ARTICLE WRITING - PART 16

Prophetic or Viewpoint Article - The writer predicts the result or outcome of some pending event or situation. It is a type of Think Piece. Example: An article describing the last days or what heaven will be like.

Protest - An article in protest against some situation, policy, law, etc.

Regional - Deals specifically with material that is related to or of interest to people in a specific region of the country. Could be a type of travel article. Example: Article on the development of a new beach area or sports complex; or on a historical house being opened to the public.

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BESTSELLERS - WEEK OF MAY 17

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in Relationships; #4 in Advice, How-To & Misc.

JESUS CALLING by Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson) is #1 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

YOUR BEAUTIFUL HEART by Lauren Scruggs (Tyndale House) is #1 in Fashion, Manners and Customs.

• SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME by Ron Hall and Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #3 in Race.
• SCARY CLOSE by Donald Miller. (Nelson Books/Thomas Nelson) is #3 in Relationships.
• LOVE DOES by Bob Goff (Thomas Nelson) is #6 in Relationships.
• KEEP IT SHUT by Karen Ehman (Zondervan) is #7 in Relationships.
• GHOST BOY by Martin Pistorius with Megan Lloyd Davies (Thomas Nelson) is #7 in Health.
• WRESTLING FOR MY LIFE by Shawn Michaels with David Thomas (Zondervan) is #8 in Sports.
• BOUNDARIES by Henry Cloud and John Townsend (Zondervan) is #8 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.
• THE BEST YES by Lysa TerKeurst (Nelson Books/Thomas Nelson) is #11 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.
• LOVE AND RESPECT by Emerson Eggerichs (Thomas Nelson) is #11 in Relationships.
• FOUR BLOOD MOONS by John Hagee (Worthy Publishing) is #11 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.
• THE MYSTERY OF THE SHEMITAH by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #12 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #14 in Religion, Spirituality & Faith.

 

DEAL BETWEEN ZONDERVAN & GUIDEPOSTS

According to a new deal between Zondervan and Guideposts, Zondervan will bring Guideposts’ bestselling annual devotionals to the retail market. Over the next three years, Zondervan will publish and distribute multiple editions of Daily Guideposts and Morning with Jesus. Guideposts will continue to compile the devotionals and its direct-to-consumer marketing.

“We are honored to partner with one of the countries most trusted brands,” says David Morris, vice president and publisher. “For over 70 years, Guideposts has inspired readers and brought God’s presence into their everyday lives with powerful story-driven content. We welcome Guideposts into the Zondervan publishing family and look forward to helping them reach new readers with this insightful content.”

 

The 2016 editions of Daily Guideposts (9780310346371) and Morning with Jesus (9780310347088) will release from Zondervan on October 27, 2015. Both devotionals feature 366 dated devotionals from the multiple authors. Daily Guideposts’ featured writers include Guideposts magazine editor-in-chief, Edward Grinnan, Guideposts magazine executive editor Rick Hamlin and New York Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber. Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, Daily Guideposts has sold more than 20 million copies, making it America’s favorite daily devotional

“Daily Guideposts and Mornings with Jesus, Guideposts’ popular devotional books, foster connections in amazing ways—between readers and writers, readers and God, and readers to readers,” says Lenore Lelah Person, vice president and editorial director of Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media. “Because many of the same authors come back year after year, readers tell us they think of them as family and look forward to updates on their families, friends and neighbors and their faith discoveries. We are excited to partner with Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian to bring Daily Guideposts and Mornings with Jesus to a wider audience!”
Daily Guideposts 2016 centers on the theme Abide in Me from John 15:4, 9, and is filled with brand-new devotions from 49 writers. Each day readers will enjoy a Scripture verse, a true first-person story told in a conversational, informal style, which shares the ways God speaks to us in the ordinary events of life, and a brief prayer to help focus the reader to apply the day’s message. For those who wish for more scriptural depth, “Digging Deeper” provides additional Bible references that relate to the day’s reading.

Mornings with Jesus 2016 offers a fresh perspective of the Healer, Comforter, Good Shepherd and Son of God, and gives a deeper understanding of what that means for us. Ten faith-filled women writers contribute to this devotional, including Tricia Goyer, Erin Keeley Marshall, and Cynthia Ruchti. Readers will enjoy a Scripture verse, reflection on Jesus’s words and a “Faith Step” that inspires and challenges. In just five minutes a day, readers will experience a closer relationship with Jesus. The book is full of spiritual nourishment that fills readers with hope and direction. 

 

AND THE AUTHOR SAID . . .

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative.” 

                                                                                 Elmore Leonard

ARTICLE WRITING - PART 15

Photo Story or Photo Essay - A story that is essentially told through a series of photographs, with or without captions. Can be funny, poignant, or merely interesting. Some start with a paragraph or two of introduction and then let the photos tell the story. Examples: Children involved in various activities; sports events; funny or interesting events in nature; etc.

Problem-Solving - A type of how-to/self-help article that deals with solving a particular problem. Examples: How to manage your maternity leave; how to help a child who steals, or runs away, or doesn’t want to go to church; or dealing with the “addict” in you.

TULSA OK WRITERS' CONFERENCE

Fellowship of Christian Writers

Of Tulsa invites you to the 2^nd Annual

Successful Writer Conference

Friday 6-9pm & Saturday 8am-5pm May 29-30, 2015

At Tulsa Bible Church - 5838 S Sheridan, Tulsa, OK

*Register in advance-$80 or at the door $90

 

For more information and registration form, visit our website: http://thesuccessfulwriterconference.blogspot.com

 

Registration and check or money order can be mailed to:

Elece Hollis, 11555 N 350 Rd, Boynton OK, 74422

 

Or you can pay by credit card through Paypal from the website.

 

*Current FCW Members get $10 discount. Most memberships have been adjusted to be due in January, If you haven't received the May Ready Writer e-zine, our records show that you are no longer a paid member, so check your records to see if yours is up to date. I am attaching a complimentary copy to this email so you can see some of what you have been missing. 

 

Hope to see you at the conference,

 

Martha Curtis

FCW Secretary and

Conference Coordinator

marthajcurtis@yahoo.com

ARTICLE WRITING - PART 14

Personality Profile - Although some magazines are technically or how-to oriented, stories of people are at the heart of many others. People like to read about people—people they can identify with and people they can admire, empathize with, or be inspired by. Often we are looking for answers to our own problems by reading about how others have dealt with and overcome similar obstacles. Don’t try to cover their entire life; zero in on their achievements or philosophy and fill in background at the end. When you start this piece, put a small sign within sight that indicates why you are writing this article for this particular publication and look at it regularly as a reminder to keep that focus. 

For example, I once wrote a profile on a married-with-children, Christian woman singer who had written a book on fitness. When selecting a potential market, I could have focused on her singing (for a music magazine), juggling career & family (for a

women’s magazine), her fitness philosophy or how-to (for a fitness magazine), her Christian testimony (for a Christian magazine),etc. Although this subject offered a number of different slants, when I picked a market I had to keep my emphasis on the appropriate slant for that publication. In other words, I would not write the same
article for each of these different publications. But I could have written a different article for each one, emphasizing a different aspect of her life in each version.

Examples: A celebrity profile that focuses on their childhood, early years, or tough times (rather than a profile of current fame); stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things or making a difference in the lives of others; a behind-the-scenes look at the Christian life and experience of a secular celebrity; profile on an unusual aspect in the life of an historical figure.