A Freelance Editor speaks Part 1

I’ve known Kathy for years through the American Christian Fiction Writers, and we’ve met in person at ACFW’s annual conferences. After chatting with her at the conference in Dallas last month, I asked her to share a little bit about herself and all the things she does in the Christian publishing industry.

Thanks for joining my blog, Kathy!

My pleasure, Tiff. Thanks for inviting me.

Tell us how you got started as a writer.

I’ve been making up stories my whole life. (Just ask my mom, who caught me in plenty of “fabrications,” bless her heart.) But it never occurred to me that this could be a good thing! (On the contrary, it usually got me in trouble.)

In 1988, a friend of mine told me she was putting together a Christian writers’ conference at Biola University, near where I lived, and she needed some administrative help (stuffing envelopes and binders and such). So I helped her out. She asked if I’d like to attend the conference. I didn’t have anything better to do at the time, so I said, “Sure, why not?”

That conference opened up a whole new world to me. I learned that the names on the covers of the books I loved to read represented real people, normal folks who weren’t all that different from me. They sat on the grass and ate hot dogs and potato chips, just like the rest of us! And they hadn’t all majored in creative writing or journalism in college and went on to work for a publisher 9 to 5, seven days a week. They fit writing into their “free time.” Well, I thought, I could do that.

What was your first published writing?

After that Biola conference, I wrote an article and mailed it to a magazine I’d found on the freebie table. It got accepted by the first publisher I sent it to (little realizing at the time how unusual that was). The next year, I sent out some play scripts I’d written for my church drama teams, and almost every one of them got accepted. I was on a roll! I wrote more, got more acceptances . . . and plenty of rejections, of course.

In addition to play scripts, I wrote magazine articles, devotionals, short stories, and Sunday school curriculum (before work, during lunch, after work, and occasional weekends) and getting them published. I even wrote a screenplay that was optioned by a Hollywood director. I’m now working on a near-future speculative novel and a couple of compilations.

In addition to writing, you’re also a freelance editor. How did that happen?

About ten years ago, I got tendonitis in both thumbs, both wrists, both forefingers, and my right shoulder. My boss decided I couldn’t do my job anymore, so he let me go. My physical therapist told me I had to find work that didn’t require using a computer keyboard or any other type of repetitive motion. Yeah, right!

My workers’ compensation coordinator got me a professional-edition voice-recognition software program. But I couldn’t find an office job that would allow me to sit around and talk to my computer all day.

After a few months of wondering what God had in mind for me, my husband asked me what I would do for a living if I could do anything in the world. I answered without a moment’s hesitation, “Writing!” But we’d just bought our first house, based on my income in a career I’d been pursuing for thirty years. And I knew I couldn’t make that kind of money writing, at least not right away. So he asked what my second choice would be. Well, I’d been in a writers’ critique group for a while, and my crit partners really liked my suggestions. And I’d done a few jobs for a friend’s manuscript critique service and really enjoyed that. So I told my husband that I liked helping other people improve their writing. He encouraged me to see if I could build that into a full-time career.

I told my workers’ comp coordinator the idea, and she asked if I had a degree in writing or editing. When I told her I didn’t, she told me my plan was “impossible.” When I heard her say that word, I heard God say, “Impossible is My specialty!”

So I pursued it. I started working at home, editing and critiquing and proofreading manuscripts, and I loved it! My clients consistently told me they liked my suggestions and appreciated my corrections. And with a little research on my own, I figured out how to type without exacerbating my tendon injuries.

Over the past ten years, I’ve worked for new writers, established authors, commercial book publishers (including Moody, Thomas Nelson, and Barbour), subsidy publishers (including WinePress and VMI), magazines, and organizations such as CLASServices. I edit both fiction and nonfiction book-length manuscripts, short stories, articles, devotionals, and play scripts. I mentor aspiring writers, taking them from “I’ve never had anything published, so I don’t even know if I have what it takes” to winning literary awards, landing agents, getting book contracts, seeing their work in print, and becoming best-selling authors. What a treat! (And I’m actually making a better income with my editing business than I ever made at my full-time day job. So much for “impossible”!)

