Northwestern Christian Writers Conference | 1:1 Appointment with Blythe Daniel

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have a book editor look over your work and give you feedback? It’s an exciting and vulnerable feeling but at the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference you can do just that! I assure you, it’s not nearly as frightening as you might think, believe me, I did it and you can see how it unfolded below.

After you’ve registered for the Northwestern Christian Writers Conference and chosen your industry expert (find out how to choose your industry expert HERE). You’re ready to prepare for your 1:1 Appointment.

I met with the lovely Blythe Daniel. She runs the Blythe Daniel Agency and is incredibly kind, encouraging and gave me such helpful feedback for my book idea. You can find out more about Blythe and her agency HERE.

TIPS FROM THE EDITOR

COME PREPARED

The 1:1 Appointments are short and sweet at only ten minutes. The more prepared you can be the better. As part of your preparation it is best to narrow the scope of your project into as clear of a thought as possible. You should be able to communicate your idea and message in a short summary. Stating the relevance of your idea as well how to convey your message. It is also wise to have your audience defined and have the ability to answer the question; What need am I filling for my audience?

When you can clearly state those things, you’ll be able to get feedback and direction that’s very specific to your idea, and that’s the goal!

WHAT NOT TO DO

One thing you don’t want to do during your 1:1 Appointment is talk too much. The appointments are only ten minutes long and you want to get the very most out of those ten minutes. Which is why you want to be so concise in your statement. This then allows for your industry expert to give you as much helpful feedback as possible!

Lastly, and this is so important. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. Every faculty member is kind and gracious, they want the very best for you and your idea. There might be a time when they suggest going back to the drawing board or refining portions of your thoughts. Remember – that’s ok! It’s part of the process. It’s critical to keep pursuing the passion God put in your heart, remembering that they truly are only trying to be as helpful as possible.

Blythe had mentioned in our discussion, and I loved this take away. We are at a Christian Writers Conference, we can infer that the ideas being presented are faith based. It can be challenging to get Christian voices heard, but they are so important in our world today. Be prepared to work hard, but keep going, don’t quit the race set before you.