2014 CALLED TO SERVE: Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT)

2014 CALLED TO SERVE: Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT)

OUR STORY

Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) - a group of Christian fiction and nonfiction authors on FIRE for God and committed to using writing as a tool for Christian ministry – is steadfast in its effort to introduce readers to books that, 
  1. lead people to the Word of God (The Holy Bible); 
  2. help people build their relationship with Christ; and 
  3. inspire others to use writing as a tool for Christian ministry. 
Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) exists because of the loyal membership of its participating authors, the generosity of volunteers and the financial support of corporate sponsors.  Launched in 2008, CAOT has sponsored four national Christian book Tours, produced an inspirational blog talk radio show, and facilitated Christian mission outreaches for participating authors and readers to spread the love of Christ.
Although CAOT did not host a Christian book Tour in 2011, it did launch the Christian Writer’s Literary Festival in that same year. Since 2011, the Christian Writer’s Literary Festival has been the last stop of CAOT’s annual Christian book Tour.


MEMBERSHIP/VENDING FEE OVERVIEW

Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) include Christian authors who meet the following criteria: (CAOT affiliation is lifelong unless a CAOT member chooses to relinquish it)
  1. a Christian author who paid to participate in at least one scheduled Tour stop/gathering sponsored by Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) between 2008 - 2014; and
  2. a Christian author who was invited by Lynn Pinder to accept an author fellowship award (waived membership/vending fee) to participate in CAOT between 2008 - 2013.


The 2014 Called to Serve:  Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT)  includes Christian authors who have agreed to one of the following three (3) payment options: (CLICK HERE to view the 2014 Tour Schedule)
  • Pay-As-You Go Tour Stop Payment Option -  $85 per Tour stop (DEADLINE: 60 days prior to the scheduled CAOT Tour stop of your choice.)
  • Pre-Paid Multi-Tour Stop Payment Option - $80 x 2, 3, or 4 scheduled Tour stops of your choice. Please email Lynn Pinder at lpinder@thetakeactionnetwork.com to request an invoice. Returning CAOT authors/members pay a discounted rate of $75 per Tour stop.  Please type "Request 2014 CAOT Tour Invoice" in the Subject Line.  (DEADLINE: 60 days prior to the first scheduled CAOT Tour stop of your choice.)

(CAOT membership is lifelong.  CAOT authors/members pay vending fees at the start of each year to participate in a CAOT annual Christian book Tour.  

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

2014 Called to Serve:  Christian Authors on Tour New Author Application: 

If you are interested in joining the 2014 Called to Serve:  Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT), please submit the following via email (lpinder@thetakeactionnetwork.com) to Lynn Pinder:
  1. Your one page bio;
  2. A head shot saved as a .jpeg file;
  3. A photo of the front cover of your book saved as a .jpeg file;
  4. A book synopsis;
  5. Mail one courtesy copy of the book listed above to the following address:
                   Lynn Pinder
                   P.O. Box 1591
                   Baltimore, MD  21203

This courtesy copy will be the one book featured in all CAOT marketing materials and will be kept for CAOT library or used as a free give-away on the CAOT Blog Talk Radio Show or the 2014 CAOT Scavenger Hunt).
  • Read 1 Peter 4:11 and forward a one - five sentence explanation of how that scripture relates to your journey as a Christian author.
I will review all submissions and let you know whether your book ministry is an appropriate fit for CAOT's 2014 Tour.  If selected, you will need to choose a membership fee option and make your online payment as noted above.


RETURNING CAOT Authors/Members

If you have participated in a past CAOT Tour, we should have your head shot, bio and book info on file and there is no need to send items #1-5 as requested above.  If you have updated your head shot and/or book info, please do resend all your info as directed above.  

