Peter Lopez Jr.'s Blog: Xulon Press Blog , page 18

How Your Book is Also Your Magazine Pitch

Writing for a magazine might not have been the first thing you considered when you decided to write a book. But did you know there have been countless authors that were once journalists before they released award-winning books? Not to mention, using your new book as a magazine pitch could also grant you a new career path in publications. 

When pitching to a magazine you should have an important reason in mind about why you’re the one who’s meant to write that specific piece. Ideally, the piece you’re pitching should relate to your book in some way. Writing for a magazine isn’t just a new income/job opportunity, but it’s also a great way to promote your upcoming book. 

Here’s how to use your book in your next magazine pitch.
Create an elevator pitch.

In case you’re not familiar with the term, elevator pitch stems from this idea: if you’re in an elevator with someone that could skyrocket your career and you only have 60 seconds or less with them, what would you say? 

Knowing how to pitch your work is essential for every writer. If you can’t sum up your idea into a sentence or two, you don’t have a magazine pitch. Your elevator pitch will force you to only think about the essentials needed to describe your story. It eliminates the vagueness or fluff and goes straight to the point. Your goal with your magazine pitch should be to have them understand immediately what your story is and why they should care about it. 

Have a unique angle.

With the rise of successful self-published authors, it’s not hard to guess how saturated the market is. So if you pursue this piece you must be motivated and intentional about why your piece should exist.

Focus on the benefit it’ll bring others.

You can’t have a successful pitch without taking into consideration the person on the other side. It’s easy to think about how writing your book and this piece has benefited you. However, the sole focus should be on how it will add value to the publication and its audience. 

Some questions you can ask yourself as you develop your pitch:

How will someone’s life be better by reading this work?
What will a reader lose by not reading this piece?
Is this the right story for this publication? 

Editors want there to be a meaningful takeaway for their readers. So if your story creates a clear benefit, chances are they’ll want to share your work.

Are you ready to publish a book? Whether your book is a finished manuscript or still just an idea, our publishing packages can take you there. Visit XulonPress.com to learn more.

The post How Your Book is Also Your Magazine Pitch appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

10 Ideas For Christmas Traditions

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to focus on creating family traditions.  Christmas traditions are memory-makers and give your family and friends stories to share for years to come. Those shared memories help tell the story of your family. They can be passed down through generations to come—and hopefully become part of their traditions, too. Are you looking for some new memory-making traditions to start?

Here are 10 Christmas traditions ideas:
1. Make a family recipe together.

Does your family have a secret recipe for an amazing dish or is there a meal everyone requests to have when they are home for the holidays? Spend some time in the kitchen together recreating that special meal. Take photos and share them with everyone involved to always have photos to represent that time in the kitchen.

2. Decorate the tree with ornaments that have been passed down.

Have you collected family ornaments throughout the years? Take some time to tell your children stories about the ornaments you remember. Maybe your parents spent a vacation on a beach and brought back a palm tree ornament that you now place on your tree each year, or you have your first ornament as a married couple to show your children.

3. Make a donation as a family.

If your children are small, maybe set aside an amount of money each holiday season for each of them to donate to a charity of their choice. As adults, they’ll remember how it felt to give to people or animals in need and share those memories with their own families. If your family is grown up, choose a new charity each year that you can volunteer your time to as a group, or you could adopt a family in need each holiday season. 

4. Leave a small gift for neighbors.

From a small treat bag of goodies to a poinsettia plant, your neighbors will remember your generosity and the holiday cheer you bestowed upon them by leaving them a small gift during the holidays. The more neighbors who participate in your holiday tradition, the more merriment there is to go around!

5. Add a new family photo to the tree each year.

A cute family selfie is all you need to start this tradition. Simply take your family photo and place it in a photo ornament that has the year engraved on it. Each year, add a new photo ornament to your tree and watch as your family grows and changes over the years. Each photo will hold memories from Christmas that year that everyone can think back on.

6. Join together around a Christmas campfire.

Invite the family over for a campfire night and take turns sharing memories from holidays past. You can also ask each person to bring something that reminds them of their favorite holiday memory and then do a show-and-tell.

7. Bake holiday cookies together.

Invite friends and family to join you for a cookie baking day. Have each person bring his or her favorite cookie recipe and ingredients and ask them to share why it’s their favorite.

