What’s the Deal with a Memoir?

Cindy Sproles, @CindyDevoted

I have a memoir. It’s done. It’s good. But no one wants to look at memoirs. Why are they so hard to sell?

It’s important to know the facts and remember there is always an exception to the rule. There are some writers who end up in the right place, at the right time, with the perfect manuscript, but for the most of us, our hard work doesn’t supersede the obstacles . . . especially with a memoir.

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Should I Give a Webinar? Part III

by Linore Rose Burkard

In Parts One and Two, I discussed fears about giving webinars, and how to put such hindrances to rest. But are there real drawbacks to the medium that offline events don't have? Let's take a look.

PROBLEM: YOU CAN'T SEE THE AUDIENCE

Is this a PRO or a CON? For people who get nervous in front of an audience, this aspect of webinars may be helpful. All one need do is speak in front of a safe, little camera. ;)

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4 Platform Building Lessons from Ephesians - Guest Post by Joan Campbell

Joan Campbell lives in Johannesburg with her husband and daughters. She is inspired by South Africa’s vibrant mix of culture, language, music and folklore. Her country’s history also impacts her writing, with the themes of discrimination and reconciliation woven through her fantasy novels. 

 *** 

I’ll just come right out and admit it. The constant advice to ‘build a platform’ used to irritate me. A lot. I followed it not because I wanted to, but only in the hopes of impressing publishers. 

Once I signed a publishing contract my attitude shifted. With a greater incentive to build an audience interested in my books, I began to pay attention to how other authors tackled this. I saw plenty of creativity, audience engagement, powerful messages and savvy use of social media. 

Inspirational, right? 

 Well…no. Instead, I felt more discouraged and uncertain on how to improve my half-hearted efforts.

That’s when I began to pray about it. I hadn’t ever thought of seeking God’s guidance, mainly because I didn’t think of him as a modern ‘platform guru’. Yet almost immediately I received the direction I sought through a passage from Ephesians 4. These four keys to platform building are changing my outlook, turning something I’ve always done rather resentfully into a joyful part of serving God. 

 Engaging others is part of our calling 

“Therefore I… beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling for you have been called by God.” (Eph. 4:1) 

As a Christian writer, I have a message and ministry from God. I might prefer to huddle over my computer, working only on my manuscripts, but that’s not all God calls me to. He calls us to love others and speak truth into their lives. Our platforms are a powerful tool to do that, be it in the form of a newsletter, blog, Facebook post or speaking engagement. 

Work as a team to build God’s kingdom 

“Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.” (Eph. 4:3-6) 

In the competitive world of publishing, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that—as Christian writers—we are called to build God’s Kingdom. To do that we need to unite and pull together by encouraging and supporting each other, promoting each others’ books and doing all we can to get the message of Christ’s love into the world. We are a team. 

 Let our uniqueness and gifts shine through 

“However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.” (Eph. 4:7,11) 

 As much as we are a team, we are also wonderfully unique. We have our own voice, own stories and message, own audience and own spiritual gifts. If our gift is teaching, this will be reflected in our posts and blogs. If it is evangelism or encouragement, that will be the thrust of our messages. Our platforms are not an end in itself, they are an extension of the unique ministry God has for each of us.  

Be authentic and vulnerable 

 “So put away all falsehood and tell your neighbour the truth because we belong to each other.” (Eph. 4:25) 

In our scramble for attention, it can be easy to project something other than the truth, but God calls us to be honest and authentic in our engagement with people. That is the vulnerable place where the real connection happens between us and our followers/readers, and where our words have the greatest impact. 

Ephesians 4:29 tells us that our words should be an encouragement to those who hear them. I love this verse in The Message, which says our words should be gifts to the world. What an honour that God has given us words to write and speak and share. We need the courage to do this not only in ways comfortable to us, but also in ways that challenge us. Platform building is not about us garnering readers and acclaim. It is about being true to God’s calling to bring words of truth, hope and salvation to the world. 

 (Verses from The New Living Translation) 

 Connect with Joan on her Website, Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter (she says she's still working on her attitude towards tweets). 

 *** 

 Joan’s Books 

Chains of Gwyndorr is the first book of The Poison Tree Path Chronicles and published by Enclave Publishing. Joan started writing this book after she read The Chronicles of Narnia to her two young daughters and realised the powerful way in which a story can convey redemption. 
Buy it on Amazon. 

Legends of the Loreteller, the trilogy’s companion book, is a collection of short stories set in Tirragyl, the fantasy world of the The Poison Tree Path Chronicles. 
Available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on Joan’s website 

Encounters: Life Changing Moments with Jesus brings readers face to face with Jesus, through stories from the gospels told in the voice of those Jesus encountered. The book is enhanced with reflections, prayers and art work.

Buy it on Amazon.

* * * * * 

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children, a Maltese Menace, and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. 

Find Ronie online:
     Website: www.roniekendig.com
     Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction)
     Twitter (@roniekendig)
     Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK)
     Instagram (@kendigronie)
     Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/)

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The Big 3

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Voice ... Brand ... Platform ... Yikes!

Each of these is something a writer must discover or develop. They have nothing to do with the mechanics of our craft, yet everything to do with getting published.

Platform takes time and development. It equates to how wide your circle of influence is—or how many books you can sell. There are tons of great articles out there on platform, so I'll leave it to them. I want to talk about voice and brands.

Voice means when someone picks up a book, whose cover was torn off ages ago, and looks at the first page can say, "Oh, this is a Gina Holmes novel." Why? Because of voice. The way she turns a sentence. The way she strings words together. The sound.

