If you’re a night owl who regularly watches David Letterman, you know his fondness for lists. So, in deference to my fellow Hoosier (yes, Dave’s from Indiana), I offer this list of reasons why all writers—even those determined to pen the great American novel—should begin by mastering the art of article writing. Drum roll, please!
5. More markets. Did you know there are 13,000 magazines regularly published in the U.S.? Some are relatively unknown, such as Fusion, Tapestry, Youth Walk, Word Alive, The Mennonite Brethren Herald—all EPA award winners. Last year 734 new magazines were launched.
4. Displays your talent. Editors constantly scan magazines looking for fresh new voices to take on book-length assignments. (My first two books were direct results of articles.)
3. Builds your platform. When you write regularly for a certain magazine, you build a fan base…readers who look for your byline. Those people also will look for your books.
2. Reaches a large audience. A typical magazine has a readership in the hundreds of thousands—more when you consider the pass-along rate. A first-time book author is lucky if his publisher prints 5,000 copies of his book. Just think of the people you will reach with your Christian message.
1. No agent required! In fact, agents don’t want to represent magazine writers. Why? It’s not worth their time financially. An agent typically receives 15% of anything an author makes. Do the math. You don’t have to share!
Holly G. Miller, co-author Feature and Magazine Writing
In her third year on the teen track of the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, Hayley Cox has a unique perspective on the growth she has personally experienced so early in her writing career. For all the young aspiring writers out there… Hayley has some encouraging words to share.
I have been blessed to attend the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference three times since 1994 and I’m looking forward to going back this April. From the beginning, the entire experience has enriched both my spiritual and writing life. God had plans for me that far exceeded my hopes.
I stepped out in faith, and followed one step behind Him. The first time I attended, I had two newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetic children, nine and eleven years old. The Lord touched the hearts of two women in my CBS (Community Bible Study) group to offer to take my children into their homes for the five day conference. The second year I was able to financially help a friend attend. The third year, a friend helped me. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Through Mt. Hermon, God offers the tools to equip you, teachers to mentor, and the fellowship of believers with whom you can hone your writing skills. If you hear Him calling your name, pick up your pen and obey.
Kathy Boyd Fellure is the author of two illustrated children’s storybooks in The Blake Sisters Lake Tahoe Adventure Stories. She has written a fiction novel and numerous newspaper articles. She is the founder of Amador Fiction Writers Critique Group.
Currently, Kathy lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two stand-up comedian dogs.
Sherry Kyle tells us why the atmosphere of the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference is so valuable for her. And no she is not referring to the amazing Redwood forest.
If you want to know more about Sherry the author you can look here http://mac.com/dkyle
When I arrived at my first writer’s conference, I fully expected to show my writing to an editor or agent and leave with what Orson Wells, in The Muppet Movie, refers to as the “standard rich and famous contract.” Those expectations began to fade as I realized how much I needed to learn about the craft. But that was okay, because at the same time I was learning another lesson, one that is even more important than “avoid the passive voice” and “keep your point of view consistent.” I was learning how rewarding it could be to network with others at the conference.
Writing can be a lonely business. We sit at our computer, listening to the voices in our head, striving to craft a story that will keep a reader’s attention. Our spouses try to be supportive, our children learn to tolerate our funny schedules, and our friends ask if we’re going to quit our day jobs when we become successful. But no one truly understands us like another writer, or editor, or agent. When I adjusted my expectations, that first writer’s conference turned into one big family reunion. The friendships I made with fellow writers, even some agents and editors, have lasted for years, and they have blessed me as a writer and as a person.
The best advice I can give the person attending their first writer’s conference? Learn as much of the craft as you can. But don’t neglect to take the opportunity to make new friends. In the words of TV’s Monk, “You’ll thank me later.”
Dr. Richard Mabry, author of medical drama/suspense, Prescription for Trouble Series (Code Blue, Medical Error, Diagnosis Death)
After three years, Brad Huebert desires to keep attending the Mount Hermon Christian Writers conference until he reaches his publishing dreams. If you want to know why Mount Hermon is where he will continue to come in the midst of that pursuit, then take a moment watch this video.
March 31 – Digital Conference Binder (The entire binder will be available for download for fully paid registrants.) Please print off the pages you want as well as the website pages of “Faculty” and “Tracks” and bring to the conference for reference.
April 9 – Free Pre-Conference Critiques Deadline: All submissions must be in hard copy and must be postmarked by Saturday, April 9, 2011, and/or received at Mount Hermon at the latest Tuesday, April 12th. Form says 3.23
The highly-anticipated and much-sought-after What Editors Want to See spreadsheet is up! Save it, print it—indelibly imprint it upon your brain! Or at least give it some serious study.
This handy little form is the key to determining which (if any) editors or agents you should submit to. It will unlock the mysteries of manuscript critiquers. It is the blueprint to your stalking endeavors (just seeing if you’re paying attention with that last one!)
All kidding aside, the Mount Hermon faculty wants to help you succeed as a writer. Do your homework. Make a gameplan. Then relax, and enjoy the ride.
Writing “genius,” like any other kind, is 99% perspiration. The authors I admire most all worked extremely hard early in their careers to learn their craft. They wrote hard and often. Their books were not the product of small bits of inspiration but of steady, dedicated, intense work, day after day.
I’ve counseled many writers at conferences who have come with a single manuscript yet haven’t got another project going. I tell them, “That’s wonderful. You’ve written a novel. That’s a great accomplishment. Now, get to work on the next one. And as you’re writing that next one, be developing an idea for the project after that.”
You see, publishers and agents are not looking for a book. They are looking for solid, dependable writers. They invest in careers. They want to know you can do this over and over again.
So show them you can. Keep writing!
James Scott Bell, Writers Conference Faculty member; Suspense/Thriller Fiction Writer
