10 Ways to Ignore Your Inner Editor and Listen to the Angel on Your Shoulder

with guest Barbara Scott.

Most of us battle the inner editor perched on our shoulder while we’re writing. Mine is especially obnoxious since that’s primarily the way I’ve earned my living since I was nineteen and worked at a newspaper as a college intern. I’ve learned to ignore her by tiptoeing to my computer while she’s still sawing logs. That’s when my creative angel comes out to play.

Your inner editor is a hard taskmaster who can stifle, paralyze, or even kill your creativity, leaving you stuck trying to write the perfect first sentence. Create first…edit second. I loved the quote Tina posted this month:

“You can’t edit a blank page.”

—Nora Roberts

Since Seekerville is celebrating a milestone birthday this year, I’ve devised 10 ways to improve your creative output and deal with that pesky inner editor.

1. Pray: First things first. When you sit down at the keyboard, pray that the words you write will fulfill God’s purpose. Pray for your future readers. Pray that every word you write will glorify Him—the Creator of the universe. Pray that you won’t be tempted to edit your words before you finish your manuscript.

2. Loosen up and learn to play again. Maybe I should define play. Better yet. Close your eyes and remember the sights, smells, sounds, and emotions of playing as a child. What’s the first thing that pops in your head? Before your memory fades, write down your experience. Ignore your inner editor telling you that you’re wasting time. Don’t worry about pretty words. Don’t think about proper grammar. (Sorry Grammar Queen.) Just write.

3. Find your special time to write. More creative in the morning? Get up an hour earlier. I set the alarm on my cell phone and leave it in the kitchen so I have to get up to shut off the blasted thing and its annoying music. Because I set the timer on the coffeepot the night before, dark, rich, French roast coffee is waiting for me to pour into my cup. My inner editor is still in bed snoring. Find what time works best for you and stick to it. It may be midnight when the house is quiet, or it may be during your commute to work on the train, or at lunchtime.

4. Engage in conversation with that voice in your head. Trust your inner angel and brainstorm your idea with her. If God called you to write, He’s got a story for you to tell. He’s prepared readers to hear what you have to say. Maybe they need to learn how to giggle and play again, to stop worrying and listen to His voice. Your writing might be the book your readers need to lift their spirits or give them a new perspective on how to deal with a situation.

5. Daydream. Every child daydreams. It’s easy for them. Life hasn’t boxed them in yet with the tyranny of the urgent. Writers need to regain their ability to daydream. Don’t think of it as wasted time. Daydreaming is one of my favorite methods to shut out the noise of my inner editor. When I’m paralyzed by her voice telling me to rewrite my first chapter before I’ve finished my second, I lean back in my chair and stare at the clouds. For you, it might mean a long walk or reading for a while. When you relax, the voice of your inner editor fades away.

6. Learn to say no and ditch the guilt. Let’s face it. A lot of us carry around suitcases of guilt about taking the time to write. You feel selfish. Your family needs you. Your church needs you. The world needs you. You feel stressed and guilty you don’t have time to write. You’ve listened to your inner editor who has told you that your writing takes away from the important things of life, and besides, you’ll never publish anything. Ha! Give yourself permission to write and learn to say no to other opportunities.

7. Ignore the voice of your English teacher. When I attended school in the Dark Ages, we learned to write a perfect paper the first time around. Now they teach writing as a process. But long ago, we didn’t have computers that corrected our mistakes. We used typewriters, and typewriter erasers could wear a hole in the paper. Whiteout made a mess. So unless you wanted to retype your paper, you wrote it perfectly. That’s why some of us are such perfectionists, and our inner editors stifle our output.

8. Write drivel on the page. To write drivel is to write nonsense, gibberish, rubbish, mumbo-jumbo, garbage. When you have writer’s block, write drivel. I don’t believe in writer’s block by the way. I think your inner editor has blocked your imagination. When you write drivel, your inner editor gets a migraine and curls up in the fetal position. Cover her with a blanket, and let her sleep while you and your creative angel finish your book. Those words may be drivel now, but when your first draft is finished, you can wake up your inner editor to help you whip your manuscript into shape.

9. Avoid procrastination. About halfway through your manuscript, you might be tempted to quit. Your inner editor is yammering in your ear, and you feel paralyzed. You might succumb to her need for perfection by editing the first half of your book, or you might stop writing and procrastinate. The lawn needs mowing, you need to run to the store for a few groceries, or you need to load the dishwasher. Stand firm with God’s help. Don’t quit. This is the time to write drivel if you must. Set a daily word goal, make it realistic, and sit in your chair at the keyboard until the work is done. Monitoring your progress every day will give you the courage to slog through the mud of hard times. Your creative angel is right beside you, cheering you on. Miss Know-It-All inner editor may be screaming in your ear that your writing stinks. Don’t believe her. Set your eyes on the goal line and keep writing.

