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Some Thoughts on Writing

I gotten some questions about writing over the last few months, so I thought I'd answer a few of them here. Hopefully you'll find it helpful. 

#1 - When do you find time to write? 

Writing is an extracurricular activity from my position as Senior Pastor at Calvary Fellowship. So a book like Zero to Sixty was written either early in the morning or late at night.  I like to say that Zero to Sixty was written between 11PM-3AM for the course of 6 months.  

#2 - What's your rhythm for writing? 

A friend told me that a writer is someone who writes everyday. So when I'm writing, that's my goal. I want to write something everyday.  

#3 - I think I have a book in me, but I'm not a writer. What should I do? 

Just start writing. The saying goes, "Writing is a practice that you can't get worse by doing it." The more you write, the better you'll get. Plus, editors are miracle workers :)

#4 - What's a good goal for writing? 

I'm not sure what's best for you, but when I'm in "writing mode" I try to write an hour a day. My hope is to write 500-750 words typed in that hour.  If you do that 6 days a week for 4 months, you'll have more material than necessary for your book. 

#5 - What should I write about? 

Write about what you're passionate about.  I love the church and leadership, so that's what I write about.  It's also what I know best. Don't get caught up in the "what can I write that will sell well" game.  That doesn't work.  Write what you're passionate about and you'll find an audience who are just as passionate about the same subject matter.  

Free Preview of Zero to Sixty

Just to give you a feel for what Zero to Sixty is about, my publisher sent me a .pdf of the introduction and the first chapter of the book.  

So feel free to download it and give it to whomever you want.  I'd love to hear some feedback when you read it.  

The link to download it is here.  Enjoy!  

New Writing Projects

I've been working on a couple of writing projects that I'm really excited about. These are more in-house books that we're going to use with our church body to help disciple them.

- Watermark: An explanation of Baptism - This is a pamphlet that I've written to people who want to be baptized. I want people to have an good understanding of what baptism is and I'm not planning on teaching 4 baptism messages a year. So I wrote this using the Watermark chapter from my Elements book, an introduction, and an FAQ about baptism to give people the information they need in deciding to be baptized.

- Getting Started: First Steps for your Journey - This booklet is for people who come to know Jesus in our services. Most of the books that I've seen for those who make a decision to follow Jesus are swamped in theological terms and/or are way too long for a new Christian to read. This is going to be a 15-20 page resource that will help people take their first few steps in their new walk with Jesus. It will have my story, some recommended spiritual habits, and an FAQ section.

I'm excited about these resources because it allows us to say what we want in a way that sounds like us.

Manuscript Done

I just finished the first draft of a manuscript that is going to be my next book. The working title is, "Mirror, Mirror: How your reflection reveals God's image." In short, the book is about servanthood. I believe it picks up where "elements" left off. The central theme is still the issue of greatness, yet it focuses on the idea that greatness in the kingdom is being the servant of all.

It started as a little pamphlet that I wanted to give to every person that began serving at Calvary Fellowship. The problem was, it kept growing and it ended up being about 17,000 plus words. This will probably make the book about the size of "The Prayer of Jabez" (If it could only sell that many copies :)

I think servanthood is a lost subject in the church in an era of customer service. Yet it's one that people need to hear if they are going to be full on disciples of Jesus.

When it will be out? Hopefully by the end of the year, maybe sooner...

Working Vacation

Carey and I checked out of our hotel in LA county and headed south to the OC for a few days. We're going to relax and kick back. I'm also going to take the opportunity to work on my new book.

I can't wait to really dig in. I've got the introduction written and the chapters outlined. In short, I've got a lot of writing to do. I'm hoping to be done with the manuscript by the end of the summer.

Thoughts on Publishing... (Part 2)

This is part 2 of a post that I wrote a week ago. You may want to read part one before reading this. If you don't, I won't be hurt.

When it comes to publishing, you've got basically 2 options: Self publish or shop your manuscript. Both have advantages and disadvantages. So I'll list some of them and let you make your own decision:

Advantages to shopping your manuscript and publishing through a traditional publisher:

#1 - There is a perceived sense of being "Legit" when you have major publisher's logo on the back of your book.

#2 - You have a publisher's resources in the creation of the book that can make the book better (Graphics, editing, marketing, etc...)

#3 - There are doors that open for speaking/ book promotion due to being "on the roster" of a publisher.

#4 - You will probably sell more books off the bat. Publishers already have major distribution set up and sales reps that go to bookstores and take orders.

There are probably many more (If the guys who have signed with a major publisher could chime in, we would all be the better for it)...

Downsides to signing with a major publisher:

Having talked with someone who has a major publishing deal, here's the complaint...

#1 - There really is no marketing other what you do - Only books that are a sure thing to sell get promoted. The funny part is, those are the books that don't need very much promotion! So at the end of the day, it's still up to you to get out there and try to sell books through speaking, signings, etc...

#2 - The money isn't very good - I know you are the most nobel of creature, but the power bill is still due. Authors that use traditional publishers usually make about $1 on a book that retails for $19.99. If you write the Purpose Driven Life that doesn't matter. If you don't sell 20 million copies, that may matter to you.

#3 - It takes forever for a book to be released - A manuscript that you submit probably won't be printed for at least 12 months. That's the average. Some have experienced less and others say it's closer to 18 months, but 12 seems to be the average.

Once again, there are others. But this should get you thinking.

So what are the upsides and downsides to self-publishing? Tomorrow...

If You're Thinking about Writing a Book...

Having just put out a book in the last 6 months, I'm learning a few things about writing and marketing your book in general that I thought might be helpful to those that are thinking of doing some writing in the future...

#1 - Every person who bought my book at the book signing I did the other night had heard me speak at some point.  There comes a point in time when you build a name and get some momentum and that carries you (Can you say, "Purpose Driven Life"?).  However, when you are putting out your first book, people want to know what they're getting.  That means if you want to sell books, you need to get out there and let people get to know you and your style.  This is why blogging is so helpful.  It allows people to get to know you and your way of thinking. 

#2 - Others pick up your book when you reach a "Tipping Point" - This is true for me when it came to buying "The Tipping Point".  I had heard Malcolm Gladwell's name several times, seen his book on several blogs, talked to a few people about it, and when everything was positive, I bought it.  The other intangible is that when you see someone listed as one of the keynote speakers at high profile conferences, it adds credibility, even if you've never heard them yourself.  The thought is, "If they invited him to speak at THAT, he's got to be good!"   

#3 - Still others are drawn to the subject matter despite knowing very little about the author.  This is a very small group.  If a Pastor wanted to do a series about John the Baptist, he might be more inclined to buy my book, but #1 and #2 would still apply.  His interest in the subject would just make him more open to picking up the book once he heard some positive feedback or heard me speak (And hopefully enjoyed it). 

#4 - Forwards and endorsements help a little, but not as much as we think - I'm so grateful that my Pastor wrote the forward to my book, but that doesn't sell many copies.  In fact, I've never bought a book because of who wrote the forward.  I bought it because of #1, #2 and #3.  While I think having an influential name write the forward or write a kind endorsement helps, its real strength helps with #2, which is to hear so much good about a book that you have to buy it because if you don't you feel like you're missing out.  A prime example is Geoff's Multi-site book that's coming out.  People aren't going to buy it just because Erwin McManus wrote the forward (Which is awesome, by the way).  That just adds to #2.  People are going to buy it primarily because #1 - you've heard him speak, or like me, you've been reading his blog; Or #2 will kick in and everyone will speak kindly of his book and how helpful it is; or #3 - you want to go multi-site and the content of the book drives you to purchase the book.

So the other question for the author is, "Should I shop my manuscript to a publisher or self-publish?"

I'll answer that in my next post...