Marketing Mindsets: Availability

Dear Writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and took some time to prayerfully consider the long view of your writing journey! This week, we’re going to look at the marketing mindset of availability.

You see, writer, we mentioned last week that part of marketing is building a relationship with your readers. But before we can build that relationship, we have to be available. In a digital age, this may seem intimidating, but here’s the thing…

You don’t have to do an exposé of your life to be available to your readers. Being available is simply about demonstrating a genuine interest in who your readers are by allowing their lives to intersect with yours in an authentic way.

To help us begin to wrap our minds around the idea of availability, let’s take a look at some others whose availability was a game-changer for their life and ministry…

Availability in History

 Mother Teresa is a beautiful example of a woman who made her life available. That availability began when she was just a Sister teaching at a Catholic high school in Calcutta, India. As she taught, Mother Teresa prayed daily that God would make her a light to the students and that her kindness and generosity would draw their hearts to Christ.

When God called Mother Teresa to leave the school and serve Calcutta’s sickest, poorest people, the students she’d poured her life into became the ones served alongside her in the city’s slums.

You see, writer, when we make ourselves available, we are sowing seeds into the lives of our readers that God can multiply for His glory in ways we may never have conceived.

Availability in the Bible

David is another beautiful example of availability. When David fled Saul’s wrath, men flocked to join his band of mighty men. These fighting men developed a strong bond to David because of his honest and transparent leadership. But David’s availability didn’t end as he entered his kingship. When David heard King Saul and Jonathan had been killed, he didn’t run to claim the throne. He mourned with the tribes of Benjamin, and through his heartfelt response, won the hearts of those who had opposed him. 

David’s openness before the people of Israel not only united the warring tribes but also established David as one of Israel’s most loved kings to this day.

You see, writer, availability is about being secure enough to be authentic with your readers. Though you don’t have to spill all, it’s important to be yourself. As you walk out who you truly are in Christ, like David, God can use that walk as a testimony that points to Him.

Available in Life

I took availability to a new level in my life, when I taught news writing in Uganda. At the beginning of the class, I assured my students I would help them with any difficulties they encountered in the coursework. As I made myself available to answer questions and coach them through challenges, I was surprised to see who responded and who did not. In the end, it was one of the class auditors who out-performed the rest. 

Availability in Your Life

You see, writer, part of being available is being open to engage in ways and places you may not have originally expected, as God opens doors. Trusting that He knows where to plant the seeds and how to bring a harvest. Here are some examples…

• • And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. – Mark 4:26-28
  • I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. – 1 Corinthians 3:6-9
  • He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. – 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

Making ourselves available is about allowing God to use us as active agents in the lives and growth of His people. Sometimes this will happen in ways we never anticipated yet that have tremendous impact for His Kingdom. Because here’s the thing…

God Himself did not simply send a book to help us know how to live. He sent us His prophets, then His son Jesus, and then His very own Holy Spirit to dwell with all who will receive Him.  

You see, God created us as innately relational beings, and we only grow in the context of those relationships. And though you may not develop deep relationships with most of your readers, being available creates a touch point where God can plant and water and grow the thing He is working in the lives of others. And being available can cause the message He’s given you come alive to your readers, too. 

Where to Start with Availability

So are you ready to consider how ways you can be available to your readers? Here are some ideas to get you started…

1. 1. Pray. Prayerfully consider where your God-given message, your life, and your personality intersect. Ask God to show you highlight pieces of each that you can share with your readers. Write down the things He brings to mind. Starting with Him is the best way to take the pressure off yourself as you step into this aspect of the marketing journey! He knows who you are, who your readers are, and what they need.
   2. Invest. Prayerfully consider ways to invest in your readers along the lines of your message. For instance, is your story about God’s redeeming love? Consider sharing a verse on the topic, or a picture of a sunrise that reminded you of His fresh mercies, or a Bible study you’ve enjoyed on topic. Find as many ways as you can in addition to your book to pour the message God has given you into your readers’ lives.
   3. Engage. Connection and availability often begin with conversation! Take time to ask your readers questions about their thoughts and experiences, too. You can do this through your email newsletter or social media channels or in person at book events! Be sure to answer their questions, replies, comments, in a thoughtful way. This doesn’t mean you have to have a perfect answer! But coming with a heartfelt, honest reply can sometimes be a game-changer for another person.
   4. Notice Opportunities. As you engage with your readers online and in person, be sensitive to particular needs. As God to help you recognize where He may be opening a door to speak His love, life, and encouragement into someone else. Sometimes, selling books is just a setup for deeper moments of ministry. Because here’s the thing, writer…

Being available is about learning to walk in the incarnational nature of our Lord, who is Emmanuel God with us. And here’s the amazing thing! As we become available to our readers, He can reach through us to demonstrate His love and presence to them, too. 

Just like Mother Teresa’s availability to her students raised up young leaders that helped her carry God’s presence into the slums. Just like David’s presence with his men birthed a love that helped unite and preserve the nation of Israel in the face of some devastating tragedies. Just like my availability to my students created space for God to unlock their voice and message so their witness could reach past the borders of their nation to touch the world.

So, I encourage you, writer, if you’ve felt daunted by the personal nature of marketing today, take heart! As you trust your writing and marketing journey to God, He will give you the wisdom and grace to be available and to become a channel of that His wisdom and grace can flow and multiply through, too.

#available #seedtimeandharvest #glory #ChristWithUs #EveryWriterWriting