It's Not About You

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

Annette and I have attended various writer’s conferences together over the years. Some were held locally, while others required traveling a distance. All have offered wonderful opportunities to learn and grow - and not only in the areas of craft, marketing, or the publishing arena.

Here’s an example.

It’s custom for editors and agents to be assigned a table during lunch during the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference. It gives writers a chance to ask a few questions and share their latest project with the host.

At one of these conferences, Annette and I sat together, waiting for a particular editor to join us. Before the editor arrived, a multi-published author spent a considerable amount of time talking about her books and other accomplishments, never once inquiring about anyone else’s work. Upon arrival, the editor sat in the seat saved for her, next to this author, who monopolized the editor’s time for almost the entire time allotted for lunch.

I watched the people around the table. It was obvious they didn’t want to be rude and interrupt the author, but it was also clear they were anxious, and getting more so as lunch progressed, nervous they wouldn’t have a chance to speak to the editor, themselves. Finally, during the last few minutes, the editor was able to devote attention to the rest of people sitting around the table.

Stunned that a known author would be selfish enough to take that much time away from writers trying so hard to break in, I pulled myself back. I didn’t know what was going on in this person’s life. Perhaps her boldness was a sign of insecurity in a publishing world that has grown more and more competitive.

At this same conference, Annette and I were able to spend enjoyable time with a writer we’d met the previous year. It wasn’t until I discovered three of her books in the conference book store did I realize she was published. She’d never mentioned it. Nor did she initially confess to being represented by one of most coveted agents in the CBA market.

Instead, this author spent time getting to know us. She asked about our work, our lives. We laughed and joked around together. There was a genuine interest in developing friendship.

Wow. What a contrast.

You see . . . it isn’t about “us.”

It’s about who we serve. And if we’re truly serving God by offering our gift of writing, then it’s about Him. It’s about ministering to the reader. It’s about providing an experience that touches and changes lives.

Many writers get that.

Annette and I have been blessed by many authors who have been willing to share their knowledge with us – not only at conferences, but here. On this blog. With you.

They don’t have to. They have plenty to do, believe me. But they understand that the bottom line is that we’re all in ministry together.

We need to be confident enough in our writing that we’re willing to share it. And marketing ourselves and our work is an important part of the business.

But we also need to walk that fine line of being humble and knowing where our success comes from.

Cause it isn’t about you. It isn’t about me.

It’s about Him.

Keep the focus, dear friends.

And have a great week.

Dawn

Risk - Who is Going to Push You? by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays are dedicated to a four part series on the subject. Jim Rubart, an author and professional marketer, will be sharing his expertise with us. Please welcome our friend!

Marketing Series
Part II

Risk – Who is Going to Push You?

“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Annie Dillard

I didn’t want to hurtle toward the ground face first from 191 feet up, strapped into a roller coaster called Aftershock. The problem was, I did.

As I stood staring up at the two towers of the coaster last week, straddling the fine line between desire and fear, it was my 14-year old son who pushed me over the edge. “C’mon, Dad! Are you a man or a mouse?!” Until his challenge, I was definitely the gray, furry little creature.

Yes, of course I went on it. Twice. What a ride! See, my knees whack together hard when it comes to heights, so anything of an Aftershock nature really gets my adrenaline pumping. (I’m a bit of a thrill seeker and love the rush, which yes, added to my fear of heights makes me a bit schizophrenic.)

My point? I probably wouldn’t have taken the ride without my son pushing me. (And I’m pumped he did.)

The application? You have to find people who will push you in your writing and especially find people who will push you in your marketing.

Marketing is frightening for a majority of writers. (You are definitely not alone.) It’s intimidating. And many don’t know what it is, let alone where to start.

Yes, in one sense marketing is complex, but in another it’s extremely simple. Let’s concentrate on simple.

Marketing: making yourself known and making yourself likeable. If someone is going to buy your proposal, your manuscript, your book … they have to know about you and it will help a great deal if they like you. That’s it.

What do people like? They like being surprised. They like being entertained. They like learning new things. But most authors never try anything risky with their proposals, e-mails, manuscripts, presentations so they sound the same as every other writer.

When I sold radio advertising in the late 80s I did magic as part of my presentations. It was a risk. It was a cliff and sometimes the wings didn’t come together and I crashed. But I won far more times than I lost.

