Critical Author Habits

    

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

While it was many years ago, I recall my first sip of coffee and the horrible taste.I wondered how or why people drank it. Many people around me were drinking coffee so I continued trying it and developed the habit of loving the taste of coffee. As a young writer, I leaned into the caffiene from my coffee drinking. In my early days of writing, I was drinking a full pot or two of coffee every day. Now many years later, I only drink a couple of cups of coffee but I still love the taste of it.

If you want to learn more about habit formation, I recommend reading or hearing Atomic Habits by James Clear. In 2019, I listened to the audiobook and wrote in my review, “Clear contends to make a new effective habit means developing a system. This audiobook is loaded with insights for every reader. I listened to this audiobook cover to cover and highly recommend ATOMIC HABITS.”

Often in these entries, I’ve written in detail about the various personal systems that I use in my critical author habits. I have over 1800 articles in The Writing Life and encourage you to search for a particular topic if I don’t include what you need in this article.

Today I want to pull out several of these habits with stories and my encouragement for you to incorporate them into your writing life. 

Consistent Writing

No one sits down and writes a novel or a nonfiction book manuscript. The manuscript is written with a consistent and persistent gameplan. The majority of writers use a word count as their benchmark. For example, they decide to write 500 words (which is about two pages) every day or four times a week or whatever pattern. They select a pattern then do that pattern over and over to get a draft of their manuscript. There are many different types of writing. In the first chapter of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dream, I have an extensive list (follow this link to see it). 

Also professional writers learn how to pitch their work to editors and literary agents. They learn how to write a query letter and a book proposal (no matter what type of book they are writing). Your book proposal is your business plan for your book and will include many important details which is not in your manuscript. The consistent use of these tools is an important habit to develop. If you want to know more about these tools, follow the links that I include. I’ve been using these tools for many years to be published in magazines and publishing houses.

Last month in an email, Mike Salisbury literary agent at Yates & Yates wrote about Beth Adams who I met years ago at a Seattle Writers Conference. Mike introduced Beth saying:

“Beth Adams is the Editorial Director for FaithWords and Worthy Books, imprints of the Hachette Book Group, where she’s worked on numerous bestselling and award-winning books. She also writes books as a side-hustle and has published over eighty books to date. Every day at 5 am, you can find her on the couch with her laptop and a strong cup of coffee, making up stories. An introverted book lover/cat lady at heart, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two daughters.”

Also Mike included Beth’s advice to writer saying: “Beth: Do it every day. You need to carve out consistent time in your schedule, even if it’s at 5 am, to work every single day. If you write only when you feel like it, you’ll never do it, and if you go more than a day or two without returning to your story, it becomes too hard to get back into it. You have to spend too much time getting back up to speed. But setting a regular rhythm allows you to stay in your work and also forces you to treat it like work, which it is.”

Expanded Connections

Your connections to the publishing world is an important one and should be a part of your habits. Who you know is as important as what you know. Are you continually expanding and using your connections? For example, are we connected on LinkedIN? If not, follow this link and send me a connection invitation.  Publishing professionals move around a great deal and LinkedIN is a great place to begin if you want to connect or reconnect with someone. Often when they move they will take their LinkedIN account with them and their LinkedIN contact information will have this email address. I say “often” because I’ve had several recent situations where I know someone has left their publishing role and not left a non-publishing email address in LinkedIN. 

Grow Readers 

Every author needs to be growing readers for their writing. One of the critical elements is in a consistent newsletter. Everyone begins with a small list but the key habit is to consistently use and grow these connections. I’ve had a newsletter for many years and my downfall has been the lack of consistency. Over a year ago, I changed this pattern and have een sending my newsletter each week to subscribers. Here’s the link to subscribe and with my gratitude you will receive an 87-page ebook.

I spoke with one of my Morgan James Publishing authors who has done multiple books with us. This author knows about the importance of a newsletter but hasn’t started one. If you fall into this category, I encourage you to start a newsletter then send it consistently and grow your readership. I understand a newsletter takes continued time and effor. It is another critical author habit.

Continual Learning 

For decades I’ve been studying and reading about different aspects of publishing. I continue to learn and experiment with differeent areas. In these articles I’ve mentioned doing guest podcasting. In several articles, I’ve detailed my process. As new podcasts launch, I’ve included the links and the details. During the last year, I’ve recorded or booked over 60 podcasts using PodMatch which is connected to over 90,000 podcasts. I encourage you to continue to experiment and learn new skills. At least once a year, get to a writer’s conference and take a class to open a different type of writing for you. The world is full of opportunity but you have to take continued action for it to happen.

