Still Learning, Too by Susan Barclay

I'm with Lynn Simpson; I'm also still learning about the business side of writing. I've had modest publishing success to date and have a ways to go in developing my skills as a marketer, etc. One thing I do know is it's important to build a readership if you want to get anywhere.

I blogged about this last year, but this is the perfect time to bring it up again - the A-Z Blogging challenge, which is set every April. The brain child of Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out, the challenge is in its seventh year, with well over 1,600 participants. 

During the month you write 26 posts, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. April 1 is A, April 2 is B, etc. No posts on Sundays. You can write to a theme or about whatever comes to mind. You can plan your posts ahead of time or fly by the seat of your pants. The idea is to get your creative juices flowing, to visit other bloggers who are participating, and for new readers to come your way.

For fun, I googled "A-Z Blogging Challenge" along with "Business of Writing," and discovered that at least two authors have used A-Z to address the subject. Start here for the first of Helena Halme's series of posts, and here for the beginning of Carrie Butler's.

And if you'd like to sign up for this year's challenge, it's not too late. Type your details into the Linky you'll find here. 

Godspeed, fellow bloggers! 
___________
Susan's website can be found @ www.susanbarclay.wordpress.com 

Living the Dream! By Vickie Stam

Yes, I have been asked over and over "Have you started that book yet?" My answer has always been, "Not yet." But that's not entirely true. I have penned a number of stories/chapters of my own life's journey and I dream about writing a memoir.     

Getting published is the next step. Possibly a challenge. I have to be honest and say that I don't have a clue how to go about it. I'm not business savvy. I don't know the right people. I don't have any connections right now. There's some definite hurdles. But I can do the homework, the research. I can surf the 'google master' for answers to some of those mind boggling questions. "Where do I find a publisher? Who do I submit my manuscript to? Should I self-publish?" 

I would need to craft a query letter; something I know the publisher would view as my first sample of writing. I would have to brush up on that skill for sure. Cover letters have not been part of my writing experience so far. Having a mentor might even prove a valuable asset! There is much to think about. 

As for earning a living as a writer, the few short articles I've submitted to a magazine have netted me less than the average person would earn in a day. Still, I have entered some writing competitions that would net me something a little more substantial if I were to take home the first prize. Another dream! But I'd still be living like a pauper. The tax man can't count on me yet.

Even something like a contest demands a large amount of my time. I have to research potential sources who are accepting submissions. I have to read their guidelines and write the story. Sometimes just submitting my work is a challenge because I'm not computer savvy either. Another learning curve.

Still, I enjoy the competitions. Keeping my word count to a smaller scale helps me stay focused and on track. The conclusion comes much quicker than that of a book. When I'm finished writing, I submit my short story and let it go. Being able to let go is huge for me. Once it's gone, I can no longer edit it to death. Part of my dream has come to fruition and now all that's left to do is wait. In three to six months I'll have my answer. Win or lose success comes when I keep writing. 

I feel a freedom in writing on a smaller scale. It most certainly will not net that big paycheck -- if any at all. For me, that's okay. I'm not writing for the money. So you could say that I haven't really put much thought into the business side of writing, nor have I had to claim any income or expenses from it. 

At this point it's a simply a form of healing as well as pleasure. The fact that God breathed this wonderful gift into my life tells me He has a plan for me. There's more to come.        

Everything begins with a dream. Whether it's too win that writing competition or to write that book. I'm living the dream!  

Woes of a Numerically Challenged Writer - Tracy Krauss

I would be quite content, thank you very much, to focus on the creative aspects of writing, but the reality of today's author means that marketing and promotion are an important and necessary part of the writing life. I've learned a lot about this part of the 'business', and although I am not an expert, I actually enjoy some of these activities. However, there is one aspect of the business of writing that I am not very good at. I am not good with numbers. 

Let me rephrase that. I am terrible with numbers. You could say I am numerically challenged. You may have heard the joke, "How can I be out of money? I still have cheques?" That's me. I never bother to check my pay stubs and just let as much automation as possible do its thing, now that I do all my banking online. The less I have to do with the actual numbers the better.

