Chip, I hate to hear that. Ye been there fer me time and time again. I wished ye'd reconsider. Yer the closest thing to a agent that I ever had. Stevie

HiDee 'Mander, Had to come support the fairer side a MacGregor lit, the one that wears skirts...erm...I mean, nevermind, I ain't gonna go there. Let this post just serve as y'alls example a how NOT to write. My high school english teachers have all learned Jujitsu and come after me with knives and thowin' stars. My college english teachers have denied they ever knowed me and one spry young thang kicked me in my solar plexus and cracked me over the head with her walker. That's not to mention all the agents and publishers with restrainin' orders on me. So, in summation, y'all don't use no double negatives once removed or you'll pay fer it! Give Chip all my love, 'Mander. He gits more girls with a skirt on that I ever got with plain ole britches. And God Bless MacGregor Lit :-) Grace and Cornbread, Stevie Rey Arthur of The Hillbilly Bible

If I ever do any fiction, Chip, it will most likely have some rough language. To me that's just life in the real world. Not that I want to glorify it, but I want my work to reflect reality. I wasn't born on a pew and raised in an ivory tower. I grew up in the grit and grime and blood and war that is this fallen world. I'm sorry if that's a little dark, maybe that's why I always wear black, but that's just been my experience and I'd wager a guess it's the experience of 99.9% of the earth's inhabitants. The fiction that I write will definitely point to Jesus, but it will also reflect a real, fallen, sinful world.

Hi Sandra, Chip must be in a severe depressive episode at the lack of Jesus paraphernalia. My advice is just to make some stuff up. That could be creative and fun! I'm still awaiting the "Jump for Jesus Mini Trampoline" myself. What am I reading? I think I am about to pick up "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and I'm thinking about trying to make it through another fiction book which tends to bore me (truth is stranger...and more interesting to me). Good luck to Amanda with those 500!!! I bet there are at least three Golden Nuggets in them thar hills!!! :-) Grace and Peace and Cornbread, Stevie Rey Author of The Hillbilly bible

And apparently I don't know the difference between quotation marks and exclamation points! Dang public schools! SR

I dig the creative packaging thing, Chip. I'm a weirdo in the world of writers (or any world for that matter) I actually like to market! I probably like it as much or more than writing!!! I also like quotation marks!! LOL! Be safe and Godspeed, Chip Steve

Steve that's great stuff. Thank you for sharing! Stevie Rey Author of The Hillbilly Bible

Wendy's is hiring!!??? LOL! Thanks for the encouragement, Chip. I won't give up. Interesting coincidence that you should mention collaborating. I've been looking for a partner but I haven't been able to find anyone just yet. If you know of anyone, let me know. Jerry Jenkins was busy. (hee, hee. not kidding!) I appreciate all of this knowledge you're pouring into my brain, Chip. Keep it coming. I'm fairly new to the writing world and my ignorance is rivaled only by my stubborn pride, the likes of which there is apparently NO KNOWN CURE! :-) Thankfully He loves us anyway. Grace and Peace, Steve

Hee, hee. "To impress girls at book signings and cocktail parties". It's probably a good thing you're not my agent, Chip. They should keep us separated for our own good! Steve

You're not a jerk, Chip, and I'm not down on big publishers. Permit me a rant from time to time, I've been passed over by every publisher and agent in the business! :-) It's all good, though, no hard feelings toward anyone. Everything will work out for good, and my book is going to be a bestseller...and soon! Grace and Peace, SR

Welcome Amanda!! God Bless MacGregor Literary!!! Stevie Rey Author of The Hillbilly Bible

Amazing how sometimes our self-image is so skewed compared to the way other folks see us, Chip. We see you as the great Chip MacGregor who walks on water! Great post, thanks for being vulnerable, bro, and great advice. Having suffered through countless rejection letters, and disappointments I would have quit long ago if not for my inner cheerleader. That's King Jesus on the inside. He tells me wonderful things like "Stevie Rey, you're going to be a great writer". "You can do it". "The Hillbilly Bible will be a bestseller, son, keep at it". There's no way I could have kept at this for so long with little or no results without Him. And you know what, it was years after I became a Christian that I even realized this "wonderful Counselor" was there! You know why I didn't hear Him, y'all. I just simply wasn't listening.

Preach On, Jeff, I'm in total agreement!

Well, I got to feelin' frisky, Chip, so I decided to slip one in at the last minute. As usual I have skated right up to the line and tripped and fell headlong right over it. Y'all don't tell nobody I wrote a Bible :-) They once was a guy from Yazoo City Who had money out the Wazoo plenty But his wife wanted to be a feller So she locked him in the storm cellar And runnoft with a butch named Liddy.

It took me a while to figger out what I know Chip and Eva and I found out it ain't much! LOL! I'm a Southern writer too, Eva. I never truly found joy in writin' til I discovered my hillbilly voice and now it's hard fer me to write any way else. Thank y'all fer these here blogs and insights! Stevie Rey Arthur of The Hillbilly Bible

Chip, If there's one thing I've learned in this whole publishing/agent acquisition journey, it's "be nice" and "be humble" and "never come across as hard to work with". That agent you're trying to land probably has at least a hundred good manuscripts on his/her desk. Which do you think they will sign, the good manuscript by Stevie, the jerk, or the other good manuscript by Johnny, the nice guy. If I had learned this lesson early on, I might have an agent today...and a publishing contract for that matter! As it is, my agent's name is Jack...Jack Squat! :-) Having learned said lesson, though, I have high hopes! Be Blessed,y'all! Stevie