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10 Tips to Finding an Agent by Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers & Who Won Bethany Jett’s Book?

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By Vonda Skelton | April 1, 2014

Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers headshotToday is April Fool’s Day, but there are no tricks here at The Christian Writer’s Den! Instead, I’m thrilled to offer a treat, 10 Tips to Finding an Agent, from author-sisters (for real) Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers, a drawing for their new book, AND a free book from Bethany Jett!

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Be sure to read Betsy’s and Laurie’s bio and book info below, but I’m excited to go ahead and tell you they have a new book, The Shepherd’s Song: A Story of Second Chances, released a few weeks ago by Howard Books. Yay! I’ve read this book and I can say it opened my eyes to the power of God’s Word to change hearts around the world.

In celebration of their new book, Betsy and Laurie are giving away a free book AND sharing some agent secrets with us! Just leave a tip you’d like to share or a word of encouragement for the Writing Sisters, and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book. Just be sure to check back next week to see if you’re the winner.

And now, here are Betsy’s and Laurie’s 10 Tips to Finding an Agent. These are tips no one told them, but they’re sharing them with you today!

10 Tips to Finding an Agent 

by Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers

After twenty years of writing for children we felt called to make a change. We had not needed an agent before. Twenty years ago you could still have a manuscript read by a publisher without an agent, especially in the world of children’s books. Once we had a relationship with a publishing house we didn’t feel the need. Now that we were writing an adult book, The Shepherd’s Song, and we were writing about our faith – the rules had changed. We needed an agent – but how could we find the right one?

Here are some things we learned about finding an agent on our quest to write and publish The Shepherd’s Song.

  1. Pray. Throughout the process of writing the book we prayed for the “team” and waited with expectation to see what special people God would draft for us. In our 20 years of publishing we had never had an agent. Now as we moved into writing a book for adults we needed representation. We had no idea how to find the right person. We started with prayer.
  2. Don’t count on the 15 minute pitch. Relationships take time. We don’t know very many writers who found their agents during the pitch. We didn’t. The pitches were important for us. Getting our one sheet together and honing our description of the book was valuable. Seeing the reaction across the table to the way we presented the book was also helpful.
  3. Emailing your unrequested proposal is really a long shot. Everyone is overwhelmed with email and submissions. Think about building face-to-face relationships at conferences instead.
  4. Silence means No. We looked for God to open doors and close doors. Sometimes He worked through silence. “But she said she would get back to us in 6 weeks.” It took us a while to realize that the silence was a rejection.
  5. Nos can be helpful. No is an important part of shaping your book. With every no comes a chance to improve the book.
  6. Wait for the right person. You can say “no” too. Along the path to finding an agent we had some opportunities. One agent offered to consider representing us if we changed genres and wrote something more mainstream. We had to learn to wait and be true to the work that God had given us.
  7. Don’t be desperate. God called you to write and he has a plan for your book. Being desperate makes us take control of the process and make mistakes.
  8. Others writers want to help you in the search. We found our agent at a lunch for 700 people. A writing friend who had an agent saw him coming toward the table and moved over a seat to let him sit by us. That act of generosity changed our career.
  9. Be ready – always – in every situation. We got caught a few times without sample chapters when we didn’t expect to be asked for them.
  10. Keep your eyes open. Pray and watch. You never know when that moment will come.

When we least expected it our moment came. Greg Johnson from WordServe Literary sat down at our Betsy Duffey The Shepherd Song covertable. We connected and when he asked for our sales figures we had them. When he asked to see a one sheet we had it.

He asked to read the book and we sent it the day we got home. The next Monday we signed with WordServe. Not long after that he placed The Shepherd’s Song at Howard Books. But that’s another story.

Please share what you have learned along the way –

Betsy and Laurie

Friends, don’t forget to leave a comment and you’ll be in the drawing for a free book from Betsy and Laurie. Be sure to check back next week to see if you’re the winner!

