made no money from the book. Everything was supposed to go to Carola’s medical expenses, however those expenses were met primarily from victim’s assistance, donated services, and other donations. The remaining books have been donated to a literacy organization run by a friend of Carola.

There is no one right answer to whether it is appropriate to write about a tragedy. Each writer faced with the opportunity/challenge to write about an event that caused terrible pain and suffering has to ask herself if what she writes will help or harm the victims and their loved ones as well as potential future victims.

GodSpeaks

2006-12-12T21:49:00.001-05:00

You may have heard about the billboard campaign several years ago that had messages signed "God." The sayings were short and to the point.

The campaign was run again recently with new sayings, and the billboards can be seen at GodSpeaks. Well worth a visit!

Devotional Writers Wanted

2006-11-28T14:52:00.000-05:00

I am starting a new daily devotional called "Inner Fulfillment." It will focus on helping women feel free to be who God created them to be...while encouraging them and boosting their self esteem in areas of marriage, parenting, etc.

I have been compiling a team of writers who would like to share their faith in a more public way through this venture. I am looking for women who would be willing to help submit devotionals and be a part of our team. We are inputting devotionals ahead of time so that we won't have to be stuck to a "hard" deadline as most of us are already publishers. But the more writers we have - the better!

I am pleased to have Donna Shepherd as part of our writing team and hoping to recruit a few more of you.

If you would like to encourage other women - if you would like to help other women learn to see their own beauty and believe they are who God says they are .... please email me at madetomom@yahoo.com with a small writing sample.

Thank you so much!

Dionna Sanchez/Founder
Emphasis On Moms.com

Do You Know Any Aspiring Teen Writers?

2006-10-07T06:13:00.000-04:00

EPIC, an organization of writers, publishers, and other professionals in the e-book industry, is sponsoring the 2007 EPIC New Voices Writing Competition for middle school and high school students.

Students in public, private, or home schools may enter short story (fiction), essay (nonfiction), and poetry categories at either the middle school or high school level.

The prizes include cash, e-book reading devices, and gift certificates for e-books.

But every entry will receive something that may be even more valuable to young writers: score sheets/critiques from the judges, who are published authors, editors, and educators.

I didn’t start writing until late in life, but I will always remember the value of the first critique I received on my work (when I was about halfway through Stroke of Luck). My friend, author Grace Anne Schaefer, gave me advice that made my mother say, “I don’t know what it was, but the second half of the book was a lot better than the first half.”

If you are a parent, teacher, or friend of young persons interested in writing, tell them about the New Voices contest. They can write a new piece (or pieces - each student can submit one entry in each category) or they can enter something they have written for a school assignment. Even if they don’t win a prize, they will find the feedback valuable.

But they need to hurry - the deadline is November 1, 2006.

Teens4Jesus

2006-08-25T00:46:00.000-04:00

Teens4Jesus Ministries is an online ministry that deserves support.

Staff volunteer Kelvin Oliver writes, "Teens4Jesus Ministries is a non-profit organization that reaches approximately 30,000 visitors each day, average. We offer a few different websites through which we do this, offering variety to our visitors in the process of sharing Jesus with them. We have our original site, Teens4Jesus, for youth, an online magazine for youth, a women’s site, a men’s site, an extensive media site covering Christians in media (including Christian music), a counseling/advising site, as well as a few smaller sites. It is amazing to see what God does through these sites each and every day. We get wonderful feedback from our visitors and have seen lives touched and changed through the message on our sites."

Several CEA authors have been interviewed and contributed to the media site, Christian Scoop. I encourage you to check out the sites, and if you believe they are a valuable online ministry, as I do, support Teens4Jesus with your prayers and perhaps your financial resources.

Catalyst: God's Tool

2006-08-23T03:08:00.000-04:00

Although I'm always excited about the successes of my friends and clients, sometimes it seems that everyone is accomplishing great things but me. My novel languishes with little notice and few sales, while friends tell me about awards and great sales numbers. I see so many worthwhile causes I would like to help, but my budget keeps me from being as generous as I'd like.

Recently I met a woman who writes letters to nearly 100 deployed or wounded soldiers every week. She is struggling to cover the postage costs, and I feel that I'm not doing my part ... and that's only one of many things I wish I could do.

But I have a friend who likes to support worthy projects and is financially able to do so. I introduced my new friend and my "old" friend, and now the one with the financial wherewithal is contributing to the expenses so the other can continue her work. Both were so grateful - my new friend for the financial help and my long-time friend for the chance to participate in supporting the troops without having to write letters herself. I realized that while I didn't write letters or contribute money, God used me as a catalyst. What I did was nothing more than introducing two friends who would otherwise never have met, and as a result something good was accomplished.

That started me thinking about how often God has used me - and perhaps you - to accomplish His purpose in ways that seem trivial but that are essential. As a freelance writer and editor, I help my clients make their work the best it can be. Someone else's name is on the cover of the book or the byline of the article, but the book or article would have been less than it is without my help. My part may be behind the scenes, but it is important in the final product.

In the Koinonia service at my church recently, the leader Jim Cravens talked about "but God ..." The words "but God ..." appear often in the Bible. The people in the Bible couldn't see God's plan in the activities and events of their lives. But all the pieces fit together to fulfill His plan, even when the pieces seemed to be random and meaningless. God works in the same way today.

Sometimes the seemingly random and meaningless events may be me - or you - acting as a catalyst in accomplishing His purpose. Our part may be tiny and in the background. We don't get any glory; no one else may ever know. But God knows, because He planned it that way.

We all have different roles in fulfilling God's plan. Some of us have little parts in the background. Some of us have large parts in the public eye. But it takes every one of us doing our part - small or large - to accomplish God's purpose.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)

The Most Important Thing a Writer Can Do

2006-08-21T23:37:00.000-04:00

When it comes to advice, writers can find it everywhere.

The gurus give various opinions of the most important thing a writer can do:
- Read, read, read.
- Write, write, write.
- Park seat in chair and write.
- Network with other writers.
- Etc., etc., etc. ...

All this advice is valuable, but for a Christian writer none is the most important thing.

The most important thing for a Christian writer - just as the most important thing for a Christian anything - is to go before the Lord, ask for His guidance, and strive to follow His will.

Calling Young Writers

2006-08-02T01:00:00.000-04:00

EPIC, Electronically Published Internet Connection, is sponsoring its second annual writing contest for middle school and high school students.

EPIC established the New Voices Writing Competition to encourage reading and writing among middle school and high school students and to promote e-book literacy in public and private schools.

The contest is open to students attending public, private, or home schools, and each entrant is permitted to submit one entry in each category (Short Story, Poetry, Essay).

Guidelines and entry form are available on the EPIC Web site. Entries will be accepted between August 1 and November 1, 2006. Winners will be announced in February 2007 and will be invited to receive their awards at the E-Fiesta at EPICon (EPIC conference) in Virginia Beach, Virginia in March 2007.

There is no cost to enter the contest or to receive a prize. First place winners in each category will receive eBookwise-1150 e-book readers, second place winners receive $50 gift certificates for e-books, and third place winners receive $25 gift certificates for e-books. Honorable mention and Judges' Award winners receive certificates.

All winning entries will be published in the anthology New Voices 2007, which will be distributed on CD at the conference and by download on the EPIC Web site at no charge. Winning students and their school libraries will receive copies of the anthology on CD and in print.

The Bible told them so ...

2006-07-27T15:42:00.000-04:00

At first glance, the subject of this post might not seem to have anything to do with writing. However, the Holy Bible is the greatest book ever written. We can all aspire to that level of writing, but our human attempts will always be pitiful compared to the Word of God. We can only strive, with prayer and supplication, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to lead others to the Word through our words.

