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W. Terry Whalin

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W. Terry Whalin

Goodreads Author


Born
Huntington, West Virginia, The United States
Website

Twitter

Member Since
April 2011


W. Terry Whalin understands the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor and his work has appeared in more than 50 publications. Terry is an Acquisitions Editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books through traditional publishers. Terry's newest book released on October 5, 2021 called BOOK PROPOSALS THAT $ELL, 21 SECRETS TO SPEED YOUR SUCCESS (REVISED EDITION). Another recent book from Terry is, 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS, INSIGHTS EVERY AUTHOR NEEDS TO SUCCEED . Late in 2014, Terry had another new book, BILLY GRAHAM, A BIOGRAPHY OF AMERICA'S GREATEST EVANGELIST. Terry is a popular speaker at numerous writers’ conferences and an active member of the American Society of Journalists and Author ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

W. Terry Whalin Aspiring writers need to:
1. learn all they can about the details of how publishing works. You want to learn from experienced writers--not people who h…more
Aspiring writers need to:
1. learn all they can about the details of how publishing works. You want to learn from experienced writers--not people who have published one or two books but people who have published many books. Read how-to books such as Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams (http://JumpstartDreams.com). Also read blogs like The Writing Life (http://TheWritingLife.ws) and take free teleseminars like (http://AskAboutProposals.com).
2. Actively work at being published in print magazines. So many people want to publish books which is fine but thousands or even millions of people will read your magazine articles. Writing for magazines will establish your credibility with book editors and literary agents because you have a track record of being published. Magazine articles are shorter than books and you learn a great deal about how to reach a target audience, how to tell a good story, how to have a beginning, middle and end and much more. You can see my perspective on how to get started (based on the fact that I've written for more than 50 magazines) at: http://www.right-writing.com/basics.html
3. Get to a writers conference. The sooner you can attend one of these events, the better--whether local or national. You can learn more at: http://www.right-writing.com/conferen...
4. Keep growing and persist in following your publishing dreams. Too many authors try once or twice, get rejected and give up. It's a shame. You have to be persistent in this business.
5. If I can help you, don't hesitate to reach out to me. My email is in my twitter profile and many other places online.(less)
W. Terry Whalin Kat,

Sounds like an idea with potential. Here's the challenge: ideas are everywhere. You have to determine if the idea is a book length idea (40,000 to…more
Kat,

Sounds like an idea with potential. Here's the challenge: ideas are everywhere. You have to determine if the idea is a book length idea (40,000 to 50,000 words) or if it is short magazine article (1,000 to 1500 words). You will reach more people with your magazine article than 99% of the books published and it is easier to accomplish.

Also what is your purpose writing this book? Is it simply to capture the information for your family or to help others who face this same experience? If it is the later then maybe you have a book project. You aren't writing for everyone but a specific target audience.

Finally how to you make your idea stand out from the other ideas? Not to discourage you but you have to understand that editors and agents receive hundreds of emails each week. Your pitch has to be worth pursuing. Editors and agents do not read manuscripts, they read book proposals. I have a number of free resources that I've created to help other writers:
http://AskAboutProposals.com (a free teleseminar)
http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck (a free book proposal checklist)

Hope this helps you determine the viability of this concept and whether it is a book length project or a magazine article.

Warm Regards,

Terry
__________________________
W. Terry Whalin
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

Straight Talk from the Editor (FREE Ebook):
http://straighttalkeditor.com

Follow Me On Twitter:
http://twitter.com/terrywhalin

My blog, The Writing Life (over 1,000 entries):
http://www.thewritinglife.ws(less)
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More books by W. Terry Whalin…

Do Book Gimmicks work?


