Writing Through Success

by Kara Isaac, @KaraIsaac

If you’d told me a few years ago what the title of this post would be I would have laughed. Writing through success? Sign me up for that to be a problem! Especially when I had practically earned degrees in writing through rejection and writing through disappointment!

In 2016 my debut novel, Close To You, and my sophomore novel, Can’t Help Falling, released six months apart. As I sit here typing they have clocked up between theman RWA RITA Award double final, Grace Award final, finalists in the Christian Retailing Best Awards and been shortlisted for two Inspy Awards.

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The Dirty Little Success Secret

by Linore Rose Burkard

When I give writing workshops I have the privilege of meeting writers at all talent levels, some published, but many still learning the ropes. Some have expressed a feeling of hopelessness. It seems to them no matter what they do, publication is not within reach. Successful authors, they think, must have a secret or two unknown to them. Why else aren't they published by now?

They want to know the dirty, little secret. 

I like to tell them, first of all, that we are all still learning the ropes. 

Is there a secret to learning the ropes?

Even published authors, those who have navigated the climb to publication with one house, may have to take a new and different course to get their next book published. There are exceptions for some popular authors, but for most of us, like stocks, past success is no guarantee of future earnings. 

But is there a dirty little secret to success?

 
Actually, yes!
In fact, there are two of them. Here are the two filthy secrets that successful authors are intimately familiar with: Perseverance and work.

No one likes these words, because they imply strain, patience, and fatigue. Persevering in the face of difficulty is hard. Work, by its very nature, takes energy.

But these "secrets" are actually good news for writers, because while success is sometimes being in the right place at the right time, or comes as a result of who you know, most often it is a result of these two things that are completely within our grasp. Anyone can exercise perseverance. Anyone can do hard work.    

Perseverance can get you in the right place at the right time, and hard work will help you meet the people you need to know. The reverse is also true: Hard work can get you in the right place at the right time, and perseverance will help you meet the people you need to know. 

So, the truth is there is no secret at all.  

As Colin Powell said, "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." 

About That

It is easier to feel that life is unfair and that you are wasting your time writing and editing than it is to prepare sufficiently (for publication), do the work necessary, and learn from failure. 
But this is precisely what writers must do. 

Work hard--and keep working hard.
Prepare (learn, attend conferences, read books on the craft) and keep preparing. 

Take failure and learn from it, that is, every rejection, every critique. (Some criticism will not be accurate. Most will have at least a grain of truth. Learn to find that grain--it can be very, very helpful.)  

Finally

Only the Lord knows the right time, the right publisher, and the right agent for each of us. If we receive a rejection, we can rest assured it wasn't the right place, time, or person for our work. Every closed door is a nudge in a new direction, towards the one that with perseverance and work, will "magically" open. 

Samuel Johnson said, "Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." 


Do you have a great work in mind? 
Press on.
Persevere.
Publishing success will come in His time and in His way. 

In the meantime, remember that we write:

• not because we may we published
• not to impress an agent or editor
• not to show family or friends that we can

but to serve the Lord, to steward the resources of creativity and imagination that He has entrusted to our care. When we remember it is GOD we serve, we can grasp that we are always a success, so long as we are faithful to Him. 

Keep Writing!

Linore 

Linore Rose Burkard is best known for historical regency novels with Harvest House Publishers, including Before the Season Ends, the award-winning The House in Grosvenor Square, and, The Country House Courtship. As a writer noted for meticulous research as well as bringing people to life on the page, Linore’s books delight fans of historical romance with “Heyeresque” humor and Austen-like manners.  Linore teaches workshops for writers with Greater Harvest Workshops in Ohio, is a homeschooling mother of five, and has recently finished a YA novel. Keep up with Linore by subscribing to her free newsletter at LinoreBurkard.com

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Lighting a Fire to Your Writing Career by DiAnn Mills

By - DiAnn Mills

When writers realize the embers of their careers are dying, stomping out the few remaining flames is not the answer. Instead, effective writers look for new ways to promote themselves that explode with ingenuity and creativity. 

