Roll With The Punches

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Our lives are filled with changes. These events happen in our lives whether we plan for them or not. From these articles about the writing life, it’s easy to see that I’m someone who loves routine. The publishing world and other parts of our world are in constant motion and change. When you get an unexpected punch (as in the above photo), do you roll with it?

Last week I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina for The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It’s a large event and throughout the time, I had interesting conversations with people. These days I don’t travel as much as in the past. From my home in Southern California, it was a long haul to attend and involved changing planes in Chicago. On schedule I arrived and got to the conference and settled into my room.

Throughout the event, I met remarkable writers. Each one had a story which was tied to their writing. The event contained many “God moments.” Like each of these events, the final day arrived. I packed my suitcases and headed to the airport. On the way home, I was changing planes at the Dallas airport. My plane from Asheville to Dallas had a mechanical issue which delayed our arrival.  After landing as my airplane was landing and going to our gate, I would see my connecting flight in a different terminal was beginning to board. 

Several passengers on my first flight graciously let me off to hurry toward my connecting flight. I moved as rapidly as I could to reach my gate. When I arrived at my gate, the plane was still there but the airline had closed the door and no one was around to assist me. In the face of this situation, I rolled with the punches. I needed to go to the airline help desk to rebook my flight which was located several gates ahead. 

When I spoke with the help desk airline person, I learned my bags were on the flight that I missed. They booked me into a local hotel then I was on the first Saturday flight to Orange County. I found the hotel airport shuttle, registered for my room and grabbed a few hours sleep before returning to the airport. I could have been upset (a choice) but instead I rolled with it.

Writers have to face changes with flexibility. For example, in these articles, I’ve written about the price of paper for books has increased 70 to 80% since 2020. This small detail is affecting the retail price of books as well as the length of novels. During the conference, I met a number of fiction writers with manuscripts which were 90,000 to 100,000 words. Because of the increased price of paper, our preferred word length is closer to 80,000 words. Are you flexible and willing to do the editorial trimming to get your story in alignment with the expectations of the marketplace? I hope so. Your flexibility and willingness to adapt to curent market conditions is an important skill for every writer.

What actions are you taking to handle a sudden change? Let me know in the comments how you've learned to roll with the punches. 

Tweetable:

Change is a constant part of our lives in publishing. This prolific author and editor gives the details of how he had to roll with the punches and encourages us to do likewise. Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

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

Dalene Bickel (@DaleneBickel) and I had an eye-opening conversation about the traditional publishing world on the Ink & Impact for Christian Writers Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/43aCgPM 

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 into 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

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

Tech Challenges

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

The writing world continues to change and a key element is our technology. Years ago when I faced a deadline and needed an extra day or two, I could tell the editor the submission was in the mail. At that time, the mail was slow and not dependable (little has changed in this area). You would mail a floppy disk with the story and later a hard disk with the electronic file. 

With the advent of the internet and high speed transmissions, the writer has no ability to fudge on their deadline. Instead the editor or agent wants the file right away as an attachment. Many professionals expect to receive the file in a few hours instead of days later.

These days it seems like I’m constantly learning a new program or a new technical skill. Sometimes I'm an early adapter and other times I’m behind the curve of what others are doing. For example, I’ve not had a webcam on my desktop for many years. In these days of zoom teaching, I’ve used my iPhone on a tripod instead of a webcam. 

Recently I purchased a GUSGU 1440P Quad HD Webcam. I used google to find a top webcam. When it was delivered, I set it up and experimented to see if I could get it working. I could only see the black screen. Then I decided to pull out the instructions and read them. That’s what you do when you are experimenting and not succeeding with some tech matter. After reading the instructions, I discovered this webcam has a “privacy cover” which arrived closed.  It’s a nice feature so no one can “spy” on you without you knowing that it is turned on. When I slid back the cover, the webcam worked perfectly. 

Also reading the instructions, I discovered my webcam came with some accessories like an extension cord, a tripod, a powerbank and a device to extend some ports on the computer. To get these extras, you had to send an email and ask for them. I followed the instructions, furnished my order number and then these extra accessories arrived and I’m using them.

If you get stuck with a tech challenge, I encourage you to read the instructions. If this doesn’t work, then reach out to a friend. If this doesn't resolve it, then possibly reboot your computer. Often my “challenge” is something easy to fix with a bit of patience and persistence.

Do you have tech challenges? What steps do you take to resolve them? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

What steps do you take when you have a tech challenge? Get some insights from this prolific writer and editor.  (ClickToTweet)

Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Work Around Writing Obstacles

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

When you hit a writing obstacle, does it stop you or do you use a work around? Within the tech world, they talk about using a work around. Your current path has some blockage so you find a different way to get the same task done—or a work around.

