Who said I wanted to be an author?

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I was in fifth grade when my teacher interrupted my daydream, “Linda, I don’t care if you do grow upto be a famous author, I’m going to teach you math so you can balance your royalty statements.” My classmates turned to stare at me, while I stared back at my teacher in shock, thinking, An author? Who ever said I wanted to be an author? Even though Mrs. Davis’ words foretold my future, I didn’t get it, dream about it, or add ‘writing abook’ to my life’s goals. Instead, when I graduated from college, I got a job in the…

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Writers and Authors On Fire CAN Author Interviews

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Writers and Authors On Fire Podcast Host, John Vonhoff, discusses writing, writing life, writing lessons, and the best tips to be a successful author with his guests. Listen to episodes below by clicking on the link.   Cheri Cowell is an accomplished author, speaker, and owner of EABooks Publishing. Dr. Michelle Bengtson is the author of Hope Prevails, a book about depression. Sydney Avey writes literary fiction about the human experience. Jane Daley has written two nonfiction books about life’s hard issues. Sherry Kyle is an author of novels for women and books for tween girls. Crystal Bowman is a children’s…

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Writing for Kids’ Magazines by Crystal Bowman

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I meet a lot of writers who want to write for children. They come to writers’ conferences with high hopes of making a connection with an editor from a publishing house who is looking for children’s material. Many of the writers I meet have written good stories. Some are short stories written in rhyme, others are slightly longer stories written in prose. But even though they may be good stories, well written stories, and stories with a strong, age-appropriate message, most of these stories will not be published as books. The hardcover premium picture book is getting harder and harder…

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Tips from the Pros: Jeanne Gowen Dennis

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! Today I have the honor of interviewing Jeanne Gowen Dennis, who has a deep and varied career spanning book and article writing, and web TV hosting. Jeanne, how did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? My first Christian writers’ conference led to my first publication. Things just clicked after that conference, because I finally understood the concept of targeting my audience. Then I began having articles, stories, and greeting card verses published. Since then, I have published eleven books and contributed…

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Tips from the Pros: Lynda T. Young

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Greetings from sunny–and short–springtime in central Florida! Marti Pieper here, lifting my head from my current manuscript long enough to share an insightful interview with author Lynda T. Young. Lynda not only has an interesting journey to publication but some unusual elements to her marketing strategy as well. Welcome, Lynda! Let's forge ahead with the interview.  How did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? I co-founded a ministry, Kindred Spirits International, in 1999 and we sent out a newsletter. My articles mainly dealt with children’s hospitals and…

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Tips from the Pros: Maureen Pratt

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New Year's greetings from central Florida! Now that you've finished off all the extra fudge and gingerbread cookies, I hope you'll take time from the treadmill long enough to read today's marketing insights from award-winning playwright, journalist, and author Maureen Pratt. Maureen has lots of wisdom to share, so let's get started. Maureen, how did you get into writing? How many books have you published, and what are a few of your latest titles? I was always writing–scripts, songs, stories, even a comic strip–when I was young. My first paid writing job was as a stringer for a local newspaper….

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