Are the flames of your writing dying?

Is your career on the verge of smoldering? Try adding a spark to your marketing and promotion plan with these ideas.

1. Brainstorm with other writers about your brand and marketing and promotion efforts. I could write several blogs on this topic. In short, brainstorming is the best method I know to expand creativity from the writing process to branding and promotion.

2. A new professional photo. Invest in a good photographer who will not only create a great new look for media but will also snap a few candid and fun pics that can be used for social networking.

3. Update your website. Now may be the time to consider an exciting design that uses your brand as the focus. Your website is your calling card. It must reflect you, your writing, and your uniqueness.

4. Author bio. A writer uses his/her flair for words to enhance a bio that draws readers into your world. Make it personal and professional. Also develop a shorter version for those times when media has space for two or three sentences.

5. If you’re social media networking includes only Facebook or Twitter, stretch yourself. Dive into the advantages of Goodreads where a writer can communicate with readers. Take the time to read all the benefits of Goodreads for writers. Pinterest is addictive, and the many uses of images in marketing and promotion are endless. Don’t limit yourself! Are podcasts in your future?

6. Use Buffer or Hootsuite to organize and simplify your social media posts. This relieves the stress of watching the clock and questioning when followers are online. Analytics provide information critical to posting and content. Other methods are available, but these are my favorites. https://bufferapp.com https://hootsuite.com.

7. Is blogging a part of your plan? A successful writer understands a blog is only as good as the subject matter and how the material is presented. Use images and make it fun.

8. Commit to reading blogs and books about marketing and promotion for writers in your genre.

9. Are you taking care of yourself physically? A writer who’s not healthy or regularly exercising can’t expect the brain and heart to engage to maximum potential.

10. Are you ensuring each book is written better than the previous one? Are writing challenges met with determination by studying the craft, deepening skills, and evaluating your own work?

11. Prayer. This should be first. Seek God’s guidance for ways to glorify Him as we seek to entertain, inspire, and encourage readers.

Perhaps one of these eleven ideas have motivated you to add fire to your writing career. Determine today to light a match to one of them. Write on!

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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Are You Ready For Success?

Tamela Hancock Murray has been an agent for over 12 years. A bestselling, award-winning author of twenty novels, novellas, and nonfiction books, Tamela brings the perspective of a working writer to her role as a literary agent. As an agent she represents many top authors and continues to develop new talent. She earned her BA with honors in Journalism from Lynchburg College in Virginia. Today she enjoys living in Northern Virginia with her family. She can often be found reading books on her Kindle.

Are You Ready For Success? 

Here are just a few concerns I’ve seen from various published authors:

1.) I’m nervous about my advance. What if I don’t earn out? Steve Laube wrote a post called The Myth of the Unearned Advance. Do publishers make mistakes and give some authors advances that are too large? Yes, but earning out is likely because publishers know how to calculate their expenses and estimate expected sales of a book. If you do earn a big advance, don’t spend it all at once. In other words don’t act as if the windfall income will be normal and consistent. Careful planning of your finances is always prudent.

2.) Some people who were my friends when I was struggling don’t seem to be as friendly now. It’s easy to cry on each others’ shoulders when everyone’s unpublished but everything changes when someone in your group finds success. Bottom line: If your talent is spotted before your friends’, be a good mentor and support for them. If you are slow to be recognized while your friends sail by you, re-read this article for an idea of what they may be facing. Continue to support them and learn from being associated with a published author.

3.) I have a deadline. And here come the final proofs, which are due on Monday. And I have to write three articles for my blog tour. And… Be ready for a packed schedule. It happens to every successful author. Book deadlines will change your life for the better, but meeting them will be an adjustment. Plan out your schedule and otherwise be prepared to adjust your life accordingly.