10. Finish what you start. It’s tempting to quit when another brilliant idea for a book hits you. You feel that rush of excitement again and want to start a new project right away before finishing the first one. If you give in to that impulse, you’ll have a drawer full of starts, but none of them will have a last page that reads THE END. There’s something special and satisfying about writing those words—a feeling you’ll never experience if you quit in the middle of every book you write. This is the time to give free rein to your inner editor as you produce the second draft. You’ve finished what you started. Congratulations!

How do you deal with your inner editor while writing a first draft? Any tips for the rest of us?

Leave a comment today to be entered in the drawing to receive a free Kindle copy of my novella I’ll Be Home for Christmas, as well as a copy of my historical romance Dreams of My Heart that will release in paperback April 1. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Many blessings and Happy Birthday Seekerville!

I’ll Be Home for Christmas


Walkin’ in a winter wonderland is no stroll in the park . . .

Forget asking for a pony. Sophia Tucker and her sisters have inherited an entire horse farm for Christmas. The money from selling the place should be enough for Soph to open her own veterinary clinic. Finally.

All that’s left to do is return home for one last Christmas. But there’s a catch.

His name is Matt Weatherly, a former Marine medic and childhood friend. Nurse to her late father, Matt sets to work helping the Tucker sisters bring the family homestead back to its former glory.

However, it’s anything but peace on earth when Matt considers reenlisting. Is it possible for Soph to have herself a merry little Christmas? (First published in Sleigh Bells Ring: Four Contemporary Romance Novellas, October 2016.)

Order here!

Barbara J. Scott, an inspirational author and editor, released her first novella with Gilead Publishing in late 2016 titled “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” that appears in Sleigh Bells Ring: Four Contemporary Romance Novellas.  Just in time for Christmas, Gilead released her novella as a standalone e-book this month. Dreams of My Heart, the first book in the Reluctant Brides historical romance series, will release April 1, 2018, by Mountain Brook Ink. She is currently working on a Forget Me Not Romance—Never Say Never to Love in Nashville. Her best-selling novels Sedona Storm and Secrets of the Gathering Darkness were written with co-author Carrie Younce and published by Thomas Nelson. She has more than forty years of publishing experience and has written several novels, screenplays, and gift books.

Barbara and her husband Mike live in the Nashville area, where sweet tea is a food staple, with their two Chihuahuas, Riley and Sissy, both rescued from puppy mills. Reading, writing, and research are her passions.

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Stop by for “Coffee and Conversation with Barbara J. Scott,” my new Facebook group, a warm and friendly place where you're welcome to relax over a cup of hot coffee and share an inspirational quote or meme or start a conversation about your favorite books, travels, or aspirations. Dreamers welcome!  

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for our weekly $50 Amazon gift card and the end of month giveaway, a Kindle Fire with Alexa.

What Does an Editor Really Do?

with guest Barbara Scott.

Myths About Editors

Psst! Draw a little closer to your computer screens. I’m about to share the secret of the universe with you. Well—just a smidgen of the universe—that unexplored island known as Editorville.

It’s said the citizens of Editorville rub their hands together with glee when a boat launches from Seekerville. 

Unfortunately, some writers have turned their boats around and skedaddled back to Unpubbed Island at the first roar of an editor beastie. I’ve heard the stories—stories of lions and tigers and bears. Oh my!

Other people say editors have been known to swallow up both new and experienced writers in one big bite and spit them out after chewing on them awhile. I’ve also heard about writers who have scaled the cold concrete walls of the inner sanctum of publishing rarely returning to civilization unscathed. Are you shaking in your slippers yet? Take a deep breath. I’m just joshin’ ya!

Editors Are Human

The truth is, editors are human and come in every shape, size, and gender. We’re all flawed and have personalities that range from funny and quirky, to gentle and encouraging, to stone-faced and no-nonsense. If you give the same manuscript to five different editors, it will come back with five different sets of opinions and suggestions for change. Some editors stand head and shoulders above others. What one editor thinks is important to include, another eschews.

But all editors should respect your voice, respect you as the author, and strive to make your manuscript shine like a finely cut diamond. Verbal or written abuse is never acceptable. That’s true no matter who you are. If an editor ever says your writing stinks and you should go back to waiting on tables for a living, that person should be drummed out of the editor corps. I have little tolerance for mean, nasty, egotistical, so-called editors. Maybe it’s because I’m also an author and can empathize.

I know one multi-published author who received that kind of abuse for months before she finally told her agent and he intervened with the publisher. That editor didn’t last long in the industry. The editor’s advice may have had some merit, but the delivery almost crushed the spirit of the author. You can deliver hard-to-hear criticism in a way that encourages an author. As my mama used to say, “You can attract more bees with honey than vinegar.”


Are There Different Kinds of Editors?

There are many different types of editors: acquisitions editors, junior and senior editors, development editors, line editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders. To confuse the issue even more, a line editor is sometimes called a substantive editor, and a development editor can also be the acquisitions editor who performs a macro or developmental edit. Huh? Every publishing house has its own structure. And these days, most use freelancers for all sorts of editing tasks.

