Write-to-Publish Conference
In June, I attended the annual Write-to-Publish conference 
for Christian writers in Wheaton, Illinois. I always love meeting up again with old friends and making new ones.
This year, I had a great time getting to know some new people, discussing ideas, and pitching my current projects. I presented a children’s picture book story that my wife and I wrote. Those kind of books are hard to sell, because they cost a lot to produce and it’s a very competitive market. However, I met with an interested editor who said it might work well as a children’s magazine article if I scaled down the word count. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to trim 1000 words down to 600 words as you might think! But we got it done.
You can click on the banner above for information on next summer’s conference. Meanwhile, let me introduce you to some of the cool people I’ve gotten to know at this year’s conference and previous conferences, with links to their websites:
WTP Staff – my good friends who make this conference happen every year!
Lin Johnson heads up the conference each year, making sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed so that the event runs smoothly. She also edits two magazines for writers and one for church librarians.
Jane Rubietta assists Lin each year in organizing the conference. Fun and encouraging speaker, and author of several articles and devotionals.
Joyce Ellis another great friend who assists Lin each year to set up the conference, and writer and editor of many articles.
WTP Faculty – the people who teach us writing stuff!
very encouraging friend and award-winning novelist.
editor of WinePress Publishing Group, a “self-publishing” resource that includes a lot of direction and assistance for making a self-published book successful.
Jesse Florea great guy & editor of Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine. He also approved my request to publish a direct link to their Movie Reviews for kids, on the Links page of this site.
very nice thriller & comedy novelist with a warm, friendly website.
the authoritative voice at WTP on what it takes to be a writer of substance,
“Doc” Hensley is director of the professional writing program at Taylor University in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Zena Dell Lowe producer for Skirt Films, which focuses on female-centric stories. Though their site is under construction, there’s a contact email you can use to request information about upcoming events and releases.
Michelle Rayburn very sweet worship leader and writer, who leads worship sessions at our WTP conferences with …
Cynthia Ruchti … another great worship leader and writer!
Travis Thrasher great guy who writes intriguing novels. His website is very cool and has a nice informal blog that gives insights into the writing life!
Peggy Sue Wells author and editor who taught a great class at WTP to cover the basics for publishing articles and stories.
Carla Williams editor and publicity director for WinePress Publishing Group with Athena Dean. Carla is known online as “The Spiritual Mom”.
WTP friends I’ve made in recent years (and who had a website I could link to):
Rick Barry close friend & author of Gunner’s Run, about a World War II pilot.
Brandt Dodson close friend & author of the Colton Parker detective series.
great down-to-earth friend, writer & speaker.
fun, inspiring keynote speaker from a previous conference; author of several legal thrillers.
very encouraging writer & speaker, with real insight into today’s teens. Check out her website’s Blogroll for Real Teen Faith!
Please visit and browse my friends’ websites and let them know how cool they are! You might find a new author or speaker you really like!
Thursday, July 24th, 2008