Mike Adams has a great column at Townhall.com entitled “The Bible told them so.” In it, he says, “The God-inspired writers of the Bible have always been well ahead of the scientists—a scenario that hasn’t changed from the days of Moses to the days of Darwin, or even now in the 21st century.” He goes on to give examples of Scriptures that were contradictory to the “science” of the day but have proven to be scientifically accurate. A fascinating article!

I recommend the column … but even more I recommend regular reading of the divinely-inspired Word of God.

Reading ... thoughts from C. S. Lewis

2006-07-09T23:32:00.000-04:00

Writers are first of all readers, and C. S. Lewis offers good advice. It's great to read books by today's authors - and all of us Christian e-authors certainly want people to read our books!

But Lewis recommends reading one classic book for every three modern books. Rather than reading what someone today says about a great classic written centuries ago, we should read the original author's words. C. S. Lewis also recommends reading theological works as devotionals.

More about this subject on my blog.

Media Writer Wanted

2006-06-13T15:27:00.000-04:00

Hi Ladies. I am looking for someone who would be willing to volunteer and write a media column for me every month and a half or so.

Basically, the media section on my website is to show moms and families how much the media impacts our homes. Whether it's music, movies, television, the internet, video games, etc - we are all influenced by what we take in. This section talks about things and makes moms really think!

You can see the two articles I have up now at: http://www.emphasisonmoms.com/new_page_5.htm

Two columns usually run on the page but I have been doing one of them for over a year now since that writer had to step down. I could really use the help if someone else had the passion for this area of life.

You can contact me at emphasisonmoms@qwest.net if you are interested. It will get your name out there and give you experience.

Thank you so much.

Dionna Sanchez/Founder
Emphasis On Moms
http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com

Answers to a Young Writer's Questions

2006-03-09T02:47:00.000-05:00

A young writer wrote to me as part of a language arts career project. He's interested in becoming a writer and asked me some specific questions. Here are the questions and my answers:

1. Where do you get most of your ideas on a book?

Ideas come from everywhere. My novel Stroke of Luck is based on my personal experiences, but my forthcoming novel Dream or Destiny was sparked by a television documentary about people who have psychic knowledge about crimes. Within each story, ideas for specific characters and events came from many places: people I’ve known or observed, situations that happened to me or someone I know, items in the media ...

Most writers keep track of ideas as they occur to them. Many keep a writers journal that they carry with them all the time to jot down descriptions of people or places, thoughts that pop into their heads, events they see or conversations they hear, anything that might come in handy in a story or a book.

Other writers have an “idea drawer” or “idea box” to collect newspaper clippings, pictures, brochures, pamphlets, and other items they want to remember in addition to notes about their own ideas.

For nonfiction, I usually see a need – a problem people have, for example – and write something that will fill the need – the solution to the problem.

2. How long does it take to get a book published?

This question is impossible to answer. Several years ago, a romance writer was published for the first time after twelve years of writing and submitting manuscripts. She wondered how long it took most people to get published and discovered through researching new writers for the major romance publishers that, on average, first-time published authors had been writing for seven years and had seven completed manuscripts before making the first sale. Although she researched only romance writers and publishers, it is likely that this is typical.

Of course, some writers have their first book published very quickly, and the majority of writers who try to get a book published never succeed. Only about 10% of the manuscripts submitted to traditional publishers are accepted every year.

There are other ways of being published besides the major print publishers. Small presses (small publishing companies often specializing in a specific genre or a region of the country) may be more accepting of new writers, and electronic publishers (generally small companies specializing in e-books but sometimes also publishing trade paperbacks) offer additional opportunities to writers. In fact, electronic publishing is growing faster than print publishing.

Most writers have to submit their work to many publishers and get many rejections before having a manuscript accepted. A dedicated writer continues to believe in himself and write, write, write and submit, submit, submit – no matter how long or how many rejections it takes.

Once a manuscript is accepted by a publisher, it usually takes one to two years for it to actually be published.

3. How hard is it to get a book published?

Very, very difficult by the traditional publishing route. However, a writer can be published very quickly if he decides to self-publish. Self-publishing means the writer also becomes the publisher and hires editors, designers, artists, printers, whatever is needed to produce the book. Then he also is totally responsible for promotion. The writer arranges and pays for everything, but he also receives all the income.

Writers need to be wary of companies who claim to be “self-publishers” – companies that do all the work of publishing a book for a fee. Subsidy publishers can be legitimate businesses that do a quality job for a reasonable price, but many companies that publish books at the author’s expense are “vanity” presses. They are in business only to publish books that feed the author’s vanity but don’t really sell to customers. These companies will publish anything a writer will pay for, regardless of how well or badly it is written or whether or not there is a market. Writers who don’t want to go through the hard work – and often years – to be published traditionally may be easily scammed by someone who promises publication. A writer who pays for publication must research the company very carefully and make certain he is spending money wisely.

To improve your chances of getting published by a company that pays you, you need to work on your craft constantly. Some people say serious writers write every single day, whether that writing is entries in a personal journal, chapters in a novel, a blog ... anything. I’ve heard a writer has to write a million words before he can expect to be a good writer – whether that exact number of words is valid or not, a writer does have to write a lot – just like musicians and athletes have to practice, practice, practice.

Another way to increase your odds of being published is to join a writers group, either in person or online. A good writers group will provide writing training, market information, and networking and critique opportunities. Having other writers read and critique your work, while you do the same for them, is invaluable and one of the best ways to grow as a writer.

You will find links to many resources for writers on my Web site: www.lillieammann.com.

4. What type of college do you need to go to get a degree in writing?

I’m not qualified to answer this question because my college degree is in sociology with a minor in psychology. All the training I have had in writing has been through writers groups; conferences, seminars, and workshops; and self-study.

Introduction to Genres

2006-02-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

Recently a new writer asked me what "genre" means. Basically a writing genre is a particular type or style of writing: mystery, romance, action/adventure, inspirational ...

Writing is usually considered fiction or nonfiction: fiction is made-up, invented by the writer; nonfiction is true. Novels and short stories are fiction, while essays, biographies, history books, and how-to articles are nonfiction. In recent years, a new genre has appeared on the scene that blurs the line between fiction and nonfiction: creative or narrative nonfiction. In creative nonfiction, the basic facts are true, but the story is written like fiction, using techniques such as plot, setting, characterization, and dialogue.

Within these three main categories - fiction, nonfiction, and creative nonfiction - are a number of genres.

Murder mysteries, action/adventure stories, thrillers, romances, science-fiction, fantasy, horror, young adult, literary novels, historical fiction, and inspirational/Christian fiction are some of the most popular fiction genres. Christian novels that fit into a certain genre can be classified as a sub-genre: Christian mysteries, Christian romances, etc.

Well-known nonfiction genres include journalism, memoirs and biographies, true crime, history, business and financial, advice and self-help, and religious. Each of these can be broken into several sub-genres; religious writings can be further broken down in Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu ... Christian writings can be further subdivided: devotionals, apologetics, Bible studies, and more.

And what about creative/narrative nonfiction? Popular genres include true crime, memoirs and biographies, literary journalism, and personal essays. Again, any of these can be written from a Christian perspective.

Although the word "genre" means a category or type of writing and thus covers every kind of writing, sometimes the phrase "genre fiction" is applied to what is also known as "commercial" or "popular" fiction as opposed to "literary fiction." Genre fiction appeals to a wide audience - the general public, while literary fiction has a narrower appeal and is often considered more high-brow. Genre fiction includes romances, mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, horror, Westerns, thrillers, and action/adventure.

Each genre has specific conventions: a romance novel is expected to have a "happily-ever-after" ending, the crime should be solved and the perpetrator brought to justice in a mystery, and the good guy always win in a Western.

