Publishing--which way do I turn?

It seems I have been mysteriously silent about my conference experiences and publishing. So many options and avenues have been tried since then that I was in a quandary what to share with serious readers on this page. I've decided to update my followers with info I am finding most helpful, but my final conclusions are not yet drawn. (I am defining some of the terms that are new to me in this process of publishing to be clear as to what I mean.)

First, the Mt Hermon Conference.
With all the wondrous beauty of the grounds and new friends found, I can say the time there was well spent. I also made a connection with a missionary who has established a press (actual facility that prints books and ships them out) in Bulgaria. Amazing! She thought the quality of the production has grown to be comparable with presses world wide and that she could have my book printed and delivered for about $3 a book. Amazing. This might be the best deal I have found and I will be staying in touch with her on this and looking into her presses services.

I also met with an editor who was interested in seeing a proposal I pitched (verbally presented to her over lunch as a possibility for her publishing house to produce and carry as one of their books.) I felt comfortable right away with her, even told her one of my true confession type stories about a slip I had made in the church parking lot one day. I think making a connection with an editor can be pivotal as to whether I will feel comfortable long-term in dealing with the publishing house (companies in the industry of publishing.) Of course, the same might be true as to whether or not the editor is interested in dealing with you. We'll see.

The pitch I made detailed a devotional book I have been thinking about compiling for some time. Since I have written many devotionals, I hope to have the skills to compile a book for a niche market, mothers of special needs children. I expanded on the idea and she liked it. She said I could send her a proposal (a 30 page document defining the book and the market, my qualifications and history and several more relevant items of information.) This formal request is what she will take to the publishing company's team that decides if the book is the kind of thing they want to publish and if it will be profitable for the company.

This last consideration, whether it will be profitable, sounds cut throat, but get the stars out of your eyes. How many of us would be writing much if we were not compensated in some way? The truth is, we all have mouths to feed, even if they are our own. I fully understand, being a business major in school, the necessity of making a book pay (although, I would hazard a guess that sometimes a publisher chooses to publish a book because it is too good not to, and plans to eat the cost--they just can't do that often.)

I was very happy to get the invitation to send the proposal, even knowing I had lots of work ahead of me. A month later, I still am working on the proposal. Perhaps I have waited too long for her to be interested! Well, many things have happened since talking to that editor and I could not spare the time before now. I will explain more as I continue this train of thought on publishing in future posts. Tomorrow I will finish up Mt Hermon and why traditional publishing may not be the best choice in every situation.

Next, Orange County Christian Writer's Conference. Soon POD and self publishing.

I'm a winner! Sorta...

Hey, all!

Still in San Diego after last Friday/Saturday writer's conference in Orange County. Had a great time; met four new friends who I'm sure we will stay in touch, met John Ware and began the new path to screen writing, heard Vivian Wright speak brilliantly about creativity, AND had "Julia" take a third place (out of 38 books submitted) in the WestBow self-publishing package! Whoo-hoot!

I'm very excited about this. I had been thinking fairly seriously about pursuing WestBow or some other self-publishing house anyway. I really like the idea of preserving all the electronic rights of my manuscript, something I would have to give up with a regular publisher. WestBow Press is a subsidiary of Nelson and so has an interest in supporting the self-publishers in house--perhaps moving the book to the catalogue, etc, if it does well in sales.

WestBow will be calling me soon to make arrangements, if I am interested. Since I did not win 1st place there is a question as to whether I will publish with them or not--seeing if I can afford to pick up the rest of the package. In my dreams, I will be in print by July--we shall see!

Tuesday Afternoons...

If you think my next words are “I’m just beginning to see…”, as in the song of the same title, you could be right!

Yes, after attending the “conference to end all conferences” for getting your book published by a Christian publishing house, I have re-set that goal. Not because there was anything wrong with the event or the publishers, although I will admit I don’t think I am a conference person, I do think that it is timely to think about self and electronic publishing as the future of reading.

I know, I know, I too am a smell-the-print person, as I was a feel-the-pen-in-your-hand person when I began writing. Quickly, I realized the superior convenience of the cut and paste, delete and replace, and so many other happily convenient values of the computer over the pen and paper. So, adjust, I tell myself, once again.
I also have some ideas about how to make that all work. Maybe even a business around the self/e-book. I do love business!

So, this next weekend I am off to yet another conference, Orange County Christan Writer's Conference, but this one has a strong self-publishing thrust. I am excited to talk to some of the people in the industry face to face. I’ll report a bit more about that when I return.

In the meantime, write-on and don’t worry about the publishing aspect—I’m believing that may all be up in the air right now, in more ways than one.

What is Behind Door # Two?

A PRIZE FOR YOU!

This might be premature of me, however, I am submitting the first page of my second novel to a "First Page" contest at the Orane County Christian Writer's Conference at the end of the month. I am looking for critiques, my friends!

FREE CONTEST~There is a prize involved for the most helpful comment! A Steve Green CD--brand new--titled "For God and God Alone" or maybe a million dollars...it depends on which I can lay my hands on first.

So, here's the rules.
1) Read page one of my new book (below)
2) Write a comment that would be helpful to me as the author in the comment section of this post. In one week, I will decide which comments are helpful and have a drawing for the CD. I will post the winning comment and send the CD on that day. Easy!

Book 2
Chapter One


Willow left her restaurant five minutes before seven, erroneously thinking that ample time to arrive. She slid onto the driver’s seat of her VW van which she then rolled down the snow-packed main street of Sage Meadows, Oregon. Five minutes should have been plenty of time to drive five blocks to the town center, but tonight, revelers slowed traffic to a stroller’s pace.

Having moved to the area less than a year before, Willow had no idea that tourists came in droves for the western town’s quaint tree lighting ceremony. Who would have guessed?

As her van crawled by the gathering, she strained to find an empty spot. Nothing. She did see plenty of scarves, hats, and mittens—all red—in theme of the season. How original, she thought. A Suburban behind her honked with impatience. Willow jumped, cursed, and sped on.

She finally found a space at the curb, two blocks away. She still radiated internal heat from the fast pace she kept in the restaurant kitchen, so her wool pea coat hung open and her alpaca muffler and cap bulged from her pockets as she trotted toward the festivities. Her thick wool socks slipped in her Birkenstocks with each slap-slap on the street. The gravel truck had been through that day spewing fresh volcanic ash gathered from the surrounding Cascade mountains. The tiny stones peppered the snow, providing better traction for vehicles and walkers.

As she neared the crowd, she could hear high-pitched laughter and mellow murmurs ripple through the chilled air. Children’s voices steamed from their chapped lips as they argued for the best spot on the hay bales that formed a circle around a towering evergreen.

How am I going to find Mum in all of these people? Willow’s mouth curved up from either side of the lip ring in the middle of her lower lip. Her heart still soared when she thought of her good luck at finally finding her birth mother. Had it really been only three months since they met?