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Tosca Lee, NY Times Best-Selling Author

Tosca Lee Returns for the

Wordsowers 2018 Conference!

Tosca Lee, NY Times Best-Selling AuthorTosca Lee is the award-winning, New York Times, CBA and Indie bestselling author of THE PROGENY, FIRSTBORN, ISCARIOT, THE LEGEND OF SHEBA, DEMON: A MEMOIR, HAVAH: THE STORY OF EVE, and the Books of Mortals series with New York Times bestseller Ted Dekker (FORBIDDEN, MORTAL, SOVEREIGN). Her books have won the Gold Medallion, the Christian Retailer’s Choice Award, Forward Magazine’s Book of the Year Silver and Bronze, and have finaled for numerous others, including a second Gold Medallion and two Christy awards. You can find Tosca at ToscaLee.com, on social media, or hanging around the snack table. Be sure to check out ISMENI, the free e-short prequel to THE LEGEND OF SHEBA!

“Stories hand-crafted to transport you to other times and places—and adventures with twists you won’t see coming!” –Tosca Lee

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing.  Have fun—and make it fun for others.

Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year.  My husband. He keeps me sane, helps me brainstorm, and reminds me not to take everything so seriously (see above).

What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? First drafts!

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome?  I find that “writes block” is a catch-all phrase for mental resistance and/or a lack of preparation—both items I’ve experienced. I hash it out with a trusted confidante, get up to do something mundane or, barring all else, give myself permission to write shoddily and work through it.

Is there a scripture that helped you in your writing journey this past year?  The simple knowledge that I am made in the image of the most creative Being in the universe—the same One who created mighty mountains… and strange, whimsical sea creatures.

How do you juggle your life between family and writing?  A lot of late hours, my friend. A lot of late night hours.

Tosca will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April. Check out her workshops. 

To Write or Not to Write: Susan King

Over the years, Susan King continues to be one of the most frequently requested conference speakers within the Wordsowers community. We are blessed that once again, she will be joining us. This year, her workshops include: Making it Look Easy – Achieving Excellent Style in any Genre, and  Turning Personal Experience into a Devotional Message.

Susan King, Associate Editor - The Upper RoomSusan King: For over 23 years, Associate Editor Susan King has served at The Upper Room, a daily-devotional magazine that reaches millions of readers in more than 100 countries. One of her greatest joys has been representing The Upper Room every year at several of 23 different Christian writers’ conferences in the U.S. and Canada. Two years ago, she retired from 27 years of teaching English and feature-writing classes—most recently for Lipscomb University but also for Biola University and Abilene Christian University. Formerly, she served as writer, book editor, and radio-program producer/on-air talent for The Institute of Scriptural Psychology; wrote magazine features as a freelance writer; and functioned as a seminar facilitator in leadership and group dynamics.

Susan lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband Joe. Her three adult children live in three different states, and she is delighted that one of them still lives in Franklin—with his wife and Susan and Joe’s two young grandsons.

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say?  At the risk of using a cliché, I can’t NOT write. I am a very opinionated person and give much critical thinking in arriving at my opinions so I believe that others can benefit from reading those opinions. Thus, I write feature articles (rather than fiction—probably because fiction may communicate the same thing but does so way too subtly!)

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing.  Early on, the advice to start out with magazine writing rather than clinging doggedly to writing a book made all the difference for me.

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome?  Everyone struggles with this at some time or another. The best way for me is to freewrite/brainstorm. With the former, you put the topic at the top of the page and then write everything that comes into your mind for 10-15 minutes, non-stop, with no editing/correcting/hesitation. With the latter, the information is in the form of a list rather than one long paragraph. Both of these tend to overcome the tyranny of the blank page/computer screen and not only help me to overcome writer’s block but also give me ideas on the topic that I might not have explored before.

Susan will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April.  Be sure to sign up to talk with her and sit in on her workshops. 

