Okay, you’re prayed up, you’ve educated yourself on the publishing industry, and you’ve worked on improving your craft. You’ve actually started writing seriously. Good! You’re well on your way.

But now comes a very tricky step number four. This step can vary from writer to writer, but generally it’s all about writing, revising, connecting, receiving rejections, and perhaps a few successes along the way. It’s really the step that both launches you and sustains you for the long haul. You’re planning what you’ll write, you’re writing, you’re connecting at conferences, and you’re patient.

Shall I remind you of the many famous authors who stuck it out during this crucial step four? Dr. Seuss, for example? His first book was rejected as “too different from other juveniles….” Popular mystery author Mary Higgins Clark’s first book was rejected with the words, “We found the heroine as boring as her husband had.” How about novelist Tony Hillerman who was told, “If you insist on rewriting this, get rid of all that Indian stuff.” I could go on and on, but you know the stories. Rejection is the way of the writing life. Get used to it. If you’re called to write, just keep at it and let God find the right publisher. As someone has said, consider each manuscript a package in search of the right editor and each rejection as simply a report that the editor you seek is not at that publishing house. Stay upbeat and optimistic. Keep going to conferences. Make friends of editors, agents, and other writers. Right now I could easily rattle off a dozen names of aspiring writers whom I greatly admire and believe they will be published elsewhere someday as their proposal was not a good fit for Harvest House. Some of these authors I’ll see next week at the Oregon Christian Writer’s conference. I’m anxious to check in with several of them and see how they’re doing. I’m always a bit sad when I hope to see someone at a conference and they’re not there because for one reason or another they’ve had to put their writing on the back burner.

A word of advice during this often protracted time: be willing to try appropriate bending of the “rules” when it seems right. I bent a rule in landing my first book contract. I sent a query letter to my six top publishers, basically saying, “Yoo-hoo! Here I am! I’m a writer. Want anything written?” Okay, I spruced it up a bit, but that was my basic message….and it resulted in my two best selling books to date. One of my favorite acquisitions as an editor was a book that was “over the transom,” sent in by an aspiring writer who didn’t know me from Adam. I’m not telling you to break the rules, only to discerningly bend them when you have nothing to lose. (Please, don’t anyone send me a letter saying “Yoo-hoo! Here I am! I’m a writer. Want anything written?” That’s just so predictable). Maybe I should say it this way: sometimes God opens doors a crack and we need notice the crack and try to open the door a bit wider. To be honest, I have no idea what situations might present themselves to you to bend a rule. Just watch and be aware.

During this phase, do what you can to build the dreaded “platform” from which to promote your books. I hate the fact that platforms are so necessary, but for the most part they are. If you abhor doing a lot of publicity, then write something that doesn’t require a platform. I certainly have no platform to speak of and yet I’ve done about eight books now. But I’ve written books that are more of an impulse item than tied to my name and “platform.”

Also during this phase, as you have the occasional success, you can start to consider when you should get an agent. Having an agent doesn’t absolve you from keeping alert about the marketplace, but it does help to have someone who can represent you while you tend to the writing. Also, a good agent can help you plan your career and give you honest feedback on your proposals.

Finally, part of this step involves keeping your antennae up. What’s happening in the world—or going to happen in the world that might affect the kinds of books people buy? One anecdote along this line I often tell is the story of hockey great Wayne Gretzky. During an interview he was asked the secret to his success. He said, “other players go where the puck is now. I go where the puck is going next.” That’s somewhat your assignment as a writer. What will people want to read two or three years from now? Is that something around which you can write a book? Amish fiction is hot now (still!), but what might be the next trend? Quakers? Sci-fi? Cat mysteries?

Next week I’ll be away at the Oregon Christian Writer’s Conference. I’ll report on the conference when I return, and then conclude this series with the fifth and final step.

*Update. I wrote the above blog earlier this afternoon. Tonight I had an opportunity to bend a rule regarding my writing. I took that opportunity and I think it probably won’t succeed. No matter. I don’t regret the bend. Just be careful not to be obnoxious when you bend a rule. Be nice. Editors remember.