This has not proven to be a very good strategy in terms of my writing career. I'm ashamed to admit it, but when my first book came out in 2009 I didn't keep any records. None. I had no idea how many sales I'd made, gave no receipts, and had no clue how much I had spent. I'd been told that unless you made more than thirty thousand dollars a year you didn't have to claim the income, so I didn't bother. I was curious, however, about how many books I had actually sold, especially when I saw other authors talking about their sales. The next year I determined to do better - I kept track of sales (kind of...) but not expenses.

Obviously this was no way to build a writing career. If I ever hoped to take myself seriously - or expect anyone else to - I needed to start acting more professional. Fortunately for me, I have a daughter who is numerically gifted. (Not sure where those genes came from...) She convinced me how easy it would be to buy a little ledger book and a file folder and just keep stuffing things in. I tried it but, come the end of 2011, I realized there were a whole lot of expenses unaccounted for that had gone the way of the 'delete' button. 

2012 was the first year I made a concerted effort to keep track of everything. I meticulously printed off every invoice and receipt, photocopied every cheque I received and wrote everything down in my little book. It didn't take long before I got bogged down. Had I already printed that one off? Did I have duplicates that were causing more paperwork than necessary? Where was that email that I knew contained an import receipt?! This was the year I created several online file folders in my email as a way to keep track of different expenses and royalty information. I also created a folder called 'NEED TO PRINT' where everything went first before I moved it to its rightful folder. 

It is certainly not the most elegant system, but it has been working now for the past four years. I just recently gathered all my information to send to the tax firm for income tax purposes. I finally started including my writing income and expenses in my income tax in 2013. Little by little I've been growing. (Bobbi Junior would be proud!) 

It has been my goal to become more professional as I move forward as a writer, and implement more good business practices. I tried making a business plan last year (which didn't turn out that well...) but I did finally make some important changes like starting my own publishing company and registering as a sole proprietor under the name 'Fictitious Ink'. (So far I haven't actually published anything but - hey - baby steps, right?) I'm a member of my local chamber of commerce and I opened my own separate bank account. I've gone to a couple of workshops on the 'business of art' and feel like I am moving forward, ever so slowly, in my goal to become more professional.

*     *     *

I have really enjoyed many of your posts this month and have found some wonderful advice. Of special interest was one that Ramona Hiekel referenced in her post. It is called '7 Tips for Organizing Your Writing Business' and is a post she wrote way back in 2013. It is very practical and exactly the kind of advice that non- numericals like myself need. (If you haven't checked it out yet, do it!

The Business of Creativity - Guest Post by Dayna Mazzuca

"Be made new in the attitude of your minds."

Ephesians 4:23

Being in the business of writing means I’m in the business of putting ideas into words—preferably saleable words! I love being a wordsmith, thoughtfully connecting with people and taking my work to market in creative ways. I’ve done it for 25 years in one way or another and still find great joy in sitting down to flesh out a new idea. Taking stock of the business side of writing, however, means I need to take a hard look at the revenue vs. the expenses. And the smaller I can make that little word: versus, the better. Because it really is my biggest battle: balancing the joy of creativity with the rigors of accounting.

I love to write. I love to connect with my reader. I love to go to market. But this is tax time and the proverbial rubber is meeting the not-so-proverbial road in a big way. How much have I made this year, in terms of actual dollars and cents (rounding up or down)? What is my cash flow?

My cash flow? I’m a writer. I have ideas. The creative process is alive and well. I have two new books this year thanks to self-publishing tools such as Apple’s iBook Author and my library’s user-friendly espresso publishing service. I plan to riff off these two little gems—a how-to writing book (Called to Write: your 3-part guide to the journey available through iBooks) and a collection of short poems (Sky Under Water). They are my springboards to hosting a keynote next month at Inscribe’s WordShop in Edmonton and hopefully other engagements taking shape, including collaborative work—not to mention online sales and the potential of my personal and LinkedIn network. Opportunities abound!

