Experiences at Colorado Christian Writers Conference

Dianne E. Butts About Writing

July 2008~243 SubscribersThe Writing E-zine For Beginning and Intermediate Writers

Cover Story

"My Experiences at the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference--and What You Can Learn From Them"

I've gone to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference every year for nearly two decades Sometimes I just assume I'm going without giving it much thought. But when I'm thinking smarter, I ask myself, "What do I want to get out of this conference? What do I need to accomplish there this year?"

My Goals For the Conference: In the past several years, I've seen many of the decently-paying print magazines I used to write for cease publication, or shift to a different format or vision, or otherwise just dry up. Meanwhile, many low- or non-paying markets have come, especially online. So this year what I really needed was to find a couple magazine markets that pay decently that I can sell to regularly for a long time to come.

Secondly, I have another non-fiction book cooking in my brain, which has come directly out of my personal Bible study. I've already done a lot of the research for it, and I wanted to shop that idea around to see if anyone was interested.

I should mention that while I was getting these two goals in my mind, I was also checking the list of editors and publishers who were going to be at the conference. The faculty coming to the conference helped solidify my goals. Obviously, the two had to mesh. Next, I printed a list of the entire faculty and their "Editorial Needs" and I wrote next to them all my projects (articles and books) that each one might be interested in.

At this conference I get four 15-minutes appointments with my registration. I chose two magazine editors who were representing publications I would love to write for and that pay decently (I'm talking .10 to .25 per word. That's about as decent as it gets in Christian markets.) I also found two book publishers whom I thought might be interested in my new non-fiction book idea. I requested appointments with these four editors, then I prepared something for each of them:

	For the magazine editors, this year I challenged myself to prepare two articles to show them instead of just one.
	For the book editors, I prepared a "one-sheet" on my book--all the pertinent information on one sheet of paper. I also prepared three samples of the short chapters I had in mind.

So What Happened At the Conference?: When I arrived, I received my list of appointments--who I was meeting with and when. I knew I'd get all four of my top choices because I got my registration in really early. So...

When I went to my first appointment: I sat down with magazine editor #1 and I told her I had two articles for her, if we had the time for both. Then I handed her a hard copy of the article I felt had the strongest chance of being what she needed. She read it, and then thought about it for quite a while. I waited, quietly. (I've seen so many conferees keep talking non-stop during these appointments. Whether that's due to nerves or whatever, I've learned it's best to hush up and listen!) When she had her thoughts together, she told me she really liked the idea of the article, however I had given many examples of putting the idea into practice, then at the end had said how this practice had changed me. She said she would rather see fewer examples, and more of how the transformation took place in me. She asked me to work with it more, then send it to her. (That's thrilling! She wants it!) She looked me straight in the eye and said, "I want this article back!" I said okay, and promised to do the necessary rewrite and get it back to her.

I then showed her the second article. I felt this topic was a little more risky, but the guidelines had urged writers to take a chance. After reading it, the editor said she understood where I was coming from, but feared the article would be misunderstood by many readers. Therefore she turned it down. That's okay. I gave it a shot. I took the risk. And that idea isn't dead--if I rework it and address those issues, who knows? Maybe it might still work for another publication, if not for hers.

Since the conference in mid-May, I've been working on that first article and am getting close to having it rewritten and ready to submit. I like the article much better now. I hope the editor will, too.

My second appointment: The next day I met with an editor representing several magazines. Again, I had prepared two manuscripts for him: both fiction, one for teen girls and one for teen guys. Meanwhile, the night before my roommate, Tanya Warrington (www.dazzlingwings.blogspot.com) told me she'd seen that this editor's magazine was looking for articles similar to one I'd just had published last summer! She suggested I pitch him that idea as well. When I sat down with him, I handed him the fiction story I felt was the best and told him it was for the teen guy magazine. As he read it, I saw him smiling! When he finished, he asked, "You want this in the teen guy magazine?"

I thought for a moment, then tentatively said, "Unless you think it would work somewhere else better. I'm open to that."

He said, "Well I'm going to take it to the editor of the teen guy magazine." He started writing on my manuscript. "But I'm writing him a note. If he doesn't want it for his magazine, I want it for mine!" (He edits a magazine for younger readers.) How cool is that?! Seems like a sure sale. But not only that, it's a foot in the door at both those magazines!

