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Surveys show that public speaking is the most feared activity by people everywhere. Why is speaking publically so important and can we really learn how to do it well? Linda's guest, Karen Porter shares how anyone can be a better speaker by following a few time-proven strategies.
Karen Porter is a professional speaker and writer coach, an international speaker, a successful businesswoman, and the award-winning author of seven books. She is co-owner with her husband George of Bold Vision Books, a traditional publishing company. 
During this episode, Linda and Karen discuss:

• How to find the subject matter to speak on?   
• How to get comfortable on any stage.
• The importance of having a "neutral" position.
• How to build a speaking platform.
• and more!

Karen says her greatest achievement is her marriage to George. In her spare time, she follows her lifelong quest to find the perfect purse. 

LINKS

• Karen Porter
• Email Karen [email protected] mention Your Best Writing Life in the Subject-line
• Amplify - a speaker's course in a book.
• Evernote App for your notes
• An audio Christmas gift from Linda,  the Lovey Mouse Adventure Book with audio.
• December Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

Ready to write a Christian book for children, but not sure how to start? Linda's guest, award-winning author Michelle Lazurek has tips to get you on the right path to writing life-impacting books for early readers.

• Know the role you play as a writer of children's books.
• Consider a problem and solve it.
• How to research the writing style that fits you.

Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a regular contributor for ibelieve.com and crosswalk.com and is a movie reviewer for Movieguide Magazine. She also is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog, Cookie.

LINKS

• Michelle Lazurek 
• 10 Tips When Writing Books for Early Readers
• An audio Christmas gift from Linda,  the Lovey Mouse Adventure Book with audio.
• December Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

How to overcome literary bloat. Does your manuscript suffer from pleonasm? Multi-award-winning author, Alton Gansky explains manuscript clutter and how to avoid it.

Alton Gansky is the author of over 50 books. He has been a Christy Award finalist ( for A Ship Possessed) and an Angel Award winner ( for Terminal Justice) and received the ACFW award for best suspense/thriller for his work on Fallen Angel. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in biblical studies and was granted a Litt.D. (Doctor of Literature as well). It’s an honor to have you with us today Al!

• What is manuscript clutter?
• When should a writer obsess over clutter?
• How to override over-writing.

LINKS

• Alton Gansky 
• An audio Christmas gift from Linda,  the Lovey Mouse Adventure Book with audio.
• December Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

Are Christians missing the mark when it comes to sharing hope in their books? Linda's guest, storyteller, and book coach, Amy, A.C., Williams speaks from the heart with her concern that inspirational writing is not speaking hope to Millennials and Zoomers. 

Amy is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country living, and all things Japanese. She’d rather be barefoot, and if she isn’t, her socks will never match. With books in space opera, superhero adventure, and action-comedy, Amy loves helping authors discover the genre-defying joy of speaking Truth in fiction. Welcome to Your Best Writing Life – Amy!!

• Hope is communicated differently today
• Authenticity is everything
• Compare and contrast inspiration and  hope

LINKS

•  Book chapters of RONNIE AKKARD & THE BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES and Saving Sparrows
• Amy Williams 
• An audio Christmas gift from Linda,  the Lovey Mouse Adventure Book with audio.
• December Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

How can self-publishing lead to a traditionally published book? Our guest, Athena Dean Holtz has worked in the publishing industry for over thirty years. As the co-founder of Redemption Press, Athena has stories to share and tips to advance your writing career.

Athena Dean Holtz is a publisher, speaker, author, podcaster, pastor’s wife, and former radio host. For over thirty years, she has worked in the book business, spearheading the independent publishing movement in the Christian market. In 2014 Athena cofounded Redemption Press to fill an author-centered niche in publishing. Welcome her to Your Best Writing Life with our host, Linda Goldfarb.

• How did you personally experience this strategy?
• What seems to be the expectation with traditional publishers in order for them to consider contracting your self-published title for their house?
• Do you have some examples of those you’ve worked with who have been picked up by a traditional publisher?

LINKS

• She Writes for Him: Stories of Resilient Faith  
• She Writes for Him Bootcamp 
• Editing Essentials for the Christian Writer
• November Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

Writing a book proposal that sells is the only one we want to write, right? Literary agent and author, Blythe Daniel is sharing the secrets to a successful book proposal.