8. Have a gingerbread house contest.

A little gingerbread house competition during the holidays can add a festive touch to your celebrations. Set up the ultimate decorating station—candy and sprinkles galore—and after the houses are built, have everyone cast a vote for the best gingerbread house, the most creative, and the most challenging. This is sure to spark some fun memories to share.

9. Put together a photo book of the entire year.

Take some time curating a photo album for the year and then have it printed as a photobook. When your book arrives, spend some time as a family looking back over the past year and sharing stories from birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and more.

10. Create a family memories jar.

Cut out long strips of paper and have everyone in your family write down their favorite memories from the year and add them to a jar. Then, you can pull a sheet of paper out from the jar one at a time and enjoy all the amazing moments you shared over the year.

 

Does your family have a special holiday tradition that you enjoy every year? Share in the comments below!

 

The post 10 Ideas For Christmas Traditions appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

2020 Gift Guide for Writers

If you’re stressed out by the thought of holiday shopping for a writer friend or family member (or need gift ideas for yourself) you’ve come to the right place–the 2020 Gift Guide for Writers is here!

Here are 10 perfect gifts for the writers in your life.
1. Freewrite typewriter

This typewriter isn’t like the old-school typewriters from the past; this one is a super portable, distraction-free way for writers to put their words on paper. The screen features E-ink, which makes it easy on writers’ eyes while they work because the screen is free from blue light and looks like paper. The device itself can locally save more than one million pages, and Wi-Fi allows for writers’ work to get backed up to the cloud. Plus, the battery life is supposed to be great on the 2nd generation.

To Purchase: Freewrite Typewriter

2. Remarkable tablet

This writing tablet is the perfect combination of technology and analog writing. The display has a paper-like feel and look to it, which is great for taking notes and reviewing documents. The technology-side of the Remarkable is that handwritten notes can be converted to text, all notes can be synced across a person’s devices, and more.

To Purchase: Remarkable Tablet

3. Blue-light-blocking glasses

We all spend way too much time staring at our screens these days, but writers spend even more time staring at the blinking cursor on their blue-lit screens, so protect their eyes from straining during the wee hours of the night with some blue-light-blocking glasses.

To Purchase: Warby Parker Blue-light blocking glasses

4. May Designs gift card

One of my all-time favorite notebook and stationery companies is May Designs because of their whimsical designs and customized notebooks that meet everyone’s individual needs. Plus, May Designs has been featured on Good Morning America’s gift guide segment the past few years, so you know it’s a good product. Gift the writer in your life with a gift card to May Designs so they can create their own custom notebook.

To Purchase: May Designs

5. Audible subscription

It’s safe to say that the writers in your life also love to read, and these days audiobooks make it easier than ever to read a book while running errands or doing chores around the house. A gifted Audible subscription can be sent in monthly increments, making it easy to stick to your budget and also give someone a really nice gift.

To Purchase: Audible Subscription

6. Indoor plant

Adding a little greenery to someone’s desk not only helps clean the air they breathe, but a live plant is also said to be a mood booster. A small, indoor plant like a snake plant or pothos plant is great because neither requires much care at all. Both can survive on low light and a little bit of water here and there.

To Purchase: Indoor plants

7. Multi-functional desk

Recent studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time can be bad for our health, and no one sits more than a writer who is focused on finishing a manuscript. Give them the gift of a convertible desk, which allows them an easy way to change from sitting to standing in seconds. An upgraded desk is an item most writers often don’t purchase for themselves, so you’d be doing them—and their health—a huge favor.

To Purchase: Ikea Convertible Desk

8. Ergonomic desk chair

Something else writers often won’t purchase for themselves but know they need is an ergonomic and comfortable desk chair. Having the right chair to support the body in all the right places goes a long way in helping prevent or reduce back pain, especially for those long nights of writing.

To Purchase: WireCutter’s top-rated office chairs

9. Scrivener

The Scrivener app is one of the best-rated apps because of the features it provides. From outlining a manuscript, to rearranging chapters with a few button clicks, and more, this app allows writers to do it all. The writer who is lucky enough to receive this gift will wonder how they survived so long without it.

To Purchase: Scrivener

10. Subscription to Writer’s Digest

One of the best ways for writers to expand their writing skill set is to continue their writing education. One simple way to do that is with a subscription to Writer’s Digest. Between the magazine and their website, writers have plenty of education, tips, and tricks at their fingertips.

