Dear Writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and took time to do a little experimentation with marketing your book! This week, we’re going to look at another marketing mindset. That mindset is the power of taking small steps.
You see, writer, sometimes our approach to writing can be very all or nothing. But in reality, very few things in life are created from one herculean effort. Most of life is lived out in a series of small steps, like children learning to walk or a young man starting a business. Even the great leaps others seem to make were usually preceded by a series of small steps witnessed by very few.
But before we dive into what taking small steps looks like for us, let’s take a look at some others whose small steps led to dramatic outcomes…
Small Steps in History
William Booth is a beautiful example of a man who took small steps. When he was saved at age 15, Booth was convicted by the power and truth of the Gospel and its need to be shared. Immediately, Booth took two small steps and began reading extensively and training himself in writing and speech. When a friend encouraged him to become an evangelist, Booth’s next step was to become a Methodist lay preacher.
In time, Booth moved from lay preaching into full-time evangelism, which eventually grew into many humanitarian campaigns and businesses that opened the doors for the Gospel to be reach the poor. Step by step, the Salvation Army was conceived and established and grew into the worldwide force for good that it is today.
You see, writer, it’s amazing to think that the Salvation Army sprang from one young man’s conviction to share the Gospel and his first steps of earnest study of the Bible, writing, and speech in order to share it. But here’s the thing. When we develop a mindset of taking small steps, each step leads us to the next one.
Small Steps in the Bible
The Apostle Andrew is another great example of taking small steps. When Andrew heard John the Baptist’s call to repentance, he responded, was baptized, and became John’s disciple to prepare for the coming Messiah. When John identified Jesus as that Messiah, Andrew’s next small step was simply to go ask Jesus where He was staying.
At Jesus’ invitation, Andrew followed Him to His lodging place. The Andrew ran to tell Peter. From there, step followed step until Andrew and Peter became pillars of the early church. Their names will be carved, along with the other twelve apostles, on the foundations of the New Jerusalem.
You see, writer, you may never know where that small step may ultimately lead, but not only does each step lead to the next—each step also prepares you for the next.
Small Steps in Life
I started taking small steps when I set my sights on writing. I knew from the start that I struggled with a crippling perfectionism. To combat this, I took one small step of buying a journal and a pen to write a fairy tale. After all, with a pen you can’t erase, and you can’t go backwards.
I never quite finished that story, but I wrote consistently for months in that journal, which paved the way for me to jump into NaNoWriMo and use their word sprints to write over 50,000 words in my first novel. Though my story ended up being much longer, I kept taking small steps, including attending a writers group and then conference—which led to meeting my editor and several key people who have helped me on my writing journey. And it all started with buying a journal and a pen.
Small Steps in Your Life
You see, writer, when it comes to marketing. Sometimes, a willingness to jump in and do the thing we can to take the next small step toward the path we want to pursue can have big results. Even if we don’t see those results for a few weeks, months, or years. And this isn’t the only area of life that operates by this principle. Here, let me show you…
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- And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9
- Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. – Matthew 7:7-8
- Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. – Psalm 126:5-6
- 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. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” – Mark 4:16-29
You see, writer, as we begin to take small steps, they not only position and prepare us for the next, they also train us and grow our perspective, experience, wisdom, and capacity to recognize which steps are best for us and our stories. Taking small steps also teaches us to recognize where and how God is opening doors in our lives to advance his work in and through us. And, as we have seen, the results of these simple steps can be profound.
Where to Start with Small Steps
So are you ready to start taking small steps in your marketing journey? Here are a few ideas to get you started…
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- Do Your Research. In order to start taking small steps, it’s good to have laid a groundwork of why you are writing, who needs your story, how it will change their lives, and what opportunities are best to reach them. If answering those questions seems difficult, you can visit these blog posts to help you get started!
- Ask God for Wisdom. Once you’ve done your research, I encourage you to begin asking God for wisdom, favor, and opportunities to promote your book. And keep asking! He is the one who knows how to reach your readers. He is the one who teaches us how to prosper and be a blessing. Without His help, our efforts are in vain. I encourage you to pray over your efforts regularly and write down the ideas God gives you in prayer. This will help you recognize when he may be opening unique doors and help prepare you to walk through them.
- Look for Low-Hanging Fruit. Once you’ve researched and begun praying, see what opportunities God’s placed around you. Do you have relationships with influencers in fields related to your book or with local bookstores or business owners? Be sensitive to where God may be asking you to sow your book as a seed into the lives of others as well. Then consider your gifts and strengths. Are they any talent you can begin using or developing to begin promoting your book? Brainstorm a list of relationships, opportunities, talents, and interest. Then…
- Choose Next Steps. Once you’ve made your list, take some time to prayerfully prioritize those opportunities. Select the top one to three the Lord seems to be highlighting. Then, determine one concrete action you can take toward your goal and when you plan to do it. Once you’ve taken that step, reassess what your next step might be. Because here’s the thing…
The more we begin to take small steps, the clearer our path becomes. After all, Booth began with evangelism but quickly learned the power outreach campaigns to draw in the lost. Andrew knew his need for God and as he began to pursue, God Himself met him and began to guide his steps. As I broke free from perfectionism, I was began to see how to loose others write their stories. And here’s the real deal…
Taking small steps is about learning to trust the Lord with your journey and move forward in faith as you allow Him to guide and direct your path. You see, God often waits to give us specific direction until we’re moving. We see this in stories like Abram’s journey to Canaan, or Moses and the children of Israel’s to the Promised Land, or in Paul’s missionary journeys. Because God wants to grow our maturity—our knowledge and understanding of His heart—and our dependence on Him.
As we commit to that process, He uses each small step to develop us and our stories to reach places and people we may never have conceived. Just as today Booth’s Salvation Army spans the globe, and Andrew’s quiet commitment laid the foundation for our faith, and my break with perfectionism led to the release of stories far beyond my own.
So I encourage you today, writer, to consider what next small step forward you can take in your marketing journey. Knowing that as you do, God is able to multiply His glory in unexpected and unprecedented ways through you.
#smallsteps #faith #growth #glory #multiplication #EveryWriterWriting