Let’s start off this year’s pre-conference interviews

with the effervescent Laree Lindburg!

Laree Lindburg

Laree Lindburg (Owner/Manager): Before her sole procurement of Electric Moon Publishing, LLC., Laree signed with a literary agent and published devotions and articles. She has worked as a grant writer for a non-profit project, a technical writer for a media company, an e-book design expert for various publishing companies, and a ghostwriter, re-writer, and editor for a law firm.

The EMoon team has assisted over 100+ clients in various stages of publishing and business development. She and her crew operate a full-service collaborative/hybrid publishing place for indie authors, ministries, and organizations.

If you were at a book event and someone asked you, “Why do you write?” what would you say?  To inform. To entertain. To pass the time. To teach my children. I write as a way to record my thoughts, feelings, and prayers. An act of worship.

Share a tidbit that has helped you in writing and/or marketing. Attend conferences–especially the author-friendly ones like the WCWC. When you have an opportunity to meet and talk shop with other authors and experienced professionals in your field of interest–do it!

Do you have a mentor and/or author/and/or book that helped you this past year? I have been reading through “Draw the Circle” by Mark Batterson. Sure, I may not agree with everything Mr. Batterson writes, however, the overall principles of submission, confession, faith-increasing, bold prayer has impacted me personally and professionally. I’ve also made strides to meet with two other industry professionals on a semi-regular basis to discuss writing/publishing/business issues. This has been most helpful to me, not to mention fun!

What frustrates you the most, the editing or marketing? Hmmm… I am coming from the publishing side, so I’d say both, but more so marketing. Authors, whether traditionally published or indie published, have a difficult time grasping the truth that book marketing is heavily upon their shoulders. Others can assist in the venture, but no one is as invested in your work as you are. No one can sell your book like you can. So, be prepared and have a plan. 🙂

Do you ever struggle with writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome? I do. I usually just write anyway–and pray. The outcome may be poor, but the perseverance builds stamina and strengthens resolve.

Is there a scripture that helped you in your writing journey this past year? A word I have been meditating on lately is “decrease.” This is based on John 3:30 when John the Baptist explains to his disciples what must happen to him. “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” The term “decrease” should be applied directly to our spiritual journey foremost then also perhaps stretched in concept to our physical lives–decreasing in selfish sins, media intake, food consumption, extraneous purchases, etc. I long to be less of me and more of Christ. Things work out so much better this way. 🙂

How do you juggle your life between family and writing? What a great question! And so terribly difficult to answer. I’ve recently realized that I put too much emphasis on my ability to multi-task which no one can truly do well–something or someone always suffers. And instead, my goal is to make strides to be more present in one spot at a time. So, I block off specific sections of the day to work, and when I am not at my desk, I try my best to curb the temptation to check work email or write a blog post and in turn be ‘present’ with my family. It’s all a work-in-progress!

Laree will be at this years’ Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference in April. 

Be sure to stop by her table.  

Fresh Starts Second Chances

Today we welcome guest Michelle Greenwood as she shares about how writing aided her healing from life’s falls. 

I thought my relationship with God was great.  I volunteered at church. If the doors opened, I was there.  The truth is I became proud, thinking myself better than everyone else because of all the work I did.  I know Christianity doesn’t work that way, but I was lost. Despite appearances (the perfect Christian family) my family took a road of destruction.

My oldest son fell fast and hard. His reputation of being a straight arrow was demolished. The media treated his fall as they did Sam Berkowitz’s fall. I drowned in a sea of embarrassment.

Focusing on my son through visits created day to day activity. Then one day, a friend of mine gave me a puppy. She weighed 4 pounds and demanded attention. I could no longer wallow in self-pity I had a baby in need of care.

My son asked me to write daily and I did. I quickly realized I needed God to be able to write positive letters. I decided since I was writing why not share with others. I formed a blog for this purpose.

