Edie Melson's Blog, page 345

7 Characteristics of a Successful Pinterest Image

By Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
In last month’s article, “Why Bloggers Should Consider Pinterest,”I made a strong case for utilizing this powerful social media site to build our blogging platform. Because Pinterest is an image-driven site, it’s vital that we create strong images if we want our pins to stand out. We want readers to notice our images, pin them to their boards, and click through to read the linked blog post. Effective images can increase our blog’s pageviews, reach, and subscriber base.
1. It’s simple. Resist the urge to crowd your image with too much clutter. Choose a single sentence, short list, or brief quote. Use an easy-to-read font size and styles.
2. It’s vertical. Unlike Facebook, which favors horizontal pictures, vertical images show up best on Pinterest. When I create images, I use the collage feature on Picmonkey, then rotate it vertically. If you’re unfamiliar with Picmonkey, click here to read Edie’s post, “Step by Step Instructions for Adding Text to Images.” The ideal image size for a Pinterest image is 1500 x 3000.
A good Pinterest image can stand alone.3. It can stand alone. Think of a Pinterest board as a bulletin board or the front of your refrigerator. Readers want to pin images that are visually pleasing and deliver content they can use, reflect on, or refer back to.
4. It contains a simple list. Not every blog post lends itself to a list, but some of my most popular pins contain lists that link back to a full blog post that further explains the topic. I use a list as an appetizer to whet my readers’ appetite for the blog post.
5. It always includes your watermark or logo. Sadly, not all Pinterest users are ethical. If you don’t have a watermark on your image, someone can easily steal your pin and promote it as their own. I always include the name and web address of my blog in small letters on every pin.
6. It uses clear original or copyright-free images. Don’t just cut and paste an image from Google or Facebook. Most of these are copyrighted images. We’ve all heard horror stories about bloggers receiving big bills because they used a copyrighted image without paying for it or gaining permission. To avoid a nasty surprise, use your own photos or obtain copyright-free images from a reputable source. My favorite is Pixabay, which offers many beautiful free images. For other sources of free photos, click here to read the post “Where to Find Free Images Online.”
7. It’s imbedded as one of the photos in your blog post. If you include the graphic in your blog post, when you go to Pinterest to pin your image, you can simply enter the link to your blog post and all the images from your post will pop up. Click on the Pinterest-worthy image, write an engaging description, and click PIN. Voila’!
This is by no means an exhaustive list or tutorial, but if you follow my suggestions, you’ll be well on your way to creating beautiful, popular images that will stand out in the Pinterest stream, increase your blog traffic, and help you reach a wider audience with your writing.
Now here’s your homework: If you’ve created a Pinterest image that has a good number of repins, leave a link to it in the Comment box so we can see it and learn from your success. I’ve included one of my most popular images here. 
How to know it's God speaking to you.
If you’ve never included an image suitable for pinning in a blog post, create one using these guidelines, include it in your next blog post, and leave a link in the Comment box so we can take a look. The suggestions above won’t do you a bit of good unless you jump in and give it a try.
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Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of two devotional books, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Womenand  Joy in the Journey – Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. A blogger, writing instructor, and women’s ministry speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God. . . Starving for Time. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

5 Ways to Write Using the Five Senses

by Cyle Young @CyleYoung

Great authors write using the five senses. They are masters of drawing their readers deeper into the world, scene, or setting of a story by embracing the intricacies and subtleties of the five senses.
The senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and feel are available to almost all writers. Utilizing proper description of each of the five sense in your manuscript will greatly improve your story, and will drastically improve your chances of getting your manuscript published.In the modern world sound is everywhere. You can’t get away from it. Popular studies have shown that spending just thirty-minutes in a room void of sound can drive a person crazy and cause them to hallucinate. It is near impossible to find an area with an absence of sound. You cannot avoid even the faintest whirr of air-conditioning fans blowing, the tick of a clock, or even your own heart, and neither can the characters in your manuscript.
Sound is everywhere, even in your made up reality contained within the pages of your story. The reality of this is a great benefit to your writing. Your readers know and experience those same sounds in their daily lives. It gives you common ground from which you can connect your scene or setting with the mind of your target audience.

As an exercise take sixty-seconds and write what you hear in the scene shown in this picture.