You want to stand out? Get noticed by an editor or agent? Take the risk. In whatever you do, whether it’s writing an e-mail, posting on Facebook, twittering, answering the phone, writing a proposal, try something that will make yourself stand out. Something that’s a little bit risky.

But I mentioned at the beginning of this post, sometimes you need someone to give you a push. Yep. It’s time to go find a friend who will escort you to the edge.

Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/

Creative Best Series - Part Five

Net's Notation Tuesdays
Creative Best Series - Part Five

Today we continue our journey through Galatians 6:4 in The Message. Our next line reads:

Don’t be impressed with yourself

What a command.

Years ago, I joined fellow writers at a conference in Seattle. As we sat down to eat, one of the authors said he always signed with this “code”—1cor47 whenever he signed his books. We determined he meant 1 Corinthians 4:7, what we didn’t know was what that verse said. I’ll never forget the impact of these words as he quoted them to the five us:

For who makes you differ from another?
And what do you have that you did not receive?
Now if you did indeed receive it,
why do you boast as if you had not received it?
(1 Corinthians 4:7, NKJV)

Does God inspire our writing? Then, how can we take credit for it? We cannot. That author’s “code” for book signing is a great code for living as a Christian. It’s humbling and true.

Being “impressed with yourself” leads to boasting. How can God bless the prideful ones? He detests pride. Jesus Himself is our example of humility, serving others and loving them sacrificially. That’s our calling.

Any successes we have aren’t our own. They are a grace of God. We can’t take credit for them. It’s like the elders in heaven who throw their crowns at the feet of Jesus—they know their accomplishments were truly birthed from the grace of the One who dwelt inside them, making them succeed.

Plus, how boring is it to speak to a well-published author who only discusses themselves and their accomplishments? They have a lot to say, so the conversation doesn’t lag. But it’s rather one-sided.

Following an experience of just that, a friend of mine said, “If I ever get like that, would you just slap me?” :-)

Isn’t it better, more gracious, when an author takes interest in those around him/her? Offering support and encouragement?

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit,
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others.
(Philippians 2:3-4, NKJV)

We didn't get to where we are today on our own. It was the gracious work of God. He sent mentors into our lives, taught us, helped us discern areas of weakness in a piece of writing so we could fix it.

I sat at my computer the other day, stuck. No words came. No solutions for why my wip (work in progress) was so boring. So, I prayed that God would give me what I was missing, what the story was missing. As I continued to tap away on those keys, new ideas came. Fresh inspiration from the Creator. He intervened. Without His help, the story would remain dull. Now I can build on what He provided. But I can't take credit.

As Christian writers, we can't take credit. We can cheer the successes. Enjoy the process and the accolades. But we cannot become impressed with ourselves.

Give glory to God and be your creative best.

Characterization by Randy Ingermanson, Part 2

This Manuscript Monday, please welcome back Randy Ingermanson as he continues his series on characterization.

Part Two of Creating: Your Characters Aren't You*
by Randy Ingermanson

Here's another common question I hear: "Is it OK if I write a character that's really just me?"

That depends on what you mean by the word "OK." I doubt very much that you can sue yourself for libel or invasion of privacy if you write a character that is just you. (Again, I'm not a lawyer, so if you sue yourself and somehow win, then don't blame me.)

I see several problems with writing a character that is just you:

* You may not be quite as interesting as your lead character needs to be.
* If you buff up your character to be "you plus a little extra," you may wind up looking egotistical.
* If you add in some traumatic backstory that never happened, your friends and family might get upset.
* What will you do for an encore?

Let's unpack each of these in turn.

Fiction is about characters in conflict. The characters are often a bit larger than life -- in some cases, a LOT larger than life. Let's face it. Although we writers are a talented bunch, most all of us aren't quite as talented as the characters we create. We'd like to be, but we aren't. We can't afford to limit our characters to be no better than we are.

Suppose you write a lead character just like you in every way. Then, halfway through the novel, you realize that he needs to be quite a bit better than you are in some way. Maybe smarter. Maybe faster. Maybe cooler. Whatever. So you tweak him and finish the story and get it published. Now all your friends and family read the story and they see right away that your lead character is intended to be you. But they also see that he's smarter than you are, or faster, or cooler. Naturally, they're going to assume that you think you're smarter, faster, or cooler than you actually are. That makes you look like an egomaniac. Is that what you want?

