Are you ready to pitch your story? With the ACFW Conference just a month away, many authors are polishing their pitches, proposals and pitch sheets. But…are they truly ready to pitch? The fact is, you only get one shot to pitch your story to a particular editor/agent. Here’s a quick litmus test to see if you’re ready to pitch your novel: 1. Is your novel finished? First time novelists should have their novel completed before they pitch for two reasons. It tells the editor/agent that YES, you can finish a novel. And then, when you pitch an entire series of 3 novels, they have the confidence you can fnished #2 and #3. It helps you understand the true external pitch of your story (and the internal storyquestion). Sometimes it takes […]
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Are you ready to Pitch your novel? A 7 question LITMUS test!

Dream a Little Dream with Me
We all need to dream.
And I’m learning, over and over, how much we need to share our dreams with others.
It can get lonely, dreaming all by myself. When someone else is willing to dream my little dream with me . . . Ah! How that refreshes my soul. How it instills hope into my wilted dream.
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Finding Balance in Writing & Life: Between Deadlines
Once I turned in my latest manuscript, I realized something—I was between deadlines, meaning I don’t have any contracted novels to jump right into. While that’s good to allow myself time to relax after back-to-back deadlines, it doesn’t help the bank account. However, I needed the downtime. I needed to refresh my spirit and refuel my writing energies. Here are five suggestions for others who may find themselves between deadlines or without contracts yet: Breathe. Maybe you’ve put in long hours finishing up your manuscript before your deadline. Or perhaps, you’re still waiting for that offer to come through. Either way, take time to simply breathe…relax. I submitted my last manuscript during a family crisis, which tripled the stress level. But, once I turned it in, I was able to […]
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Hey Awesome Writers!
I’m on the road this week – so I asked my friend Phyllis Wheeler, who runs a publishing start-up if she’d step in with a blog to sort through how to choose between traditional publishing and self-publishing. Hope it’s helpful!
PS – Ever want to sit down and talk through your writing journey with a writing coach? JUST launched a new book that does just that! Follow the journey of an aspiring writer (and learn along with her!) in Conversations with a Writing Coach. $4.99 Available only on KINDLE!
Take it away, Phyllis!
*****
Should you self-publish?
Self-publishing has changed over the years. There are now some high-quality self-published books out there, and the authors are reaping 100 percent of the profit. Should you join them?
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