To Purchase: Writer’s Digest subscription

Bonus

If you really want to hit a gift home-run, purchase an editorial service for the writer in your life, so one of our professional editors can help polish their manuscript before it goes to print!

 

Need more gift guide inspiration? See our 2019 Gift Guide .

The post 2020 Gift Guide for Writers appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Post-Writing Blues

Disclosure

If you or any other person have concerns about depression you should consult with your health care provider immediately. The opinions and views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practice, or other governing institution.

 

What Is Post-Writing Blues?

You did it! You finished writing your book and a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. So, why do you feel … down? Post-writing blues, which is also referred to as post-creation depression, can creep in at the end of a long creative journey. All creative types—writers, singers, dancers, artists, clothing designers, and more—can feel the negative downturn that may come after pouring your heart and soul into a project. Even Kasey Musgraves, a famous country music artist, has said she’s dealt with it.

So, do you have the post-writing blues?

Defining the Post-Writing Blues

Feelings of exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm, anger, annoyance, overall moodiness, and self-doubt that may show up after you complete either writing your manuscript or publishing your book are signs of the post-writing blues.

For many writers, the simple thought of no longer having to devote hundreds of hours to their piece of writing is enough to spark it. 

How to Cope With the Post-Writing Blues

The most important step you can take is to be aware of your feelings and any mood shifts you may experience. If you notice continued feelings of the blues, you may be in the thick of post-writing depression. Try to ward off these feelings by:

Starting a new writing project
Spending time with family or friends
Learning a new hobby
Reading a book in a new genre
Developing a regular exercise routine

 

 

Are ready to become a published author? Learn more about self-publishing your book with Xulon Press. 

The post Post-Writing Blues appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Winter Writing: 10 Tips For Staying Warm

There is something about the winter that makes me want to write even more. Maybe it’s because it’s an indoor activity that keeps me out of the cold weather or because it’s a great excuse to make my workspace extra cozy for writing time—whatever the reason the winter season is a great time to focus on your writing.

There is something to beware of when writing in the winter: sitting still for long periods of time makes it harder to keep your body warm. So, you may notice you feel colder at your desk than you typically do when moving about your home.

Here are our top 10 tips to stay warm as you write this winter.
1. Wear fingerless gloves.

If your hands feel like ice, try wearing fingerless gloves. These gloves keep your hands warm but still give you a full range of motion for typing because your fingers will be exposed.

2. Keep a blanket nearby.

A blanket is great to wrap around your shoulders or drape over your legs, depending on which part of your body feels cold on a certain day.

3. Dress in layers.

Use layers to your advantage. Put a sweatshirt on over a long-sleeve shirt. If you get hot, you can pull off your sweatshirt, and when you start to feel cool again you can put it back on.

4. Set a timer to remind you to move around.

Moving your body will help warm you back up. If you find yourself sitting for too long and your body feels cold, set a timer to remind you to get up and walk around for a few minutes. Getting your blood flowing again will help circulate blood to your arms and legs, which warms your hands and feet again, too.

5. Invest in a heated throw.

Having a heated throw nearby is a game-changer. You can set how warm you want the throw to be, which means you can fully control it to your comfort level.

6. Keep a warm beverage on your desk.

Having hot tea, coffee, cider or hot chocolate on your desk allows a quick sip to help warm you up.

7. Utilize a heating pad.

Keep a heating pad in your chair to keep you warm and it’ll also help keep your muscles from tightening up too much. You could also place the heating pad under your feet to keep them extra warm.

8. Wear slippers or warm socks.

If your feet get cold, make sure to wear some slippers or warm socks. Warm feet will keep your whole body warm.

9. Position your writing spot in front of a sunny window.

If the sun is out, set your writing spot in front of a window that gets plenty of sunlight. Not only does this provide some light therapy to help you avoid seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but it can also help keep you warm.

10. Be careful with space heaters.

If you’re going to use a space heater in your home, make sure to follow all safety instructions and be extra careful about where you place it, and always turn it off when you leave the room.

Looking for more winter writing inspiration? Read Writing Through the Winter Blues.

