Top Tips for Marketing as an Author and Reader PLUS Giveaway

Hi! Sherrinda Ketchersid here. 

Spring is on our doorstep! A Season for New!

This month on the Writer's Alley we're introducing, discussing, and giving tips for some of those "new" chapters writers encounter. We have a lot to share! Last week, Mary Vee shared her top tips for before and after getting a book contract. Julia Reffner and Laurie Tomlinson will host later this month with great "new" topics for you. 

As I began thinking about this post, I started kicking myself (not really, but kinda really) for saying I'd take this topic. Me talk about marketing? I hate marketing! And I'm still a debut author with my first book published last May, so what do I know about good marketing? Well, I'm going to share some things I've learned here today and Thursday night I'm going to do a Facebook Live on The Writer's Alley and share some of the Alley Cat's best advice for marketing. (Yikes! I said I'd do a Facebook Live too????)

So let's get down to it. First we'll talk about tips for the writer, then switch to tips for the reader.

Top Tips To Do for the Writer:

• Begin early to search blogs you can guest post or get an interview on. If you are a member of ACFW and join their mail email loop, people will post when they are accepting guest bloggers on their blog. There are so many supportive authors who want to help you promote your new release. Schedule one a day the week(s) before and after your release. If you schedule more than one a day, it gets super busy and splits your focus. 
• Create a speadsheet of your author interviews, guest posts, etc. This will help in maintaining deadlines, sending all the required documents (book cover, author photo, book blurb, etc.), and other pertinent information.
• Use Canva or some photo editing tool to create memes with quotes from your book and do a week countdown with them toward release day.
• Follow book bloggers on social media and develop a REAL relationship with them - not just to promote your book, but share your love of books. When you have a book release, you can offer up a copy of your book for them to read and hopefully review.
• Start a newsletter. This was (and still is) hard for me, but as we all know, social media changes on a daily basis and is not reliable in getting our news into the hands of our followers. But an email list is YOURS and you can share book news straight into your interested readers' inbox. 
• Start a website if you don't already have one. Readers want to know all about the authors they read, so have a page about you, a page for your book(s), and a blog. A blog is a great way to share behind the scenes stuff about your book, your writing life, your reading life, and more. Yes, you can do this through social media too (or instead of a blog). 
• Gather a launch team. This was incredibly intimidating for me to do. There are many ways to do this and you can google "how to start a launch team" and will get hundreds of ideas. I decided to tell my newsletter subscribers and was able to gather some that way. You could open it up on Facebook too. It is suggested to have a survey or sign up form so that you get serious minded people who will follow through with sharing and reviewing your book that they got for free. Create a Facebook group for them and share memes with them to post, as well as share the blogs you are on so they can spread the word too. There may be some on your team who can host you as well.
• Hire a company that does blog tours such as JustRead Tours or Celebrate Lit. I hired JustRead Tours a few months after my release and could see an increase in sales. I highly recommend them! They were amazing to deal with and very helpful.
• Try and set up book signings in your local book stores or libraries. 
• Have a Release Day Party and celebrate your special day with friends and family. You will sell lots of books, so have plenty on hand. Make it simple. Cookies and punch. Talk a little about your book and how it came to be. It is a fun way to mark an important day in your life.

Top Tips To Not Do for the Writer:

• Don't try to do everything. You can't do it all and will burn out and not enjoy the whole experience of your book releasing into the world if you are stressed. Pick a few things to do and do them well. You don't have to join every single social media. Find what you like best and do it.
• Don't focus just on yourself on social media. Try following the 80/20 rule. Share about others or non-book news 80% of the time and 20% about your book news. 
• Don't follow reader groups just to advertise your book. Social media is about developing relationships and that is the goal, not just promoting your book.
• Don't spend a boat-load of money on Ads without doing your research. Some say Facebook ads are dead and others have huge success with them. Some say Amazon ads are the way to go and others say it's a waste of your money. Do your due diligence and find out what will work for you.