Okay, you’re prayed up, you’ve started to immerse yourself in the publishing industry….so what’s next in your pursuit of success as a writer?

The writing, of course! The praying and the educating yourself are very important (and need to continue throughout your career), but they really won’t do much good if you don’t actually write.

Here are some tips as you set about this third step:

1. Establish a set place to write. If you have an office, that’s great. If not, arrange a place where you can keep your writing life a part from all else in your life. I know many writers have no other place to write than the kitchen table, but that’s very impractical for the long term. Make your writing corner comfortable, quiet, and easily accessible (to YOU, not to the rest of the family).

2. As much as possible, set a specific time to write. This will surely be different for each person and largely dependent on your circumstances. I commented to a writer friend of mine in her seventies that it must be nice to have so much time to write. Her reply was that she actually had managed her writing time better when she had a houseful of kids (five!) underfoot. She said she got up early every morning before the rest of the family and wrote then. In order to write when you have other pressing duties, that’s all the more reason to make time—a specific time, if possible—to write.

3. Don’t insist that every writing session last an hour or more—unless you can really pull it off. For me, I simply tell myself that I MUST sit down and write, if only for five minutes. In a way, that’s a trick I play on myself, because I know I’ll never write for just five minutes. Those five minutes turn into ten minutes, then thirty, then before I know, an hour has passed. I’m a natural born procrastinator though. That’s why I need such tricks. If you’re not in that club, so much the better.

4. Although many writers insist on getting each paragraph, page, or chapter just perfect before they move on, I think it’s far wiser to blast through a first draft of just about any project—all the way to the end—and then come back and do the necessary rewrites. For one thing, the creative side of the brain is not the same side as the editorial side. So, for many of us, it’s best to let the creative side have its say without interruption and then when that first draft is finished, let the thing sit for a couple of days and then go over it critically, allowing the editorial side of the brain to do its thing. NEVER send an editor a first or second draft of anything. Revise it until it’s right.

5. Pay attention to triggers that help or hinder you in your writing. Some of these may be surprising. For me, sometimes some classic rock music from the sixties actually helps me creatively. At other times, utter silence is needed. Some writers need a window to look out of on occasion, others find it distracting. Even the presence of food can be a trigger for or against your creativity.

6. Just as keeping up on the publishing industry is an ongoing part of your job description as writer, so too will be your continuing efforts to improve as a writer. You are always going to be getting better as a writer. The more you write, the sooner you become better. There are several important ways you can improve your writing. For me, early on I took some creative writing classes at our local community college. This particular class was called “Imaginative Writing” and continued enrollment from quarter to quarter was encouraged. I took the class for five or six quarters (for no credit, which was cheaper). Many communities offer creative writing as a part of their local adult education program. Also, I began to read the various writers’ magazines such as The Writer, Writer’s Digest, and others. That led to reading many of the best books on writing. (After this series, I’ll blog about my favorites). Because I love writing, I love to read books about writing. I hope you do too. I love to discover the secrets that work for established writers. Some of the techniques seem bizarre (writing the final paragraph of your book first, for example), but that just confirms that writers are different and each one needs to find out what works best in his or her case.

7. If possible, join a critique group. I was part of a truly wonderful group for more than fifteen years. I credit that group with helping me immensely.

8. Be willing to start small. Your first effort doesn’t need to be Gone with the Wind, The Purpose Driven Life or a sale to Christianity Today. (Do consider articles as a great outlet for your writing).

9. When you face writer’s block, overcome it right away. Blast through. If necessary, take a book by your favorite author and just begin to type a few paragraphs. Sometimes this will jumpstart your writing by giving you a rhythm to your prose.

There are nine good tips for the actual writing phase of your career. I know ten would be a more complete number—but I also have been told that blog entries that are too long are seldom read….so I will stop here with the hope you’re still with me.

Watch for Part 4 in just a few days. Now, go write.