Initial entries came from Proverbs.  Through writing I realized I had fallen into the trap of pride. The letters I sent him contained personal notes as well as what I posted. our relationship improved. It took a few years for him to arrive at the conclusion that his arrogance led to this fall. Today he enjoys a great relationship with God. In prison he is the straight arrow without pride enjoying God’s blessings.

Next, I focused on Psalms. David has always been one of my favorite Bible characters. God calls David a man after His own heart. Writing about David’s words brought awareness of my need to talk to God as a regular person, my BFF if you will.  David screwed up all the time, yet David was humble. He brought everything to God.  I remembered Prayer is communication between God and me.  Prayers are supposed to be specific.  Today, when I am in the car by myself, I talk to God as if he is my BFF. I yell, I cry, but most of all, I listen. God has great advice. To hear, I must listen.

The protection and blessings my son now enjoys is due to the prayers of many.  One friend told me you have no idea how many people are praying for him. I told her I know people pray, I see the results.

My growth continues. I find myself more mindful of the trap of pride. Currently, my youngest son battles the green-eyed monster. My husband found a niche at church and work. When he speaks, God comes out. Recently we returned to volunteer work.

God is never done with us until we are with Him in heaven. I strive to focus on this fact: Life with Jesus is about #FRESHSTARTS and #SECONDCHANCES. When we fall Jesus is always there.

How has writing helped you heal from the falls of life? 

 

Originally from Midwestern Pennsylvania, Michelle Greenwood is a Christian, wife, mother of two and a (disabled) veteran. Although not yet published, Michelle is busy writing and submitting her work. Her first book is “How to Read the Bible Through Studying John” and she is currently penning her family’s story.

Connect with Michelle

Facebook   LinkedIn   Blog   Instagram   Twitter

 

5 Simple Ways to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy by Paula Zwenger

Ever felt paralyzed by the next step – judging it too far out on a limb? Or sat immobile, convinced no one else has ever faced what you’re facing? A part of you knows these thoughts are irrational. Still negativity holds sway.

Welcome to the world of neophyte writers. Desire burns to spill to paper a story trapped inside. Yet fire extinguishers proliferate like dandelions in springtime, converting your writing sparks to ashes. What to do? Here are tips I try when feeling stifled. Maybe one will work for you.

Write like no one will ever read it. This one I learned during Tosca Lee’s keynote address at the April WordSowers conference. It sounded counter-intuitive. Don’t we write so that someone will read our words? In trying it, I found a release to focus on truth, which lends authenticity to my writing.

Don’t edit as you write. Do set time aside once per week to edit. I’ve only recently begun this practice. Poems and blogs by nature are shorter pieces. They still need editing, but the time commitment is less than a chapter or story requires. This practice may save time and editing costs in the long run. Professional, final editing for longer works is still required.

Set weekly, monthly and annual goals. I first started setting weekly and monthly goals about a year ago. I created an editorial calendar for blogging on the advice of Lee Warren after the 2016 conference. I tried daily goals, but found it discouraging. They took longer to create and were often missed. I’m still warming up to the annual goal idea.

Try one new and different thing within the next three months. When I started writing I’d try new poetic forms as soon as I learned of them (i.e. sonnet, haiku, charita, ballad, villanelle, prose poetry, etc.). Now I focus on one at a time. A different, though related idea on my list is to attend and take part in a poetry reading. You might try writing a poem or reading something out of your favored genre to mix things up.

Celebrate small successes. This is easily neglected if you’re an all-or-nothing personality. If getting the book published is the goal and nothing less counts as success, the wait is long. There are many steps in that process. I recently learned how to schedule blog posts and a subscriber newsletter. My site is new and the subscriber list small, but it will grow and this was a necessary and good accomplishment.

Discouragement can often be a side effect of fear,

but if you take one simple step your path ahead will clear.

Continue with your mission and do not give way to foils.

Remember in the Kingdom to the victor go the spoils (1Chron. 26:27)!

