Don't Count Your Chickens

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

There is an old saying that figures into our lives as writers, “Don’t count on your chickens until they hatch.” These chickens lay eggs but the reality is until they hatch, you can’t depend on getting a new baby chick.

In the early days of my writing life, I’ll admit I counted chickens before they hatched. I wrote query letters to magazine editors and counted on an acceptance and payment. I crafted book proposals then pitched them to agents and editors. The agent would take my proposal to pitch traditional publishers. I believed the literary agent would find a publisher. I believed the publisher would sell my book into bookstores and I would earn royalties. I believed my book would earn back it’s advance and then additional royalties.

For the last 13 years, I’ve been an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. With authors and agents, I work to understand their book, see if it is a good fit for our publisher, then pitch the book to my colleagues. When I get a contract, I send it to the author (or agent) and believe they will sign it and publish with us. When I bring an active author into the publisher, I believe they will sell books in the bookstore. I believe bookstores will carry the book and sell it to readers.

While it is great to be optimistic and have these beliefs, here's the downside: I'm counting my publishing before it happens. I'm assuming actions outside of anything that I can control. The truth is many of these things don’t happen and breed disappointment and regret. 

Without beating the image, I hope you can begin to see the challenge with this attitude of counting on actions which are outside of your control. 

What I Do Instead

These actions are not easy because in many ways I loved counting on results which were outside of my control. I encourage you to take a different mindset. Here’s a series of actions you can do:

1. Enjoy the journey. Celebrate the new relationships you can form and foster. For example, last week I connected with a new person on LinkedIN. She emailed me and told about reading a couple of my books. I looked up her contact information which included her phone number. I dialed the number and had a great 30+ minute conversation. It’s a simple example of what you can do. Keep expanding your relationships and helping others. As you enjoy the journey, you will find new opportunities for your writing life.

2. Continual to learn and grow. No working writer ever stops learning and trying new possibilities--including me. Recently one of my friends, Alice Crider, offered a five day book proposal challenge. It starts on Monday but use the link and you can still do it.  While I have a lot of book proposal experience (and a book about it), I know I will learn some new insights in these sessions. 

3. When Others Succeed, Celebrate. Often throughout my day, I will read newsletters and other things from authors. I celebrate their success and will write a short email or repost somthing on a social media website. There are dozens of different actions but I’m encouraging you to celebrate others.

4. With Your Opportunities, follow-up. I have a number of authors where I’ve championed their book to my colleagues and gotten them a book contract. They have not signed it and returned it (as I said earlier, it's something I can’t control or predict). I can gently follow-up with them and see if they have any questions. Last week I made a number of these calls. Frequently I got their voicemail where I left a cheerful and enthusiastic message for them. Maybe I sent them a contract weeks or months ago. I continued to follow-up. My experience in this area tells me that the longer it takes someone to respond and return their contract, the less likely it is they will publish their book with Morgan James Publishing. Knowing this track record does not prevent me from making those follow-up calls. Through the years, I’ve had a few authors surprise me and engage with questions, sign and return their contract. 

I have one certain fact: if I don’t follow-up, then the author will not know that I continue to pull for their success and want them to publish with Morgan James. The follow-up work is something that I can do. Maybe they will not publish the book that I'm calling about but because of the good experience with my follow-up, they will give us an opportunty on their next book. See the optimism and hope and action that is built into my attitude about follow-up? I hope so.

What actions are you going to take so that you have the right mindset? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

What does counting your chickens have to do with the writing life? Get the details here from this prolific author and editor. (ClickToTweet)

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.

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:

Author and coach Tommy Thompson (@TommyPThompson) I spoke for a second time on the Space for Life Podcast. Here’s our first conversation: https://bit.ly/4g4b5uO In this new podcast, we talked about how to start writing and actually get published at: https://bit.ly/46gBov3  Also check out my book Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams at: https://jumpstartdreams.com/ 

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

Overcome Your Challenges

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Think about your writing life. Do you have a series of “can’ts” about what you can or can’t write? For example, some writers say they can’t write outside of their office and need quiet in order to be able to create their stories. Others say they need to be in the corner of a coffee shop to do their best writing. 

My journalism training taught me to ditch the can’ts. I can write in a noisy city room full of reporters on the phone, talking and even banging out their stories. I can write on an airplane. I can write in a hotel room. I can write during a busy conference. I can also write in the quiet of my office. The critical element is sitting in your chair at your keyboard and moving your fingers cranking out words. It does not happen in your mind but only through your actions. I encourage you to try it and experiment with those negatives and conquer them. It will make you a more flexible writer.

As writers, each of us have experiences which could prevent our writing and moving forward. During my years as an editor, I’ve heard almost every possible excuse why an author did not meet their deadline. After listening to their story, I grant them the extension and set a new deadline. When they move forward, we will get a manuscript and be able to publish it and get it into the bookstores. I can’t do that work for them but I can do it with them.

