Ladder toRooftop

A Free Writer’s Guide

Welcome to the new home of the Ladder to Rooftop Academy!

The idea behind Ladder to Rooftop came from Matthew 10:27, which also inspired me to begin blogging years ago:

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftops. Matthew 10:27

My friend, Jami Amerine, of Sacred Ground, Sticky Floors founded Ladder to Rooftop because when she began as a new writer, she had no clue what she was doing in this industry. But a number of writers came alongside her, gave her their tips, and helped her fly. Then she wanted to give back rather than keep all she learned to herself.

“If your goal is to write for His glory, to build a platform for His glory, to model hope and inspire in His name, I want nothing more than for you to be successful.” –Jami Amerine

That’s the heart of Ladder to Rooftop.

Since Jami is working on getting her book(s) into print, I’m thrilled to offer this Free Writer’s Guide here and to continue bringing you the Ladder to Rooftop newsletter each quarter. And don’t worry–I’ll make sure you’re among the first to know when Jami’s first book releases!

The truth is, when she asked if I’d be interested in taking over this venture, I thought No way. I’m not qualified. I don’t have a book yet. I don’t know enough of the right people. But as we talked, I realized this isn’t about being “qualified,” but about understanding the writing journey, and serving writers.

I’ve been traveling this road a number of years, on and off. I started out, and then God blessed our little family with a bonus baby, and I needed to step back. So a few years ago, I started blogging again, little by little.

Along the way, the dream to write has surprised me. It’s taken twists and turns I had not expected. Parts of my dream have changed as I’ve grown.

There’s been so much beauty in this endeavor, but a whole lot of chaos too. Isn’t that the truth about nearly anything in life?

One of the most beautiful parts of the writing life are friends who are in it with you. Through this guide and newsletters, we hope to be like a group of writing friends for you. We want to encourage you, and to help you find the beauty in the chaos of the writer’s life. Pictured below are a few of the talented writers who will share their tips and lessons learned with you each quarter.

Here are my first few posts for Ladder to Rooftop:

1. Writing Is My Dream {But Not My Only Dream}
2. Who Will Teach You to Write? 
3. Writers, Don’t Wait for the Lights to Turn Green

 And Now…The Ladder to Rooftop Guide for Writers:

Kelly Balarie of Purposefulfaith.com

Are you a blogger? If you are anything like me, you can get a whole lot of lonely, depressed and rejected going about writing in your silo called “home.” The #RaRalinkup was established solve this problem by helping women bloggers band together to encourage, build blog traffic and promote each other’s work. How do we do this? We linkup our blog (you add a link to my post and visit another blogger’s site) every Tuesday at http://www.purposefulfaith.com.

P.S. Here’s a little blogger tip, for you all: When you start to feel down and alone, reach out to another blogger and tell her how much her writing means to you. It’s like drinking a jolt of Red Bull; suddenly passion starts flowing again, and ideas start formulating. This back and forth with someone you care for can mean a whole new perspective to your writing.

Click here to learn more!

My gorgeous and wise friend Jenny Rapson from foreverymom.com

Hey! ForEveryMom, send submissions to me at jrapson@outreach.com.

The beautiful, talented, and raw Christine Suhan, syndicate powerhouse and author of Feelings and Faith has these three pearls of wisdom for you.  

  I love to make memes and artwork for my blogs. Love it.  I can’t wait for the writing part to be done so I can get to the decorating part.  So, when I first learned about My Design Deals I bought it! And then when I had trouble with it I emailed “support” I got John himself.  And he is helpful and creative and brilliant! Take your blogs and memes to the next level of EPIC by checking out John’s Designer Toolbox!

Click here for the coolest tools in blogging!

New to the game???  Here is VARSITY!  WHOOP!  Kay Strom is one of the most diverse writers I have met! Seriously you can read more about this wonder writer on her blog but here are her credentials…

“39 published books, seven have been book club selections, twelve have been translated into foreign languages, and one has been optioned for a movie. My writing credits include numerous magazine articles, books for children, short stories, television scripts and two prize-winning screenplays.  Along with my husband Dan, I also have produced a series of booklets for writers. My writing has appeared in a number of volumes including three versions of the NIV Devotional Bible and the devotional book My Heart, Christ’s Home, Through the Year.”

1. Writing is a craft. Learn that craft. 

2. Be dependable. Great writers are few and far between. Most successful writers are good writers who can always be depended on.

3. Write and write and write some more. Everyone gets better and better. No one gets worse and worse.

You can check out Kay’s masterpieces by clicking on this link. Bookaholics, you’ve been warned… Oh, and anyone who tells you, “you can only write fiction or non-fiction, pick one!” Say “I have two words for you… KAY STROM.”  