Consistency and Persistence

Reading these words is a good first step but what actions are you going to take for your writing life? How can you develop a system where you consistently move forward? Let me know in the comments.

Tweetable:

According to this prolific author and editor, there are a series of critical author habits. You can read the details in this article. (ClickToTweet)

Start Your Writing Year with a Bang

I’m speaking at the Publicity Club on Tuesday, January 6th from 5 pm to 6 pm Pacific. I’m teaching on Seven Simple Actions to Boost Your Publishing This Year. The first meeting is free and here’s the Facebook event link with the details. I will be telling some stories but also including an action-packed handout. I hope many of you will attend and get my free resource.

When I’ve worked with different publishers on a variety of  books, I’ve learned the hard way that much of the publishing process is outside of anything an author can control. As an editor, I’ve spoken with different authors about their books, I’ve found many unrealistic expectations. There are actions every author can take with their books. I wrote  10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Time To Get Organized

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

With the New Year’s Day coming this week, I'm writing my final article about The Writing Life for this year. The bulk of the publishing community is silent. It’s something I call the Silent Days and I wrote an article about how to thrive during this period (follow the link).  Officially Morgan James Publishing closes for the last two weeks of the year and reopens on Monday, January 5th. I’m still sending a few emails and doing a little work but not my typical effort.

From my perspective, these days are a great time to get organized. In this article, I’m going to show several of the activities that I’m doing and hopefully it will stir you to take action for your writing life. Toward the end of this article, I have information about a FREE live event on January 6th. I hope many of you will attend and take advantage of this opportunity.

Time to Reset

For many years, I’ve read through the Bible from cover to cover. I have at least four different versions of the printed book which I use:

The Daily Walk (the one I’ve read this year)

The Daily Messenge (the one for next year)

The One Year Bible

The Daily Bible in Chronological Order

For each version, I’ve purchased the digital version on my phone because I can make the type bigger for ease of reading. Also when I travel and I’m away from the printed copy, I continue to read my Bible each day. These volumes help me to set the pace and pattern of my day. If you don’t use one of these tools, I highly recommend it to keep you moving forward and connected to the most important book, The Bible.

Also I keep my financial receipts for the year in a box. This time of year I find an empty box and get it labeled and ready for the new year.

Sort, Organize and Throw Away

I have several stacks of print magazines that I will sort through, use and discard. Then I do the same task several shelves of books. Overall I read less last year than the year before (something Goodreads managed to tell me with an email). It moved me to recommit to doing more consistent reading during the coming year.

Reconnect with Friends and Colleagues

The holidays are a great time to reconnect with friends and colleagues. I’ve been doing a bit of that effort this year and hope you will take the time to do it as well.

Make Plans for the New Year

While I don’t make resolutions which are easy to break and not fulfill. Instead I take time to reflect on what happened last year. For example I traveled to and taught at three writer’s conferences. Each one opened up new opportunities in my writing life--and not always in the expected way. For example, at one event I met another faculty member and we recorded a podcast. At another event, I did not bring a single author into Morgan James Publishing (even though I tried and presented contracts to several new authors I met). Instead I met a freelance editor and author who referred an author to me. This referred author did publish her book with Morgan James and it will release this coming year. My lesson for you is to seize whatever opportunities open from a particular event even if not exactly the one you were projecting. 

Podcasts

Throughout this year, I’ve been guesting on various podcasts. The bulk of these podcasts I’ve made through PodMatch which is connected to over 90,000 podcasts. I have booked or recorded over 60 different podcasts which have been downloaded 7,200 times. Each podcast opens a new door of opportunity for others to learn about my work and reach me. One key lesson I’ve learned is I can’t control when the podcaster will launch our recording. What I can control is the stories and answers I give during our time together. Before each podcast, I review my key stories, talking points and websites that I want to mention (no matter what question is asked). Within the writing world, we call this skill media training. If you want to learn more or take a refresher course in this area, I recommend this FREE training with Gayl Murphy (follow the link).

Plan to Attend a Writer’s Conference

Some of my greatest relationships in the publishing world started at a writer’s conference. There are some amazing opportunities at these events. Follow this link for some possibilities. In May 2026, I will be at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. This link contains my speaking schedule.