Back cover copy from The Shepherd’s Song: Follow the incredible journey of one piece of paper—a copy of Psalm 23—as it travels around the world, linking lives and hearts with its simple but beautiful message. Shortly before a tragic car accident, Kate McConnell wrote down the powerful words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper for her wayward son. Just before she loses consciousness, Kate wonders if she’s done enough with her life and prays, “Please, let my life count.” Unbeknownst to Kate, her handwritten copy of Psalm 23 soon begins a remarkable journey around the world. Eventually, Kate’s paper makes it back to its starting place, and she discovers the unexpected ways that God changes lives, even through the smallest gestures. With beautiful prose evocative of master storyteller Andy Andrews’s The Butterfly Effect, this story will touch your heart and remind you of the ways God works through us to reach beyond what we can imagine.

Bio: The Writing Sisters, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers, were born into a writing family, and began critiquing manuscripts at an early age for their mother, Newbery winner Betsy Byars. They went on to become authors of more than thirty-five children’s novels. Their first book for adults is  The Shepherd’s Song, Howard Books, March 2014. You can reach Betsy and Laurie at or And here’s a direct Amazon link to The Shepherd’s Song: A Story of Second Chances.

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Bethany Jett cover Cinderella RuleAnd Who Won Bethany Jett’s Book, The Cinderella Rule?

Congratulations goes to Maureen Hager! I’m so happy for you, Maureen!

Please contact me with your mailing address and Bethany will get your book right out to you.

And readers, I know you want your own copies to give to teen and pre-teen girls in your realm of influence, so here’s a direct Amazon link to The Cinderella: A Young Woman’s Guide to Happily Ever After.

And if you’re a youth leader, remember, this would make a great book for your girls’ small group study.

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So that does it for another Tuesday at The Christian Writer’s Den where we encourage, educate, and promote writers. I’ll look forward to seeing you Friday. :-)

Happy writing!

Vonda

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Parting Words From The WORD…

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By Vonda Skelton | February 28, 2014

Ice skate microsoft imagesThe Olympics have just ended, so this is the perfect time to share a special Parting Words From The WORD… blog post with you, written by my friend, Lynn Blackburn. I know it’s much longer than our usual Friday posts, but after reading it, I knew I just had to share her encouraging words here. Thank you, Lynn.

Friends, are you weary? Ready to give up? Or do you know someone who is? Either way, this post is written for you.

Because the Second Half is Exhausting, by Lynn Huggins Blackburn


I love figure skating. It’s one of my favorite parts of the Winter Olympics, right up there with curling, because let’s face it, curling is cool.

Anyway.

Figure skating has seen its share of drama, some of which led to a complete overhaul of the scoring system a few years ago.

Now, the skater sits in the “kiss and cry” section and waits with their coaches for the score. A voice comes over the speaker and says, “The score, for fabulous skater from cool country is, 63.7.”

It really lacks the drama from the old days. You remember how it went, don’t you?

5.8 (dramatic pause)
5.7 (dramatic pause)
6.0 (wild cheers from the crowd)
5.3 (hissing and boos)
5.8 (skater bursts into tears of joy or grief)

Yeah, those were good times.

Anyway.

I have to confess that I don’t understand the new scoring system, but it has one feature I find fascinating.

Skaters can earn bonus points.

Each jump is given a certain number of points, and when they land that jump, they get those points. But if they land that same jump after the halfway mark of their program, they get a bonus.

Because it’s a lot harder to land those jumps when you’re tired.

Oh baby, don’t we know it.

We take the ice and we’re skating our hearts out, but somewhere along the way, everything gets harder. Legs tremble. Breaths spasm through our chest. Arms quiver. We try to maintain our form, our speed, because there’s more to come. More twists and spins. More fancy footwork. More jumps.

It’s exhausting.

If this makes perfect sense to us when we think about an ice skating routine, why do we forget it when it comes to this crazy free skate we call life?

We started out great. We opened our hearts to people in need. We sacrificed—our time, our money, our desires—for the sake of the Gospel. We knew He had a great plan even when it didn’t make sense. Then it got harder, and for some reason, this shocks us.

Every. Single. Time.skate on its side microsoft

We’re struggling to get enough oxygen to our brain to think clearly, and we can’t figure out what happened. When all that happened is we got tired. We’ve been at this for a while, and it’s exhausting.

This idea has been spinning in my brain for the past week as I near the end of an unplanned free skate. After weeks of demolition and construction, we are in the final stretch. When the last pile of sawdust is swept away, my home will be more beautiful than it was before.