Then I told him a had a second story for the teen girl magazine, but I'd also like to talk to him about another article if we had time. He took the second manuscript, stuffed in into his briefcase without reading it, and promised to give it to the editor at the teen girl magazine. Then asked about my other idea. I told him a friend had told me he's looking for articles on Biblical archaeology. I'm no archaeologist, but I'd recently published an article on the Temple in Jerusalem. Would he be interested in a similar article? He explained what he's looking for in those articles. I wondered, How could I make my article fit that format? He said when I had that figured out, just send him an e-mail a couple sentences long telling him about my idea. He said, "Keep it informal. Don't do a formal query letter." Later in the conference it suddenly came clear in my brain how I could shape part of my Temple article to fit his magazine, so I'm looking forward to e-mailing him that idea when I get the time.

Both magazine editors want material from me. That's my foot in the door at two decently-paying publications. Mission accomplished.

My third appointment: I met with one book publishers, and he read my one-sheet, but I sensed very little interest from him. He suggested it might be a good gift book. A gift book? It's an in depth study of Old Testament history. I'm having trouble picturing that as a gift book. Mark that appointment off as a turn-down.

My fourth appointment: I met with the other book publisher and she also showed very little interest in my idea. Mark that one off as a turn-down also. It happens.

The Unexpected Fifth Appointment: On the last day of the three and a half day conference, I took a workshop...

continued below

Q & A and Sidebar

continued from above

...on writing Bible studies taught by an editor from a book publisher who publishes Bible studies. As I sat there listening, I realized my non-fiction book idea would make an excellent Bible study! It seemed that's what it was meant to be all along. After all, it came out of my own personal Bible study! Why hadn't I thought of that?

After the class, I asked the instructor if he had an open appointment time when I could talk with him about that. He said his appointments were filled, but he could fit me in during the pass period before the final general session.

When we met, we had to deal with noise and set-up for the final session, but we tried to talk anyway. I told him my idea I'd brought as a non-fiction book might make a good Bible study and showed him my one-sheet. He seemed undecided and distracted by the noise. I told him I had a sample chapter, and he wanted to see it. He read it through and said, "This is well written." (Music to a writer's ears!) He handed me the proposal submission guidelines from his company and said he'd like to see a proposal complete with two lessons of the study. "I want to see that you can put questions into this material," he said. (Wha-hoo! A request for a book proposal? It doesn't get any better than that!) Because I haven't written a Bible study before, I asked him if he could recommend a study his company has published that I could pattern mine after. Because of the increasing noise and distraction, he had trouble thinking of the title he wanted. But I waited, and he came up with it. I came home and ordered that book immediately. Needless to say, I'm working hard on that proposal.

Do you have a question you'd like me to address? E-mail it here: dbwrites@comcast.net. Include your first name, city and state (optional), and, if you wish, a link or two to your web site, blog and/or online article.

Q & A: Dianne Answers Your Questions about Writing

Q: "An editor has asked me to send a manuscript as an email attachment. What's the new rule of thumb on attached files? Should I single space or double space? Paginate or not? Indent my paragraphs or double space between paragraphs?" From Karen Wingate, Ohio, www.childrenteach.blogspot.com

A: When sending a manuscript as an attached file, format it the same way as if you were printing it out and sending it snail-mail (double spaced, page numbers in the headers, etc.) In other words, the usual way to format a manuscript--then just attached that file to your e-mail.

When sending a manuscript in the body of an e-mail (when a market doesn't want attachments), make it single spaced and removed indentations replacing them with a double space between paragraphs. No page breaks, headers, or anything else.

The reason for this is because e-mail converts a double-space command to extra spaced between lines, and adds those little > thingies and converts indentations to a bunch of spaces, and the editor has to go take all of that out. That's time consuming with the editor's time. And often with headers and such, it's very difficult to get rid of that formatting.

The reason it's okay to send all the formatting within an attached file is because all the commands still work. If the editor wants to tell it to be single spaced or whatever, a couple keystrokes and it's done.

So...when asked to put a submission in the body of an e-mail, set your manuscript to single space, then copy and past the whole thing into your e-mail. (Indentations usually go away, replaced by double space between paragraphs.) Then just don't save that change, and your manuscript file in your computer stays with the usual proper manuscript formatting.

When attaching the file, use the usual proper manuscript formatting and just attach it.

