Think big: promotion and connection

by Claire Belberg

I love writing – poetry, short stories, devotionals, essays, articles. What I don’t enjoy is having to market my own work and myself as an author.

My first novel was published in 2017. I had read a lot of advice about getting my work known but I could not see myself spending that much time doing promotional work (and learning how to use all the platforms). The very thought sickened me. ‘Why can’t I just do what I’m good at and have someone who’s good at marketing do that for me?’ I moaned. God heard my groans and we came to an agreement – He would open the doors and I would walk through.

With each book, I find that the overwhelming has become a little easier, a bit less gut-twisting for me. With my latest book, Unravelling: loving my parents through dementia, marketing has been more natural because the focus of this nonfiction book is something relevant to a lot of people. It’s easier to talk about a story based on my own life because there’s a natural flow from experience to book.

Part of my stress has been using the number of book sales as a marker of success. Try as I might, I can’t seem to get much attention for my work. Several times over the years I have considered aiming lower – an article here or there, just publishing for the family, etc. Each time, God made it clear that His plans were bigger than I was seeing. Recently I have recognised that my measure of success is faulty. ‘Bigger’ doesn’t have to mean more outlets, more sales, more speaking opportunities. With my current book, it means meeting people where they’re at, one person at a time. Most of my book sales are because I spoke personally to someone, sharing our common experience. 

God and I still work by our original arrangement – that He will provide opportunities and I will take up each one. I get to do some cool things, and I’m becoming more confident to try new approaches. My most recent example was being invited to run a poetry workshop at a dementia retreat, encouraging carers to express their strong feelings without hurting anyone. I love the fact that when I tell my story to a group, there is always someone who wants to share theirs too, having identified with mine. That person-to-person connection makes the book richer for them, and does a deeper work of ‘companionship for the journey’ (the book’s goal) than merely buying it online. Don’t get me wrong – all those other sales methods are great when they get someone’s attention – but the personal touch feels truer to who I am, and brings a sense of connection to me and the buyer.

I’m still hopeful of more sales because my little book is able to touch hurting people who often feel alone in their dementia care role. But if person-to-person remains the primary promotional method, that’s okay by me.

(Image credit: AI generated by Imagineers Studio via Canva)

Claire Bell writes poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction and novels for mainstream audiences under the pen name of Claire Belberg. She is based in the Adelaide hills where she lives with her husband. She loves birds and is grateful to have access to large green spaces which refresh her sense of wonder. Her latest book is Unravelling: loving my parents through dementia, a memoir in poetry of recent challenging years, written as a companion for others on a similar journey. You can contact her on bellwriting@gmail.com, visit her Facebook author page (Claire Belberg author) and her unintentionally sporadic blog, The Character Forge (clairebelberg.wordpress.com).

The power of our words

 by Jo-Anne Berthelsen

In my various occupations over the years, I have seen again and again the power our words can have. As a high school teacher way back, as an office secretary interacting with clients of our church’s family support program, then later as part of our church’s pastoral team, I experienced the extra impact my words could carry because of the power of my public position. Now as a writer and speaker and at a different stage in my life, I still see so often the effect the words I say and those I write can have.

Yet, whatever our occupation, our words have the power to touch others’ lives for good or for ill each day – our families, friends, work colleagues or anyone else we meet or contact in some way. And each day, the words of others have the power to impact us in return. Sometimes, they may lift us up and encourage us, but at others, they may discourage and even hurt deeply.

In January this year, my third non-fiction book, Swansong: Start creating your legacy of life-giving words, was published by Authentic Media UK. In the course of promoting it, I recorded two radio interviews and a podcast with organisations based in the UK while sitting right here in my study in front of my laptop. During one for Trans World Radio, my lovely interviewer mentioned something that happened to him when he was growing up. If he ever made a mistake, he told me, a ‘close family member’ would say to him, ‘Oh, you’re so useless!’ Then he hastily added, ‘They probably didn’t mean anything by it – it was probably just a throw-away line. However, it took me many, many years to undo the harm those words did to me.’