Boost Your Writing Year on January 6th

I’m speaking at the Publicity Club on Tuesday, January 6th from 5 pm to 6 pm Pacific. I'm teaching on Seven Simple Actions to Boost Your Publishing This Year. The first meeting is free and here’s the Facebook event link with the details. I will be telling some stories but also including an action-packed handout. I hope many of you will attend and get my free resource. 

Throughout my years in publishing, I appreciate the insights and knowledge I’ve gained from others. Here’s a simple truth: knowledge alone is worthless. It’s your consistent and persistent actions that will make the difference in the results of your writing life. Maybe you wanted to write a book or some other goal last year and it did not happen. The year ahead can be different if you take consistent and persistent actions. 

Organized people accomplish more than working in chaos and a mess.Ideas are fleeting so capture them then work to get them accomplished. The image I chose for this article is not my actual desk but hopefully this organized office gives you some ideas and motivation for what your office could be like. Take a little time to get organized and it will pay off for your productivity and accomplishments in the days ahead.

How are you using these days to get organized? What am I missing? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

The slower pace of these days can provide time to get organized according to this prolific author and editor. Get the details and specifics about a free event.  (ClickToTweet)

As I’ve worked in the publishing world for years, I’ve spoken with many authors about their expectations and dreams for their books. I’ve found many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help and take actions no matter what the publisher does for your book. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Make Self-Imposted Deadlines

  

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As a writer, you can stand out from other writers with a simple action: meet or exceed your deadlines. From my work as a magazine editor and now a book editor, I’ve watched the results with many types of authors. The majority of them are notorious late. Book authors agree to the deadline when they sign the contract. As an editor, I’ve heard almost every possible excuse from the authors why they can’t meet their deadline. Some editors build fudge room into their schedule planning

editors and others count on that deadline to launch product in the market. 

Recently at Morgan James Publishing, the leadership changed the point in production process when they were setting the launch date for the book. They were setting the date at a point when the author had not delivered the final manuscript. The authors were missing that deadline, then the launch release date had to be changed internally. In the chain of a book release, the sales team, the retailers and many others depend on the accuracy of this release date. When the date gets moved it causes issues with these various groups. The author is oblivious to this chaos from simply delivering a late manuscript. Now the team including the author will set the launch date at a point where the manuscript is finished and in place so this deadline will not need to be moved. 

When I worked at David C. Cook as an acqusitions editor, one day the managing editor came to my desk with an assignment saying, “Get this author to turn in his book manuscript.” I agreed to get in touch with this author, who I knew and several years earlier I had ghostwritten one of his books. 

Before I reached out to the author about the book, I gathered more details about the book. It turned out to be years late. Cook had paid a sizeable advance for this book and nothing would be recovered for that payment until we got the manuscript and sold it into the bookstores. I asked my editor for the author’s phone number but she didn’t have it nor was it in our internal records--and I found this missing detail fascinating. I had a number but it was old and didn't connect with the author.

As a representative of the publisher, I decided to call this author’s office. I spoke with his assistant. She refused to give me the number, saying she had no idea if I worked for the publisher (during the days before caller ID). I persisted and read the number that I had including the area code. She told me I had the right phone number but felt comfortable to tell me that the area code had been changed. Now with the number, I called this author’s home and immediately was in touch with his wife about the very late manuscript. Later I spoke with the author about this manuscript and I made sure my colleagues at Cook had his home phone number in their records.

When you (or your agent) negotiates a book contract, you will have a deadline (which you can change and extend before you sign). Once you agree to this deadline, then you have to figure out how to commit the time and make or exceed your deadline.

As a young journalist, I learned the importance of deadlines. At the newspaper, we would have story meetings at 7 am where we got our writing assignments. Our deadline for delivering that story was 11 am then the story was edited, typeset and in the afternoon paper which came out at 3 pm. In those days we did not have a computer but used a manual typewriter and learned the importance of meeting deadlines.

I’ve worked at newspapers, magazines and book publishers. The quickest deadlines are with newspapers, then magazines have a longer deadline. Books have the longest deadline but are also more words than a magazine article. 

For every deadline, the writer has to figure out how many words they need to write in a certain time period to meet the deadline. Also you need to build in some time to review your writing, make revisions then submit your final version. In the old days, we mailed our computer disk or our manuscript. Now with the speed of internet, you have to meet your deadline.