What did you hear?
Did you hear the metallic clash of the blacksmith’s hammer pounding against the red-hot metal? Most people do.
What about the laborious grunts emanating from the blacksmith as he exerts all of his effort into reshaping the metal? Not as many people hear that sound when they look at this picture. You have to look deeper. Put yourself into the scene to see it.
Can you hear the singing sounds of sparks blasting away from the impacts?
What about the sizzle of the blacksmith’s sweat as it drops from his forehead onto the molten metal?
Or the scrunching of thick leather in the blacksmith’s apron as he moves and twists?
Look again at the picture and picture yourself in the scene. Close your eyes and experience the blacksmith working. What do you hear?
Hopefully, your mind allowed you to embrace the setting in a unique way. Maybe you heard the roar of the fire just outside the picture, or the screeching of metal as the blacksmith readjusts his grip on the hot metal using the tongs.
Did you hear an assistant chattering in the background? Or music playing on an old radio?
If you didn’t hear any of these things, don’t worry. It takes practice. But the more you open your mind to the reality of the sound around you, the more you will be able to describe it in your manuscript and pull your reader further into your story.
Take one last look at the image and write in the comments something unique that you can “hear” in the setting, that you didn’t already hear the first two times.
TWEETABLE5 Ways to Write Using the Five Senses - @CyleYoung on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Cyle Young is thankful God blessed him with the uniqueness of being an ADD-riddled…SQUIRREL!...binge writer. Not much unlike the classic video game Frogger, Cyle darts back and forth between various writing genres. He crafts princess children’s stories, how-to advice for parents, epic fantasy tales, and easy readers.

How to Make Your Writing Conversational

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

Like a textbook.... 
That’s how my writer’s voice sounded when I started to write my first book. I could write devotions that sounded like a one-sided conversation, but my book sounded academic like the textbooks I had in college—factual, cold, distant. I knew I couldn’t leave it that way.
I thought about how I would want the book to sound if I were the reader. I read one of my favorite non-fiction books again to see what I liked about the author’s voice, or tone. He came across as warm-hearted, concerned, and encouraging. Like he was in the boat with me encouraging me to keep rowing and pressing on toward God’s will for my life, instead of shouting at me from the shoreline. When we write to encourage others, we want to sound like a friend, like someone who cares. Instead of presenting cold facts or how-to steps in our books, we can sound like we’re coming alongside the reader, encouraging them in their walk with God. How do you like an author to sound when you’re needing help or encouragement? Write like that.
Here are some tips to make your writing conversational. You may want to try one thing or all of them. Remember that learning how to write conversationally is a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, so don’t get frustrated. The time you take to write this way is worth every minute because it will make your writing more reader-friendly.
As you learn to write conversationally:
1. Don’t stifle your personality as you write. There is only one you. Let your personality shine. Put away any notion that writers are supposed to sound stodgy or stuffy. Far from it. Readers are more likely to keep buying your books and reading your blog posts if they see personality and heart in your writing.
Picture the faces of your best friends as you write.2. Picture the faces of your best friends as you write. Remember that you’re writing to actual people instead of some ethereal audience. Picture your best friends sitting with you in a coffee shop, and start writing. What would you tell them about your topic? Write freely and then read the paragraphs. Did you sound conversational? If you need to add more details or supporting material, go back and insert that. As you write, remember that you write to real people with real joys, hurts, and needs.
3. Tape record yourself talking about your topic. You may think, Oh no, I’m not going to record myself. But the goal isn’t to sound like an awesome speaker, but to merely record what you would say about your subject. What you would say, not write. Transcribe the tape, and see if there is a difference between your previous writing and the transcribed version. If so, keep using the recorder as long as you need to.
Read others books and blogs and notice the words they use.4. Read other people’s books and blogs, and take note of the types of words they use. We may think that to be a writer, we have to wax eloquent. But what readers really want is to know the message that’s on your heart and how it helps them in everyday life. Read some other people’s writing and notice whether they wax eloquent or cut to the chase. Do they use everyday language for the most part and insert a big word here or there? Do they use poetic language in just the right spots as they describe something lovely or build to a climax? Pick your moments when you want to sound dramatic or poetic. Stay inspiring, but try to keep your language as down-to-earth as possible.  
5. Lay aside the “technical” for a minute, and write from a passionate heart. Here’s an exercise suggested by Dee Dee Parker in her blog post, How Passion Influences Your Voice . Try writing a short piece about your topic, and let the writing flow from the passion you have about the subject. Let your emotions immerse in what you write. Did your voice change? When you write from the heart, you may see that some of the “academic” falls away. Let your passion come through in your writing. Only you can write about something with your unique passion.
6.Find a writing friend who is willing to help you develop a conversational voice. Ask your friend to read five short pieces of your writing and give you feedback about your voice. Write something short like a devotion (or short story if you write fiction), and send it to them. Adjust how you write based on your friend’s feedback. Over the course of the five pieces, you may see your voice emerge which you can use in your book. If your friend is still willing to work with you, rewrite a few pages of your book and ask for more feedback—did you keep your conversational tone?
As you develop your writing voice, allow God to steer you. Let your personality, experiences, and spiritual gifts shine as you seek to encourage other people. Try one of these tips and tell us how it went! Don’t forget to join the conversation. 