 Please read 1 Peter 4:11 and forward a one-five sentence explanation of how that scripture relates to your journey as a Christian author.  Please submit your online payment as noted above and forward one courtesy copy of your most current book to the following address:

Lynn Pinder
P.O. Box 1591
Baltimore, MD 21203


MEMBERSHIP PERKS

CAOT membership is lifelong.  CAOT authors/members enjoy the following benefits:
  • 24/7 access to the CAOT Back Office on NING, a one-stop source of information for CAOT Authors/Members.  CAOT Authors/Mentors can obtain regular updates 24 hours a day (anytime at your own convenience) regarding CAOT events/gatherings, share information, photos and videos regarding their own book ministries, connect with other CAOT authors/members, join intercessory prayer and share/obtain other resource information with CAOT authors/members.
  • Monthly/Quarterly Marketing and Public Relations Support - (1) the creation of a link from the CAOT main website to your website or a courtesy blog page created by CAOT if you don't have a website; and (2) photos of you participating at scheduled Tour stops included on the CAOT website and affiliated websites; 
  • Blog Talk Radio Interview - One opportunity per year to interview on the Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) Blog Talk Radio Show (www.blogtalkradio.com/christianauthorsontour).  
  • Prayer/Fellowship Support - You are connected to a group of real authors who are on FIRE for God and committed to using writing as a tool for Christian ministry.  You have the opportunity to network and learn from one another.  
ANNUAL TOUR PERKS

Participation in one of CAOT's annual Tours offers the following additional benefits:
  • Monthly/Quarterly Marketing - an opportunity for your head shot, bio, photo of one of your books and a book synopsis of one of your books to be included in at least one Author Spotlight E-blast by Christian Authors on Tour and/or The Christian AOT Network; 
  • Public Relations Support - inclusion of your name, contact information, photo of your book cover, book synopsis, bio or head shot in at least one quarterly E-blast and/or press release; 
  • Author Liaison Support - you have the opportunity to receive limited administrative support from CAOT's Author Liaison to help you prepare for your scheduled Tour stops;
  • Advertisements - (1) the inclusion of a photo of at least one of your books or your head shot in a general flyer for your confirmed scheduled Tour stop; and (2) the creation of a one-page book ad that includes your head shot, book cover and contact info;
  • Blog Talk Radio - an opportunity to serve as a co-host on the CAOT Blog Talk Radio Show and the opportunity to receive at least one LIVE interview per calendar year on the Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) Blog Talk Radio Show (www.blogtalkradio.com/christianauthorsontour); 
  • Digital Program Booklet - the inclusion of your book ad and website information in the digital program booklet for your confirmed scheduled Tour stop.
  • Social Media Branding - the inclusion of your name, one-page book ad, photos of you participating in scheduled Tour stops or flyers including your book image and/or photo on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIN.
  • Vending Space - The standard vending space normally includes a shared table for a specified period of time on the day of the event and inclusion of your book information on marketing/promotions materials prior to the scheduled event.*      
  • Anthology Submissions - Waived submission fee for the 2014 annual Christmas anthology that helps the world understand the true meaning of Christmas and free marketing/public relations support relating to your submission in the anthology.  CLICK HERE to read the criteria for submitting a poem, short story or creative essay for inclusion in the annual Christmas anthology.   
  • U.S.-Based Missions - You will have the opportunity to harvest souls for Christ and impact lives through a variety of CAOT-sponsored U.S.-missions outreach.  Each scheduled stop on the CAOT 2014 Tour will include some sort of missions project which will be connected to the scheduled CAOT-sponsored book signing and/or festival.  
*All membership/vendor fees are non-refundable*

Membership/vendor fees are non-refundable and help cover administrative and marketing/promotions costs affiliated with the coordination of  CAOT and its annual tours.   Membership and vendor fees also help to cover fees charged by coordinators of events like The Harlem Book Fair so that CAOT authors can have a collective presence at those types of events.  
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Membership into Christian Authors on Tour (CAOT) is an extremely different experience than most standard author tours (Christian or secular).

Authors become members of CAOT once they pay to vend at a scheduled Tour stop. Membership into CAOT is lifelong. However, authors must pay annually to participate in a scheduled Tour stop.

Although CAOT hosts Christian book Tours/events/gatherings which allow participating authors to sell books, CAOT's primary goal is not to help authors sell books. CAOT's number one goal is to help Christian authors use their book ministries as tools to harvest souls for Christ. CAOT's other goals include second goal offering a network of encouragement and support to Christian authors and providing venues for them to sell their books.

