It’s a Parade! features links articles by several WordServe agented authors about the first steps they took to becoming an agented or published authors.
The week was intense. I planned to travel away from my computer for the next two weeks. The previous weeks were some of the busiest of my life. I sat staring at the screen, wondering why I ever made a commitment to write five blog posts each week. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Had I been able to see into the future, I might have decided to wait until the fall to start them. But that plan would have been foiled when my son proposed to his girlfriend and they planned a fall wedding.
God stepped in. What-if’s don’t get the job done, so I took a walk outside to clear my mind. In the middle of my walk, the Lord spoke to me by bringing a scripture to mind. “My God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 Then He gave me two ideas to write about. I needed two more blog entries in order to have all my posts qued up for my time away.
I remembered why. The reason I made a commitment to regular posts on my blogs is so readers can count on me. They know they can find a devotion on Mondays and Thursdays as we read through the Bible together, and that on Tuesdays and Fridays a post on surviving suffering will offer encouragement. I don’t know what others may be facing on any given day, or how they may depend on what they read in my blogs. I can’t let them down.
Focus on the future. Editors look for writers who can show a following and a regular blog is one way to accomplish that. Blogs help establish a platform for a writer. Publishers want to know they can get more than one project from a writer when they decide to offer a contract. A platform gives the publisher an idea of what they can expect. It seems that most publishers won’t even consider a writer who doesn’t have a proven record of some kind.
Keep proper perspective. But blogs are not the golden egg. Rob Eager, of Wildfire Marketing, cautions against using blog and newsletter readership as the only barometer for success. As we all know, blogs and newsletters do not of themselves generate an income. His point is that success from a publisher’s viewpoint needs to be seen in terms of dollars. If a writer offers a quality product that meets a need, consumers will spend money for spin-off products from the book. Income will be generated and the business of publishing will succeed.
Take the plunge. Blogging has definite advantages. It helps a writer get their message out without depending on a publisher. But it also requires the ultimate level of commitment. Consider carefully what you are about to undertake if you think you want to host a blog, and spend much time in prayer. If you are still certain God is directing you to go forward, the blessing you get back from what you write will make the sacrifice worth every computer key with the letter worn off.
In the process of building my platform, my vision of Sage, Texas, was conceived. When my first couple of internet searches came back empty, I let Sage develop.
A real Sage. Then, the worst happened–a search came back with a real Sage. The post office was established in 1874, but the railroad bypassed Sage and the community disbanded. By 1980, all evidences of Sage had disappeared from maps.
Sage was 8 miles northeast of Burnet, Texas, on the North Fork of the San Gabriel River at the corner of County Road 202 and 203. Now, there is one sign with “Sage City Limits” on one side and “Leaving Sage” on the other side.
Map to Sage. That was the information I had to work with last week. County Roads don’t show up on the Rand McNally Atlas for Texas. While they do show up on my iPad, I have not conquered driving and navigating with it.
After filling the car, I popped into the connecting convenience store. When I asked the clerk if they had maps.
She was so kind, “Where do you need to go?”
I stood there for a few seconds, considering if I could ask for directions for somewhere more imaginary than real.
“No, but thanks. I think I know where I going.”
Sage City Limit. County road 202 is one lane, but it is at least black topped. I cross over two cattle guards and through a herd of goats who were grazing across the road. The Sage city limits sign is about 400 feet south of the intersection of County roads 202 and 203.
I drove up and down both roads and took lots of photos of the landscape.
Two of my friends, Janet and Jessie, are artists. Once a week, we get together to paint. We call it art “class” because Janet is teaching Jessie the medium of pastel and she is teaching me not just pastel, but art concepts and techniques in general. Janet and Jessie are both accomplished artists in their own rights. I call myself the kindergartener in the room. I learn much from Jessie, too. Both women say that they need to paint every day to keep improving, indeed, even to keep their skills sharp. Janet takes lessons at a gallery, and she says her teacher often repeats the same concept. Practice really does make perfect.
I only paint when I’m in class. I have lofty ideas of painting at home, but it doesn’t happen much. I’ve worked on one piece outside class. I tell myself the reason is that I don’t have all the colors I need. Janet lets me use hers when I’m searching for just the “right” color. Unlike oils, acrylics, or watercolors, pastels are not mixed to make new colors, so owning a wide range of colors is ideal. I’m building my sets, but still need to add to them, especially the muted greens, since I do mostly landscapes.
The real reason I don’t paint every day, and the reason Janet and Jessie don’t either, is because we don’t make it a priority. There are other things I need or want to do that I allow to take precedence. But my friends are more committed to their artwork than I am to mine. They’ve also been doing it longer than I have, but the results of sporadic attempts definitely show in my work. I have a long way to go to be as good as they are.
The same rule applies to writers. We should write every day. For a long time, I was all-or-nothing about my writing schedule. I’d write for hours on end for days in a row. Then I wouldn’t write at all for weeks at a time. I let major projects or deadlines determine my writing schedule. That wasn’t healthy. When I’d come back to my desk to begin a new project, I felt rusty. Some of the rules needed to be re-learned. And it showed in my writing.
Blogging helps me stick to a schedule. I know others will read what I write, so I pay more attention to technique than if I were simply journaling. I have built-in accountability by advertising that I will post on certain sites on certain days. Each of my blogs has a theme, which gives me a framework for what I will write, much like an artist who works on portraits and landscapes on alternating days of the week.
Do you write every day? What helps you stay consistent? What are your major distractions?
Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take” (Joshua 1:9 MSG).
Like a lot of bloggers, I wonder if anyone reads my posts on my personal blog. Oh, I get plenty of spam comments, which I have to delete daily. But I hope that I make contact with “real live” people. Oh, I know I have some occasional readers–like my husband or my children (because I ask them regularly). And I do get some “likes” on my Facebook author page, and I have quite a few “friends” on my personal Facebook page. I even have a few connections on Twitter and LinkedIn.
But honestly, I get a little discouraged sometimes. And at one point, when I was frustrated with all the spammer on my blog, I just quit blogging for awhile.
Bad idea! When I finally called my website provider for some help with the spam, I mentioned my lack of “real live” comments to a guy named Andy on the other end of the line. After a slight pause, Andy asked, “Well, do you post more than once a month?”
“Well, uh … I kinda got discouraged.”
Andy didn’t respond to my whining.
“Oh, I know I need to post weekly. Actually, a few times a week would be best, right?”
Andy politely agreed. Then, he continued to ask me more diagnostic questions about my other website and blog problems. I appreciated Andy’s gracious professional courtesy. But I knew he had pointed me toward an important fact. I needed to step back into the muddy waters of the internet–just maybe I’d catch a few fish this time.
Splashing around on the net. Why do I let my technical difficulties and discouragement get me off-track on my journey as a writer?
I love what Joshua told the Israelites, right before they crossed over the Jordan to their promised land. They had become discouraged after forty years in the wilderness. They knew they had even more battles to fight in the promised land. But Joshua, their leader, encouraged them, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
Steppinginto the water again. I’ve only been blogging a few years—not forty! And I know I don’t need to get discouraged just because of a few spammers and even fewer “real-live” comments. In fact, after my conversation with Andy, who works for my internet provider, my spam even decreased for awhile. I don’t know what he did, but I was grateful. Thanks, Andy!
So, whether or not I see “success” from my blog, I choose to go forward. What is “success” anyway? A few more readers or obedience to my “call” as a writer? By the way, if you ever want to contribute your “two cents” on my blog, I welcome your comments.
I’ve stepped into the “Jordan,” and I’m not looking back!