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How to make your writing conversational - @KatyKauffman28 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

6 tips to take your writing from academic to conversational - @KatyKauffman28 (Click to Tweet)

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning writer and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, a ministry which seeks to connect people to God through His Word. 

She has taught the Bible to women and teens, and has two published Bible studies for women, 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory and Faith, Courage, and Victory. She is an editor of the new Refresh Bible Study Magazine and the designer of Broken but Priceless: The Magazine. She makes her home near Atlanta, Georgia.

What to Say When You're Second Choice

by Lucinda Secrest McDowell @LucindSMcDowel

Understudy. Replacement. Substitute. Interim.
Have you ever been called upon to take someone else’s place at the very last minute? Rarely convenient – always a stretch…
When we're second choice, it's easy to feel that our presence is possibly a mistake. And how humbling to learn that we were the one God intended to use all along.
At this time.
In this place.John wasn’t a preacher. But as a deacon in the Primitive Methodist Chapel of Colchester, England he had a simple faith and a willing spirit.
Sometimes that’s all that is required.
On one particular January Sunday in 1850, John awakened to a world of white. Suspecting God didn't take snow days, he put on his boots and trudged six miles into town for church.
Not surprisingly, the church crowd was sparse that day – twelve members and one visitor, a 13-year old boy. In fact, the preacher wasn’t even able to make it through the snow, so someone suggested they cancel the service. After all, who would give the sermon?
Being the only church officer in attendance, John Egglen reluctantly agreed to do the honors, based on the scheduled text of Isaiah 45.22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.”
But remember, he was no preacher.
In fact, he stammered and verbally wandered for about ten minutes until he fixed his eyes on the stranger, easily distinguished in the little company, and said, "Young man, you look very miserable." The blow struck home, and although the teenaged Charlie had never had such a personal word from the pulpit before, he listened intently.
John continued, "Young man, look to Jesus Christ! Look! Look! Look! You have nothin' to do but to look and live."  
I’m not a preacher either, but there have certainly been times when I have needed to step in and offer a good word. Recently I was called upon to fill in a 5-day speaking engagement, as a replacement for an older seminary professor who had become ill. While my natural response was to feel unworthy and unqualified, I chose to believe that this was no mistake.  To serve in that place. At that time.
I said yes and offered up my words ~ my stories. By God's grace, that week ended up being one of incredible fruit and encouragement for all involved.
We never know where our words will land, do we? Canadian Pastor Mark Buchanan in elaborates, “I’d delight if none of my words fell to the ground --- if none were useless, excessive, dispensable, easily dismissed… But that’s God’s business… Either God, God alone, keeps our words from falling and scatters them wide, or else there is nothing in them worth keeping and scattering in the first place. Our concern, our responsibility, is simply to hear and heed God.”
Where did John Egglen’s words land that snowy day so long ago? Did they make a difference?
As that teenage boy recalled years later, they most certainly did: “I had this vision—not a vision to my eyes, but to my heart. I saw what a Savior Christ was. . . . And as the snow fell on my road home from the little house of prayer …I was white as the driven snow through the grace of God.”
That teenager’s name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Who grew up and became known as England’s  “Prince of Preachers.”
What do you most remember after hearing a good message? Chances are, it’s the stories that take hold of your heart and provide a lasting influence.
Jesus was a storyteller. And our complicated and seemingly impossible lives also tell a story to a watching and listening world...
What story does He want you to share? Why not spend some time preparing for your own snowy day?
And then say yes when you are summoned… you never know where your words will land.
"Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching."  2 Timothy 4.2 NRSV

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What to say when you're second choice - thoughts from @LucindaSMcDowel (Click to Tweet)

