You Don’t Have to Publish a Book to Be a Writer

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Some people are in love with the idea of writing and visualize a life of leisure, sitting around typing out a few dozen book manuscripts and raking in the greenbacks (you can laugh now). Others have one story they feel the need to share, but they have no plans to pursue writing, and therefore, lack the drive to do what it takes to get published. However, many sincerely want to write but find writing a full-length book a daunting task. Or sadly, they finish their manuscript but are stonewalled by the thought of finding a publisher or self-publishing and then (gulp!) book marketing.

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5 Plotting Tips for Aspiring Christian Fiction Authors

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In my years of experience as a mystery author, writing coach, and education lead for the visual outlining software Plottr, I’ve found—like many others—that there are two main types of writers. There are writers who plot every aspect of their story, who are often called “story architects” or “story engineers”, and there are those who wing it the entire way, known as discovery writers or pantsers.

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How Do Librarians Choose Books?

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Is there anything more exciting than the New Bookshelf in the library? For thirty years, I was the lucky librarian who selected thousands of books for various public libraries to purchase. Then when the new books arrived, I chose the ones to display and highlight. One day I saw my book The Very Best Story Ever Told: The Gospel with American Sign Language featured! I rejoiced because this was an opportunity to reach people who did not go to church with the love of God. Here’s how librarians choose books!

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Skyrocket Your Book Marketing by Attending a Trade Show

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What is the Christian Product Expo? The Christian Products Expo is the trade show where products are displayed for Christian retailers to order for their stores. Walking into the CPE trade show, it looked like dozens of other trade shows I’d attended. Instead of finding a bunch of self-absorbed, business types, I found a community of believers (authors, publishers, and bookstore owners) working to promote the kingdom of God and each other, rather than their bottom line. I was continually amazed at the love and acceptance of total strangers who didn’t know me but reached out to befriend a brand-new aspiring author. Read on to learn how to skyrocket your book marketing by attending a trade show.

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12 Ways to Boost Your Writing Productivity

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Do you have enough time to write each day? As a Christian author, how many times have you said, “If only I had more time to write?” But before we can successfully juggle writing, work, and family life, Christian writers need a better understanding of time management. Here are 12 ways you can boost your writing productivity.

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Why Indie Authors Need a Writing Community

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Every author can benefit from being part of a writer group. An author’s journey can be lonely, and we need writing friends who understand the highs and lows writers experience. Brainstorming with writer groups can spark creativity. Networking offers new connections that can lead to more writing opportunities. Collaboration allows us to combine our resources to get our messages in front of a wider audience of readers. We will find endless benefits when we realize we’re stronger together through writer groups.

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