But it’s been exhausting, and even though I can tell from the music that it’s almost over, I’m faltering. I’m not sure I’ve got another jump in me.

So when a friend shot me a text this morning, reminding me that this is just a slice of time, that this will end, and that it won’t be like this forever, it came as both a gentle reproof and a much needed boost to my morale.

And it got my mind twisting a little more. Because if you’re reading this, I know you’re in one of two places. Maybe even in both at the same time.

1. You’re exhausted. You’ve been pursuing the dream, the friendship, the child, the spouse, the number on the scale, or the boss you can’t please, and you’ve got nothing left.

If this is you today, can I remind you that Jesus is the one who said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Your fatigue doesn’t shock Him, and He’s not looking down on you in disgust, wondering how you could be so weak. He likes weak, because when we recognize our weakness, that’s when His strength can pour through us. In His strength, not our own, the jumps we land near the end of the program will be the ones that glorify Him most.

2. You know someone who is exhausted. The friend who gave up her bedroom to care for an aging parent a year ago. The co-worker who’s wondering if the cancer treatment is going to save her life or just kill her faster. The couple who’ve been waiting a decade to announce a new baby. The family who opened their home to foster or adopt. The people next door who don’t know if they’ll be able to pay the power bill. Or maybe it’s closer to home. Maybe it’s the spouse who dreads leaving for work each day, or the child who withdraws more every week as she navigates high school.

They need someone to remind them that it’s okay to be exhausted. It’s okay to be weak. It’s okay to need help.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that since they’ve been “handling” this situation so well for so long, that they don’t need anything. Recognize that they are operating in bonus point territory. If there’s a way to provide tangible assistance, by all means, do it. Take them a meal or take their kids for an afternoon or invite them to a movie. Call them or text them with a little bit of perspective, even if it scares you to do it, because it may be exactly what they need.

No matter what, pray for them. Better? Pray WITH them.

Maybe you could pray this…

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV, emphasis mine)

Lynn Blackburn headshotBIO: Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about living life at the intersection of fear and faith on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and Cross ‘N Pen Writers. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.

(Skate images courtesy of office.microsoft.com)

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What Your Elliptical Can Teach You About Relationship With God by Anita Alvarez & Who Won Julie Coleman’s Book?

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By Vonda Skelton | October 29, 2013

Photo by

Every time I exercise, I feel so—spiritual. Not what you were expecting me to say, is it? But it’s true. The older I get, the less I can rely on my body to do what it’s supposed to do. Now, when I was younger, I didn’t have this problem. I could depend on it to do whatever I needed it to do, in spite of how I treated my body. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that I abused my body. Every day.

I didn’t give two thoughts to what I was using as fuel—or food. I stayed up late with no regard for getting eight hours of sleep, or how it would affect me in the morning. Then there was that period in graduate school where I ate a Dairy Queen Blizzard for dinner. Every night. For about four months.

Part of the problem was that I didn’t experience any direct negative consequences from my decisions. Now that I’m past 40, I can’t get away with such brash choices. It’s been that way for awhile. Now, I have the benefit of immediate effects from eating a McDonald’s meal or foregoing exercise.

Some may think I’m veering on the edge of sacrilege here, likening physical activity and my “diet” to spiritual activities. But in the Hebrew culture, the mind-body split as we know it in the Western world simply didn’t exist. You see, we tend to think of spiritual activities as the things we do on Sundays, or in our prayer closet. This isn’t how our biblical relatives “did life.” Instead, the two were essentially one. What you did in one area affected the other, and vice versa.

I’m learning how important it is to marry the two. How I treat my body not only affects what I can accomplish in the day, how much energy I have, and even how well I can think or serve my family. It also carries over—directly—into my spiritual walk. If I’m not giving my body the activity and key nutrients it needs for its daily functions, and to ensure good health as I grow older, will I be able to give all of myself for service to the Lord and His people?

I may not be reading God’s word or talking directly to Him while I’m chugging along on the elliptical or practicing Pilates to increase my flexibility, but I’m surely treating my temple as God designed.

Staying active. Eating right. Teaching my children these habits. They’re all just part of my daily walk with God.

