KRELLFISH

The Blogger Picture

Three blogs at the top of my world this week.

CopyBlogger: Copywriting tips for online marketing success. Everyone in business needs this.

Freelance Writing Jobs: This valuable site takes reader suggested post topics,advertises writing contests, and best of all; real, paying writing jobs. Love it.

The Simple Dollar: Their tag line says it all. "Financial Talk for the Rest of Us". Founder Trent Hamm has a self-proclaimed passion for writing and personal finance. He's my new virtual best friend since we have much in common. He makes a lot of pop culture references in his writing. I love it, because now that I've hit that 40 mark, someone's got to keep me in touch with what's going on.

Condos Gone Tiled

Here is the kitchen in our one bedroom Scottsdale condo. We have two for rent, both are one bedroom, one is furnished.

This is the perfect writer's getaway. A tropical resort community with lush palms swaying in the breeze and great neighbors. A place where you'll easily read or write the next great American novel. Plus, we could meet at Starbucks on your break and discuss all things books!

Get out of that soon- to- be snowy state and come on down where it's always warm.

We'll leave the sun out for ya.

For more pictures and information visit Franks on Shea.

Office Dress for Success

I'm a big believer in dressing for success while working from home. If you sit around in your pajamas, you will produce sleepy, sloppy, lackadaisical work. I'm often quoted in this area, the latest was last week HERE, in Carol Roth's 95 Strategies for Work/Life Balance When You Work from Home. I'm under number 88.

Then this great article by Kevin Whipps got me thinking even more. 

If I worked in a traditional office building, I would never keep my office in the atrocious state it lives in. 

Five years ago we put in wood floors, a big cherry desk, ample shelves,some with glass doors, two phone lines, a shredder and fax, and I'm even rocking the double monitors. 

You'll also find loose pictures of our sons, stacks of books, a can of dusting spray with a rag to go along with the dust, various half burned candles, magazines, empty bags of Pirates Booty, old Starbucks cups, stacks of bills, contracts, school supplies and even one of my oldest son's t-shirts.

I can proudly say though, I have filed every rejection letter. Even I can't stand to look at those.

So along with getting out of my pajamas to work, how about if I made the work area quite a bit cleaner?

It would do wonders for productivity. 

The key though, is to not spend days cleaning up the office in lieu of actual writing. That isn't allowed in a traditional office setting either. 

So let's all clean up our act a little bit and let me know if it makes a difference in your work day.

Pretty Side of Rejection

I've been working hard, pursuing an agent and publication. I had to gear up though, because it's a law that the more queries you send, the more rejections you'll receive.

So every day typically begins as "another day, another rejection."

I've received some nasty rejections over the years. But the last few days, each one has been nice. Like really nice.

So I just wanted to say thank you to the agents and publishers, even those who are "highly selective in who they represent" for the kindness and time you have afforded me. Instead of feeling defeated, I start my day encouraged by your words and well wishes. Instead of quitting, I research, write and query, looking for the right representation.

It's only takes one pretty red pencil to mark the yes box, and God willing, I'll be ready on that day.

Book Stuff I Like

 Run, don't walk to get this one friends. Jonathan Acuff's Stuff Christians Like is laugh out loud funny. It takes a lot to get me ROTF laughing, but this book did it. Sometimes I would have to stop reading because I was tired from laughing! A huge thanks to Zondervan for providing me with a review copy.

Sometimes, we fall in love on mission trips even though we know we’ll break up when we get back. Sometimes, you have to shot block a friend’s prayer because she’s asking God to bless an obviously bad dating relationship. Sometimes, you think, “I wish I had a t-shirt that said ‘I direct deposit my tithe’ so people wouldn’t judge me.”

Sometimes, the stuff that comes with faith is funny.

This is that stuff.

Jonathan Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like is your field guide to all things Christian. In it you’ll learn the culinary magic of the crock-pot. Think you’ve got a Metro worship leader-Use Acuff’s checklist. Want to avoid a prayer handholding faux pas? Acuff has you covered.

Like a satirical grenade, Acuff brings us the humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries in a new portable version. Welcome to the funny side of faith.

Being convicted has never been so much fun.

Here is an interview with Jonathan on writing:

How did you get involved in writing?
A teacher in the third grade laminated some poems I wrote and I fell in love with it then.

What was the most difficult aspect of the writing process?
Finishing a piece. Starting is so much easier.

What did you enjoy most about the writing process?
The brainstorming part. 

How do you find time to write?
I get up at 5AM before anyone in my family is up.

What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?

Pick a time to write and then do it. Don’t debate whether you will write each day, just write. 

Click the cover to purchase Jonathan's book at Amazon.

Cecil Murphey Appreciation

June has been declared Cecil Murphey appreciation month. He has written or coauthored more than 100 books including the New York Times best- seller 90 Minutes in Heaven. 

I love his books but appreciate his teaching most of all. I'm in an online Writer's Group where Cec is a moderator. In the interest of keeping my inbox clean, I delete hundreds of emails per month from that loop. But not the ones from Cecil Murphey. I keep those carefully stored and read them at least once a week. 

You see, he took the time on several occasions to respond to my writing personally. I have been most encouraged in my career, by him. He speaks about allowing God to hold his hands and pour into him, and as the Father of Writing, Cec turns around and freely pours himself into hundreds of writers. 

You know that question people love to ask, "If you could meet anyone who would it be?" My dream is to meet and take a class from Cecil Murphey. (Number two is to meet and sing with Phil Vassar, but I digress.)