By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Throughout my week, I often receive packages from authors and publishers with books. I read these books outside of my work and write reviews to support other authors and publishers. Occasionally a package will stand out as different. Some people call this an attention-getting gimmick. Do they work? In this article, I want to give you some ideas and cautions.
Once I r Read more of this blog post »
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Published on July 14, 2024 04:30

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W. Whalin is on page 187 of 432 of A Death in Cornwall: Fascinating
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W. Whalin is on page 141 of 432 of A Death in Cornwall
A Death in Cornwall by Daniel Silva
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" By Terry Whalin @terrywhalinThroughout my week, I often receive packages from authors and publishers with books. I read these books outside of my work and write reviews to support other authors and publishers. Occasionally a package will stand..." Read more of this blog post »
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A Goldmine of Insights for Every Novelist

After interviewing more than 150 bestselling authors, I was fascinated with the content in MY FIRST NOVEL AND WHAT BECAME OF IT. The Novelists of ChiLibris, a Christian group of novelists have pulled together
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W. Whalin and 1 other person liked W. Terry Whalin's blog post: The Unpredictable Writing Life
" By Terry Whalin @terrywhalinFor decades, I’ve been in the world of publishing and working with authors. Repeatedly I’ve seen the unpredictable nature of this work and life. For example, as I meet authors and acquire their books at Morgan James..." Read more of this blog post »
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Use This Book to Teach Your Child Personal Responsibility

From their earliest days, how do you teach your child to take personal responsibility? Author Annemarie Riley Guertin and illustrator Cory Reid have combined forces for 123 COUNTING ON COMMUNIT
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A Death in Cornwall by Daniel Silva
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My First Novel by The Authors of ChiLibris
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A Goldmine of Insights for Every Novelist

After interviewing more than 150 bestselling authors, I was fascinated with the content in MY FIRST NOVEL AND WHAT BECAME OF IT. The Novelists of ChiLibris, a Christian group of novelists have pulled together
...more
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What Happens When You Change the View?

Author and illustrator Megan Fullmer Perry tackles perspective in THE OVERLOOK BOOK. I’ve not seen this important topic addressed in a picture book, but I loved the way Perry handles it with her words and colorfu
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Quotes by W. Terry Whalin  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“You have the greatest passion for your book so you need to show that passion and create an email list and different ways to connect with your readers.”
W. Terry Whalin, 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed

“The successful writers continue to learn and grow in their craft—and also to grow their audience or tribe or platform.”
W. Terry Whalin, 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed

“No book or magazine article is for "everyone" so know your audience, then target them with your writing.”
W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Goodreads Librari...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Goodreads Author profiles needing merging BY GR STAFF pt. 8 924 689 May 30, 2014 04:35PM  
“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

“Hook your editor with a strong opening sentence to bring attention to your writing.”
W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success

“No book or magazine article is for "everyone" so know your audience, then target them with your writing.”
W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success

“As a book author, it's your responsibility to cast a vision for your book about the length and appearance before you pitch the idea to a publisher.”
W. Terry Whalin, Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success

“Keep passing the open windows.”
John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire

60696 Making Connections — 14248 members — last activity 2 hours, 58 min ago
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message 6: by Yza

Yza Dora Hello....I would like to know if you'd be interested in reading and reviewing our YA Urban Fantasy eBook, SECRETS OF RAVENSTONE, KEEPER OF LA TECLA (THE KEY). It's currently listed on Amazon and Smashwords. If interested, please feel free to contact me via Goodreads. Thank you.


message 5: by Chris (last edited Nov 03, 2014 04:15AM)

Chris Cox Terry, I am pleased to accept your goodreads friendship request. I see that you and I read vastly different things. It warms my heart to see a man of your religious leanings embracing an LGBTQ reader. Thank you for making this a better, less prejudiced world. ONE LOVE!


Brenda Mohammed Thank you for the friend request.


Brenda Mohammed


High Plains Library District Thanks for the friend request!


message 2: by Alex

Alex Bobl Thanks for the invite.


message 1: by Dale

Dale Thele Thank you for the Goodreads friend connect.
Wishing you the very best!


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