Sweet and genuinely kind author Judy Morrow, who is a multi-published author, and loves to lift up and encourage other writers can be reached at her Facebook page, go “like” her now, message her and ask her questions... she will answer you honestly and prayerfully. This is a woman after God’s own heart.  Here are three pieces of advice she offers for devotional writing:

Click to learn more!

If I ever got “stuck,” I’d literally lift my hands off the keyboard and would pray again for his help. I also had my prayer team of forty women praying for me, and I know that made a huge difference. They also prayed me through the compiling of The Listening Heart.”Judy’s book “The Listening Heart” is absolutely a must have friends. Oh and she too is the two letter word for nay-sayers of “pick your brand!” This woman is a legend.

And what if… your hat got thrown into the writing ring in a way you never could have fathomed?  Folks, let me introduce you to two hearts that I feel especially protective of.  I remember every moment, every stroke of the keys on my phone, I remember the terror and my soul’s cry as I texted one of my most treasured friend’s, all I could muster was: “Lisa, are y’all okay?” I am covered chills as I remember the little bubbles on my iPhone waiting her response… “We just found out.”

The next days played out a living nightmare on our cul de sac and I remember the last time I watched those bubbles on my iPhone… so ready for this message… “Amber just saw Kent through the glass.” And our home erupted in shouts of praise.

I am honored to call Kent and Amber Brantly friends. I am proud of their humility and their desire to always point the glory back to God… and moreover, that they crave their readers know, the work is not finished.  These were my question’s for the Brantly Bunch, authors of the book, Called for Life.  

What has been the hardest part of the book writing process?  

Writing the book took a lot of work, which was complicated by our emotions.  Retelling the story in such detail to our writer and then having to read and re-read it a thousand times in the editing process – well, that was tough.  It is not a fiction story; it was our real life, and the weight of what we had been through and the things we had lost along the way were hard to face again.  We both cried a lot.

God told Moses (Exodus 10) that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart so that the people could tell their children and grandchildren the signs God did among them, so that they would know He is God.   We can’t not tell of the amazing wonders He has done.

What has been your favorite part of the publishing process and your least favorite part

Our favorite part of publishing a book has been hearing from people who read it and were moved by the story, especially those who’ve been moved in such a way as to take action toward loving their neighbor, wherever they may be.  

Least favorite?  Publicity.  Generally we really enjoy traveling, but after three weeks on a book tour, we were so ready to be on the ground and with our kids!   

You’ve both always done such a great job of pointing glory back to God. Can you talk about the hardest questions to answer when people ask you about Kent’s illness and recovery?  

Upon our return to Texas, one child at our church asked the hardest question of all: Do you think you got special treatment because you were an American and got to be treated in a good hospital here?  

Yes, I definitely got special treatment, and no, it is not fair.  It’s not any more fair for me to have been born in the United States to two educated Christian parents, while thousands of babies are born in countries where half of them won’t survive to the age of 5 because of malaria, war, HIV, famine, and poverty.  I cannot explain why that is.  All I know is that God is in the business of making all things right again, and I want to be a part of that movement.  

Is there anything you want to say about the mission still going on in Africa that you had to leave? (Use this opportunity to let everyone know how they can help or words that convey the,  ongoing trials faced by missionaries upon returning to USA.

Samaritan’s Purse is constructing a new, larger hospital in Monrovia, which will be equipped with two operating theaters, a labor and delivery ward, pediatric ward, and male and female wards.  The Ebola treatment unit – which had been set up in the newly constructed hospital building – is now completely cleaned out, refinished, and open as a kitchen and laundry facility for the new hospital.  We hope to see the hospital finished, stocked, and staffed by the end of this year!

SIM has been leading Ebola survivors and family members through trauma healing care groups.  Our good friend (and fellow survivor) Nancy Writebol works with survivors, many of whom have faced tremendous stigmatization by their communities or have been forced to move.  She said one health care worker had to move and just doesn’t tell people who she is or where she worked so that the neighborhood will allow her to stay.  

There have also been multiple smaller outbreaks since Liberia was declared free of Ebola virus, and each time, while it is contained, it is heartbreaking for everyone.  It’s as if the entire society has post-traumatic stress disorder.  

Children were probably hit the hardest by the outbreak. The Liberian government estimated more than 4,500 lost one or both of their parents to Ebola.  On top of this, schools were closed for an entire year, leaving thousands of kids on the streets; teenage pregnancies sky-rocketed, and some students were forced to find work (or were forced to work) before completing their education.

Feel free to add anything else you wish to say.  

We would urge your readers to please pray for our missionaries. Those on the front lines who are facing spiritual darkness, staring starvation in the face, battling corruption and human trafficking and general ugliness – all under the banner of this Christ whom we love and wants to be known to all the nations.

