Over at Books and Such…
A while back two commenters asked how big a platform was big enough. “How many Twitter followers, Facebook fans, email subscriptions should I be shooting for? What’s the goal I should have in mind?” In a guest post over at that Books and Such blog, I address these questions. The post is called 5 Questions to Help You Build a Bigger Audience Faster. What I’m trying to do is encourage and equip readers to change the questions they’re asking. Platform building is not about hitting numbers as much as it’s about sustainability. I hope you’ll check it out: 5 Questions to Help You Build a Bigger Audience Faster
How to Get Published in Five Steps
Recently I participated in a Q & A session for writers at Baker Book House—a very fine Christian book store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (By the way, if you don’t already subscribe to Louis McBride’s “Baker Book House Connection,” it’s worth your time. While you’re at it, check out the blog of Josh Mosey, the interviewer at this event.) I thought I would pick one of the questions to address in today’s post. Question: What are five things a person should do who is trying to get published for the first time? Answer: 1. Establish a structure and rhythm for writing. I take what you might call a “whole life” approach to writing. The goal is sustainability. Consider: Your relationships. Do your spouse and the rest of your family support your writing? What conversations do you need to have to enlist their support? Your time. What days and times are you going to sit down and write? How can you hold this time sacred? If you plan to get up early, for example, what time do you need to hit the sack the day before? Your setting. Where are you most likely to be free of distractions? Are you at your best with or without music playing? How can your setting work with rather than against you? 2. Join a writers or creativity group. This is likely the most neglected practice among writers and probably the biggest game changer available to them. I’m part of a creativity group that meets once a month. Five to eight of us each answer three questions: What’s inspiring you? What are you working on? What would you like prompting on? The group has been nothing short of life-giving—a massive boon to our creativity. (I learned about this meeting format via Todd Henry’s book The Accidental Creative.) 3. Hone your craft. Read good books in your genre. Ask trusted friends for critical feedback. And put in the hours. Malcolm Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to become good at something. Steven Pressfield encourages you to “go pro.” By this he means pick up your hard hat each morning, grab your lunchbox, and do the work, come hell or high water. 4. Build your platform. This is a nonnegotiable today. You need some way to bring exposure to your book. It can be through speaking, blogging, podcasting, self-publishing, a radio show, a company or nonprofit, or a combination of all of these. The important thing is to be gathering a tribe of people who follow you and want to know what you’re up to. This too takes work. But the means to building a platform have never been more accessible. If you have an internet connection, you can work on your platform. Michael Hyatt’s book has become the Bible for platform building. 5. Write a freaking awesome book proposal. Within a publishing house everything starts with a book proposal. A freaking awesome one can land you a deal. I have been coaching a writer through the process of writing a book proposal, and you might find some of these posts useful. Looking at the above, what small step can you take today or this week toward getting published? If you have been published, what helped you get there?
4 Ways a Writers Conference Can Help You Become a Better Writer
Guest Blogger: Josh Mosey (joshmosey.wordpress.com) Whether you have just started writing or have ten bestsellers under your belt, you have something to gain from a writers conference. Here are four ways a writers conference can help you become a better writer. 1. Encouragement Writers conferences by their very nature are designed to affirm your passion as a writer. There, writers of all ages, genres, and ability levels gather for the purpose of bettering themselves and their writing. Writers conferences are the one place where you are surrounded by a community of people who share your interest and believe it’s a worthwhile pursuit. 2. Instruction Newsflash: You don’t know everything about writing. No one else does either. But we all know something, and together we can learn. Writers conferences are built with learning in mind. 3. Meet Other Writers Writers are often introverted, and it can be difficult for us to come out of our shells. But if you haven’t experienced the self-affirmation of sharing your struggles with other writers, you’re missing out. Relationships that begin at writers conferences have the potential to last a long, long time. 4. Meet Potential Publishers Writers conferences are often populated not only by writers but by publishing professionals. Where else can you sit down and chat with an editor about what they are looking for? Talk with marketing professionals about building your platform? Ask a literary agent about the pros and cons of representation? If you’re in West Michigan and want to test my claims at no cost, please join us at Jot: The GR Writers Mini-Conference this Friday, February 8, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. It is a one-night conference with a variety of speakers (including Chad) and best of all, it’s free. Hope to see you there! Find out more here. ******** Josh Mosey is a husband, father, writer, and bookstore employee. If books were food, Josh would be morbidly obese. He enjoys flash fiction, fantasy, and dystopian literature. He is currently seeking publication for three of his many manuscripts. Follow Josh at joshmosey.wordpress.com.
