ACFW Blog

Proverbs 1:5–A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.
Father God, we love you.

Thank you for the wisdom passed on throughout this conference. May Your word flow through those teaching, and may those words be heard by those listening. We give You thanks for the talent You’ve given to us all and may we use what we learn here to glorify Your name.

In HIS name,

Amen

James 1:5–But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Wise Lord Jesus, you have given us various portions of imagination and skill, and we have worked diligently to produce our manuscripts. Now the days are counting down to the opportunity of conference, and we are thrilled that you have prepared ways for us to attend.

The opportunity brings a different level of work. Some of us have completed its chores often, and for some this is a thing they’ve never faced before. You give us the common dream of publication and awe that we can have a tiny part of the work that sends out your words, which do not go out in vain.

It all makes us tremble, and we ask your forgiveness when doubt erodes our calm. Whether we’re waiting on your timing for our first novel or the next of many, it is so difficult to hone down the thousands of vibrant words that make our tales into concise, memorable paragraphs for a one sheet, or that single pitch sentence. Sometimes we despair. Still our racing minds to hear your urging.

We cling to the proverbs of iron sharpening iron, and finding wisdom in many advisers, but we can so easily be overwhelmed when our call for fresh opinion brings more contradicting responses than we could foresee. Remind us moment by moment that your Spirit is our bottomless overflowing spring, where we can draw the words that will fulfill your purposes for each manuscript. Help us to recognize when to set the effort aside because it’s time to rest in your provision for us and our stories.

In the end, Lord, help us to fully enjoy the experience of gathering together as a body of writers to give praise for what you are accomplishing. We long to be found ready, in season and out of season, and to one day hear you say: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Amen.

Psalm 18:2–The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge . . .

For the conference veterans we pray that You will bless them with an abundance of joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Give them the compassion to help those that will be new to the conference, the wisdom to listen to Your word, and the patience to be still and know that You are God.  Lord, Your time is perfect and You know what is best for each of their careers and ministries.

By Dineen A. Miller

Last week we answered two reader questions and talked about business cards. (Click here to read part three.)

Janice Olson left another great question, so let’s start there.

Thanks Dineen, for all the wonderful answers and information. My questions this time are concerning “the” photograph. I have seen different types of professional photographs, but I question which would be the best choice for a one-sheet and business card. Even on your site, there are head, partial, and full body shots on your examples.

My questions:
Would you suggest the same photo be on the card and one-sheet, or should they be different?

Since I see a host of photographs with outdoors or casual settings, and this seems to be the trend, would it look better to have a more casual photograph on the one-sheet? Or on both?

Both are good questions, Janice. In answer your first one, this is really a personal preference. There is a benefit to keeping the same picture on your printed materials to create continuity, but you could use different poses. The background and clothing could be the same but your poses varied. That’s one option. Then for things like blog interviews, you could use a variety of pictures that still hold a connection without becoming redundant.

As for your second question, I strongly recommend you tie this to your genre. For example, if you write chick-lit, doing a portrait that has suspenseful or mysterious tones doesn’t match what you’re writing. Remember, your picture will have some influence on your future reader when they pick up your book in the store. Make a good impression here.

Also, keep in mind that your picture will be small on book jackets and bookmarks. You may have a great picture of yourself set against a lush landscape, but in order to keep you from being the size of a pea in the photo, the layout artist will have to enlarge the photo and crop that excess away so readers can see your face clearly. What may look great in a full background may wind up looking busy and unidentifiable behind your head when cropped. Keep this simple and be sure nothing is poking out from behind your head. You’d be surprised how often this happens. Professional photographers know what to look for and what to avoid.

Overall, whether casual or formal, keep your portrait looking professional. Trust me, whether we realize it or not, most people can spot the difference between a professional shot designed to look candid and casual and a picture taken by a family member or friend.

Colors
I touched on this briefly in part two of this series. Just like your portraits, your colors should mesh with your genre. A color scheme of deep red, black, and white will bring across a sense of danger, suspense, and strength. Great for those thriller and suspense writers. Pastel tones give a sense of happiness and peace—a perfect choice for inspirational writers, some women’s fiction, and children’s books. Bold, loud colors are perfect for chick-lit and lively women’s fiction. I think you get the picture here. Choose colors that convey the theme of your stories. This holds true for your printed materials, as well as your web presence, and is another important aspect of continuity.

Continuity
Creating a common theme between your printed and online materials is like writing a book series. There are elements that carry over from book to book and stay consistent. This will create strong reader identification (also why book series have continuity between covers in their design, colors, fonts, and imagery) and this also speaks a strong but silent message of professionalism.

If you started with your website, carry those designs and colors over to your business card, letterhead, and promotional materials. If you’re a published author and you’re using your current book as a guideline, then your materials to promote that book should match it. Again, this creates strong reader identification. Making connections between advertising materials to the product on the shelf (your book) is vital to a successful promotion. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time. And your money.

Choices: Timely vs. Timeless
This is where your planning will pay off. Literally. Make choices now based upon two things. One, your immediate goal. Are you promoting a book? Then make a “timely” choice.” Design your bookmarks, postcards, and online materials to match in color, design, and even fonts. Order quantities of your printed materials based upon your need. It may be a great deal to spend that extra few dollars just to get 500 more bookmarks, but if you wind up not needing them, then it’s money wasted.

Two, your long term goal. Are you promoting yourself as an author? When making “timeless” choices for your printed and online materials, keep in mind that you will most likely keep this “identity” for two to five years. Can you live with that logo and color scheme that long? Making frequent changes will lose continuity and confuse readers. Choose colors and designs for the long haul. Take advantage of the price break between 250 hundred and 500 business cards if you you’re happy with your image and information, and you will make good use of them. The same can hold true for bookmarks, especially if they’re promoting a series of books, or your books in general.

I hope this series has been helpful. This is just a taste of what I’ll be covering in my Late Night Chat, “Design & Marketing Demystified,” at the Conference Friday evening. I hope you’ll come, ready to ask questions and even bring your own materials to share or ask questions. Should be fun!

And feel free to leave any questions. I’ll answer them here in the comments section. See you at conference!

Psalm 37:4-5–Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.

Father, You are so awesome. You are so faithful.

Help us, Lord, today to remember Your promises. To give our writing to You. To write for Your glory. And to wait–wait patiently for You to bring the fruits that will most honor Your Kingdom in Your time.

In the name of Christ our Savior,

Amen.