Writing is my passion, and helping others improve their writing is my delight.

Thanks Kathy, and come back tomorrow for a special Friday edition of Writing Career Coach to learn about resources for writer’s Kathy has created to help us all write better!

Caitie's Corner

Walking in Jesse’s Shoes

By Beverly Lewis

Illustrated by Laura Nikiel

ISBN 978-0-7642-0313-8

Help your child understand those with special needs

What parent hasn’t urged son or daughter not to stare at or tease a child who is “different” or disabled in some way?

In this sensitive yet realistic story, Jesse’s sister struggles to understand her brother—and the kids who make fun of him. This endearing book will encourage families everywhere to appreciate and befriend children with special needs.

There was a little girl named Allie. Every time her and her brother go to school he wanders around so they always miss the school bus. One day when Allie came home she says “I’ll never understand you.” and her father says “Of course you don’t because you’ve never walked in Jesse’s shoes.”

The next day Jesse took off his shoes and Allie put them on. But you’ll have to read the book to know what happens next.

I liked this book because it taught me that when you learn about somebody you get to know them really well. Then you’ll understand why they do weird stuff.

The pictures are very great. [Tiff's note: We are a family with a special needs child. I loved this book and think it is a great way to help parents of special needs kids talk with their non-special needs kids]

Bye for now, Caitie.

Books for kids, reviewed by a kid every Wednesday

www.WritingCareerCoach.blogspot.com

Writing that first full manuscript

As I said yesterday the only way to write a book is to start writing.

My first full length book was born when I was in the 8th grade. At that time it was 22 typed pages [quite a feat for someone in Jr. high] and had a cast of characters who still talk to me. It would be 14 years later when I'd pick that story back up and expand it to an over 55k manuscript. It took me just over 7 weeks to finish the first draft and a full year to get it to the full 55k. I entered it in a contest and was in the top 20 of a national, full-length novel writing contest.

My second book was written in 21 days, my third-which was much longer at 76,500 words, took two months to write and three weeks to edit. The second was requested by two publishing houses [although it is yet, unpublished] and the third won the Daphne du Maurier Award in the inspy unpubbed division. It is also being read by two agents right now.

Now I'm gearing up with NaNoWriMo to start work on my fourth. It is by far the most intense story I've written to date. To call the plot twisty is an understatement. And I can tell you five years ago I would never have attempted this book. Too much depth, too many balls to keep in the air, too many red herrings, to fast-paced.

But writing is a process and the only way you're going to get on your way is by starting. The only way you get there is by moving. The only way you'll ever get closer to your dreams is by doing.

So go out, start with the first chapter, write the first draft, get the words on paper.

Then keep coming back here. In November I will post every day. Friday-Sunday will be committed to helping you develop your writing as I move through NaNo.

So if you're NaNoing add me to your friends list. My screen name in NaNo is WritingCareerCoach you can watch my progress and I can watch yours. Together we'll do something most people dream of but few do...write a novel.

If not now, when?

Many of you would like to write a book. In fact, most people who say they'd like to write, even if they study journalism, say they'd like to eventually write a book.

So where do you start?

Of course you need an idea, but then what? I suggest jumping in to NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month] in November. Once a year people try to write a 50,000 word novel during NaNo.

It may seem like a huge undertaking, and it is, but anytime you set out to write a book it is huge. The thing that makes NaNoWriMo so special is you have the support and comradery to help push you forward. You have accountability to others and you have a date certain.

This is my second year of NaNo. I'm going to be accountable to all of you by posting my progress up on my blog. I'll update it a couple of times a week starting on November 1st.

You can sign up for NaNo at www.NaNoWriMo.org

And if you are either going to try it this month or have before leave a comment. Let us know how you are doing and stop back on Fridays-Sundays for my ALL NANO blog starting November 1st.