The post Winter Writing: 10 Tips For Staying Warm appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Writing Through the Winter Blues

You don’t have to live in Alaska to feel the effect of the winter blues. If you live in the south, the lack of daylight after work can be enough to throw off your mood. Where most could hunker down and cozy up inside until spring, if you’re a writer you may need to push through your winter blues in order to keep creating.

But how do you keep writing if you aren’t feeling chipper? Some days aren’t meant to be pushed through; if you’re having a bad day let yourself have a bad day. Drink enough water, do something you enjoy, and ride out the bad day.

If you’re simply feeling blah due to the lack of sunshine, frigid cold temperatures, and the overall gloominess of winter, we’ve got you covered.

10 Tips To Get Your Writing Through the Winter Blues
1. Go for a walk.

Get your blood flowing with a 30-minute walk and you’ll notice a quick improvement in your mood. If it’s too cold to walk outside, find an uncrowded indoor area where you feel safe to do a few laps. You can also add hand and feet warmers to your gloves and shoes to keep your body warm during an outdoor walk.

2. Light therapy is your friend.

If several gloomy days in a row have you feeling down, consider purchasing a light therapy device you can keep at your desk or next to you wherever you write.

3. Add vitamin D supplements to your routine.

A lack of vitamin D is common when there is less daylight, but it can significantly affect your mood. Consider adding the supplement to your regime to have a better mood overall and to experience more energy.

4. Drink enough water.

If you’re feeling a bit gloomy, your water intake may be the culprit. If you’re inching close to dehydration, your mood, and your creativity and be affected. Keep a glass of water nearby as you write, and get up to refill it when you take breaks.

5. Diffuse a citrus-scent essential oil.

Citrus scented essential oils are known to be mood-boosters in a bottle. You can diffuse your favorite in an essential oil diffuser, add a drop to your inner wrist or simply open the bottle and place it near your nose before taking in a deep breath.

6. Focus on what you eat.

During the winter months, it’s natural to crave comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, pot roast, mashed potatoes, and more. Those heavy carbohydrates and filling meals, however, can make you lethargic. Keep your diet balanced with fruits and vegetables and you’ll be surprised by how much energy your body has.

7. Take a hot bath or shower.

At the end of a freezing cold day, sometimes you just want to feel hot. Run a hot bath or take a hot shower to warm your body up. Then, put on some cozy loungewear made of flannel or an equally warm material, and don’t forget your slippers.

8. Find a new favorite writing spot.

If your current writing space doesn’t have a window or feels extra secluded now that the time has changed, think about finding a new favorite writing spot in your home. Is there a good place to write next to a window or in a cozy part of your home? Change things up a bit and settle into a new spot for winter.

9. Learn how to make a fancy coffee shop drink at home.

Do you love a specific limited edition holiday drink your local coffee shop makes? Try your hand at making the same drink at home. Not only does this help you save time and money, but it also reduces the amount of time you have to be outdoors in the cold air.

10. Add an indoor plant or two.

One of the most depressing parts of winter is all the dormant plants and flowers. Staring out at bleak winter scenery every day instead of fully budded out trees and brightly colored flowers can make you feel a little down. Consider adding an indoor houseplant; even a faux indoor plant can still perk you up because of its green leaves. You could also plant an indoor windowsill garden. Pick a window that gets the right kind of light for the herbs you want to grow, then plant and keep indoors near the window you selected. A little extra greenery in your space can improve your winter blues.

How do you keep the winter blues at bay so you can stay on top of your writing goals?

The post Writing Through the Winter Blues appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

NaNoWriMo Check-In

If you’ve been participating in NaNoWriMo this year, my guess is you’re acutely aware that there is less than a week left to accomplish the challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November. Don’t start to sweat at that thought. Here’s how to keep moving forward, no matter which stage you’re at in your writing this month.

If you’re super far behind.

Take a few minutes to figure out why or how you got so far behind on your NaNoWriMo project. Did something unexpected come up at work or home that is out of your control? Give yourself some grace and pull back on your NaNoWriMo. Were your plot and characters underdeveloped? Step back from writing and put in the work now to get your plot and characters as strong as you can; that will make writing and revisions easier.

If you’re only a little behind.

Sit down with your calendar and decide where you can add in a few extra writing slots; this should be all you need to catch back up on your word count.  Be ruthless with your writing schedule as Thanksgiving and Black Friday approach, too. Don’t let all that hard work go at the last minute.

If you’re caught up.