In many ways God is opening new doors. I have more time to write, thanks to my kids transitioning from homeschool to full-time school and setting up a Home Study office. Moving from Victoria back to Edmonton has meant reconnecting with Inscribe and clients from my past. Learning how to self-publish has meant the completion of projects I’ve been slaving over. I’ve even met with a bookkeeper to take full advantage of working from home (“double-entry bookkeeping” anyone?). I’ve even colour-coded my files and bought a new desk. I am set!

But back to cash flow. My work used to be 80% freelance and 20% client-based. It kind of ran itself. Expenses were low (if you don’t count out-of-province conferences). Revenues were okay. I did the math at tax time and felt pretty good. In other words, I was rather lazy and lacking in otherwise productive remorse/motivation to do more or dream big. In fact, I’ve usually stuck to reliable consumer markets and rarely wrote about anything close to my heart. But now…

Now I have all the time in the world to write and run my home-based business the way I want. Want, want, want. What do I want?? To answer that question, I find myself taking stock of a rather lop-sided approach to the whole. Creativity is in full supply. I’ve been journaling since about age 12. This year I turn 48. At an average of 6 journals a year for 36 years that’s 216 journals tucked away in boxes, baskets and blue bins. That’s a lot of journals. Ideas are not the problem! It’s the accounting side of the equation that needs, shall we say—a boost?! Freelance and client writing has been pretty much self-sustaining. But building off more prayerful, heart-felt work in more personally meaningful ways is like taking a whole new approach to something I’ve done all my life.

Instead of seeking editors and clients who like my work, I am now seeking people to connect and collaborate with in person. I’ll still be seeking markets and publication, but for work that is much closer to my heart. It will be important that I align with the publications that feature my work. This will be tricky, but I want my writing vocation to dovetail with my inner life. Taking a broader perspective and seeing how my work fits with the mandate of the publication or group I’m working with will be important.

For me, this means doing business better. If I want to write material that is attentive to the moment and responsive to God’s leading, then I also need to pay 10X more attention to details such as revenue sources and expense line items. I need to treat my writing less as a creative, fun-loving adventure and more like a value-based, timely business venture. I need to mesh my passion with my paycheque more closely than ever.

While standing on the threshold of a new opportunity is exciting, 25 years in the biz has taught me that paycheques fuel passion, they don’t curtail it. And it’s my prayer to go the distance as a Christian writer, so… here’s to counting the cost!

Taking Inventory by Karma Pratt

I love the timing of this blog prompt. I am currently taking a sabbatical from much of the "business" of writing this month. What a perfect opportunity to reflect on how God is helping me reshape my writing and marketing toolboxes (I have one for each!) He's also using this time to help me recognize and reorder my priorities by taking a detailed inventory (more on that later.)

In February, I was inspired by Brenda J Wood's post on InScribe's Blog on Writing. Ain't You Tired, Ms. Hilly?* offers wisdom and insight into the chaos we can find ourselves in when we become more focused on building our platform than doing the work of writing.

She states, "You see, for a while, I lost my focus as a Christian writer. I spent all my time chasing the dream, building my platform with methods offered in the barrage of blogs and emails, but I spent very little of my time actually being a Christian who writes."

These words resonated with me and shook me to my core. You see, last year I jumped on the writing as business platform in a big way. I started my own business, Red Raincoat Creations Inc. I have big dreams for this little company, and I believe they are God-driven dreams, ones that He will help me bring to fruition. Even so, I've learned it's easy to get bogged down in doing a lot of busy work without being the slightest bit productive.

Currently I offer professional writing and editing services. It is my goal to build a business that allows me the flexibility to do my own writing full-time. The ultimate goal: be a published author with the ability to live and work anywhere (My preferred location: a desk overlooking the ocean situated in an open-air beach house in Costa Rica. I will write while sipping freshly juiced mangoes and pineapples. Ahhh.) I mean, Jesus told us "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27 NIV). A girl should dream big, right?!