You can learn more about the Brantly’s book by clicking on the link.

Click Here!

I haven’t jumped in these waters… yet! But John Vonhof is your guy if you are considering podcasting. Wise as he is movie star handsome, John knows the benefits of podcasting! 

Three reasons a blogger should podcast?

1. To read your blog, I need to be online and commit to watching the screen. To listen to your podcast, I only have to be connected to my smartphone. I can listen while gardening, cooking, walking, running, and more.
2. Podcasting is the fastest growing, and yet underexposed, piece of personal marketing.
3. If I find your blog and want to read all your previous posts, I need to go through them one at a time, while online and having to read the screen. I can find a podcast in iTunes, subscribe, so all new shows automatically are added to my phone’s feed, and go through your previous episodes and download them in less than 20 minutes.
4. Expanding on #3, my podcast has 53 episodes, and they are “evergreen” in that they are always available, and people can download all 53 and listen to them as they wish, while to tied to a computer.
5. Podcasting puts your voice in front of your audience – I think it’s more personal than words on a screen.
6. Podcast episodes are generally fed through your blog page, so you are expanding the reach of your blog.
7. Depending on the length of your blog posts, a podcast can easily go deeper into a subject than a single post.
8. Podcasting can be a key component in building and growing your platform.
   Here are some links:
9. School of Podcasting –  http://schoolofpodcasting.com
10. The Podcaster’s Studio – http://thepodcastersstudio.com
11. Podcast Talent Coach – http://www.podcasttalentcoach.com
12. Entrepreneur on Fire  – http://www.eofire.com

You can listen to John interview me by following this link!!!!

Check out the above four. I know #4 has a free course on starting a podcast. John Lee Dumas, (from #4) also has a book on Amazon for less than $4 for a print copy.
You can find that book here!

So… everyone be cool.

I have three words for you for our next Masters Class Ninjas…

TRIM. HEALTHY. MAMAS.

Geez girls.  Chill.  Ok, so I sent them three questions and they were MORE than generous with their answers. Without further adieu I give you the brilliant, the talented, have your cake and eat it too, powerhouse cooking, brand writing, kitchen revolutionizing, tea drinking, sister loving, Down Under duo Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison!

Literally, you are going to have to calm down.

     Masters Class Special!!!!!!

So,  I was like, Hey Pearl….

1.When you have helped so many people there is the “fan girl” phenomena that occurs. What is your best advice for writers to make sure the focus is on Jesus and not on them?

We always remind ourselves that God is the one who gives and he takes away. Every good gift comes  from Him. That He has chosen to bless our message is not due to ‘us,’ it is simply that He has blessed. Anyway… we are dorks. We still feel like… “What? Why do you want to get your picture taken with us? Why the heck do you want us to sign your book? You do know we change poopy diapers and are crazy homeschooling mamas all day long right?” I mean… who really cares about our dorky signatures anyway?

1. You two do a beautiful job of clarifying “this isn’t mandatory” or this isn’t a deal breaker in so many of your advisory pieces. Do you have advice for Christian writers about speaking from a place of wisdom without sounding like you’re banging on the pulpit?

Getting all “rulesy“ on people, just turns into a bunch of legalism and that is a joy, health, freedom and happiness robber. All or nothing approaches to diet and health usually end in failure and self-loathing. As new creatures in Christ we are all imperfect but changing for the better. We want to encourage our readers that every day God asks us to “choose life.” Yes, you’ll slip up but the very next chance you have… even with your very next breath… choose his life! Banging people on the head with “you must do it this way or else.” is miserable and no fun for us as authors or for our readers.

1. I honestly didn’t know you were Christians when I bought your book! Personally, I have had blast reaching non-believers, but many Christian authors worry about this. Any advice on reaching outside of the church?

We never set out with any plan to reach “outside or inside” the church. We just share openly from our busy, crazy lives to any audience and that means God comes into it because without Him… well, we know nothing and have nothing to offer. After the success of our first book, we were approached by many big publishing companies. There were a couple who wanted a purely secular book from us… if we could just leave the Bible part out of it, it could sell millions more sort of thing. We couldn’t even consider that. Leaving God out of our writing wouldn’t be authentic. We don’t write for the church, we don’t write for a secular audience… we simply write from our lives and offer any truth that God has been generous enough to equip us with. Real resonates a lot more than trying to reach a certain audience.

1. This is more personal and fun, which one of you is the “writer?” And prior to the books’ success did you have a desire to write, or just talk?