Oftentimes, when people ask me what I do and I tell them I’m a freelance acquisitions and development book editor, their eyes light up. “I would be a great editor!” they say. “I can spot every typo in a published book.” I cringe but answer graciously and then give them a primer on the various types of editors and edits. Before I finish, their eyes have glazed over, and they normally change the subject or wander off.

It's kind of like telling a doctor that you got good grades in high school biology and would make a great brain surgeon.

Meet the Editors

• Acquisitions Editor: Your agent will pitch your project to an acquisitions editor—AE—either in person or by email. If you don’t have an agent, I suggest you attend the best writers’ conference in your area, find out what genres editors are looking for, and schedule a 15-minute appointment with an AE or an agent. The acquisitions editor may decline your project right away, or if they like your proposal, they may ask for the full manuscript. If an AE loves your idea, they will present your proposal to the Pub Board, which may consist of the Publisher, a V.P., other editors, marketing and promotional people, and sales reps. The sales reps decide whether they can sell enough books to make your project viable. 

Remember, publishers need to make a profit to stay in business. If the Pub Board gives the green light, all the other legal “stuff” is put in motion. The AE drafts a deal-point memo—an offer to publish—and sends it to the agent. Sometimes the AE will call the agent right away. The agent then presents the offer to you, and after discussion, the agent may go back to the AE and negotiate better terms or accept the offer as is. The AE then requests the drafting of a contract. Voila! You’re on your way to publication.

• Development Editor: In most publishing houses, the AE reads your final manuscript first to make sure it meets expectations and is acceptable before passing it on to a DE—development editor. Sometimes, the AE may choose to perform the first development edit, giving you comments and suggestions, using the track changes feature in Word. They also write a letter/email, detailing their thoughts about your project, and send the manuscript back to you for revisions. In some houses, however, you will deal with a different editor—a DE—from the beginning. The DE may be a staff member, or your manuscript may be sent to an experienced freelance editor. DEs can be expected to give you suggestions on how to improve your plot, structure, characters, dialogue, narrative, and setting. Did you notice I haven’t mentioned a word about spelling, typos, or grammar yet?

• Substantive/Line Editor: Sometimes these editors are on staff, but usually they are freelance editors. A line editor will rearrange/delete/add paragraphs or sections, and rephrase, reorganize, tighten, and recast sentences or dialogue to make it as authentic as possible. They try to catch most spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, but it’s not their focus.

• Copyeditor: After you and the various editors are satisfied with your manuscript, it will then pass into the hands of a copyeditor. Copyeditors are persnickety. They pay attention to every word and punctuation mark, applying The Chicago Manual of Style standards. If you don’t own a copy of the 15th or 16th edition, you might want to invest in one, as well as Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. Not all dictionaries or style manuals spell words the same or place a comma in the same place.

• Proofreader: After your text is “flowed” into a “page template,” the proofreader will look for typos or other types of errors in your galley proofs. Look up proofreaders’ marks in the dictionary, and it will usually show a chart of the types of issues they address.

Writing a novel may be a solitary act, but before your book hits the shelves, it will have passed through numerous edits. No author’s words are sacrosanct or written in stone. If an editor is successful, even you won’t be able to tell whether you wrote that scintillating sentence…or if it was the editor’s contribution.

Has anyone ever edited your writing? How did it make you feel?

Tell us about your experience—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Leave a comment for an opportunity to win a copy of the contemporary Christmas novella collection Sleigh Bells Ring, which includes Barbara Scott’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” Romantic Times named it a Top Pick and gave the book a 4-1/2-star review. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Santa Claus is coming to town, and so are the Tucker sisters.  Never mind a pony. The Tucker girls have inherited their father’s horse farm for Christmas. Make that . . . a run-down horse farm. It needs some serious TLC in order to make it sell-ready. Joanna knows that by recruiting her sisters and one handsome ranch hand they can fix up the place and even celebrate one last Christmas while they’re at it. However, to Isabella, returning to their home in Kentucky bluegrass country for Christmas seems like an impossible hurdle. Can her Chicago boyfriend make life merry and bright again?

One thing’s for sure—nothing is peace on earth for Sophia as a new beau brings up old wounds. And when the fate of the horse farm is put in jeopardy because Amy accidentally fraternizes with the enemy, tensions rise. But it’s not like the land developer stole Christmas . . . just her heart.

Can the Tucker sisters have themselves a merry little Christmas?

An inspirational book editor for more than eighteen years, Barbara has recently returned to her first love—writing! Gilead Publishing has just released her novella “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in an inspirational collection titled Sleigh Bells Ring. Currently, she is working on a contemporary romance series. In the mid-1990s, she published two bestselling novels, and followed those with numerous gift books, before her stint as a senior acquisitions editor for several Christian publishers. Barbara lives and breathes words, whether she’s reading the latest novel, editing a new book manuscript for other authors, or writing her next novel. Married for 40 years, she and her husband Mike have two children and four grandchildren they adore. They live in the Nashville area where sweet tea is a food staple.