Won’t you join me on a spiritual “walk” and make being fit and healthy one of this year’s goals?

BIO: Anita Alvarez is a full-time freelance writer. Her work includes writing about developing a healthy lifestyle, getting and staying fit, and eating a healthy diet of whole foods. You can find her articles on Angie’s List, Stack.com, and the Examiner, or her website: Plantified.

(Photo by )

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Who Won Julie Coleman’s Book?

And the winner is…Cindy Rooy! Congrats, Cindy! Now just Contact Me with your snail mail address and Julie’s book will be right out to you!

And for those who didn’t win, you can order Julie’s book Unexpected Love: God’s Heart Revealed in Jesus’ Conversations with Women here.

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Are You Adding to the Noise? by Dave Weiss & Who Won Janet McHenry’s Book?

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By Vonda Skelton | October 1, 2013

Friends, please welcome my friend, Dave Weiss, to the Christian Writer’s Den today. Dave is not only an artist, writer, speaker, and pastor, he’s also founder of AMOKArts.com where he helps Christian Creatives use their gifts for God’s glory. So when he shared his thoughts on this book, I knew I just had to share it–and Dave–with you.

Are You Adding to the Noise? by Dave Weiss


I’m reading an excellent book right now called The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity by Skye Jethani. I was mainly drawn to the book because in it he relates the story behind Van Gogh’s masterpiece Starry Night to the current attitude of consumer Christianity. But it’s not just Van Gogh, he interweaves many other wonderful illustrations into the mix including many from the arts and humanities.

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Heroes Versus Slugs–How Different Are They?

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By Vonda Skelton | June 27, 2013

Today I’m thrilled to welcome back Jennifer Slattery. I just had the joy of finally meeting Jennifer in person at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and she’s just as much fun in person as she is on paper. I know you’re going to love this post!

Heroes Versus Slugs—How Different Are They?

by Jennifer Slattery

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Pet Peeves and Grace

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By Vonda Skelton | June 13, 2013

Photo courtesy of

Hello, friends! Greetings from Alaska. Today’s guest blog post comes from Carol Barnier. You may recall another post she shared with us a while back: She Never Had a Rejection? It generated a lot of comments and I think you’ll find this one equally thought-provoking.

Pet Peeves and Grace

By Carol Barnier

If you’ve been in a writer’s support group for any length of time, you’ve certainly seen it before. It’s an evergreen discussion that makes a pass every year or so. When a professional association has covered all the topics they can think of—Saying No to a Mentor Request, Keeping Social Media from Eating Your Time, How to Have a Book Signing that Doesn’t Look as Though it Occurred Post-Rapture, there eventually comes a lull in which no one can think of a fresh and original topic to pose to the group.

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Learn How to Earn a Living as a Freelance Writer–Part One

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By Vonda Skelton | June 11, 2013

Photo courtesy of

I’m in Alaska for a few weeks, but don’t worry, I have a great line-up of guest posts for you!

Some of you know that Edie Melson and I met at the 2001 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference as unpublished writers, and now she’s the co-director of that conference! How’s that for evidence of how hard work pays off? Be sure to read Edie’s bio below, but let me just say here, she is well-respected and well-known in the writing world.

This article is a reprint of Part One of an eight-part series on freelance writing, originally posted on Edie’s popular blog, The Write Conversation. At the end of this post, be sure to follow the link to Edie’s blog, scroll down and you’ll find links to ALL EIGHT POSTS! Hoo-wee!

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Encouragers and Discouragers & Who Won Poppy Smith’s Book?

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By Vonda Skelton | April 30, 2013

Today is a 5th Tuesday, and that means you get to hear from a guest blogger. Today’s guest is my friend, Laura Polk. Laura is a novelist I met several years ago at a writing conference, and I was immediately drawn in to her story. (And no, I’m NOT the one she refers to in this post!) I’m thrilled that Laura will be attending the Christian Communicators Conference in August at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove!

What a joy to share this post with you today as we continue our focus on writing conferences. I hope Laura’s words will encourage you to keep learning, keep growing, and keep doing the work of a writer.

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What Drives an Editor Crazy, by Chip MacGregor

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By Vonda Skelton | April 9, 2013

As I mentioned last week, conference season is here, so it’s time to buckle down and take care of a few things before we head out the door.