We are both the writers. Everything we write, we do together, driving each other crazy, taking way too long to get even one paragraph done because we argue about each sentence. I (Pearl) do the typing. Serene is usually feeding the baby or putting out fires with all her children trying but failing to keep some sort of sane atmosphere going so we can think. Usually, we can barely think because background children noise is too loud. We had no grand endeavors to write books. WE are both not that ambitious. We love to be at home with our families. To this day, we avoid as many speaking engagements as we can!

And yet… they answered my email and spread the good news of spreading GOOD NEWS. 

Sorry girls… Swoon.

For all things Trim Healthy Mama please visit Pearl and Serene on their informational wonderland Facebook Page or you can visit their website here!

CLICK!

Jami  tells us about her agent and friend Jessie Kirkland…

She makes me laugh, she bosses me around, and she tells it like it is.  I love her and her gluten free ways.  Not only did she teach me about Write 31 Days – WHICH YOU MUST PARTICIPATE IN EVERY OCTOBER – she is sharing her 31 Days How to SNAG an agent HERE!!!  Jessie is an agent for The Blythe Daniel Agency.  She’s the best.

This is straight from the mouth of an agent!  Grab it now, oh and LISTEN TO HER.  She knows her stuff.

Click here to visit Jessie’s page!

So along the way I have made a lot of sweet blogger friends, but there is only one Rebecca Huff. Rebecca’s wellness blog ThatOrganicMom.com is much more than organics! I asked the gorgeous and wise Rebecca to cut loose and tell what she knows!  Here is That Organic Mom’s great brain on my little blog!

Mindset, Giving, Money. These are my three top blogging success tips.

My number one suggestion for blogging is about mindset. Do not be intimidated by the success of others around you… the blogging world is big enough for everyone so don’t get too caught up in the competition.

Share what you are passionate about and if your passion comes from deep within you people will be drawn to your blog. When you first start out it is easy to get caught up in the feeling that you can’t share the success of others or that by sharing another blogger’s post that you are minimizing the impact of your own blog, that’s simply not true. As they say in the world of blogging, sharing is caring!

The second tip is about giving.  I love to create digital freebies! Let’s face it, we all love freebies, right? If you have spent the effort to create a lot of good content, you might think about condensing it into a PDF format and allowing your readers to download it as an ebook or freebie. In the beginning you can keep it simple. Keep in mind however that your freebie needs to be an extension of your blog so know what you are creating and why you are creating it.

My third tip is about money.  My husband (a successful self-made businessman) taught me early in our marriage that sometimes you have to spend money to make money. It’s okay to invest in yourself; for example investing in a blogging school, a new camera, or even that laptop you’ve had your eye on. However, I don’t recommend going in debt for these pursuits. Instead, I would recommend making a little sacrifice (like Starbucks or having your nails done professionally) and sock that money away for your blogging investments.

P.S. Here’s a little blogger tip, for you all: I use WordPress, but I write straight into google docs first then I just copy and paste the content into WordPress once I have the final copy ready to publish. The reason?  One time early on while pouring my thoughts into what I felt was a great blog post, WordPress crashed. I lost everything… very rare actually, but sometimes it happens. That’s when I started writing straight into Google Docs, as it actually saves every few seconds. The second benefit of writing this way is that you will always have your content in a second place if you ever crash, kill or lose your website for some crazy reason. However, the absolute BEST benefit for this is that you can export google docs to a PDF file and this makes it easy to create downloadables such as the freebies and ebooks I suggested in tip #2 above!

Rebecca and I also work together on a wellness support page called HOPELIVELY.  Ask to join us!  We would love to encourage you in your wellness pursuits!!!

Click here to learn more!  Or here to ask to join on Facebook! And remember, communities are a great way to share your message!  I love the hopelively gang!  We hold  each other up!

Need more Shontell? Click here!

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE BONUS!!!!

Here’s a little trick Jenny Rapson taught me about my Facebook fan page…. Click here to watch this quick video and learn a great tool for getting more people to your Facebook page!!!

When it comes to editing Kathy Ide will tell it like it is.  Kathy is a mentor and friend.  Kathy has her hands in many hats – from loving on her little ones to speaking, editing, and compiling some of the most dear short story fiction devotionals on the planet!  Here’s Kathy’s 411 on choosing an Editor!

Here are my top three tips for choosing an editor:

1. Consider your expectations. Do you want an editor who will fix your
   mistakes for you, or one who will help you become a better writer? You may
   think all you need is a basic proofread, but a substantive content edit and
   line-by-line copy edit can really polish your manuscript to make it shine.

2. Hire an editor who specializes in the type of writing you do. Don’t ask a
   nonfiction expert to edit your Amish zombie apocalyptic thriller.

