I learned to type back in the Dark Ages, when we were taught touch typing on mechanical typewriters with a single font and a single font colour (unless you were lucky enough to have a typewriter that could use a two-tone black and red ribbon). Using italics or other typography was a distant dream. The …
I usually include information on new publishers in my monthly newsletter, but this is the exception. Sunrise Publishing have just launched, and they’re open for submissions until 10 November, so wanted you to know as soon as possible. This is an excellent opportunity for contemporary Christian romance authors … especially those who love Susan May …
One common mistake new fiction writers make is not structuring their scenes for maximum impact. Many don’t even realise there is a correct or best way to structure a scene. This often leads to “empty” scenes—scenes where things happen, but where it’s not clear how they are related to the overall plot. (Sometimes, poor scene …
This post is part of the monthly Author ToolBox Blog Hop, organised by Raimey Gallant. We now have over 40 blogs participating. To find more Blog Hop posts: Visit the main Blog Hop page Find our posts on Twitter Find our Pinterest board When does historical fiction become contemporary fiction (or vice versa)? This question …
The internet is full of stupid. We all know that. But there are levels of stupid. And, unfortunately, Christian fiction writers are sometimes the target of internet stupid. There is Forrest Gump stupid, where someone known for having a lower-than-average IQ says something that’s wrong or stupid (usually both), but we ignore it. We know …
In last week’s post I introduced the basics of affiliate marketing, and shared some of my top tips. Today I’m addressing the question of finances. Will Affiliate Marketing Earn Me Money? Of course. And you’ll get a free unicorn when you make your first sale. Seriously? No, there are no free unicorns. And there are …
In my previous post on how writers earn money, one of the ways writers (and bloggers, and other online business owners) can earn money is through affiliate schemes. But what are affiliate schemes? How do they work? Are there any rules around affiliate scheme membership? And how do you sign up? All great questions, so …
As a reviewer and editor, I read a lot of fiction, mostly Christian fiction. I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over, especially from first-time authors. One of those issues is genre. Click here to sign up for my newsletter to learn what mistakes I see most often—and how to fix them. …
Last week, I discussed the difficulty of defining Christian fiction, and covered six things that don’t define Christian fiction: The author The publisher The organisation The bookseller The content The world view Today I’m going to look at four different definitions of Christian fiction … all of which are valid, and all of which leave …
What is a Christian Book? This seems like a simple question to answer—and it can be, especially in non-fiction: Bible studies and devotional books are clearly Christian in nature. Memoirs or biographies of Christians are clearly Christian. There are also a huge number of Christians writing in the self-help genre, ranging from obviously Christian topics …
