KENTUCKY WRITERS CONFERENCE

17th Annual KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE
June 20-22, 2013
Grace Heartland Church
801 Pear Orchard Road
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
 
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: 
DENNIS 'DOC' HENSLEY
 
Conference website: www.kychristianwriters.com
Scholarships available - check website for details
 
Coordinator: Barbara Wells, email: barbara@5122msn.com

SAN DIEGO CA CONFERENCE

http://www.ncwcfr.com

National Christian Writers Conference

Saturday, March 23, 8:00am to 5:30pm

San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.

PENNSYLVANIA CONFERENCE

April 27, 2013,

Writing Success One Day Conference,

Stoneboro, PA

http://writingsuccess.info

ANTELOPE VALLEY WRITERS' CONFERENCE

Here we go again.

The eighth annual Antelope Valley Christian Writers’ conference is coming soon. Our mountaintop setting, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, promises to inspire and motivate like never before. No matter what it is that you write, you are welcome to join us. 

Enjoy:

• Group discounts for schools and churches
• Early-registration discounts
• Personal appointments with editors and agents
• Workshops for fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriters
• Specialized track for teen writers
• Peer critique sessions
• Hiking trails and planned activities
• More classes, fellowship, and free time

The action begins on the afternoon of October 10, 2013. We hope you will join us for a time of refreshing in the desert.  Check back for regular updates at www.avwriters.com

CONTEST WINNER

Congratulations, Peter Bekendam (Left to right) Jerry B. Jenkins, Peter, and Worthy Publishing Editorial VP Jeana Ledbetter Prime of Life was named winner of the Operation First Novel contest at this month's Writing for the Soul conference. Author Peter Bekendam received $20,000, and his book will be published by Worthy Publishing.      His novel tracks a surgeon who abandoned his career and has become a janitor at a retirement facility. But his past catches up with him, forcing him to face deep issues about life, love, and God. "I thank the Guild and Worthy Publishing for everything they do to invest in new voices," Bekendam says. "This contest provides an invaluable avenue for writers to break into a very difficult market." The contest is open to Guild members who have not been published by a traditional, royalty-paying publisher.

Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild 5525 N. Union Blvd. Ste. 101 Colorado Springs, CO 80918 866.495.5177

NY TIMES BEST SELLER LIST FEBRUARY 24

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #3 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• PURSUED by Jud Wilhite (Faith Words) is #3 in hardcover advice & misc.
• 
  
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #6 in paperback nonfiction; #7 in e-Book nonfiction; #12 in combined print & e-Book nonfiction; and #23 in combined hardcover & paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• FOLLOW ME by David Platt (Tyndale House) is #6 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson) is #6 in monthly hardcover business.
• 
  
• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #8 in paperback trade fiction; and #14 in combined hardcover & paperback fiction.
• 
  
• RELAUNCH by Mark Rutland (David C Cook) is #13 in hardcover advice & misc.
• 
  
• TO HEAVEN AND BACK by Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook) is #14 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• AN INVISIBLE THREAD by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski (Howard Books) is #15 in paperback nonfiction; and #35 in e-Book nonfiction.
• 
  
• KISSES FROM KATIE by Katie Davis with Beth Clark (Howard) is #20 in paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• THE DUCK COMMANDER FAMILY by Willie & Korie Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #21 in hardcover nonfiction; and #28 in combined hardcover & paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• CROSS ROADS by Wm. Paul Young (FaithWords) is #26 in hardcover fiction.
• 
  
• GOODBYE TO YESTERDAY by Wanda E. Brunstetter (Barbour) is #28 in paperback mass-market fiction.

From ECPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

Heaven Is for Real sits on New York Times list for over two consecutive years

Since its release in November 2010, “Heaven Is for Real” by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent has become a publishing phenomenon. For the week of December 2, 2012, “Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back” was listed as the #4 “nonfiction paperback” on the New York Times Best Seller List – its 104th consecutive week on the list.

MOUNT HERMON CHRISTIAN WRITERS' CONFERENCE

The other conference I'll be at this spring is the Mount Hermon Christian Writers' Conference. For the last almost 20 years I have been coordinating the Career Track at this conference--a unique session unlike any offered by the other conferences. It is designed especially for the career author, dealing with the issues that are particular to that level of advancement. Our theme this year is "Unstuck! Creative Solutions for Career Roadblocks."