My heart went out to him all the way to the UK. However, I also remembered how easy it can be for any of us to speak or write similar ‘throw-away lines’ to others and how hard it can be, as James warns us in his letter, to tame our tongues – or our fingers as we write (James 3). Yet, as Paul reminds us, we can choose whether our words will indeed benefit others or otherwise:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

What a challenge for us, not only as we speak but also as we write! What sort of legacy will our many thousands of words leave behind when we are no longer here? Will they affirm, encourage or comfort? Will they bring peace and blessing to our readers? Will they perhaps challenge, yet also express empathy, mercy and forgiveness?

Whenever I personally sell one of my own books, I always ask if I can write ‘God bless’ as well as sign my name inside. For me, these are not two glib, meaningless words but, instead, a fervent prayer that God will truly benefit my reader in some way and draw them closer to God. May this always be our aim as Christian authors, in whatever genre we write. May we always remember the power our words can have and seek to use them so wisely and well.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen is a Sydney-based author of seven novels and three non-fiction works. She holds
degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked in teaching, editing and local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word and is a keen blogger.

www.jo-anneberthelsen.com

www.joanneberthelsen.wordpress.com

Turning Heads and Tables

by Jeanette O'Hagan

Writing isn't for wimps, especially if your aim is to send it out into the world for others to read.

There is nothing wrong, of course, in writing for therapy or writing for your own amusement or for the benefit of a select group of friends and family or indeed an audience for One. Such aims are noble and worthwhile.  Yet we can also be called or constrained to take our work further afield, and that too is a worthy aim.

As I mentioned in an earlier post (here), writing for a wider public could be considered a triathlon:  writing the book (or other work), getting the book published (traditional or Indie), and then helping readers aware of your book (marketing and promotion). Each stage has it's joys and struggles. Not one of them is easy.

Today, I'll like to focus on connecting with readers. No, not another post on social media, but on some face-to-face ways of bringing your opus to the attention of readers who would enjoy and appreciate it.

It seems to me that there might be four ways of bringing a reader's attention to a book
1) Through a distribution network, which includes having the book in catalogues and/or on the shelves of bookstores or libraries or airports.
2) Online availability and promotions (listing the book with online retailers like Amazon, Kobo, I-Books etc), and promoting social media, and advertising.
3) Word of Mouth - through reviews and the recommendation by enthusiastic readers to other readers.
4) Author-Reader events - such as book launches, author signings at bookshops, conventions, book fairs or having a stall at a fete, author visits and talks.

Traditional publishers often favour the first option, Indie publishers the second, but the truth is, that barring miracles (which surely can happen), whether your book is published by a traditional publisher or Indie published, you as the author will need to be proactive in promoting your books if you want them to be seen. And as most authors (though by no means all) are introverts, that can be a daunting prospect.

Unlike my husband, I have to make an effort to put myself out to strangers. On social media, at least I get to think about what I'm going to say, to edit and retype messages. It doesn't feel as confronting as talking to people in the flesh. Yet, I have to say, that eye to eye contact can be a lot of fun. If you haven't done it, maybe it's worth considering.

As yet, I haven't arranged a print book launch, author visits to libraries and schools or book signings at a bricks and mortar bookshops, though I know a number of our members have been quite proactive in this area.  What I have done is fetes, a book fair, and conventions.

Conventions

Over the last two years, two other authors - Lynne Stringer and Adele Jones - and I have teamed up to go to both OzComicCon and Supernova.  Not only has it been a lot of fun, we've connected with our crowd (fantasy and science-fiction geeks), spoken to lots of potential readers, meet some interesting authors, sold books and even had enthusiastic fans seeking us out at the next event.

By combining as a team, we've been able to share expenses and support each other over the long days of the convention.  We have also each signed up to Square (there are other systems as well) which is a seamless way of accepting credit cards as well as cash for sales. Also, posters, banners and - in our case - cosplay (dressing up as characters in our books) helps with presentation. Having a bit of bling or swag often attracts attention (though there may be restrictions on what you can give away.)

Overall, it has been a great experience and has been incredibly encouraging to find people who are interested in what we have to offer them.

Fetes

For a couple years now, I've had a table at our church's Christmas Twilight Markets. This too has been a great experience. Expenses were minimal and I have made some sales and connections. On the whole though, despite a few enthusiastic book readers, the attenders have not been as interested in buying books or in my particular genre (fantasy and science fiction).