For more information, visit her at her websites: www.BarbaraJScott.com and www.InspyEditor.com or on social media…Facebook, Twitter.

Five Ways to Discover Your Unique Voice with Guest Barbara Scott

Voice seems to be the most difficult concept for writers to grasp. Yet just as each of you has a distinct set of fingerprints, you also have a unique voice.

Then why do writers cry, “I don’t know what voice is?” Why does one book sound exactly like another in the same category? Why do editors pull out their hair reading proposal after proposal looking for a unique voice?

It’s simple, my dear Watson. You have a voice, but you’ve played nice for so long with your smiling face secured firmly in place that you don’t know who you are. To express your voice, you need to “know thyself.” Hmmm. Where have I heard that before? 

Voice expresses your unique personality. To find it, you must dig deep into the corners of your soul and dredge up the pain and sorrow you’ve tried so hard to forget. You must remember the joys of your childhood and the quality of the air—the scents, the sounds, the sights. If someone were to ask you to describe who you really are, would you tell them, or would you make nice and not admit to your true self?

“But, what if no one likes the real me,” you ask. We all feel that way. Be true to the person you were designed to be or you’ll never achieve happiness or success—not in the financial sense, but rather in finding peace by embracing your real voice.

Here are five ways to discover your unique voice:

1.    Chose different words and cast about for a unique topic to write about than the author who’s written a best-seller. Populate your setting with characters we’ve never met. Take us to places we’ve never been. We don’t need another Karen Kingsbury. We need you. Karen is popular because—you guessed it—she has a unique voice. Let your personality shine through in what you write.


2.    Find your passion. Don’t write another mediocre romance just because you can. If you love romance novels, discover your niche. Sandra D. Bricker, who is brilliant and funny, found her voice in her distinctive style of humor. Read and laugh your way through Always the Baker, Never the Bride or If the Shoe Fits and you’ll understand. She chose to write romantic comedy.


3.    Express honest emotions. There’s nothing worse than reading a book that manipulates your emotions. However, if those emotions flow out of the wellspring of your author’s heart—your experiences—they will touch your readers’ souls.


4.    Communicate your stories with authenticity—the truth of who you are. Why do you think politicians are unpopular? Because politicians all sound alike and promise voters the same things. Voters have a difficult time discerning who is a liar and who is telling the truth. Inspire readers with the truth. Fiction can be more real than life.


5.    Spend time daydreaming and remembering your life experiences. Your personality was established by the age of five. Can you remember who you were then? Do you let your individuality shine through in your narrative, dialogue, and characters? Would anyone know who you are by reading what you write?


You have a voice. Use it. At first it may be painful and sound like rusty pipes to your ears, but you’ll get used to it. 


Have you discovered your writing voice yet?

Barbara Scott has more than thirty years of publishing experience, ranging from newspapers and magazines to Christian books. As a senior acquisitions editor, she is credited for kicking off a well-rounded series of bestselling YA novels at Zondervan and quality, highly reviewed novels at Abingdon Press. Barbara worked with both fiction and nonfiction authors and sold their work to numerous publishers while acting as a literary agent for WordServe Literary Group. She also is a published author, and her educational background includes a M.A. and a B.A. in English. Currently, she is working as a freelance editor for both individuals and publishers.



You can find Barbara on Facebook and on Twitter: @BarbaraScott01

In honor of Barbara's visit today, we're giving away a copy of James Scott Bell's Self-Publishing ATTACK! for Kindle. Comment today for a chance. Winner Announced in the Weekend Edition. 

*This is intended as a fun giveaway and in no way has been endorsed or not endorsed by our guest.

Barbara Scott, Agent, Word Serve Literary, Welcome to Seekerville!

Impromptu Seekerville Contest Alert!

Yes, we've done it again! Barbara Scott has graciously offered to  look at your queries via a Seekerville contest! We'll choose the top five queries to go on to Barbara marked
"Special Attention!"

Barbara is avidly looking for completed manuscripts only, please and thank you!
Send your contest entries as two attachments to:


seekerreadme@aol.com


Please take note:
Send us your query letter as an attachment to an e-mail.
Send us the last page of your completed manuscript the same way, please and thank you!
You must be polite and stop by and leave a comment in today's comments section. That's the sociable thing to do, right?
Un-agented (unrepresented) authors only eligible.


How easy is that?
Barb's guidelines are printed at the bottom of her post and bio.
Contest is open as of midnight tonight, 1/31/2012.
Entries must be received as of midnight February 4th, 2012...
Please note posted rules for further instructions.


Winners will be announced by March 3rd, 2012 and announced in the Weekend Edition.
Possibly earlier. You just never know.  ;)


The winning entries will be sent to Barb who will then decide if she wants to see more.


Feel free to read about Ruthy's prize-winning query letter HERE
And if you scroll down past Ruthy's post, you'll find Tina's double post from 2008 on writing a great query.


And just so you know, your success is the best payback we can possibly have here at Seekerville. 
Working with the lot o' youse?
Makes our day!