The criteria is that you are registered for the conference and have at least 2 published books by traditional publishers. Some of our authors have as many as 30 books or more. We have had such authors in attendance as Francine Rivers, Debbie Macomber, and Lauraine Snelling. For many who attend it is a must- do conference every year.

Our leadership team this year includes Janet Kobobel Grant, Karen Ball (both agents), and Tim Peterson, editor at Zondervan. Plus this year's schedule includes sessions with McNair Wilson, Davis Bunn (fiction), Lynn Vincent (nonfiction), and special focus groups under the leadership of Robin Jones Gunn (Contemporary Fiction), Lauraine Snelling (Historical Fiction), Brandilyn Collins (Suspense Fiction), Tim Peterson (Nonfiction), and James Scott Bell (E-books & Self-Publishing).

Now, all we need is you! If you are an advancing author feeling alone or stuck in your career--we can help. For more details, to register for the conference, and apply for the Career Track, go to: www.mounthermon.org/writers and click on "Career Track." We'd love to have you join us.

FLORIDA CHRISTIAN WRITERS' CONFERENCE

Just wanted to let you know that I'll be teaching at the Florida Christian Writers' Conference February 27-March 3. I will be doing two keynote addresses: "The Sacrifices of the Writers," and "Trends in the Marketplace," plus two workshops, one on query letters and the other on how to use the market book to make sales.

For more information on this, one of the best conferences in the country, visit their Website at www.FloridaCWC.net.

CALL FOR ARTICLES

Hi Writer,

We have several things we wanted to let you know about: 

*First and foremost is a call from Jim Bell for a second Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters book. I am attaching Jim's call-out letter and pasting it below. In short, Jim's looking for 1000-2000 word personal experience articles involving your encounters with the supernatural realm--from a Christian perspective. Jim explains it more thoroughly in his letter. This is a paying opportunity (all of Jim's projects pay authors).

*Second, a major secular publisher has asked Jim to put together samples and a proposal for a book of "blessing" stories. So he'd love to see your stories of 1000 to 2000 words about "gifts from above that enrich our lives." While these need to be very well written, they don't have to be as heavy on the drama and conflict as some of the manuscript calls we put out. They're feel-good stories about blessings from God and others. Right now we need samples to get a contract on the project, and then we'll put out a more detailed call. If you sent in a sample for the Shelter in the Storm project, you've probably received my email that a new editor came in and declined to continue with that book. You might look at the sample you sent and see if you can tweak it to fit the blessings motif. The email address for these stories is: blessingcall@earthlink.net. 

Per normal, it will take a while to process stories and samples, so we appreciate your patience. You may feel free to pass along the Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters call to writers' groups, etc. Since we just need samples for the second call, you might wait to pass that along until we have a contract signed and put out an official call.

For those of you who might be interested in developing your writing further, I wanted to let you know about a couple of opportunities through Heart of America Christian Writers' Network, which I co-direct:

*On Feb. 23, Dennis Hensley will be instructing writers for a day long seminar in Kansas City. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced writer, you'll glean something from this outstanding author and teacher! Dennis has had dozens of books published by major publishers (including Writer's Digest) and has written thousands of articles for magazines such as Reader's Digest. I've attached a flyer, and you can learn more at www.HACWN.org.

*Also, if you'd like personal mentoring, HACWN has a Virtual Mentoring Retreat program. The beauty is that you can do this from your own home in your schedule. We connect you with a mentor who will look at your materials, give you feedback, look at your rewrite, etc. Mentors participating in our next session (Feb.-Mar.) include MacKenzie Howard (Thomas Nelson, children's/women's editor), Bruce Nygren (Waterbrook editor), Mary Sue Seymour (Agent), and others. For more information, see www.HACWN.org, or contact Mark Littleton (MLittleton@earthlink.net).

May God continue to bless you as you seek to serve Him with your writing!

Jeanette

Jeanette Gardner Littleton

Editorial Associate

Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters (Bethany House, 2014)

A James Stuart Bell Project

Dear Contributor,

 You may recall my role as editor for story collections such as: A Cup of Comfort, Life Savors, Extraordinary Answers to Prayer, and Love is a Verb.  At present I am putting together a sequel volume of stories that will follow Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters, published by Bethany House Publishers in the first half of 2012. 

