Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor for Morgan James Publishing, working primarily in the faith category.
What do you listen for during a conference pitch?
I’ve been with Morgan James Publishing for ten years, and I’m listening to see if your book will be a good fit for us. We publish Christian and general-market nonfiction and fiction, plus a few children’s books. We are always looking for reasons to say yes to authors and publish about 200 books a year receiving over 5,000 submissions. We don’t just make books. We are selling books with our books on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-seller list within the last two months.
Please give us a snapshot of the classes you’re teaching at Write-to-Publish.
For years as an editor and author, I’ve tried to model what every author needs to do. I build practical information into my classes, and my goal is for them to be the best ones you take at the conference. My handouts will contain valuable insights and links to other resources (way more information than just a couple of pages).
I’m teaching on the mysterious platform and five ways to build it, social media (how to do it in about 30 minutes a day—and I have almost 200,000 Twitter followers), plus a topic many writers ignore at their own peril: understanding and negotiating contracts. Finally, I will be the speaker at the closing banquet and give each person hope and inspiration.
Who should schedule an appointment with you at Write-to-Publish?
Anyone who wants my help from decades in publishing—books or magazine work. I’d be honored to listen and give you input.
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Interviewed by Susan Miura, speaker, freelance editor, and author of four award-winning novels and a children’s book.
Faculty Interview: Rowena Kuo