First Impressions Count

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I love the photo which begins this article. The light has made a perfect reflection and impression of the scenery. Our eye is drawn to this peaceful and perfect image. As you reflect on this image, I believe you can gain some insights about the process of submitting your work for publication.

Notice the photo is taken from the right spot. To get the attention of an editor or literary agent, you have to make the right connection. Admittedly it’s not easy for any writer to make this connection but it is possible through personal emails, LinkedIN and other places. As I’ve often said in these articles, who you know is as important as what you know. 

Also notice the photo is a perfect reflection in the water. As writers we must become aware of what the editor or agent needs and is looking for. For a writer to gather this information will take work and effort. Study the books they publish or list of authors. Also download and study their guidelines and what they need. It's different for each publisher or agent but this information is often clearly spelled out on their website (and the submitter or author doesn’t always follow it--which is a mistake on their part).

Every writer must make the right pitch at the right time. If your pitch is not crafted right or the timing is off, the publishing professional will pass on it. 

Throughout my years in publishing, I’ve seen many missed opportunities, poor and inappropriate pitches. For my example, recently an author submitted a children’s book manuscript. The submission was just a manuscript and not crafted into pages and without a book proposal. If the author had crafted it into pages, it would have shown knowledge about the children’s book market. A proposal shows the author's business plans and background for publishing the book. Admittedly it takes work to craft such a submission but is well-worth the effort from my experience. 

Unfortunately this author made the wrong first impression. He didn’t learn Morgan James Publishing has published some children’s books but they are a small percentage of the types of books which we publish (maybe 3%). Also this author called my phone and then disconnected--over a dozen times--before he left a voicemail with questions asking for my return call. Such an action from an unpublished author raises red flags for the professional. The submission will be processed but a pass or rejection letter will also be scheduled. This author made the wrong first impression and it counted.

I love children’s books, have published more than a dozen of them and I’m a former instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature, which is the oldest home correspondence course for children’s writers. Beyond the submission, I’m looking for the right author.

As New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins wisely said when he interviewed me (follow the link), editors and agents are reading their email looking for what they can publish or the diamond in the rough. Unfortunately it takes thoughtful work to send the right pitch or proposal. My encouragement for each of you is to do this work on the submission side of things and the relationship-building side.

To balance my previous story, let me tell you about another author. On the surface, the full-color book didn’t look like one that Morgan James would publish. Through a series of over 50 emails and phone conversations, the publishing details for this book were worked out. The author received a contract offer. Admittedly there are a number of additional steps before this book gets published and in the bookstores. I include this story so you see that every author needs a champion inside the publishing house for their book. It will take effort for you to find this person but if you work at it, you can certainly find such a person.  I encourage you to always be expanding your relationships to have the right one for your right idea.

On the surface, publishing may look simple but it is a complicated endeavor with many twists and turns. I encourage you to continue to take the journey. What steps are you taking to find the right place for your pitch? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Change Can Mean Opportunity

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

When it comes to change, I’m as guilty as the next person. I love my routines and doing things with a system and pattern. At times, I complain about the constant changes around me in technology, in my personal life and in my work in publishing. It is not easy to make these constant adjustments yet they are a part of our publishing world.

 

In the articles, I write about what I’m learning about the publishing world and here’s a simple truth: if you lean into those changes and watch for them, they can mean opportunity for your writing life.  I want to give you several examples of how you can seize the opportunities from change.

 

New Publications

The magazine world is in constant change. Because I’ve worked as a magazine editor, I understand the business side of producing these publications. Each publication must have subscribers but the bulk of the publication is normally paid through advertising. This fact explains the costly nature of such these ads. When you find a new publication, I encourage you to read it, study their guidelines then make a strong pitch to the editor. That editor is looking for regular contributors to the magazine and you have the opportunity to become one of those writers.

 

New Editor

At the magazines and book publishing houses, new editors enter the marketplace. Some editors who have been there for years are retiring and are replaced with younger editors. These new editors are looking for writers and the change is your opportunity to become one of them.