Lucinda Secrest McDowell, M.T.S., is the author of 11 books, contributing author to 25 books, and has published in more than 50 magazines. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, she studied at the Wheaton Graduate School of Communication and served as Communications Specialist for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (Thailand) and Editor for Billy Graham’s International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists (Netherlands). A member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA), she has received “Writer of the Year” awards from both Mt. Hermon and Blue Ridge Writers Conferences. Cindy speaks internationally through her ministry “Encouraging Words” and co-directs the New England Christian Writers Retreat. Known for her ability to convey deep truth in practical and winsome ways, she writes from “Sunnyside” cottage in New England. Visit her online at www.EncouragingWords.net

Links  www.NewEnglandChristianWritersRetreat.com
Blog/website  www.EncouragingWords.net

12 Tips to Reduce Blogging Stress

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

12 Tips to Reduce Blogging StressBlogging is a valuable tool for writers wanting to grow and connect with an audience. It provides us with the opportunity to go deeper than a quick social media post. It also gives our readers a place to hangout with us in cyber-space.
But anyone who has done much blogging knows that it can also be stressful. These are my tips for reducing that stress.
12 Tips to Reduce Blogging Stress1. Find a place to keep all your blog post ideas. I’ve discovered that ideas appear at the oddest times. I’ve also found that if I want to keep them, I have to catch them and put them away the moment they occur to me.
Work ahead.2. Work ahead. I try to schedule my posts as far out as possible. For me, that’s a week or two in advance. I also have a file of posts to use in case I need them.
3. Utilize the practice of cluster blogging. I shared an entire post about this concept in Maximize Your Time with Cluster Blogging. But in a nutshell, it’s writing multiple posts on similar topics.
4. Find some blogging buddies. I have an agreement with several bloggers  who have the same focus as me. We agree that if we’re in a spot and need a last-minute post, we can take one from each other’s sites and give credit.
5. Keep a file of images. I keep all my previous blog images—and images I take specifically for my blog—in a file. That way if I need something quick, I don’t have to find something new.
6. Set goals 24 to 48 hours in advance of the real deadlines. The posts on my site go live at 4:00 am every morning. In addition, certain days have specific topics. Today is Social Media Monday. When I set my goal for when to write today’s post, it’s by 10pm Saturday evening. That way, if life happens, I still have time to readjust and not disappoint my readers.
Keep a checklist7. Keep a checklist. I have a checklist of things to look at before I hit publish. I shared it here on Increase the Reach of Every Blog Post and Continue to Increase the Reach of Every Blog Post.
8. Break up long posts into two parts. When I see a post is running long, I look for ways to break it into two or more posts. That keeps my audience reading because the post length isn’t too long, and it keeps them coming back to read part two.
9. Pay attention to the comments. The comments section of your blog is a gold mine. Pay attention to questions and what’s said to find topics for future posts.
10. Redo and reuse. I hate to think that all the previous posts I’ve written are only read once. I also don’t want to repost the same thing (because of SEO algorithms that penalize this practice). The way to overcome this is to rework your post and then reuse it.
Don't over stress.11. Don’t over stress. Life happens, sometimes you have to skimp on certain things. Or you might miss a post altogether. Be consistent while you can and don’t sweat the mistakes.
12. Give yourself some grace. It’s impossible to put up perfect posts. All of us find stupid typos and formatting gaffs. Don’t assume mistakes are unforgiveable.
These are the things that have helped me reduce my blogging stress. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below. I always learn so much from you all!
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLES#Blogging is a great tool for writers, 12 tips to manage the stress - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
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Future or Past? Point of View Can Determine What Happens with Our Writing

My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. Philippians 3:13-14
Publishing is a tough business.
It’s almost impossible to write anything for public consumption without feeling like you’re throwing your heart into the lion’s den. And I don’t know about you, but I give these negative comments a lot more credibility than the positive ones. The good ones I tend to disregard with the thought that the person commenting was, “just being nice.”
With the mind-set of living on past rejections it’s possible to shrivel up and die, at least as a writer. Feeding ourselves on what’s gone before forces us to a standstill.
And it comes with an entire travel trailer full of baggage.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with doubt, insecurity and an almost overwhelming urge to give up. Instead, draw a line in the sand. Commit today, RIGHT NOW, to begin to live in the future, on the promises God has given you.
If you’re writing now, you know the promise I’m talking about. You’ve heard that still, small voice call your name. You’ve gotten that confirmation you’ve asked for. Now it’s time to move forward, believing God truly is big enough to make it happen. He doesn’t call us out, fully formed and ready. He calls us out when we’re weak—ready for Him to equip us.
TWEETABLESFuture or Past? Our #Writing Success Depends on Where We're Focused - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Point of view can determine what happens with our #writing - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