As a writer, you have to understand how many hours will you have to be at your computer and how many words can you write during that time period so you will achieve your deadline. No one writes a 50,000 or 100,000 word book in a single day. Instead the story is written in chunks of time and persistent work to complete and successfully send the work. This process is the same whether it is your first book or you have written many books. 

Are you committed to hitting your deadlines? Have you understood the chaos you produce for others when you miss a deadline? What self-imposed steps do you take with your writing to meet your deadlines? I look forward to your answers in the comments.

Tweetable:

Every writer has to make self-imposed deadlines according to this prolific author and editor. Also he explains some of the unforeseen events when a writer misses the deadline. Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

I’m currently working for my third publisher as an acquisitions editor. Without exaggeration, I’ve spoken with hundreds of authors about their books and plans. Over and over, I find many authors have an unrealistic expectation for what will happen when their book gets published. I know much of the publishing process is outside of anything that an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS, which is a practical easy reading book to help you. Get my decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

A Cautionary Tale: Tech Error

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Since 2004, each week I’ve been writing and posting these articles about The Writing Life.  I’ve had many different experiences and enjoy helping you with these stories and the various resources. Don’t worry. I’m not going to stop writing these pieces and giving back to the writing community through them. 

I had a tech error which interrupted the article I was going to show you today. Throughout my week I get ideas for these articles and will write a few sentences into a file then save it.

Yesterday I took one of those ideas and wrote the article for today. It contained links to other resources and a series of action steps for writers. In the completion process, I swept through it several final times and perfected every detail including ClickToTweet and even posting it into my social media plans.When I “published” it, one of the settings was wrong and instead of publishing it on the typical Sunday morning time, it instantly published it.

I did not want this article released. I checked the behind-the-scenes setting and could not determine how to put it back on schedule. Then I made a fatal error to this article: I deleted it and put it into the trash. It disappeared and when I searched the help menu, I learned it could not be recovered.

As I look back, I could have prevented this error by opening a new post, cutting and pasting my work into a new article, then saving it. But that possibility disappeared when I deleted the article. I was disappointed with my error. While I knew I created it in the first place and can write it again, I could not muster the energy to start it immediately. Instead I went on to other tasks for the rest of my day. 

Sometime in the future, I will write again that deleted article and post it in The Writing Life. Instead today, I’m posting this cautionary tale about a tech error. In my writing life, I’ve rarely lost a piece of writing because I have faced this situation in the past. Admittedly it has happened rarely but happened. It’s why I often draft my writing in a Microsoft Word file then save it and return to finish it off and finalize it. That carefully created process didn’t happen this time. Instead I pushed the delete button and it erased.

How do you protect your writing from such errors? What steps to you take with your creative work? When it happens does it throw off your work? Does it make you take a break? How do you return and keep moving forward? This situation has the possibility of quiting and ending the writing process. It’s not an alternative I’m willing to take. Instead I take a break from it, then return to it and continue. I’m committed to continuing to post these articles about the writing life.

A Broader Perspective

For this article, I have focused on my crafted then deleted article. I want to conclude this article with another step I took to focus on some of the other things that happened in my publishing life. Because of my work with Morgan James Publishing, I championed the work of authors and my publication board agreed with the merits of these authors and sent me three book contracts. I sent these contracts on to the authors. Also I established some new publishing relationships in the community.  These activities are only a few of what I accomplished last week including sending my weekly email newsletter and posting on social media 12-15 times a day. In addition, I learned a book that I championed and was published through Morgan James Publishing ten years ago in 2015. It was one of the top five books MJP sold this year.

The Paleo Cardiologist: The Natural Way to Heart Health was this book. I refuse to let one tech error downgrade the other positive things which happened during the week. 

Each of us are on this publishing journey. What steps are you taking to continue and move forward in your journey? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

Have you accidentally deleted a new piece of writing? This prolific author and editor gives the details and a cautionary tele of his tech error. (ClickToTweet)

During my decades in publishing, I’ve spoken with hundreds of writers about their dreams and plans. Many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Finding the Right Fit

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

At any given time in the publishing world, I’ve heard there are at least a million book proposals and manuscripts in circulation. They are piled in editor’s and literary agent’s email and sometimes physically on their desks.  There are many reasons for this volume of submissions. Some authors have no idea where to send their manuscript. These authors send a “dear editor” email and use a blindcopy so it could be going to thousands of addresses. These types of submissions do not get processed and are instantly deleted.