Some writers wonder if they are "writing to a formula" and being less creative writing genre fiction. Not at all. In fact, it may be harder to follow the conventions of a genre than to write a story that doesn't have the restrictions of a happy ending or the solving of a mystery.

Readers choose a specific genre of fiction because they enjoy those conventions. Romance readers want to see the couple end up together, and mystery readers want to see the criminal caught. Every mystery must have a crime, usually a murder, and the crime must be solved. But there are a infinite number of ways the crime can be committed, an endless variety of characters (victim, perpetrator, and crime-solver), unlimited methods of solving the crime ... So every mystery has certain elements in common, but every good mystery is unique. Aficionados read mysteries to enjoy trying to solve the puzzle of "whodunit," and they would be terribly disappointed if they didn't find out by the end of the story.

Writers must meet the challenge of creating a new and different story that meets the conventions of the genre.

Chizzy's Topsy Tale by Donna J. Shepherd

2005-11-18T23:04:00.000-05:00

My companion children's picture book to "Topsy Turvy Land" is now available, and it's a FREE download. "Chizzy's Topsy Tale" by Donna J. Shepherd and illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier is published by Hidden Picture Books. It's a 12 page e-book distributed by Electronic Book Reviews. We're trying something a bit different to promote the print book! Please email me if you read it to your children or grandchildren, and I'll post their comments!

Click HERE to download!

A Customer Review!

I read your story (twice) to our four year old daughter, Eileen, for bedtime. Here's what she wanted me to tell you:

"I liked the beginning and I liked the puzzle. I want Mommy to read it to me at night time and even in the day time, too! My favorite part of the puzzle was finding all the hearts. That guy is getting in trouble just like me!"

After I asked her what she liked about it, and we typed this, she started acting it out (making monkey sounds). LOL

Shari

Thank you so much, Eileen. I couldn't ask for a better review!* - Donna

New eBook Released!

2005-11-09T22:23:00.000-05:00

The Lonely Lightning Bug
by Donna J. Shepherd

A Littlest Angel Children's Book

Order information: Click here!

Illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier
Cover by Kevin Scott Collier and Andy Cooke

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
16 pages
ISBN: 1-933090-30-8
Formats and prices:
Zipped electronic download 6.00
CD 9.95 + 5.95 S&H

PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK GO TO: StarShine Hospice, the Hospice of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

What is POD?

2005-11-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

POD stands for Print on Demand, sometimes called Publish on Demand.

It is simply a printing method, a digital technology that enables a book to be printed and bound very quickly. The unit cost is higher than other printing methods, but the initial setup is less, so small print runs (or even printing individual books) is now feasible.

Anyone - large commercial publishers, small press publishers - can use POD, but it's often used by so-called POD publishers. These companies charge fees, ranging from nominal to significant, to setup a book, then orders can be placed for any number of copies after that.

The quality of some POD books is excellent; the quality of others is poor; others are somewhere in the middle.

The main complaint with POD in general, though, is that POD books are usually not returnable. In the very unusual business model that is publishing, books are shipped to bookstores when they are ordered. But unlike other products, if the books don't sell, bookstores can "return" them for credit. Returning a book actually consists of stripping the cover and sending it back to the publisher and discarding the rest of the book. About one-third of all books printed every year end up in landfills!

Since most POD publishers don't accept returns, bookstores generally won't carry POD books ... so you can order books as you need them, but you can't sell them in a bookstore.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. has helpful information about POD at Writer Beware.

As with any kind of publishing, writers need to investigate carefully before choosing a publisher. You can check out publishers at Preditors & Editors.

What Are Vanity, Subsidy, and Self Publishing?

2005-11-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

In my last post, we talked about traditional, royalty-paying publishing, in which a publishing company buys rights for a finite period and pays all costs to publish a book.

In other publishing models, however, the author pays to have the book published. Many writers and others in the industry proclaim loudly that "Writers should never pay - they should always be paid!"

Although I believe all forms of publishing have a place, it's important that writers understand what each is and make the right decision for them and their books. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scams, especially among vanity publishers, and writers must be informed.

You'll find useful information at Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's Writer Beware.

Here's a quick overview of the three kinds of publishers:
Vanity publishers are publishers who charge (usually very high prices) to print and bind books for authors. Vanity publishers publish any book whose author has the money to pay, and they generally do no marketing or promotion. Although they don't call themselves vanity publishers, they have earned this name because the main reason authors publish with them is for vanity - they just want to see their name in print and can afford to pay for the privilege. Writers need to be very careful when dealing with publishers who charge for their services because vanity publishers often call themselves "co-op," "subsidy," "joint venture," "small press," "partner," or any of a number of other names to hide their true nature. They often disguise their fees, too, so be sure you know exactly who and what you're dealing with.

Subsidy publishers also charge authors to publish books, but legitimate subsidy publishers provide the full range of services that traditional, royalty-paying publishers provide. They also charge reasonable fees for their services; of course, they make a profit, but not an exorbitant one! They are selective in what they publish; if a company agrees to publish your work without reviewing it, you should be very suspicious. Since vanity presses often claim to be subsidy publishers, check references and samples of the publisher's work.

Self-publishing means that the author arranges every aspect of publishing (hiring an editor, contracting with a printer, finding a cover designer, registering the copyright, acquiring the ISBN, etc., ) himself. This can be labor- and time-intensive, but it can also mean a less expensive and higher quality product.

Subsidy or self-publishing may be a good choice for writers who want to take control of the publishing process and who are willing to promote their own work. Writers of nonfiction, especially those with a platform such as public speaking and teaching, may do very well with subsidy or self-publishing. Books that aren't likely to be accepted by a commercial publisher, such as family history, are especially suited to this type of publishing.

But writers have to investigate carefully to ensure they're dealing with a legitimate company that will produce a quality product at a fair price on schedule.

What Are Traditional, Royalty-Paying Publishers?

2005-10-25T04:39:00.000-04:00

Often you hear the term "traditional" or "royalty-paying" publisher. This is a publisher who accepts submissions of specific genres (nonfiction, Christian fiction, literary fiction, science fiction, etc.) according to the publisher's guidelines. In the publishing industry, these publishers are known as commercial or trade publishers.

In many cases, an editor may first review a query letter and a synopsis (a brief summary or outline of the plot or main points of the book). If the query letter and synopsis piques the editor's interest, s/he will request a complete manuscript. After reading the complete manuscript, the editor will decide whether to acquire the rights to publish the manuscript. Only a small percentage of the submitted manuscripts are chosen for publication.

In print publishing, traditional publishers typically pay an advance against royalties when the publishing contract is signed. However, advances are almost unheard of in electronic publishing, though a few e-publishers pay extremely small advances.

Royalty percentages vary greatly depending on the publisher, the experience of author, the genre, whether or not the author was represented by an agent, and other factors. Print royalties may range from 6% to 12% or more. Electronic royalties may range up to 50% or more.

Production costs are less for electronic publishing than for print publishing because there are no printing or warehousing and shipping costs. Also, sales volume is usually less for titles published by small electronic publishers than from larger established print publishers, so the higher royalty rates help offset the lower sales to some degree.

A writer should not be required to pay any expenses with a traditional publisher, although publishers might offer optional services for writers at reasonable costs if the publisher provides everything required for publication at no charge. For example, a traditional, royalty-paying electronic publisher may offer its authors a print publication option as a service for writers who want to be published in print. Since the company is not primarily a print publisher, it could legitimately charge a nominal set-up fee for print if this is an additional optional service and there are no charges for electronic publication.

After the contract is signed for the publisher to acquire the rights for a specific term (usually one or two years), and ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is assigned, the work edited, the cover and internal layout designed, and the book prepared for distribution in one or more electronic formats. All of this - and more - will be done by the publisher as part of the publication process.