Top Tips for the Reader:

You might be thinking, "What? Why do I need to market my favorite authors?" Let me tell you, authors desperately need you, the reader! All authors are expected to market their books, even authors who publish with the big publishers. If you love an author's work and want to see more books from them, do your part in spreading the word about those beloved stories. Here's how you can help:

• Write a review and post on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and other sites. Reviews matter and help to boost the book in the "algorithms" that showcases books to others.
• Follow authors on social media and like/comment on their posts. This helps to build their platform that publishers want to see.
• Share author's news on social media, like new releases, book sales, etc. Word of mouth sells books.
• Subscribe to an author's newsletter. This keeps you informed of news, but also, publishers like to see an author's growing email list.
• Join an author's street team and be active within the group. This is huge to an author. They need people who love their books and want to engage.
• Ask your library to carry an author's book. More eyes on a book gets an author more readers.
• If you like a book, share about it on social media. Again, word of mouth sells books. 
• Do a giveaway for a favorite book on social media.
• If you are on Instagram, do a cute #bookstagram to feature a book. There are so many creative ways to share your love of books. 
• Nominate a book for your book club. Ask the author to Skype in for discussion. 

There are so many ways authors and readers can help each other in sharing their love for books and marketing those books. All authors were readers first and as a reader, should do their part in promoting others' books besides their own. It's a lot to take in, right? But if we are being honest, sharing our love for story isn't all that hard. Be real and authentic. Just a few lines and a simple photo of your book of choice is all it takes to spread some book love.

In regards to marketing and promoting books, what other ways can you think of to get the word out about your book or your favorite reads?

GIVEAWAY

***Giveaway closed and winner has been chosen.

The winner chosen by random.org is Patti Jo, aka CatMom. She has been contacted by email.***

In the comments, answer the question above for a chance to win your choice of:

OR

Your choice of any Alley Cat book still in print. Go HERE to see all the books!

Winner will be selected Friday, March 13, 2020

Also, stop by Thursday night at 7 pm Central for a Facebook Live talking about promoting books: tips for the author and the reader. 

See you then!!!

BONUS: If you would like to browse through my collection of marketing articles I've found on Pinterest, just go HERE.

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a lover of stories with happily-ever-after endings. Whether set in the past or present, romance is what she writes and where her dreams reside. 

Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her preacher husband. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

When not writing, Sherrinda loves to read, paint in her Bible, and play with her adorable scruffy dog, Phineas.






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The Artisan Soul

Have you read a book lately that really spoke to your heart? I have to say that The Artisan Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus is one of those books for me. From the very first chapter, the words I read made my soul burn with yearning, agreement, and connection. I've highlighted most of the book so far, wanting the words to be imprinted on my heart, for they encourage and motivate me to be creative, to be brave, to risk, and to truly be an artist.

McManus is not just an artist. He is a creative who uses his gifts to further the work of God. He started a church in LA, CA called Mosaic where the people of his congregation use their creative talents for the Kingdom. And what he calls us to in The Artisan Soul is a life of creativity...every day...no matter the medium or vehicle through which we create. What he teaches is that every soul is a creative soul, whether they think so or not.

"...the great divide is not between those who are artists and those who are not, but between those who understand that they are creative and those who have become convinced that they are not."

We are all creative. We are created by a creative God who made us into His image.

"Yet what humanity needs most is for us  to set creativity free from this singular category of the extraordinary and release it into the hands of the ordinary. Creativity should be an everyday experience. Creativity should be as common as breathing. We breathe, therefore we create."

A person might say that not all people are creative and that saying everyone is just sets a person up for failure. But as people who have the Spirit of God living within them, we are creative beings. We want to create whether it is through decorating a room, cooking a fabulous dish, writing a short story, blogging, painting, making a yard look good, or crocheting a blanket.

Being creative doesn't mean there won't be failures. There will be.

"...we live in the fear that if we aspire to be more we will discover ourselves to be less. We live in fear of failure, convinced that failure will prove us to be frauds. We have bought into the lie that creative people never fail and hence failure is proof that we are not creative."

