Latest posts from Chip MacGregor
-
I’m a Writer Because I Write
A writing friend sent me this question: “Are you a writer because of your distinctive ideas, the volume of material you produce, or because of a call or skill or gift?”
None of the above. I’m a writer because I …
-
Never Give up (a guest blog from Cameron Bane)
Cameron Bane is the pen-name for an author who has written several thrillers, seen mild success but a bit more failure, and is finally starting to see some movement forward in his career. We wanted to let him have the …
-
What's happening with Christian non-fiction?
A couple of times over the past month, I’ve talked about Christian fiction and its future, since it’s clearly going through a tough time. I haven’t talked at all about Christian non-fiction, but I’ve had a number of questions come …
-
Editing for Authors: Part 4a, Meet the Style Sheet
Continuing my series on editing for authors, I’m talking today and next week about the role of a style sheet in the editing process and why a good style sheet can be an author-editor’s best friend.
To better understand the …
-
What do you want to "Ask an Agent"?
This month I’m going to try and answer a bunch of publishing questions sent in by readers — some of them general, some very specific. If you’ve got a question, I’d love to hear from you. Here are some of …
-
Writing Lessons from The Hunger Games (a guest blog)
Call me a late adopter, but I only just read The Hunger Games, by Susanne Collins. Wow. Within three pages, I knew this lady could write. There are four quick lessons I learned from her that I’d like to …
-
Editing for Authors: Part 3, Turning on the Editing Eye
Welcome back to my series on editing for authors. This week, I’m talking more about ways to develop the right perspective for editing.
I wrote last week about the difference between the up-close-and-personal nature of the writing perspective and the …
-
What's working in CBA fiction these days?
I’ve been getting all sorts of follow-up questions to my posts on CBA fiction…
In CBA, what genres do well in fiction and which ones do poorly? Is there a growing movement toward spec fiction and fantasy?
Romance continues to …
-
Maybe Family Christian Stores survive after all…
Some news bits that relate to writers who do books in CBA…
First, Family Christian Stores may, in fact, survive… and thus surprise everyone in Christian publishing. As previously talked about here and here, FCS was in danger of …
-
Editing for Authors: Part 2, Perspective and How to Find it
Continuing my series on being your own editor, I’m talking today about the importance of the right perspective when editing your own work, specifically the role that time plays in your editorial success.
Writing is an up-close-and-personal business. You live …
-
Can CBA novelists move to the general market?
What with the struggles of Christian fiction over the past couple of years, one of the most frequent questions I’ve been getting has to do with the potential shift of writers from CBA to the general market — specifically, Can …
-
Editing for Authors: Part 1, The Importance of Being an Editor
Welcome back to my Tuesday blog on craft! I’m starting a new series this week in response to several questions that have come in from authors over the past couple of months on the subject of editing your own work. …
-
The Great Christian Fiction Debate
It’s always interesting when you create a blog post that blows up, since you never know how people are going to respond (or what sort of biases they’re going to bring to their reading of it). I found that out …
-
What's going on with CBA fiction?
I’ve been getting a lot of questions about CBA fiction lately… [And I updated this column recently.]
Is fiction aimed at the CBA market (that is, the “inspirational” market) growing or shrinking? Those of us who write for that market …
-
What's the difference between a website, a blog, and a web newsletter?
Someone recently sent in a question about websites and blogs… “Practically speaking, what is the real difference between a website and a blog, or between a blog and an online newsletter? And does an author need one of each?”
…
-
Craft for a Conference: Part 5, The Art of Being Memorable
Welcome to what will probably be the conclusion of my “Craft for a Conference” series (unless someone asks a question about an aspect of conference materials that I haven’t addressed already). Through my last four posts on conference craft, I …
-
Ask the Agent: What if another agent took my manuscript out already?
This question came to my in-box recently: What is the protocol for getting an agent for a book that was agented before? I don’t think I should withhold that information, but I don’t want to put up roadblocks either. I’ve …
-
Ask the Agent: What if my story doesn't fit a genre?
I’ve been getting all sorts of interesting (if sometimes random) questions from readers lately, and wanted to offer some notes on genres, writing style, and the contemporary publishing market. Here are some questions that came in recently:
What do you …
-
The Ten Things NOT to do on Social Media (a guest blog)
For today’s “Top Ten” list, we present The Top TEN Things NOT to do on Social Media when it comes to Marketing your book:
- Tweet: Buy my book. Buy my book. Buy my book NOW. #buymybook #buyitnow #buyitordie It always
-
Craft for a Conference: Part 4, The “Why?” of a Writing Sample
Welcome back to my series on crafting effective pieces for use at a conference. Today, I’m discussing the value of bringing a writing sample with you to a conference and how to make sure it represents you effectively.
Like I …