When Ruthy asked me to write a blog about “firsts,” I was stumped. I’ve been involved in every area of publishing from newspapers to magazines to books, having logged in almost forty years as a journalist, writer, author, and editor. My firsts, I thought, had come and gone long ago.

Actually, now that I think of it, I wrote my first obituary for The Joplin Globe as a college intern in 1968 on a Remington manual typewriter in a noise- and smoke-filled newsroom. Computers had not yet been invented. Cell phones? Non-existent. Reporters called in their stories to me on pay telephones. Hot-lead linotype machines were used to make up each newspaper line on the page. As an editor I learned to read type upside down and backward when I had to cut a story. I must admit that I’ve seen my share of firsts in this lifetime.

However, as I wait patiently to see what waits for me in the New Year, I realize my life will always be filled with firsts. This year I retired as a fiction acquisitions editor at the top of my game, successfully launching the first fiction line published by Abingdon Press. I experienced retirement for the first time. I also experienced the angst of re-entering the work force as a literary agent: another first.

When I agreed to join Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Group in mid-September, I wondered if there were any authors left without an agent. 

Would I have a first client? Oh, yes. In the first two weeks after the announcement went out, I had more than five hundred queries pour into my in-box, and they haven’t stopped, although they have slowed down to at least fifty or so a week. Yes, I receive that many queries.

How will you ever stand out in that crowd? Write a publishable manuscript first. I will not consider a fiction query without a full manuscript to back it up. Nonfiction is different. Write a proposal with a chapter-by-chapter synopsis and two cogent, interesting chapters.

Then do your homework about what types of projects each agent is looking for. Check out www.wordserveliterary.com for a list of what I will consider.

Now that you have a list of possible agents, write your query letter. Revise it, then revise it, and then revise it again. Are you unsure about how a word is spelled? Look it up and spell it correctly. If you can’t write a grammatically correct sentence in a query, I suspect your manuscript will be just as bad.

Dazzle me with a clean query letter that piques my interest in the first sentence and keeps me reading until the end of the letter. How do you do that? Read the back cover copy on a number of books in your genre. Then write a couple of paragraphs that are just as compelling in your query letter. Include a short bio paragraph, but you don’t need to let me know you’ve been writing since the age of nine. What have you written lately? Have you published on blogs, in magazines, or even a book? Are you active on social media?

Don’t forget the most important ingredient of a terrific query letter: prayer. I pray for my current clients daily, but I also pray that I will notice the authors that I should sign on. God has been faithful in answering my prayers. He will do the same for you.

I told Ruthy I doubted that I would have my first sale to report in this blog post, but I was wrong. I am not only negotiating my first nonfiction contract, but I just received my first offer for a three-book fiction series. God is a God of firsts. If you follow God’s will and work on your craft, your first sale is just around the corner.

BIOGRAPHY

Barbara J. Scott is an agent with WordServe Literary Group. She has been a book editor for more than thirteen years and has more than thirty years of experience in publishing: newspaper, magazine, and book. She is the best-selling coauthor of Sedona Storm, which sold more than 30,000 units in its first year of release, and the sequel Secrets of the Gathering Darkness, both published by Thomas Nelson.

She kicked off and acquired bestselling authors such as Brandilyn Collins and Melody Carlson for the Y.A. fiction line at Zondervan, and many authors in her fiction launch at Abingdon Press received rave reviews in Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal. Two of her most recent authors at Abingdon Press, Cynthia Ruchti and Richard Mabry, have both been nominated for Carol Awards by ACFW in 2011. The launch at Abingdon Press exceeded all sales expectations. One of her authors at Zonderkidz/Zondervan, Nancy Rue, has sold more than one million copies of her various children’s and YA series there.

Barbara’s educational background include a M.A. in English from National University, a B.A. in English from Missouri Southern State College, a Certificate in Film from the Mass Media Institute at Stanford University, a graduate-level course in child development from Calvin College, training in screen development with the Robert McKee Story Seminar in L.A., and numerous sales, management, customer service training courses.

PUBLISHED WORKS

Sedona Storm                                                                               Thomas Nelson, 1994

Secrets of the Gathering Darkness                                             Thomas Nelson, 1996

Is There a Man in the House (ghostwritten)                                 Higher Dimensions, 1997

A Good Sense Guide to Happiness in Your Business & Personal Life  Honor Books, 1998

(ghostwritten)

God’s Little Book of Proverbs                                                      Honor Books, 1999

God’s Little Book of Blessings for Graduates                              Honor Books, 2002

God’s Daily Answers for Teachers                                              Elm Hill Press, 2003

Promises for You Today                                                               Elm Hill Press, 2004

Mothers of Influence                                                                     Honor Books, 2005

Contributor to Daily Grace for Teachers (2005) and Through the Night with God, In the Kitchen with God, and the Godspeaks Devotional, (1999-2000) all published by Honor Books.

What Barbara is Looking for:

Adult Fiction:
Full-length fiction, 65,000 to 100,000 words. General market or Christian market.