"Fear is the shadow of creativity....The creative act is inherently an act of courage....To make our lives a creative act is to marry ourselves to risk and failure...creativity is born of risk and refined from failure. If we are at the core both spiritual beings and creative beings, then the artisan soul is where we live when we have the courage to be our truest selves."

It's so hard to step out and risk it all to share our creative selves. When we hit send on the manuscript we have written, we feel we are sending a part of very essence out for the world to judge. We fear we will be judged as inferior, which reflects on who we are at our core. But those rejections are the building stones of creativity. They are what grounds us and molds us. We are indeed "refined by failure".

This book is one that should grace every artist's bookshelf.

Do you consider yourself creative? Do you embrace your artistic soul? Or is it hard for you to say you are an artistic person...whether it is with words, paint, landscape, or food, etc? 

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, released in May 2019.

You can connect with her through:
Newsletter: Sign Up Here

Website: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda
Facebook: Sherrinda Ketchersid, Author
Pinterest: Sherrinda Ketchersid

Ten Ways Writers Can Utilize Their Time

Time for a writer is elusive. As I was thinking about a post for today, I remembered a post I did a couple of years ago. It was such a good reminder for me, I thought I'd share some of it again.

From July 2017:

Putting your behind in the chair and doing the work of writing is difficult. Whether you are putting new words on the page, editing a rough draft, or learning more about the craft, it takes time. It takes sacrifice. It takes discipline.

Life gets in the way. Your car breaks down. There's a funeral, a lunch date, FAFSA to fill out (can I just say UGH?), hair cuts, and...dare I say it?...toilets to clean.

So what do you do to make the most of your time, and feed your writerly self? Everyone has to decide for themselves. No one can do it for you, because only YOU knows what will work for YOU.

We all have to find the "thing" that helps us - that motivates us - into writing when it's hard.

Here is what I came up with - in no particular order.

Top 10 Ways to Utilize Your Time

1. Use a diction app and dictate a scene on your way to work, or while doing dishes, ironing, etc.

2. Listen to a craft book or podcast in the car while going to work or hauling kids to school.

3. Carry a Moleskin notebook in your purse to write down ideas for your story, prompts for short stories, or blog post ideas.

4. If you get stuck in your story, move on to another project. (I stole this from Tina because it is so helpful.)

5. Stay up 30 minutes later to write. (I get up at 5 am already....can't go earlier!)

6. Read a chapter of a craft book at lunch.

7. Email a chapter to your Kindle so that it is there when you are in a waiting room, carpool line, etc. Highlight things that you need to change.

8. Alternate cooking nights with your husband so you have more time to write.

9. Make a date with yourself once a week and go to the library, coffee shop, or park to write free from responsibilities at home.

10. Purchase a cute timer or use the one on your phone to write in 30 - 60 minute increments. Then set the timer for 15 minutes and clean a toilet or make the bed or do a load of laundry. Then get back to writing.

Nothing on my list is new. Many have already figured out the best way to get the most out of their day. But some of us need reminders that we can carve out extra time, and every minute we garner gets more words on the page.

What things have you found to help you carve out time and up your word count? 


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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, released in May 2019.

You can connect with her through:
Newsletter: Sign Up Here

Website: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda
Facebook: Sherrinda Ketchersid, Author
Pinterest: Sherrinda Ketchersid

Bloom of the Cross for Writers

As Christians, Easter is THE day. It's the celebration of life - true life in Jesus.

It's the day we are reminded that Jesus has taken our crosses...our burdens, our failures, our sin...and nailed them to the cross. It's the day we are reminded that because of Jesus' resurrection, we have a new life, a beautiful life.

Jesus has taken the ugly, thorny cross of our sin and failure and replaced it with beauty and life. Real life. Joyful life. Life with meaning and purpose.