3. Expect to get what you pay for. While a newer, less experienced editor
   might be cheaper, an experienced professional can give you more (and better)
   editing for the same amount of money. Also, while paying by the word or page
   might seem more economical and practical, many established professionals
   charge by the hour, and they can provide a lot of good editing in a few
   hours’ time. To get connected to professional editorial freelancers who fit
   your specific needs, go to www.ChristianEditor.com and fill out the form for
   Authors Seeking Editors.

Blessings! Kathy

Check out all things Kathy Ide by clicking on this link!

SO! Let’s talk STYLE!!!

As I read back through these gems of genius tips from these amazing humans, I hear them SPEAKING.  Their voices, voices I adore, are unique. Sometimes coming from hard places and using your hurts is both effective, and torturous.

Jeanette Hanscome author of the beautiful book “Suddenly Single” has three tips on speaking from a place of vulnerability.  When I opened her responses and read them they took my breath away.  Jeanette writes,

My top three tips for writing with vulnerability

1. Be prepared. Writing from a place of vulnerability means reliving pain and re-opening wounds. You might not include every ugly detail in the final manuscript, but your mind and heart will still process them plus a few bonus scenes that leave you wondering, why is that bothering me again? Form a prayer team of carefully-selected friends who understand how difficult it is for you to share certain experiences. Give yourself permission to have teary days, grieve all over again and call prayer partners in the middle of the day. Pay attention to how writing for the purpose healing others also heals you.
2. Write what you’d rather keep to yourself. While writing my latest book I made the following rule: if it could hurt someone else, delete it; if I’m afraid of exposing a personal weakness, failure or secret, keep it in. That’s probably exactly what a reader needs.
3. Remember, it’s not all about you. Our stories include other people—our kids, friends, siblings, coworkers, spouses. Ask permission before making others vulnerable through your willingness to write with transparency.

You can learn more about Jeanette’s book by clicking here. Or by visiting her on Jeanette’s website.

A little bird told me…

I don’t understand Twitter, I am Twitter-illiterate.  So few words evade me if you haven’t noticed.  But many writers love the benefits of tweets. Once again, here is Kelly Balarie, master “tweetologist“ with some great tips for making the most of your Twitter following.

1. Be visible. It is kind of like when there was that boy you liked in middle school. You made sure to be in front of “him” often, right? The same is true on Twitter. Get in front of your people. Do it as much as you can. Let the Twittersphere know – you are here!!! Let’s get into this tip more… continue with me to tips #2-5…continue reading here! 

 Speaking of words that matter…Legend Matt Moore is up to the mic.  Brace yourself, he speaks on writing your personal truth. Um, he doesn’t mince words… PREACH BROTHER!

3 tips on writing about the truth you’re personally walking out

1. My writing career launched when I decided to tell my story—my story of secretly struggling with same-sex attraction for 19 years, coming out as gay, coming out at as Christian, and now living within the tension of my faith and my jacked up sexuality. I chose not to act out on my homosexual desires anymore, and people hate that. They hate me. They think my message (which is just the gospel?) is cruel and harmful and blah blah blah. So my first piece of advice when it comes to writing publicly about a personal issue in your life is to make sure you can handle the flack. People are going to disagree with you. They are going to demean you. They are going to hate you. If you can’t handle that, close out the Word document and go home.
2. Chances are if you feel led to write publicly about a personal issue from a biblical perspective, God is leading you to do it. So write to please Him, and Him alone. Before you settle into your chair at Starbucks and pull your laptop out of your bag, have your mind made up that your writing isn’t going be shaped by the opinions or positions of whatever audience may read your words. You will be tempted to appeal to the masses because, like anyone else, you want your platform to grow and your writing to be widely read. But don’t. You are not Martha Stewart and you are not writing about recipes and home décor. You are writing about truth—eternal, life-changing truth. Don’t let your pride or your desire to be “big” pervert the message God wants to speak through
3. Don’t be a narcissistic, whiny butt. The last thing the world needs is another blogger who sits on the Internet every day crying about their struggles in life. If God is leading you to share intimate details of your life, he’s not doing it for your sake—he’s doing it for the sake of others. He wants to use you, your story, and your ability to communicate truth to help other people. When you sit down to write, know you are a servant. This blog or book or whatever you’re writing is not about you and your need to feel affirmed, respected, or well-liked—this is about bringing the healing truth of God to people who need it. So write for others, not yourself.

You can get more of Matt’s raw writing style by clicking on any of these links! Blog: www.moorematt.org     Facebook Page:  www.facebook.com/moorematt89   Twitter:  www.twitter.com/mattmoore89

I felt like Matt held back a little bit?   Hmmm, probably just me…

Need more Shontell in your life?  Click here!