You will find publishers on the Christian E-Author site. Links to publisher members of EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection can be found on the organization's Web site. A directory of publishers is available on the Publishers We Love. However be aware that both of these directories includes publishers in all genres and are not necessarily endorsed by Christian E-Authors.

Selling by Stalking

2005-10-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

Selling by Stalking
Tonight I had a book signing at a bookstore. I set my children's book out along with business cards, brochures, etc. Then the manager said to stroll through the store, act friendly, and voila! Sales.

Wrong. This particular store had the "Veggie Tales" characters in last week, and they'll be there again Saturday. "Strawberry Shortcake" will be making an appearance Sunday, so I'm thinking the parents in that area might be a bit tired, and gearing up for next Saturday.

After handing out a couple dozen bookmarks, I started to feel like I was stalking the customers. I pictured myself like the shark from Jaws....circling my prey, forcing a few bucks from them, then leaving them lying on the floor searching for hearts in Topsy Turvy Land so I'd let them go.

I had plenty of time to check out the books on the shelves while I prowled the aisles. A handful of Christian authors seem to make up a good percentage of the product lines. I saw journals, magnets, calendars, screensavers, and desksets based on bestselling books. Hey, I'm not putting it down. I'd love to walk into the store and see some stuffed animals or coloring books based on one of my books!

I realize that selling goes along with writing. Even the celebrities have to appear on every talk show when books come out. My mom went with me, and kept talking to me, trying to encourage me. Afterwards, over a plate of potato skins and a gardenburger, we talked about how artists of every kind have to pay dues and be persistent if they're going to be successful. I recalled how one country star who's huge right now started out singing at county fairs and festivals, and even one time, right after a "spittin' contest." Ugh! That had to be the worst - and she said it was!

I love people. I like to talk, and I really enjoyed my time in the bookstore. But how can I compete with Bob and Larry? They're vegetables after all! Maybe I should dress up like Chizzy the Chimp? He's cute. Think that will work?

What's your marketing plan? Believe me - you better have a good one. Or you'll be like me. Can't you hear the theme song from Jaws right now?

What is e-publishing?

2005-10-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

In the many years I've been online, I've often been asked some variation of the question, "What exactly is e-publishing?"

NetLingo, the dictionary of Internet terms, defines e-publishing as follows: To display, present, or post some type of written, auditory, or visual media on the World Wide Web, with the intent of making it available entirely or in part to all users or just certain users. This is "publishing without paper..."

By that definition, e-publishing includes this blog and letters from Iraq from Fr. Jerry, who was my parish priest until he felt God's call to become an Army chaplain.

E-zines, electronic magazines and newsletters, are often sent via e-mail. People subscribe to the e-zine or newsletter because they are interested in the particular topic that the e-zine covers. Examples of Christian e-zines include A Word Fitly Spoken and In Search of Peace.

But most of the time when we talk about e-publishing, we think of e-books. In future installments of this series, I'll talk about the various kinds of book publishing: vanity/subsidy publishing, self-publishing, traditional publishing.

Use the comments feature to ask any questions you have about e-publishing and e-books.

A Pin Up for Rejection

2005-09-25T20:01:00.000-04:00

It happened again. A criticism came my way on a new work in progress, jolting my confidence and making me wonder why I even bother to write. Then another comment came in on the same section that said, “Great writing!” It seems that like so many other areas of our lives, the judgment about the quality of our work will vary according to who is doing the evaluation.

We’ve all read the stories of famous writers whose initial outstanding works went through layers of rejections. Now any publishing house would offer these people millions of dollars regardless of the quality of work because of their recognizable name. It would seem then that the beauty of our writing is in the eye of the beholder. And in many instances that view is scarred by dollar signs. We know it. We understand how the industry works. But when our masterpiece is criticized or rejected, it still hurts.

We’ve done the best we could. We’ve honed our craft to the point our heads hurt. We’ve increased the pool of submissions, and we’ve put ourselves into debt for the rest of our lives to attend conferences and take writing courses. Yet, those rejections keep coming. And we wonder why do we bother? The frustration mounts and we stoop from the weight of discouragement. Shouldn’t we have developed a tough enough skin by now? Not necessarily. Unless we are made of stone, those rejections will continue to sting each and every time. We chastise ourselves, go to the mall, eat chocolate, or my favorite is to be defiant and resend it somewhere else. We wallpaper with our rejections slips or create a dart board. We collect them for the biggest, best, or funniest rejection stories like fishermen talk about the one that got away.

The why or manuscript got the heave-ho could be as variable as the weather or as simple as an editor’s indigestion on the day they opened our query. But the one reaction, we must not have is to quit. Then the enemy has won.

Here is my favorite verse to pin up when that self-addressed envelope lands in my mailbox or when that critique says, “Do you really want to be a writer?”

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward (Hebrews 10:35 KJV).

Time in the Word

2005-09-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

For the last three weeks, I've been teaching a study on the books of I and II Timothy and Titus. The curriculum I'm using has twelve lessons. We've been studying for three weeks, and we've already learned so much. I think we've made it through the first two chapters.

Recently I completed a writing assignment writing short pieces of devotion and prayer. When I finished, I had written about 6,000 words. I praised the Lord because in the not too distant past, I doubt I could have written 600 words.

My pride in my accomplishment was short-lived though. The next time I studied for my class, I realized that I Timothy - the book I've spent three weeks teaching and barely scratched the surface, has only 2,269 words. How rich and how wonderful is the Word of God! He inspired Paul as he wrote these three short letters.

Have you ever griped and complained about studying the Bible? Perhaps you've felt guilty because you never seem to have the time. I've been there myself. With God's help, I intend to change my attitude. When I read the Bible, I go over and over the verses until I understand the meaning and the message. I hope the pieces I write have an inkling of the depth I'm striving for.

I imagine I've read 6,000 words of email today. Or 6,000 words in the newspaper. Yet I can't find time to read the Bible? We need to know the Word of God before we can incorporate His wisdom and principles into our writing.

How much time do you spend studying God's writings before you pen yours?

Operation Soul Survival

2005-09-04T00:59:00.000-04:00

We all join in prayer for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Our hearts go out to those who have lost homes, possessions, and - far more importantly - loved ones. We can't imagine the suffering they have endured, and we're praying for all of them.

As we give to the relief organizations for the physical survival and recovery of evacuees, let's not forget the need for inspirational and uplifting books. Operation Soul Survival: Books for Katrina Survivors has information about where to send books to survivors in shelters.

If you're an author with a supply of author copies or a reader who has accumulated lots of books to share, you couldn't find a better place to share than Operation Soul Survival.

Where Do You Shop for E-Books?

2005-08-21T05:03:00.000-04:00

Readers generally don't have any problems finding print books. They can shop at their favorite chain bookstore, order from amazon.com, visit a local bookshop specializing in used books or a particular genre, or experience a bookfair or signing. They can even pick up paperbacks when they shop at the grocery or superstore.

But sometimes it's not quite so easy to find e-books. Publishers and self-published authors may sell directly from their Web sites, and readers can't easily go to a few central locations to find a wide selection of e-books.

A good place to start is the book page of the Christian E-Author Web site. You'll find a selection of titles by members that range from thought-provoking to humorous to inspirational to entertaining ... for both adults and children.

The publishers page includes links to publishers to give you a broader selection.

Check out the links on the side panel of this blog. Many fine writers offer e-books on their sites or links to where their books are available.

Fictionwise is a leading e-bookstore. Their "spirituality/religion" category is not Christian - it encompasses any spirituality or religion, and there aren't a lot of Christian titles. There are other e-bookstores, but what I like about Fictionwise is that it offers a lot of different formats. Most of the other stores are limited to a few formats. If you happen to have a particular device or like to read on your computer in a specific format, those stores are great. But if you want or need something else ... you're out of luck.