Our church flowers a barren cross every Easter. People file up to the front and place their flowers upon the cross, reminding them that Jesus replaces our failures with His goodness. What was once a cross of thorns and ugliness becomes a cross of velvet beauty.

That's what Christ does for each and everyone who believes in Him. He takes our failure and sin and turns it into success and beauty. He transforms us, loving us into becoming a person for His glory. A person of beauty. A person of joy. A person who oozes God's love.

As writers, we all struggled with feelings of failure, disappointment, angst, rejection, and despair. It's not an easy road. But like the picture of the flowered cross, when we give our hurts and rejections over to God, He redeems those feelings and replaces them with His love and encouragement.

We keep drawing close to Him, bringing our offering of words before Him each and every day. He will make our words bloom into something beautiful as we trust Him and His timing.

What has the bloom of the cross done for you? Are you experiencing His transforming power or are you struggling under the weight of the thorny cross?

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, releases May 2019.

You can connect with her through:
Newsletter: Sign Up Here

Website: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda
Facebook: Sherrinda Ketchersid, Author
Pinterest: Sherrinda Ketchersid

Characterization: Digging Deep By Personalization

I'm not great at characterization. Years ago, I had an editor tell me my manuscript was lacking in character development. Good plot, but cardboard characters. So I picked up a book, Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins and began taking notes. I thought I would share with you what I've learned.

When you develop a character, the first place you start is by Personalizing. Most of you already do this by interviewing your character or filling out a questionnaire about them. Great! That is a good start! But now you need to dig a little deeper.

Basics:  General information, such as gender, age, work, social standing, etc...

Specifics: This is where you begin to ask questions. Say your character is wealthy. Has she been wealthy a long time or has she just come into wealth?  Knowing the answer to this will tell you her attitude toward her wealth.

Dig Deeper: Keep going with your questions until you can't ask anymore. Let's find out more about the wealthy character in Step 2. Let's say she had just come into wealth. How had she come into her wealth? Did she win the lottery or did she receive insurance money from the death of both her parents? Is she excited about the money, or does she resent the money because it represents the loneliness of being without family? Let's say she won the lottery and is excited about her money. Is she going to go crazy and spend it, or is she going to hoard it, fearful it might run out? If she goes crazy and spends it, what might she spend it on and why? She might purchase cars if she has had to drive old, beat-up jalopies. Or she might buy nice jewelry and clothes if she had been forced to wear hand-me-downs or shop at thrift stores.

But don't stop there...dig deeper. Why does she feel the need to buy nice things? Maybe she felt like people looked down on her for wearing old, worn-out clothes. Maybe she was teased or made fun of. Her self-worth is tied up in how she looks, so now she dresses nice and gets her hair and nails done to feel good about herself. She is worthy now that she has money. That is her inner value.

Traits and Mannerisms: What kind of traits or mannerisms will your character have resulting from their inner value? Our wealthy lady may continually push her hair behind her ears to show off her large diamond earrings. She may click her long, manicured fingernails together subconsciously. You don't need to give your characters an overabundance of traits, but you need some to reinforce their inner value and make them believable.

This is not a one time process. There will be times when your character will want to do something that is "out of character". Start the process over until you know your character's motivation and inner value. You can also do this process in reverse. Start with a quirky mannerism and work your way back to the specifics. Get to know your character inside and out.

This post is just a little taste of all the good information Brandilyn Collins shared in her book, Getting Into Character, Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors. Check it out!

What is your process for characterization? How do you build a character and make them real?

Repost from 2/14/2014

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, will release May 2019.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

When You Can't Go To ACFW Conference

Today is the day! It's the beginning of the 2018 ACFW Conference. If you are one of the lucky ones, you are flying/driving in, checking into your hotel, and meeting up with friends who "get you" and your weird writer brain.

But there are some, myself included, who couldn't quite scrap enough dollars together to attend. Yes, it is sad. I also noticed a tinge of green coloring my countenance when I looked in the mirror. Jealous, much?

How is a person supposed to get over the I-CANT-GO-TO-CONFERENCE-BLUES? (Or greens, as in my case!)

