ACFW Conference Blog

Romans 8:26-27–In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Father we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ with praise and thanksgiving for the writers you have called to be your witnesses and carry your message of love forward.

We ask that you would be with their families and cover them with the protection of your Son’s blood. May they be full of wonder and prayer for their loved ones as they work for their Jesus and may they support each writer one hundred percent. Please help them to come to you for help without their loved ones and may they welcome them home with open arms as you bless each one involved. Please give their families extra patience and wisdom with grace thrown in for extra measure for each other.

We thank you Father for all the care you give us and our families as we intercede for one another according to Romans 8:26-27.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

by Dineen Miller

Last week I talked about identifying your genre and/or niche so as to help you create your “mood.” (Click here to read part one.)

This week let’s talk about the one sheet. Every year I see the questions start a couple months before conference. We’re gearing up and getting ready. We want to make a great first impression on those agents and editors we’re planning to meet. We want to make our stories shine.

The one sheet is an excellent tool to do just that. You can use imagery right along with your carefully crafted words to give a first impression as well. Just like a book cover gives a potential reader an initial glimpse of what your story is about, a one sheet can do the same.

The basic elements to a one sheet are: story title, a short synopsis, author picture and bio, contact information, and one or two images that portray what your story is about, either by story line, setting, or key elements. And make sure both your story blurb and your bio are polished and ready to go. Writing it along with your layout is a bad idea. Time and energy are wasted when a layout has to be redone because of major copy changes.

Let’s start with some basic layout hints to keep your one sheet looking clean and professional.

Fonts
The temptation can be mighty strong to use some of those quirky fonts you just noticed came with your favorite software program. Resist it! A good rule of thumb is no more than two fonts to a one-page layout. Sometimes three will work if you’re careful, but keep in mind that using the bold form of a font face is almost like using an additional font.

Now that you’ve gone to all that trouble to determine the “mood” of what you write, choose fonts to match. Find a font that suits your story title and feel free to use a bold form here. If you write techno thrillers, a curly cursive font is not going to fit. Find a modern san serif font (no serifs—the little embellishments) to set off that title. If your genre is chick-lit, have a little fun and use something interesting and lively. The point is to make your title stand out, AND fit your story.

Next choose a good font for your body copy for both the story synopsis and author bio. Serif fonts such as Times New Roman are usually the best choice for readability. You can also use a san serif font like Helvetica if it’s not a large block of copy, but keep the font size to 12 point. Again, resist the temptation to use a fancier font (AND NO CAPS or italics!!!). If an editor or agent can’t read it easily, you’ve just wasted all that effort and a chance to make that great first impression.

Now use a bold form of that body font for your name and contact information. That’s critical information, which needs to be easily found and read. Keep it with your bio and make sure it’s complete. If you have an agent, that’s important to include as well.

If you have sub-titles, use either a larger and bold form of your body copy font, or choose another font that compliments your title font. Be sure not to clash here. This is when your can either make or break your one sheet. If it’s too busy, the eye will naturally resist reading. That’s the last thing you want happening when you pitch your story.

Images
If you’re a camera aficionado, feel free to use your own pictures. Otherwise, there are a multitude of image sources available online. Even Microsoft has a site for images and clip art. Another option is to use stock photos. Most sights involve fees and some are free as long as you follow their guidelines. Check these out:

StockXchange
This is a wonderful site to find free images. The photos are clearly marked as to what the photographer’s requirements are. Most are free to use as long as you’re not reselling the image or creating a logo using the image. Some photographers ask for notification of use, which can be done easily through the site and some may ask that you give them credit for the photo (either placing their name by the picture or an aterix at the bottom of the page with a “photo by…” credit line.)

MorgueFile
Like StockXchange, this is another fee free site. Again, follow the guidelines and respect the photographers’ rights.

iStockPhoto
iStock is usually my first choice for images for my clients. Using a prepurchase credit system, these images range anywhere from one or two credits to five or ten. Some run more if they’re detailed and/or high resolution. You prepurchase blocks of credit, which works out to about a $1.30 a credit. Again, there are some usage guidelines, similar to StockXchange.

Book Series One Sheets
If you want your one sheet to promote a book series, consider creating a two-sided one sheet. You can use your series title as your main header, then treat your book titles like subheads, even using a smaller version of the same font you used for the main header. Include a brief description of each book to go with the titles and put your bio on the back. This will keep your page looking uncluttered and easy to read.

Simplicity
Simplicity is always a good rule of thumb. Find an image you like best and use it to set off your story title and synopsis. Make sure your bio picture is fairly current and as professional looking as possible. Try not to crop yourself out of a last year’s blurry family photo. Use colors sparingly, especially if you’re using color photography. A busy page will deflect, not invite.

Keep it clean, keep it organized, keep it simple, and keep it professional. Remember, this is your chance to start off with a great first impression of your professionalism and your story.

Click HERE to look at one-sheet’s on my website. And feel free to leave any questions. Next week we’ll take a look at business cards and continuity in your materials. Hope to see you next week!