• What stands out as a sellable idea?
• Why do some books get picked up and others don't?
• Who can writers trust to help with writing book proposals?

Blythe has been in publishing for over 20 years. She’s a marketer, author, literary agent, and has written for Focus on the Family, Christian Retailing, and others. She and her mother co-wrote: Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters. She lives in Colorado with her husband and children. 

LINKS

• The Blythe Daniel Agency
• Read The Rise of a Writing Platform
• Get the book, Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters
• Our Mended Hearts
• November Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

 Authors' platforms, what a platform is, and how to build them. Where should you build your platform? Linda's guest, Thomas Umstattd Jr is here to answer our questions.  Thomas is the founder of Author Media and the host of the Novel Marketing Podcast. He travels the world speaking at events to help authors build their platforms, sell more books, and change the world with writing worth talking about. Thomas, welcome to your best writing life!

During this episode, Linda and Thomas discuss, a fun fact most people do not know about Thomas, then we get to business about building your platform. 

• Top two ways to weaponize your platform.
• What's the most important part of a blog? 
• One big preventable mistake writers make.
• What skills it takes to write good articles.

LINKS

• Author Email Onboarding Sequence Guide  
• Author Media 
• November Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

Do writing deadlines scare you? Bestselling author, DiAnn Mills has a proven 12 Step System to master writing deadlines. Whether you're writing a book, blog post, or article, this system will make you an editor's dream author. Join me in welcoming DiAnn to Your Best Writing Life.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; the Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Chrisitan Writers Conference and speaks to groups and teaches writing all over the country.

Links

• Connect with DiAnn Mills 
• Taking the Dead Out of Deadlines PDF
• Ghost Reader text to Voice App DiAnn uses with her Macbook Pro
• November Writing Tips & Soul Care for Writers download
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

Writing about different cultures can get you into a lot of hot water if you're not using a sensitivity reader. Award-winning author, Edwina Perkins is shining a spotlight to clear up any misconceptions about using sensitivity readers. Listen in as our host, Linda Goldfarb gets answers to the following questions and more.

• Who qualifies as a sensitivity reader?
• Which genres do sensitivity readers cover?
• Where do you locate a sensitivity reader?

 Edwina Perkins is an award-winning writer, experienced teacher, speaker, and editor. She serves on the Word Weavers International Advisory Committee. Currently, she is the Managing Editor for Harambee Press—Iron Steam Media’s ethnic voices imprint which seeks to publish ethnic writers and stories. Edwina is also a freelance writer with Guideposts. Welcome, Edwina to Your Best Writing Life!

LINKS

• Harambee Press
• Edwina Perkins
• Download the October Writing Tips and Soul Care for Writers PDF
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast

What did you think of this episode?

No matter your book publishing path, you will experience trouble in the publishing industry.
Seeking a traditional publisher?
Plan to self-publish?
Hiring a hybrid-publisher? 
Linda's expert guest, Steve Laube, provides answers to question you might not know to ask.

During today's episode, you will learn the horrible questions the grumpy agent, the cynical editor, and the bored marketing person at a publishing company will ask. And the two responses you want to hear from each of them. Plus so much more.

Steve is the president and founder of The Steve Laube Agency. He's a veteran of the bookselling industry with nearly 40 years of experience. He spent over a decade with Bethany House Publishers and was named the Editor of the Year by AWSA. Over sixteen years ago he became an agent where he and his agency have represented nearly 2,000 new books and Steve was named Agent of the Year by American Christian Fiction Writers. Steve was inducted into the Grand Canyon University Hall-of-Fame by their College of Theology. He is married with three grown children and one grandchild.

Join me in welcoming Steve Laube to Your Best Writing Life.

Links

• Steve Laube Agency
• Download the October Writing Tips and Soul Care for Writers PDF
• Join fellow writers on our FaceBook page for the live, Your Best Writing Life after-show party, every Tuesday at 12-noon ET.

Visit Your Best Writing Life website.
Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing Life
Your host - Linda Goldfarb
#1 Podcast in the "Top 50+ Must-Have Tools and Resources for Christian Writers in 2024".

Awarded the Spark Media 2022 Most Binge-Worthy Podcast
Awarded the Spark Media 2023 Fan Favorites Best Solo Podcast