How to Write the Marketing Section of Your Book Proposal
It’s an iconic line from an iconic movie. Maverick and Ice Man break the chill between them whilst maneuvering their F-14 fighter jets in a dogfight against a group of Russian MiGs. Each of them helps the other with life-saving aeronautical stunts. Back on the ground, mission accomplished, Ice Man expresses his newfound appreciation for Maverick. “You can be my wing man anytime.” “Bullshit,” Maverick responds, “You can be mine.” You’ll be glad to know publishers don’t expect you to save their lives, but the marketing section of your book proposal should assure them that you will be a good wing man, a good partner. It might surprise you how rare a good business partner is, which is exactly what you are if a traditional publisher contracts your book—not at the expense of being an artist but certainly in addition to that role. And bad partners can cost a publisher a lot of money. Brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to create a book proposal. I wrote two posts before realizing the series would be far more helpful to folks if I actually coached a writer through the process of crafting a book proposal. After a brief contest of sorts I decided to work with Gary Neal Hansen. My strong hope is that others will be working on their book proposals as I coach Gary through this process. So far I’ve posted about motivation, concept, bio, platform, working title, brief description, table of contents, and chapter synopsis. Following are the things I like to see in a marketing section: potential endorsers (well-known people with whom you’re acquainted who might be willing to lend a blurb), how often you speak and where, potential channels for marketing and promotional efforts, organizations with which you have a relationship that would be willing to help market the book, and sales history of previous works Gary’s marketing section, as I’ve come to expect from him, is straightforward and honest, and he has diligently included each item I’ve asked for above. This section is too long for me to include here (if you’d like a copy, hit Gary up via Twitter @garynealhansen, and I’m sure he would be happy to provide it). Instead, let me offer what just might be the killer app for writers who don’t yet have a big platform. Gary admits he is in this category, as are most writers. So if that’s you too, you’re in good company. Do this. Provide the items above as comprehensively and honestly as you can. Pull out all the stops, wrack your brain, and give us every bit of promotional potential you have at your disposal. Then turn the corner. Use a heading like “My Marketing Plan for This Book” or “How I’m Going to Help You, the Publisher, Move as Many Books as Possible” or “My Plan Moving Forward.” And then tell the publisher what you are going to do to build your platform and what you will do when the book releases. See, here’s the thing. Publishers recognize that if we sign your book today, the book isn’t likely to release for another 12 to 24 months. That’s a lot of time for an author to make a lot of headway in expanding his/her potential to bring exposure to his/her book. Michael Hyatt (@michaelhyatt) recommends writing down a sales goal. Define success. How many books do you want your book to sell in the first twelve months? Gary, if I were you, I’d shoot for 15,000. As with the working title, involve your friends. Brainstorm a plan for promoting your book. For example, Gary, you could talk about what you already have in place in terms of your blog and social media. You could even say you’d use whatever advance you receive to give a design facelift to your blog. Publishers love that kind of thing because it shows us you’re willing to put some skin in the game. This section isn’t about impressing a publisher with all you have going on as much as it is assuring the publisher you are going to be an awesome, go-getting partner. But you have to do more than just say that. What on a concrete level will you do? That’s what we want to know. And by the way, doing this will also help your book get into the hands of as many people as possible, which is the whole point, right? I mean, seriously, what’s the point of getting published if your book sinks without a ripple? Forget getting published. How are you going to help a publisher move X number of copies? Bonus Content: The best way to start a nonfiction book project is by writing a book proposal. I’d love to give you a free copy of my Book Proposal Guidelines, used by countless authors to write their book proposals.