How I Learned to Stop Picking Nits and Love the Language

Edie here. Today I'm super excited to have a good friend, Ramona Richards as a guest. She's a great editor and an amazing writer. Her newest book is sitting on my nightstand right now - and isn't going anywhere any time soon because I love it so much. The details about the book are at the end of the post, so be sure to give it a look and a great Write Conversation welcome!


How I Learned to Stop Picking Nits and Love the Language 

by Ramona Richards
@RamonaRichards



If when we are taught English we are just taught the rules of grammar, it would take all our love of our language away from us. What makes us love a subject like English is when we learn all these fantastic stories. Feeding the imagination is what makes a subject come alive.~Daniel Tammet, author of Born on a Blue Day
That Infernal EditorIt’s a universal piece of advice given to every writer who ever sat down at a keyboard: turn off your internal editor and just write. Easier said than done for most of us, which is why I call it the “infernal” editor. One of the crafts we must learn to ply our trade is English grammar, and an emphasis on the importance of correct grammar is in every class, blog, or tutorial we read. But in the first draft process, that’s the exact thing that can stop us cold.And where does that nagging editorial voice that freezes us up come from anyway?            With most writers, we were brought up to it. We absorb it in what we read before, during, and after the time we start learning what to call nouns and adjectives. My formal training dates back to junior high, in a fair land far away (Tennessee in the 1970s), when Mr. Dobbins imbedded in my brain a love of diagramming and subject/predicate agreements. Then I majored in English. Twice. Correct grammar became a passion. People were afraid to write me letters. I was a grammar dictator. I took advanced courses, and could even diagram sentences from James Joyce. The only literature classes I took were medieval and modern. I preferred studying the history of the English language to the historical classics. I wanted to be a writer and editor, not a literature professor.            The second time, for my master’s degree, I had to take a foreign language. German. Which taught me even more about grammar (German and English have similar Indo-European roots). By the time those degrees were in hand, I had Harbrace, Turabian, the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), and Strunk & White memorized. I had a red pen grafted to my left hand. I was ready for publishing. I started writing more stories and sending out applications for jobs at publishing houses.
For the love of...story.For the Love of…Story         Then I actually got a job in publishing. Working with children’s books. And I had quite the reality check. Here are the first two lessons I learned in publishing:Story is king, no matter what your genre.There’s no such thing as a perfect book.        
I still remember the first letter of correction I received from a reader. As a grammar dictator, I was devastated, even though I’d had nothing to do with the book. It had been published long before I’d even graduated from college. I was embarrassed for my company. My boss, however, was quite nonchalant.             “Ramona,” she said gently, “if you get upset over every mistake in a printed book, you’re going to spend your life in a tizzy. There’s no such thing as a perfect book. Humans make mistakes. And grammar changes.”            Wait. What? Grammar changes?        Definitely not something I heard back in that fair land far away. I was just beginning to learn how far away it was. I soon began to read publications like The Editorial Eye, which covered the ongoing changes in grammar. Now I read grammar blogs. I went from being a prescriptivist (one who dictates how grammar should beused correctly) to a descriptivist (one who describes how current grammar isused correctly). And I discovered that editing content, editing story, is far more satisfying to me than making sure the jots and tittles were all straight.            I began to truly appreciate the beauty of this
whackadoodle language we call English.Above all, I began to truly appreciate the beauty of this whackadoodle language we call English. It’s fluid and flexible with rules that guide yet shift. It allows for different stylebooks to flourish (Associated Press is not CMS is not APA style, and the Oxford commas are not universal). It allows new words to be added and old words to change or vanish. Nouns become verbs, and vice versa. It allows for author voice and dialogue as well as dialectal phrasings. It allows for the Oxford English Dictionary folks to choose “emoji” as the word of the year. After all, the OED has always been a descriptivistpublication.           This may mean that some “mistakes” in books aren’t really mistakes. And if your grammatical knowledge is based on what you learned before 2001, please do not mention split infinitives. They’ve been quite acceptable since 1983. Or to quote a CMS Q&A column: “In this day and age, it seems, an injunction against splitting infinitives is one of those shibboleths whose only reason for survival is to give increased meaning to the lives of those who can both identify by name a discrete grammatical, syntactic, or orthographic entity and notice when that entity has been somehow besmirched.” (http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/q...)            Another reason to love the CMS folks.             It really is OK for us “to boldly go where no one has gone before.” And other places.            So what’s my point?
