by Tisha Martin
Recently, I attended Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College to promote Christian Editor Network and its divisions. CEN LLC partnered in sharing a table with Breathe Christian Writer’s Conference. Ann Byle, co-founder of Breathe and also owns AB Writing Services, and I had a great time at the conference, interfacing with writers and editors. Ann is speaking for us at PENCON in May.
We’re excited for Ann to join us because she has a heart as big as the Pacific Ocean for people. You’ll learn much from her about style guides and editing online content.
At Festival of Faith and Writing, we met with many writers who were interested in CEC and many editors who were interested in The PEN and PENCON. It will certainly be exciting to add to our editing family in the future.
I noticed a sign taped on the side of the trash can in the hallway and had to share with you. It was a page ripped out of the festival program, and someone had written in black marker, “Impostor Syndrome Receptacle (you’re doing great)!” Tickled, I snapped a photo for two reasons: 1) “impostor” was misspelled and 2) our very own PEN family member Dori Harrell is presenting a session at PENCON about “Imposter Syndrome: You’re Not the Fraud You Think You Are.”
What really captured my interest with the Imposter Syndrome sign on that trash can was that each one of us who serve in the publishing industry—writers, marketers, consultants, and editors—grapple with the fear that we’re a fraud. A fraud because we aren’t smart enough or we’re not skilled enough for what we’re doing.
Truth is, we all have strengths and weaknesses that compliment whatever we’re doing. And if we have any ounce of doubt, we should just chuck it in the trash bin because we are valued and validated by God who gave us the gifts we do have to help others in this vast industry.
Looking forward to seeing you at PENCON in a few weeks! If you are unable to join us, then please keep an eye out for our audio sessions, available a month or so after the conference, because you won’t want to miss out on any of these amazing, continuing education sessions from professional freelance and in-house editors.
Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and nonfiction but also edits and proofreads for beginning and best-selling writers, professional editing agencies, and publishing houses. She has a BA in Professional Writing, an MS in English Education, and an editing certificate from the PEN Institute, affordable continuing education for editors. Active in American Christian Fiction Writers and The PEN, she appreciates the writing and editing communities. As Assistant Director of PENCON, a conference for editors, she enjoys traveling, interfacing with writers and editors, and updating PENCON’s Facebook Page. Connect with Tisha on her website www.tishamartin.com and engage in the conversation.