 

New Literary Agent

The agencies are often adding new agents or changing agents. To catch attention, you have to have the right pitch or proposal. These new agents are looking for a list of clients who they can sell into the market. Through your research and excellent writing, you can stand out and be someone they want to sign to their agency.

 

New Publisher

On a constant basis new publishers are entering the marketplace. A key action step for every writer is to ask good questions before signing with the publishing house. One of my Morgan James authors who just signed with us was exploring different publishers. One of the innovative steps he took was to order a book from each of these places. Then with a book in hand, he could check the quality of the product, see how quickly they delivered it and much more.

 

How To Find These Changes

The trade magazines like Publishers Weekly and Rush to Press from the Evangelical Christian Publishers are places to begin to notice shifts and changes in the market. With each contact, you have to make a good and appropriate pitch.

 

Continue to Build Relationships

I encourage you to continue to build relationships in the publishing community. As I’ve often said in these articles, who you know is as important as what you know. As you attend writer's conferences, you should exchange cards and information with everyone you meet—not just the faculty. When you get home from an event, input the information into your phone or computer so you have easy and continual access to it. Are you and I connected on LinkedIN? If not, follow this link and send me a connection invitation.

 

As editors and publishing people, we are actively looking for authors who can be a good fit for our company. You can seize these opportunities if you are aware of it and make the right pitch. How are you taking advantage of these changes and turning them into opportunities? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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Why Do I Write Devotionals?

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Early in my writing life, I wrote a number of devotionals.  Several decades ago, I wrote two devotional books (as a work-made-for-hire project). Each book contained sixty devotionals and each book was in the bestselling category because it sold over 60,000 copies. I wrote these books on tight deadlines and through the years I occasionally get letters or emails from readers who say they read those words over and over.

 

For many years I've written other types of writing but not devotionals. Over a year ago, I was speaking with Susan King, a long-time editor at The Upper Room.  It had been decades since I had submitted any devotionals to them. She encouraged me to send something. Each of these devotions are in a specific format. You can see their guidelines here. I wrote and submitted four different devotions and one of them was accepted—and published last week. Yes I wrote three devotions which were rejected—and it happens to everyone. The editors are looking for the right fit and select the submissions for their publication. It may take some trial and error before you find one that will work. Why do it?  The Upper Room has a worldwide circulation of six million—which is a large audience for writing a small amount of words.  I've heard the editors like devotions from the Old Testament because they mostly get ones from the New Testament and also they like devotions from men because the majority of the submissions are from women. I hope these two details help you.  Also understand The Upper Room works way ahead. I wrote and submitted these devotions about a year ago.

 

Here's the link to my devotion which was published last week. You will notice my devotion focused on an unusual verse from Isaiah and I had a current application for my own life in it. I have not been published in The Upper Room for several decades.  After my devotion was accepted and scheduled, I got an email from the editors telling me that I could also submit a blog post which had guidelines, word counts, etc. and would post the same day. I followed those guidelines and met their deadline and here's the link to my blog post. From studying published blog posts, I noticed they occasionally included a website link in the blog post—but only one link. I included a link to my personal website at the end of my post and it was published as well. We write devotions to capture on paper our spiritual connection and to encourage others to have this relationship.

 

For my writing of these devotions, one of the keys is to have the right mindset. There are several basic principles for every writer in this process:

1. You have to follow the editor's guidelines. The Upper Room has an online submission place for their devotions. It was fairly easy to use but called for you to have the specific information for each field in their form (something you can do ahead of time).

2. You have to write what the editor wants then submit it. This step is true whether you are brand new or are a much-published author.

3. You will likely have to write more than one submission to get published.

4. If you get an extra opportunity such as writing a blog post, then follow the guidelines and do what is requested.

 

There are many publications which publish devotional writing. The 2021 Christian Writers Market Guide is one of the best places to find these publications. Make sure you are not using an old edition since you want to use current information. Every magazine has desired articles and a format. Every writer needs to know this information before submission. Here's where I have a detailed article about writing for magazines.

