What Are Your Options? 13 Tips for Writers by an Author who has experienced Self-Publishing and Traditional Publishing

What are your options as a writer? Here are thirteen tips I've learned along the way...

 13 Tips for Writers

1. If you want to be a writer, you have to be willing to learn, be rejected, and work hard.

2. Wherever you are at in your writing expertise, you have a lot more to learn. Be teachable!

3.There is an overwhelming amount of information and options on the internet. Find a few resources/blogs/people you trust and stick with them for most of what you need to know. It gets very overwhelming doing random searches for information, so do it sparingly.

4. Major publishers are harder to get in than ever. If you don't have a following of thousands of people already or some really amazing idea, expect it to be nearly impossible. I know that's disappointing, but I'd rather tell you now than tell you that after you waiting 6 months for a rejection letter.

5. Subsidy publishers are eager for your book, but that's because you will be paying them and so they will make money whether you do or not. I have not heard of one yet that has worked out to an author's benefit. Be very careful about any publisher that makes you pay them first--and that's not for printing books, it's for the actually publishing of your book (and possibly some "marketing" on their part, usually this runs in the thousands of dollars before you ever see your first book).

6. Self-publishing is easier, cheaper, and you get a book a lot sooner than other options, but know that you are the 100% sole marketer responsible. If you are self-motivated, have a great message, and believe in your book, this can work great for you. Self-publishing is also good for someone who only wants to run a few copies rather than ordering hundreds up front (if you do POD--Print On Demand-- rather than one that starts the print run in the hundreds of copies).

7. If you choose to self-publish, PLEASE create a good product. I can't tell you many books I've seen and read from amazon that have typos, grammatical errors, very homemade covers, or just aren't good writing. Kindle and POD have helped make self-publishing not the stigma of lack-of-quality it used to be, but books like that put the whole group down again.

8. Whatever you decide about publishing, get an editor, or have lots of people read the book before you ever put it out there. You can have 50 people read it, and the 51st will find that elusive typo everybody else missed. Believe me, it happened to me, except the person was about the 450th and the book was already on the market! Find people who will give honest feedback. This is one of my favorite parts in the process because I get to experience my book from a new reader's eyes. What was confusing? Did I get a fact wrong? Can I make this clearer? Is it age-appropriate?

Typos can really change your storyline...

...and they lived sappily ever after....oops, I mean happily ever after!

Let's eat Grandma...or rather Let's eat, Grandma.

He was doping...I mean hoping.

 

9. Print-On-Demand is the cheapest way to self-publish. I'd recommend Amazon's KDP Select. They are user-friendly, have great customer service, and are connected with Kindle, so you can put it up easily on e-book as well. I sell about 3 e-books for every paperback, so getting in with Kindle is important.

10. Spend time on the extras. You may have a fabulous book, but if the two paragraphs on the back are boring, people aren't going to read it. Why spend so much effort on the inside and then fall short on your author bio or your back cover or the one sentence you put on the cover?

11. Invest in a great cover. People say you can't judge a book by its cover, but we all do. With Amazon especially you're not picking books off shelves and looking through them. People are scanning pages and pages of covers and if yours is boring, or worse, looks cheap, there are millions of better ones to choose from. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just go to amazon.com and check out the covers.

If you're a famous classic, you can get away with this. If you're a new author with a book nobody knows about...I wouldn't buy it. Would you?

12. Don't let rejection stop you. When I used to write a lot of articles for magazines and such, I began to expect 9 rejections for every 1 acceptance. Once I got the hang of who to write for and how, that number got better, but it was a realistic way to start. There are lots of reasons for being rejected that don't mean your work is bad. Keep going till you find the right readership. (Unless your work really is bad, in which case, learn and improve!)

13. Don't use God as an excuse for poor quality. That may sound mean, but agents and publishers get real wary when someone says, "God gave me this book," or "The words are God's so..." and then proceed to say that's why the publisher really should want to publish it, or they won't take suggestions for improvements. If God had called you to build houses, He would still expect you not only to learn how to build houses, but to build them well. If you just started nailing boards together, telling people God told you build houses, you would get a bad reputation and actually dishonor your testimony rather than honoring God. So if God has told you to write, do so, but work at becoming the best writer you can be so your work honors Him.


There you have it. If you've learned some good lessons along the way, add to my list! It's always great to learn from someone else, especially someone a few steps farther up the path than we are.