I always like to buy directly from the author or publisher, but there are many authors and publishers I don't know. So other than meeting them through Christian E-Author or EPIC or hearing about them from a friend, I have a couple of favorite places to find e-books and e-authors.

BitBooks Digital Fiction Links includes links to free fiction on the Internet. In many cases, these are excerpts of e-books. For example, I have posted a link to a three-chapter excerpt of my novel Stroke of Luck. But there are also complete short stories, such as my inspirational story, The Gift, and my romance, Trapped by Love. You can browse the categories and read some of the free excerpts and stories, then when you find writers you like, you can order their books.

Another favorite place is Books We Love. You'll find author Web pages and links to publisher or bookstore sites to buy the featured e-books. This site offers a newsletter about the member authors as well as lots of fun contests.

It may take a little more digging to find e-books from small publishers than print books from the big guys. But I think it's worth it. The stories will often be different, intriguing, inspiring ... maybe just what you were looking for!

Do you have a hard time giving?

2005-08-13T18:06:00.000-04:00

I would like to say the principle that tells us: we receive more blessings by giving than receiving, works for any who will embrace it with a joyful heart.

The world use the principles in the Bible and they prosper but many Christians don't embrace them or if they do it's not with the right heartset.

The Principle Works! And it works quickly.

" ...it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35)KJV

Those words appear in red letters....so you know those are words from the Christ. I wouldn't question those words. I'd accept them and apply them to my daily actions and every motive/intent that's in my heart. Ask the Father for directions and wait for the answers. Once I hear the answers I follow them to the letter.

I'm always looking for a way to help someone or give something away. Many days I leave the house shopping for something to give away. I must say most of the time I receive multiple returns on the gift before I get back home.

The word of God is true and if you (this means anyone) want to receive then look for ways to freely give. Don't look at what the person you're giving something to will do for you. In fact, I don't want them to do anything for me. Why? Because then the word that God sent out will have to perform a thing on my behalf. God can bless much greater than man. And you never know when he'll cause a man's heart to be turned towards you and show favor to you.

Principle in action:

One day my family was out driving with no particular destination. At the stop light a man had a sign asking for money (which put a smile on my husbands heart). Not that the man had a need but that he was willing to ask for help instead of stealing and that this man was presenting an opportunity for my husband to give. He hadn't stopped the car completely (the light was red), and he had already undid his seatbelt and was lifting himself out of the seat trying to get his wallet out of his back pocket. He quickly pulled out $5 which was all he had and excitedly giving it to the guy. It did take the man by surprise the way my husband was acting. And here's the reward to that gift.

Later that evening we were browsing through a store and I saw some vitamin supplements that I thought were identical to the bottle we had purchased earlier that day. I took a bottle to my husband to examine. He then told me that they were a little better than the ones we can gotten earlier because they had not only an extra ingredient but that they were stronger. His thing was that it would have been better to get those than than the ones we had purchased. I have no problem returning an item for a refund so I told him I'll return the one item that we'd purchased for $30 and purchase this new item.

And now for the kicker: Why is it more blessed to give than to receive? We purchased 50 bottles of that supplement that day. The reason we purchased so many was because I believe in stocking up and taking full advantage of a blessing that presents itself. The new and better supplement was only $1.00 per bottle. WOW!Look at the principle of God work.

It is better if we concentrate on building up spiritual wealth not natural wealth (nothing wrong with wealth either it's just not what's driving us), because the spiritual will cause the natural to manifest. We do good to stand on the word and trust in the Father and not be moved by what we can see or touch.

Writing Lite

2005-08-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

Last week a friend of mine, Jules, mentioned writing lite. I thought if there was a description for my writing, that expression would sum it up. But then again - maybe not.

I love to write for children. Smiles on chubby, little faces, and the idea of tiny hands holding a copy of my book bring joy to my heart. I want to giggle like a second grader when an idea for a poem comes to me. A great deal of hard work goes into every poem - as any children's writer will attest. It may look easy, but just as much work can go into an eight-line poem as a 1200 word article. So even though the end result is lighthearted, it's not really writing lite.

So what would it be? Well, if I eat something 'lite,' the tummy still feels a bit empty. In fact, I forage for something more substantial to satisfy my insides.

I suppose lite writing would fall into that same description. You read. You feel empty. What was the point? Then you hunt for something more substantial - something that satisfies - especially if a spiritual hunger has your insides gnawing.

Writing lite has its place, to be sure. Sometimes you just want a little snack. A little diversion. Junk food for the mind.

But we need to eat the meat, the great spiritual truths, or as Matthew Henry's Commentary says, "Those that are babes, unskillful in the word of righteousness, must be fed with milk; they must be entertained with the plainest truths, and these delivered in the plainest manner; there must be line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little..."

Although we are all babes in Christ to begin with, I want to be a fully-grown, mature adult spiritually - someone who passes on the milk and delves into the meat of the Word.

The Apostle Paul told the Hebrews (Hebrews 5:13 Amplified Bible), "For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]!"

At times, we may all 'write lite' - sometimes for the sheer fun of it. But when I have someone over for dinner, I want to serve a nourishing, filling, and satisfying meal for the body. When I sit down at the keyboard to write, my desire is to write words that do the same for the soul - at least most of the time. Sometimes I do need to lighten up - that's when I write about a pet named Salami, and a woman with a "Buggy Brain."

So tell me...in your opinion, what's 'writing lite?'

Priorities

2005-07-20T09:51:00.000-04:00

I got word last night that my children's book should be delivered by the end of the week. I'm excited of course, but now the nerves are jumping like barefoot kids on a hot sidewalk. Several times, I've woke up from a deep sleep thinking of just one word that I could have changed - when you write a picture book, there aren't that many words! Every one is scrutinized at length.

This morning as I pondered the book's arrival, it dawned on me that when eternity stretches out before me, this is but a piece of gravel on the highway of life. When's the last time I analyzed every word spoken to make sure I'm speaking words of life? When's the last time I woke up from a deep sleep with someone to pray for on my mind? Do I look for Jesus' arrival with greater anticipation than a book's?

I'm SO thankful and blessed to have this book coming out, but I must stop and prioritize. I don't know about you, but I can get caught up in the mundane and forget the mighty.

Boldly Presenting Truth: But What Truth?

2005-07-14T11:01:00.000-04:00

(Second in a series: Choosing Content)
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil (John 17:15 KJV)

We are not immune. We have aches and pains and succumb to viruses. Christians experience the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s Disease, heart disease, cancer, and pulmonary disorders. Even those who have worked hard to keep their bodies in top physical condition may endure other hardships such as financial ruin, career failures, and even marriage disappointments. Christians have been devoured by lions, killed by drunk drivers, and beheaded by those who desire to prevent the spread of the gospel. No amount of preparedness, prevention, or perseverance will completely shield us from the perils of this world.

As addressed previously in the Faithful Scribes blog, our faith is exercised through these ordeals and not through the avoidance of them.

How then do we continue to portray our vulnerability and still present hope to a lost world? Do we sugarcoat the truth and thus present a false sense of Utopia here on Earth? Or do we so realistically portray the harshness of life non believers see no benefit to receiving Christ?

As the journalist would ask, where is the fair and balanced reporting?

Most authors possess a sensitivity, compassion, and yearning to see a better world. For the Christian, this better world can only be achieved through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is through the experience of spiritual deliverance from moments that would cause others to give in to the powers of Darkness that we can truthfully profess our God is able. And it is through these experiences that the reader will attest to God’s power. This then is our message. Not that belief in God will provide a way to circumvent the evil of this world, but that God brings us through the crisis to spiritual victory.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it
(1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV).