Fetes (school fetes, street markets, car boot sales, handmade markets etc) would have potential to connection with readers, though it would depend a lot on the market (people going to a Farmer's Market may be far more interested in fresh vegetable than buying books).

Book Fair

Over the last three years, I've been part of organising the Omega Writers Book Fair in Brisbane.  We've run the Book Fair in September 2016, March 2018 and the third one is coming up on 16 March 2019. (We changed from September to March as there were so many writers' events occurring between August to October, it was hard to choose a date that didn't clash with something else).

The Book Fair runs from 10am to 2:30pm.  Authors, editors, illustrators and others pay a smallish fee for a table to help cover venue costs, advertising, lunches etc. We have display bags, a scavenger hunt (for signatures from each table), door prizes, author readings and workshops. Actual attendance for readers is free (or gold coin donation), and workshops have a nominal price.

Each year we have had an enthusiastic response from  local Christian authors - with most returning for a second or third year. Despite efforts of spreading the word about the Fair, it has been harder to entice readers, but we did see a upturn at the second Fair and hope to see even more attend this year. A radio interview with Anne Hamilton will be aired on Vision Radio in the first week or so of March this year. And libraries, schools, local papers etc have been contacted. Hopefully too, each author will promote to their network, encouraging them to attend.  We also have a Facebook Page (check here) and Event Page (here) where we can promote our authors and keep people up to date with developments.

Our current venue works well with respect to undercover spaces and a separate room for workshops. It is relatively central (though on the northside of Brisbane). It's main drawback is a lack of visibility from the main street. This year we have a banner and signs to draw people in.

Certainly many authors have had good or at least some sales and contacts with interested readers. Last year, a home-schooling dad was enthusiastic about seeing so many authors with quality children's books suitable for his son.

It is a lot of hard work on the part of the organisers and it takes time to establish an event like this, so that it gets known and appreciated. Despite this, I think it's been a worthwhile endeavour, not just because of sales and connections, but hopefully also because it raises the profile of our writing community.  I get the feeling that many readers are unaware of Australian Christian writers and having an annual Book Fair is one way of alerting potential readers that there are many quality books that might not grace the shelves of a bookstore and are worth their time and interest.

A local Book Fair is something that could be done in other cities, if someone was willing to initiate it. and thought it worth doing.

No doubt there are other legitimate ways of connecting with readers in person.  What have your tried? What would you be willing to try? Let us know in the comments below.


And, if you are in South-East Queensland on Saturday, 16th March - or at the Gold Coast on 22-24th April, we'd love for you to drop in to see us either at the Omega Writers Book Fair - or at Supernova Gold Coast.

---

Jeanette spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. Many involve courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic. Others, are set in Nardva’s future and include space stations, plasma rifles, bio-tech, and/or cyborgs.

She has published numerous short stories, poems, four novellas in the Under the Mountain series, her debut novel, Akrad's Children and Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Her latest release is Shadow Crystals, the penultimate novella in the Under the Mountain series with Caverns of the Deep due in April/May.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.


Find her on:

  

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Marketing your book in a boxed set

By Narelle Atkins

Boxed sets have proven to be a lucrative way for authors to market and sell their indie fiction ebooks. Check out the Amazon Kindle fiction genre lists and you’ll find numerous boxed sets among the top 20 bestsellers. 

Last year I wrote a 3-part series on indie boxed sets for the Australasian Christian Writers (ACW) blog. The posts contained information on how to publish a multi-author indie boxed set.

The Benefits from Indie Publishing a Box Set Collection 

How to Write and Publish a Multi-Author Indie Box Set: The Beginning  

How to Write and Publish a Multi-Author Indie Box Set: Preparing to Launch

I write contemporary Christian romance (CCR). In this post I’ll be referring to the CCR genre for examples of boxed sets purchased from Amazon Kindle. 

History of Christian Romance indie boxed sets

The indie author boxed set trend in the CCR genre kicked off in late 2014. The first Christian/inspirational romance box set to hit the Amazon bestseller lists in the CCR genre was Red Hot Squeaky Clean ROMANCE collection (Boxed Set): Ten Shades of Inspirational Romance, released in October 2014. The stories in this box set covered a range of Christian romance genres including historical, mystery, suspense, and contemporary.