Love Words, Not Commas            My point is that an intense emphasis on whether a book you’re reading has mistakes is the same internal editor that stops you from writing. When you’re reading a new book, focus on content, on story, on flow (especially in nonfiction), and NOT on the occasional trip-up by a copyeditor. Because if you let a few grammatical mistakes or typos upset your reading of a book, then you are going to overlook some of the most beautiful and well-written (if not well-proofed) books in our language. (Even most Bibles have typos.)             And THIS is the first step to turning off your internal editor. When you can turn it off when reading other authors’ books, you can do it for yourself and your own writing.
The Craft of Grammar Has Its PlaceThis doesn’t mean you won’t notice the mistakes. You will. After all, correct grammar and a smooth, unique syntax is part of your tradecraft. The gift is to be able to ignore them in light of the story being told. If you can get to this point, you can likewise ignore them in your first draft.             And this doesn’t mean that you’ve stopped caring about grammar or that you won’t be able to turn that infernal editor back on once you’re into the editing process. The knowledge doesn’t go away; it’s just temporarily reassigned. I no longer care about typos in blogs, Facebook posts, or emails (although I do make a quick judgment about the author). Instead I save my grammar dictator status for the second draft of my own books and any I’m getting paid to edit.             The first rule of professional editing is: Be kind but clear. Authors should keep this in mind for the first draft of every book. Torture your characters…but be kind to yourself. Focus on telling the story you love. Jots and tittles can come later.  
TWEETABLESHow I Learned to Stop Picking Nits & Love the Language - @RamonaRichards (Click to Tweet)
Appreciating the beauty of this whackadoodle language we call English - @RamonaRichards (Click to Tweet)
http://www.amazon.com/My-Mothers-Quilts-
Devotions-Needlework/dp/1617956120/refMy Mother’s Quilts A quilt is love that serves a purpose.
Inspired by thirty family heirloom quilts, each devotion depicts the enduring legacy of faith, family, and tradition. Rich, personal, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, each reading provides a lesson and encouragement from the faithful women who crafted the quilts.
Full-color photographs of each quilt show the style and artistry of each beautiful work. The quilts, sewn by several generations over more than one hundred years, are as unique and lovely as the hands that created them. The oldest was buried during the Civil war to keep it safe, and the author’s mother created the newest in the last years of her life.
Available at all book retailers$15.99Worthy Publishing 9781617956126
Ramona Richards is the author of nine books, including her most recent release, My Mother’s Quilts. Her devotions have appeared in such publications as Fulfilled: The NIV Devotional Bible for the Single Woman, Trusting Jesus Every Day, Wonderfully Made, Heavenly Humor for the Woman’s Soul, Heavenly Humor for the Dieter’s Soul, and several others. Ramona has worked on staff or as a freelancer with more than 20 magazine and book publishers, including Thomas Nelson and Abingdon Press. She now works as a freelance editor and writer from her home office in Nashville, Tennessee -------
Some grammar-oriented sites I read. There are many more. Chicago Manual of Stylehttp://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/latest.htmlLingua Francahttp://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/Sentence Firsthttp://stancarey.wordpress.com/ The Subversive Copy Editorhttp://www.subversivecopyeditor.com/blog/Read>Play>Edithttp://www.jamiechavez.com/blog/ Throw Grammar from the Train(which introduced me to the word “peeverein” – I am forever grateful) http://www.throwgrammarfromthetrain.blogspot.com/

 

Street Teams for Book Launches

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Today's post is a little bit different. 

I'm not coming to you as an expert, but as someone who's just a few steps ahead (or possibly behind) you. 

You see, I'm in the process of putting together my first ever street team for my upcoming book, While My Child is Away.  

Instead of waiting until I was done, I thought I'd invite you along for the journey.

What is a Street Team?
I've had to rely heavily on my more experienced writing buddies, DiAnn Mills and Lynette Eason, as well as the marketing group at Worthy Inspired, to learn what exactly a street team is. 
A street team—also called a launch team, dream team, tribe, posse, road crew, etc—is a group of readers passionate about your book. These are people who believe in what you've written and see the value of sharing it with others. They agree to post reviews, mention it on GoodReads, share about it on social media, and of course talk about it in person. 