I've provided a list for your enjoyment:

• Sign up for At-Home Conference 2018! I stumbled upon this and then found out my editor is the one who put it together! There is a list of topics and faculty, and it looks amazing! Plus, it's free! You can find more about it HERE. They also have a Facebook Group HERE. 
• Hit up your favorite coffee shop and pour out sadness/frustration/er, jealousy into your work-in-progress. Yeah, it's not really like going to the conference, but you might as well take advantage of those emotions. 
• Binge on Netflix! There are so many great movies and TV shows that you can escape to. It's okay to take a day (or two or three) for yourself. If you have small kids, hire a babysitter for the afternoon and take some much deserved ME time. 
• Search hashtags on Twitter or Instagram (#acfw2018 or #acfw) and send an encouraging comment to those who are nervous about pitching or meeting new people. Yes, you will have to tamp down the jealousy, but giving to others will help in restoring joy for others. 
• Knock out your TBR pile. This is a great time to escape into great books. It will take your mind off what you are missing and will transport you to a different time and place. Reading is the answer to everything, don't you think?

While I know there is nothing that will completely take away the heartache of not attending the ACFW Conference, you can definitely find things to do that will ease the pang of "missing out". Remember, God works everything out for good. He knows your desires and He has a plan for you. 

Take heart, dear one!

If you aren't going to the 2018 ACFW Conference this year, what are you going to do instead?

*Photo Credit: Robin Higgins @ pixabay.com

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, tentatively The Lady's Masquerade, will release April 2019.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

Insidious Doubts of the Writer

Writers are a weird breed. Stuffed with loads of creativity, a writer's brain can veer off in tangents that can make even the sanest of humans look psycho.

We are powerful wordsmiths. We are the worst writers to ever put pen to page.

We are the queen of the kissing scene. We are the dumbest person to ever have written a love scene. 

We can write 10,000 words in one day because we are inspired. We bang our head on the computer screen, begging for at least one word to put on the page. 

Bah....and then there is the doubt that creeps into our hearts. Even after being offered a contract for your story, you begin to wonder if you are ready. Can you really do the required edits? If there are so many changes necessary, why did they even want to publish the story? Were you wrong to put the story out there before it was ready to see the light of day? Will you ever to learn to write well?

Doubt...it is an insidious evil that all writers must learn to face and banish from their minds and hearts. As Christian writers, this rings especially true. When you doubt yourself, you doubt God. You doubt His ability to use the creativity He has gifted you with in order to speak to someone.

Here is some advice I've been given this past week from sweet Alley Cats when I was overcome with doubt:

• We are equipped not because of our credentials, but because of our calling from God.
• Deep breaths and baby steps! 
• Remember that God has given you everything you need to do the work - it's inside you, waiting to be released. 
• You are doing something scary, but it is right where God has you. Trust in Him to carry your dreams through to completion.

Great advice from fantastic, experienced writers who have been there and overcome. We all need truth-sayers in our lives who will help us grow and overcome the paralyzing doubt that can creep in to destroy our dreams. Listen to them, but foremost, listen to God, the giver of dreams and the creator of all.

What doubts are you wrestling with, whether in writing or any other pursuit? Who are the truth-sayers in your life?

Photo credit: geralt @ pixabay.com

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, tentatively The Lady's Masquerade, will release April 2019.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

Cultivating the Heart of a Writer

For many of you, Spring has taken its time in coming. You are still shoveling snow or are watching the weather channel with baited breath, wondering if possibly...maybe...perchance...hopefully...the snow has done its final dump and a thaw is in the forecast.

Some of us have been more fortunate and are sitting on the back porch, writing away in the glorious warmth, among the spring flowers that are bursting with color. Yes, I just said that and you may hate me now.

Seasons come and seasons go, and during these comings and goings, a person needs to cultivate and prepare for what is ahead. In the gardening world, you must prepare the soil for seeds or seedlings so that your plants will flourish.