Oh, also, if you have a question about any of this, please add it below and maybe it will show up as a future blog post! (With the answer, of course.)

Happy Writing! And may you live sappily ever after. =)



Related Posts:   Getting your work to an Agent or Publisher-what to do and how

 How to NOT look Self-Published

Should you ask God for success in your writing?

How the Amazon Bestselling Rank can work for you

How to Write a Query Letter--and How Not to Write One!

Whether you write articles or books, fiction or non-fiction, you need to know how to write a query letter. It is your first impression, a mini interview of sorts between you and an agent, editor, or publisher.

A great query sparks interest and makes the reader want more.
A bad query has the reader putting your work down without considering even the first paragraph.

Bad Queries often include:
1. Lots of sentences that start with "I."
2. Making it too personal rather than professional.
3. Spelling and grammar errors.
4. Arrogant statements like, "My book is going to be an amazing bestseller! You really want it!"
5. An address to an editor who hasn't worked there for years.
6. Fancy different fonts, lots of exclamation points, or words in all caps.

Here's an example of what NOT to do in a query:

To whom it may concern,

Hello. My name is so-in-so. I have written a book that you're going to love. It's as good as so-in-so's (famous author) new book and I know it will sell even more copies if I can just get a publisher to accept it. It's my first book an all my friends think it's great!!!!!! There is NO OTHER BOOK LIKE IT anywhere! It has a totally new style of writing and breaks all the rules, and God just gave me all the words so you don't even need to edit it! It's 600 pages long, and I know it will make a great movie.

So write me back today! I've sent this letter to 50 editors, so you want to get in the front of the line for this new book that my mother calls a REAL MASTERPIECE!

Waiting impatiently,
Me


So what goes into a great query? A hook sentence at the beginning that catches their attention and ignites their curiosity, and the information they need to know if your article/book is something they should consider.

Here's the order I use for writing queries (for articles or book proposals):

My contact information top right-hand corner (name, address, e-mail)

Their contact information on the left (person's name and company, address)

Date
Salutation

Paragraph 1--my hook (don't start out with fluffy stuff, jump right into a question or statement that will catch their eye)
Paragraph 2--More detail about the article/book and what benefit readers will get out of it
Paragraph 3--any important details like word-count, whether first rights or reprint rights are offered, etc.
Paragraph 4--A clear question, such as "Would you be interested in using this article in your magazine?"
Paragraph 5--my credentials, how many times I've been published, or what experiences I've had that make me knowledgeable on the topic
Paragraph 6--sincere gratitude (without gushing) and a closing comment

Closing salutation

Name

Website

(NOTE: Each of the above doesn't actually need its own paragraph. I often combine things to make the letter smaller. The more concise you can be, the better--white space is your friend when it comes to queries.)

Here's an example of a query for a magazine article (for if you're like me and visuals are much more helpful than explanation):

Kimberly Rae
Mailing Address
www.kimberlyrae.com

Mr. So-In-So, Editor
Cadet Quest Magazine

Date, Year

Dear Mr. So-In-So,

The Bangladeshi boys were excited about going to Bible camp, learning about the heroes of the faith.  When the trip to camp was stopped, their leaders beaten, and the boys taken to prison, they realized that this year, instead of learning about the heroes, they had the chance to be like the heroes.  So, like Paul and Silas, they sang in the prison, and scratched Bible verses onto the walls for future prisoners to find.

Would In Jail for Jesus, based on true events, be a good fit for your Living for Jesus issue?  It has been published once before, in Guide magazine (2010) so reprint rights are offered.

I have been published over 250 times in Christian books and magazines, including multiple articles for children.

Thank you for your time.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Kimberly Rae

Now, don't start freaking out because you haven't been published hundreds of times or whatever. If you've been published once, say so and tell them what and where. Or, if you've never been published, tell them that you regularly speak on this subject, or that you like their magazine, or that you believe readers will be encouraged about your article because _____. Just don't go for the new-kid vote, as in "I've never been published before and I really want to get published, so..."

If you're nervous about getting started, you may want to try publications that do not pay first (they get less flooded with query letters and are a good way to get your feet wet and start building relationships with editors).  The Writer's Market Guide or Christian Writer's Market Guide lists not only the publications, but the editor's name, e-mail address, and what they are looking for as far as topic and word count. (You can find either book used on amazon for not too much money. They are updated each year.).