This writer holds a special place in my book… my book of life that is. Shelly D. Templin and I go back a ways.  Shelly is funny and loves Jesus and in her new book Pushing to the Peak she goes deep into the hope that comes from the One and Only. I prayerfully considered where to put Shelly in the academy. Her talents are an abundant treasury. Alas, I knew, writing Hope, From Darkness to light and joy is where Shelly shines.  Hit it friend…

click here for more!

Three tips for effectively conveying hope in your writing:

1 . Focus on the purpose more than the pain. One of my life’s goals is to make my pain be for His purpose. As writers (and speakers) we can get bogged down in telling our pain. It’s okay to share our pain or grief but we do not want to settle there. Mention the pain and then move on to how the Lord was faithful and what you learned in that season. Always point your reader to the goodness of the Lord.

1.  Focus on what the Lord has brought you through instead of where you were. I have a friend who loves to evangelize. He used to spend 90% of his time telling what a scoundrel he was before Jesus changed his life and 10% actually talking about Jesus. Now, his own story gets about 10% of the time and Jesus gets the rest. In your writings, briefly mention your hurt and then focus on Jesus. If we spend too much time taking the reader into the darkness, we might miss the opportunity to show them the Light.

3 . Remember grief is a tricky thing. Never compare grief. Everyone grieves different things and for different reasons. I have had people compare their divorce to the loss of a child. That notion appalls some, but I get it. Grief is grief. Whether you grieve the loss of a loved one, your innocence or a breast due to cancer… it is grief. Instead of comparing levels of grief, look for ways to encourage your readers to come together to get through it. Everyone grieves differently so we need to make room for that. Never tell someone how they should deal with their hurt. Tell how the Lord brought you through your hurt or pain or grief.

Click here for more information!

Interested in Pinterest?  Yeah, me too.  I lose hours of my life gawking at stuff that I want, need, and have every intention of implemented to make my life totes perf!  Speaking of my sister makes “Totes Perf Casserole” which she swiped off Pinterest.  It is all the rage and here once again is my fave pin up gal the “Know your stuff Rebecca Huff” on all things pinnable!  

PINTEREST is a great place to find and save ideas and is overflowing with recipes, DIY (do-it-yourself) projects, gardening projects, cleaning tips, fashion tips, interior decorating ideas, workouts, diet plans and lots more. Which means it’s a great place to get your blog noticed! Hopefully, you are using PINTEREST to drive more traffic to your website. Here are nine tips for Pinterest success.

Being consistent is more important than ever. Since Pinterest is no longer chronological and now has Smart Feed, pinners need a larger audience to get more repins. Because of all the content being structured with algorithms and sponsored news feed you will want to pin a minimum of 12 pins per day if possible to get your profile noticed.

Add an image to every single blogpost. There’s nothing more frustrating as a “Pinner” than to try to pin a great blogpost only to find there are no pinnable images. More often than not, even if I want to refer back to a blogpost later, if there is no image, I will not pin that post. Don’t miss out on an opportunity for more traffic by leaving out images when writing your blog posts.

Using great images is a crucial key for success on Pinterest. You want high quality images to gain more repins and links back to your content. My all time favorite is Canva for creating great graphics. I use it for all my blogpost images. Whether I use my own photos or stock photos I find Canva to be the most user-friendly. Canva has “Magic Resizing” which will take the graphic you create and automatically resize it to the correct size for all your social media, or if you prefer you can just change the dimensions to Pinterest automatically by simply… continue reading on Rebecca’s page…..

  Alright, so we want to start a riot right? A riot for our God and I found the perfect gal to give you tips!  Jan Greenwood,  her blog Brave Strong Girl is a must read. This walking, talking, wonder woman of words is going to knock it out of the park with her tips on writing to INSPIRE! Batten down the hatches girls!  Jan you’re up!

1.  Stop self-editing, especially before you even get started. Don’t criticize yourself in the beginning of your writing project. Plenty of others will take care of that for you! Don’t stop to work on your formatting, your typo’s or your order of delivery. You don’t have to show the beginning stuff to anybody else. (Oh, how I love the trash can!) Once I stop trying to get it just right and just focus on trying to say what’s on my heart, my voice begins to flow. Yours will too.

1. Make it personal and make it count. I have found readers love transparency. They can smell insincerity and goody too-shoos a mile away. I try to share revelations/illustrations from my own life. That means I’m writing about something I actually know or have experienced. Then write like you are writing for an audience of one – a “one” that you care deeply about and believe in. What would I say to you if you were sitting across my kitchen table sharing a cup of coffee with me? (That’s right – You are the one I imagine.) We’d talk. We’d listen. It would be real.
2. Work the details. This is when you are ready to edit – and then edit again. If you are writing a lengthier piece, then have someone else review it. Use simple and strong words in shorter sentences. Use humor when you can. (Be careful! Ask someone else if it’s funny if you have any doubt.) Keep the tense consistent and use a “show and tell” style to engage your audience. Preview your content for the web. Then check your facts and your live links. Sometimes this step is the longest part of the project. I can tell you for sure it is the most important. If you miss point three, it won’t matter about point two. You often only get one chance to grab that reader and hang on. Don’t let poor grammar, bad links or spelling errors make her think you don’t know what you are doing and “walk on by.”