The same is true for our hearts. How are you cultivating your heart in preparation for your career as a writer? Here are some ideas for cultivating the heart of a writer in whatever season you may be entering:

PRAYER: Prayer should be the number one priority for a writer. As told in The Story of With by Allen Arnold, when we sink into the heart of God and collaborate with Him, the story within you is the story co-created with God. The story you co-create with Him will be a story worth writing. It will impact readers and bring glory to Him, the creator of the greatest story ever told.

RELATIONSHIPS: Do you have a group of people you can connect with about your writing? About your spiritual walk? About your life? Writers spend a lot of time alone in front of their computer, but they also need human engagement. We need people to speak truth into our lives and help us through the hard times. If you don't have someone to pour your heart out to, pray that God will send you someone to connect with. You need them.

GOD'S WORD: I know you know this, but writers need to be in God's Word and let those words saturate our lives. God is a great storyteller and we can learn much from His Spirit whispering words of encouragement while reading scripture. You can always find words to live by in His Word.

BOOKS TO INSPIRE: Writers need to find books that inspire and encourage them in their own writing journey. Whether it is an amazing piece of fiction that sucks you in and won't let go or a motivating non-fiction book that inspires you to be courageous in whatever you put your hand to, reading great books will help you in your journey.

What have I missed? What do you do to cultivate your heart? What helps you to grow as a person and as a writer?

**Photo credit: fietzfotos at pixabay.com

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother of 4 children, and works part-time as a bookseller at Amazon. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, tentatively The Lady's Masquerade, will release April 2019.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

The Author's Most Important Job

What is an author's most important job? To sit down every day and put words on the page? To pen beautiful prose that makes the heart sing? Or how about to edit and rewrite until your story bursts with life?

Those are all great jobs of a writer, true, but there is one job that surpasses in its importance.

I attended the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of ACFW this past weekend and we were asked a couple of questions that really made me think.

Who is your reader? - and - Do you love your reader?

This gave me pause. Do I even know who my reader is? I write historical romance so I assume my reader is middle age to older women. Okay, so then what?

How do you love your reader? If my readers are mid-to-older women, then many of them will be married or have been married. Many will have children or grand-children. They probably value you family. Since they are older, they may long for romance or and the spark of first love that they have experienced in the past.

Do I love these women? Does my heart ache to give them stories that can bring hope and joy in the midst of daily life? Do I want to share the truths of God's kingdom with these women who might need to be encouraged in their faith? Does my heart yearn to give them a story that was co-written by God?

This is something I haven't thought about before...loving the reader.

I've read The Story of With by Allen Arnold and it is a book that encourages the reader to come to a place where you co-write with God. This is a place where you have become so intimate with Him that He speaks into your creativity and emboldens you to write the story He has for you to write. It's the journey with Him that matters, not the final outcome  -  though if you are co-writing with Him, then it is sure to be a great story!

I understand this idea of partnering with God, but loving the reader and pouring your heart out for them? It's a new concept for me and one that is rather hard for me to grasp. But what a beautiful thing it would be to love God enough to co-write a story with Him, and then love the reader enough to write what they need.

Love God and love others...the greatest job of a writer.

You can see how tapestry woven by threads of love - for God and for your readers - would create a masterpiece of beauty, goodness, and love.

What about you? Have you ever thought about loving the reader being something of importance to your writing? 

*Photo credit: StockSnap at Pixabay

Top 10 List of Ways Writers Can Utilize Their Time

I've been participating in a writing sprint this week with a group of writers. We have a leader who is incredibly encouraging and good at spurring us on toward our word count goals. She sent us a link to a past blog post on the Seekerville blog entitled Writers Write. Everyone Else Makes Excuses, by Tina Radcliffe.

In this post, she gives so many encouraging quotes on doing the hard part of writing. Putting your behind in the chair and doing the work of writing. It takes time. It takes sacrifice. It takes discipline.

We all have to find the "thing" that helps us - that motivates us - into writing when it's hard.