Well, are you excited about getting started or overwhelmed and want to give up already??  I promise it gets easier the more you do it. At this point, I'm so used to writing queries that they don't twist me up inside like they did at first. Writing queries is a learn-able skill, like driving, so once you get it mastered, it becomes second nature.  It's the starting that's the hardest, so don't get discouraged! 

Happy Writing!

Related Posts:  Getting Your Work to an Agent or Publisher--What to do and How

How to Make a One-Page

Guest Author Interview: Shawne Ebersole, 27 Years Writing in Bangladesh

Today, I welcome a dear friend and fellow writer, Shawne Ebersole! When I lived in Bangladesh, Shawne was one of the women I admired most. It wasn't till later that I found out she was not only amazing at adapting to culture, loving the people of Bangladesh and keeping fit, but she's a writer too. And a really, really good one.

Shawne was the person I went to when I wrote my Stolen Series. She checked each of my books for cultural accuracy, and her comments made the books so much better. But I'll stop rambling and let you hear from her yourself!

1. Welcome, Shawne! How long have you lived in Bangladesh? 

My husband Harold and I came soon after our wedding, 27 years ago.

2. Do you feel called to be a writer as well as to serve overseas, or is being a writer part of your service overseas?  

 Actually God gifted me to teach, and I include writing in that job description.  Writing is a powerful medium for teaching; the message in a book isn’t as easily forgotten as the lesson in the classroom is; a book can be read and re-read and passed on.

3. Do you write most for enjoyment or for ministry?  

 Though I enjoy writing, I do it purposefully; I guess you could say I write “for ministry.”

4. What inspires you to write?   

We Americans are blessed with a rich array of literature for every age-group and in every genre.  Throughout my life, authors have been my primary “mentors/teachers.”  When we went to Bangladesh and visited new friends in their homes, I was horrified to realize that few Bangladeshis own books.  Then in the marketplace I saw that very few books are available.  Bangladeshis need truth.  God has shown me that, so I need to act on it.

5. Do you have a regular time you write, or just when you can get to it, or otherwise?  

 I work with our mission’s Literature Division (publishing house) in researching books to translate and in applying for publication grants.  I also like to talk with Bangladeshis about what types of books are needed.  All that to say, each day I have a scheduled time to do literature work; writing is included in that.

6. How has living in a different culture affected you/your writing?  

 Living in Bangladesh has deeply affected me.  I write about what God is showing me.  I write about Him.

7. Tell us about where you live/what you do.   

We work by a rural, mission hospital; my husband is hospital administrator; I teach and write.  As God shows us and our colleagues the many needs around us (educational, physical, and spiritual), we seek to meet needs and point people to God who is Provider of all good things. 

8. Why do you do it?  

 I do it because God has given me life… literally abundant, eternal life.  A number of years ago, I had a sudden, surprise brain hemorrhage.  Afterwards the surgeon remarked on what a “lucky girl I was” that I can still talk.  That very day, I read this Bible verse, and I realized that God had a “project” for me:  “I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.”  Writing is one special way that I can tell His worth.

9. Do you feel you have missed opportunities by living overseas? Or in other words, have you had to sacrifice to be where God wants you to be? 

LOL!  People who haven’t lived overseas are missing amazing opportunities.  My life is full indeed.  I wish this kind of life for everyone who possibly can come.

Shawne riding "sidesaddle" behind her husband, Harold.

10. Do you feel there are certain advantages to serving overseas that you would not have (in life or in writing) had you remained in the US?   

I see all the more clearly and regularly my desperate need for God…and I see His amazing grace which is sufficient (and that’s the understatement of all times).

11. What are some interruptions to writing you have there that we writers here might not have? (tick-tickies, monsoons, etc.) 

Kim, this is a fun question.  Sure, we have the geckos inside and monsoons outside.  We have sudden guests at the door and countless urgent jobs.  But those very interruptions open my eyes to people’s needs… and hence to writing topics.

You wouldn't believe the adventures Shawne has had!

12. What would you tell someone who wants to be a writer but is feeling hesitant, not good enough, or afraid?   

Don’t focus on yourself; that’s a trap.  Instead, focus on the beauty of the One Who is guiding you to do this.  After all, simply by looking at Jesus  Peter could walk on water.  If you’re supposed to write, you have all you need to tell your story.

13. Anything else you'd like to tell other writers? 

Madeleine L’Engle, who is a brilliant thinker and writer, tells us that writing a story is an “incarnational activity.”  We’re giving birth.  We’re co-creators with the living God.

14. How important do you think it is to be culturally accurate when writing about a different culture for an American audience? 

 It’s essential to tell the truth in our story.  This certainly includes our portrayal of other people-groups.

15. Do you think an author needs to in some way encounter a culture before they write about it?   

Take the challenge:  Go to that country and visit the people; research the land and people, their religion and worldview; interview people who have worked among the people.  Be a cultural anthropologist, jotting observations and questions; learn all you can.  And after you write your story, ask people from that country to read your story and affirm or correct your tale.

Then after all that hard work, celebrate by writing more stories about the same people-group!

*****************************************************

  

Thanks, Shawne, for your beautiful perspective! 

Shawne's book, What is God Really Like?, is available by order through mail, in English or Bengali/Bangla, and the proceeds go toward Bangladeshi children's camps!
Here's how to order:
To purchase an English or Bangla copy of the book, people should send a minimum $5 donation and their mailing address to 126 Cedar Lane, Laurel Springs, NJ 08021, USA, until this coming September; if they want a Bangla version, they should tell me if they want the book in the Hindu or Muslim dialect.  The $5 donation will cover the book’s publication and shipping, plus help Bangladeshi kids. (All money will go toward Bangladeshi children’s camps this coming year.)

Post some encouragement for Shawne below, or any questions you have for her. Gotta go--I'm going to go order her book!

Related Posts: Should You Ask God for Success in Your Writing?

Next Week: How to Write a Query Letter, and How Not To!

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How the Amazon Ranking/ Bestseller Numbers Can Work for You

I recently got these questions from a fellow author:

What constitutes bestseller status on Amazon, Kimberly? Will Amazon tell you you reach that milestone or do we have to watch for some magic number?

Good questions. If you're an author, you've probably noticed those important-looking numbers on book pages on Amazon. If you've got a book out, you likely have noticed how they can change from, say, 565,000 on one day to 1,265,000 on another. Seems like they change every hour!

Actually, they do. I'm no Amazon expert, but I've learned a few things about how the system works, and all 5 of my books that are out have hit the Amazon bestseller rank. You may assume to get there you have to sell hundreds or thousands of books, but it's actually easier than you think.

I'll try to present this info as concisely as possible, and if something's unclear, feel free to ask below.

Every book on Amazon has a ranking number. It shows where your number is compared to the other millions of books for sale on Amazon. The higher your number, the worse your sales are. The lower the number, the better your sales. The super popular books get in Amazon's top 100 books list. Out of millions of books, that would be extremely hard to do.

However, Amazon also keeps track of the top 100 books in each of its categories. That's the good news. If you sell a large number of books in a small amount of time, you are much more likely to get in the top 100 of your book's category. (Your publisher chooses your category unless you self-publish in which case you choose it. But Amazon also seems to list it in other connecting categories, which is also good for you.)

Your category is very important if you want on the bestseller list. The broader your category, the more competition you'll have. For example, if you pick romance, there are a LOT of romance books on Amazon. However, if you can find an aspect of your book that fits a different category, picking that will improve your chances significantly.

Specific example. My Stolen Series has 3 books in it. For book 1 and book 3, I picked Suspense/Romance or something like that. For book 2, though, because it is about an adopted girl going to find her birth family, I put it in the adoption category. Even though the overall Amazon numbers were similar between the three books, book 2 stayed on the bestseller rank for months because of its tighter category.

Okay, let's look at some real numbers. On a book's page, the Amazon ranking number is listed in the Product Details. Here's mine for the Sick & Tired e-book right now:

Product Details

• File Size: 2013 KB
• Print Length: 83 pages
• Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (June 24, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00DMEE552
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,976 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #23 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Pain Management
  • #98 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Pain Management

If you've had a book out for awhile, you probably won't see "Amazon Best Sellers Rank." You'll see something like what another of my books, Stolen Future, looks like right now. It has hit the bestseller status, but over time (like I said, it gets updated every hour) as the sales dwindle, your numbers do as well.

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 21, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1477643117
• ISBN-13: 978-1477643112
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,801,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

E-books tend to sell much more than paperbacks, and there are less total books the e-book section of Amazon than paperbacks, so your e-book numbers will almost always be better than paperbacks.

