“The Pathway to Your Readers”
Dear writer,
I hope you had a wonderful week and began engaging in the conversations and community that will help you along on your writing journey! This week, we’re shifting gears from editing to the next phase of writing: publishing.
There are so many ways to publish nowadays, and having all the options at our fingertips can be both a boon and a bane. But here’s the thing. Choosing a publishing path is simply about getting your book into a format and channel that will reach your readers in the best way possible. Remembering who your readers are and what their lives and needs are will help guide you as you explore the possibilities.
But before we dive in, let’s examine a few others who chose a specific path for the message on their heart.
Choosing Your Publishing Path in History
A beautiful example of choosing a publishing path is Josiah Wedgewood, an entrepreneur and potter who produced and distributed the Wedgewood Antislavery Medallion during the abolitionist movement of the late 1700’s. Wedgewood and his compatriots knew they needed a compelling means of communicating the message of freedom, and began to “publish” that message on medallions that were easily shared in social settings. These coins portrayed a kneeling slave, hands clasped in a plea that read, “Am I not a man and a brother?”The medallions were such a success that demand quickly sprang up for the image to be engraved on brooches, hairpins, snuff boxes, buckles, and jewelry and fashionable wearables of all kinds. Their work was a powerful force in spreading the awareness of the plight of the slaves among the common population of men and women.
It’s the same way with us, writer. We may begin our journey on one path, like the abolitionists medallion, and find ourselves branching on many other steams. The important thing is that we begin.
Choosing Your Publishing Path in the Bible
I cannot think of a more masterful example of choosing a “publishing” path than our King and Creator! From the moment we fell in the Garden, our King knew His word and work of redemption needed to be packaged in a format we could understand. He patiently initiated a process over the centuries, preparing His message and mankind to receive it, ultimately “publishing” His Word in the person of Jesus. God knew we would need a living demonstration to fully comprehend and accept His message of love and the very tangible sacrifice of Christ. Though it was wholly unexpected and gloriously unconventional, His publishing path has been the most successful message ever shared.
Sometimes, writer, the publishing path our book needs is not the one we expected either. Sometimes reaching our readers will require us to stretch a bit outside our comfort zone or area of expertise. But I encourage you. Just like He prepared the greatest message of all, God will help prepare you to the message He’s given you, too!
Choosing Your Publishing Path in Life
When God took me on a journey to discover the freedom of simplicity in Uganda, He also challenged me through the input of two separate men to share that journey of walking out a simple lifestyle in my own country with others. At separate times and places, as each man listened to my Ugandan experience they said, “You need to share this process you’re walking through with other in some simple format.” I heeded that advice, and as I weighed what path I would use, I realized the only way for me to run a weekly blog “simply” was to begin posting on Facebook. And so the Radical Simplicity Facebook page was born.
I’ve been chronicling my journey to a life of freedom for nearly two years now, and in the past six months, I have begun to receive testimonies from readers who are changing their lives and making significant decisions based on what the Lord has been speaking to them through the blog.
Now here’s the interesting thing, writer. As I chose this “publishing” path, I had to lay aside my media person impulse to “do it right” in favor of a more unconventional format that would actually reach people. By the end of the first year, also had to lay aside false humility as I came to grips with the fact that my posts had more reach and readers enjoyed them more when I used a selfie as my blog picture versus pictures of scenery.
Choosing Your Publishing Path in Your Life
As you embrace the publishing process, writer, there will be aspects of reaching your audience that grow and stretch you.But here’s the good news. Although you may not feel prepared, God has already gone ahead of you and has prepared a path for YOU. As long as you keep moving forward. Let me share a bit of His heart for both us and our readers.
- How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” – Romans 10:14-15
- And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. – Habakkuk 2:2
- But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
- And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. – 2 Corinthians 9:8
- For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10
You see, writer, though this part of the path may seem challenging, He has prepared us for every good work. But here’s the thing. Sometimes the equipping comes as we go. And it’s critical that we take the next step in faith. Because here’s the real deal: the way to fail at writing is to simply stop. The good news? If you have stopped, success is as simple as beginning to take that next right step!
Now, in case you are feeling overwhelmed, writer, here is the beautiful thing about the publishing process. Not only will it stretch us, it also expand our community as begin to recognize what we don’t know–and where we need help. This is a beautiful way our King grows our community, our conversations, our story, and us as we faithfully walk through the publishing process.
Where to Start with Choosing Your Publishing Path
So are you ready to take that next step? Here are some things to consider as you get started:
- 1) Know Your Reader. Though this has been mentioned before, it’s worth repeating! Choosing your publishing path is all about knowing how your reader will most readily discover and access the information you have to give them. Consider doing a little research on your target audience or interviewing friends who fall into that demographic! The insights you glean from this process will be invaluable as you determine which publishing path suits your book.
- Know Your Options. Today, there are so many options from traditional publishing to self-publishing with all kinds of hybrids and levels of assistance available in between across a vast variety of platforms including printed books, eBooks, audio books, and more! Consider attending some online publishing workshops, a writers group or conference, read blogs about the topic to get a lay of the landscape and what format might best suit your audience.
- Know Where You’ll Need Help. Prayerfully assess your strengths and weaknesses and where the Lord might be calling you to grow a skill or to reach out to friends or professional to help get you going!
- Be Open. As we step out into the publishing path, writer, it’s important that we lean into the Lord and to remain open to unconventional solutions or people He may bring our way! Sometimes starting a “blog” might look like posting your thoughts on Facebook. Other times, the help we need will be in a person or a format that is unexpected. This is where it is critical again to remain connected to Him and to the community He’s given you for ongoing prayer, wisdom, and advice.
There are few things that can grow us as much as the publishing process, but it can also serve to deepen our walk with the Lord and expand our connection to others in a way few other things can. So, I encourage you today, if you are tempted to feel overwhelmed, remember publishing is a journey and that journey begins with one step.
Wedgewood started with a message on a medallion that expanded into jewelry, boxes, and more which helped tilt an entire culture to understand the great need of freedom for all men. I started with a Facebook page posting thoughts on my decluttering process and pictures of my house and, in the process, learned to embrace who I am and to share my interior journey in a way that God can use to transform not just my life, but the lives of countless others.
Both Wedgewood and I began with one step. And so can you. And as you trust our King to lead and guide you, you will be amazed at what He will do in and through you, too!
#publishing #choices #stepout #EveryWriterWriting
