Follow Up, Follow Through, Follow God

by Michelle Medlock Adams

TEN PLACES TO GET IDEAS:

  1. Get a Plan!
    Some of you are probably returning to full-time jobs, and now you have to figure out how to work in your writing amidst your very busy schedule, right? Well, be encouraged—you can do it! But, you need a plan—so here you go.
    • Bright and Early:
      • If you're a morning person, get up an hour earlier and spend 45 minutes putting together query letters and finding places to send those letters or pitch those book proposals. (Keep track of where you send each query letter/book proposal so you don't duplicate. I use a 3-by-5 card filing system, but you could do it on your computer.)
    • Letters while Lunching:
      • Eat a protein bar instead of going out for lunch, and use that time to create query letters and write your children's books, sample chapters, etc.
    • Write at Night:
      • Once the house is quiet (when most everyone else is in bed) spend some time writing. This is my best time, as I'm not a morning person. So, if you're a night owl, write at night.
    • Super Saturdays:
      • Take one or two Saturdays a month and find a quiet place to develop query letters and write articles, work on your book, etc. Pencil in these Saturdays in your daytimer—just like you would any other appointment—that way you'll stick to it.
      QUICK TIP: Let others in your life know about your commitment to writing, and ask for their help when needed. If they know you're serious about it, they will take your writing career seriously.

    • Determine what God wants you to write: Has He called you to write greeting cards? Has He called you to write a non-fiction book? How about a children's book? Maybe you're called to write parenting articles. Listen to His voice and follow your heart.
        NOTE: Write your personal mission statement so you can keep your focus.

    • Write it down: That's a biblical principle—write the vision! Once you figure out what you're supposed to focus on, write those "assignments" on a note card or a post-it note and stick it to your computer, on your fridge, etc. Post it where you'll see it. (I also like to keep a copy in my Bible.)


    • Don't limit yourself: If you feel a tugging on your heart to write a daily devotional for moms, yet you say, "I've never written a book before. I don't have a writing degree. There's no way I can ever do that,"—stop being so negative and go for it! It is possible to accomplish your writing dreams.

  2. Become Accountable!
    Even if you leave here with tons of useful information, lots of great ideas and many contacts, if you don't follow up on any of those leads, write those articles or submit that book proposal, you won't have accomplished any of your writing dreams/goals when next year's GCWC rolls around.

    • Get an accountability partner: Find another writer (maybe someone you met here) and become each other's accountability partner. Have weekly "check ups" with each other and report what your writing goals are for that week and if you've accomplished them. Be tough on each other and help one another inch toward those dreams of publication!


    • Give yourself a deadline: Even if you're not writing an article for a magazine that has a deadline attached, give yourself a deadline. And, reward yourself when you hit that deadline! Treat your freelance career like a real job—deadlines motivate us to quit procrastinating and get on with it!


    • Become part of a writers' group: This will help you so much! Try and find a group that focuses on the kind of writing you do—children's, non-fiction, adult fiction, poetry, etc. If you can't find a group in your area, why not start one or join an online group?


  3. Become a Professional!
    Now that you're committed to writing, you need to make regular investments in your passion/career/goals. Coming to this conference was a HUGE first step and one you'll want to repeat year after year, but you need to do more...

    • Join professional organizations: If you're a children's writer, you should join both the national and local chapters of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. The society publishes a newsletter and various reports, including a list of legitimate agents and several market surveys, which members may obtain for the cost of postage. It is especially well known for hosting conferences all around the country. Their conferences are open to members and non-members alike. In addition, the SCBWI has a web site where you can download a useful pamphlet on submission basics entitled "From Typewriter to Printed Page." Membership is approximately $50 per year. Find SCBWI online at www.scbwi.org.