I don't know the exact numbers, but my guess would be that any number over 1 million (paperback) means your book is selling less than 5 copies a month. Anything smaller than 500,000 is a good sign (again, paperback), it means your books are selling pretty regularly, just not a lot.

Anything less than 100,000, I think you should be pretty proud of your book. =)

Then of course, there's the bestseller rank. You may have noticed that the e-book for Sick & Tired is currently in the bestseller rank in 2 categories even though the overall number is around 50,000.

So if you're launching a book and want to know your numbers, or just wanting to keep track in general, what do you do?

You check it every hour or so. If you have an Author Central page on Amazon (highly recommended--here's mine if you want an example: Kimberly Rae's Amazon Author Page), it will give you your rank over time, but that's your overall rank, not the ranking for individual categories.

How do you get your book in the top 100 in its category? Well, either write an amazingly popular book, be famous, or...

Decide on a launch date, and ask everyone to wait to order it until that day. If a bunch of people order it in a small window of time, that gets your numbers way up (or rather down). This may shock you, but it took less than 50 books sales to get Sick & Tired on the bestseller list. Same with Stolen Future--it hit the bestseller rank in a category on launch day after 33 sales, because the sales happened so close together.

So that's the big secret, from what I can tell. I hope sharing it with you will be helpful.

Did I miss anything? If you have a question, or more info to add, please comment below!


Related Posts: How to do a Book Launch

How to Self-Publish with Amazon's Createspace

How to do a Book Launch, 12 Steps Plus 1

Today's my big day!!! Well, yes, it is my birthday (I'm a whopping 38 now), but the bigger news is that it's launch day for my new book, Sick & Tired! I've been preparing for this for weeks, maybe months, and did a lot of research on how to do a great book launch. The following is my compiled list of what I personally chose to do, out of the many ideas from Michael Hyatt, my publisher (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas) and other sources of expertise.

For you, if you're doing your very first launch, don't feel you need to do everything. My list is what I chose out of the many, many ideas out there. You choose what works for you, and what you can afford as far as time and money. Don't feel pressured to do everything. God is ultimately in charge of how your book does, so if He's only given you a small amount of time and/or money, then He will provide through a small launch.

Hopefully this will help you have a resource of ideas to choose from when it's your turn.

Ready? Set? Let's go!

1. Pull 15-30 quotes from your book and post 1 each day for the weeks leading up to your launch (FB and Twitter). I'm paying for a few weeks of SocialOomph.com so I can pre-schedule, have posts rotate on a pre-determined time frame, and post to multiple accounts without me having to remember to do it every day.

2. Send out an e-mail newsletter with an excerpt. I finally got around to figuring out MailChimp. It was worth it-now I don't get spammed, and my newsletter has cool formatting and photos. (If you want to see some samples ideas, sign up for the newsletter at www.kimberlyrae.com and you'll get one every month. =))

3. Do a blog tour--I'm trying to start scheduling for that and boy, it's a doozie of a project to do on your own. I'm not sure if it's going to be worth it. (Update--I ended up letting this one go. It was too stressful and time-consuming. I have a few people that are going to post something near launch day, and am leaving it at that.)

4. Plan a big push for the launch date and ask people to wait to order it until that exact day. Then do some kind of giveaway or promotion so they'll want to order it that exact day (more likely to get on the bestseller list that way). I'm telling people if they order it that date and send me an e-mail letting me know, they'll get entered in a drawing for a giveaway.

5. Some people do a big launch party, but I don't see that as being effective for me in actually selling books to people who wouldn't have bought them already. Doing a book presentation at a library or church is usually quite effective, because once people listen to you, they feel they know you, and everybody wants to have a book by someone they know. =) However, for people who live locally, I don't want them to have to pay shipping, so to accomplish the same purpose without a heap of time and expense, I'm just planning to go to our local TCBY one evening, and will let everyone know that if they want to pick up books, I'll be there between such-and-such a time. (With my health right now, a big party isn't feasible, but this way I get some sugar-free ice cream, and no bad feelings if not that many people show up!)


6. Pray!

7. Pray some more! =)

8. Make a book trailer. Animoto.com does short ones for free. You just insert a couple pictures or blocks of text into a chosen theme and they do the rest. You can post this on your website, FB, etc. I highly recommend it. Makes you look like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. =) You can watch mine below.

