Tap the Power of Hope

    

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In the world of publishing, it’s easy to get discouraged. Let’s think about the volume of books which are published every day: over 4,500 titles. Recently, a colleague emailed me the link for this article: The 10 Awful Truths about Book Publishing. I encourage you to follow the link and study it, it’s pretty easy to feel small, discouraged and overwhelmed. Yes, I’ve felt all of those emotions in my daily work. In this article, I want to emphasize how you keep going in spite of these truths. What is your method to tap into the power of hope?

Look at the elements at the bottom of this article.

Strategies For Responding to “The 10 Awful Truths”:

1. The game is now pass-along sales and pre-orders.

2. Events/immersion experiences replace traditional publicity in moving the needle.

3. Leverage the authors’ and publishers’ communities.

4. In a crowded market, brands stand out. 

5. Master new digital channels for sales, marketing, and community building.

6. Build books around a compelling, simple message.

7. Front-load the main ideas in books and keep books short.

If you read these articles about The Writing Life, you know I see the glass as half full rather than half empty. When you have something discouraging happen, then you have to say the word “next” and look for the next opportunity.

We live in a world full of opportunities which are everywhere. Recently I recorded a podcast about Faith in Publishing. If you follow the link you can hear the 18 minute interview.

Another way to tap into the power of hope with your writing is to make sure you know why you are writing. Yes, some of your writing is to make money--but here’s an important truth: not all of it. For example, I’ve written over 1,000 book reviews on Amazon and over 800 reviews on Goodreads. I write these reviews to support other writers. Other times I write devotions and not for the pay which is often minimal. I write these words to encourage others. I encourage you to mix some of this type of writing into your writing life along with the writing which helps you pay your bills.

As Christian writers we have a super power in prayer and God’s promise to lead us with our writing and to open new doors. The right opportunity for your writing is out there. But this opportunity doesn’t just fall from the sky or into your email box or on your phone. Every writer has to be actively looking for the opportunity and open to it. As you have magazine ideas, you need to write query letters and pitches. I encourage you to attend writer’s conferences to meet editors and agents. At these events you can speak with them face to face about ideas and possibilities. Also as you have book ideas, I encourage you to write a book proposal or a business plan--even if you self-publish. Then pitch this book proposal. 

As you pitch your ideas, no matter what happens whether it is accepted or rejected, keep going. I keep going because the journey is all about finding the right opportunity and fit. What practical actions do you take to tap into the power of hope? Let me know in the comments below. 

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What action steps do you take to tap into the power of hope?  This prolific writer and editor gives some insights here. Get the details in this article. (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.

Truth Telling at Conferences

Over the years, I've attended many conferences. Each conference has a different personal value in my life and distinction. I've learned to value the little conversations at these conferences and the short bursts of information--either that I am giving to others or they are giving to me. I learn a great deal from the exchanges.

Some elements of a conference are recorded such as most of the workshops. At Mount Hermon, I gave two workshops. Originally I was scheduled for one then at the last minute several members of the faculty couldn't come so I substituted for one of them and taught an additional hour. For my additional hour, I taught Straight Talk From The Editor (or Agent), 18 Keys To A Rejection-Proof Submission. If it sounds familiar to you, much of the content is from my Amazon Short with the same title. I updated many of the examples in it and told some different stories yet the overall outline was the same. I brought some examples of submissions from my "strange but true" file which I keep just for these occasions (naturally not including the name of the writer or any way to identify this person). I had a packed room full of listeners and I thought it was well-received.

While the conference recorded the sessions, the audio people at this conference don't duplicate the talks on the spot and sell them to the participants. Instead, they take orders and mail the product later. I brought my Edirol R-9 digital recorder to the conference and recorded my own sessions. Admittedly it looked a bit strange to have two microphones yet it allowed me to record my own session. Before the end of the day, I had transferred the recorded file to my laptop. Why take that step? Because the Amazon Short contract is an exclusive arrangement for the first six months. I will cross the threshold of this date soon and be positioned to launch another product from my recorded session. It's a much more proactive step than I've taken in the past. Normally I pick up the recording, throw it into a drawer and do nothing with it. I'm learning to use these resources in other formats.

Back to my theme of conversations and truth telling. I asked one popular acquisitions editor at the conference from a large publisher about his work. He told me, "I love to acquire books but it takes such a high threshold to acquire a book. I can rarely find anything here." I followed up asking what sort of threshold he was talking about. In all honesty, he said, "I need a guaranteed sale of at least 60,000 books through the trade channel (bookstores and chain stores)." Yeah, that's a pretty high threshold and it would be rare for someone at the writer's conference to have that sort of idea. Not impossible but rare.

During another conversation, a seasoned author explained her frustration with one of her writing projects. From her experience she knew the book would meet a need, yet she also knew it would be a difficult sell to the traditional publishers. With this author, I encouraged her to try and different course of action. Can she and her co-author tap the Internet market and create a buzz with an Ebook that may or may not become a traditional book product? She felt encouraged about the possibilities and to try it after our conversation.

Several times writers approached me with devotional book projects where they had poured their heart and soul into the proposal and the writing. The writing was built on the anvil of difficult personal experiences. From my view, I told them that it would be challenging to place such a project with a traditional publisher. Why? Because it's rare for a publisher to take this type of book as a single book product. Instead the publishers are turning more to book packagers for these efforts. I encouraged them to look into approaching the packagers or working with the packagers and their idea. These authors were published in magazines but not books. Their book idea had merit but not in the way they were expecting. I hope they will learn from my hard-earned experience in this area. Yet I know each individual has to decide what they will do with the information and how they will apply it to their writing life.

With the millions of ideas and manuscripts in circulation, there are no easy answers for any of us. The key is to keep working on the storytelling and searching for the right place at the right time.