    • Attend Writers' Conferences—both secular and Christian: I should be the GCWC poster girl. I started attending this conference in 1999 and have sold several books as a result of the contacts made here and dozens of magazine articles. I would never miss GCWC. Just mark it on your calendar every year. It's a must on your writing journey. To learn about other writers' conferences, go to shawguides.com online. (I also like The Write-to-Publish conference in Wheaton, Illinois, in June and the Delaware Christian Writers Conference in April and the North Texas Christian Writers Conference in Keller, Texas, every September.)
        NOTE: When you go to conferences, go prepared. Go armed with story ideas appropriate for each publication that will be represented—or at least the ones you have an interest in writing for. Then, pitch those ideas. If you can't get an appointment with an editor because all of his/her times are taken, make a point to introduce yourself to that person sometime during the conference and see if there is another time you can meet.
        • Now that the conference is over, make sure you follow up with publishers and editors. Send them thank-you notes for meeting with you. Make sure you send the query letter you promised and make mention of meeting with that person at GCWC. If you weren't able to meet with one of the faculty members who was on your "list to meet," write that person and note stating just that—"I wasn't able to meet with you during the 2006 GCWC, but I have an idea for an article that I believe is a perfect fit for your publication..." Always put "GCWC" on the outside of your envelope so the editorial assistant knows to take your mailer out of the dreaded slush pile.


    • Buy copies of the various writers' market guides and take several writing newsletters and magazines: I believe every Christian writer needs a copy of Sally Stuart's Christian Writers' Market Guide (ISBN: 1400071240) on his/her book shelf. It's a must! The 2006 version is on sale now because the 2007 version comes out in January, so take advantage of the sale price! Also, check out my recommended reading list/resource list on my website at www.michellemedlockadams.com. Enter the writing side, and go under "Discover Writing" and click on the "reading" menu for that list.
        NOTE: To see the newsletters and professional magazines and important websites that I recommend, go to www.michellemedlockadams.com and enter "writing" and go under "Discover Writing" to the articles section. There, you should open "Resources for the Professional and Aspiring Writer."

    • Get Business cards: I use vistaprint.com online for my business cards and brochures.


  4. Do the Do's Every Single Day!
    It's important to do something every single day to further your writing career. Whether it's as little as writing a thank-you card to an editor you met with this week or as big as writing two chapters in your novel—do something! Make sure you keep track of what you do every day in a Freelance Logue. Here are some do's you should do to get you going...

    • Develop a Pitch letter: This is different from a query letter. In a query letter, you are pitching a story idea. In a pitch letter, you are pitching yourself. It's a general letter that is simple and to-the-point, stating that you're a freelance writer and highlighting your qualifications, any awards you've won, and all of your contact information.
      • So, why develop such a letter? So that you can visit the online job boards and freelance websites and send them your pitch letter and get more writing assignments than you'll know what to do with—really! Also, it's a great letter to have if an editor says, "We're always looking for regular contributors..." Jump all over that and send that editor your pitch letter, offering to tackle any assignments that lack a capable writer.


      • Perfect your query letter writing: In a query letter, be succinct. Include the title and type of manuscript, the number of pages and a short description ("Are you interested in reading my 120-page, middle-grade novel, Behind the Scenes, about a girl who gets a crush on her drama teacher while acting in the 7th grade annual play?"). You should also include your credentials. Many publishers request that you send some chapters with a query letter as well. (The writers' market guides will let you know whether a publisher wants to see a cover letter and full manuscript or a simple query letter.)
          Quick Tip: Make your query letter sing. It has to grab the editor's attention because editors are busy people. Really work on crafting a quality query letter. Sometimes, it's good to find a really "juicy" paragraph from your book and copy it and paste that passage into the first paragraph of your query letter. Then, drop down in the second paragraph and say, "This is an excerpt from my non-fiction book, Real Kids, Real Heroes."

      • Split Your Time 50/50: That means split your time— 50 percent marketing and 50 percent writing. This may sound extreme, but it keeps assignments coming in and your writing going out in magazines, in newspapers and on websites/e-z3ines. Here's an example of how I split my day. I try to contact five to 10 editors/publishers/publications a day. That may seem like a lofty goal, but it is not that difficult if you have already crafted your "I'm a freelancer contact letter/e-mail." Then, I spend a couple of hours doing "follow-up" work. This might include sending thank-you notes to editors who took time to write me a personal note on a rejection letter; or sending a "Hey, how are you doing, wondered if you were needing a writer to tackle any stories in the near future... e-mails to editors I've already established a relationship with (I get so much work that way); or pitching another story to a publication that recently purchased one of my articles—why not strike while the iron is hot?


  5. Spend time with God every morning:
    If you don't have the Word of God in you, you'll have nothing of eternal value to say to the world via your writing. Learn to hear from God. Keep a prayer journal. Thank God for favor! Pray over every single piece of writing that you do...

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