Last week I faced my own challenge. A tech person worked remotely on my desktop and killed the sound and produced a number of other behind-the-scenes errors. Another remote tech person worked for over and hour, but he could not resolve the errors. My only path forward was to disconnect my desktop and take it into the store for repair. Talk about a painful path! I have a lot of writing and specialized programs and other details on this computer. Plus it is connected to my printer. Because it was my only path for repair, I took it to the store and had to leave it for three days. 

Did I stop working for those days? No, I began using my laptop which I rarely use. This computer doesn’t have many of the tools I needed. It took time and energy but I persisted. While it was not rapid, I continued to get the necessary work completed. I met with my Morgan James authors and answered their questions. Two of them signed their contracts last week and other things happened despite these interruptions. 

At the end of the day, it’s about your mindset in this situation. Do you persist and try different options or do you quit? My encouragement is for you to find your path forward with your writing life. Maybe you have to skip some television or get up a bit earlier or stay up later at night to get your writing done. It is critical to keep moving forward despite the challenges. 

This week I heard bestselling author Darren Hardy encourage us to enjoy the journey in the midst of the ups and downs of our lives as writers and entrepreneurs. Also he includes two hashtags and says them on a regular basis: #BeTheException and #BetterEveryDay  Notice these words are focused on the journey and not the end result.

There are many of life’s experiences which are outside of my control. Through hard experience, I’ve learned there is only one person on the planet where I have any measure of control: me. 

As a final key point with your writing: focus on your readers and serve them. Make a conscious choice to serve your readers with a well-crafted story or point them to a new tool or resource. Your path forward is filled with many choices and opportunitites. 

What steps are you taking to be the exception and become better every day?How are you overcoming the challenges in your everyday life? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

As writers, our lives are full of challenges and opportunities. This prolific author and editor gives some personal examples then action steps in this article. (ClickToTweet)

Publishing is a complex business and much of the process is outside of anything an author can control—no matter how they publish. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors realistic expectations  and 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:

For over a year and 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

Important Bookstore Insights

   

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

With thousands of books entering our world every day, how do readers determine which books to buy and which books to skip? It’s an age-old question that authors, publishing professionals and many others have been trying to understand. 

As an author your book may only be in an online bookstore. Sometimes that bookstore is only Amazon and other times you are in many online bookstores. In other articles, I’ve pointed out that bookstores have limited shelf space for books. How are those decisions made about which books to carry in that limited space? 

From my years in publishing, I understand behind the scenes there are many individuals in this decision process. I encourage each of you to be constantly learning about this process and glean insights that can be used for your own books. 

Last week I heard this podcast What It’s Like to Be a Kid with Jon Anderson, the President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. As the show notes say, “Jon Anderson has been President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s since 2009, after a career in both publishing and bookselling that began at age 16 at a B. Dalton mall store in South Dakota. His journey through Barnes & Noble, Penguin, and Perseus to his current position is one marked by creativity, humor, and iconic books and brands, from Mad Libs to Nancy Drew.” 

I learned a great deal from listening to this interview including Anderson’s insights about the current children’s book market. For many years, he was the book buyer at the corporate office of Barnes & Noble. Publishers and their representatives regularly pitched Anderson because of the significance of his decisions about which books to put into the stores. To make decisions, he said he looked at the cover then read the back cover. These two elements are details that you as an author have control and influence (no matter how you publish). Yet you have to take action in this area.

Much of the decision-making process is outside of anything that an author can control or influence. Instead of shrugging this responsibility, I want to call to your attention several elements where you do have control: the book cover and the back cover. Depending on your publishing path, some authors have more decision-making influence than others. Every author can make an impact in this area and I’m encouraging you to seize it.

Years ago when I worked at another publishing house, I spoke with the Vice-President of Sales when he had returned from a trip to present our new books to buyers at bookstores. With frustration in his tone, he said, “After hearing about our new books, the buyer would say, “I’ll take two copies of each. One to sell and one to show.”  I could hear the disappointment in his story because no publisher is trying to sell only two copies of any book. It shows the difficulty for every publisher to get their books into the bookstore.

What Authors Can Control

Whether your book is going to be online or inside a brick and mortar bookstore, there are some elements that you as the author have control. First, create an attractive and attention-getting cover. First impressions count and I’ve seen some poor book covers and others garner attention. Your choice of a designer and a publisher are in the author’s control.

Your words on the back cover are another area where the author has influence and control (depending on your publishing path). It is a learned skill to write these words which sell your book. I recommend you get Shelley Ring’s book How To Write Back Cover Copy That Sells: And Other Marketing Materials to Promote Your Book as a resource. I’ve written many back covers and your experience in this area will be a boost to your ability. You can read my review of Shelley’s book here. 