 

What works for you when you are stuck? Share with your fellow WordSowers in the comments below.

 

 

Paula Zwenger is a wife, mother, and grandmother who, upon finding herself an empty nester, tried on the hat of rhyme loving writer. It fitted very well. Her joy manifests completely while taking the ups and downs of life and wrangling them into poetry. She has a passion for creating rhymed treasure hunts with a Catholic flare to celebrate the faith and learn a thing or two along the way. You can find her musings at RhymeLovingWriter  and connect with her on Facebook.

Today, we welcome freelance editor Debra Butterfield to our blog. We are highlighting her newest book, 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs. You are sure to use this book over and over! It’s not a long book, but it is packed full of valuable information. Ever wondered what goes into the editing process? Have you ever been a bit daunted by the thought of self-editing your book before initial submission – to your critique group or publishing house? Whether you want to do a better job at self editing or critiquing your writing partner’s book, or just be able to partner better with your publishing house’s editor, this book is for you.

Debra created cheat sheets for Research, POV, Showing vs Telling, Chicago Manual of Style, Punctuation, Creating a Style Sheet, and 10 Things to do before Hiring an Editor. Her writing is to the point and easy to understand. This is one resource you don’t want to pass up.

Purchase your own: Digital Copy   ~  Amazon (Print Copy)

Debra Butterfield is the author of 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs, Abba’s Promise, Carried by Grace: a Guide for Mothers of Victims of Sexual Abuse, and Mystery on Maple Hill (a short story ebook). As a freelance editor, she offers book and article editing, proofreading, critique, and coaching services, as well as Scrivener training. Her editorial credits include three award winners: Wilted Dandelions, This I Know, and Bethany’s Calendar. She is a former copywriter for Focus on the Family.

Connect with Debra:  Website   Facebook   Twitter  

 

Interview

What kinds of interesting things have you done in your life? I’ve been aboard C130 airplanes and watched US Marines jump out. It’s tough to beat that! I also lived in Germany from 1987-1991, during which time the Berlin Wall fell and the Gulf War erupted. I saw a lot of amazing places, but there was also danger in being an American in Europe—we learned things like checking our car for bombs whenever we went off base.

When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing? When I’m not writing, I’m editing. As a self-employed writer/editor, I battle balancing my time. It can be all work and no play, but that’s not healthy. I enjoy reading and crocheting. When I lived in Colorado, I went hiking. I miss that here in Missouri.

What does your family think of your writing? My parents (now both dead), children, and siblings are very proud of my books. They actively help me market them as well, especially my book Carried by Grace. I’m very fortunate to have them help that way.

Tell us about getting your mind in a creative mode? How do you begin your writing process? There is no “getting in a creative mode.” I sit down and do it. When I’m working on a book, I often reread a portion first to get myself oriented to where I left off. If I want to capture a specific mood for a scene I’m writing, I’ll play instrumental music that fits the mood. The closest I come to getting in a creative mode is to play movie soundtracks while I write because music stimulates my creativity. I think every writer should spend time learning what stimulates her/his creativity.

What motivated you to write on this topic? The same kinds of mistakes pop up in all the manuscripts I edit, so I decided to help writers solve those errors before they send their manuscript to editors or publishers. All writers need professional editing and helping them reduce those costs is what the book is all about. Simple things they can do that make a big difference in the time editors spend doing the work.

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What was the hardest thing about writing the book? The hardest portion of the book was the section on the editing process. I wanted to give writers enough information without overwhelming them with details. I hope by explaining the editing process and giving them a way to determine costs, it empowers writers to move forward with professional editing rather than blindly fearing the costs.

Which part of your book was the most enjoyable to write? Writing the cheat sheets. I do this stuff every day; that made them easy to write. That’s not to say I never reach for my style guides or catch every error when I proofread. But if writers follow this advice, they’ll create stronger stories and cleaner manuscripts, and that translates into saving $$$ in the professional editing process.