How to Write a Chapter Synopsis for Your Book Proposal
It’s the oldest trick in the book for a cave tour guide. Ours, who halted us deep within Mark Twain Cave (near Hannibal, Missouri) shut off the lights and talked about how utterly dark it was. “To demonstrate,” he said, “try waving your hand in front of your face.” He was right, we couldn’t see a thing. Just then he turned on the lights, and we all looked rather silly waving our hands in front of our faces. In your chapter-by-chapter synopsis (aka chapter summaries), you are giving the reviewer a tour of your book. Your role here is to shed light on each chapter in a way that will keep the reviewer reading. But how do you do that? Brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to create a book proposal. I wrote two posts before realizing the series would be far more helpful to folks if I actually coached a writer through the process of crafting a book proposal. After a brief contest of sorts I decided to work with Gary Neal Hansen. My strong hope is that others will be working on their book proposals as I coach Gary through this process. So far I’ve posted about motivation, concept, bio, platform, working title, brief description, and table of contents. Let’s dive into Gary’s synopsis of his first chapter: 1. Community for Prayer — Benedictine Monasticism While Protestants often dismiss monasticism as running from community and service, for the medieval followers of Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – c. 550) the opposite was the case. Entering monastic life was an intense immersion in community life where the purpose was to fit each member for heaven and much of the means was a shared life of prayer. Monasteries became the training centers for remarkable leaders who were then called to the world as the missionaries and bishops that brought Christianity to Europe–where they created new monasteries to train the next generation. The chapter will tell the stories of Benedictine monasticism and some of the notable leaders it produced. It will also draw out ways monastic life built community and discipleship through prayer, through its clearly defined roles, and through formal practices that encouraged humble service, mutual accountability, and individual growth. Not bad at all, I’d say. Gary gives us the gist of the chapter in relatively succinct form. I would encourage: Being even more succinct Referencing at least one narrative per chapter Including one sentence about the history of the group Including one sentence about the historical importance of the movement (i.e., what did it accomplish?), and Making at least one reference to what we can learn from the movement Generally speaking, a synopsis should: use the present tense (“This chapter explains…,” not “This chapter will explain…”) not be an exhaustive description (That’s what chapters are for!) entice the reviewer to keep reading (think: narrative references!) highlight the most marketable/saleable features of each chapter Following is my revision: 1. Community for Prayer — Benedictine Monasticism Opening with an engaging narrative about Benedict himself, this chapter counters the frequent Protestant error of equating monasticism with running from community and service. For the medieval followers of Benedict of Nursia (c. 480 – c. 550) the opposite was the case. Entering monastic life was an intense immersion in community life where the purpose was to fit each member for heaven largely through a shared life of prayer. Monasteries became training centers for remarkable leaders who then went into the world as missionaries and bishops. They did nothing less than bring Christianity to Europe, and we have much to learn from them about prayer and discipleship. [callout]Bonus Content: Even more important than your synopsis are the chapter titles and subtitles you include in your book proposal. For a brief video training on how to develop compelling titles and subtitles, including a sample Table of Contents makeover, click here.[/callout] [Tweet “How to write a chapter synopsis for your book proposal #amwriting via @ChadRAllen”] Are you working on a chapter synopsis? Drop it in a comment, and I’ll do my best to help.