 

I plan on writing more devotions and fit them into my writing life. This process is a good discipline for any writer to see what you can capture in a few focused words. Do you write devotions? Let me know your experiences in the comments below.

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Awareness of A Fine Line

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Within publishing as you approach or pitch editors and agents, there is a fine line between being creative and interesting in your pitch—and being strange (asking for rejection). Editors and literary agents are actively looking for creative and interesting submissions. Even if you are getting rejected with your pitches, I know they are actively reading their emails and looking at their mail submissions for excellent submissions.

 

Recently a novelist approached me to possibly edit their book. As I reviewed the book, it was a clean, well-written novel but had several issues. First, it was substantially longer than a novel I could publish at Morgan James Publishing. We have a limit of 100,0o00 words which is typical for many publishers and based on our experience (sales) and the price point for the novel and other elements. This particular novelist had written a 145,000 word novel (way over our limitation). I pointed out this challenge to the novelist but I also told him about another “different” feature in his novel. Throughout the book for emphasis, he created words from his characters with extra letters. For example, he took the word “buzz” and would add letters so it became “buzzzzzz.” While such action was creative, it also bordered on strange and gave the gatekeeper (agent or editor) a reason to reject the novel. In the rejection process, we don't give such reasons to the author (not our role or responsibility). The author will likely never learn the reason for the rejection. This author was asking me for a critique or edit. As I examined the work, I didn't find anything worthy charging or critiquing so instead I sent a brief email with a few observations and suggestions.

 

The experience reminded me of several important principles that as writers we need to be aware:

 

1. We need to pour creativity into our submission but not cross into strange. Don't give that editor or agent a reason (even if unspoken) to reject your work. Instead give them reason to keep turning the pages and reading. This process is a careful balancing act.

 

2. Follow the guidelines from the agent or editor and even take a few minutes to review them before sending off your submission. Does your submission fit what they are looking for? If not, don't send it and find another place.

 

3. Your pitch or proposal is important and needs to be complete and excellent. Every publisher is looking for authors who are connected to their readers or what some people call their “tribe.” If you are beginning or don't have this group of readers, then start immediately to gather it. As I've written in the past, every author should have their own email list. You also need to have a social media presence (not every social media place but select a couple where you will work at building your presence). For example, I have invested a great deal of energy into Twitter and LinkedIn. Admittedly these sites are “rented” and not anything that I control or own. Any editor or agent with a few key strokes can check out your presence or lack of it on these places.  The look and numbers are important to these editors and agents as they make their decision about working with you (or not).

 

Publishing is a complex business that looks easy and simple on the surface but isn't. As a writer, you are lookng for the right connection. Finding this connection will take effort, education and insight but can pay off to advance your publishing career and also garner sales of your book. From my decades in publishing, it much better to work with others and produce excellence, than to do it on your own (self-publish). This simple principle explains why there are so many strange self-published book. There are plenty of companies that will take your money, publish your book and not give you honest help in the process. My advice is to choose carefully, ask many questions and avoid the missteps.

 

Are you aware of the fine line between creative and strange? What steps are you taking to get help from an editor or agent? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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What Is Your Publishing Agenda?

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In the early days of my writing life, I wanted to be published in as many magazines and other places as I could publish. I met editors, studied their guidelines and wrote for their readers. I didn't always succeed and get published but it happened frequently and I grew as a writer (still learning). I wasn't focused on the financial rewards from publishing back then but I was focused on writing credits and getting into many different publications.

Through the years, I've seen many magazines begin and many magazines close their doors. There is still great opportunity for writers to publish in magazines. It is a stance that I encourage others to do and something I actively do as well.

At a recent conference, I picked up some of the free magazines and took them home to study them. As I looked at these magazines, I was thinking about their audience and focus. Did they use freelance material? What information was included in the author bio? Did they even mention any details about the author such as a new book or point to an author's website?