The staff ( CAOT's Chief Visionary Officers, Lynn Pinder; CAOT's Author Liaison, Charlene Brown; CAOT's Volunteer Coordinator, Melanie Smith-Taylor; and the 2014 CAOT Coordinator, TBA) is committed to creating consistent and structured opportunities for Christian authors to share information regarding their book ministries while connecting Christian authors with resources to help them enhance their writing/publishing techniques and expand the outreach of their book ministries.

Of course, CAOT wants to help its authors/members sell books, but the selling of books is not our highest priority. Creating well-planned, consistent, structured opportunities for CAOT authors/members to share their book ministries, grow in their Christian walk, and sharpen their craft through interactions with other Christian authors are our highest priorities.

CAOT has a family-oriented atmosphere where everyone plays a part in helping to support and promote CAOT-sponsored events/gatherings. The success of your experience with CAOT is largely connected with your level of activity as a CAOT author/member.

Your activity parallels your success with CAOT. The more active you are in terms of staying connected via the CAOT Back Office on Ning, listening to the CAOT Blog Talk Radio Show, participating in CAOT-affiliated events and/or professional development opportunities and/or responding to requests/inquiries/notices from your fellow CAOT authors/members, the more positive your experience as a CAOT author/member. You can also feel free to share your non-related CAOT events/activities, businesses and books via CAOT's Back Office on NING. Just be sure to read the guidelines so that you can post the info in the proper place on the site.

IMPACT STATS

  • Harvesting Souls for Christ - Over the years, CAOT events/gatherings have produced many opportunities for Christian authors to minister to attendees. For example, at several CAOT events, CAOT authors have had opportunities to share their personal testimonies and witness with attendees. The 2014 year will offer more "intentional" opportunities for participating authors to not only sell books but to lead others to Christ through scheduled Christian book Tour stops and a series of U.S-based missions projects connected each sponsored Tour stop.

  • Fellowship/Making Connections - (1) The majority of participating authors from years past have expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to meet and develop friendships and ministry partners with other CAOT authors/members. As a result of their affiliation with CAOT, many participating authors have received invitations to partner and/or co-sponsor other book and ministry outreach events, launched their own book tours, and started their own blog talk radio shows; and (2) Participating authors have also expressed their appreciation of having additional prayer warriors to stand in the gap for them.

  • Marketing/Promotions/Public Relations Support - (1) Many participating authors from years past have expressed their appreciation for having their book ministries and/or bios included in press releases and E-blasts that resulted in interviews with local radio/television stations and newspaper reporters; (2) Other participating authors have expressed their appreciation for opportunities to share information about their book ministries on the CAOT Blog Talk Radio Show. Authors have expressed the value of being able to download free embed codes of their interviews for posting on their websites; (3) Participating authors have also expressed their appreciation for having the opportunity to co-host episodes on the CAOT Blog Talk Radio Show; and (4) Moreover, CAOT authors/members have expressed their appreciation in receiving free marketing materials (i.e. one page ads, flyers, brochures, photo slide shows) to help them raise awareness about their participation in CAOT.

  • Professional Development/Spiritual Development - Most participating authors mention how much they enjoy having the opportunity to learn from one another. Whether it's online through the CAOT Back Office on NING or through face-to-face interactions that resulted from a CAOT-gathering, lots of participating authors have used their experiences with CAOT to sharpen their writing, expand their ministry efforts and grow their network of Christian author peers.

  • Book Sales - (1) Revenue/sales vary greatly due to the types of CAOT-sponsored events/gatherings. On average, participating authors generally sell about 5 - 10 books per event. However, there have been some events/gatherings where the authors sold more or did not sell any books at all. In those instances where the participating authors did not sell any books, most were able to network and/or establish a business or ministry connection that helped them to grow/expand the outreach of their book ministry or provide additional opportunities for them to sell books at other scheduled events affiliated with other CAOT-members or non-CAOT members who attended a CAOT-sponsored event/gathering; and (2) Participating authors' websites from the 2014 Tour are included on CAOT's products/services page at www.christianauthorsontour.com and www.2014caot.blogspot.com.