The publishing community is constantly changing. Recently I was going to reach out to an editorial director at a large publisher. Before I sent my email, I went to their LinkedIn account where we are connected. I learned this editor is now a freelance consultant and left her long-term relationship with that publishing house last April. 

The image for this article shows a woman building a jigsaw puzzle. In many ways, writers looking for the right publishing connection is almost like working on a puzzle. Like the trial and error process you use when assembling a puzzle, publishing also has this same process. From my years in this business, to discover the right fit takes effort and work. I’m going to give you some ideas, examples and resources in this article.

Before you send your submission, you need to consider the publisher and the fit. For example, you don’t pitch a full color cookbook or a full color coffee table book to an agent or publisher who has no interest. Or a novel to a publisher which handles serious nonfiction.  Look at their website first. Who are their authors or clients? Use this research to make sure you are pitching the right publishing companies. 

The next question is do you have a relationship with them? Have you met them at a writer’s conference or book event? Do you have a connection with them in LinkedIN or in some other way? Are they still at that publishing company or have they moved or retired or changed to another position? It’s always a good idea to check their LinkedIN profile--even if you aren’t connected to this particular publishing professional.

Have you included all the right details in your pitch? Have you createde an excellent book proposal? If you don’t understand what I’m talking about, get the free version of Book Proposals That Sell and use my book proposal checklist. 

Before I overwhelm you with this process, I want to give you some good news. Every editor and literary agent that I know is actively looking for the next bestseller. They are reading their emails and their physical mail looking for the right fit. 

For example, at Morgan James Publishing, I connected with an author who had written a middle grade novel. She was in the United Kingdom and after several email exchanges, I learned this author was 15 and soon turning 16. When I spoke with this author and her father, I was impressed with the organization and storytelling skills of this young author. Morgan James distributes and prints in the UK but all of the other details did not fit for this author. During my years with MJP, I have contracted and published several young authors who have written novels. The details have to fit for this process to happen.

As editors, we are looking for the right author and their right book. For example, I want to find authors who understand they need to reach readers with their message and actively sell books using the thousand different ways. Last week I spoke with an author who had written a story. As we spoke, he told me that he had no interest in promoting his writing. Instead he wanted to take a smaller royalty and have someone else do that marketing effort. Instead this author just wanted to spend their days writing stories--not promoting their books. From the conversation, I could see this author was not going to be a good fit. Also this author wasn’t taking responsibility for his own success and looking for others to do it. Instead of leading this author to Morgan James, I encouraged this author to write for magazines because you can reach many people with publications yet do not have to do the marketing work like you do with books.

When it comes to publishing books, there are basically three paths: traditional, self-publishing and hybrid or independent publishing. David Hancock, the founder of Morgan James, has written The Babylon Blueprint for Authors. This book has great low-cost and no-cost marketing suggestions. It also includes 40 pages comparing these three options. Follow this link to get a free copy of this resource.

In last week’s mail, I got the best resource for any writer who wants to publish in the Christian market: The Christian Writers Market Guide 2026. It releases in the bookstores on December 16th. 

If you have an older guide, recycle it and get this one because each year the information changes, editors move, publications open and others close. The key is not to just get the book and put it on your bookshelf. You have to use the information inside it. I’m encouraging you to use this book over and over to open new opportunities and relationships.

Last week, a writer that I met during the summer at a conference called and left a voicemail. He wanted my input about an “opportunity” had found from a PR firm to attend the Los Angeles Book Festival. It would cost him over $1,500 to the PR firm along with his travel expenses from the midwest. To me this opportunity had several red flags. First, I had never heard of the PR firm (red flag because I’ve been in this business for many years). The second red flag was the hefty fee from the PR firm. The third red flag is that I’ve been to book festivals and know that I “could” make a good connection or they could be a waste of time and money. I encouraged this author that this opportunity was not the right fit.  

I applaud this author for getting input before he made a decision. I would not suggest calling any professional publishing person. Instead use other methods like email. As writers, we have many opportunities and ways to publishing, promote, and reach new readers with our writing. The key is to continue to explore these various ways and work to find the right fit. The only way you can stop this process is to quit--which I encourage you not to do. 

What actions are you taking to find the right fit for your writing? How can you open some new doors for your work and reach new readers? What am I missing? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

A crucial part of the writing journey is finding the right fit for your work. This prolific author and editor provides the details and resources in this article. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week one more podcast recording launched:

Mike Wagner and I spoke about 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS on The Mike Wagner Show. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4pkXCDn

During my decades in publishing, I’ve heard the unrealistic expectations of writers. The reality is many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Our Days Are Short

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Each of us have a limited number of days on this planet. We may not think about it but sometimes this fact comes roaring our lives. 