4.) The edits are much, much more intense than I thought they would be. I think I’m going to cry. Go ahead. Cry. Then get to work. Your editor and publisher is partnering with you. Be grateful they care enough to make your book the best it can be.

5.) The edits on Book 1 have caused rewrites on most of Book 2 and Book 3. This is taking much more time than I thought. Will I have to ask for a deadline extension on my next book? And will that have a domino effect on the other books? You won’t be the first or last author to have this happen. Don’t worry. Since the editor has seen the requested changes, she shouldn’t be surprised when you ask for the extension. But if you can meet your deadlines, by all means do so, and with your best work.

6.) What if I fail? Put in your best effort at all times. Then if your book does fail, you will know it’s not because you didn’t make your best effort. Spend no time on regrets. Instead, plan with your agent on how to move forward. With God, nothing is impossible.

Your turn:

What makes you most nervous about the prospect of success?

What are some other issues you’ve seen published writers face? What was the solution?

What tips would you offer a successful author?

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Achiever? ... or OVERachiever?

Chances are, you are – or know someone who is – driven to succeed. Perhaps you manage a large department, or lead worship, or write inspirational fiction, or even manage a very active family life. With all of those achievements, it can be very easy to spin out of control.

Author and speaker John Ortberg, in his book The Me I Want to Be, writes, “God did not take away Paul’s desire to achieve; rather, he harnessed it so that Paul could serve others.” Before receiving the message from the Lord to do His work, Paul was full of worldly ambition and worked tirelessly to persecute the very church he later promoted. Not only did Paul’s life change, but so did the course of the history of the world. He helped begin a worldwide movement that has lasted thousands of years and impacted countless lives in unfathomable ways.

God put the desire to succeed within us. Ecclesiastes 9:10 states: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” It is how we focus that desire that counts.

When we focus our attention on God and work for Him, we produce good fruit. We use our ambition to not only achieve for ourselves, but to do good for others. Furthermore, when we redirect our work to reflect God’s will for our lives, we stay away from the errant triggers of dishonesty, comparison and a workaholic nature. Instead, we use our God-given gifts to further His kingdom in a way that keeps our focus on Him. The end result is that everyone – our own family and friends, the spiritually restless and unchurched, and mature Christians alike – can enjoy the fruits of our labor.

God put the desire to achieve within us, and we thank Him for this great gift by using it for His glory! Take the time today to put your ambition under a microscope. Examine where you may need to upgrade your achievement desires and center them in Christ.

WARNING: Errant desire triggers include the behavioral tendency to become a workaholic, an underlying dishonesty about certain issues, and habitual comparisons to the achievements of others.

Motivational speaker and author Mark Driscoll encourages us this way: “The root of an overachiever’s problem is a worship problem. They put their work, money, power, prestige or fame in the place of God. We need to get past the fruit and into the root. You can grab all these weeds but if you don’t pull the root, it always comes back. By examining the root of the problem and placing it at the foot of the cross, we turn our need to succeed into something worthy of God’s delight. In this way, we move from worldly ambition to Godly achievement."

Think about what the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:10. Why do you suspect that God asks us to view ourselves as His masterpiece? What assumption can you draw as to why Christ wants us to believe he created us “anew” in him?

Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

The great thing about achievement is that we want to achieve. Thankfully, as we center our achievements in Christ, we seek the right type of goal to win the right type of prize.

  # # #

Sandra D. Bricker is a best-selling and award-winning author of laugh-out-loud romantic comedy for the Christian market. Her most popular series (that started with Always the Baker Never the Bride) will conclude this spring with Always the Baker FINALLY the Bride, which is now available for pre-order at Amazon.

Sandie leads a team of writers in creating the Living It Out daily Bible study for CedarCreek Church. Today's devotion is based on the Living It Out study on the desire to achieve. If you enjoyed it, feel free to check out the daily studies by e-mail or audio podcast by clicking HERE.