What has been your biggest challenge when it comes to self-editing?

~ ~ ~

Our guest today is Paula S. Zwenger. Paula  is a wife, mother, and grandmother who, upon finding herself an empty nester, tried on the hat of rhyme loving writer. It fitted very well. Her joy manifests completely while taking the ups and downs of life and wrangling them into poetry. She has a passion for creating rhymed treasure hunts with a Catholic flare to celebrate the faith and learn a thing or two along the way. You can find her musings at RhymeLovingWriter. You can also connect with her on Facebook.

From Paula…I sat in a quiet kitchen one week after our youngest son moved into his college dorm room thinking, “This is it. I’m finally going to do something I’ve talked about for years. I’m going to start writing.”

And I did. For nearly two hours that afternoon, interrupted by numerous side stops to check Facebook or email each time a notification bell dinged, three games of Sudoku plus the daily crossword puzzle online, and two trips to the refrigerator for tea, I wrote. No inkling at all remains of work produced that day, but I was on the path.

In the intervening two years I’ve moved in fits and starts from being a closet poet to a fairly consistent rhyming blogger. The way has been enhanced by on-line writing classes with Metropolitan Community College (MCC), two WordSowers conferences and several monthly meetings, countless hours of internet research, and being part of a writing community. The sheer amount of information available is staggering, but digestible in small bits. Even in these early stages I’ve learned valuable things.

Be not afraid. This is easier said than done some days. Fear of getting things wrong and looking foolish often slows me. But not trying guarantees I won’t succeed and every ‘failure’ holds a lesson.

Speak the words “I’m a writer.” Aloud. This took me a long time. I’d produced two to five pieces of poetry daily for months and created numerous rhymed treasure hunts for family and friends.  Yet when people asked what I did I’d stutter, “I’m thinking about writing.” I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was doing it! Because my work hadn’t been sold, or wasn’t in book format, it somehow didn’t count. The first time I actually said the words, I waited for the sky to fall or a gigantic finger to point out my mistake. Guess what? No one blinked or laughed and I’m still breathing. Tada!

Write something every day. This was easy at first because words burst from pen to paper. Eight months later things slowed down. Now once in awhile it feels like work (gasp!), and that’s OK.

There is no one perfect path. Do you write the book first? Start a website? Attend a conference? Join WordSowers?  Yes, yes, yes, and yes – in whatever order works for you.

 

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At the most recent WordSowers conference in April, I learned many more great tips. I’m practicing them as I write this post. You can read more about what I learned here.

Finally, because I write in rhyme, I’d like to leave you this little ditty:

If you have tips to share with all, we beg you, don’t be shy.

There’ll never be a better time to tell another why

it’s worth the work and sweat and toil to write the words He sends.

When sown for love of Him who saves – the story never ends.

 

Do you remember the moment when you

finally called yourself a writer?

Meet Jennifer Slattery, 2017 Wordsowers Conference workshop leader. She will be teaching Avoiding Story Deflators. 

Jennifer Slattery is a multi-published author, freelance writer, editor, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, a ministry that seeks to help women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She writes Christian living articles for Crosswalk.com and is the managing and acquisitions editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and imprint with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com

Connect with Jennifer

  Facebook   Twitter   Website   Pinterest

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My heart is first and foremost for the writer. I love seeing men and women discover, grab hold of, and live out who they are in Christ and what He’s called them to do. In other words, though I’m looking for strong manuscripts for my women’s fiction imprint, I’m also coming to this conference as a fellow traveler, cheerleader, encourager, and friend.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Though this workshop is geared toward fiction writers, we’ll be looking at some key components of strong writing. Therefore, writers of all genres should be able to glean helpful information that, if applied, will bring their writing to the next level.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Can I share two? First, I’d say, if this is something you truly want (to get a publishing contract, article acceptance, or whatever your personal writing goal is), pursue it with perseverance and diligence. Learn as much as you can, and recognize that the more teachable you are, the stronger your writing will be. Also recognize that this is a long, difficult journey, one where many quit along the way. Determine now what you’ll do when (not if) rejections come and the writing becomes difficult. Write this in your journal and pray over this often.

