My life verse is Joshua 1:9 – Be strong and courageous, do not fear (paraphrased). I’ve held tightly onto that verse for many years now, no matter what overwhelming circumstance was ahead of me. During morning devotions today, I came across these similar words in 1 Chronicles 28:29. In this passage, David is saying to his son, Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work.”
That “do the work” literally jumped off the page to me. It’s a different ending on a familiar passage. David is instructing the future king, just get into the work, even if you are overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin.
As many of you know, I completed the manuscript for my book back in August. But here’s the thing, I didn’t write this book with the primary intention of promotion. I honestly wrote this book because God commissioned me to tell my story. I also wrote it for my children so that they knew and understood my testimony. I wanted them to know that God is always more concerned about our transformation than he is about our comfort and “happiness.”
Now that the book is finished, the mountain ahead of me is publishing. There are so many options and paths at this stage of the process. The dilemma here is that this project was never approached from the perspective of market appeal, although I honestly believe my story about transformation will appeal to many. Publishers are looking to craft books from a proposal through the draft phase to ensure books are written through a lens of what will sell. They are also looking for a specific word count range and they are looking for someone with a significant personal platform and reach. I don’t fit these criteria and neither does my book.
When 2021 arrived, I decided it was time to tackle this mountain like I have any of the other mountains I’ve faced in life. I started to build a map. Currently, my map looks like a spreadsheet with 9 different tabs filled with to-do lists and research. I’ve created a book proposal, several in fact, and drafted cover letters. To date in this new year, I’ve submitted my proposal to six publishers who are accepting submissions, communicated with a literary agent, entered a writing contest, and connected with several viable self-publishing options.
One literary agent has said no (again, no platform); one self-publisher has issued me a contract. But, after seeking valuable counsel, I’m giving this next phase until the end of spring before I make a decision. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at one of the art pieces that my daughter has created for Called to War. Oh, and one more thing, will you add your email to my list so that I can keep you posted about the book’s publication?
I don’t have to fear in the face of this unknown mountain, I just have to do the work. You can too. Tell me what work you are doing this year to face a mountain in your life – drop a note in the comment section below. Let’s do this together.