Sidebar

"What You Can Learn From My Experiences"

	Sometimes, if you do your homework, an editor will want what you have. And that's terrific!
	Sometimes, no matter how much homework you do, an editor won't be interested in what you have. And that's okay.
	Sometimes the projects that excite you the most excite an editor the least. Listen. Think. Pray. But don't give up. Finding a publisher who loves your idea may be as simple as tweaking your idea or asking another editor.
	Sometimes, a friend or another writer will see something in your writing you never saw--like my friend who recognized my Temple article might fit the request for Biblical archeology manuscripts. I never would have thought of that! Listen to your friends! Allow other writers to make suggestions. They know what they're talking about.
	Know that you'll get far more turn-downs than requests for manuscripts. That's just the way it is. You can get discouraged, or you can persevere. Perfect your craft. Keep trying. Play the numbers game: if you present enough ideas, soon or later somebody's going to like one.
	Sometimes, when you least expect it, an unexpected opportunity will come your way. Celebrate! Do the work. Turn it in. Because that doesn't happen every day.
	Every time: turn in the material editors have requested. If you do, you'll be light-years ahead of the majority of writers, because most of them don't.

sidebar -- a short article, statistics, graphs, or other information that accompanies an article. It's usually set off in a box or separate area on the same pages of the article. Find more definitions of writing terms here: Glossary of Writing Terms

Period. No buts about it.

Conquering the Dreaded Query Letter

"Help for Writers" pamphlet "The Basics for Beginners" will teach you how to find markets, obtain sample copies and guidelines, submit your manuscripts, and keep track of it all. Only $3.95 plus $1.00 shipping.

For in depth instruction, Dianne's taped seminar, "Writing for Publication", includes 3 90-minutes tapes and handouts ($24.99 + shipping/taxes).

For more help from Dianne, check out her entire line of products for writers here: "Help for Writers".

Period.

Have your submissions to editors been met with little enthusiasm? Are you discouraged? Don't quit yet. Recheck what the publication/publisher uses. Tweak your material to fit if necessary. Continue to improve your writing craft and your presentation of your ideas. Ask a friend or fellow writer how they see your material. Where do they think you should submit? What do they think you should be writing? What do they see as your gifts and talents, specialties and unique niches? Try again.

You can do it. Period. No buts about it.

Didn't receive your e-zine last month?

On occasion e-zines bounce as undeliverable. This happened with numerous addresses (mostly aol.com addresses) with the December '07 and February '08 issues. I worked with aol.com to resolve the problem, but it took several weeks before I was able to forward the December zine to those who had not received it, and I was not able to forward the February zine. Please know I try to have the e-zine out by the last Friday of the previous month so you'll have it by the first, so if you don't receive your Dianne E. Butts About Writing E-zine by the first of the month, please feel free to let me know at dbwrites@comcast.net.

Back Cover Copy

How to support this e-zine: Do you know another writer who might be interested in this e-zine? Please feel free to forward this e-zine in its entirety to others who may be interested. They can get their own free subscription at www.DianneEButts.com.

When you plan to make any purchases from any of the companies listed in this e-zine or on my web site, if you would kindly return here or to the site and click through my links, you will be supporting this e-zine so I can continue publishing it. Thank you! Your kindness and support is not unnoticed.

Bio: Dianne E. Butts has been writing for publication since 1989 with 200+ articles in more than 50 periodicals and contributions to fifteen books. Her articles have appeared in Focus on the Family magazine, The Lookout, Light and Life, The Salvation Army's War Cry, The Plain Truth, On Mission, Bible Advocate, Live, Evangel, the Christian Motorcyclists Association's HeartBeat, The Quiet Hour, Christian Communicator, SpiritLedWriter.com, and more. Book contributions include stories in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2, For Better or Worse: A Devotional for Married Couples by Marlene Bagnull, Beauty is Soul Deep, A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Women and Mothers, and Zondervan's New Women's Devotional Bible. Her work has appeared in Great Britain, Poland, Bulgaria, Canada, and Korea.

	All material in this e-zine is copyright 2008 Dianne E. Butts. All rights reserved.
	You may forward this e-zine unaltered and in its entirety to other interested writers. Better yet, they can get their own free subscription at www.DianneEButts.com.
	For reprint rights contact Dianne at dbwrites@comcast.net, P.O. Box 8784, Pueblo, CO 81008.
	Published by the last Friday for the following month. Shop CurrentCatalog.com for decorative File Folders & Organizers for your Home Office I've used Current's Calling Cards for business cards for years and I love them! High quality. Good price.

