Interview with writing magazine

Interview by Alyice Edrich of The Dabbling Mum: Home Business Writing Magazine

Today I had the honor of interviewing Christian author and acquisition editor, James Watkins. There had been a lot of talk about the differences between Christian publishing houses and secular publishing houses, via my circle of writing friends. So I set out to see what all the hoopla was about. James provided gave two great examples of why writers' conferences are vital to the career of a writer. I hope you enjoy his interview...

How did writing become your career? Did it find you or did you find it?

I knew I wanted to be a writer when, as a second-grader, I rewrote the ending of Pinocchio. I could suspend disbelief so that a wooden marionette could come to life-no strings attached. But to believe that the "live" puppet could become a real boy, that was too much for me. So, for a class writing assignment, I rewrote the ending and had the wooden Pinocchio die a painful, prolonged death of Dutch elm disease.

I was immediately sent to the school psychologist who suggested I could become a sociopath or a writer. Just kidding about the psychologist, but I was fortunate I had teachers who encouraged my so-called writing talent. By the time I had written plays for the elementary school to perform, journaled my deep, dark, depressed life as a junior-higher, and became the editor of the high school paper, I was hooked on writing!

I dabbled in writing for several years with a real job, then became an editor in our denomination's publishing house, and eventually became more and more of a full-time writer.

What has been your biggest obstacle when it comes to writing for the Christian market?

I'm not sure there are unique obstacles in the Christian market as opposed to the general market. Both require some initial talent, lots of training (classes, conferences, critiquing), persistence (it takes ten years to become an "over-night" success) and-most important-networking.

I was rejected for five years by a large Christian magazine. When I met the editor at a writers' conference, he asked, "Why don't you send me something?" I hung my head and said, "I've been sending you things for five years and they keep coming back with rejection slips." He waved off my comment with, "I know you now; send me some things." Sure enough, I started getting assignments for cover articles! The same thing occurred with a major books publisher: "I know you now; send me some things." Sure enough, I landed three books.

Like the general book market, there are fewer and fewer houses, producing fewer and fewer titles, by fewer and fewer authors. New writers will have to establish themselves in periodicals or book anthologies to prove themselves to publishers. And, again, networking is the key!

What do Christian publishers really look for?

I'll answer for me personally, and not the industry as a whole. I'm now an acquisitions editor for Wesleyan Publishing House (where I worked as an editor) and I'm looking for books that:

• Connect with the reader The author must have a definite voice that is approachable and comfortable. Not academic, stiff, formal or cutesy.

• Transform people The message must inspire life transformation in the reader by the power of the Holy Spirit. The narrow focus is our "vertical" relationship with God, not "horizontal" relationships with people.

• Apply to life The author must connect the subject to real life, showing how it will apply to specific changes in belief and behavior. Not academic or purely theoretical.

People can go to my website for more details on what Wesleyan Publishing House is looking for.

legal stuff and warnings

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Interview with writing magazine

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legal stuff and warnings