We’re in the early stages of a series on how to succeed as a Christian writer. First, let me add a note about my previous entry on the spiritual aspects of God’s calling as a writer. My friend, Brenda Scott, is right to remind me that not only should we pray about our writing, but we should also have some close friends around us who will pray for us. You might want to think about who those people are in your life and solicit their ongoing prayers.

Today, let’s look at factor number two.

2. Start learning about the publishing industry itself. This is a factor that really doesn’t have much to do with the actual writing. That will come as a later factor. Right now, especially if you’re early in your writing career, you really need to spend time understanding how it all works. Do you know the publishers who are currently publishing the sort of writing you want to do? Is that genre even popular right now? Which editors might be open to a proposal from you? That basic information, and much more, is crucial to your success. You need to follow the industry. Know which titles are on the bestseller lists each month. Know why those books are doing so well.

Not only do you need to learn about the industry, you need to enjoy learning about it. I want you to be excited about the latest bestseller list when it comes out. I want you to read with interest the reviews of new books being published. Salivate over the Christy Awards if you write fiction. Lean forward into both your writing and the world of writing and publishing. This is really not hard to do if you want to succeed. Most of you, I believe, already have an affinity for this knowledge.

When I was a teenager, I really loved the music of my generation. I subscribed to Billboard magazine and every Wednesday rushed home from school knowing the latest issue would be in the mailbox. I’d turn eagerly to the Hot 100 and gasp at what record had shot up the chart with a red bullet beside it. I’d lament the really great songs that never seemed to get the attraction they deserved. (No matter what anyone says, I still maintain James Brown’s version of “Night Train” was far better than his later, more popular hits!).

Now, of course, writing has supplanted music in my life. (And that’s good thing. I know far more about writing than I do about creating music). But that same interest I once had in Billboard magazine, I now have for Publisher’s Weekly, The Writer, The Christian Communicator, and other magazines popular in our industry.

Reading the magazines is one of the ways you’ll satisfy this craving to learn. Another is by reading popular blogs in our industry. I regularly search out the blogs of Chip MacGregor, Angela Hunt, BJ Hoff, Randy Ingermanson, Brandilyn Collins, and several others. I also read Publisher’s Weekly online and Publisher’s Marketplace. You can easily and quickly become educated in the industry by reading blogs and magazines. Also, while we’re on the topic of reading, you need to be a reader of good books yourself. And you need to be reading books on how to improve your craft. I almost always have a book on writing in my reading pile. There are MANY excellent books to choose from. I like the books on writing by Ray Bradbury, Lawrence Block, Ralph Keyes, James Scott Bell, and others. If you haven’t started your writing library yet, do so now. (And if reading about writing bores you, that may be another warning signal to you).

Finally, you really MUST attend at least one writer’s conference a year. There are plenty to choose from, no doubt some near where you live. At a conference, you will network with others who share your passion for writing. You’ll meet authors, agents, and other successful writers who will share their writing tips in workshops and small groups. Don’t tell me you can’t afford a conference. That, too, is not a good sign. There are partial scholarships to several of the good conferences. Save your money all year long and GO. Have a bake sale. Hold a car wash. Raid your kids’ piggy banks….whatever it takes….you need to be there. If you live in the northwest, we’re just a couple of weeks away from the Oregon Christian Writer’s Conference. I count it as among the best I attend each year.

Bottom line: get hungry for knowledge about writing and the publishing industry. Then feed that hunger by magazines, blogs, books, conferences, and however else you can.

Over the course of the next few blog entries, I want to talk about the factors that go into making a successful Christian writer. Each entry will briefly touch on one of the factors I’ve observed over the years. The first one, chronologically speaking, is:

1. Know your calling as a writer. Why exactly do you write? Are you serious about writing or are you a dabbler? Will you be briefly disappointed if you don’t succeed, and then move on to the next thing in your life? Or are you aware that this endeavor of writing, editing, and publishing is right where God wants you in spite of repeated rejections from publishers? Knowing your calling is from God will anchor you during those long hot days in the desert when nothing seems to be happening with your writing.