Genres: Women's, Romance, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Historical, Family Saga, Amish, Political Thrillers, Mainstream, Supernatural/Speculative, including End Times.

Short contemporary and historical fiction, 40,000 to 65,000 words. Christian market.

Genres: Romance, Historical, Romantic Suspense. Will accept queries for Barbour, Steeple Hill Love Inspired, Summerside Love Finds You, and Avon Inspire.

Kids:
Middle grade and YA books

Non Fiction:
Both Christian market and general market projects. Current Affairs, Political, Management, Sales, Money, Home Life, Marriage, Family, Parenting, Health & Diet, How-to, Popular Culture, Psychology, Science, Self-Help, Women's Issues, Devotionals. Author should have established social media, consulting, or speaking platforms.

Christian theology, apologetics, pastoral, spiritual growth:
I will only take on this type of project if the author has well-known credentials and/or a large established platform.

What am I NOT looking for?
• Gift books
• Poetry
• Short stories
• Screenplays
• Graphic novels
• Children's picture books

So guys, there you have it! In a nutshell, Barbara is telling you what she does and doesn't want and how to approach her! Fresh coffee and a la carte breakfast being served on the sun porch... Let's give her a great big Seekerville welcome and polish those entries!

Barb Scott, Abingdon Press, Senior Acquisitions Editor - Fiction, Welcome Back!

Barb, welcome back to Seekerville! Thanks for helping us chase off post-holiday jet-lag. It’s January of a new year and time to hit the ground running. With that in mind, gals and guys, don your cross-trainers, smooth your fingertips, trim your nails and let’s get back to work at those keyboards.

Starting…

Now!

Barb, it’s been a few months since we last chatted, so fill us in. What’s going on at Abingdon? Can you give us a lowdown of your release schedule, things to watch for, and book availability in stores?

I can’t believe it’s January! I’ve been so caught up in acquiring and editing manuscripts and working on covers with our designer that time has gotten away from me. It’s true that the older you get the faster time flies. It’s either a trick of the brain, or we’re all just busier these days.


Barb, you did us a huge favor by removing our very own Myra Langley Johnson from Unpubbed Island by contracting One Imperfect Christmas, due out in September ‘09. So tell us, while nobody’s listening, just between you and me, girlfriend, is our sweet, innocent, home-loving Myra-kins fun to work with? Focused? Timely? A treasure?

Or a brat????

Inquiring minds want to know. ;)

Just between you and me? A treasure, of course. I don’t work with brats. Life’s too short. LOL Myra’s a dream to work with and seems to have weathered my suggested changes with grace and goodwill toward all men…and women…and her editor.



I'm not a bit surprised! Well. Maybe just a teeny-tiny bit surprised because she DID hog the covers in the tent and she always put me on outhouse duty on the island so she wouldn't chip a nail. Did you know that Myra can turn coconut milk and pomegranate juice into some sort of tropical facial elixer? An amazing woman. :)

This has got to be a very exciting time for you and Abingdon. I hope you know that the Seekers and all their guests and visitors want to see this project do well for a variety of reasons. First, your book choices are eclectic, so Abingdon’s focus seems broad-based. That’s a wonderful thing from an author’s perspective. Can you tell us what you don’t want to see right now?

Thanks for noticing, BTW! On the flip side, we’ve chosen not to publish literary or speculative fiction, which includes science fiction, fantasy, apocalyptic, or anything that’s just plain weird. Those authors know who they are. ;)

Gotcha!!!! Note to weird authors: Try another publisher. Please. Weird Seekers, that goes for you, too! Wait. Oh, my. I'm the only weird Seeker!!! Drat and double drat! :)

And is there anything special you want to see? Some story that tweaked headlines you’d like to see developed?

One of my goals is to find and publish quality biblical fiction, especially stories about strong women. Ruth is a favorite of mine. But I don’t want paper-doll characters moving around the page to tell the same old story. Think Tosca Lee’s portrayal of Eve in Havah.


A great book. And for obvious reasons, the Book of Ruth is dear to my heart. Whither thou goest, I will go... Amazing words and presence of mind. Historical authors everywhere: Are ya' listenin'??? The woman's telling you what she wants. Get to it!

Okay, which do you like more and it’s okay to say ‘tie’…

Writing or editing? (Don’t worry, I put a filter on all Abingdon computers so their monitors will shield this answer and move them automatically on to the next question. It’s a talent I have, developed under a sonar umbrella of digitalized, fractional compu-science technology. Only a few of my friends are privy to this information about me. Let’s keep it between us, ‘kay?)

O…kay. I think. Tie!! Actually, I love to write mystery and suspense and when someone steps forward as my financial “sugar daddy,” I’ll head for home and the privacy of my computer. I think his name is “Social Security.” But I also love my life as an editor, especially the one-on-one relationships with my authors. I love to encourage them and help them be the best they can be.

Hey, if you find an extra financial "sugar daddy", let us know, all right? We've got some gals in that mindset as well, and somewhat hopeful that it won't have to wait until retirmement looms inevitable. In the meantime...