In my Bible, I have a series of friends photos that I pray for every day. A number of these people are missionaries that I served with through Wycliffe Bible Translators. A few weeks ago one of these friends that I’ve known since the 70s and appeared in great health. He had a heart-attack and died. While I’ve often read heart attacks are a leading cause of death, the passing of this friend touched me personally--way more than any statistic.

As I’ve grown older and had many different experiences, I’m aware that our days on this planet are not endless but overall short. As writers, we need to be aware of the shortness of time and use this limited resource wisely. In Latin the term carp deim or pluck the day and seize the moment. 

Use Your Time Wisely

The bulk of these articles on The Writing Life give insights and encouragement for your work in publishing. I wanted to mke sure this article also includes this element. For the rest of this article, I’m highlighting a set of principles or maxims which are buried in the final pages of both versions of Book Proposals That Sell. I wrote the original version of this book as a frustrated acquisitions editor trying to receive better submissions. The book has helped many writers and has over 150 Five Star Reviews and exceeded any of my expectations. 

12 Maxims for Any Writer

Throughout my career, I’ve used these operating principles. I hope these maxims will aid you in your overall writing career. 

1. Never forget the impact of your words—positive or negative. Most days, I feel the pressure of motivation to make money as a freelancer. I’ve got bills and obligations which demand payment. Yet if you are so money-driven that you never make any decisions about your writing except ones which are motivated from finances, it will be difficult for you to advance in nonfiction or fiction. Don’t get me wrong. I want to be fairly compensated for my work but I also want to enjoy my work and what I do day in and day out. You need to be conscious of your motivation behind your writing and let that drive your daily efforts.

2. Never forget your writing is a privilege and a business—so seek to maintain balance. Too many writers hesitate to ask for their materials or for a decision about a query or proposal. They send it out once or twice, then it’s rejected and they don’t properly market or even follow-up. 

3. Celebrate your writing successes. Never lose the wonder of the opportunity. At another conference I attended—a secular writing conference in Southern California—I was fascinated by a secular novelist and his message. While waiting to ask him a question after the session, I turned to another person and asked if she had taken this instructor’s writing class. The woman puffed up her face in disgust and replied, “No, I’m a published author.” Just because our material is printed in magazines or books, it should not build us up in pride. Believe me, sometimes it’s difficult but as writers we need to keep things in balance, especially when it comes to books. 

4. Believe in the quality of your work and the value of your message. Surprises always happen. I work hard at my craft and perseverance is a key factor. Don’t get me wrong but I love to receive my material in print. It’s a surprise and a special blessing. It’s the new box of books hot off the press or the magazine article in a missionary publication. I marvel at the grace in my life. I’d encourage you to absorb the same attitude no matter how many books you publish. 

5. Expect to serve an apprenticeship. It’s a false expectation to go from nothing to book contracts. Everyone is expected to move through the ranks of this business. It takes diligence and perseverance to succeed. 

6. Learn all you can from every possible source. If you approach life in this fashion, you will find that you can learn from a multitude of sources. 

7. Act wisely and thoughtfully. Haste usually makes waste. 

8. Never resist rewriting. Your words are not etched in stone. 

9. Never resist editing. Again, your words are not etched in stone. 

10. When you receive advice about your writing, learn to evaluate it critically. Sometimes you will get advice from a fellow writer or a family member and it doesn’t “feel” like something you should take. Follow that instinct. 

11. Treat editors as the coach on your team. They know their audience, so respect their counsel and only reject it with good reason. 

12. Never rest on your laurels. Be looking for your next opportunity. I’ve discovered that writing opportunities abound—particularly when I’m actively looking for them.

 

As I read through each of these principles, I know the stories and experiences which are baked into each one. My hope is they will encourage you to seize the day and continue moving forward with your writing life. You are the only person who can stop the writing journey through your quiting (which I hope you don’t do). 

In the comments, let me know which principle spoke to you and your writing life. Or tell me about another principle which is missing from my list. I look forward to your comments.

Tweetable:

It’s easy to believe our days are endless. This prolific author and editor encourages us to understand our days are short. Also this article highlights 12 maxims.  (ClickToTweet)

My Writing In Other Places:

With these articles, I encourage you to publish your work beyond your blog in other places. Below are three articles which were published in other online locations than this blog.