Suppose you write a lead character just like you in every way. Halfway through the novel, you need to explain why your character is afraid of electricity. You decide to make it plausible by adding in some backstory about being shocked with a cattle prod by an unstable mother. Now you've got problems, because it's going to be "obvious" to everyone that your mother must have tortured you as a kid. If it's not true, your novel could be construed as libel. If it's true, your story could be considered invasion of privacy. Either way, your mother may just take you off her Christmas list.

Typically, publishers are interested in doing more than just one book with you. They invest quite a bit of money in developing an author, and it make take a few books to earn back that investment. Suppose you write a great novel in which your lead character is you. That's wonderful, but who'll play the starring role in your next book? You might be able to do a sequel that again features you as the lead. But can you keep that up forever? If not, then why get started down that road in the first place?

Randy Ingermanson earned a Ph.D. in physics at U.C. Berkeley, which is a wretchedly lame excuse for his friends to have dubbed him a “Mad Genius,” but life isn’t always fair. He is the award-winning author of six novels and one non-fiction book. Randy publishes the world’s largest electronic magazine on the craft of writing fiction, the FREE monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine. His ultimate goal is to become Supreme Dictator for Life and First Tiger and to achieve Total World Domination.

* Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 17,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.

An Interview with New Author Ocieanna Fleiss

Dawn and I are very excited to host our fellow critique partner and good friend, Ocieanna Fleiss. We were privileged to participate in her journey to publication as friends, critique partners and cheerleaders. Recently, Ocieanna placed fresh, autographed copies of her book into our hands. What a day! May her experience inspire and encourage you this Fortifying Friday.

Here's our interview:

How long have you been writing fiction?

I can't remember ever not writing fiction. I think one of my early stories was in third grade. I wrote a story about a robber who stole people's pants. I read it to the class and everyone laughed. I was hooked. When I decided to pursue a writing career (twelve years ago!) fiction was my first choice, mostly because it seemed to be more fun than non-fiction and also I needed an outlet for the stories swirling in my imagination.

Tell us how your contract came about with Summerside.

As much as I loved writing, I'd been pursuing publication for so long that I was getting discouraged from all the rejections. Discouragement is a very real part of writing and creeps up in many different ways. So, I prayed a lot about it and even considered stopping writing. What I finally decided was that I wouldn't stop writing (how could I?), but I would stop pursuing publication. I would just write for God's glory and my own joy and let go of all the other stuff.

This decision created a huge amount of relief and revitalized my love for writing. I was very content ...

A few months later, out of the blue, I received a Facebook message from my friend Carlton asking if I wanted to write for his publishing company. I've known Carlton for years and knew he had recently started a new publishing company, but I thought it was only for non-fiction and I didn't know the name. Well, since I wasn't pursuing publication, I didn't respond! I was very impolite and didn't even return his message (shame on me!).

In the meantime, my critique friend told us about this new company called Summerside. She was all excited and said it had received lots of good reviews and was the newest "thing."

About three weeks later, Carlton sent me another message on Facebook asking if I wanted to write a book for his new company. This time, I thought I should at least respond, and I sort of flippantly told him about all my ideas. He sent me his catalogue and to my complete amazement, it was Summerside!

At this point, a friend told me God was opening a door and I'd better walk through. I was very happy to do so (although a bit scared, too.) So, I wrote up some synopses and they liked the idea that Tricia Goyer and I had come up with a few years before.

co-authors: Ocieanna Fleiss and Tricia Goyer

What lessons have you learned? What did God teach you in the process?

All throughout this process I've learned that God cares about each area of my life, that He watches with His tender hand of providence, and His love for me never fails. There were times when I felt overwhelmed and discouraged, but He led me through the fog step by step. And during the times of rejoicing (like when the box came with my books inside) I knew it was only by His grace that this could've happened.

What advice do you have for writers waiting to break into publishing?

There's no quick secret to getting published. My advice is rather than chasing after being published (which I did for years) pursue excellence and hide in Christ, leaving the results to Him.

Here is the back cover copy to their new book:

Julia Cavanaugh has never left New York City. But in 1890, the young woman must head west to ensure that the orphans under her care are settled into good families. After her final stop in Montana, she plans to head straight back east. But upon arriving in the remote town of Lonesome Prairie, Julia learns to her horror that she is also supposed to be delivered into the hands of an uncouth miner who carries a bill of purchase for his new bride. She turns to a respected circuit preacher to protect her from a forced marriage but with no return fare and few friends, Julias options are bleak. What is Gods plan for her in the middle of the vast Montana prairie?