Mistletoe Kisses (Inspy Kisses Box Set Book 3) was released in November 2014. It was the first Christian romance boxed set to hit the USA Today bestseller list. Four of the eight books in the collection are CCR. 

Love Brings Us Home was also released in November 2014. It hit the Amazon bestseller lists in CCR and contained full length novels that were previously published as individual indie releases. 

USA best-selling author Hallee Bridgeman was an author in Love Brings Us Home and Red Hot Squeaky Clean Romance. Hallee is our international guest speaker at the upcoming Omega Writers Conference in Sydney, October 28-30. 

Market research on boxed sets in CCR genre 

I put together a spreadsheet based on a sample of CCR multi-author boxed sets I’d purchased in the last 2 years. 

My research included: 
14 boxed sets in the CCR genre 
105 books (with only 1 duplicate title in 2 boxed sets)
45 authors – a combination of indie authors and hybrid authors who are traditionally published
7 titles by Marion Ueckermann
6 titles each by Kimberly Rae Jordan and Valerie Comer
I also sourced book release information from the Inspy Romance group blog (established in February 2014 for CCR readers)

My multi-author boxed sets I included in my research

SPLASH! (released in June 2015, retired in November 2015) 

Love Blossoms (released in January 2016, retiring soon in late October 2016) 

An Aussie Summer Christmas (new release in September 2016) 

Other CCR multi-author boxed sets in my Kindle account or on pre-order (minimum 6 books in each set) 

Candy Cane Kisses

Falling For You

Christmas Blessings

Immeasurably More

Snowflakes and Mistletoe

CCR boxed sets in my Kindle account that are no longer available for sale

Whispers of Love (USA Today Bestseller)

Home for Christmas

Summer of Love

Love’s Gift

Love Brings Us Home

Mistletoe Kisses (USA Today Bestseller) 

The boxed sets ranged in price from US0.99 to US2.99. I paid between US14.00 to US20.00 to purchase the 14 boxed sets (most were priced at 99 cents). As a result, the average price I paid for an individual book is between 15 to 20 cents. 

Is the price for boxed sets too low? 

The answer is yes and no, depending on your perspective. Traditionally published ebooks are often priced higher than indie ebooks.

If you’re a reader, bargain priced ebooks combined with the ability to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited (US9.99 per month to borrow an unlimited number of ebooks) is appealing. Avid readers can indulge their favourite past time without hurting their bank balance. For many readers Kindle Unlimited has replaced their use of public libraries (and free print book borrows).

If you’re an indie author and can place your book in the right boxed set in your genre, at the present time you can make a reasonable return on a competitively priced boxed set due to volume sales and page reads in Kindle Unlimited. Please note this strategy for success could change at any time due to the rapid changes that constantly take place in the publishing industry. 

The bestseller lists are your goal

For many readers the Amazon Kindle bestseller lists have replaced the physical bookshelf in stores as the place they browse for books. Book exposure on the bestseller lists and in the hot new releases lists is critical for reaching potential readers. Paid advertising, for example Bookbub, can help ebooks rise to the top of the bestseller lists. 

Boxed sets can help authors reach new readers who are fans of their co-authors in the boxed set. 

Bestseller lists provide both the platform for finding new readers and the visibility to gain ebook sales/page reads that generate income for authors. 

Successful authors place series books in boxed sets 

The large majority of books in the 14 boxed sets I researched were part of a series. If a reader falls in love with your writing, they may buy your entire backlist. 

Repeat books in multiple boxed sets

We need to think like a reader when we’re marketing and promoting our books. How would we feel if we purchased a boxed set containing repeat books we’d already bought and read in previous boxed sets? From my sample of 14 CCR boxed sets, the only repeat title was published in boxed sets with release dates of more than 12 months apart. 

Traditional publishers reprint their bestselling books and sometimes update the cover art. When I used to work in retail on the returns desk, the most common reason for customers returning print books was due to an accidental repeat purchase.