At Almost An Author, I guest blog each month about an aspect of book proposal creation. This month I asked and answered a common question: Why Do Editors Take So Long with my Submission? at:  https://bit.ly/3Xk7Urg

This time of year, many writers feel like they have missed their goals. At Writers on the Move, I guest blogged about how writers can meet their goals and how to create a strategy for their writing at: https://bit.ly/48lT4Xe 

Each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the majority of publishing is silent. At the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog, I encourage writers to thrive during the silent days at: https://bit.ly/3JTpbo6

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more of my podcast recordings were launched:

Jan Johnson and I spoke about Revolutionary Jesus: Shifting Paradigms on Just Talkin' About Jesus Podcast. Watch at: https://bit.ly/4pwPqzM or listen at: https://bit.ly/4p6SVgi 

Ken Primus (@ThreadsofEnlig1) and I spoke about the art of storytelling: how powerful stories shape identity and purpose on The Threads of Enlightenment Podcast. Watch at: https://bit.ly/43X2hTB or listen at: https://bit.ly/48qShU4 

Even if you self-publish your book, you need to be cautious about your decisions and who you choose to work with for your book production. I’ve met authors who have spent thousands of dollars in the self-publishing process and unknowingly worked with someone in the Philippines and produced a terrible looking book which is only sold online. I’ve heard the unrealistic expectations of writers. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Gratitude Is Not Just One Day

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Once a year, the people in the United States pause for a holiday called Thanksgiving. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends. Depending on the year, we travel to these gatherings and plan for special food and even individual traditions of expressing gratitude. Through the years, I've always loved the celebration of Thanksgiving. In recent days I’ve read a number of articles tied to this holiday. 

 

In this article, I want to take a different twist on gratitude. I contend gratitude needs to fill our writing life much more than once a day. In fact, I encourage you to incorporate thankfulness or gratitude into your every day life. Here’s some starter ideas for you to bring gratitude into your daily life:

1. Write in a Gratitude Journal. Some writers have been keeping a daily journal since they were young. I’m not one of those people. In fact, for years I resisted the idea of writing my thoughts into a journal. Through the years, I’ve had the opportunity to occasionally go to the Book Expo and wander through their exhibits and pick up books. This event stopped for several years during the pandemic but is returning in 2026. At once of these events, I picked up a casebound, blank journal which caught my attention. Someone suggested writing a daily gratitude journal. I started to fill those blank pages and it has become a daily habit for years. In fact, I have a series of these gratitude journals. I encourage you to use a gratitude journal as a way to continually express your thankfulness.

2. By hand, write thank you notes. It’s rare that I receive a little thank you note in my mail. I've been writing these little notes for years. Often in my mail, I receive a print copy of a book. I pull out a note card and write a thank you to that person. My handwriting has grown poor so I print and even that is hard to read but the sentiment is certainly there with my card. It’s a practice I've been doing for years and learned from bestselling author Richard Foster who celebrated my first book when it was released in 1992. As writers, we can learn gratitude from others and incorporate it into our daily lives.

3. Use the chorus Give Thanks. Many years ago, I interviewed American singer and songwriter Don Moen. In 1986, Don wrote a little chorus called Give Thanks. Follow this link to listen on YouTube. I purchased this little song as a ringtone and have it on my phone. It’s another simple reminder and helps gratitude fill my daily life.

4. Avoid being ungrateful. I understand that Christians have been expecting the return of Jesus since he left thousands of years ago. Some people believe we are in the last days. 2 Timothy 3:2-5 includes a list of some horrible sins during this period. Tucked into the list is one word tied to this article: ungrateful. 

As Christian writers, it’s important for us to stand out and be different. Our continued gratitude is one of those ways. What am I missing and what actions are you taking to continually express gratitude? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

During this season of Thanksgiving, this prolific author and editor believes gratitude is not just one day. Get the details in this article. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week one more podcast recording launched:

Mitch Carson (@MCarsonOfficial) and I spoke about The Truth About Publishing: Why Authors Must Market Their Own Books on The Amazing Authorities Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/49sJyml 

As I’ve worked in the publishing world for years, I’ve spoken with many authors about their expectations and dreams for their books. I’ve found many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help and take actions no matter what the publisher does for your book. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. Click the link to learn more details. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA