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W. Terry Whalin

Goodreads Author

Born

Huntington, West Virginia, The United States

Website

http://terrywhalin.com

Twitter

terrywhalin

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April 2011

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W. Terry Whalin understands the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor and his work has appeared in more than 50 publications. Terry is an Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books through traditional publishers. Terry's newest book releases on October 5, 2021 called BOOK PROPOSALS THAT $ELL, 21 SECRETS TO SPEED YOUR SUCCESS (REVISED EDITION). Another recent book from Terry is, 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS, INSIGHTS EVERY AUTHOR NEEDS TO SUCCEED . Late in 2014, Terry had another new book, BILLY GRAHAM, A BIOGRAPHY OF AMERICA'S GREATEST EVANGELIST. Terry is a popular speaker at numerous writers’ conferences and an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Author ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

W. Terry Whalin Aspiring writers need to:
1. learn all they can about the details of how publishing works. You want to learn from experienced writers--not people who h…moreAspiring writers need to:
1. learn all they can about the details of how publishing works. You want to learn from experienced writers--not people who have published one or two books but people who have published many books. Read how-to books such as Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams (http://JumpstartDreams.com). Also read blogs like The Writing Life (http://TheWritingLife.ws) and take free teleseminars like (http://AskAboutProposals.com).
2. Actively work at being published in print magazines. So many people want to publish books which is fine but thousands or even millions of people will read your magazine articles. Writing for magazines will establish your credibility with book editors and literary agents because you have a track record of being published. Magazine articles are shorter than books and you learn a great deal about how to reach a target audience, how to tell a good story, how to have a beginning, middle and end and much more. You can see my perspective on how to get started (based on the fact that I've written for more than 50 magazines) at: http://www.right-writing.com/basics.html
3. Get to a writers conference. The sooner you can attend one of these events, the better--whether local or national. You can learn more at: http://www.right-writing.com/conferen...
4. Keep growing and persist in following your publishing dreams. Too many authors try once or twice, get rejected and give up. It's a shame. You have to be persistent in this business.
5. If I can help you, don't hesitate to reach out to me. My email is in my twitter profile and many other places online.(less)

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I have a book that is the actual journal of when my newborn son died, and the 3 yrs following. An experienced author told me it needs to be published but I simply cannot do the cover letter. Do you have any ideas if this book is worth pursuing and can I find help in writing the cover letter?

W. Terry Whalin Kat,

Sounds like an idea with potential. Here's the challenge: ideas are everywhere. You have to determine if the idea is a book length idea (40,000 to…moreKat,

Sounds like an idea with potential. Here's the challenge: ideas are everywhere. You have to determine if the idea is a book length idea (40,000 to 50,000 words) or if it is short magazine article (1,000 to 1500 words). You will reach more people with your magazine article than 99% of the books published and it is easier to accomplish.

Also what is your purpose writing this book? Is it simply to capture the information for your family or to help others who face this same experience? If it is the later then maybe you have a book project. You aren't writing for everyone but a specific target audience.

Finally how to you make your idea stand out from the other ideas? Not to discourage you but you have to understand that editors and agents receive hundreds of emails each week. Your pitch has to be worth pursuing. Editors and agents do not read manuscripts, they read book proposals. I have a number of free resources that I've created to help other writers:
http://AskAboutProposals.com (a free teleseminar)
http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck (a free book proposal checklist)

Hope this helps you determine the viability of this concept and whether it is a book length project or a magazine article.

Warm Regards,

Terry
__________________________
W. Terry Whalin
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Straight Talk from the Editor (FREE Ebook):
http://straighttalkeditor.com

Follow Me On Twitter:
http://twitter.com/terrywhalin

My blog, The Writing Life (over 1,000 entries):
http://www.thewritinglife.ws (less)

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W. Terry Whalin’s books

Average rating: 4.23 · 743 ratings · 179 reviews · 45 distinct works • Similar authors