As you ask and answer these specific questions, you will learn more about the focus of the publication and their agenda. I noticed several of these publications had material that I “could” be a possible writer. Yet as I studied the author bio section, I noticed several didn't even have a single line about the author. Others included some information but nothing about an author's book or website. I figured out the agenda of the publication (which the editor's establish) was not a match for my own publishing agenda. My agenda is to reach new readers and point toward my recent books or a website. Your agenda has to match the agenda of the publication otherwise you are wasting your limited writing time and energy.

One local editor has been teasing me about writing for her publication. At my encouragement, she sent me a few issues of the magazine. I studied it and noticed this differing agenda (the magazine's agenda and my goals). Instead of blindly crossing them off my writing possibilities, I wrote this friend about what I observed. She can correct my misunderstanding or confirm it. It's the type of communication work we need to do as writers and something I've not written about in these articles. I hope it helps you.

In the comments below, let me know if you have a publishing agenda? What steps to you take to see if your agenda matches a new publication for your work? I look forward to your thoughts.

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Where to Begin Publishing

Publishing can be confusing and overwhelming. Where do you begin the process? Recently an unpublished writer contacted me for some guidance. For many years, she had been interested in publishing and writing in her journal. Once she sent something to a magazine and got rejected. Then she hasn't tried again. Yes she reads blogs and websites and has purchased the Christian Writers Market Guide (all good steps in the process). Yet she was overwhelmed and unsure where to start her journey.

While I've been in publishing many years, I still recall those early days in my writing life. I could identify with the overwhelming feeling and confused about where to begin the publishing journey. If you are in this situation with your writing, here's what I recommend:

1. Write articles for Sunday school take home papers. Almost every type of church has publications which are given out during Sunday School. These are called Sunday School Take Home Papers and are published 52 times a year. Editors have a huge need to fill these issues with quality writing and are always looking for the right material. Also their circulations are generally 100,000 to 200,000 which means lots of exposure for the writer. Also many of these publications have theme lists where the editor tells you the topics they need. If you write on those topics, then you increase your possibility of getting their attention and that they will publish it.

2. Write personal experience stories. Many publications including Sunday school take homes, publish personal experience stories. Each of us have these stories but are you writing them and trying to get them published? Can you write the story with a solid beginning, middle and end? Can you conclude with a single point called a takeaway for the reader? These articles are often 500 to 1000 words in length but before you fire off your submission, check the guidelines (normally online) and read some of their publication (online). You'd be surprised how many writers don't do this critical step in the submission process.

3. Regularly submission to publications. I'd like to be published in Reader's Digest. At the moment it is very unlikely that will happen because I'm not sending them anything. Notice in my opening story the writer send something once and got rejected. I know everyone gets rejected. Yes I get rejected in the process. That rejection isn't personal but simply saying it was not the right material at the right time for this publication. Maybe the material is right for a different publication. Persistence and consistency in your submissions will help you get published.

4. Understand getting published leads to more opportunity. The editors and literary agents are looking for people with experience. You get experience writing for magazines and it can lead to books and other possibilities.
Everyone has to begin the publishing journey some place. I suggest you begin with magazines because they are short, targeted and quicker than books plus you reach thousands of people with your writing. I understand why people want to write books and hold them in your hand. I encourage you to look for the broader possibility of magazines—whether you are brand new or have a lot of experience.

Where did you begin the publishing process? Does this resonate and raise some questions? Let me know in the comments below.

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Your Submission Must Be Electronic and Easily Readable

Every editor needs an electronic submission.

Every writer should have the need to keep growing and looking for new avenues and ways to market. As an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, we receive many submissions—over 5,000 a year for only 150 books that are published. Yes that is high volume but as editors, we are always looking for the right authors and right material.

About a month ago, I received an author contact from one of my colleagues. That day, I sent an email to this author letting her know exactly what I needed and how to submit her material. A few days ago, I got a text from my colleague asking about this author. I said she had never responded to my email. Something many people forget is email sometimes does not get through. I reached out to this author again on email and picked up the phone to call her (rare for an editor or agent to call).

Later that day I began to receive her submission in hard copy on my phone—which I could not read. It was pages of a manuscript texted to my phone. I asked her to email it to me. The email came one page at a time with the hard copy attached—-many emails. I went back to this author and explained I needed a single file in an electronic form as an attachment. 