Ocieanna Fleiss's first novel, Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana, which she co-wrote with Tricia Goyer, will hit stores December 1. She and Tricia are currently creating their second novel, Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington, for release next summer. Ocieanna's also written several articles for national publications and a bi-monthy column for Northwest Christian Writers Association. Homeschool mom of four little ones, she, along with her husband, stay busy at her home in the Seattle area.

Pray for Each Other

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

"With this in mind, we constantly pray for you,
that our God may count you worthy of his calling,
and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose
of yours and every act prompted by your faith." (2 Thes. 1:11 NIV)

How would you feel if someone told you they were committed to praying for you - and specifically, what God had in store for your writing?

Would it overwhelm you?

Humble you?

Bless you?

I felt all three when a friend committed to praying for us. Annette and I love this author. We love her heart, her enthusiasm for her relationship with the Lord – and yes, we love her writing. Knowing that she’s petitioning the Lord to bless our writing and careers feels awesome!

Annette and I pray for each other, as well as our other two friends in our critique group. As we know, Christians aren’t immune from personal, relational, spiritual, physical, or financial struggles. And that includes writers.

We’ve known authors who have dealt with diseases that crippled their writing for a season. At this very moment, there are writers who are in painful relationships. Some are wondering if they’re going to be able to pay this month’s mortgage. And who, even after great success, question their ability to again write anything worth reading.

God has given us a purpose in our writing. Fiction or non-fiction. Articles, devotions, or novels. It’s important to include our heavenly Father in this journey. If we’re not writing for Him, then who are we writing for? (Ohhhh . . . scary thought!)

Let’s commit to praying for each other—perhaps choosing several writers to specifically keep in prayer. Whether we know them personally, or not—whether they’re successful, or just beginning their journey—so that God may find us and our writing worthy of His calling.

Dawn

Who Are You Going To Be? by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays are dedicated to a four part-series on the subject. Jim Rubart, an author and professional marketer, will be sharing his expertise with us. Please welcome our friend!

Marketing Series

Part I

Who Are You Going to Be?

In their seminal marketing book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Al Ries and Jack Trout argue against the concept of line extension—trying to introduce new products under an established brand. It’s almost always impossible to make work.

Once you’re in the consumer’s head with one product, it’s hard to get into their head with another.

Example: When Xerox was the god of the copier world, they decided to start selling computers. The “Huh? I don’t remember that,” going through your head right now is testament to the fact they failed miserably. They were known for copiers, but computers? No way. They spent millions trying to establish themselves as a computer manufacturer. Whoops. (By the way, IBM tried to sell copiers; it worked about as well as Xerox’s idea to sell computers.)

Would you buy a DVD player from Nike? Probably not. I know, that’s extreme, but would you buy something closer to their brand, say a soft drink with the swoosh on it? History says no.

Did you know A1-Steak sauce spent $18 million dollars on A1-Poultry sauce? Yeah, I’m not using it on my chicken these days either.

How does this apply to us as writers?

You can’t write both fiction and non-fiction. (See Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, John Grisham, etc. What? You’re not familiar with their non-fiction books?)
You must choose. Fiction? Great, stick with it. Non-fiction? Fine, but know that you’ll always been seen as a non-fiction writer first.

What kind of fiction? Suspense? Speculative? Historical? Once you choose readers will want to see the same type of stories from you every time. (No, even though I think Stephen King is a wonderful writer, I can’t ever see him topping the romance charts.)

This is key: Whatever you’re known for first, will be your identity forever. It’s very difficult to change someone’s mind about a brand once it’s first burned into the brain. Let me prove it to you:

When Orville and Wilbur did their Kitty Hawk thing and proved powered flight was possible they blew people’s minds. No one in America will ever forget them.

You’d think the same thing would happen in Australia, wouldn’t you? Don’t you think Australian’s would remember the first man to fly a plane in their country? They don’t, and here’s why: They remember this man for something else. This man had already burned himself in their brains with another brand, and there wasn’t room for him to be known for anything other than the greatest magician that ever lived, Houdini.

So when you’re trying to decide what you want to be known for, think about what the ancient knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade said to Harrison Ford, and “Choose wisely.”




Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/