For even more info click here

Seriously can’t get over the power of this woman’s voice.  Check her fantabulous new book Women at War by clicking here. Lanta girls, listen to this blurb: “Women at War is revolutionizing the way women treat one another and the value they place of their own gender.”  ‘Nuff said sister!  Oh, and it’s pretty too…

Self-proclaimed Martha fan and Tightly Wound Woman Katie M.Reid rocks it out with her amazing abilities!  Wordsmith, recording artist, photographer, speaker of truth and welcomed boss of me, I love this human and her life-giving soul. She is privy to a bazillion things  -but I am honing her  ninja skills on Instagram 411 and then you can click on and learn more from the feet of a true master below!

Instagram Tips:
Provide Variety and Consistency: Don’t fill your Instagram (IG) feed with only promotional images. It’s good to share your blog post images and link followers back to your site, but don’t overwhelm or bore them by only sharing these kinds of images. Others want to get to know you, as a writer and also a person. Incorporate some pictures of your everyday life. Add variety but also try and have a consistent look to your feed as a whole. Use well-known hashtags to grow your followers, but also create a few of your own that will point others to you. Hint: #amwriting is one of the most popular hashtag for writers.

Share Your Words: We live in a fast-paced world. Some people won’t take the time to read a blog post but they will read a mini-post that accompanies a captivating image on IG. Share a few paragraphs from your blog post or come up with new content to enhance your IG images. Tell a story with both your photos and….head on over to Katie’s page for more Instagram info and learn more about her #WeWrite (Oh my really, this girl is all that!) and her Friday Periscope and so much more!

WOW!  This is just a ton of information. BUT!!!  One more and I think it is super important.  MIDDLE-GRADE WRITING!!!! I wanted to add this because I met 4 struggling MG authors this year… Their struggles were wide in range, but as a mom of a tween girl I want GREAT MG fiction for her. And pardon me for bragging, but I personally know the Diggity bomb of all things tween.  This woman is pure sunshine and daisies. I need hearts over my “i’s” and curly letters to accurately convey the adoration I have for Sherry Kyle!

Sherry is the author of books for tween girls, including a Gold Mom’s Choice Award winner, and new releases The Girl’s Guide to Life and Love, Lexi: Letters to God. She also writes novels for women set along the coast of California where she lives with her family! Take it away Sherry!

Middle-Grade At A Glance   1. Talk to kids and ask them what they like to

1. Talk to kids and ask them what they like to read, and then read the books they suggest. Pay attention to storyline, language, and sentence structure. Remember the books you devoured as a child and read them again. J

2.    Create a story that kids relate to. Don’t talk down to your reader! Kids can spot a “preachy” story a mile away. Instead, become your character and focus on friends, family, and the character’s immediate world.

3.    Find the “kid” inside you! Have fun. Do kid things. BE CREATIVE!  When I was in the seventh grade, a friend and I cut out pictures of girls from magazines. We found pictures of our “families” and began writing letters to each other as if we were those characters. Each time my friend and I got together, we’d give each other the notebook.

Jami, I do the same thing now! I find photos of my characters and write letters, but this time my characters write letters to God. My heart’s desire is to help girls grow their faith, and by journaling their thoughts and feelings to their Heavenly Father, they’ll have a relationship with Him that will last a lifetime.

Even though I write for girls, my target audience is moms and grandmas who purchase the books for their daughters/granddaughters. One way to build my platform is to provide great content for magazines that include a short author bio with my book information.

Yep!  Sherry, head ups, inquiring minds want to know!  I will be sure and nag Sherry for a newsletter interview!  In the meantime you can find her at www.sherrykyle.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Or you can find all her fabulous books here! 

Great! So uh Holly, what the heck is SEO?

Jami, you mean what is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing your website – techno-speak for making your website “findable” – so that the search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, will send traffic to your site.  This is done so that you get free or ‘organic’ traffic visiting your site because they are looking for what you have to offer.

For example, when a person uses a search engine to find a business near them, they typically type in a search request such as “plumber in frisco, tx” or even “plumber near me”.  Then the search engine returns results it understands to be relevant to that particular search request.  The way this happens is that prior to this, the search engine has gone out and read (or ‘crawled’) each of these websites and stored the information found on them.  So, that when a request is made, complicated algorithms are quickly employed resulting in a determination of which websites best match the request and have the most related information on them.  The result is that the searcher then has several choices in which they can find the information they need.