If you have a brand new story to place in a boxed set, it would be wise to seek a boxed set opportunity that will be marketed as brand new stories. 

Have you participated in a boxed set or anthology collection? Do you enjoy reading boxed sets? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

This post is being shared on the Australasian Christian Writers blog and the Christian Writers Downunder blog.

If you’re looking to connect with writing groups online, you can join the Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group and the Christian Writers Downunder Facebook Group.

Omega Writers Inc. provides helpful resources and membership benefits for writers who live in the Australasian region.

A fun loving Aussie girl at heart, Narelle Atkins was born and raised on the beautiful northern beaches in Sydney, Australia. She has settled in Canberra with her husband and children. A lifelong romance reader, she found the perfect genre to write when she discovered inspirational romance. Narelle's contemporary stories of faith and romance are set in Australia. 

Her latest novella release, Seaside Christmas, is available in An Aussie Summer Christmas boxed set from Amazon for 99 cents. 

Website: http://www.narelleatkins.com

Blog: http://narelleatkins.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NarelleAtkinsAuthor
Twitter: @NarelleAtkins https://twitter.com/NarelleAtkins

Putting myself out there - Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Each January, or sometimes even late the previous year, I look at my list of speaking engagements and/or book promotion events for the year ahead and usually find I need more. So what to do? Should I wait and pray and leave it to God to prompt people to contact me?  Should I instead be more proactive and think of places where I can offer myself as a speaker? Or is it a matter of combining these two approaches?

Now I know from past experience that God has amazing ways of bringing speaking engagements to me I would never have imagined could happen. For example, a couple of years ago, I received an email from a friend, tentatively asking if I would be available to speak at their church’s women’s retreat. She had been idly chatting with her minister’s wife, as they sat watching their respective sons play soccer, when this lady asked her out of the blue if she knew anyone who might speak at their upcoming retreat. My friend suggested me, despite the fact we had not seen each other for several years and were now in different church denominations. The minister’s wife soon contacted me and, after a few emails and phone calls and a meeting with the retreat committee, we were off and running. It was a special weekend, and, as my friend and I drove home together, we marvelled at the way God had brought it all together.

But I also know from past experience how people often need speakers but don’t quite know whom to contact. So I decided some years back to take the risk of emailing various groups to tell them a bit about myself and my writing journey and let them know I am available to speak. In my email, I always try not to be too pushy. I merely offer myself in what I hope is humility and accept their response. Often I never hear back. Sometimes I receive an email that says something along the lines of ‘Thanks for contacting us. We have organised our speakers for the year but will keep you in mind for next year.’ But sometimes I receive a much more positive response where some lovely person tells me more about their group and asks when I would be available—or even a relieved phone call to organise a date and to thank me for emailing!

So this year, I once again prayed hard, then plunged into writing emails to all sorts of places. I was well aware of the danger of doing things in my own strength. But as I prayed, I sensed God was encouraging me to be proactive and put myself out there once again. Now the time has come to wait and to keep praying—and writing my next book! So far, four groups have invited me to speak, but that is only a small percentage of those I contacted. Will there be more? I don’t know. But I know I have done my best, believing God was leading me as I did.

Is this the way you would go about such things yourself, as a published author? People are different, I am aware, but I would be interested to hear your responses.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

Being a real author

I think I could write a book about my book promotion experiences over the past seven years. In this scintillating piece of literature, I would include some of the more startling and amusing conversations I have had at my book table, such as the following:

‘So what do you have here?

‘These are my six novels and this one, Soul Friend, is non-fiction.’

‘Oh ... what are they about?’

‘Well, I explore different faith themes in my novels such as understanding God’s love, forgiving others, using our gifts to serve God, overcoming rejection, holding onto our faith, and so on. My latest one here, The Inheritance, highlights the importance of dealing with anger and bitterness in our lives and learning to trust God. It has a strong male main character in it as well as a female one this time.’

‘Oh ... so you said they’re novels. Do you mean fiction?  I don’t usually read fiction.’

‘Yes, they’re fiction—but several of them were inspired by real people.’

‘Oh, okay. ... And what about this one here? Did you say it’s non-fiction?’

‘Yes. It’s the story of my own journey with my spiritual mentor Joy.’