What’s been your biggest challenge in launching this new endeavor? Your biggest joy?

The greatest challenge is trusting God to launch a new fiction line in the middle of one of the biggest financial crises of our lifetime. Yet, using that old cliché, I know that I know that I know God called me to Abingdon at this time and for this purpose. And He has brought me wonderful stories, and the best of authors. They are my splendiferous joy!

I saw in Publisher’s Marketplace that you logged in a December deal, which puts to rest the claims that all publishers back off in December, waiting until post-holiday. Was this something in the works or a work so marvelous it had to be brought in ASAP?

It was definitely something that had been in the works since late August/early September. Publishers do take a break in December, so don’t get your hopes up for good news next Christmas!

I'll take that under advisement, Barb! And I'm a firm believer that everyone deserves a break around Christmas, remembering that Holy night. Silent night.

We've got the coffee pot on. It's cold and damp here in upstate New York, with snow, freezing rain, rain and lots of slush underfoot! I've got hot chocolate as well, the very best kind with marshmallows AND whipped cream...

How about some warm croissants and bagels to go with that coffee? Looks like I'm short on toppings for them. Can someone swing by the grocery or convenience store and stock us up with some cream cheese? Maybe some whipped cream? I've got homemade raspberry rhubarb jam and sour cherry jam, two flavors to die for. Seriously.

And let's give our buddy Barb a great big Seekerville welcome! Barb, we love having you here. Thanks so much for helping us kick off January with a great line-up in Seekerville and info that can only come from the editorial front-lines.


Ruthy

FOR LOVE AND MONEY DAY 4

Anyone who comments all six days will be entered into a drawing for a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Barbara Scott, Abingdon Press, Welcome to Seekerville!

As you guys all know, today we're privileged to chat-it-up with Barbara Scott, the Senior Acquisitions Editor for Fiction from Abingdon Press. Barb has promised to stop in from time to time today, stretch her legs from long hours of editing, sorting, e-mailing, reading, meeting, etc. to play in Seekerville. I promised her good food and great conversation. Or vice versa. Not quite sure which!!

To further that end I've got a lovely brunch laid for everyone and a full cafe'/cappuccino bar set up. If ya' didn't bring your mug, I've got plenty. Stop in, relax a while, chat with us and pour yourself a cup of chocolate velvet, hazelnut decaf or straight ol' 'joe'.

And there are some lovely See's dark chocolates because I hear dark chocolate is one of her weaknesses. As authors, we're not afraid to play on one's weakness, now are we????

Barbara’s bio:

Barbara Scott, Sr. Acquisitions Editor for Fiction, is actively acquiring new voices, as well as published authors, in the genres of contemporary women's fiction, contemporary romance, historical romance, historical fiction, mystery, action/adventure, and suspense/thrillers. Abingdon is not looking for literary, supernatural, or apocalyptic manuscripts. Barbara has more than 30 years experience in newspaper, magazine, and book publishing, including adult, youth, and children's fiction. She also has published two bestselling novels for Thomas Nelson with coauthor Carrie Younce, ghost-written books for well-known ministers, and written numerous work-for-hire gift books.

Barbara, welcome to Seekerville! Your bio for ACFW covers many pertinent points. I know when I put out a request for questions, genres was the most often asked. Since the bio covers that, let’s get more specific. Are you looking for a certain word count? Will the books be released in trade or mass paperback sizes? Do you prefer alpha or beta heroes? (Sorry, that one just slipped in. You know us romance writers. Sneaky little things…)

Thanks for the warm welcome, Ruthy. Love those virtual chocolates! Fiction lovers have such vivid imaginations that I can feel myself gaining five pounds just thinking about them. But on to your questions... ;)

Our fiction will be released in trade paperback (5-1/2” x 8-1/2”) and we’re looking at word counts of around 75 to 80,000 words, although I have some that go up to 100,000 and a couple in the 60 to 70,000 range. To keep our price point at $13.99, we’d like to stay below a 400-page novel.

As for alpha or beta heroes, they just need to respect their women and treat them as if they have brains. No chauvinists unless they reform by the end of the book or get their just desserts. LOL

You’ve been fast and gracious in your dealings with authors submitting proposals, sometimes responding within hours. Minutes… Do you ever worry that your turn-around time might make you the target of other editors whose turnarounds stretch into months and sometimes years? The upcoming ACFW conference is known for rather interesting pranks. Have you ordered extra locks on your hotel room door? Surveillance equipment? J If not, it might not be a bad idea. Assumed identities are helpful as well. Anybody got a Groucho mustache for Barbara?

You know, I have been looking over my shoulder a lot lately and getting these stabbing pains between my shoulder blades. Hm.

Since I was an author once, I know what it’s like to wait and wait for somebody… anybody...the guy at Starbucks…to get back to me. Not fun! Of course, I could always self-diagnose and say it has a lot to do with OCD. I must have a little Monk in me because I can’t stand a full email box.