I'm so honored because in July, Cecil will be writing a guest post here at Krellfish. I will also be reviewing his latest book, When A Man You Love Was Abused.

Thank you for everything Cec, you are deeply appreciated.

 

Live Well Write Well

There is definite truth to the "write what you know" mantra. We are honest, less tempered, free and wise when we write uncensored from personal experience. 

When we dream out loud or even privately in a journal, if we haven't lived, there is an arrogance and hollow ring to our writing. 

But the fountain which comes from the pen of an authentic writer, is the beauty of a life worth living.

Good writers live well so they will write well.

3 Little Pigs '10

 Three Little Pigs 2010

                  Pigs today don’t understand the importance of constructing their own lives. Everything is prepackaged and they don’t even have to think for themselves anymore. The lasting impact is still the same though; pigs that don’t build their own “houses” can end up homeless on many fronts.

                  The first little Piggy went to the virtual market and constructed a life and home on the World Wide Web. The materials were not only cheap, they were free and his life was easy to build. When the wolf named Reality stopped by and huffed and puffed, the first piggy’s fake world disappeared. He had no friends and nowhere to go. He had no job, nowhere to live, no life. So he went to live with his brother, the second little pig.

                  Pig Number Two had been given everything all of his life. This little piggy stayed home. He never had to work, study or train to be anything more than the son of two pigs. Father Pig had given Pig Number Two an expensive house and then suddenly passed away, leaving massive debt behind. When a wolf named Bill came to huff,puff and collect; the house only shook at first, but eventually collapsed and the pigs lost everything. Since neither brother had any skills or life, they had to go to their youngest brother, the Third Little Pig.

                  Now the Third Little Pig was at a time in his life, when every day as he drove from work he happily shouted “whee, whee, whee!” all the way home. This little pig had built his house and life on a rock, out of bricks. Of course these materials were costly and more difficult to come by, but the third pig understood the dangers of wolves and shifting sand.

                  When the Wolf’s wind blew, as it always does, the third pig’s house could not be shaken. This made the wolf angry, so he climbed on the roof and tried to enter the house through the chimney. The house had been converted to gas however, so the defunct chimney was boarded up. The wolf couldn’t get in. Unable to climb down, the wolf stayed on the roof, screaming to be let in. His screams scare off evil predators who heard the three pigs were all under one roof, waiting to be eaten.

    The third little Pig is a good pig and allows his brothers to live with him. Obviously he isn't married, nor does he hope to be anytime soon. He forces both his brothers to maintain jobs and to contribute to the monthly expenses.

     Many years later they thank their brother for not throwing them to the wolves and for giving them a true second life.

Ak 2008

Some Conference Highlights

This past weekend was the 10th Anniversary of the Christian Writer's Guild Writing for the Soul Conference. It was tremendous.

A couple of highlights:

Max Lucado was the keynote one evening. He reminded me that I will never write better than I live. I want to be a good writer. I better live well.

Phil Vischer surprised me with his powerful story. He created VeggieTales in 1990 and has a new company called Jellyfish Labs. The real story however, is in the way God moved in his life. Reaching a place of utter brokenness, Phil is now able to integrate faith in a fresh and authentic way, through his new company. I encourage you to check out his story, you'll be glad you did.

And a classic Audra moment:

At dinner one evening I sat next to a Neurologist, who was accompanying his writer wife. I let 30 minutes go by before asking if I could get his opinion on a medical question. He welcomed my question and I launched into Landon's story of his severe head injury. I threw out all my big terms: post traumatic memory loss, post concussive syndrome, etc. I wrapped up with, "So in your opinion is it normal for him to have these headaches for so long?"

"I really couldn't say, that's out of my area of expertise," he said.

"But you're a Neurologist."

"I'm a Urologist."

I died a thousand deaths.

"Well, you'll be happy to know my son's urine is a pale yellow, he seems really hydrated. . ."

Brand Marketing 101 with WD-40

Marketing genius John S. Barry of WD-40 has passed away at the age of 84. When the product was created in the 50's, Mr. Barry marketed WD-40 and made it into a timeless product that no one could do without. Here is an excerpt of some of his best practices, taken from a New York Times article by Douglas Martin.

"Mr. Barry brought marketing coherence and discipline to the company. He spruced up the packaging and increased the advertising budget, but most of all he pushed for distribution. He emphasized free samples, including the 10,000 the company sent every month to soldiers in the Vietnam War to keep their weapons dry.

Within a little more than a decade, Mr. Barry was selling to 14,000 wholesalers, up from 1,200 when he started.

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He kept tight control of the product. When Sears wanted to package WD-40 under its own label, Mr. Barry said no. When another big chain wanted the sort of price concessions to which it was accustomed, he refused.

He pushed to get WD-40 into supermarkets, where people buy on impulse. He also began an aggressive effort to sell WD-40 in foreign countries.

“We may appear to be a manufacturing company,” Mr. Barry said to Forbes, “but in fact we are a marketing company.”

 7 tips to best market your book or your brand from Mr. Barry's innovative marketing of WD-40.

•  Bring coherence and discipline to your company, even if you represent the sum total of employees
•  Make your packaging sizzle 
•  Take dollars from somewhere else to increase marketing budget
• Make distribution your top priority
• Give thousands of free samples of your product (Book excerpts, e-books)
• Keep tight control of your product. Writers, this doesn't mean self-publishing. It means thoroughly reading and negotiating your contracts with editors, agents and publishers.
• Aggressively place your product in stores where people make impulse buys. Work hard to get your product into International markets.
• Realize that you may "appear" to be manufacturing something, but at the end of the day you are a marketing company.