Life gets in the way. Your car breaks down. There's a funeral, a lunch date, FAFSA to fill out (can I just say UGH?), hair cuts, and...dare I say it?...toilets to clean.

So what do you do to make the most of your time, and feed your writerly self? Everyone has to decide for themselves. No one can do it for you, because only YOU knows what will work for YOU.

I decided to complete the exercise Tina suggested in her post, and this is what I came up with - in no particular order.

Top 10 Ways to Utilize Your Time

1. Use a diction app and dictate a scene on your way to work, or while doing dishes, ironing, etc.

2. Listen to a craft book or podcast in the car while going to work or hauling kids to school.

3. Carry a Moleskin notebook in your purse to write down ideas for your story, prompts for short stories, or blog post ideas.

4. If you get stuck in your story, move on to another project. (I stole this from Tina because it is so helpful.)

5. Stay up 30 minutes later to write. (I get up at 5 am already....can't go earlier!)

6. Read a chapter of a craft book at lunch.

7. Email a chapter to your Kindle so that it is there when you are in a waiting room, carpool line, etc. Highlight things that you need to change.

8. Alternate cooking nights with your husband so you have more time to write.

9. Make a date with yourself once a week and go to the library, coffee shop, or park to write free from responsibilities at home.

10. Purchase a cute timer or use the one on your phone to write in 30 - 60 minute increments. Then set the time for 15 minutes and clean a toilet or make the bed or do a load of laundry. Then get back to writing.

Nothing on my list is new. Many have already figured out the best way to get the most out of their day. But some of us need reminders that we can carve out extra time, and every minute we garner gets more words on the page.

What things have you found to help you carve out time and up your word count? 


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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother to 4 children, and secretary at public elementary school. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

Successful Writers Need a Gathering Time

Successful writers need a time to gather and refresh their thoughts.







A time to share their book ideas and listen to other's suggestions.

A time to worship, to praise the God who has given the gift of writing, and to ask His blessings.

A time to breathe the fresh air.

A time to laugh

I suppose the entire post could be filled with this list. 



The point is we all have made so many friends through the Internet. We haven't heard their voices, but we've seen their pics and read their words. 

We're not sure if these treasured friends are tall, short, cackle or snort when they laugh, wear high heals and fashion wear or prefer the grunge look. Do we really know what makes them laugh, cry, smile?




And who could tell if this person might have the perfect idea to fill in a gap of your story until you discover all the above?

The Internet has brought men and women in contact with each other from around the world, yet we sometimes walk on eggshells as we pen an email for fear the tone is misunderstood.





What would happen if you discovered another writer, with similar interests lived in reasonable range to your home? Imagine how this friendship could spark something in your writing.

I've mentioned in a past post the amazing friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R. R.Tolkien. They met nearly every night in a pub in the UK to crit each other's manuscripts. If you've read both of their works have you found the similarities? They both use a horn, they both used the same name of a city: Lewis for his giants and Tolkien for his rock city. They also sharpened each other's words.



Organizations like ACFW have formed local chapters. In Montana mini groups within those chapters meet weekly at coffee houses to brainstorm and crit.

So....the Writers Alley gals, affectionately called Alley Cats, decided to use this same idea to push our writing and friendships to a deeper level. 

Our common goal is to take another step forward on the writing journey, to deepen our relationship with Christ, to hold each other up as life rains and shines, to minister to others on the journey, and to share our stories with a world in need.

This coming Friday, the Alley Cats will gather at Angie's. Three via Skype. The time will be too short. The minutes precious. The memories strengthening, as  gathering time should be.
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Is there a way you could meet with someone or a small group? Spend a portion or a whole day with them? Ask around. There is a bulletin board at my local coffee shop and one at my library. Notes are attached for meetings, concerts, etc. Perhaps you could find someone there. Bring an agenda, notepad, scenes from your manuscript, camera, and chocolate and prepare to become a successful writer. 

