I finally took the Pinterest Plunge: tips

, by

I’ve been a lurker for several months. There were several reasons for my reluctance 1. I didn’t want to spend time on a fad that would fade, 2. I couldn’t see adding one more social media need-to on my list of must-dos, and 3. I just didn’t get it. I didn’t see how I’d use Pinterest and how the time invested would offer a worthy return. But, after several months of reading the stats, I finally decided to take the plunge. Here is what I found.

Read More

WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD: WRITING CONTROVERSY

, by

                                            [The woman] looked closely at Peter and said, "This man was with him." But Peter denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. (Luke 22:56-57, NIV) A blessed day to you! Maureen Pratt here with my second CAN Blog post. This time, I'm going to dive right into the deep end and talk about writing controversial subjects, characters, and themes. I've had very recent (ongoing, actually) experience with doing this, so I'm looking at the topic with eyes wide open and have some tips for handling not only the material, but also the feedback that inevitably comes when one "stirs the…

Read More

Endings are Beginnings

, by

Aloha from CAN Treasurer Karen Whiting With one week before my book deadline I’m working on endings-the indexes, appendixes, and final review. But it’s also time to look at beginnings. From the time I thought of the idea for the book I also thought of the marketing and the audiences. As I hand in the book it’s the end of the writing and the real beginning of promoting the book. The book, co-authored with CAN member Jocelyn Green, is Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front of American Wars.  

Read More

Don’t Just Read a Blog – Comment!

, by

Hi, all! Ava Pennington here, to talk once again about additional ways we can market our books. Marketing isn’t restricted to convincing people to make a purchase. Good marketers will tell you that successful marketing is dependent upon relationships – building them and keeping them. One way to build relationships is to participate in the blogging community.

Read More

Little Things Mean A Lot

, by

Hi, all – Ava Pennington here. Happy New Year, everyone! New year, new calendar. I love the potential of a brand new calendar, don’t you? All those pristine pages with their empty little boxes…well, they started out pristine when I unwrapped the cellophane. But they’re filling up quickly! As I look back on the past year, I had so many thoughts about how to market my book. I had planned certain tasks for six months before publication, three months before, the month before, the week of…you get the idea. Unfortunately, the calendar got away from me, and many of those…

Read More

Write Anyway!

, by

Hey, this is Sherry Kyle writing from my laptop on my kitchen table as I drink my morning coffee.  As I pondered what to write, I glanced at my mug and was struck by how two little words could have so much impact. Write Anyway!  Yes, that is the slogan printed across my cup. There are so many distractions keeping us from placing our fingers on the keyboard—family responsibilities, chores, friendships, etc. I’m sure your list is as long as mine. Sheesh! How can we get that manuscript complete with so many things pulling us in different directions?

Read More

Jill Williamson on Creating an Author Website

, by

If you are a published (or an almost published) author, you must have a professional-looking website where readers can find out more about you and your books. Take a look at mine: www.jillwilliamson.com. It’s far from the best author website out there, but it’s free. And free is good. I made the whole thing with a WordPress blog. It was easy to do and there were a number of website templates to choose from. If and when I can afford to pay someone to make me an amazing website, I will. Until then, I have a site that I can…

Read More

Free Gift Available!

, by

    Hey, friends! Jennifer Devlin here, wishing you a wonderful season of joy and peace. I love this time of year, especially these few weeks between thankful celebrations and the anticipated gifts under a tree. As Christians, we’ve so much to be thankful for, and we’ve so much to celebrate — much more than a mere trinket under a tree. In this season God has me thinking of gifts. God places gifts inside the body of believers that glorify Him and build up the Church as a whole all year long! Not just a quick tearing of paper and a glimpse…

Read More