Seize Your Day

During the last couple of years, I've been aware of the brevity of life and the need to seize the day and make the most of every moment and experience. As a young man, these thoughts never crossed my mind but wisdom and experience has changed me. I'm eager to follow the Latin term “carpe diem” or “seize the day.”

In this article, I want to give you some ideas how to take the opportunities of life and make the most of them. As a writer, I understand much of the publishing world is outside of my direct control. I don't determine which articles are published in a magazine or which books get published. I don't control who buys the books that I've written or what they tell their friends or don't say anything about them. I don't control which literary agents read my proposals and offer to work with me. I don't control Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or any number of other online places. It's easy to grow discouraged and feel like you have no power or opportunity.

The reality is actually something different from my years in publishing. I do control what I write about and what I pitch to editors of magazines and book editors. I can write query letters and emails to see if the editor is interested in my ideas. If I don't know how to write a query or a book proposal, then I can learn how to create these publishing tools. After they are written, I can make sure they are excellent, then pitch them over and over until I find someone interested in my idea.

I don't run a conference but if I want to teach others, I can craft pitches to the directors of conferences and see if they are interested in my participation. I don't control who interviews me about my books or my work. Yet when someone interviews me, I can replay and promote that interview to tell others about it. For example last week, Angel Murchison interviewed me about Billy Graham and my biography, Billy Graham, A Biography of America's Greatest Evangelist. The interview aired last Saturday in northern Maine and West New Brunswick, Canada. Angel sent me a copy of the interview and you can hear it here (on my own site so I know this link and the 25-minute interview will not disappear since I'm controlling it).

While I can't force people to buy my books, I can focus on the benefits of the books and tell as many people about it as I can reach through social media or email marketing or blogs or any number of other possible tools.

Every writer has these opportunities with your work. Are you seizing the day and latching on to these possibilities? As you do it, you will expand your audience and the reach of your message. Another way that people in the publishing community speak about it is platform. If you want to expand your possibilities, I recommend this free ebook that I wrote called Platform Building Ideas for Every Author.

Each of us have the same finite amount of time in a day. How are you seizing those opportunities?

Tweetable:

When our world is out of control, how can you seize the day? Get ideas here. (ClickToTweet)

Seize Opportunity to Get Published

There are a number of keys to getting published. First, you have to learn the craft of writing and have written something of well-done for the market to get excited about and publish. This first point is foundational.

Yet there are many good writers that never get published because they don't follow the second key: stir opportunity and take action. Your writing will never get published if it stays inside your computer or your journal or your desk and never is shown to an editor or literary agent.

You must take consistent action to get connected to the marketplace. I've often said that publishing is a matter of being at the right place at the right time with the right writing to meet the right person (publishing champion). I understand there are many “rights” in that last sentence but it can happen for you if you seize opportunities.

My first book involved meeting a children's editor at a writer's conference. This editor asked me for my ideas—and I had some ideas prepared. When she responded, “That's a good idea. Write that up and send it to me.” 

I went home and took action and wrote it and sent it to the editor. Yes, it took a number of rewrites and other things before that idea actually became a book but I was taking consistent action and moving forward.

You must meet the right champion to get your book published. There are thousands of ideas in circulation and one of the ways you can stand out is to make the right connection.

A writer's conference is a great place to connect with editors and agents and talk with them about what they need and your own book ideas. These talks can happen formally or informally during the conference.

I'm going to be traveling to a number of conferences this coming year and hope our paths will cross. I encourage you to check my speaking schedule on a regular basis so we can personally meet at a conference. As an acquisitions editor, I'm actively looking for all types of manuscripts (adult fiction and nonfiction and children's books).

Tuesday, January 15th, I've created an opportunity for you to learn from an expert, Rick Frishman—and also possibly receive a FREE registration to Author 101 University in Los Angeles in March. Five people will receive these registrations during our 70–minute teleseminar.

You have to take action to be one of these five people. First, you have to register for the FREE call. Second, you have to be listening to the LIVE event on Tuesday night. 

Let's say you take action and register for this call and attend the event—and you are selected as one of the five winners. The registration is worth about $500 and you are able to attend Author 101 University in March. Suddenly you are at an event where you can meet a literary agent or an editor who will get your book published. 

Take action today and sign up for this event (use this link). Ask Rick a question when you register. It may be one of the questions that I will ask Rick on Tuesday night. Even if you don't win one of the registrations, you will learn a great deal and it will be a help to your writing career.

You have to take action to get connected to the publishing world. I hope to speak with you Tuesday night or see you at Author 101 University in March.