Papa Don't Preach

2005-06-29T07:15:00.000-04:00

(First in a series: Choosing Content)

Some of you may remember Madonna’s music video—that of a teenager who tells her father of her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. She pleads with her father not to tell her she’d been wrong. She already knew that. She wanted to know, “Will you help me or condemn me?”

Sometimes, I wonder if the pendulum hasn’t swung too far away from the hell, fire, and brimstone era. Maybe there is a place and time when the finger needs to be pointed and, like Nathan the prophet, say, “Thou art the man.” There are those so afraid of offending and being too preachy that the message is watered down to mere platitudes.

We need never apologize for truth appropriately spoken. But at the same time, simply telling a person they are a sinner without offering a solution is akin to the days of the stockades. As God’s messengers, we want all to come to know the power of God’s saving Grace. Then how do we deal with the publishing mandate, “Be real, but don’t preach”? How do we “speak the truth in love”? How do we determine our content?

First: Identify your target audience.

Are you writing for the saved or unsaved? Moms? Dads? Husbands? Wives? Children?

Second: Identify your motivation

Is this work to edify or entertain? Is this work intended to challenge or promote thinking? Is this message intended to offer solutions? Or is it to simply provide information? All are legitmate.

Thirdly: Identify your form of delivery

Will this message best be delivered in a story, an article, a poem, or larger work of fiction or non-fiction?

Fourthly: Identify your tone

Will this message be better told humorously or straight as an arrow? Does the message need to be hard sell or soft pedal? Once you determine the overall tone, your imagery and voice should ring true with your tone or style.

Just a few thoughts to consider before you write your first word and after you have carefully prayed concerning the kernel idea God has given you.

Happy writing!
Linda Rondeau

What About Sharing EBooks?

2005-06-26T00:39:00.000-04:00

Recently, members of EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, have discovered several "pirate" Web sites illegally selling e-books. They had acquired one copy of the books and were copying them and selling the copies.

In some cases, these sites were set up by dishonest people who were deliberately out to cheat the publishers, authors, and others who earn royalties from the sale of e-books. Some had the misguided idea that all authors and publishers are wealthy and wouldn't miss the paltry income from the sales they made. If only they knew! According to a study done by the Authors Guild in 1981, the average writer earned less than $5,000 a year from his profession, and I doubt things have changed much since then, especially for e-authors.

Most people who share e-books don't intend to steal royalties; they simply don't understand the difference between passing on a paperback book they've read and making a copy of an electronic file. In the case of a print book, they no longer have the book - there is only copy in existence. It was purchased; the bookstore and publisher were compensated, and the author, editor, cover artist, and others involved in the production of the book were paid for their services or earned royalties.

However, when someone sends copies of an e-book to their friends, they have only paid for one book, but they are distributing several copies. The publisher and bookstore were paid for one copy, and the author, editor, and cover artist earned royalties on only one copy. However, there are two or three or a dozen copies being read and enjoyed.

Some publishers want to respond to this problem by security measures, some extreme - password protection, files that can be read only on one device, license keys - but most publishers and authors are opposed to anything that makes it difficult for our readers.

I want you to be able to read my novel on your desktop computer or your laptop or your PDA. I want you to share it with other family members in your home, and recommend it to your friends.

Tell us what you think about sharing e-books by posting your comments.

Do you know how to download ebooks?

2005-06-13T04:26:00.000-04:00

Some readers new to e-books hesitate to order because they're unsure of how to download. "Download," according to NetLingo, the Internet dictionary, means "To transfer a file or files from one computer to another ... HTTP, FTP and e-mail attachments are the most common" methods.

One way to download is with a link to a HTML, PDF, or other file. You can open the document, then "Save As ..." from the "File" menu in your Internet browser to save the file to your hard drive. Or you can right-click on the link and select "Save Target As" from the menu. (These instructions are for computers using the Windows(R) operating system.)

Some publishers zip the files and secure them with a password. The password is provided to the buyer at the time of the purchase.

Other publishers send the e-books as e-mail attachments or send links to the files in e-mail.

With any of these transfer methods, you as the buyer need to be careful to choose the right format: HTML to read in your Internet browser, PDF to use the free Adobe Acrobat reader in your computer, or a specific format for reader software or hardware.

E-book stores such as Fictionwise and eBookAd create a personal bookshelf for each customer. When you make a purchase, your e-book is immediately transferred to your bookshelf, and you can download it in any available format at any time. You may download it to read on your desktop computer at the time you buy it, but halfway through the book, you can decide to finish reading it on your PDA. Return to the e-book store and download the appropriate format.

If you own the reader from eBookwise, you can download books directly from your bookshelf to your e-book reader.

Most publishers and bookstores explain their download procedures on their homepage or FAQ/help area. If in doubt, send an e-mail or fill out the contact form on the Web site. Businesses want you to buy their products, and part of that process is understanding the process.

Happy downloading and e-reading!

Amazon appears to be increasingly pro-Muslim, anti-Christian

2005-06-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

Does anyone know about Amazon's reviews? I posted a review four times but each time they removed my review. There is one article at my blog site titled "Amazon appears to be increasingly pro-Muslim,anti-Christian" at
http://jcsearch.com/blogs/bnq

Thanks
Sherly Isaac
http://insearchofpeace.org

How do you prefer to read e-books?

2005-06-08T04:07:00.000-04:00

I've been wondering how people prefer to read e-books. For several years, I read on the old Rocket eBook. A few months ago, my husband was hospitalized, and I spent hours sitting at his bedside. One day, I nodded off, and my Rocket reader slipped out of my hand and fell to the floor. The case shattered ... and I had to look for another device. I'd tried a Palm but found the font and screen size too small for my poor vision. Now I'm using the eBookwise reader. This is a branded version of the Gemstar reader, and I've been happy with it.

To find out what others prefer, we have two polls running at Faithful Scribes, another Christian E-Author blog. Let us know what devices and formats you prefer for reading e-books.

And if you have questions about e-publishing that you would like answered in this blog, make a comment so we can know what information would be helpful for us to post.

How Decent the Standards?

2005-06-05T21:32:00.000-04:00

Well, when you hear an organization standing up for decency standards, as a Christian writer the first thing you think is, "Great! It's about time." And then you begin thinking about what it means for all writers in general, especially for some of the e-publishers and their authors.

Booksquare has an interesting post on how the Romance Writers of America are attempting to restrict the content of book covers they will associate with. Read Booksquare's post, and see what you think. You can read my response here. Because after an initial reaction, I decided this policy wasn't a good thing at all, for any of us, Christian writer or *romantica* writer. Just how can we ever hope to attract new folks to our faith if they are re-routed somewhere else along the way?

The Memories in Memorial Day

2005-05-28T18:27:00.000-04:00

As I type at my desk, enjoying the warm May breeze, I am taking a few moments to thank all the men and women who have given their "all" so that I may have the freedom to be here. The freedom to write what I want, the freedom to live in the greatest country in history, the freedom to express my opinions, the freedom to worship as I choose. Thanks to all of you! Your sacrifices can never be repaid.

And to all my writing and reading friends, have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

A Chance for Middle School and High School Writers to be Published Electronically

2005-05-23T00:37:00.000-04:00

If you've been around electronic publishing for awhile, you've probably heard that the future of e-publishing is in the next generation. You may have even said it yourself.

EPIC, the Electronically Published Internet Connection, has established a competition to encourage reading and writing among middle school and high school students and to promote e-book literacy in public and private schools. The result of the first annual competition will be the anthology EPIC New Voices 2006 to be published June 2006. This anthology will include all prize-winning entries as selected by the judges. The winners will be announced at the EPIC Conference in San Antonio, Texas in March 2006.