Actually, I’m quite fortunate at Abingdon because we are consciously not booking ourselves in meetings all day. You’d be amazed at how much time most editors spend in pre-planning, planning, and post-planning meetings from development to pub boards to title and cover direction to marketing and promotions. And did I mention that most receive 75 to 100 emails a day? Try to keep up with that!

Barb, I’m a life-long, choir-singing Irish Catholic. Abingdon is a Methodist press, but rumor has it you’re open to Catholic stories and that’s uncommon in CBA. Tell us a little more about that, what you’d be willing to see and consider.

One thing I love about Abingdon Press is that we respect people of various faiths, cultures, and denominations. For instance, the protagonists in one new mystery series, which will debut in Spring 2009, are a liturgical Christian church secretary and the Jewish Rabbi from the synagogue next door…crime solvers extraordinaire! There will be ample opportunity for them to share their faith in natural, organic ways, just as we all do with our friends, but our rabbi will not be converting. Diversity is the beauty of our lives, and it’s only through dialogue with one another that we gain understanding.

Abingdon has created a stir in the waters with this opportunity, especially opening their doors to new authors and unheard voices. What helped forge that decision? Do you consider new authors a risk or an opportunity to draw new readers?

Cool!! Let’s stir a little water together. I’ve had this conversation with editors and agents for years. Especially in the bigger houses, it’s difficult to take a risk on new writers. This may come as a revelation, but the average fiction book in CBA only sells 3,500 to 5,000 copies. That’s not enough for the financial models of some larger publishing companies, so editors need to find authors with established track records. It makes it difficult for a new author to break in, but it’s not impossible. Realistic expectations were built into our publishing model, which allows us to open the door for those writers who have been working at their craft but are not yet published. New authors are a risk, but they are also an opportunity. Together, we can beat the bushes for those readers who have never read Christian fiction and are looking for engaging stories.

From talking with you, I know that Abingdon Press Fiction is interested in agented submissions at this time. You’ve been added to the list of ACFW editors for the upcoming Twin Cities conference and I know a lot of our guests are planning to attend. Other than the ladies’ room, (we’ve all heard those stories and no, people, it was never ME!!!) is there any place you’d like aspiring authors to ignore you, pretend they don’t see you, or, at the very least, pretend they’re not authors, LOL!????

I’d rather not throw open the doors to unsolicited manuscripts because then you’d never hear from me. I’d be answering mail all day. However, if I open up an opportunity at a writers’ conference or on a writers’ blog, you don’t need an agent to send me a short query email. In fact, I’m signing up two authors who read Brandilyn Collins’ blog and asked if they could send me proposals. Voila! Dreams do come true!

And yeah, those bathroom encounters can be embarrassing. So just smile and let me wash my hands. I might have an appointment with another conferee and need to get out of there. Oh, and my hotel room is off limits. But you knew that, right?

A few years ago Nav Press branched into fiction after a long and successful ministry in non-fiction. Have you or your staff studied Nav Press’s strategy to ponder what you might do differently? Similarly?

My understanding is that Nav Press has a new administration that decided to go back to their roots of serving the Navigators. Naturally, fiction would no longer fit their mission. You’d have to ask someone from Nav Press for more information.

Barb, as a strong, long-established press, Abingdon has inroads into various sale venues. Can you give us a breakdown of your future fiction marketing strategy? I noticed that Cokesbury, the retail arm of Abingdon, offers books and study materials, etc. from numerous publishers, not just Abingdon. Insourcing from other publishers makes good economic sense for all concerned. Will the fiction line be available through Cokesbury as well as traditional ABA and CBA bookstores? Do you ever use mass retail outlets like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Sam’s Club, etc.?

Abingdon Press has a big advantage in that we’ve been around for a long time and have a solid reputation. It’s amazing how fast the word has spread to the publishing trade. Our fiction will be available in all Cokesbury stores, as well as ABA and CBA bookstores, and our reps also will be calling on other major accounts.

Barb, you’ve got to be excited about launching a new line, being the ‘go-to’ gal. Do you have a personal goal for this line that you’d like to share with us? And does the line have a name yet?

Excited?! More than excited!! We just closed our Fall 2009 list, and I had to restrain myself from jumping on a desk and singing the Hallelujah Chorus. I’ve never had this much fun in my life! My personal goal is to be another Maxwell Perkins, the editor who encouraged and nurtured writers like Hemingway and Faulkner. My main motivation in life has never been money, although I certainly need to be successful to keep this job, but rather I’m motivated by my passion for discovering great stories, meeting authors who become my friends, and touching readers’ hearts and minds with books that make them want to know and love God.

For now…we’re Abingdon Press.

Barb, thanks so much for being here. I know our Seekerville buds are looking forward to your visit. The Seekers appreciate your time, your expertise and we're totally appreciative of the fact that you took our Myra off of Unpubbed Island with her contract for A Perfect Christmas. Gives me more coconut macaroons, having her gone an' all. And yes, I saved you some, drizzled with dark chocolate per your request. I tucked them away because, well... we get lots of women visitors here and you know how THAT can be.

Ruthy