How do I Find These People?
We find them anywhere readers hang out—online and in person. They can be reviewers, bookstore managers, readers and/or friends. Social media is a good way to spread the word that you're looking for a team. The key is to find people who aren't just excited, but will also be willing to truly help. The key is to get the ball rolling and people on the street team will recruit new members.

What's in it for them?What's in it for Them?
An author's street team is a big priority. They always receive advance copies of the book (ebook or soft cover). In addition they get postcards, bookmarks, and other extras. They also get the inside scoop on a book and author they love. 

In return, we as authors have a strong commitment to the people on this team. We pray for them regularly, stay in close touch and value their advice. They also get to make suggestions for promotions, blog posts, giveaways, and contests. Their input is valued and rewarded.

How do We Communicate?
That's up to you. You can set up a Yahoo Group, secret FaceBook page, or even a regular Google Hangout. The most important thing is the fact that it's regular communication. Many of those on your street team will be there for multiple books. 

That was General, Now onto Specific
As I mentioned, I'm in the process of setting up a street team. Mine is going to be specific to the type of books I write—prayer books. The marketing director helped me brainstorm what I'd like to do with my team. 

I'm creating a Prayer Street Team... And I'm inviting any of you who are interested to be part of it.

While My Child is AwayWorthy is going to provide advance copies of While My Child is Away to my team. Then, for the six weeks before the book launches, we'll be meeting online once a week to discuss the book and pray for our kids. Imagine being a part of a group of twenty or so believers praying regularly for one another's kids. It gives me chills just thinking about what God can do through that! 

In addition I'll be sharing memes, quotes, tweets and other things for this team to have and share. If someone is part of a book club, prayer group, or any other group, I'll be happy to provide extra books for giveaways and Skype in to meet with that group. There'll be more details for those who email me.

So what do you say? What questions or suggestions do have in regard to Street Teams? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

And would you like to join my Prayer Street Team or do you know someone else who might? If so, email me directly ediegmelson (at) gmail (dot) com.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

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Publishing as a Second Language - The Cliché

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden


Publishing as a Second Language - The ClichéOne of the terms we borrow from the French is cliché . If you are not familiar with a cliché, the New Oxford American Dictionary defines a cliché as “a phrase or opinion that is overused or betrays a lack of original thought.”
Most writers use clichés without even thinking about it. Because they know them like the back of their hands, these common phrases just roll off their tongues. It’s easy as pie to include them in writing because writers want to make sure their writing is clear as a bell. Romance writers know that all is well that ends well. Encouraging writers know that every cloud has a silver lining. Regardless of what cliché you use, it feels like old hat to your readers.
The problem is that writers are creative people. And by definition clichés show lack of creativity or original thought. Shouldn’t we write without using words and phrases that someone else has used for years?
Look for clichés as you edit.Once you have completed a manuscript and you begin your final edit, pay attention to your use of clichés. If you find one, think of a better and more creative way to express your thoughts. For example, if you say something is “quiet as a mouse,” does that really say what you mean? Do you want that phrase to distract your reader and bring an image of a little squirmy gray thing darting in and out of walls? Perhaps you can come up with a more creative way to express the absence of noise. Many things might come to mind—the house when you first get up, sitting alone on a deserted beach, a baby who has finally fallen asleep, etc.
A good writing exercise is to take a cliché and create new ways to say the same thought. Why don’t we try one or two here? Pick out one of the clichés below and suggest in the comments how to rewrite that cliché in a new and fresh way. I have chosen a few just for writers!
The writing on the wall            Read between the lines

Happy writing!
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Linda Gilden is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She finds great joy (and excellent writing material) in time spent with her family. Helping writers understand PSL is one of the things she also loves to do through her newest book, Called to Write. This month she is excited about having a chance to set new goals for the new year and maybe even do a few more rewrites!
To find out more about Linda, her writing, and her ministry, visit  www.lindagilden.com . You can also connect with her on Twitter @LindaGilden and Facebook at Author Linda Gilden.