The third way to influence book buyers is to include high profile endorsements. As a new or unpublished author you may think you have no ability to get these types of endorsements. That assumption is wrong. 

You can take action and collect great endorsements for your book--even if you self-publish. In other articles (follow this link), I’ve written about these details. Also look at this article from Jacqueline Marcel about getting endorsements for her self-published book. If she can do it, you can do it. To get these endorsements you have to ask and make it easy for that person to agree and return the endorsement (even if you write a “draft” yourself when you ask because well-known people are busy. It takes author effort and not just once but over and over. 

There are obstacles to getting your book into the hands of readers but with your activity and continued promotion, you can overcome these hurdles and turn them into opportunities.

What actions are you going to take in this area? What am I missing that you can add? I look forward to your comments.

Tweetable:

How can authors influence the discovery of their books inside bookstores? Learn specific actions from this prolific author and editor. Get the details here.  (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.

How to Get Your Book Into Libraries. I wrote the details into a two part article and you can get both parts here.

 

When you submit your book proposal, I explain why you shuld simultaneously submit. Read the details in this article.  

When an author selects a publishing path, there is an often forgotten and critical element (distribution). In this article, I encourage awareness and wisdom in your choice.  

During my years in publishing, I’ve reviewed thousands of submissions and spoken with many authors about their plans and dreams for their book. I’ve found many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. From my experience, many aspects of the details of publishing 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

What To Do with Strange Experiences

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Throughout my life, I’ve had a number of strange personal experiences. It’s part of our lives that we have these different encounters and experiences. As a writer, what do you do with these stuations?

Some people write a book manuscript. Others use the material as background for their novel and other storytelling methods. While I love books and work as an acquisitions editor for a New York publisher, this usage for your stories and experiences has limitations. Thousands of new books enter the marketplace every day. I’ve read estimates between 4,500 and 11,000 new books enter our world every day (depending on your source and including the self-published books). These numbers involve a lot of competition for readers for your books.

In this article, I want to suggest a different starting place for your experiences. Instead of a book, I encourage you to use your personal experiences as storytelling material for magazine articles. When you write a magazine article, it’s easy to reach 100,000 to a million readers (depending on the circulation of the publication). Magazine editors tell writers what they are looking to publish in their writer’s guidelines. Often you can find these guidelines on their website or in a market guide. 

Each publication has a specific readership or audience. As you craft your article or your query (pitch), you have to be focused on the audience. When I worked as the Association Editor at Decision with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, we were printing 1.8 million copies of each issue. This circulation has dropped through the years but is still over 400,000 (see this link).

Some of the greatest readership for my writing has come through my personal experience stories in Decision. Decades ago we taught our oldest child about death through the passing of our second child. I called this article Schooled In Death. As I went through this difficult personal experience in a journal, I captured little pieces of dialogue and feelings. Then later as I wrote my story, I used these snippets in my magazine storytelling. 

It’s a pattern I suggest you use for your personal experiences--write down the feelings and dialogue then use them in a magazine article. When you write a magazine article, you learn some specific skills which will build into your writing life. You learn how to create an interesting title and how to begin your article and pull the reader into your story. Magazine articles have a limited word count (500 to 1,200 words--again depending on the publication. As you write your article, you learn how to have a beginning, middle and a strong ending which leads the reader to a single point called a takeaway. 

Where do you find these magazines? First, which ones do you read on a regular basis? I would begin there because you are familiar with their readership and target audience. Almost every magazine will take a well-crafted personal experience story for their publication. If you sell “first rights” to the magazine (noted at the top of your first page of your submission), then these rights return to you once the magazine publishes your article.

I’m suggesting a simpe strategy with your personal experience stories. Write a series of these types of articles which likely can be interconnected. With some editorial adjustments, each article can be the start of the chapter in a book. If you string together 15 to 20 of these articles, then you have a book manuscript. I have a lot more detail about this type of strategy in my free webinar Get More Mileage from Your Content.

As writers, we have an abundance of opportunity. I encourage you to use the Christian Writers’ Market Guide to look for more publications and opportunties to publish your writing. From going to writer’s conferences, many writers are focused on getting their book published and never consider teh magazine world.  You can do both--write for publications and write books. Your magazine articles can tell people about your latest book in your one-sentence bio at the end of the article. Your persistence and consistency as a writer will pay off.

What steps are you going to take to write and publish your strange experiences? Let me know in the comments and I look foward to hearing about it. 

Tweetable:

As a writer, what do you do with your strange personal experiences? This prolific author and editor encourages an unexpected series of actions.  (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:

David Newman (@dnewman) and I spoke about Real Deal Publishing on The Selling Show Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4q7yDDl 

Throughout my many years in publishing, I’ve co-authored over a dozen books and reviewed thousands of submissions (no exaggeration). As a part of the process of working with these authors, I speak with them about their dreams and plans. Many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the details of publishing 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