I feel like a total amateur in this area. But since one (Jessica) or maybe two readers (plus my mom) have asked me questions about publishing, I thought I’d start with the main question on your mind: should I write a book (or blog?):
This is (by no means) an exhaustive list. But here’s my top-of-the-head answers. So, ye blogger/writer/book dreamer, how many of these criteria do you meet?
1. you’ve had the black and white thinking beaten out of you.
What the blogosphere, the bookstore and the entire universe needs LESS of is black and white Christians. So, if you are sure Jesus gave you ULTIMATE truth on parenting, dieting, bible study-ing, politics, or you are convinced that your book belongs somewhere between Matthew and Mark, and you DEFINITELY have life figured out…well, just wait.
A great blog or book comes AFTER you’ve had that black and white thinking beaten out of you. Be it the Holy Spirit, an occupational or relational failure, or just the reality of the messiness, cloudiness and brokenness of life–do the whole world a favor and write when you’ve discovered there’s more questions than answers.
2. you have something to say
Keri Wyatt Kent, who first sparked my writing life while we walked on treadmills next to each other (read more here), looked at me and said, “you need to have something to say.”
If you don’t know the answer to this one, here’s an easy fix. Start a blog (leave a comment if you need more specifics). Write that blog for six months. And THEN look back and see if you had something worth saying–and if you enjoyed and grew from saying it.
3. you are deeply passionate about something that other people care about
My friend Jean loves to garden. I don’t. Jean could be the best gardener in the northern hemisphere, and I’m probably not going to read her blog or buy her book. BUT other people (many other people) will be throwing money at Jean to know the secrets to bright-colored hydrangeas. You may love to blog about your toddler–but if you want anyone other than you and grandma to care, you’ll need to find a way to use your toddler stories to reach out to your audience. Not too hard.
You could write a blog or book on gluten free toddlers, attachment toddlers, toddlers who love star wars, toddlers who read CS Lewis: someone, somewhere, is likely to relate.
4. you are really funny and know how to make a point
The world according to Nicole: we need less of #1 and more of #4. So, if you regularly make people guffaw AND you have something to say, please, please write. Look no further than Stuff Christians Like to read this awesomeness in action. I will be madly jealous of you, but I still want you to write.
5. you are more dependent on God because of your writing
Whether it’s poems scrawled in a journal or after you’ve published your tenth book, I believe that God is deeply interested in how we are growing to be dependent on him in everything we do. So if writing moves you toward God, do it. If writing (or writing success) makes you more independent, more reliant on your own skill, more sure of yourself and of your “answers” (see #1): then don’t do it. You know that verse about “if your eye causes you to sin, gauge it out?” Anything, good or bad, that moves us away from God, is evil.
6. you’ve lived life deeply enough (not long enough)
This correlates to the “you’ve got something to say.” In my twenties, I felt like I couldn’t speak or teach with confidence because I hadn’t lived enough life. That might be true, but I’m blessed to know some teenagers who defy the age/wisdom spectrum. Here’s the thing: a sixteen year old who’s living life deeply already knows more about real life than a fifty year old who’s paddled around in the shallow end for all of their days.
Living life deeply means there’s been deep joy. A touch or a fist of suffering. Questions. Insight. Growth. Writers I’ve read who bring richness and insight to their words experience life in a deep way.
*The next four apply specifically on writing as a career vs. writing as a hobby:
7. total strangers have thanked you for your writing
I consider myself more of a “speaker” than a writer. I love to watch faces and look for that moment of insight where something I’ve learned has just passed on to someone else–and has meant something. So when I first started writing and people I knew thanked me for my writing, I felt I had an unfair advantage. They already looked to me for counsel or biblical teaching, so they could “get” my writing easily.
But when strangers started commenting on my words (thanks Gifted for Leadership!), I felt strangely called to write. Teaching, writing–it’s all a chance to communicate. And one often feeds the other. So if people are moved by your words–spoken or written–then you should act.
8. you can handle rejection
Lots of it. Lots and lots. Expect flat nos. Expect maybes. Expect we’ll get back to yous (and never get back to you.) In April, I had an editor get back to me about a proposal that she received 14 months before. 14. And that’s not unusual. Expect to do alot of work that may or may not ever see print or web. At some point, you have to decide that writing is an art form. And all artists love their craft–that’s why they do it. They don’t expect everyone to get it, and they don’t expect instant celebrity. Neither should you.
9. you relish small victories
In order to endure #8, I believe God gave me some small victories early on. My first two short articles were picked up and published by the now-defunct Discipleship Journal. But that was HUGE to me. It still is. They were 300 word ministry blurbs. But it was enough to help me hang in there through the months of waiting and rejection. Every time I would despair, I would get a little something. A note back from an editor. A warm comment on the blog. A query accepted. Those small things have to be relished if you want to write for publication.
Start small. Take jobs for free. Do your research and understand the business. I read three blogs when I started out:
Chip MacGregor (whose agency now represents me)
Chip and Mary are no longer updating their blogs, but all that information is still out there. READ IT ALL. And subscribe to Rachelle’s to stay updated. You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn just by reading these three. I’d be happy to answer any questions I can in the comments, or point you in the right direction.
WHEW, WAIT FOR IT: #10 AND MOST IMPORTANT for writing for publication:
10. you are teachable
This is huge. If you don’t like people messing with your stuff, don’t try to write for publication. If you don’t like rewrites and changing things and compromising, you won’t last. If you don’t like giving your best to something that isn’t exactly what you had planned, don’t do it.
Nobody likes a diva or a duda. (boy diva, anyone?) Editors, in my experience, are some of the most overworked and underappreciated souls. They don’t have time for you to hem and haw over stupid stuff. So if you aren’t willing to bend, to listen constructively, and to change, then don’t waste your time.
Writing a blog is like going into business for yourself. Pursuing publication is like working for corporate. They both have their pros and cons: neither is better, it’s just different.
So, fellow aspiring authors/bloggers, how many of these did you have? And what would you add to this list?
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