Inkwell Literary Magazine joined forces with the Readers’ Society to host an Author Panel on Feb. 27 in Levinson Hall. Three Bob Jones University alumni, Mrs. Emily Golus, Mrs. Heather Day Gilbert, and retired professor Mrs. Jamie Turner, returned to answer questions about the writing and publishing process.
This joint event was co-hosted by Inkwell and the Readers’ Society in anticipation of their planned merger to create the Inkwell Literary Association (ILA) later this year. Their goal is to cultivate a love and appreciation for literature and to provide a platform for creatives to share their works in the BJU community.
“It was so great to hear from local authors and their work,” said Iana Silva, president of the Readers’ Society, a moderator for the panel. “They talked about what they learned through each of their publishing processes, and they gave a lot of helpful information and advice.”
Each author specializes in different genres, from portal fantasy to psychological thriller. Mrs. Turner has published nine novels, four of which were nominated for the Christy Award, an award commending excellence in Christian fiction. Mrs. Gilbert has published 27 books, and she won the 2023 RWA Daphne Award for Mystery/Suspense for her novel “Cold Drip.” Mrs. Golus won the 2017 Selah Award for her first novel, “Escape to Vindor,” and her standalone novel “Crack the Stone” was a finalist in the novella category for the 2024 Realm Awards at the Realm Makers Conference for Christian authors of speculative fiction.
For 40 minutes, the authors took turns answering questions from the audience. This included questions like, “Is traditional publishing better than self-publishing?” or “What do you enjoy the most about writing?” Afterwards, they sold books for the next hour at a book table while visiting with the guests.
One noteworthy topic that was discussed was marketing in the age of social media. The authors explained that publishers today expect authors to market their own books, a foreign idea 20 years ago. Traditional publishers used to handle most promotion. Mrs. Turner recalled her surprise when she was asked to give her publisher a list of influencers willing to promote her.
“I was spoiled,” Mrs. Turner said, laughing.
Mrs. Gilbert and Mrs. Golus market their work through social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and all three authors have websites to promote their works. They also attend conventions for writers around the country, such as the Realm Makers Conference and the Carolina Christian Writers Conference in North Carolina.
The writers also offered helpful commentary on the writing process itself. Mrs. Golus referred to the famous “kill your darlings” line while explaining how she deals with favorite scenes that don’t work in her story.
“What you do is you put it in a folder and promise to come back to it later,” she said. “You won’t, but you hold onto it. And sometimes, I have gone back to that folder while working on another story. And I’m able to use the scene after all.”
The ILA intends to continue publishing the digital Inkwell Literary Magazine, while hosting events to discuss and celebrate beloved books, invite people in the writing community to discuss tradecraft and host competitions for writers to participate in.
“It’s fun to gather together with other writers and talk about our craft,” said Elizabeth Bushy, Inkwell’s social media specialist, who was the emcee for the event. “I’m hoping this is the first step in creating a writing community within Bob Jones University.”
Editor’s note: Zachary Edmondson, editor-in-chief of Inkwell Literary Society, was a moderator for the panel and reported and wrote this article.
