The 10 Best Pieces of Writing Advice I EVER received!!!
Oct 27, 2022When I began writing, I didn't know what I didn't know! God had laid a message on my heart, but I didn't know anything about the book publishing business and where to begin. But I was eager to learn, and I was persistent! After attending a writing conference and meeting with an acquisitions editor, I continued to ask questions and seek publishing wisdom. Today, I want to share the the 10 best pieces of writing advice I have EVER received from a highly acclaimed acquisitions editor. This is the secret sauce for anyone who wants to be a Christian author.
The 10 Best Pieces of Writing Advice I EVER received!!!
1. Attend a writer's conference.
There are many good ones out there. They not only help you in the writing process, but it is also a great networking opportunity to meet others in the business.
We always have excellent speakers, resources, and training on writing at the Spark Media Conference. Make sure you are on our email list to get notified of our 2023 Spark Media conference.
2. Join a writing membership group.
If you aren't a part of COMPEL training through P31, Hopewriter's, FlourishWriters, or Kingdom Writer's programs, this is another thing to consider because of all the training and information you get, and connections you make.
3. Blogging.
Either for yourself or for others with influence. One great example is the (in)courage blog community. I know you are doing this now - keep it up and look for other blogs to contribute on.
4. Consider getting an agent.
They help you in a few ways - 1) with preparing your proposal, 2) they know the publishers and have relationships with them, 3) publishers are more apt to sit up and take notice if a proposal comes to their desk via a trusted agent friend.
Here is a list of agencies we love:
I eventually ended up signing with Blythe Daniel Agency; Blythe and her associates are top-notch agents that I highly recommend!!!
5. Teach your message in as many places as you can teach it.
And when you do, list those speaking engagements on your blog/website. If you can, tape some of the teachings and put some of that video on your website. Keep a list of all the churches you've been to so that when you publish something, you can follow up with them to tell them and see if they want to purchase or have you back to teach again.
6. Build your online platform.
This one is the icky one that no one likes, but at the end of the day, a publisher needs to know that you have an audience to market the message to once it is published. A company has its own tribe, but it is best to initially couple it with your tribe to get more of an impact.
Some good books to read on this are:
Platform by Michael Hyatt
Living Forward by Michael Hyatt
Tribes by Seth Godin
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
7. Get Speaker Training.
So often, you will need to be both a writer and a speaker - selling your message to women. So, seek out and get some speaker training. Toastmasters isn't a Christian organization, but they do train you how to speak publicly.
8. Hone Your Message.
You will know when your message is the right one. It will stick with people and make a difference in their life. If your message has yet to be tweaked since you wrote it initially - go back and look at it afresh - is the message resonating with your intended audience? If not, figure out why. I know you are doing this now, so I'd encourage you just to keep getting feedback and adjusting the material as you hear that feedback.
9. Self-Publish.
This can be costly, but it is a way to get your message out to people. It helps you also track sales. You can produce and sell on your website and at places you speak. Here's a great blog post by Michael Hyatt on some things to consider with self-publishing:
Ultimately, I self-published my first book entitled, The Struggle is Real: but so is God, and it launched at #1 on Amazon as a new release. The Bible Study also won a golden scroll award from the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association for the BEST BIBLE STUDY OF 2020. We were able to do most of the work ourselves, with the exception of hiring a professional editor. If you do self-publish, make sure to hire a credible editor.
10. Follow Publishing Blogs.
There are many helpful sites - these are some good ones:
I would also add listening to podcasts like Your Best Writing Life that can be found on the Spark Media Podcast Network for the most up-to date information on writing.
I hope you enjoyed the 10 Best Pieces of Writing Advice I EVER received and pray it is helpful for you on your writing journey. For more helpful resources for Christian Communicators I encourage you to subscribe to this blog, and be sure to download our FREE magazine for Christian podcasters.
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