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An Organized Schedule Leads to Success

As many of you know, I've had a couple of really productive years in and a lot of you have asked how I accomplished it all. I did it because I was willing to follow a schedule - it was my way of eating an elephant one bite at a time. I learned how to break large tasks into smaller ones. here are some of my suggestions.

It doesn't matter whether you write as a calling, a hobby or a business. We all perform better when we have expectations and a way to judge results. For those of you just starting out, here are some suggestions. 

• Set small, measurable goals. A lot of people defeat themselves right here. They get confused about the difference between a goal and a dream. A goal is something you have control over. For example, my goal is to write five hours a day, five days a week or twenty-five hours per week. I generally can control my schedule so this is a reasonable goal. I’d also like to be a New York Time’s bestselling author. I can put in the hours writing and learning my craft, but becoming a bestseller isn’t something I have control over. 

• Under estimate the time you’ll be able to put in. Yes, you read that right. I tend to be a perfectionist and when I fail, I get discouraged and quit. So if I think I can post five articles a week on my blog, I commit to three or four so I have room to succeed. I do the same thing when I set deadlines. If I have a project due on a Thursday, I’ll put it on my schedule as due on Tuesday. Why? Because life happens, and I can’t always control the things thrown my way. 

• Adjust your goal setting to a weekly mode, rather than daily. Like my goal of writing five hours a day, five days a week, I want to leave a day or two to make up any time I may have missed. Like this week, our middle son is having hand surgery. If I only look at the writing five hours a day, the day he has surgery I’m going to fail. But by working a few extra hours each day, I can still make my weekly goal.

Along those lines, here are some attainable, weekly goal setting ideas. 

• Weekly Word Count Goal. One of the things I've found most helpful when setting word count goals is to set my goal for the week rather than the day. I still have one teenager in and out of the house, so sometimes life interrupts life. To combat this, I set a weekly word count goal for my fiction endeavors. Then, I break it down into daily totals. If I miss a day's goal, I can make it up later in the week and I don't wind up feeling like I've failed. 

• Weekly Project Goal. You may normally work on smaller projects, like articles or devotions. If that's the case, try to set a goal of one devotion or article a week. 

• Revolving Weekly Goal. You might want to try something I call a revolving weekly goal. This is where you have a different goal every week for 3 weeks and then it starts over. The first week you might complete a small project. The next week, you look for markets where you can sell it. The third week you might spend learning about the craft of writing. Then you begin the cycle again.

Whatever method works for you is the BEST method.

Just remember, that no matter how early or how far along you are on your writing journey we all need to spend time studying the craft of writing. That can be done through reading books, attending a seminar or conference, or reading blogs and websites.

All of these are necessary for us as writers to improve our craft.

So what have you found works best for you? Share your insights with the rest of us - please!

Edie Melson is a freelance writer and editor with years of experience in the publishing industry. In keeping up with the leading edge of all things digital Edie has become known as one of the go-to experts on Twitter, Facebook, and social media for writers wanting to learn how to plug in. Her bestselling eBook on this subject, Social Media Marketing for Writers, is available on Kindle and Nook.

Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is Edie’s latest project. This devotional book for those with family members in the military debuted on Veterans Day, 2011. Married 30 years to her high school sweetheart, Kirk, they have raised three sons.

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What’s Holding You Back from Succeeding in Your Writing? by Vickie McDonough

Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of 23 books and novellas. Her books have won the Inspirational Reader's Choice Contest, Texas Gold, the ACFW Noble Theme contest, and she has been a multi-year finalist in ACFW’s BOTY/Carol Awards. Vickie is the author of the fun and feisty Texas Boardinghouse Brides series from Barbour Publishing. Watch for her new books from Moody Press, Texas Trails: A Morgan Family series, in which she partners with Susan Page Davis and Darlene Franklin to write a 6-book series that spans 50 years of the Morgan family. The first three books release this fall. Also, next year brings the release of another new series from Guidepost Books, Whispers on the Prairie, set in 1870s Kansas.