9. Send out PDF copies to people in advance and ask them to read and send you a review via e-mail. Keep those e-mails, and on the day the book goes live, send them back, asking the people to post their reviews on amazon (I'm hoping this will be more effective then just reminding them to post a review and they don't get around to it because it takes time to write one on the spot). If they posted the review on the specified day, they get a free gift as a thank you.

10. They say that 20% of your marketing efforts end up with 80% of the results. The trick is to find that 20% and run with it, and let the 80% go. If you have people who have stuck with you and supported you, focus on them, asking them to help you spread the word, or just appreciating what they've already done. Mark down the marketing things that were successful and which ones tanked, so you're ready for the next time.

11. Let people know they can do video reviews on amazon. That's a major attention getter. I've only seen it done on one book, but it really stood out to me.

12. Make some kind of product that goes with your book that you can use as a giveaway, or to sell along with your book when you speak or whatever. (I made tote bags to give away. I also did a small companion book that's FREE today on Kindle Laughter for the Sick & Tired, as a free advertisement for Sick & Tired. Hopefully people will like it so much they want more!)

Whew, well, are you excited or overwhelmed? I find the list daunting to say the least, but that's why I've been working on this for weeks, a little here and there, so it's fun rather than stressful.

Now it's your turn. If you have questions, opinions, or ideas to add, have at it!

Oh, one more idea. I found out about Rafflecopter, a way to do a giveaway to reward people for spreading the word about your book. I'm going to add that here and see how successful it is. Click on any of the options and it puts your name in a certain number of times toward a giveaway. Cool, huh? Here goes!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Should You Ask God for Success for your Writing?

One week till my launch day for Sick & Tired. Next week I'll be posting on how to do a launch, and share the stuff I've done in preparation for this book to come out. Today, however, I went back to revisit an important post I wrote before my first book, Stolen Woman, was released. I self-published it, and was nervous, and of course I wanted it to do great, but I wondered if that was okay or if I was being selfish.
 
We writers who want to glorify God sometimes wonder about marketing and promotion. Is there a way to market our work without being self-promoting? Is it okay to want the book to do well?



This post reminded me how to think rightly about this whole launch and success and how to approach thinking about my writing in general. I think it will help you too, so I'm sharing it with you today. At the end, I'll let you know what happened with that book...

***********************************************************************

Well, as the days count down for the book's publication date, I find myself wrestling with my prayers.  Should I pray that the book is successful?  Should I ask God to sell a certain number of copies?

As I've been thinking through it, I decided that yes, I should ask for success--but only if I recognize that true success may not mean what I tend to think.

My self wants to think of true success as a book that goes big, sells thousands of copies, makes a heap of money, and gets me set on the road to a great-selling sequel.



But God doesn't see things the way man (or woman) sees. God's definition of success might be far different.  God may know that the world's success would end up hurting my family, or a lot of money would end up with me relying on myself instead of God.  I think that God's definition of real success would mean that I obey Him, that my book honors Him, that it goes out and accomplishes whatever purpose He has for it (and that purpose may be big or small in my own eyes), and that it draws me and others closer to Him.

I want God to use this to help rescue trafficked women and children.  I want God to take my book and use it show missions to teens in a non-boring linear biographical-type way.  I want God to sell enough copies that we can make a huge house payment and support missionaries and help people--and go out for pizza once in awhile!

But more than all that...I want whatever God wants with it.  If an offering is a true offering, it is given without any stipulations on its use.  So, as difficult as it feels, I pray God takes this book and does whatever He wants with it.  If it would not be good for me to be successful by the world's definition, then I pray that He keeps me from success--and don't think I'm super-spiritual writing that.  It's my way of committing "out loud" that I want what God wants more than what I want (even though I admit my flesh wants to beg and plead and whine to get God to bless this!).

Why?  Because ultimately, God knows best.  There are factors I can't even imagine that go into His decisions, and as He sees the beginning from the end, He should be the one allowed to make the decisions.  All I have is now, and my perspective is very affected by what seems best to me at this very moment--not what would be best from a lifetime perspective, much less an eternal perspective.

So here it is, in writing, that my book is an offering to God, and He can sell ten copies or a thousand copies or a million copies, and I will praise Him.  I'll work hard on my end of things, and the rest is all up to Him.