Psalm 28:7a–The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Dearest Lord, we thank you for those teaching continuing education. Give them wisdom, focus, and direction as they prepare to teach, and allow the planning and logistics to flow smoothly. Surround each teacher with your comfort, strength, and loving care. Fill them with your peace and protect them as they travel to conference. Fill hearts with joy and excitement, and cast out all fear, nervousness, and jitters that are trying to take hold.

Lord, use each teacher during the conference to touch lives, hearts, and careers. Use the conference attendees to touch the lives, hearts, and careers of the teachers, too. Open eyes and ears so that each person can experience you fully before, during, and after the conference. Provide for each need - physical, spiritual, emotional, and financial - in abundant measure, for all involved with the conference.

Thank you, Lord, for all you have planned for this year’s conference. Thank you for the Divine Appointments you’ve already arranged, for the doors and windows of opportunity that you’ve already set in motion. Thank you for all the efforts put forth to make this the best conference ever. May we give you all the glory, the honor, and the praise that you so deserve. We love you, Lord.

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen.

The ACFW Conference is just weeks away, so I know many of you are wondering what you need or even where to start. Each Thursday for the next four weeks, I’ll be posting some basics to help you get prepared. We’ll talk about identifying your genre or brand, one sheets, business cards, and how to apply this later on to your website, blogs, and future promotions.

So let’s start at the beginning. Who are you? Every path needs a starting point and creating marketing materials start with two things:

What am I selling?

Who am I selling it to?

Now to apply this to writing, start with your product. Your stories are your product, whether you’re published or unpublished (or pre-published, if you prefer). Start by identifying if you’re “genre specific” or “niche specific.”

Genre specific identifies what kind of stories you write. Suspense, YA, historicals, etc. Even if your story is a combination of genres, decide which is the stronger element to identify your book. In the long run, this helps agents and editors to identify and place your product. Where will it fit, and how will we market it?

If your story has more to do with a culture (Camy Tang’s Sushi Series), a hobby (Rebeca Seitz Scrapbooker’s Series), or ministry (Palmer and Chapman’s The Four Seasons of a Marriage Series), then your story is niche specific and serves a very unique demographic.

And it’s possible your stories could be both genre and niche specific, which can be even more appealing. Now don’t sweat this too much. It’s not an exact science, and if you’re just starting on your writing journey, keep it simple.

Once you’ve made this distinction, identify your market. Now I’m going to take the word “market” and use the word “mood” for my purposes here. The idea is to create materials that will portray what your story is about and clearly show that to the editor and/or agent you plan to pitch it too. This is crucial to how you create your one sheets and business cards, and for published authors for your bookmarks and newsletters.

If your story is what you’d describe as a suspense or thriller, you don’t want to put cute little flowers and use bright colors on your one sheet. And if that’s your genre, you don’t want a business card that looks more like something a chick-lit writer would have. This all boils down to imagery and first impressions. This is an opportunity to communicate clearly who you are AND what you’re selling.

Next week, I’ll cover more specific ideas for designing one sheets. I’ll also have some resource links for free and affordable royalty free photographs to help create that mood we’re talking about as well as communicate your story.

Feel free to leave questions in the comment section. Hope to see you next week!

Dineen Miller

www.dineenmiller.com

dineen@dineenmiller.com

My Blog: Kittens Come From Eggs http://dineenmiller.blogspot.com/

I missed ACFW last year, but a newborn was a good excuse, right? I’m very excited to meet up with everyone again, experience the awesome general sessions and worship time, and just soak in all I can about Christian publishing to help me be a better fiction editor. Getting to check out the Mall of America is a nice perk, too!

ACFW 2006 was my first conference. I was just a few months into my new job as editor for Heartsong Presents and still feeling like quite the rookie. So what amazed me the most was the extreme nervousness I could sense in some of the authors who met with me at appointments. I sat there all jittery myself wondering Why in the world are these folks nervous talking to me of all people? I realize the situation is intimidating, especially for unpublished authors. You’re sitting on one side of the table with your beloved work in your hands trying to articulate why someone should buy it and publish it for all the world to see. I’m one of the people who could help make that happen. Becky and I have discussed how we acquisitions editors have the power to make writers’ dreams come true or dash them to pieces. Wow. That’s a power I don’t want to take lightly, nor one I want to let go to my head. In my mind, I’m just a regular “jo” (ha!) trying to do the best she can with the interests and skills and job God has given her. All credit goes to Him for putting me here and making my career dreams come true!

So, if you’re coming to conference and are scheduling an appointment with me, there’s no need to be nervous. I know it’s easier said than done, especially if you’re more of an introverted type of person. But don’t worry about little things like if you fumble your words or have a nervous habit. I do those same things! There’s no reason to be intimidated by me. I’m certainly no better than you, and God loves you and has plans for you just as He does me. If we end up working together on your book for Heartsong Presents, then it’s all a part of His plan. If not, He’s got other things for you.

See you in September!

JoAnne Simmons, Heartsong Presents Editor