If I were able to time travel (those of you who write time travel books make it look so easy!), I would find younger writer me, prior to publishing, and tell her these hard-won truths I’ve learned. I hope these truths clear a smoother pathway for you as you seek publication.
- Sometimes the book you’re the most passionate about doesn’t do well, when a book you aren’t as passionate about succeeds.
- No one stays in the same place in the publishing world. This is a foundational fact.
- This is a long, long marathon journey. Take the next step, then the next.
- Promotion takes a lot of time and energy. It takes me longer to promote a book than it does to write one.
- Most likely you won’t make enough money to live on. Bread and butter income comes from freelance income, not book sales.
- God will use your writing to heal you. Every book I’ve written has been an avenue of healing. Yes, even my fiction. Ken Gire writes, “We reach for God in many ways, through our sculptures and our Scriptures. Through our pictures and our prayers. Through our writing and our worship. And through them, he reaches for us.”
- If you treat everyone you meet in the publishing industry with compassion and kindness, you’ll be remembered. (If you’re difficult to work with, you’ll be remembered, too.)
- Establishing a prayer team the moment you sense God is calling you to write will safeguard you.
- Humility (and being teachable) trumps self-promotion and self-importance.
- The words you write on social media, even if taken down, stay in folks’ minds. Be wise with your online words. Be less offendable, too. Andy Mineo cautions, “Don’t be so easily offended. Nobody likes the person they have to tip toe around. Believing the best of people helps. A person who is easily offended is often very self centered. They believe all comments are shots at them.”
- When your words injure others, apologize.
- When we live for our reputation and live entirely in light of our insecurity, we get into trouble.
- If you strive to write a better (book, article, essay) each time, you’ll grow in the craft. If you skate once you’re publish, your craft will stagnate.
- Awards are nice, but they don’t sell books.
- Your main job as a writer is to think about your audience, not yourself.
- Most of writing is re-writing. Your first draft is not your final draft.
- There really is no room for slacker-like, shoddy work. Bring your best work to the table.
- Jealousy is not fruitful. Ann Lamott is known for writing, “I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. We do not think that she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her.”
- Being faithful in little gets very little fanfare, but integrity really does matter.
- Settle into your worth and lean into the process. (Publishing cannot possibly validate your life).
What have you learned along the publishing journey?
Your Annual Must-Read
This is such a fabulous list, Mary. Thank you! I love how you ground us again and again in Jesus command to love others. It seems like a business where one must snarl and claw her way into being seen, but this is not the way of Christ. If Christ has given us these talents, perhaps even called us to write, then He would want us to use them in a way that honors Him! Something that you touched on that was a truth that took me a long time to learn is to write with the needs of our readers in mind. Not wanting to capitulate on my dream and write anything less than what I was passionate about, I have marched onward writing what I want to write for years. After some time, I have slowly grown to realize that I need not betray my passion, dreams, or who I am as an individual to think of my reader. As one of the Books & Such blogs from the past so beautifully pointed out, I must simply look closely for that place where my passion intersects with reader need and then edit my piece accordingly! Choose the part of me that can speak to others and ignore what does not strengthen the body of Christ. It’s like sharing your testimony around the campfire at Bible camp, you don’t give your entire life story, you don’t tell the parts that will give young children nightmares (especially if there are children present), you look at the people that God has graciously allowed you to share a piece of yourself with and you share that bit of you that will remind them of their Lord and strengthen them for further walking in His ways. Such it is with writing! Some writing is just for me and God and some is for sharing with the world.
OK this should be its own blog post! Well done, Kristen.
Ha ha! It’s long enough to be.
Wonderfully well said Kristen, thank you.
Beautiful, Kristen.
Wish I’d known my writing leaven,
what I’d have to tell
in dreaming of an earthly Heaven,
was that I’d be soon face Hell.
Wish I’d seen that reaching out
was what proclaimed God’s glories,
and that I’d earlier come to doubt
the value of my stories.
Don’t get me wrong, novels were fun,
and I’m glad that mine exist,
but now my fiction-race is run,
and I need not persist
in search of literary fame
when it’s time to praise God’s holy name.
“Most of writing is re-writing.” I so needed this today, Mary, as I’ve delved into a new work, and the progress feels awful. But I’ve been in such a funk since my mother passed away that I’m just thankful to start something new. The clouds are parting, and a ray of light is shining through.
So sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. How difficult!
Shelli, for you, with love.
And they are sudden stole away,
whom we had counted on
to hold our hands for one more day…
and now, where have they gone?
It’s said they’re now in God’s bright care,
upon a safe eternity,
but we cry, “It isn’t fair,
I want her safe with ME!”
There is a hole shot through our years
that we will pass alone,
and in the nightsound of our tears
we bow our heads, atone
for thought so natural but flawed,
to think that we love more than God.
so much wisdom here. I needed to read this today. Thank you!!
I’m grateful it was helpful.
Great list. I’ve also learned patience really is a virtue. Persistence can create rewards. Staying positive will show in your work (so will being depressed and negative). I’ve also learned God always answers prayers – just not the way you “told” him to!
I especially like staying positive. That can be hard, though!
This line : “God will use your writing to heal you.”
So simple, yet profound – and true.
It’s been a great blessing in my life, Damon.
Wow! This is such a full, rich, valuable blog. Thank you so much for writing it. I have much to think and pray about today as there are a couple of these causing a bit of conviction to my soul this morning. God bless you, Mary.
Thanks Susan. I’m glad it provoked thought!
Love this, Mary. 🙂
I’d add (and have to constantly remind myself):
Cherish each contact, each email subscriber, each “like” or comment on a blog post. These are the building blocks of relationships. Stop thinking of these as “readers”; think of them as someone God has placed in my path to minister to, or as someone who is called to minister to me.
Yes, that’s such an important practice, Deb.
Thanks, Mary, for this encouraging list. Your two comments on rewriting are encouraging since I realized last night I must rewrite the chapter on which I spent the week. On #1 and #14, the book I was most passionate about is not selling as well as the others though it received an award. It was good to read your take on this. The main lesson I’ve learned so far is that it is difficult to juggle writing, blogging, and social media. I’m not a multi-tasker. Thankfully, I have co-authors who are much better at social media and promotion than I am.
Oh dear. Rewriting is necessary but it can also be discouraging!
This is soooooo good, Mary! (And so true.)
Thanks, Kurt! I’m glad it helped.
Wherever you are on your publishing journey, you can support others around you, in front of and behind you.
That’s a truly important point, Susan.
Hi Mary! I had to smile at your #7, and also that you know of Andy Mineo. (I listen to his music when I swim!) I’m learning to not to waste my “waiting” for an agent or publication by being faithful in the small things and opportunities. I’m also learning how humbling it is to make connections with readers. It’s amazing to hear how writing touches people’s hearts, and it teaches me about God’s grace and goodness.🙌
I love that, Andrea. Yes, cherishing is important.