Publishing Agreements are coming in!

Last week I managed to send out ALL the Publishing Agreements and Permissions Forms for every story in the Deliver Me book!

And I've heard back from many contributing writers. What fun! I've heard from so many, in fact, that I haven't been able to keep up with the e-mails. They're stacking up waiting for me to answer the many questions and make many changes to the stories. I'll get to them. I promise!

Meanwhile, five of my e-mailed Publishing Agreements bounced. So I'll have to try the phone numbers I have for those writers, and I'll hope they're still good. I hope to get that done this weekend.

There are still two other writers that I know their e-mail addresses, the phone numbers I have for them, and the addresses I have for them are not good. I'm trying everything I know to track down these two writers because I love their stories. I had one glimpse this week that I might be able to find one of them, but I haven't heard from her yet. So...I'd appreciate any prayers that I'll be able to find both of these writers.

I know there are other writers I haven't heard back from yet. But with sending out forty e-mailed Publishing Agreements pretty much at once and then having many coming back, I've kind of lost track of how many I've heard from and who I haven't heard from yet. As I'm able to go through the e-mails and Publishing Agreements that have come in by mail, I'll be able to figure that out.

So much to do. It's a lot of work. And it's not like this is the only project I'm working on. But I'm so extremely pleased I'm working on it!

Thanks for your patience and support!

Milestone! - Contacting Writers Who Contributed to Book

It's another milestone to celebrate with this book! Now that I have the manuscript in place, it's time to start contacting the writers who contributed stories that are in the book. (The book that was formerly titled "Where Grace Abounds" and is now titled Deliver Me: Hope, Help, and Options When You're Facing an Unplanned Pregnancy.)

I started contacting my writers this afternoon!

I tried a few by phone and didn't get anyone, but then it is Friday afternoon...

As you might imagine, because this book has been in the works for so long some of the e-mail addresses and phone numbers I have for the contributing writers are no longer good. It may prove to be a challenge to contact some of my writers.

(Note to writers: Let this be a lesson to you. If/when you move, send a change of address card or e-mail to the editors/publications you've submitted to!)

But then I got one voice mail...and not a generic message but one with the name of the writer I was trying to reach! I left a message and followed with an e-mail.

Then on my next try I actually got one of my writers! Whoo-hoo! She sounds (almost) as excited as I am about this book finally coming to fruition. I met this author, Ann, at a writers conference in 2004 and she sent me her story after that. That's (at least) how long I've been working toward this point with this book.

Do I hear Patience and Perseverance, anyone?

I have 60 stories in the book written by 41 different authors. So I have a lot more writers to contact.

But today I got a hold of one. I'm thrilled! Hey, it's a start.

Writing Opportunity -- I need stories!

My writing friend Renee Gray Wilburn and I are compiling a new book by, for, and about grandparents which shows the challenges a grandparent can face and the spiritual fruit grandparents can see by influencing their grandchildren for Jesus Christ.

We need your stories!

Currently we need stories for our book proposal, which has been requested by a mainline Christian publisher. The writers guidelines are below. The deadline is listed as April 30th, but sooner would be better.

Please submit stories to me at dbwrites@juno.com.

A Grand Influence: Grandparents Impacting Grandchildren for God

Writer’s Guidelines

Renee Gray-Wilburn and Dianne E. Butts are compiling a new book by, for, and about grandparents. Currently about one-third of all adults are grandparents, and we wish to provide a helpful book filled with encouragement and ideas through true stories of grandparents who have been successful in influencing their grandchildren for the Lord. Besides true stories, the book will contain resources including practical application points and personal study questions.

Grandparents, we need your stories! Stories need to show how you, as a grandparent, have overcome obstacles to influence your grandchild toward Christ. Examples of obstacles could be long-distance grandparenting, when your grandchildren’s parents are not walking with God or are divorced, and Christian children with whom you’ve been able to establish a successful partnership. Besides the obstacle(s) you’re working through, we need to see as a result of your influence some kind of spiritual fruit in the lives of your grandchildren. This doesn’t mean all problems are resolved or challenges met, but rather shows that you are walking through this journey with God. Examples of spiritual fruit may be the grandchild learning to pray, wanting to go to church, or asking about Jesus. Please don’t feel limited to these examples.