Jennifer’s books are sure to encourage you. Enjoy her most recent release.

Restoring Love

Mitch, a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She’s almost his worst nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after her husband’s incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along with true love?

Purchase your copy

Amazon      Barnes and Noble       CBD

 

Our next introduction is Anne Rauth. She will be leading the workshop Jesus Would be on Linked In at the 2017 Wordsowers Christian Writers Conference.

An award winning author, Anne received her MBA from the University of Kansas and started her professional career at Hallmark Cards in the Advertising and Hallmark Hall of Fame Division.  Currently she works at Mercy and Truth Medical Missions, a safety net clinic in the Kansas county with the lowest healthcare rankings in the state.

PS  Don’t try to link with Anne before the conference.  Come to her workshop to find out why.

 What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Anne Rauth grew up in a small town in Northwest Missouri and can make a post, or any other inanimate object, talk to her.  So, if you want to engage in lively “small talk banter”, find her.  As the mom of three boys, and wife of almost 25 years to Scott, there’s no shortage of devotional topics to write about; just shortage of time to jot them down.  If you must have a conversation starter, ask her about the time she found her oldest son asleep in their claw foot bath tub, and blamed Abbie the Labbie, their family dog.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop? Who will get the most out of your workshop? Anne’s workshop is “Jesus would be on Linked In”.  If you’ve always wanted to “link up” on this social media platform, which has the largest business audience in the world this workshop is for you.  You’ll gain  a better understanding of Linked In, learn how to get an “All Star Profile” and hear insights about Linked In that Anne has learned along the way.

Anne believes the biggest takeaway from using Linked In is the power of relationship building and how much knowledge you can gain about someone before you meet them.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be? Anne encourages writers with her “one word” of the year (it’s hyphenated) to:   PRESS-ON.  This word was taken from Philippians 3:14:  “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  PRESS-ON with your writing while PRESSING IN to Jesus.

 

 

It’s not too late to join us!

Attending a conference is a commitment. You have to reserve the block of time (which gets harder and harder with today’s busy lifestyle). You have to pay the conference fees. You have to prepare a pitch in case you run into the perfect editor or agent. And the list goes on. Sometimes it feels like too much! So why should you attend? Here are just a few reasons.

 

Reason#1: You’ll learn

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been writing professionally for years or if you just scratched out your first short story last night, you WILL learn something at a conference. It might be something little or something huge or a bunch of little things in between. There’s no walking away from a writer’s conference without new knowledge.

 

Reason#2: You’ll meet others like you

There’s something about writers being around other writers. You understand each other! Finally, someone who gets why you can’t stop writing a story until it’s finished because the voices in your head won’t leave you alone. Finally, someone who has been through the same struggles to get published as you. Writers understand writers! And it’s just plain fun to be around others who enjoy the craft.

 

Reason#3: You never know what will come of your attendance

When you attend a writer’s conference, you’re surrounded by opportunity. There are editors there waiting to hear your pitch. There are agents there hungry for just the right story. There are professionals ready to give you advice on what to do and how to do it. You never know what will come out of your time at the conference. You might make a connection that leads to publication. You might get inspiration for the next great American novel. You might meet a new best writing friend. You never know what you’re going to get, but it’s going to be great!

Under each of these reasons you’ll find a dozen or more others just like them; 101 reasons, or more, depending on how you count them. Sign up! Go! You won’t regret it!

It’s not too late to join us!

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Use #Wordsowers2017 when you share with your friends.

 

 

Meet Nancy L. Sharp, children’s author and 2017 Wordsowers conference workshop leader.