The contest is open to students attending public, private, or home schools anywhere in the world, but all entries must be submitted in English. Students should be in grades 7 through 12 in the US or the equivalent level in the school system of their country.

Categories include Short Story (fiction), Poetry, and Essay (nonfiction). Each entrant may submit no more than one (1) entry in each category — a maximum of three (3) entries per entrant.

Entries in each category will be judged by a panel of three judges, including teachers, librarians, and published writers.

Guidelines and entry forms are available on the EPIC Conference Web site or by e-mail from epicnewvoices@lillieammann.com. If you know aspiring writers in junior high or high school, please tell them about this opportunity to showcase their talent. All winning entries will be published in the anthology EPIC New Voices 2006, which will be distributed on CD at the EPIC Conference and by download on the EPIC Web site.

Print Publishers Close Imprints

2005-05-19T19:06:00.000-04:00

This week Harlequin and Silhouette announced the demise of their shorter contemporary romance lines. These stories were no longer "sweet" and free of explicit details--so I believe their readers were migrating to the inspirational line. How many authors have books written, submitted and even contracted for these lines? How many might eventually submit these (revised) manuscripts to e-publishers?

Here's an excerpt from the offical announcement:

As a company, Harlequin is committed to the success of our series
publishing business. We believe it is our responsibility to develop,
evolve and enrich our publishing programs in order to bring new
opportunities to our authors and fresh and relevant reading
experiences to our readers.

The development of new programs is the backbone of our approach to
the business, and I'm pleased to announce the launch of a new six-
book series starting in September 2006. High on romance, low on
explicit sexual details, this short, contemporary series delivers
feel-good reads that capture the intense emotions and excitement of
falling in love - within a variety of international settings. We
believe this new editorial will help us better serve our existing and
potential global readers.

From September 2006, Harlequin Romance and Silhouette Romance will
cease publication due to declining retail presence globally. The new
series will effectively replace these two series, and many of our
existing HR and SR authors will continue to be published in the new
series. For the others, there are a large number of other series and
programmes within Harlequin Enterprises which may offer new
publishing opportunities, and your editor will be happy to discuss
these with you.

I realize that for some there will be a period of uncertainty.
Please let me assure you that we will do everything possible to
mitigate that uncertainty. Members of our editorial staff will be
speaking personally with agents and all of the authors who are
directly affected by the changes that we are making, and we look
forward to working with our authors and the agents who represent them
to continue to publish the stories that our readers want to read.

Yours sincerely,

Randall Toye
Global Editorial Director, Series
Harlequin Enterprises Limited

E-Publishing, how I started

2005-05-18T12:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks for inviting me in this forum. I am glad to tell you how God blessed our small effort of online publishing. About over eight years back I came to this beautiful land from India. Internet was new thing for me as India was not that advanced in technology that time. I enjoyed surfing the net. One day God told me that, I must start a weekly newsletter which I could send through email.

Well, it wasn't easy though yet after much prayers and much thought we started "In Search of Peace" Magazine on 17th July 1997. It was a humble beginning, we had very few subscribers in the list. But soon word spread and many joined the list. The list started growing. In past years God has used this magazine to spread His goodness, salvation, deliverance and blessings. We receive many emails that how God blessed them by reading those messages. God did many mighty miracles in the lives of people.

Recently we have converted all our ezines in PDB format so that it could be read with a palm doc reader.

Beside this I have published two books. Both are in paper-back as well as e-book format. Both books are available with my publishers for purchase. Book Titles are Allah and Elohim - Are they the same God? and Is Jesus God?

Excerpts of my both books are available at my website: Bible and Quran

Thanks and God bless
Sherly Isaac
http://insearchofpeace.org

A little intro, please

2005-05-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

Guess it's my turn to say hello and do a little intro. I have a blog called Down the Writer's Path where I offer news and commentary on the writing life and craft and the publishing industry. I'm published in both traditional and electronic publishing. In the traditional publishing world, I've co-authored three travel books, with the third, Exploring Texas History: Weekend Adventures, released this month. The book is structured to be read as a collection of short stories and/or used as a travel book. My first young adult book, Divided Loyalties, published by Awe-Struck E-Books, is in both e-book and paperback format. Inspired by my research for Divided Loyalties, I recently launched a website called TeensTakeAction.com. At the end of summer, a second young adult book, Video Magic, will be released.

So far my publishing history in books and articles, fiction and nonfiction, has primarily been on the secular side of publishing. I recently ended a two-year stint as a communications director for my church where I created and published a 16-24 magazine-format newsletter and wrote a few other articles on religious art. (See Writing in Gold and Art Inspires the Soul.) Although my young adult books are not published by Christian publishers, they are considered to be very clean. One reviewer called Divided Loyalties a "G-rated book without any steamy love scenes to offend young readers." While they have romance in them, the stories occur during that short window when two people meet and discover an attraction to one another, while, at the same time, they continue to face life and deal with issues such as loyalty, anger, and envy. My current project is nonfiction and definitely falls on the Christian side of publishing.

It's exciting to be a part of this new blogging effort, and I hope you'll my contributions and that of the others and will stop by my other blog and say hello there, too.

Have You Ever Read an EBook?

2005-05-11T03:57:00.000-04:00

As amazing as it seems now, I had never read an e-book when I submitted my novel to an e-publisher. I'd never been to an electronic publisher's Web site and certainly had no idea how to download a book. I only submitted because a fellow writer told me that the publisher was open to a handicapped heroine in a romance novel.

Now I read far more e-books than print books. I often even read the Bible online because I can search for particular words or passages, compare different versions, and read commentaries and study tools -- all at the same time.

Christian E-Authors have published a wonderful devotional book, Milk and Honey for the Hungry Heart, which is available for free download.

If you're new to the world of online book publishing and hesitant to spend money on books by authors you haven't read before, you may want to read one or more chapters of a book on the publisher's or author's Web sites. Visit the Christian E-Authors site for links to publishers and authors, as well as information about e-books, news about e-publishing, author interviews, and much more. You can also find enjoyable reading at Book Reviews from Christian E-Authors.

My Web site includes lots of links for readers and e-book and e-publishing resources, including links to e-book sellers and directories, e-authors, and organizations and information about the industry. You'll also find links to free e-books, and everybody likes free!

I started reading e-books in 1999, and I've been an avid reader ever since. If you're new to the exciting world of e-publishing, I hope you'll try a few e-books, ideally by some of my fellow Christian E-Authors, and that you come to enjoy them as much as I do.

For Our Moms

2005-05-06T17:39:00.000-04:00

This is just a thank you to all of our mothers here at Christian-e-authors. Whether we are mothers ourselves or just want to wish our own moms a Happy Mother's Day, I thought this was a great place to do it. Thanks Moms, for encouraging us to write when we were in school and thought we could write a great novel in our composition notebooks with those fat pencils. Thanks Moms, for supporting our essay skills even when the teachers said we were "average." Thanks Moms, for letting us read the books we wanted to without censorship. And thanks Moms, for encouraging our pursuit of publication and appreciating our work, regardless of whether you understood what "e-books" really were or what a "download" entailed. Thanks Moms!