Try to work ahead in the next couple of days so you don’t feel pressure to write on Thanksgiving Day. See if you can push ahead enough to even finish a day or two early!

When you finish.

When you hit your 50,000-word goal before the end of the month, don’t forget to take time to truly celebrate your accomplishment! Give yourself some time off from your finished first draft; the time away from it will help you go into revisions with a clear head.

Where are you at in your NaNoWriMo journey? Need some last-minute inspiration to get you over the hump this month? Read all our NaNoWriMo posts.

The post NaNoWriMo Check-In  appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

5 Tips for Writing Christmas Letters

With most of the world still practicing social distancing, Christmas letters, cards, or emails are the way to go this year. Looking for ways to spice up the same-old, typical Christmas greeting? Try these tips for a sparkling holiday letter.

1. Begin on a positive note.

Make sure your Christmas letters start with a cheerful bang, not the common statement about how quick the year has gone by. Even a typical “Holiday greetings from the Blank family!” is a better opener than the traditional cry about the passage of time.

2. Keep it short and sweet.

Keep your Christmas letter short, sweet, and to the point! Highlight a couple of highpoints of the year and save the details for a personal lunch date or phone call.

3. Write it how you speak it.

Forget the big words, congested sentences, and overflowing adjectives–write your Christmas letter in your own voice. Friends and family want to hear from you! 

4. Include photos.

If you mention an event in your letter, find one or two great shots from that day to share! 

5. Add a personal touch.

Try handwriting a brief note and signature for your Christmas letter. A personal touch will create a perfect closing to your letter.

Have any tips of your own? Share them in the comments below.

 

Are you a Xulon Press author? Let us customize your Christmas postcards with your book cover! Click here to learn more.

Ready to become a published author? Click here.

The post 5 Tips for Writing Christmas Letters appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Creative Writing Prompts (Christmas)

We create so many memories during the Christmas season–from little to big moments, happy to sad memories, and first and last times–it can be very easy for some to end up forgotten. That’s where these creative writing prompts (and hopeful new holiday tradition) will come in handy.

Writing is one of those skills that you can always improve and you should always practice. This holiday season, refine your skill and record your memories with these creative writing ideas! 

Here are 10 Christmas-themed creative writing prompts:

A story of the first memory that comes to mind when you hear the word “Christmas”.
Your earliest Christmas memory.
A story about your favorite holiday dish/dessert you like to make or eat every Christmas.
A story about a favorite holiday tradition.
How technology has changed your holiday traditions.
Interview someone (or fake interview your pet) about their most/least favorite part of the holidays and write an article on it.
A Christmas letter to your younger self. What would you tell yourself?
A Christmas letter to your future self.
A real story that happened during Christmas from someone else’s point-of-view.
5 things you are thankful for this Christmas.

 

Need more writing prompts? Click here.

The post Creative Writing Prompts (Christmas) appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.

Stay On Track During NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event in which participants commit to writing a 50,000-word novel during the month of November. It began in 1999 as a challenge between friends, but it’s since grown into a global writing challenge with hundreds of thousands of participants each year.

We’ve compiled some tips on how to keep your head in the game during this year’s NaNoWriMo.

Disconnect.

You know how people always say you need to unplug to be productive? Well, they’re annoyingly right. Turn off the TV, cellphone, stay away from the internet, all of it. If you need a break, try picking up a book–you might get an idea for what to write next.

Claim every spare minute.

If you work full time or just live a busy life, you might be struggling to find time to write. Instead of stressing about not having time, simply write at every opportunity. Write during breaks at work, on the train in the morning, stay up an extra hour at night, etc.

Don’t look back.

Don’t agonize word choice or character names and don’t reread and edit. Anything that needs fixing can be done when you sit down a month later with an accomplished smile to read your completed draft; red pen in one hand and a nice cup of coffee in the other.

Work ahead.

Things always come up as the month goes on, the trick is getting extra words in at every chance you get.  That way when things do pop up and interrupt your writing, it’s not delaying your word count.

Always end a writing session only when you know what’s next.

Don’t let the ideas run out! Write a sentence or two about what happens next at the end of every writing session. This way, when you hit the keyboards again you know where the story is headed.

 

Have any tips of your own? Comment them below!

The post Stay On Track During NaNoWriMo  appeared first on Xulon Press Blog, Christian Self-Publishing.