Pull Quote

Pull Quote

"As a writer, you should be rejecting publishers. Just say, 'I'm sorry. You do not meet my editorial needs at this time.'"

Author and Speaker Jim Watkins, at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, May, 2008.

~ ~ ~

My Book: Dear America: A Letter of Comfort and Hope to a Grieving Nation (Ampelos, 2002). Available here: Dear America , or from Amazon.com: Dear America, - A Letter of Comfort & Hope to a Grieving Nation.

Please invite a Friend!

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you, my loyal subscribers, for tuning in each month. Welcome to all the new subscribers!

A hearty thank you to all of you who are helping to spread the word about this Butts About Writing E-zine, the magazine aimed at helping Christian writers write for Christ!

Please continue to tell your writing friends about this zine. To get their own subscription, they may e-mail me at dbwrites@comcast.net or subscribe at www.DianneEButts.com.

Resources and Conferences

Resources

Haven't been to a writer's conference yet this year? Find an extensive list of conference, dates, locations, web sites, and more here: Writers Conferences

Here are some books I picked up at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May. Can't wait to dig into them!

Writing the Christian Romance by Gail Gaymer Martin

Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) (Write Great Fiction) by James Scott Bell

Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors by Brandilyn Collins

More Resources

	"Writing for Publication: How to Find Markets and Submit Your Work," Dianne's seminar on tape. Over four hours of instruction plus all the handouts for $24.99 plus shipping and applicable taxes.
	Book Proposal Secrets by Terry Whalin: Proposal Secrets
	New from Writer's Digest: The Power Of Point Of View: Make Your Story Come To Life

Recently on www.ButtsAboutIt.blogspot.com

	Lesbians at the Ballpark
	Governor signed Colorado's Senate Bill 200
	Rev. Wright is Wrong
	And more at www.ButtsAboutIt.blogspot.com.

Coming Conferences:

	July 8-12: International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). Trade show for publishers. www.christianretailshow.com
	July 11-12: American Christian Writers Conference, Orlando, FL www.ACWriters.com
	July 28-31: Oregon Christian Writers' Summer Coaching Conference, Canby, OR www.oregonchristianwriters.org
	August 7-9: Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, Philadelphia, PA. www.WriteHisAnswer.com
	August 29-September 1: Maui Writers Conference (a general market conference, not specifically Christian), Maui, HI www.mauiwriters.com
	September 13: American Christian Writers Conference, Denver, CO www.ACWriters.com
	September 18-21: American Christian Fiction Writers Conference, Minneapolis, MN www.acfw.com
	September 29- October 2: Sandy Cove Christian Writers Conference, North East, MD www.sandycove.org
	October 22-26: Glorieta Christian Writers Conference, Glorieta NM www.glorietachristianwritersconference.com
	More information on these and many more conferences here: Writers Conferences

Shop for your business cards (look at their "Calling Cards") and other personalized office supplies at Current Catalog here:

Buy 1 Get 1 Free at CurrentCatalog.com - SAVE NOW!

News and Writing Opportunities

Dianne's Writing News

	"Learn Fiction Writing--Write Short Stories" in the May/June 2008 issue of Cross & Quill magazine, page 8 (www.cwfi-online.org/index.html ).
	"The Studebaker Incident" in the August 3, 2008, issue of Live, pages 4-5.
	Seven days worth of devotionals, August 4 - 10, 2008, in the Summer 2008 issue of Devotions.
	"10 Things I've Learned About Grief" an excerpt from Dear America, in the 8/17/08 issue of ENCOUNTER: The Magazine, pages 6-7.
	Interviewed by Beth Vogt's blog, The Writing Road.

Writing Opportunities

Three new opportunities!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cancer Book True stories about your experiences with cancer. Deadline: 8/31/2008

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms Deadline: 9/1/2008

Love Lessons: Everyday Acts of Love That Change Lives 8/31/2008 More info: lovelessons@earthlink.net

A Cup of Comfort for Fathers: Deadline 8/1/2008

A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Children with Special Needs: Deadline 9/15/2008

A Second Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers: Deadline 12/15/2008

A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Heart: Deadline 2/1/2009