Ocean View courtesy of Pinterest
(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68820700526920770/)

The Benefit of a Good Inventory

All tropical daydreams aside, once I recognized that I was lost in the business of writing, and was quickly forgetting what it means to be a Christian who writes, I did what made the most sense as a Christ-follower. I prayed to Jesus:

Help me clearly see and identify what I need to prioritize/press into, and what I need to let go of. 

Below is a snapshot of the inventory that followed that prayer. First, I wrote down everything God brought to mind: every opportunity for work, money, volunteering, service, spiritual growth, physical health. Everything! Then I added any additional notes and circled each "entry" in my inventory. Next, I asked God to point out what needed to stay and what needed to go. Within minutes I had clarity around my life, my priorities and even the order in which I needed to approach each task. God laid the foundation for me, and offered many helpful insights along the way. 

If the look of my inventory is too messy for your personal tastes - I mean, really, it looks like a mind map that exploded - I would suggest using another approach. Perhaps you are an orderly list type of person, or prefer the handy columns of a spreadsheet? Whatever your method, I'd encourage you to take some time to ask Jesus for clarity on what to press into and what to let go of. You may be surprised and encouraged by the answer!


I will still build a platform using social media, blog posts, newsletters and other tools. Now I have a better understanding of what that work flow looks like and where it falls in relation to the bigger plan. I have stopped striving and trying to do it all. Instead I will rest in God's presence, and allow Him to guide my writing, my business and my life.

*This content is only available to current InScribe members. Not a member? Join today!

Karma Pratt is a faith-driven mom of twins, a communicator, a writer, and an encourager from way back. She's currently taking a sabbatical from all things social media-related, but you will be able to find her online again someday soon!

Say hello at redraincoatcreations.com or connect on Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing--Ramona Heikel

My approach to the business end of writing is to try to keep the main thing the main thing. And the main thing is writing: creating, encouraging, educating, inspiring.

I also have a priority on keeping as serene and orderly a life as possible, so I can keep my spiritual goals in focus. If I can't hear God, then what I write probably isn't going to accomplish what he wants.

I have been tempted for years to self-publish a book. But from all I've heard and researched about the time involved, I've decided I still don't have enough of it. So I am restricting myself to considering traditional publishers only, which to me is more manageable.  Harder to break into? Absolutely.  But this is where my faith has to come into play. (A littlle more on this at the end.)

This actually simplifies things quite a bit, and leaves very manageable business activities to take care of, mainly marketing and taxes.

Although I don't mind finding markets for my writing , because I love to research, I do get frustrated at having to keep an eye on this constantly moving target of changing publishers and guidelines.  And I don't like all the time that it takes to prepare a submission, especially if I have to send it snail mail.

I actually enjoy the other business activities, like the writing part of my tax return. I love any excuse to play with numbers and spreadsheets!  I share some tips in my previous post 7 Tips for Organizing your Writing Business.

As I am always hoping to make writing a bigger part of my life, I do look for practical advice for writers hoping to have a steady income, so I can balance my dreams with reality. Here are a couple of articles that I read recently that I found very helpful on the topic of being a full-time writer, and all that that entails from a business perspective: "The Business of Writing: Turn Your Income Stream Into A River", and "The Business End of Writing".

I look forward to getting all of your insights on the writing business!  And I will close with a few lines from Violet Nesdoly's inspiring article, "Of Trumpets, Platforms and Networks", which appeared in the August 2014 issue of Fellowscript. (Thank you, Violet!)

"Have you ever wondered where Jesus and his teaching...fit into the publicity work you need to do? ...Our writing either fills a need...or it doesn't.  I believe that writing that fills a need will eventually gather a platform unto itself...If ours is a message the world needs to hear, He has supernatural ways to grow our network, and get that message out at the right time. "

Posted by Ramona

www.happilywriting.com

How to Have a (Good) Marketing Attitude by Glynis Belec

     Writing is my heart passion. Business is my reality. 