Keep in mind that these need to be stories, with a beginning, middle, and end, a point of conflict, and an encouraging resolution. It’s helpful to include practical tips for how you’ve reached your grandkids so we can encourage others who may be in your situation. If you feel you have a compelling story but cannot write it yourself, please contact us anyway. We can help bring your story to life!

Please know that writing under a pseudonym (changing names and shadowing minor details to protect family relationships) is acceptable and we will respect that should your story be chosen for publication.

We’d like each story to be around 1500 words. Each story chosen for the book will pay $25 along with one contributor’s copy of the book. Your bio will be included. We have a tight deadline of April 30, 2010. And, of course, sooner would be better!

Feel free to pass these guidelines along to anyone you think has a story to tell. This is a great opportunity for a writer to have a story published!

Submit stories as an attached Word file or questions to either Renee Gray-Wilburn at waywords@earthlink.net or Dianne E. Butts at dbwrites@juno.com .

Deliver Me Manuscript Update

I know, I know. I've been away from my blog for a looooong time. Where have I been? Working hard on the manuscript for Deliver Me.

And guess what? Just a little bit ago... Today... Just moments ago, I finished the manuscript!

Okay. Well let me qualify that: I finished the main manuscript. I still need to go back an add in some statistics to ever chapter and resources at the end of each chapter.

After that I'll need to contact every contributor and get permissions signed. I have a lot of work yet in front of me on this book. But hey. This is a milestone!

Side Trip: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal – Part 19

Format your book proposal

Can you believe it? You’re almost done!

Now is the time to put all the pieces of your book proposal together.

• Arrange each part of your proposal in a logical order that flows. (I find each proposal I’ve written works in a different order. The order of the items doesn’t matter that much. Just make sure all the needed information is there.)
• Insert Headings for each part. Neatness counts. This is a professional proposal, so make it look nice. (But don’t go overboard! No fancy fonts, colored text, or cute pictures. Keep it professional.)
• Insert page numbers.
• Insert a Header or Footer with your last name and the title or partial title of your book.

Side Trip: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal – Part 18

Chapter Summaries

This section is also sometimes called “Chapter by chapter outline.”

Write a few sentences or a short paragraph on each one of your chapters. Give the editor or agent a good, solid idea of what you will cover and include in each chapter.

Of course this also means you are giving chapter titles, will know how many chapters will be in your book, and what will be in each one of them.

By the time you’re able to write your sample chapters and chapter summaries, you’ll need to have a really good handle on your book. You’ve already done a good portion of your research. You’ve organized your material. You’ve mapped out how you’re going to move through your information. You not only know where you’ll start your book and end it, you also know where you’ll start and end each chapter.

In other words, by the time you get here you’re probably more than half-way through writing your book! Isn’t that cool?

Still, you have wiggle room. While you’re asked to map out your whole book, the map you create isn’t set in stone. You are creating a book proposal. You’re giving them a solid idea of what you plan to do, however if you get a better idea or if they want to adjust something, you can still do that. So don’t get too antsy about making decisions and planning your book. Editors and agents understand that this is just a proposal and (probably minor) things can change when you write it.

FICTION WRITERS: You don’t need to divide your story into chapters at this point. Instead of a chapter by chapter summary, just write a synopsis of your story straight through with no chapter breaks. (And yes, you are supposed to tell the ending. I know. It’s a spoiler. But your prospective agent and/or editor needs to know you can finish the story.)

Side Trip: How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal – Part 17

Sample Chapters

This step and the next one are probably going to take you the most time. But when done, you’ll be in great shape to produce this book. Here you are going to write some chapters for your book. You may have already done this, or you may do this first and then write the rest of your proposal. The order in which you do these things doesn’t matter. You just need them all to put together a complete package for your proposal.

Check the writer’s guidelines for each publisher and agent you are submitting to and send each one just what they want.

Some publishers want three sample chapters, others want two, some only want one.

I recommend you go ahead and write the first three chapters. Then you’re in good shape to provide whatever they want.

FICTION WRITERS: Send the number of chapters the writer’s guidelines state, but don’t send the whole manuscript until they request it.