ACFW Conference 2015

This year’s American Christian Fiction Writers conference exceeded my expectations on so many levels. I mean, I didn’t fork a hunk of salad onto the lap of another author or even say something ridiculous at dinner. I walked without falling, pulled off a Regency gown, and actually I sat in front of editors and pitched my book—well.

In all seriousness, I had quite a few takeaways I’d like to share.

1. The publishing landscape is changing, but different is not necessarily bad.

I have to say, I cringed when they asked the authors who had sold their first contract this year to stand in the opening meeting and only a few people stood up. What does this mean for me? It feels daunting trying to get noticed as a new author in a sea of other people, but Colleen Coble spoke and delivered some awesome encouragement. She said,

“There’s never been a better time to be writing faith-based fiction. I really liked what Randy Ingermanson had to say in our board meeting about the state of the market: we’ve won. We’ve proven we can hold our own with story and craft. We’ve proven to secular bookstores and publishers that there is a market for our books because they are great stories with a message of hope that lifts the reader out of the mire of much of the other fiction out there. Many of us who are writing in our market are finding a wider readership as digital books make their way into the hands of readers who didn’t know what faith-based fiction really was. We have found a huge market out there, and they like us!”

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

2. Rejection is not the end.

Mary Sue Seymour, my wonderful agent, asked me to sit in on her panel about rejections. I know, I know, who wants to hear about those, but what a blessing those six authors were to me. Everyone deals with rejection. It’s finding a way to keep going. As Mary Sue likes to say, every Pulitzer prize winning author was turned down by a bigger publishing house.

3. Research, Research, Research.

That is if you write historical fiction. Sarah Sundin inspired me to do more research, focusing on primary sources and digging deep.

4. Writers just get me.

To spend a long weekend with my critique partner and other writers was balm to my soul. I don’t know how to explain it, but we just get each other.

5. God is good.

When I was worrying about which editors I would get at the conference and whether I should try to add appointments, my critique partner and fellow author, Megan Besing, just shrugged her shoulder and said, “God knows who I’m supposed to see.” What a relief. Ultimately, God is in control of my life, of my writing, and of my future and I gladly give it to him.

Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.