What’s Holding You Back from Succeeding in Your Writing?

As I’ve progressed from a green-as-they-come newbie writer to one with several published novellas to published short novels to trade fiction, it’s always amazed me that at every level of writing, I’ve faced fears. Fears that I was stupid to attempt to write a book. Fears that I’d never get published. Fears that now that I’ve sold a book on a partial, that I won’t be able to finish it by deadline.

What I hope to show you in this article is that you’re not alone if you have writing-related fears. Writing is such an insecure career. You’ve worked hard and finished a book, but there are no guarantees that you will sell that book, and if you are fortunate enough to sell one book that doesn’t mean you’ll sell another one. It’s no wonder writers tend to be so insecure about their craft. Fears are something that every writer faces at one time or another in their career, but the question is—do you defeat them or allow them to defeat you?

Isaiah 41:10 says: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

As a Christian writing fiction, we don’t have to travel this road alone. Our God promises to strengthen and help us, to hold us up when we are weak or tired. God’s word tells us to not be afraid, for He is with us. And if God be for us, who can be against us?

So, what’s holding you back? Is your beginning too slow? Does your middle sag? Do you fear success? That seems an odd thing to fear, but it’s a very real concern for many writers.

Now that you’ve finished your book, are you afraid to let others read it? Afraid to send it to an agent? To a publishing house? Or have you sold a book, but are afraid you can’t make the deadline?

I’ve attended a number of writers’ conferences and heard big-name authors express that in every level of writing they had fears. I queried some and got quotes, hoping that hearing from other authors will help you see that you’re not alone in your fears.

Here’s what Robin Lee Hatcher had to say: “My #1 fear usually hits me about half way through the novel when I start muttering, "I don't have enough story. I don't have enough story. I'm lost. I don't know where I'm going. I don't have enough story." I'm a pantser (NOP: No Outline Person), so this fear feels very real at the time. However, it helps that I recognize I do this with every book, so I can remind myself that I felt this way with the last book and it turned out all right. Thus it will turn out all right this time too.” Award winning author of more than 60 novels, www.robinleehatcher.com

Margaret Daley, author of 75 books said she has a “Fear of never selling another book. Fear of coming up dry on ideas.” Trail of Lies, Love Inspired Suspense, www.margaretdaley.com

Ann Shorey, author of The Dawn of a Dream stated: “My biggest fear, whenever I start a new book, is that I can't do it again. Not physically unable, but mentally. Can I write another story?

The Lord enables me as I peck away at the keyboard. It's like the Israelites having to step into the Jordan before the waters stopped flowing” www.annshorey.com

A few weeks ago, someone on one of the loops I’m on put out a call for writers to state their fears in relationship to their writing. I sat down and quickly penned her a note similar to this one:

When I first started writing, I feared I wasn’t any good. I was embarrassed to even tell people I was writing a book. I feared I’d never sell and that I was wasting my time and money on writing classes and attending conferences. Then I sold a novella and feared the editor would hate it and would send back my manuscript with major rewrites. I also feared I’d never sell a long book. But I did, then I was afraid I couldn’t finish it, that it moved too slow, that it was too far-fetched of a story. That readers wouldn’t like it. That it wouldn’t sell well. That I wouldn’t make my deadline. I was drowning in my fears and not trusting in God to guide me down this path that He set me on.

Let me tell you that I’m not normally a fearful person. I raised four boys, and that’s not something for a lily-livered woman. When I was 12, I begged and pleaded until my parents caved in and bought me a horse. I loved it and rode it all over town—usually by myself. I bought a motorcycle when I was 14 (with babysitting money) and rode it all over town, alone. I’m not a sissy and have done many gutsy things. But writing has at times terrified me. It is more of a mental battle than a physical one, and I find mental battles harder to conquer.