I thought about comparing my career as a writer to a love/hate relationship. But then I got thinking how easily I can psyche myself into something. I definitely don't love marketing but I don’t actually hate it, either. I prefer not to do it but I don’t hate it even though I think I hate it.

All my life I have loved writing. Then once I learned writing for the serious scribe is actually 50 percent the written page and 50 percent business, I knew I had to expand my horizons and do it with a willing heart. Otherwise (I know me) I would be prone to whining and then I would convince myself how despicable marketing is and I wouldn't do it. 

I have learned that I choose my attitude - good or bad. I have discovered that if I pick good, only good will come out of it - even if things go bad. If I pick bad it ends up bad every time. I sought to have the 'somewhere in between' attitude. It never works. It always ends up bad, too. 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that 'hate' isn't my issue, 'not knowing how' is more like it.

Resources are good when you want to learn how to do something. I've found a great Resource that never seems to fail. It sure has changed my marketing attitude. How about I share? 

1. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.    Colossians 3:23

• remember that we are not out to please man with our brilliant marketing schemes. We are intent on glorifying God with how we go about sharing our words. I won't pay for reviews, I will earn them
• I will glean some information from all these people who tell me they know how I can sell a thousand books in one day (as long as I buy their product) but I won't fall prey to their 'get rich schemes' at all costs. 
• I will try my best to make a good, doable plan for promoting my work.

2.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant          than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

• I won't mock others or think I have the upper hand when it comes to making contacts 
• I am grateful that God has blessed me with a passion to write, but I will also encourage others to grow in their craft

• I will help others market their books because I know that when we help others we benefit the most. And when I help others market their books, I won't do it for selfish motives but purely because God doesn't want us to be rivals, but sisters and brothers on the same path

3.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,         

    faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Galatians 5:22-23

• It is much more fun to be nice. 
• I started a Facebook group a while ago and we now have close to 500 members. I LOVE talking to my Angels (I call them) about writing related topics. God has stirred a passion in my heart to help promote Canadian authors who write and engage readers who love to read quality work. I will admit, I started out with a little motive of building my 'tribe' and then using it as a marketing platform. It has become much more than that. God has used my wimpy idea to build some great relationships and allowed us to have some super conversations. I rarely plug my own books, but it feel so right what I am doing. 

4. Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for       you. 1 Peter 5:7

• One of the best ways - or maybe THE best way for me to sell my books is to speak
• When I first felt the nudge from God to speak I was dragged kicking and screaming, thinking what a lousy job I would do. Oh, I am a drama queen from way back and have graced the stage numerous times. The difference, though, was I always had a script - and the story was not mine to be told. I heed God's direction now and I love telling my story and sharing about so many things. God has blessed me with the gift of hope and laughter and I love to share that gift with whomever will give me the time of day. And often, blessings follow with the back of the room sales. 

5.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count      slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that          any should perish, but that all should reach     

     repentance.                                                                                          2 Peter 3:9                                                                                                                                                           

• My brain wants to rush the process and I sometimes feel that I am not doing it right because I don't have at least 100 reviews on each book or people battering down my door begging to buy my books. 
• Then I remember my timing usually always differs from God's. He's been pretty patient with me over the years so I try to do the same. 

I could go on and on. Each day I get inspired. No, I have not turned in to Suzie Q Brilliant Marketer. I never will. But I found that once I changed my attitude and looked at marketing and promotion and everything business related from an "I can do this with God at the helm" attitude, I found it a much more pleasant task. 

Marketing isn't easy. Nor is brain surgery or waiting on unruly customers or building houses. But changing my attitude is. 

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~

                                                  

Glynis

Grateful For Rejection - Again by Tracy Krauss

This month we are encouraged to write about a difficult experience that taught us to be grateful. I can think of tons. The 'refiner's fire' is one of the best ways - if not THE best way - to grow as a Christian and as a human being. God has used many difficult experiences to teach me during my life's journey, and I know He's done the same for you.