 

For example, while traveling, I was using my laptop to update my Hootsuite and schedule social media posts.  On my screen, I could not schedule any posts for 1:05 pm within the program. How did I work around this glitch? I left that time blank for several days, then when I returned home I filled in those days with this missing post.

 

Our world is filled with technology and apps and new programs to learn. Almost every day I face some technical issue which is not working. When these situations happen, I have a choice. I can either figure out a work around the obstacle, quit the program and go on to something else. I've learned that persistence will pay off if you keep at it—which is the path I recommend. Normally there is some work around or way through the challenge.

 

The pandemic has thrown off many writing plans. Over a year ago, as a Morgan James Publishing editor, I participated in a three and a half hour virtual pitch session. A group of writers were physically in one place and pitching to different editors and literary agents. It was an intense series of meetings with pitch after pitch. To my knowledge. I was the only editor who tracked down the emails of these various writers and sent follow-up emails. A few weeks ago, I pulled out this list of writers—and sent a fresh set of emails to the various writers who I had never received their submissions. Why? I wanted them to know they had not missed their opportunity to submit their manuscripts. Because of the time lapse and the fact that I've been a writer for years, I assumed many of them believed the opportunity had passed—but it hasn't. A number of my emails did not get a response—but I heard from about a dozen of these authors. Many had gotten stalled yet had recently returned to working on their manuscript. Some of them had their manuscript out to beta readers and were getting feedback. Others were finalizing their work. Each of them were happy to know the opportunity was still out there.

 

I told this story for a reason. Many of you are facing obstacles for your writing. It could be any number of obstacles which have stood in your way. While some of these obstacles can be family or work related, other blocks are mental and internal. Your mindset in these situations is critical. How can you create a way forward to work around the obstable? It may be the difference maker for your writing life.

 

Maybe you wrote and published a book last year (or even further back). Is that book doing what you imagined in terms of selling and reaching readers? As I've written in the past, as the author, you are the best person to be telling other people about your book—and you can always begin fresh to promote and tell people about it. Look for new ways to promote the book. Check a marketing book out of the library or buy one and try a different method to reach your readers.

 

Whatever your obstacle, there is a work around for it—but you have to be taking action (not just thinking about it) to find that path. If I can help you, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm cheering and pulling for your success. Let me know how you are working around your writing obstacles in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

If you are facing obstacles to your writing, are you finding a work around? You have choices and this prolific editor and author gives encouragement and ideas. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

A Cautionary Tale

Book publishing is filled with possible pitfalls and errors.  I witnessed another one today.

One of my best-selling author friends has a new book releasing. This new book was from a major well-known publisher. The book was designed well and edited and included endorsements and practical information. I've supported this author in the past so I was on the list of people who got a pre-release of the book. This pre-release included a personal handwritten note from the author and information about the date of the book release.

It was a push for my schedule but I managed to quickly write a review and be ready to post it on the launch date. Then I noticed the page on Amazon. It was not the typical pre-release page but the book had already released a couple of days ahead of the launch date. The book had zero Amazon reviews on the page. 

How did this happen? Someone at the publishing house set up the wrong Amazon date for releasing the book (my guess). This author has a launch team and other elements in place to promote her book. I was not surprised to learn this team wasd in place since she is an experienced author and knows the elements to launch a new book. It is important to have a launch team because there are over 4,500 new books releasing every day. Also most publishers are selling about 50% of their books through Amazon. Now that leaves another 50% for brick and mortar, other online retailers, and other places. Still 50% is a large number at Amazon for the book sales.

I'm writing these details about this story which contains a number of lessons:

1. Details matter. The release date of your book should match up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other places. As an author, you can check some of these details but depending on how you publish, they are mostly handled internally inside the publishing house.

2. With a launch or book. things can go wrong. When this happens to you, acknowledge it and keep moving forward.

3. Nothing is fatal in this process—unless you quit. Even when something goes off or doesn't happen, you can still recover from it and sell books. The only way for you to be stopped is when you give up and stop. Almost anything can be overcome with action.

4. Marketing is an ongoing process for every book. Last week one of my books got a new review. I was interested to read it. When I looked it was a one star review with hardly any information. I was disappointed but it was from a real person and when you get a one star review, it validates all the other reviews for the book. In other words, nothing to do about it but keep moving forward. I encourage you to do the same.

I wrote this article to help and encourage you with your own marketing efforts for your book. It is not easy for anyone—even people with a lot of experience in this area. The key is to keep going and keep moving forward no matter what happens. 

Tell me that steps you are taking to move forward no matter what happens in the comments below.

Tweetable:


Are you prepared when things go wrong in the publishing process? Get insights here. (ClickToTweet)