Let’s hear from some more authors:

“Striving to write your absolute best is a wonderful thing, but I have held on to a manuscript for years, fearful it wasn't good enough, I hadn't researched enough, etc. I am still sitting on that manuscript until this summer, where I will pull it out and rework it yet again. And then? Who knows." B.K. Jackson, http://www.bkjackson.blogspot.com

"Before you're published, you fear never getting a contract. Once that contract comes, you fear disappointing editors and readers. Then comes the fear that the next book won't be as good as the previous one. Or the fear that there won't be another contract. Fears can be all-consuming in this business, if you allow them to take root. Ultimately all of this is in God's hands, and if our God is for us, whom - or what - shall we fear?" Kathleen Y’Barbo, Anna Finch and the Hired Gun, www.kathleenybarbo.com

Here’s a comment from a friend and fellow author who is eagerly awaiting the release of her first book this May:

'The biggest fears I've faced are sort of related—fear of rejection (both from editor and from readers) and fear of failure, that my "best" won't be good enough. I don't know that these have been overcome totally, but having a strong critique partner who "encouraged" (pushed) me to submit, plus a husband who encouraged me as I finished and submitted Marrying Miss Marshal was a big help in overcoming those fears. I'm still praying that God will remove these fears completely!" Lacy Williams, Marrying Miss Marshal, Love Inspired Historical

"It's not the not getting published that worries me, but rather that I haven't heard God right when I felt called to write. I worry that I'm not in His will and am wasting my time when He wants me doing something else. How I deal with it? I pray everyday that if this isn't His desire for my life that He will show me in a way that I will know it is Him. But I know my timing isn't His timing, so I can't say if I'm not published by such and such a date then I know I'm not supposed to. So far God hasn't closed any doors for me, but He has opened many. I just have to trust Him that He will guide me down the path I am go. And many times my crit partner has to give me a pep talk to remind me of this." Debbie Lynne Costello www.debbielynnecostello.com & www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com

"My greatest fear probably stems from my perfectionist tendencies and fall into the "fear of success" category, I guess. Will I disappoint my editors so that they won't want to buy from me again—because of the writing, because of a missed deadline, because of miscommunication, poor sales . . . any number of reasons. That readers will discover I'm a fraud after reading one of my books and never want to read another. That I will burn bridges. That I won't take full advantage of the opportunities presented to me.

"If I let myself, I could wallow in fear. . .but I choose to plunge forward in faith, that everything will turn out okay. I have come to believe fear never completely disappears but that doesn't mean I have to let it defeat me. I move forward in spite of the fear." Darlene Franklin, Bridge to Love http://darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com/

Don’t allow your fears to become an excuse that keeps you from succeeding in writing. The key to conquering fears is to recognize them, then give them to God, and press on knowing that He is with you, strengthening you each step of the way. Philippians 4:12b-13 says, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

So, tell me, what is it that you fear most about writing? How is it keeping you from succeeding?
Here is a small saying that I found at one of the first writers’ conferences I attended, and it has continued to encourage me to stretch my limits.

Finally a Bride

Jacqueline Davis, a reporter for the Lookout Ledger, is bent on nabbing her story at any cost. When Noah Jeffers comes to Lookout as temporary pastor, Jack suspects there may be something hidden behind his shepherding ways. Soon though, Jack becomes attracted to the new pastor despite her initial hesitation. But as she uncovers the truth, will the story cost her too much?

Will she reveal what she’s found, or keep it hidden to protect newfound love?Jacqueline Davis, a reporter for the Lookout Ledger, is bent on nabbing her story at any cost. When Noah Jeffers comes to Lookout as temporary pastor, Jack suspects there may be something hidden behind his shepherding ways. Soon though, Jack becomes attracted to the new pastor despite her initial hesitation.

But as she uncovers the truth, will the story cost her too much? Will she reveal what she’s found, or keep it hidden to protect newfound love?

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