‘Oh ... you mean you wrote it yourself? Wow!’

‘Yes. I wrote all these.’

‘You mean ... you mean you wrote all those as well?’

‘That's right.’

‘Wow! I’ve never met a real author before. That’s amazing!’

It’s a little strange how, even when I talk about ‘my’ books or ‘my’ writing in such settings, some people still think I must be selling someone else’s books. After all, their expression says, I couldn’t possibly be an author! Yet I can well understand where they might be coming from. You see, when I was a child, I always thought authors weren’t real people like the rest of us. I think I imagined them as a race apart—some sort of exotic beings from a realm far removed from us whom we could know only via their names on the covers of their books. They must be so clever, I used to think. Only super human beings could weave stories together like that. Imagine writing a whole book!

Now I know differently, of course. Now I myself have joined their ranks. And, as I usually assure those who have such conversations as the above with me, authors are quite normal people—well, sort of! We just happen to love writing, even when that involves many hours of hard work. And some of us also believe that’s how we can best serve God and others.

I never imagined I would be a ‘real author’. I can well remember the day I received the proposed cover of my first novel and how I felt when I saw my name in large letters at the top. My first thought was ‘What have I done?’ Now my work and many of my inner thoughts would be out there for all to see. But in the years since, I have discovered what a privilege it is to be a ‘real author’ and to take hold of every opportunity to honour God and bless others that comes my way as a result.

What are your thoughts about ‘real authors’ or your experiences of being one? Is this a term only published authors can use? Does it differ from the term ‘writer’, which I still prefer to put down as my occupation?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.

Answering those curly questions

Over the past five years or so, I have had some interesting experiences, speaking and promoting my books. I love being invited to share in Christian settings, but I also enjoy talking about my writing journey at secular groups. In fact, part of me dislikes this division between ‘sacred’ and ‘secular’, to be honest. Whenever I speak at a ‘secular’ venue, I believe God is there and has even gone before me, preparing the way. I am always conscious of the setting and respectful of those who have invited me, but I also try to be myself, speaking honestly and listening for what God would want me to say. On most occasions, I get to mention God directly quite a few times. But even if that doesn’t happen as much as I might have wanted, I still try to be a faithful representative of God in that place and alert to the Spirit’s promptings.

And it’s at these secular venues that I am often asked the most interesting and intelligent questions. So many people want to write something, whether it be their own life story or poems that have touched family and friends or children’s stories they would like their grandchildren to enjoy. But even those who never plan to write anything are often curious about how an author goes about it all. They might love reading, but have never thought about what that author’s name on the cover represents and the potential ups and downs involved in it all. Many seem interested too in the nitty-gritty of preparing a book for publication and the actual process of finding a publisher. So when it comes to question time, I have to be prepared for anything!

The most common questions I am asked go something like this: When did you start writing? How long does it take you to write a novel? Where do you get your ideas from? Do you write something every day? Do you sometimes get ‘writers’ block’? Do you plan your book out before you start? What about self-publishing? How has the advent of the e-book affected the publishing industry? Are your books available in all the main bookstores? But perhaps the ones I find the trickiest to answer are to do with selling and money – questions like: How many books have you sold? What sort of print runs would your books have? Can you make a living out of it?

Hmmm!! When it comes to these questions, I try to be gracious – but then again, in our Western culture at least, does one usually ask a stranger how much money he or she makes in their business? The best response I have come up with so far is to tell them I am very thankful I am in the ‘black’ with my books and not in the ‘red’ – that I’m thankful I have so far avoided lots of boxes of unsold books under the bed or wherever they are stashed! But I also tell them it’s a good idea not to give up your day job! And even in the most secular setting, I usually say that, for me, it’s not all about the money. It’s about blessing others and making a difference in this world and about enjoying using the gifts God has given me to share with others.

How about you? Have you been asked curly questions like this? Have you found some good responses to use?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of five published novels – Heléna, All the Days of My Life, Laura, Jenna and Heléna’s Legacy. Her first non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey will be released in October and a sixth novel, The Inheritance, in 2013. Jo-Anne loves music, reading, mentoring younger women, and sharing with community groups about writing. She is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit her website, www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.