This will be a time for all of you to brag, build community, and talk about what you're writing. I hope to see you there.

Caitie's Corner

Today I am going to talk about Fiona finds the Son by Andrea Beyers.

Fiona is a little girl that’s a flower and is only two inches tall. She has a nice bedroom and has a teacher. One day she climbed up a stem with her ballet shoes which she’s not supposed to do and she goes in the dew pool by accident.

On the way to find a new home she meets some very nice friends. A cricket, flower and a tigerlily. And someone with purple hair and pink hair. They tell her God will forgive your sins.

I liked this book. I thought the pictures were pretty cool. I think my little sisters would like to read this book too.

Tomorrow the author, Andrea Beyers, is going to be on the blog. I asked her some questions. I hope you’ll come read the interview.

That’s all for now. Bye, Caitie.

Important Warning before you build your website

Agent Steve Laube shared some important advice
with members of ACFW last week.
With his permission I have copied it below to help
all of you. Think about this before you
build your website.

NEVER let someone else control the details of your domain name. 

Today. Right now. Immediately. Make sure you have access to your domain

registration. 

This has nothing to do with who hosts your site. That is something else

entirely.

Get the account ID and password for whatever company controls your domain.

It could be Network Solutions, it could be virtually anyone. But as soon as

you get that info...change the contact info (e-mail address) to an e-mail

address you control (gmail, hotmail, yahoo, if you must).

I once bought a domain name at a bargain and set up a small business around

that name. I didn't know that the company was in Australia and that they

sold their business. When I wanted to switch hosts (to someone cheaper and

better) it took nearly a month of wrangling and research to find out who

controlled my domain registration. A nightmare.

I switched everything to godaddy.com and I now control the whole thing.

Another example. Big publisher creates web site for author, secured domain

and hosted the site. Very cool...except...author switches publishers. Old

publisher will no longer do site updates. So author gets the site hosted

elsewhere where he can make changes himself. BUT he forgets that the domain

name was registered and controlled by his former publisher. So when it came

time to renew the subscription to his domain name, the publisher let it

expire. Because the e-mail address for the domain registration renewal was

sent to the old publisher, the author did not know that his domain name

expired. Guess what happened?

A porn site grabbed his domain name and linked it to their "date older

women" web site. Overnight his entire ministry was linked to something less

than ideal. (an understatement if there ever was one) He had to get a

different domain name and start over. Unfortunately his first six books and

all search engines were linked to his old domain name.

A year later he now has regained control of his domain name by using a

service called snapnames.com that grabs abandoned domain names. Fortunately

the porn site did not renew the subscription.

Bottom line? Control everything about your own web site. Hire someone to

help if you must, but never let control of your Internet presence out of

your hands.

Hope that helps,

Steve

The Steve Laube Agency


Thanks for the advice Steve, and thank you for your willingness
to share it with all of us. You can visit
Steve's website and find out about helpful resources for writers
at www.SteveLaube.com

Using the internet to build a platform

Happy Monday!!

Yes, I can say that because I love what I do. I look forward to Monday morning when I can jump back in to the work week. And one thing I really enjoy is talking to all of you.

I am thrilled with the number of people who come here each week to learn about growing their writing business.

We have readers from six different countries and 27 different states within the US. I know how many of you are regular visitors and I know where are regulars come from.

Do you know these stats on your readers or visitors to your website? Would you like to? It is free with google analytics.

Go to www.google.com/analytics and sign up. It will give you code that you can copy and paste on your website or blog. It will not be visible to readers but it will allow you to see if you get a bounce on blog tours, marketing you do, or with certain days or posts.

By using google analytics you can find out who your readers are and where they are coming from to maximize your marketing.

So let's chat. Have you used this or similar tracking code to find out your demographic? How have you used it to target your marketing?

And tomorrow we will have Agent Steve Laube's warning for those of you developing a website. For anyone who would like to build a website on writing or anything else, I urge you to come read tomorrow's post for important warnings from someone who knows.

See you tomorrow.