AFFIRMATION

2005-05-04T08:07:00.000-04:00

What was I doing here? The past three days were a whirlwind of seminars, networking, and meeting other writers most of whom had already been published and many who had written books. I was fooling myself if I thought I belonged to this group of prestigious people. Me, who was only dreaming about writing.
It was my first writer’s conference. I had found the advertisement in a writers’ periodical.
“You should go!” My husband had always been an encourager.
“It’s so far!”
“Nonsense. Take your time getting there. Three days down and three days back. The time away will be good for you to reflect and see what God has in mind for you.”
He was right. I knew it. The last nine months had been a time of deep introspection. I had believed at the time I did the right thing by quitting my job. I knew God had another plan for me. I had believed it was writing. As the months lingered, I felt foolish over the decision I had made.
Five years earlier, I had prayed for a passion, something that would drive my energies. Since my youngest child had left home, my zest for living diminished each day until getting up in the morning seemed pointless. Soon after uttering that desperate plea for renewal, I attended what I termed a feel good seminar, the kind of workshop that motivates a person to go home and hug all the neighbors. I arrived with the poorest of attitudes, expecting nothing but bubbles of intent that burst as soon as the daily grind resumes. With exuberant pleading the speaker asked, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?”
We were instructed to write our thoughts on a 3 by 5 index card. Without hesitation I wrote, WRITE. He then told us to expand the dream. I asked myself, “What would I write about?” I awakened from my daydreaming with a jolt. The speaker was addressing me, and I found myself publicly declaring a desire to write for Christ.
Riddled with uncertainty and insecurity, I resisted the call for another four years until the burning desire consumed me completely. I resigned my position and thrust myself upon a road of discovery.
The journey had brought me to this conference. As I mingled with faculty and other writers and heard of their accomplishments, my doubts escalated. What right did I have to place myself in the same category as those who had proved their worth? What had I done? I’d chucked a good paying job to pursue a career that I was too inept to ever realize.
Traditionally, the conference held an awards night. From the buzz of excitement surrounding me, I surmised the activity generated much enthusiasm. Like hopefuls at the Oscars, contestants held their breath as the winners in each category were announced. The first place of each category, published and unpublished, would be eligible for the top honors of the evening, The Award of Excellence.
With no expectations, I had submitted an article and three poems in the unpublished category. I was thrilled when my article received an honorable mention. That alone was an encouragement in an otherwise self-deprecating experience. Third and second place for poetry were announced.
How wonderful for them, I thought, as I watched each winner nearly gallop to the front to receive the coveted certificate. “And first place unpublished poetry goes to Linda Rondeau for Whispers of Hope.”
Now I was dazzled with disbelief. Surely, the announcer had called the wrong name. A friend seated next to me, poked me to get up and get my certificate. I had never won anything in my life, not even a raffle. As if in slow motion, I accepted the honor.
A few more awards were given for other categories. Then, the trophy was brought forward. A hush fell upon the exuberant audience as if angels were hovering. “The Award of Excellence goes to—
She stopped and looked at the certificate. “This is the first time this award has been given for poetry—The Award goes to Linda Rondeau for *Whispers of Hope.”
The applause was deafening. My knees seemed too weak to carry me to the podium. Angels’ wings ushered me toward my affirmation, and I felt as if God himself had smiled upon me.

*Authors note: Soon after this award, Whispers of Hope was published in a church newsletter and later in VISTA, a publication of The Wesleyan Church.

by Linda Rondeau
http://www.lindarondeau.com

Dreams, Strokes, and E-Books

2005-04-30T04:50:00.000-04:00

I'd always dreamed of becoming a writer "someday," but until my mid-forties, my writing was limited to occasional articles in business magazines and professional journals. I was too busy with my interior landscape business, my husband and home life, and my volunteer activities to pursue my dream.

Then one fateful day, I visited a chiropractor for a routine treatment for a migraine headache and ended up with a debilitating stroke. After two years of therapy and recovery, I realized that I couldn't afford to put off my dream for an elusive "someday" that I might never have. I also thought about Christ's parable of the talents; if God gives us a dream, surely He gives us the talent to go along with the dream. He didn't give me the talent to bury, but to use.

So I started writing, and the result was the contemporary romance novel Stroke of Luck.

I wrote, re-wrote, edited, revised, polished, and tweaked. Then I sent the manuscript to publishers so one would buy it and distribute it to the readers who eagerly awaited this special story. I visualized a paperback on the shelves of the local bookstore.

a. I even had one editor tell me in person, as I sat in my motorized wheelchair in front of her, "No one wants to read a romance about a disabled character."

Shortly after that I heard about electronic publishing and discovered e-publishers are more open to different characters and plot lines than the New York print publishers. My book is now available from GASLight Publishing.

Several years have passed since I first discovered e-publishing. I'm focusing more on nonfiction (both writing and editing) as Editor-in-Chief of Our Mail Network - Your Information Center.

I read e-books more often than print books for several reasons, including the following: E-books from small presses are less expensive, so I can afford to indulge my reading habit more often than with print books. My eyesight is very poor, and I can adjust the font on my e-book reader or my computer screen to make reading comfortable; the font in many print books is too small for me to read. I like knowing that no trees were destroyed for me to enjoy reading a book; something like 30% of all books that are printed are actually destroyed unsold and unread - what a waste! But, most importantly, I've discovered some wonderful inspirational books as well as secular books that I can read without offending my Christian faith. Check out the books written by Christian E-Authors and those reviewed on the Book Reviews by Christian E-Authors - I'm sure you'll find some you'll enjoy!

A New Journey

2005-04-28T12:52:00.000-04:00

Hi and thanks for visiting our little corner of the blogosphere! I've been a member of Christian-e-authors for several years and consider the members to be friends and colleagues.

I discovered electronic publishing before I discovered that I was called to write for the Christian market, so my first electronic release was a Civil-War time-travel romance novel. It was released first as a download and diskette, and a year later as a mass-market sized paperback. The publisher, New Concepts asked me to add 20,000 words to this book before publication, illustrating that electronic publishers have much greater freedom to publish longer stories. In fact, e-pubs, as they're called, have greater freedom in many ways, including the mixing of genres which major publishers don't know how to market.

After this book, I wrote a contemporary inspirational romance for my current publisher, MountainView Publishing, and this book was a finalist for the prestigious EPPIE Award. The EPPIE is awarded by EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Internet Connection.

What I've learned over the past 8 years is that any and every type of medium works when we write for Him. Blogging is just the latest form of publication, and we have to take advantage of every opportunity to reach readers.

Hope you will continue along on our journey.

Introduction

2005-04-28T09:12:00.000-04:00

Hi, My name is Steve Losee. It has been all my life, actually. Okay, okay; I'll get serious now.
Very early I found a love for storytelling, and wanted to be a writer of the kinds of things I liked to read and watch. This went from old monster movies through the Hardy Boys, The Twilight Zone, Mickey Spillane, Kahlil Gibran and finally (after getting saved at age 20) wanting to comine all the above as evangelism tools.
God had other ideas. Though I wrote a trilogy about street ministry, it never went anywhere. Then I spent a few years writing a narrative of the crucifixion entitled "MY GOD! MY GOD!" It was similar to "The Passion", though not Catholic and more spiritual (though not less physical) in its depiction of Christ's sufferings. I kept that ms for many years, and it was finally lost during the mid nineties while I was wallowing in "the slough of despond".
The green light to write didn't go on until 1984, when I began writing evangelistic plays that were produced by my church. Nevertheless, nobody ever wanted to pay for my words until I started submitting them online. Then, voila! I am now a published author. No books yet, though I've written four. One's with an agent and one's being considered by a publisher (on CEA, in fact!).
My dream is make a difference...and a living...doing this wonderful, marvelous, daydreaming kind of labor (and it IS labor!). I'm not shy about my website (http://writerspker49.tripod.com/) or my email address (sandel@epix.net), so don't be shy about contacting me...especially if it's with an assignment!

Thanks for your time. Gotta stop writing now so I can...well...write!

Christian E-Authors Enter the Blogosphere!

2005-04-27T03:46:00.000-04:00

Christian E-Authors is composed of approximately 150 diverse writers who share our Christian faith, our love of writing, and our interest in electronic publishing. Visit Christian E-Authors to learn more.

Members of our group will be posting about writing, e-books, and electronic publishing several times a week. Leave your comments and questions and come back often to learn more about the exciting world of e-publishing.