I can't help but think of a writing example which became one of my submissions to Inscribe's new anthology 7 Essential Habits Of Christian Writers. It is called "Embrace Rejection" and I think it embodies what this month's topic is all about. In it, I talk about my many years of submitting manuscripts to agents and publishers only to be rejected over and over again. Through those disappointments, I learned a lot of valuable things about what not to do which continue to benefit me as I grow as a writer.

"Rejection makes you a better writer because it forces you from the fantasyland of your own imagination into the real world of readers. It yanks you out of the cushioned bubble of friends and family, where everyone loves what you’ve written because… well, because you wrote it. The good news is that rejection will make you stronger. I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s true. Criticism, especially when it’s constructive, is a fantastic teacher." (7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers, location 1337) 

For those who have read the anthology, you may recall that I submitted more than a hundred different queries over several years. Most were unanswered, several received polite rejection letters with no explanation, even less received rejections that at least explained where I could do better, and three - yes THREE - were positive requests for more.

This early rejection helped me in many ways:

1. First, it helped me become a better writer. If that many people felt my manuscript needed work, then they were probably on to something.

2. Second, it opened my eyes to targeting the right audience for my work. One size doesn't fit all, no matter what we want to believe.

3. Third, it showed me that writing was more than a hobby. I mean, seriously! Who would keep exposing themselves to that kind of hurt if it wasn't something they felt called to do?

4. Fourth, it made me tough. Not everyone is going to love what I write and I'm okay with that. 

5. Fifth, and perhaps most important of all, it made me understand that I am not synonymous with my writing. A rejection of something I've written is NOT the same as a personal rejection of ME as a person.

You can read the entire article in 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers.  Just remember that rejection is part of the writing life, so get used to it. Embrace it. Learn from it. And carry on.

Tracy Krauss writes from her home in northern British Columbia. Since those early days of rejection, she has gone on to see several best selling and award winning novels published as well as multiple stage plays, non-fiction books, and an illustrated children's book. Website: tracykrauss.com

Little Bites & E-Mail by Bobbi Junior

Writing in the midst of certain seasons of life can be overwhelming.

Writing about life-changing events can be overwhelming. 

Writing when you have a busy family, a full time job, and ongoing demands on your time can be... .  

Well, you get the picture.

Several years ago our daughter was disabled in a car accident. Lately I’ve felt the need to document the story, but the story is huge. In prayer, I asked the Lord for direction, and a simple thought came to mind. Little bites. Little bites? I gave it a try. That morning I quickly described one scene midway through her hospitalization. It filled half a page. It brought tears to my eyes. I named it, dated it, and saved it in a folder called ‘Draya’s Story’. Since then, I’ve added several more vignettes. Documenting one will often trigger another as I let stream of consciousness take over. Bit by bit I’m creating the skeleton of my daughter’s story, bones that will be ready for a season when God gives me time to flesh it out.

I also have a file called, ‘Mom’. In addition to working full time, I am part of the Sandwich Generation of caregivers, with an independent daughter who is disabled, and an increasingly dependent mother who has dementia. As my mother's story unfolds, I don’t want to lose the pieces of this part of her journey: hospitalization, working with the health care system, entry to the nursing home, her reactions, my reactions.

How do I keep track of a story that’s evolving day by day?  Again, I prayed in frustration, and received another nudge from the Lord. As I whipped off an e-mail to my friend, describing Mom’s latest catastrophe, I realized I’d just told the story. In writing. A quick copy-and-paste and the e-mail was saved in my ‘Mom’ file. Today I have several pages of e-mails detailing events as they occur. Once again, when the season is right, I’ll have all I need to tell this part of my mother’s journey, and my learning as I walk alongside her.

Small bites in the form of vignettes, and saving e-mail updates are two simple ways to be assured you’ll have what you need to tell the full story, when the time is right. 

www.bobbijunior.com