Children’s Author N. L. Sharp is an educational writing consultant from Fremont, Nebraska. Born in Valentine, graduated from Ponca, with college degrees from both the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, she is proud to claim that she is now and always has been a Nebraska writer. She is the author of several published books, including Effie’s Image (a former Nebraska Golden Sower nominee), The Flower Girl / The Ring Bear: A Flip-Over Book(named an iParenting Media Award winner by the Disney Corporation), and the novel Keeping Captain. Sharp is currently working on several other writing projects, including a series of middle-grade novels for children, ages 8-12, and a writing curriculum for elementary and middle-grade students.

Connect with Nancy on her website.

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. Besides being a writer, I am a teacher. One of my greatest joys is to share with others some of the lessons I have been fortunate enough to have experienced on my own personal writing and publishing journey. If anything I have done (or not done, and wished I had) can help others, I am more than eager to share that information with them.

What do you see as the greatest take away from your workshop and why. Who will get the most out of your workshop? Because I am a children’s writer, anyone who is writing for the children’s market will find my workshop of value. But because I have been published both traditionally (Boyds Mills Press) and as an independent author (with my own publishing house, Prairieland Press) and have had success with both routes (I have had 2 of my books listed on Nebraska’s Golden Sower list–which is the children’s choice award in Nebraska), I think anyone who is trying to better understand the pros and cons of publishing traditionally vs. self-publishing will find my workshop helpful.

Therefore, I think the biggest take-away from my workshop will be to help participants decide what is the best publishing route for them (traditional or self-publishing), regardless of which age writer they are targeting, but especially, if they are writing for children.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer, what would it be?  Years ago, I took a Steven Covey class, and I think that his advice to “Begin with the end in mind” is great advice when choosing a publishing route. If you understand exactly what your main goal is in writing and publishing a piece of writing, then the choice of how to publish it (a short story in a magazine, a blog post, a self-published book, publish with a royalty publisher, publish with a work-for-hire publisher, etc.) will be much more easily made.

Check out Nancy’s books!http://www.nlsharp.com/books/the-flower-girl-the-ring-bear-a-flip-over-book/

 

 

 

 

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Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.

Meet Laree Lindburg. Laree will be at the 2017 Wordsowers Writers Conference representing Electric Moon Publishing. 

What would you like conference attendees to know about you? Maybe something that would help them feel comfortable approaching you. My husband and I have five children. Last August, my husband prayerfully took over his father’s business which moved our clan a bit west to a rural area. We now live in the home I grew up in from age eight until eighteen. Other than the aforementioned, one of the more significant changes in my life since moving includes the many opportunities to minister to my in-laws and other relation, whom we now live much closer to. Come visit me and we’ll talk life (and books)!

Connect with Laree and Electric Moon: Website   Facebook    Twitter 

Tell us a little about Electric Moon Publishing. What are some of the ways you can help an author? Emoon acts as a publishing partner for indie authors, ministries, and organizations. The author and eMoon collaborate from writing & editing to cover design & interior layout, and finally publishing & distribution/marketing. With eMoon, the author retains all rights and royalties! As a dovetail to publishing, eMoon has prayerfully begun a speaker’s bureau for powerful voices with solid messages. Ask us for more details–www.emoonpublishing.com or info@emoonpublishing.com.

If you could share only one piece of information/tip/encouragement with a writer looking to self-publish, what would it be? Take your time. Do not rush. Traditional publishers allow well over a year to produce a book for the masses to consume. Self/indie-published authors need to slow down. Realize you, too, can create as beautiful and desirable a book as a traditional publisher–the support is out there to achieve such a feat. The key is to be diligent, meticulous; as an indie author, you are your last front before print. It rests on your shoulders, but there are a plethora of experts and talented individuals to help, which makes the option quite desirable, especially since you can keep your rights and royalties.

Click HERE to get more information about our 2017 conference and to register now.