When I read Les Edgerton's book Finding Your Voice, he says look to your old letters. Friends of mine told me my Christmas letters were the only ones they read, because I waxed humorous over all the year's happenings. And Edgerton says that's where you'll find your voice.

Sandra D. Bricker says in an interview in CFOM: "When an editor at Summerside Press asked me to help launch their Love Finds You line by writing something “light and funny” for them, I wondered why they thought of me. After all, everything I’d submitted to them had been serious. It turned out that they’d found my emails amusing and quickly spotted what it took me a while longer to figure out: looking at the world through a sideways, funny spin is who God created me to be."

The same can be said for brand. Not always, but often someone else will notice your brand before you do. I know Brandilyn Collins's brand wasn't developed from her emails, or no one would ever answer her. Yet, everyone knows what to expect in a Brandilyn Collins book.

I wasn't even looking for my brand, when during an ACFW Southeast Zone loop discussion, Rose McCauley branded me from my emails with "Southern-fried fiction." She was right. It describes what I write ... Southern towns and Southern people with a little deep-fried humor.

When Pam Meyers was talking about brand with me one day, I saw what she hadn't noticed: the commonality in all her stories is a sentimental journey. 

So, don't try to brand yourself until you've got a few completed manuscripts or even published books. Then talk to your crit partners about their commonality.

Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. She's a novelist, a humor columnist, and a multi-published playwright. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, she resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband, their chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. Her debut book, Chapel Springs Revival, released Sept, 2014.  "With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel." Following will be Chapel Springs Survival, Oct 2015, Home to Chapel Springs, May 2016. You can find Ane at her website, Novel Rocket, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+

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One Plank At A Time

I often wonder if this whole platform hulabaloo is all it’s cracked up to be. It takes a fair amount of time and effort, and while for the most part it’s fun, doggone if sometimes it doesn’t turn into drudgery. Tweet this. Update the ol’ Facebook status. Here a pin, there a pin. See if you can manage a link to so-and-so.

Is building a platform really worth the trouble? I came across a statistic that said you must get your name in front of a prospective reader at least 7 times before they’ll be familiar enough with you to buy your book. Is that a bunch of malarkey or what?

Nope. It’s true. Every last bit of it. Getting your name out there will attract attention you can’t even begin to imagine.

Case in point: within the past few weeks, I’ve had an editor from a major publishing house contact me because they’d stumbled across my blog and liked my style. Several days later, a New York publicist dropped me an email because she’d seen my reviews and wondered if I’d consider writing a few for their authors.

Whoda thunk?

All this to say that building a platform does take time, but if you stick with it long enough, it will pay off. Where to start building? Great question. Here are some basic places to begin…

ONLINE PLATFORMS

Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

Goodreads

Linked In

Pinterest

IN-YOUR-FACE PLATFORMS

Book Clubs

Librarians (get to know them)

Book store managers (increasingly harder to find but valuable)

Hobby Groups (example: The Jane Austen Society would be a great place for a historical writer to hang out)

Community Ed Classes, as in teaching one

Don’t panic. I’m not saying you need to rush out and get involved in all these venues. If you did, you’d never have time to write, and then what’s the point of a platform?

Pick one or two and then dive in. Don’t worry about popularity at this stage of the game. Just be consistent. And don’t wait until you’ve got a new release, a contract in hand, or even finished your manuscript. It’s never too soon to start. Authentic platforms take time.

Unless, of course, you’re buddy-buddy with Oprah.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas…professionally, however, for the past 10 years. Her latest release, UNDERCURRENT, is available by Risen Books. You can find her at: Writer Off the Leash, www.mmgriep.com or on Twitter, Facebook, or 

Pinterest.

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Ever Built A Platform?

As a writer, you need to build a platform to support your career over the long run. That’s why it’s important to build it right.

Don’t jump!
Many eager writers hear about the need to build a platform and, being intrepid folk, leap right into social media with little thought.
But that’s the wrong approach, according to T. Suzanne Eller (right), a Christian Writers Guild mentor, who wrote about conquering social media recently in the Guild’s member newsletter, WordSmith.

Build it and they will come. Right?

Maybe that worked for Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, but it doesn’t work for social media. Before you start a Facebook fan or group page, start tweeting, or blogging, you need a blueprint. To create an effective social media platform that will draw your niche audience to your message, you need to answer:

• What is your message?
  
  
  
• How do you communicate it throughout your social media platform?
  
  
  
• Who is Googling questions for which you have answers?
  
  
  
• How do you reach that person with content and value?
  
  
  
• How do you help that person find you?
  
  
  
• What will draw readers and create synergy and word of mouth?
  
  
  
• How much time are you willing to devote?
  
  
  
• How can you avoid mistakes that will alienate potential readers?

Suzie’s right. You need a plan when building your platform.

Build it right and they will come
Because of her experience, Suzie wrote the Guild's new course, Building Your Social Media Platform, to teach writers how to effectively use social media. She is also one of the professionals who will provide one-on-one mentoring for the course.

If you need help in this area, the Guild invites you to consider our course . Alternately, another platform guru, Randy Ingermanson, will teach a four-hour course on the same subject at the Guild’s Writing for the Soul conference this February in Denver CO.

Of course, there are other places to receive platform-building help. Find a way to make it work for you and your writing.

In what ways have you built your platform? I love Facebook and plan to start a blog next year. What tools do you use? Which do you avoid?

Michael Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. He has written for newspapers and other print and online outlets. He edited several nonfiction books, was the senior editor for a faith-based financial services and insurance organization, and is the editor of Afictionado, the ezine for American Christian Fiction Writers.

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