How to Make Money as a Writer – Guaranteed

by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

How to make money as a writer - guaranteed!How do you make money as a writer? Easy. Write smut! It’s a guaranteed paycheck and if you play your cards right—fame and fortune can follow. Now before you go all self-righteous on me—hear me out.
Let’s face it. Once you are a published novelist, by the time everyone takes a bite of the profit, most authors, are no better off financially, than they were before they wrote the story. So the burning question becomes, why do I write if I never get paid?That, my friend, is the age old corundum.
You could write today, submit (even if the writing it substandard), and probably earn a decent check if you chose to write smut. Or if you opt for the politically correct, “erotica.”
The market screams for trash.The market screams for trash. And worse yet, daily writers are stooping to all-time lows, for the title. Not all writers go this route. Scruples still exist in the industry. However, more and more wanna-be writers are seeing that to be noticed in the industry, smutty works. Look at Fifty Shades of Grey. I can’t speak to the quality of the writing because I never read the book. But I can tell you, that author gained her notoriety and money quickly by glorifying bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. (Which by the way, I find it a bit ironic as I look at reviews, that Anastasia falls for a guy named Christian.) But I digress.

My point is, if money and fame is what you are after, then erotica is the dirty elephant in the room that Christians don’t want to mention.

According to www.theguardian.com, 54% of traditionally-published authors and a staggering 80% of self-published authors make less than $1000 or less per year.

So why do I point out this elephant? Because it’s an issue that will test your beliefs and standards. Everyone reading this post are probably not writers in the Christian market. Secular or Christian – the fact remains, as a writer, you must set your standards. What will you write and where do you draw the line? Does your faith outshine earthly desires to have a book on the shelves?

Your standards, be them in your writing or in your daily living, speak to who you are and the hard part comes when your earthly desires fight against your inner beliefs. The easy way to being published is to go the way of least resistance. If the world wants immoral reading, then give them what they want. But it’s more than that. Writing is more than giving the world what it craves.

I have a multi-Christy winner friend, who remarked, “No one wants a good story anymore. No one cares about good, well-written work.” This, unfortunately, is true. Give the people a quickly written, cheaply told, story that promotes the ways of the world, and it will be read. But a book so beautifully crafted that its story churns the soul. . .that’s a different thing. It has to paddle upstream to find a place.
Look seriously at why you write.I challenge you to seriously look at why you write. If it’s merely for the paycheck, you can go to Wal-Mart and get a job. But if you aim to be different—shoot for a higher standard, recognition comes slow, money comes even slower. The real paycheck are the lives you can change.

A well written, wholesome story can dig into the soul of a reader, grasp hold and not turn lose. A story well-told, becomes timeless, shared extensively because it’s just good. Good stories can have tragedy, hardship, and death, but they can also have hope—something a suffering world seeks.

Before you bend to ways of the world, ask yourself these questions:Is this something I morally believe to be right? In your heart of hearts, you have a gage that your parents balanced in you as a child. You have the basic beliefs of what is right and wrong. Do not fall for the lie: But that’s what they expect. The world hungers for that basic core values to be reinstated. Remember, we were created with a void within us. One meant to be filled by our love of God. For those who have no guidance on how to fill that void, your option to write differently can most certainly point them in the right direction.Would I be proud for my children or grandchildren to read this at show and tell? It’s a valid question and one that needs to be thought through before pen goes to paper.How will this affect my career in the future? And it will affect your career in the future.Am I raising the bar or bending beneath it? You can, after all, set the new standard. My grandmother once told me, “Life is fulla wants. But wants ain’t what a body lives by. It’s needs.” That, was her sweet mountain way of saying reminding me, if my friends told me to jump off a bridge would I do it? You don’t have to bend beneath the bar. Raise it.Simply put, writers have valuable roles in the world and though the ultimate goal would be to seek payment and receive it, the reality is, that happens 1% of the time. What we do with the other 99% in our standards. 
Do not be afraid to set your standard high. Write quality work. Use your words wisely. A day will come when you make a meager living at writing. If you work hard, the day may arrive sooner than later that you make a substantial living. And it will be a day you can look back on with pride.

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Cindy Sproles is an award-winning author and popular speaker. She is the cofounder of Christian Devotions ministries and managing editor of Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Cindy is the executive editor of www.christiandevotions.us and www.inspireafire.com. She teaches at writers conferences nationwide and directs The Asheville Christian Writers Conference - Writers Boot Camp. 

She is the author of two devotionals, He Said, She Said - Learning to Live a Life of Passion and New Sheets - Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be. Cindy's debut novel, Mercy's Rain, is available at major retailers. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com and book her for your next conference or ladies retreat. Also connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.