Keynotes
1. How Can I Know God Has Called ME to Write?
Without a strong sense of call, rejection slips are likely to discourage and defeat you. Biblical principles to help you discover God’s will and to persevere.
2. "Write His Answer"
God is calling and equipping an army of writers to write His answer. In Habakkuk 2:1-3 He provides specific how-to’s along with needed encouragement.
3. Created to Minister: Writing to Help Others
Key elements we need to remember if we want God to touch hearts and change lives through our writing.
4. Overcoming Rejection and the Deadly D’s
Rejection slips can spur you on to writing success or cause you to give up. How to turn rejection into a positive growth experience along with help for overcoming the deadly D’s: disappointments, doubts, and discouragement. (Some overlap with # 4 and 11.)
5. The Writer’s Armor
Christian writers are on the front line in the battle for souls. How to put on God’s armor to protect ourselves from defeat.
6. Going, Growing, and Writing Through the Hurts
Jesus never promised it would be easy to follow Him, but He has promised always to be with us. Biblical principles for those times that test and stretch our faith and later become grist for our writing mills.
7. Pressures, Perils, and Procrastination
A look at the writing life and how God’s promises enable us to persevere and get our work into print. OR A look at the writing life—at discouragement, lack of organization, and the ways we sabotage our own success. (Some overlap with # 4 and 11.)
Continuing Sessions
Can also be taught as individual workshops.
Launching Your Writing Ministry
8. Getting Started
Preparing yourself for a ministry that will touch lives. An overview of the Christian market including the best opportunities. The ministry potential of self-publishing and writing for the secular market. How to analyze trends. (Some overlap with # 13.)
9. Idea to Published Manuscript
So you’ve got a great idea, but what’s next? How to find, capture, organize, evaluate, and sharpen your ideas so that they get into print.
10. Writing Manuscripts that Sell and Touch Lives
An overview of the needs of the Christian market along with help for developing the three most saleable manuscripts—daily devotionals, inspirational articles, and personal experience stories.
11. Making It Happen
How to effectively market your work and make it happen by overcoming procrastination, dealing with the D’s (disappointment, doubt, discouragement), rising above rejection, and prayerfully setting goals. (Some overlap with # 4, 7 and 12.)
ABC’s of Marketing
12. Taking the Pain Out of Marketing
Do you love to write but hate to market your work? How to decrease your frustration and increase your sales by learning how to access and analyze market information. (Some overlap with # 11.)
13. Best Opportunities in Christian Publications
Hundreds of Christian magazines are being published. Which ones offer the best opportunity for getting into print? An overview of the scope, needs, and trends in Christian publishing. (Some overlap with # 8.)
14. Put Your Best Foot Forward
We all start a journey on one foot. To make a good impression on an editor, start on your best foot by writing effective cover and query letters, using the proper manuscript format, and knowing and respecting his rights.
15. Recycling Used Into New Sales
How to recycle your ideas for new markets, new readers, new opportunities to touch lives: the recycling procedure and mechanics, getting more mileage from your idea, tools to help you become more efficient. (Some overlap with # 27.)
Writing for Christian Publications
16. Writing Daily Devotionals
Train yourself to see, capture, and develop ideas into these short (and saleable) nuggets of truth. Learn the do’s and don’ts, type of formats, and markets.
17. Writing the Personal Experience Story
Seven essential elements of a personal experience story and pitfalls to avoid.
18. Writing Saleable Articles
Disorganized, rambling articles that fail to pass the "so what?" test will not get into print. How to sharpen your focus, develop a sound structure, and create strong reader identification.
19. Teach Don’t Preach
How to handle God’s Word responsibly and write saleable biblical teaching articles. A Writer’s Check Off List will be provided and markets will be discussed.
20. How to Tell If Your Manuscript Is Ready for Publication
Someone has said, "I’m not a writer, I’m a rewriter." Tools to help you rewrite and edit your work so that you can be certain you’ve given yourself the competitive edge.
Note: This track also includes #13, "Best Opportunities in Christian Publications."
Get Your Book in Print
21. Laying a Solid Foundation for Your Book
How can you know God has called you to write a book? Do you have a book-length idea? Are you ready to write it? Will it meet a need? Is your idea sharply focused? Choosing the best format for your idea. Keeping abreast of trends and researching the market for potential publishers.
22. Writing Green-Light Book Proposals
Marketing can be more difficult than writing. Lean what the editor needs to present your book to committee and how to package it.
23. Successful Self-Publishing
Many successful authors have begun by self-publishing. Learn cautions, costs, and how-to’s for publishing books, booklets, pamphlets, and other products.
24. Spreading the Word: Effective Promotion
Regardless of how you publish your book, you must promote it. Learn what you can do, and how you can do it in a manner honoring to the Lord.
Mastering the Craft
25. Hooking Your Readers from the Get-Go
Learn how to write a first chapter (fiction and non-fiction) that will keep your readers (including the acquisitions editor) turning the pages.
26. Gaining the Edge Professionally
The importance and how-to’s of self-editing and targeting your manuscript to the appropriate publication. Tools to help you take the pain out of marketing. (Focus on selling to periodicals.)
Note: This track also includes # 3, 17 and 18.)
Individual Workshops
27. Rights, Records, Reprints
Writing for the Lord is a ministry but also a business that needs to be managed ethically, effectively, and efficiently. We’ll talk about your rights and the editor’s rights, recordkeeping systems that work, and how to expand your outreach and income by marketing your reprints.
(Some overlap with # 15.)
28. Organizing and Goal Setting
Do you waste time hunting for things? Do you miss opportunities because you’re disorganized or because you procrastinate? Help for creating or improving your work space, filing, and recordkeeping systems; overcoming procrastination; and accomplishing your goals.
29. Helps for Critique Group Members and Leaders
Finding the balance between encouragement and constructive criticism. Helps for the person whose work is being critiqued and for the critiquers. We’ll also talk about how to start a critique group.
30. Writing Your Testimony
At some point, you’re likely to be called upon to write or to give your salvation testimony. Are you ready? Examine the key elements in the Apostle Paul’s testimony. Learn sixteen important do’s and don’ts. (Some overlap with # 17 although # 17 and 18 can be taught as a two-part workshop.)
31. Writing Devotional and Inspirational Books
Learn to find ideas, sharpen your focus, and develop your material to make a life-changing impact on your readers. Compilations will be discussed.
32. Writing for Take Home Papers
What are they? What are their needs? How can you write for them? An overview of the markets for children, teens, and adults.
Workshops run 60-90 minutes. They can be tailored and combined to meet your conference needs. All workshops have a biblical focus and base. Handouts are included. Overhead transparencies are used to facilitate note-taking and to hold the listener’s interest.