How to Craft a Table of Contents for Your Book
I’ve learned over many years of business travel to appreciate a tool that is often overlooked but absolutely essential: the airport directory/map. I’ve made a habit of finding one after arriving at unfamiliar airports to assess the layout, the best restaurants, any artistic/historical attractions, nearest bathroom, shoeshine stands (if my shoes are scruffy), and of course my next gate. Your table of contents is like a map for your book. It shows the layout of your book and tells readers what they are going to find where. Brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to create a book proposal. I wrote two posts before realizing the series would be far more helpful to folks if I actually coached a writer through the process of crafting a book proposal. After a brief contest of sorts I decided to work with Gary Neal Hansen. My strong hope is that others will be working on their book proposals as I coach Gary through this process. So far I’ve posted about motivation, concept, bio, platform, working title, and brief description. Unlike airport maps, your table of contents also serves a marketing function—to the people reviewing your proposal but also to potential readers. It is where all who read it begin to have a sense of the actual journey that reading your book will take them on. Following is Gary’s current table of contents: Introduction 1. Community for Prayer — Benedictine Monasticism 2. Community for Service — The Beguines 3. Community for Study — Reformed “Prophesyings” 4. Community for Loving — Moravians at Herrnhut 5. Community for Holiness — Wesleyan “Class Meetings” 6. Community for Revolution — Latin American “Base Communities” Conclusion Appendix Full disclosure: Gary is expecting me to write about the chapter-by-chapter synopsis, which is where the author briefly describes each chapter. So he likely spent more time on the chapter descriptions he sent me than he did looking at the chapter titles. We’ll get to the synopsis, but I think it’s important to stop right here and look at the table of contents. By the way, I think it’s a good idea to begin your chapter-by-chapter synopsis with the table of contents. Then just repeat each chapter title as a heading for the synopsis of each chapter. Notice the different parts of the table of contents: front matter (the introduction), the body of the book, and the back matter. Note the number of chapters. Note the titles, then the subtitles. Note the relationship between the two. Note the flow of content from one chapter to another. Let me make some observations. I encourage Gary to add enticing subtitles to the introduction, conclusion, and appendix. Why miss an opportunity to capture additional readers? I’ve written about how six chapters in a book of this length means long chapters. That’s a potential turnoff for readers (and publishers), but it may be unavoidable. I assume Gary has organized the chapters chronologically by movement, which makes sense here. Another possible organization is by action. In other words, what action should a community today incorporate first, second, third, and so on. The point here is simply to be intentional about the flow. I love how the chapters center on a singular theme (prayer, service, etc.), but there is probably a more appealing way to start each chapter than with “Community for.” Let me take a shot at the first chapter: “Let Them First Pray Together”: Learning about the Vital Importance of Prayer from Benedictine Monasticism The idea is to capture the reader/reviewer’s attention with the title and then describe it as enticingly as is accurate in the subtitle. It’s the “grab-and-tickle” approach to titling: Grab them with the title, tickle them with a bit of the content in the subtitle. There are many different ways to do this, of course. “Let Them First Pray Together” is a quote from Benedict’s Rule. One can imagine a title like “Building Houses of Prayer” or “Moving Mountains.” Consider making the titles about the action or principle that communities today can incorporate. Also, be mindful of the relationship between the book title and the chapter titles. So, for example, if the book title is 6 Ways Christian Community Has Changed the World . . . And How You and Your Friends Can Do It Again, you may want either the title or subtitle to focus on the influence that the movement had in the world: “How Benedictine Monasticism Overturned an Empire” comes to mind as a possible subtitle. I doubt it’s accurate to say Benedictine monasticism did this, but you get what I’m saying. Things to keep in mind: Your table of contents gives readers/reviewers a map of the journey. It serves both a content and a marketing function. Use chapter titles and chapter subtitles. Be intentional about flow. Be mindful of the relationship between the book title and the chapter titles/subs. Grab and tickle. Are you working on a table of contents or a particular chapter title/subtitle combination? Would you like some input? Drop what you’d like help with in a comment and let us know what you need. Then be sure to offer your input to others looking for help.
Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
“Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness.” –Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recently I was in Memphis and visited the place where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. If you’re ever in Memphis, go. It’s a powerful experience. King was in Memphis to lead a demonstration and protest march on behalf of garbage men who had endured years of discrimination, poor working conditions, and appallingly low wages. The first march took place on March 28, 1968, but some thugs and looters joined the parade, and it ended in violence. Police used their night sticks on some of the protesters, and the whole thing ended in bloody mayhem. King was whisked away in a car for fear of what might happen to him. But the failed march did not deter Dr. King. He was convinced that a nonviolent protest in Memphis was possible, so he came back a few days later. The day he arrived, April 3, he and his traveling companions learned that a few people had gathered at a church to support the demonstration. King asked his friends to address the folks at church, while he and the others went back to the Lorraine Motel to work on the movement. When his traveling companions arrived at the church, it was packed to the gills. Realizing the assembled group wanted to see King, they sent for him. That night he did not use notes, and he had not prepared for the speech. He spoke from his heart, and the result was his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The next day, April 4, organization for the protest continued until evening, when Dr. King and his companions planned to dine with local Memphis pastor, Rev. Samuel “Billy” Kyles. Kyles showed up at the motel to take them to dinner around 5pm. Leaving motel room 306 around 6pm they noticed a number of people in the parking lot below, one of whom was Rev. Jessie Jackson. Dr. King stood on the balcony for a few moments chatting with the people. Kyles turned to walk down the steps, and that’s when the shot rang out. Dr. King died instantly. On April 8, Dr. King’s friends led a nonviolent march in Memphis with 42,000 participants. Let me close this post with a few thoughts that have stayed with me since visiting Memphis. Dr. King was holding a cigarette when he was killed. The pressure he was under because of his position on Vietnam and because of the Civil Rights Movement got to him, and he took up smoking. It’s also widely accepted that Dr. King engaged in extramarital affairs. The man was flawed, deeply flawed perhaps, yet he accomplished great things. While King lay slain on the balcony, Billy Kyles reached into King’s inside coat pocket and quietly made a pack of cigarettes disappear. King never wanted children to see him smoking, which is to say he wasn’t entirely at ease with it. Kyles had his back. We all need friends—friends who have our back. The night before he died, in that famous speech, Dr. King said, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!” He told his friends he would never make 40; he died at 39. Dr. King knew that death was a very real possibility, yet he kept on with his mission. I can’t help asking, What’s my mission? What am I willing to die for? Today I’m grateful for a flawed man who stopped at nothing to pursue a selfless mission. May his example inspire us.
How to Write a Compelling Bio for Your Book Proposal
Growing up, my family had a running joke. Whenever someone asked for a tissue, invariably the response came back: “Tissue? I don’t even know you!” Publishers invest a lot more than a tissue’s worth in the books they publish, so it’s important for them to know who they’re working with. That is why your bio may well be the first thing an acquisitions editor reads in your book proposal. It is certainly the first thing I read. A good bio can either open the door to the rest of your proposal or stop the review process almost as quickly as it began. Brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to write a book proposal. I got two posts in before realizing the series would be far more helpful to folks if I actually coached a writer through the process of crafting a book proposal. After a brief contest of sorts I decided to work with Gary Neal Hansen. My strong hope is that others will be working on their book proposals as I coach Gary through this process. To read the posts leading up to this one, see here, here, here, and here. Following is the bio Gary sent: Gary Neal Hansen is Associate Professor of Church History at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and the author of Kneeling with Giants: Learning to Pray with History’s Best Teachers (InterVarsity Press, 2012). The book has received a broad ecumenical welcome, including an interview in Christianity Today, a “Best this Month” feature in The Lutheran, and an interview on the Catholic Channel of Sirius XM Satellite Radio. He is passionate about mining the wisdom of Christian history to help today’s Christians know and love God, grow in community, and serve Christ’s purposes in God’s beloved world. His sense of Christian community was shaped by undergraduate years at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle (where his pastor, Steve Hayner, once referred to him as a small group guru). Years as a small church pastor and study leave in a Benedictine monastery highlighted the range of understandings of Christian community. His scholarly writing is found in volumes published by Cambridge University Press, T&T Clark, Mohr Seebeck, Eerdmans and others, with writing for a general readership in The Presbyterian Outlook, Presbyterians Today, and Theology Matters. He speaks regularly at conferences and retreats–typically two or three times per year, and thus far in about a dozen states. He is currently developing a slow-motion book tour with leftover funds from a Louisville Institute research grant. Weekends find him with his wife and two small children looking for whatever is fresh and local at the farmers’ market, or cooking it up for friends. Let the coaching begin. Good work, Gary! This bio has a lot going for it, though I do see some possible ways it can be improved as well. Your bio is essentially your