Thanks to Chip MacGregor, president of MacGregor Literary, for allowing me to repost this hilarious, yet helpful article. I guarantee you you’ll laugh. And if you’re smart, you’ll apply what you read. Here’s the link to Chip’s original post. Be sure to head over there (after reading and commenting here, of course) and check out all his great topics.

And to the guys among us: If you really want to get Chip’s undivided attention at a conference, be sure to follow him into the restroom and deliver your pitch. He loves that.

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Writing From Impact

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By Vonda Skelton | January 29, 2013

Today’s extra-special 5th Tuesday Guest Blogger post is by my friend, Marilyn Nutter. I know her heartfelt story will touch you, not only as a writer, but as a believer of a providential, loving Father.

You’ll want to be sure to answer Marilyn’s question–one winner will be randomly selected for a free copy of Marilyn’s devotional book, Diva Delights: Finding Extraordinary Treasures in Ordinary Days.

Writing From Impact by Marilyn Nutter

Last October, I attended a writers’ mini-retreat. The pre-assignment was to answer “What things have most impacted your writing in a positive way during the past 6 months?” Ordinarily that would be a fairly easy topic to answer, but on December 23, 2011, my life irrevocably changed when my husband suffered a fatal heart attack. Aside from my personal journals, writing has taken a back seat. That is not to say, though, that I hadn’t learned anything of value to write for the assignment, and today, I will share some with you.

As writers, we write out of the experiences and interests that shape us. Grief is a shaping experience! I have spent a lot of “alone” time, time meditating on small pieces of scripture, not quickly reading to go on to “the next thing.” Frankly, focusing attention on small doses and little pieces was all I could do some days. Even prayers were more single sentences than a long prayer list.  I have learned the reality of “Emmanuel” as I walk through my day. As I transferred this to writing, it became apparent that if I want to be a Christian writer as opposed to a writer who is a Christian, then meditating on the small nuggets He gives me to stay close to Him, rather than rushing to look at “big ideas,” are critical in shaping me and writing from my heart.

The first time I wrote for my website was in March. When my fingers hit the keyboard, it was obvious that my words were Spirit filled and not self-driven.  What a lesson that was to refrain from the mechanical and respond to the spiritual; to avoid writing out of need but writing out of a calling; and to write what distinctly reflected me, rather than respond to an opportunity because it will add credits to my resume.

Last year, I committed to write eight devotionals for a site. In November I was inspired to write all of them and I submitted them. Given what happened in December, had I not done that, none would have been submitted in 2012. In reflecting on my early submissions, I was reminded to trust God’s timing. Though at that time my future was unknown to me, the events came as no surprise to Him. The Spirit nudged me to complete the project. Glad I listened!

Finally, a Spanish proverb tells us, “Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence.”  We know that we can stick our feet in our mouths or hastily say something with disastrous consequences. Even auto correct on an iPhone has led to some hilarious and unfortunate messages!  As writers, our words should improve a blank sheet of paper and enrich the writer and the reader.  I now ask myself, “Is that what my writing does?”

So, I am in a process of re-entry. I learned a lot during my seemingly stagnant year. That is another lesson. Even though we may not have an article or book to our credit this year, don’t minimize what you are learning and how you are growing. God is always at work.

I’d love to hear your answer to the same question, “What has impacted your writing this past year?”

Comment and I will randomly choose a name to receive a copy of my devotional book, Diva Delights: Finding Extraordinary Treasures in Ordinary Days.

Bio: Marilyn is the author of three devotional books, a contributor to compilations and websites and a tea lover!  She is the coordinator of the mentoring ministry at her church and a Bible study leader. She loves speaking to women’s groups about finding extraordinary treasures in ordinary and challenging days. Marilyn resides in Mt Holly NC. She is the mother of three grown daughters and sons-in law and six grandchildren who remind her that her “cup runs over” each time they are together. Visit her website for encouraging words and contact her at for speaking topic information.

Vonda here: Thank you, Marilyn, for joining us today and sharing from your heart. And readers, I hope you’ll answer her question, “What has impacted your writing this past year?” I’d love to see your responses!

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