How do you know if writing is your calling from God? First, I think you need to look at your own heart and at your own desires. Do you have a seemingly inborn desire to succeed at writing? Many writers can trace such yearnings all the way to their childhood. In my own case, I well remember writing my first short story at age eight. That led to more writing along the way—some of which….no, MOST of which was embarrassingly horrible. And eventually, in college I majored in English and minored in journalism. My first jobs were in the library and then in bookstores. Writing was very much on the back burner then. I didn’t sell my first article until I was in my late 30’s. All the while, though, the knowledge that books and writing were to be the major part of my life was evident to me. When, stupidly, I abandoned it all for a year to try a career in real estate, I failed miserably. Only when I returned to my first vocational love of books (my calling) did I find a return to contentment.

Another way to know is to watch how God leads you. Believe me, to succeed in writing, you really need some divinely opened doors along the way. Even flat-out miracles. I’ve had at least three (and probably more) major door-opening miracles that moved me along the path toward my destination. These were doors I could not have opened myself.

One reason those miracles happened was that I was praying for God to lead me as I went along. I prayed for those open doors. So, in talking about one’s calling as a writer, I’m going to include prayer as a key ingredient to a successful career as a Christian writer. Even today—perhaps more than ever—prayer for my writing is a mainstay of my life. Not just about my present and future projects, but also about the books I’ve already published. I continue to pray for the effect they will have on readers, even long after I’m gone.

I can’t mention prayer without touching briefly on praying for discernment in your career. You may have opportunities that sound good, but are really a distraction. Others may sound less attractive, but are just what God has ordered for you. Knowing the difference is a result of being discerning about your writing career. I’ll return to the topic of discernment later during this series.

Calling and prayer, then, are the first and primary factors in success for a Christian writer.

With each of the entries in this blog series, I’m going to ask you to find a way to apply what I’ve written. Sort of like homework from Nick. Today’s homework, then, is for you to first make sure of your calling as a writer. Spend time with God. Pray clear through on the matter. God may even give you a word about your writing. That’s happened to me. Early on, God specifically told me two things about my writing. One was that I’d write daily devotional books (I’ve written five now) and that I would write at least one book for men. To date, I’ve done two: Promises to Keep: Daily Devotions for Men Seeking Integrity and Survival Guide for New Dads. For a long time after those initial words from God, I had no fresh sense of how my writing would proceed. But I plowed along (as I do now) and then this year the Lord gave me a fresh word about my writing (which I’m not at liberty to share just yet).

So now I’m going to give you a few days to pray and settle this matter in your heart one way or the other. Perhaps the answer will be that God is calling you to some other task. If so, then you really shouldn’t waste any more time writing. You should be about the task to which you’re assigned. God will make you shine there. If God does show you that you’re meant to write, then keep watching this spot for the second factor in success as a Christian writer. (And send this link to friends who might benefit from the series).

My previous blog entry related my disappointment at possibly losing a huge and fun project. As it turns out, the project is still on life support. The subject of my autobiography has decided she wants to format the book in a different way. I’m a bit disappointed because I think it may be harder to sell to a publisher in her preferred format, but this is HER book and so we’ll give it a try. At least the issue is resolved for now. The change in format also gives me a bit of breathing room. She is extremely busy now and will not expect to see something in the way of the revised proposal for at least two or three weeks. That gives me time to fiddle around with something else. Possibly a novel!

I have several ideas and am eager to meet these characters who have buzzing around in my head for a long time now. I will solicit their input on whose story I should look into first and who is willing to wait until later. All I can say is that whoever is up to bat first, better be a real blabber. I don’t have time to coax stories out of characters. If they’re not forthcoming, then back in the basement they go. You do know, don’t you, about Stephen King’s reference to the “boys in the basement”? It’s in his fun book On Writing. I’ve never read any of his fiction, but I did read this book and found it useful (and funny).

Oh, before I forget it, I want to thank you all for your notes of encouragement. It means a lot.

And now, how’s your writing coming along?