Go ahead. Give it a whirl. You just might like it:)

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photos above courtesy of Renee Smith

This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction with a focus on the homeless population and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Using The Delete Button in Editing *sigh*

Photo by Stuart Miles
Freedigitalphotos.net

A precious friend asked me to read through her manuscript and see where I could delete words. She is an excellent writer...I mean she is really good and will be published one day...but her manuscript ended up at a little over 200,000 words. She needed it whittled down to 100,000 - 120,000 words. So basically, I needed to delete close to half her manuscript.

How does one even do that?

I've critiqued other's manuscripts before, but I've never deleted large passages. And that made me a bit nervous! What I needed was a plan. So here is what I decided to do:

1. Cut unnecessary description. Sometimes you can describe a room or scene with just a sentence or two, instead of a paragraph or more. 
2. Cut unnecessary dialogue. As with description, sometimes less is more. Sometimes a longer conversation can be trimmed by deleting a sentence or two. You can still get your point across without the lengthy conversation. 
3. Cut scenes that do not move the story along. This turned out to be difficult for me, because every once in awhile I would delete something only to find out that it was crucial to the story line. If I wasn't absolutely sure, I would write down the scene and page number on a pad of paper for future reference. (You could also mark the manuscript with some asterisks ***, then search the manuscript later in order to delete.)
4. Cut story threads that aren't crucial to the story's big finale. After reading through the whole manuscript, I could look back and see that the ending could come alot quicker in the story. I was able to delete several chapters and end the story with the original ending still intact. 

I have to say that I was not successful in deleting enough words to get the manuscript down to where it needed to be, but I was able to cut it down to 142,000 words. It was not easy and I know that my friend will most likely not like everything I did. But that is the beauty of Track Changes in Word...you can reject any changes! Whew! 

So tell me, what is the hardest edit you have ever done? Or what tricks do you use when you edit? Do you ever edit other people's work? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Member of the Rejection Club? Share For A Chance At Krista's New Book!

Last Friday I got a membership into the coolest club ever. The Rejection Club. Yes, indeed, I received my very first rejection from a publisher. I'd submitted my requested manuscript in December and knew the wait would be a long one, so I hadn't been feverishly checking my email.

When I checked my email during my lunch break at work on Friday, I saw the name of the editor in my inbox and knew. I knew what it was and I was okay with it. I opened up the email and read through what I thought was a fairly nice response. They told me what was lacking and what was needed for their line, and I was totally okay with it - well, after a little pouting. And do you know why?

I've learned a few things along the way.

Almost everyone gets rejected. Even famous authors receive rejections. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter was rejected 12 times before a publisher took it on. Stephen King had hundreds of rejections before he sold Carrie. Sol Stein was rejected 99 times before he sold. Even Julie Lessman received 45 rejections before selling. If you receive a rejection letter for something you have submitted, you are in good company.

Rejection can be a motivator. While you may fall into the depths of despair at the arrival of a rejection letter, once you recover, your determination to move past it, writer better, and show people you have what it takes will motivate you like nothing else. You can do it!

Receiving a rejection means you are brave. You betcha I am brave to put my work out there to be read, judged, and rejected! Here's the thing. You can't get THE CALL for publication if you never submit your work. It takes courage to hit that "send" button on your computer and let discriminating eyes peruse your work. So yes, receiving a red stamp of rejection on your manuscript means you are brave to the umpth-degree.

So you see, entrance into the Rejection Club is an honor and I embrace it with joy! 

Because I feel so strongly about this wonderful milestone in my life, I am giving away a copy of our Alley Cat Krista Phillip's debut book, Sandwich With a Side of Romance. It won't be released until the fall of this year, but I will pre-order it and it will be shipped to one of our lucky commenters. I will use random.org to pick a winner, which will be announced on the Weekend Edition. *U.S. residents only, sorry. 

So answer this question for me.... How many rejections have you received? If you aren't a writer, tell me a time when you have been rejected (job, boyfriend, etc?).

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.