The key then for the business owner would be to create their website in such a way that the search engine reads the information that is relevant to what a potential customer or client would type in for their particular product or service.

For a blogger, the goal is much the same.  However, instead of attracting for a particular product or service, you may be more interested in attracting a specific audience or segment of the population.

The key for either goal is to understand that the search engine’s priority is to serve the end user well – not the creator of the website.  If the search engine does not deliver results that the user wants – they will go to another source.

And while it may sound technical or very complex, the process can be fairly straight-forward.  SEO involves two components:

1. On Website Optimization – This is the process of making certain your website contains the elements necessary to be indexed properly by each search engine for the results you desire.

This process involves a number of steps beginning with proper keyword research and includes such things as adding the correct HTML and meta data on individual pages to adding schema and other relevant background data to your site.

1. Off Website Optimization – This is the process of making certain that what the search engines find on the world wide web about your business or blog matches what it finds on your website.

This process can involve such things as defining your brand with proper web listings, building high quality links, optimizing website speed, purchasing traffic as well as content, video and image creation and circulation.

The search engines use these two components together to determine how to rank your website in their search results.

Proper SEO for your website and other online properties will work together to bring new visitors to your website every day.  You then have the opportunity to expose them to your platform, your products and affiliate products and demonstrate to them that you have the answer to their problems.

Yeah…. so my SEO is the bomb.  Sign up for the newsletter and she will be in every issue!!!

How about a little Dennis Rici and all things FICTION MYSTERY SUSPENSE!!!  His latest book just landed on his doorstep! Rumor has it… you wont be able to put it down!!!!

LISA CARTER!!!!!

Seriously… Calm down.  Be cool.

Lisa Carter’s novel, Under a Turquoise Sky, won the 2015 Carol Award for Romantic Suspense.  Beyond the Cherokee Trail was a 4 1/2 star Romantic Times September Top Pick. The bestselling author of seven romantic suspense novels and a Coast Guard series, Lisa enjoys traveling to romantic locales and researching her next exotic adventure. A native North Carolinian, she has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball. She loves to hear from readers.http://www.lisacarterauthor.com

Questions—

1. When did you know you were being called to write? From my earliest memories, I’ve always told myself stories to go to sleep at night. I thought everyone did this—until I went to kindergarten and discovered this might be perceived as odd by most people. But all through elementary and high school, I wrote stories to entertain myself in my free time, including a few novel attempts. When I turned 45, I felt God was calling me to get serious about writing and pursuing publication.
2. How did you see God move in your writing and publishing process.

When I wrote the story God was impressing upon me to tell, He opened doors to writing mentors in the Christian fiction market; an agent; and eventually to a publisher. Every story has been a result of me showing up in faith each day at the computer and God being there as He’s promised to always be in a joint creative effort.

3. So… What’s your best advice on “platform” when it comes to Women’s Christian Fiction?
4. You must have a website.
5. Learn everything you can about the Christian fiction industry—the players, the marketplace, the current books. Read a lot.
6. Take one social media outlet at a time and learn everything you can about that medium. Then, work at growing your reach and name recognition via those outlets.
7. Go to as many great Christian writer conferences as you can afford each year—that is where the gatekeepers of the industry hang out and offer you the best chance of pitching your work.
8. If speaking is something you can do, get out there and talk to groups.
9. Write—practice makes your writing better. Because a platform only goes so far if there is not good writing to back it up.
10. What is your favorite part of the writing process? (Research, character development? Etc.)

I love the research, especially if it involves travel. I like character development, too. The rest is just blood, sweat and tears to the finished product.

5. You have been so rightly blessed with awards, what do you feel is your greatest writing accomplishment?

Being obedient to tell the hard story God often wants me to tell, instead taking the easier story route. Also, when I hear from a reader who tells me the novel touched her—or him, surprisingly I have a lot of guy readers for my suspense novels—and that the novel caused him/her to experience God in a new way.

6. What is your greatest challenge in this day and age with your genre?

The publishing industry is in a state of fluctuation and transition. Traditional publishers are closing fiction lines, decreasing available slots for authors. It can be high stakes and high pressure for writers to navigate the ever changing world of publishing. You have to stay current on the trends and developments as well as read extensively in your genre, maintain your platform and still somehow manage to juggle writing that next novel.

Check out these beautiful tales of Lisa’s – she is an absolute artist!!!

Click here for more!

My favorite!

Have something to say?  Having to speak to a “touchy” subject?  Allow me to introduce you to the BRAVEST of them all, my friend, Tracy Levinson!

 

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