	Billy Graham: A Biography of America's Greatest Evangelist 4.27 avg rating — 162 ratings — published 2002 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Samuel Morris: The Apostle of Simple Faith 4.32 avg rating — 122 ratings — published 1996 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success by W. Terry Whalin (Goodreads Author), Marilyn Allen (Foreword) 4.35 avg rating — 113 ratings — published 2005 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sojourner Truth: American Abolitionist 3.92 avg rating — 102 ratings — published 1997 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed 4.69 avg rating — 29 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams 4.54 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2009 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	One Bright Shining Path: Faith In The Midst Of Terrorism 4.28 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 1993 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Billy Sunday: Young Readers Christian Library 4.33 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 1996 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lessons from the Pit, A Successful Veteran of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Shows Executives How to Thrive in a Competitive Environment by W. Terry Whalin (Goodreads Author), W. Terry Whalin (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings — published 1999 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Alpha Teach Yourself the Bible in 24 hours 4.08 avg rating — 12 ratings — published 2002	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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W. Terry Whalin's Blog

Celebrate The Joy of Anticipation

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As you read this article, I’m attending to one of the largest Christian writers conferences in the country--the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in Asheville, North Carolina. Last year there were 600 people at this event which translates into a wide variety of types of writers and publishing professionals. It’s been my privilege to attend this Read more of this blog post »

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W. is Currently Reading

W. Whalin is currently reading

Rendezvous with God (Rendezvous with God #1)

by Bill Myers (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 06, 2022 05:06AM

W. Whalin is currently reading

Victor!: The Final Battle of Ulysses S. Grant

by Craig von Buseck (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 10, 2021 05:32AM

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W. Terry Whalin wrote a new blog post Celebrate The Joy of Anticipation By Terry Whalin @terrywhalinAs you read this article, I’m attending to one of the largest Christian writers conferences in the country--the Blue Read more of this blog post »
May 29, 2023 02:57AM · like
W. Whalin rated a book it was amazing The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A Celebration of Babe Ruth The nickname of Yankee Stadium was THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT and opened on April 18, 1923. Author Kelly Bennett has combined meticulous research with a cornucopia of detailed information about Babe Ruth for this fascinating ...more
May 07, 2023 04:52PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
W. Whalin rated a book it was amazing One Potoroo: A Story of Survival by Penny Jaye (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Teach Your Children about Australia’s Rarest Mammal Until reading ONE POTOROO, I had never heard of a potoroo. Penny Jaye plunges the reader right into the action with a lightening strike which sets off a fire in Two People’s Bay. Little is left other ...more
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W. Whalin made a comment on Writers, Use Your Marketing Assets " Amanda, thank you for this feedback and encouragement. Terry "
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W. Whalin has read The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Apr 23, 2023 08:12AM · 1 like · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
W. Whalin made a comment on The Dark Side of Christian Publishing " Thank you, Luci, for this comment. I was shocked to discover this information about a new writer that I met. It was just another reminder that we live ...more "
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W. Whalin rated a book it was amazing I Pray You'll Be . . . by Hannah C Hall	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Repeated Reading of This Book Will Touch God’s Heart One of the most powerful and underused tools for every parent is the power of prayer. Through prayer, we communicate with the God of the Universe. I PRAY YOU’LL BE… is a well-crafted book which will ...more
Apr 18, 2023 07:48AM · 1 like · like · see review
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Apr 18, 2023 05:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The House That Ruth Built by Kelly Bennett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Quotes by W. Terry Whalin (?)

“You have the greatest passion for your book so you need to show that passion and create an email list and different ways to connect with your readers.”
― W. Terry Whalin, 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed

tags: life, publishing, writing

9 likes

“The successful writers continue to learn and grow in their craft—and also to grow their audience or tribe or platform.”
― W. Terry Whalin, 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed

tags: audience, authors, publishing, success, writing

6 likes

“No book or magazine article is for "everyone" so know your audience, then target them with your writing.”
― W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell

tags: book-proposal, book-publishing, insightful-quote, magazine

6 likes

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W.’s Quotes

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

tags: writing

5717 likes

“Hook your editor with a strong opening sentence to bring attention to your writing.”
― W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell

tags: book-proposal, book-publishing, insights, magazines, publishing, writing

3 likes

“No book or magazine article is for "everyone" so know your audience, then target them with your writing.”
― W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell

tags: book-proposal, book-publishing, insightful-quote, magazine

6 likes

“As a book author, it's your responsibility to cast a vision for your book about the length and appearance before you pitch the idea to a publisher.”
― W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell

tags: author, book-proposal, book-publishing, insightful-quote

3 likes

“Keep passing the open windows.”
― John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire

tags: learn-it-live-it-love-it, perseverance, suicide

387 likes

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