opportunity to tell the publisher who you are, but obviously we’re not interested in your favorite pizza toppings or what size shoe you wear. Anytime you make your bio available, whether to a conference or on your personal blog or a company or institution website, it should be tailored to the audience reading it. That is why your book proposal bio may well be the only place you use this particular version of your bio, though certainly it can be drawn upon for other venues as well. Your book proposal bio should: Be no more than 250 words. Shorter is okay! Establish your credibility. What’s your main vocational role? How are you qualified to write about the topic of your book? What work have you already done on the topic? Give us a glimpse of your platform. How can you help the publisher promote your book? What are your networks? How much are you speaking? Give us a sense of you as a person. Will you be reliable and fun to work with? Notice that Gary’s bio does all of these things—in part because he read my previous post on this topic. I love that he says right at the top what his main vocational role is. I can’t tell you how often we have to hunt for this information—sometimes to no avail! He establishes his credibility as an author with a reference to his first book and how it’s been received. He tells us what he’s passionate about, and he gives me a sense of what kind of guy he is in the last sentence. Great stuff! I do, however, see two places where the bio can be improved. The first is here: His sense of Christian community was shaped by undergraduate years at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle (where his pastor, Steve Hayner, once referred to him as a small group guru). Years as a small church pastor and study leave in a Benedictine monastery highlighted the range of understandings of Christian community. The impulse is right here. Gary is trying to show that he’s more than just book smart on this topic. He has real-world experience to offer. The problem is these sentences make me feel like his experience is relatively limited. He learned about community at school, in a church, and for a week at a monastery once. It’s probably better to frame this section in terms of the places where Gary has worked out his ideas about community. That way he’s not implying a limited basis of practical knowledge. He’s just talking about the places where he’s worked out a bunch of ideas. Even better, however, would be some reference to the fruit of the ideas he will be sharing in the book. “Gary,” for example, “has seen the power and redemptive influence of Christian community play out in his church and small group as he and his friends have done transformative work both locally and globally.” And obviously the more concrete he can be here, the better. The other section that can be improved is here: He speaks regularly at conferences and retreats–typically two or three
Over at Savanna’s Place…
A little while back blogger and fellow ReWrite Conference (@ReWriteConf) attendee Savanna Hartman asked me to do a guest post for her. She asked for a piece on how younger folks (think Millennials) can discern their vocation. Here’s how the piece begins: Despite all beliefs to the contrary, God has been working in each of our lives. And our stories up to this point provide signposts for what is worth pursuing in the future. When I was in first grade, my mom helped me create my first book. She helped me develop the story and pick character names. She edited my writing and coached me about building suspense. Long story short: my book took the blue ribbon in our school contest, and I beamed. Today, I’m a book editor. Essentially I help people make books and give them that same beaming feeling . . . To read the rest, click here.
Heartfelt Thanks and the Big Reveal
This is so hard! I received over twenty submissions for book proposal coaching, and picking just one to work on is killing me. What’s even more intense is that I find myself really connecting with all the yearning these submissions reflect. You all have such great stories and aspirations. What I hate—what I really cannot tolerate—is the possibility that when I pick one of these submissions, some of you will feel let down or rejected or whatever. Please, regardless of who I work with, for the love all that’s sacred don’t stop pursuing your book project! And I would be beside myself with gratitude if you took this process seriously and worked on your proposal at the same time I’m working with someone and blogging about it. The other thing that’s on my mind as I review these submissions is that this blog I started a few months ago is actually connecting out there—all over the place (I received submissions from Wales and South Africa for heaven’s sake!)—and with real people. Those of you who blog know what it’s like to write your posts, send them into the world, and just hope they’re helpful. I mean you see the stats, but they’re just numbers and bar graphs, right? Getting to read about some of you has me all choky and teary. I’m not kidding. So bless you. And don’t stop writing. And thank you. Sincerely. Pause. Sigh. OK, now for the big reveal. I’ve decided to work with Gary Neal Hansen. Gary is a church history prof at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and the author of Kneeling with Giants: Learning to Pray with History’s Best Teachers (InterVarsity Press, 2012). Honestly I had reservations about working with a published author because I thought I might be more helpful to someone who has not been published, but Gary’s concept won me over. Here’s the description he sent: “One for the World: Six Ways of Being Christian Community that Have Changed the World–and Can Do It Again is for all those who ask why their present life in the church sucks, who know the answer must be more than using different music, and who want tools to grow the kind of community life that has, throughout history, empowered Christ’s followers to do God’s work with power and grace.” The possibility of helping Christians develop world-changing communities by learning from what Christians have done in the past was just too good for me to pass up. Gary and I will get started very soon. Join us. SUPER FREAKING EXCITED!