Seeing the Bright Side of Rejection

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By Lori Domingo @loridomingo22 To say that I was beyond excited to be nearing the finish line of my MFA program would be an understatement. I had in my hands a completed, full-length novel – my first in my genre of choice, Christian fiction. Part of the requirements for one of my classes was to research a favorite author in …

Pitching With Grace and Perseverance

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By Barbara M. Britton @BarbaraMBritton My pitching days began in 2008. I have pitched to agents and editors in the General Market and to those in the Christian Fiction publishing world. I’ve pitched in person and over Zoom. My shortest time allotment was three minutes, and my longest pitch session was fifteen minutes. What were some of the craziest things …

ACFW Announces 2022 Christian Fiction and Industry Awards

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  Palm Bay, FL: The American Christian Fiction Writers in person conference at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, St. Louis included their 2022 Awards Gala with a number of significant industry awards. Prolific author and devoted mentor and teacher Gayle Roper was honored with ACFW’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Among other recognitions are the following winners of the Carol Awards, …

Sending your Submission to an Agent

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by Tamela Hancock Murray Submitting your work to an agent can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. A few simple steps will help you gain confidence, regardless of your method. Unsolicited submission This is when you are querying several agents and you have no connection other than perhaps seeing their names on a list. I don’t recommend the …

Understanding Fiction Publisher Barriers

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by Les Stobbe, Literary Agent I was 40 years old when I began acquiring fiction for Moody Press. My background included six years buying fiction and selling it in bookstores, four years of visiting Christian booksellers and interviewing them on why they were successful, and helping a fiction writer gain a publisher for a series of suspense novels. At Moody …

Should I Be Writing this Genre?

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by Tamela Hancock Murray Often I talk with new authors writing in lots of genres. This is fine if it’s part of your personal writing journey and learning process. I want my authors to enjoy what they’re writing. But when you get serious about publication, know when to choose and what to choose. One mistake is to write strictly to …

When Fiction Provides Added Value

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By Les Stobbe I’m constantly amazed by the fixation of fiction writers on novels, as if that is the noblest expression of the art of fiction writing. Yet there are a variety of other opportunities to employ fiction to present the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. Let me illustrate with my experiences. In my first real job in journalism I …

Twelve Tips for Maximizing Your Appointments

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By Bonnie Doran It’s conference season! If you’re heading to a writer’s conference, you probably have appointments with editors, agents, or other professionals. Here are some tips for making the most of those fifteen minutes: 1. Arm yourself with business cards. They don’t need to be fancy. I suggest your name (duh), head shot, email address, and social media links, …