 The content will be similar to the original volume. The supernatural realm consisting of God and His angels, as well as evil spirits, is ever present in our midst.  On rare occasions this realm becomes visible or we see its direct effects that can in no way be explained in the natural realm. These stories will cover the gamut of supernatural encounters: from supernatural miracles including physical healing, angelic visitations, near-death experiences of the afterlife, manifestations of evil, apparitions, and miraculous rescues.  For the sake of authenticity, we are interested only in first-hand accounts in the first person.  The stories need to go beyond subjective or speculative interpretations of events and be as concrete as possible, so if presented in a court there would be no human explanation of hard evidence. 

We’ll consider original, unpublished stories from 1,000 to 2,000 words. The stories should have a creative title, an attention-grabbing introduction, main body with a conflict or challenge, and a clear, satisfying resolution.  They need to be descriptive, rooted in time and place, with a realistic portrayal of the characters involved. They need to be substantive stories rather than mere testimonies or teachings, and the focus should not be on the supernatural realm alone, but rather the spiritual lesson learned.  Please include a personal biography of 30 words or less at the end of each manuscript. 

The book will be released by Bethany House Publishers sometime in 2014. Your manuscript will be due no later than July 1, 2013, but we would prefer it much earlier.  Please send your manuscript attached to the e-mail rather than pasting text in the email window as a Word document.  Send your manuscript in normal manuscript formatting, with your full contact information--name, address, phone number, and e-mail address on the actual manuscript, not just in your e-mail.    We are offering a one-time fee of $50 for stories 1,500 words and over, and $25 for stories under that word count.                            

We will send you contracts upon the publisher’s acceptance and would need them back promptly. Payment will be made after all contracts have been received.  Please direct all inquiries and manuscript submissions to my colleague, Jeanette Littleton, at supernaturalstories2@earthlink.net.  If this e-mail has been forwarded to you, and you can’t submit to this call, but would like to hear about other editorial needs as they arise, please send us your e-mail address and we’ll add you to our notification list.

Blessings to you and yours,

James Stuart Bell

NY TIMES BEST SELLERS WK OF 2/10/13

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #2 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #5 in paperback nonfiction; #17 in e-Book nonfiction; #17 in combined print & e-Book nonfiction; #21 in combined hardcover & paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• AN INVISIBLE THREAD by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski (Howard Books) is #8 in paperback nonfiction; #28in combined print & e-Book nonfiction; #29 in combined hardcover & paperback nonfiction; and #34 in e-Book nonfiction.
• 
  
• CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C Cook) is #9 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #10 in paperback trade fiction; and #20 in combined hardcover & paperback fiction.
• 
  
• TO HEAVEN AND BACK by Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook) is #10 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• UNGLUED by Lysa TerKeurst (Zondervan) is #13 in paperback advice & misc.
• 
  
• CROSS ROADS by Wm. Paul Young (FaithWords) is #15 in hardcover fiction; and #33 in combined hardcover & paperback fiction.
• 
  
• KISSES FROM KATIE by Katie Davis with Beth Clark (Howard) is #17 in paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• THE DUCK COMMANDER FAMILY by Willie & Korie Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #23 in hardcover nonfiction; and #33 in combined hardcover & paperback nonfiction.
• 
  
• THE SHACK by William P. Young (Windblown Media) is #35 in paperback mass-market fiction.

From EPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The fourth title in Leafwood Publisher's "Miracles and Moments of Grace" series is in the works. For this anthology, I am looking for Inspiring Stories of Survival. The stories must be first-person and can address survival in any number of ways: medical, adventure, personal triumph... even pets! Humor pieces are welcome (e.g., I Survived the Worst Family Reunion Ever). Other ideas include love or marriage surviving deep tragedy or challenging circumstances. And, of course, we love to hear about miracles!

 

"Miracles and Moments of Grace" stories are similar to Chicken Soup for the Soul stories. They generally address one moment in time or focus on a single theme. They include details, dialog, sights, sounds, thoughts -- any element that will bring a story to life. For examples, you can "Click to Look Inside" on the Amazon pages of previous books in the series, which are "Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Military Chaplains" and "Miracles and Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Doctors." (The third book in the series, "Inspiring Stories from Moms," releases later this month.)

 

Stories are 800-1,200 words in length. Authors receive a copy of the book, along with the chance to publicize other writing credits, blogs and businesses in the biographies that follow each story. You don't even have to be a writer to participate! I am happy to interview you and tell your story. The deadline is flexible: I will accept stories until I have fifty fantastic stories.

 

For more information or to submit your story, contact Nancy B. Kennedy at kennedy5961@aol.com.