Speaker Must Do’s…

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 Greetings, Dear Friends! Susie Larson here… I typically post on the last Thursday of each month on building a speaking platform. Please forgive me for being AWOL now and then. I’ve had had an insane travel schedule this spring but we are so thankful to God for His faithfulness in our midst. I want to connect with you today about a number of “Speaker Must Do’s” that I think will help you as you work to build a speaking platform.

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Who Are You?

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Jan here, writing to you on one of CAN’s devotional Fridays. I have a question for you: Who are you and what are you doing here? I ask that with a chuckle because it stirs a memory of when that very question was asked by my daughter, about three-years-old at the time, to an adult who was attending a dinner at our ministry. She asked the question entirely out of innocent curiosity. Not a bad question to consider. I met with a young man last week who is preparing to transition from the residential ministry where my husband and I live and work. One of…

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Remain Faithful

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Hello from Bonnie here in soggy Oregon. I'm still waiting for spring.     When I first started creating stories it was just a hobby, something I did for fun once in a while. I never dreamed it would be anything more. But after being side-lined by an auto accident God gave me a new vision, a new way to serve Him. It was through the gift of writing. Though I didn’t fully understand what I was saying yes to, I was committed to the call. God threw open every door, and it was clear that writing books was part of His plan for…

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In the Trenches, Part 1

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Jan here joining you from sunny California. In March, I had the delightful opportunity to mentor writers for one of the Head Start Clinics at Mount Hermon’s Christian Writer’s Conference. A “ridiculous” delight—to use one of my student’s favorite expressions. If you asked any of those in my nonfiction clinic to state one of the most important factors in our writing of successful nonfiction, I have no doubt what their answer would be. They would tell you . . .

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Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail

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Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I’ve mentioned in previous months, I’m currently in the midst of an experimental year, applying principles from my retail business to the marketing of my fiction. If you’ve missed earlier posts, and would like a better explanation of my background and what these posts are about, please see Principles #1-#7 here.   So, on to Principle #8… Find a niche for your books.  

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Sticking to the Plan

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Happy Monday from Jeanette. I’m finally getting caught up after the Mount Hermon Writers Conference. This year I didn’t come home nearly as exhausted as I have in the past. Knowing that I could not afford to return to my family completely wiped out, I made up my mind to pace myself. And this time I actually did it.

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A Balancing Act

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What a difference a few feet can make. After writing at the kitchen table for several years, I upgraded to my very own desk in our spare bedroom. The move made my work easier but I missed being next to double windows. I had a great view of the hallway, but I kept wondering how the desk would fit in that small corner between the two bedroom windows. Last month I finally made the switch—and now that I have a window on the world, I’m seeing some interesting things…

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