Whew, that felt hard, but good.  Like walking an extra mile on the treadmill--except I won't wake up with sore muscles tomorrow because of it!

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So did God give "success"? Here were the things I hoped for, and what has happened since that book's release in 2011:

I want God to use this to help rescue trafficked women and children. 
Because of the book, I've been able to start a speaking ministry. I train people about human trafficking--not just about the problem but how they can be part of the solution. Many people have become involved.


I want God to take my book and use it show missions to teens in a non-boring linear biographical-type way.  
I had a teenager write to me and say, "your book changed my life."

I want God to sell enough copies that we can make a huge house payment and support missionaries and help people--and go out for pizza once in awhile!
Over 6,000 books have been sold of the Stolen Series thus far, and they keep selling. We've made enough money from them to start putting our kids in Christian school, add to our missions giving, do improvements on our house, and yes, get pizza quite a few times!

However, the most important thing has been that God has used the books for His purpose. I've been amazed at what He has done. Now I pray He will bless the Sick & Tired series and give it His kind of success, whatever that means. I pray He will get His message of hope out to those who need it.

I love being part of God's work! It gives significance and purpose to what we do, and like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, no matter how small our work may seem, He can use it to feed multitudes!

Have you seen God do that with something you wrote? Add your story below:

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Book Signing at Chick-Fil-A--an even bigger fiasco!

I love Chick-Fil-A.  I love their ethics; I love their Diet Lemonade.

So I was really excited about the opportunity to do a book signing at the Chick-Fil-A nearest our house--about 45 minutes away.  I had set things up at least a month in advance with the Marketing Director, had brought promotional materials three weeks ahead of time, and the night of the signing I showed up ready to sell lots of books.

I was ready.  They were not.

I walked in with my banner and approached the counter.  "Hi!  Can I speak with whoever's in charge tonight?"

A very nice guy who looked like he was still in college came over with that "Can I help you?" face on.  I looked around, looked at him, then said something like, "I'm scheduled to do a book signing here tonight . . .(his eyebrows went up) . . .and . . . (his eyes went wide) . . . I bet you had no idea I was coming."

Poor guy.  I waited uncomfortably while he called the marketing person, talked with the staff that was there, etc.  I was quite ready to leave--it looked like it was their slowest night anyway, and I'm guessing the promotional materials never made it out of somebody's office.  Quite surprising.  I am definitely not criticizing Chick-Fil-A.  I still think they're awesome; this was just a glitch somewhere.

Anyway, just as I went up and offered again to reschedule (anything to get out of this uncomfortable situation!), they started setting up a table for me.  I really didn't want to stay if it hadn't been promoted, but then the manager guy said some people had called in about it, so I didn't want to leave if people were expecting me to be there.

What to do?

Eat free food.  That was a great start.  They were very nice and gave me my supper for free, and some Diet Lemonade, which if you've ever been to a book signing, you know it's a great thing to have a drink of something in your hand to make you not look quite so bored sitting there waiting for someone to show up.

I sold 2 books.  Uugh.  It's embarrassing admitting that to you!  Blame it on the glitch, the major storm that came through, maybe my book stinks, who knows?  I did get to talk to some really great people (like a commander on the police force who has actually gone in and dealt with trafficking groups, who just "happened" to be there eating supper that night--pretty cool!), and like I said I love the Lemonade, so the evening wasn't wasted.

About halfway through, the manager guy left for awhile.  He came back in totally soaked.  One of the ladies said, "It wasn't raining when you went out there, was it?"

"No."  He smiled.

The lady looked over at me.  "Well, your name's on the marquee now!"

Poor guy again!  I didn't mean for him to get all soaked on my account. Though I have to say it was pretty neat having my name on a sign for all the world to see (or at least all the people driving through the pouring rain not wanting to stop and buy my book.  ha ha).

What did I learn from this fiasco? Double-check things before you show up! And if you are going to have a fiasco of a book signing, you might as well do it in a place where people are nice and feed you. =)

The thing I find funniest about the whole situation is that the photo above is a great marketing tool for me. I post it sometimes and people think it's really cool that my name is up on the sign at Chick-Fil-A, like I'm a great writer or something. Looks can be deceiving! =)

What about you? Have you had any book signings yet? Have I scared you away from every having book signings? ha ha Share your story below!

Related Posts: My First Book Signing-a Fiasco!

Next Week: Should You Pray for Success for Your Writing?

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