In conversation, I learned this author had an electronic file for her manuscript and then her computer crashed. She lost the electronic files with her computer crash. She only had a hard copy of her manuscript. With this explanation, I understood why she was trying to get me the hard copy.

I told this author how for years, every publisher requires the author to send an electronic version of their manuscript or proposal. It is the only way to get your material into the consideration process with an editor or agent. Your computer crash and the fact you don't have the file is a barrier to getting your submission considered. If you have this problem, you can:

1. Retype your manuscript into a Microsoft Word file.

2. Hire a student or transcription service to type your submission into Word.

3. Forget about this book and start another one. This last point is not what I would recommend since the author has invested hours into creating her book.

I have no idea what this author is writing and whether it has any merit or not—since I did not receive it in a form where I could read it. I've reviewed thousands of submissions during my years in publishing and never seen this particular situation. I point out several lessons from it:

1. Get your manuscript to the editor or agent in a format they can read. I've met authors who do not type. If you don't type, then take a typing course or get a book or figure out your way around this barrier.

2. Before you complain to the company or editor, make sure the format of your submission is not the issue. The reality is every editor and agent receives many submissions. Sometimes things do get missed and we are not perfect in this process. Just make sure it is not your issue before you reach out to someone else.

3. Follow the editor's or agent's guidelines. If you don't follow directions, then you can't get considered.

4. Follow-up to make sure you are giving the editor what they need. We receive volumes of material and want to help but have limitations on our own time and resources.

As a writer, you are searching for the right fit for your submission. It will take effort on your part to find this fit. Good communication is important every step of the way.  It took some digging on my part to figure out why I was not connecting with this author and her manuscript. I'm encouraging her to retype her lost manuscript and get it into the market for consideration.

Have you been skipping a publishing basic as an explanation why your submission is not hitting the mark? Let me know in the comments below.

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Can You Follow The Editor’s Directions?

As a long-time member of the publishing community, I interact with a number of authors. In fact, I have my personal email address onmy Twitter profile. It generates a number of emails that I answer. I do love to help writers which is one of the reasons I write these articles each week.

Recently I got an email from “Tom” (not his real name). He told about sending his novel out to numerous literary agents and not finding one. He sent me his phone number and asked to “schedule a time to chat.”

From my experience, this author’s suggestion was a big mistake. My time is as limited as the next person and I’ve “chatted” with plenty of authors who have wasted my time.

Because Morgan James publishes about 25 to 30 novels a year, and I work for them, I quickly transferred this discussion to my work email. I wrote Tom and asked for several specifics—true for any novel submission:

1. I need the full manuscript

2. I need a synopsis

3. I need the author’s mailing address

Tom responded that he would be sending it to me and appreciated the quick response.

About a week later Tom sent the preface to his novel and the first chapter. He acknowledged in his cover note that I asked for the full manuscript but he wanted to send what he wanted to send.

I quickly responded and asked for the full manuscript, synopsis and address. It was several weeks ago—and to date I’ve not heard from Tom. I believe Tom is going to struggle to find an agent or a publisher. Why? He has refused to send what is requested. 

Possibly he is a talented writer with a great novel but unless you follow the directions, you will never be read and published (other than self-published—and the average self-published book sells less than 100 copies during the lifetime of the book.). These details matter and are part of the evaluation process as I meet authors. Are they coachable and teachable?

Like I often hear from our Morgan James founder, David Hancock, we can always fix the manuscript but sometimes we can’t fix a poor or bad author.

Are the lack of attention or following the details holding you back from achieving your publishing dreams? If you are struggling to find the right connection with a literary agent or a publisher. I encourage you to consider if your material is in the requested format and if you are following the directions in the guidelines. Not delivering what is requested can prevent you from achieving your dreams as a writer. It can be something simple but important to the editor or agent which blocks you from moving forward.

Have you ever discovered that when you added something which was missing, it changed how it was received and opened a new opportunity? Let me know in the comments below.

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