Why it took 18 years to publish my book

By Susan Barnes

On 19 June 2007, I posted a blog post (here). The post contained five statements about Jesus. These five statements became ten, and eventually became the ten chapters in my book, 10 Blessings of God. (The book was originally called 10 Things I Love About God.) I probably finished the first draft of the book later that year, that is in 2007, 18 years ago. 

Why did it take me so long to publish? 

1st Reason – I actually didn’t want to write a book

Most authors write the types of books they would like to read. When I came to faith as a teenager, I knew very little about being a Christian as I didn’t come from a churched home. I began reading Christian Living books. I’m an avid reader, so I read lots and lots of them. 

After a while, I realised that 99% of these books were written by American males who were university graduates. Often, they pastored large churches and were well-known. 

Given that I was none of these things and never likely to be, I felt writing and publishing a book wasn’t a viable option for me. I also realised that many of these authors were involved in their own marketing and doing a lot of public speaking, which wasn’t appealing either.

Two years before the blog post, that is, in 2005, we had moved to Gisborne. We were going on long service leave in a couple of months, so there was no point in me looking for a job or getting overly involved in our new church. Our older children had already left home, and our youngest was 18 and didn’t move with us. I had recently finished a Diploma in Library and Information Services, and I wasn’t planning to do any more study. I literally had nothing to do. 

So I prayed about what God wanted me to do and the idea of writing a book came to mind but I kept dismissing it. After a while, I thought perhaps this idea was from God. So I proceeded to tell God why it was a very bad idea! “I’m an Australian female. I’m unknown. The Australian Christian publishing industry is tiny.” I also told God that I didn’t have anything to write about.

Suddenly, I was reminded that over the previous ten years, I had written fortnightly and sometimes weekly devotions. I knew that I wrote on particular themes, like love, grace, peace, hope. So I printed off my devotions and put them into piles according to their topic. From these ideas, I wrote a chapter about each topic. Three months later, I had a book-length manuscript. Something I had thought impossible.

After this process, I had so many devotions left over that two years later, I wrote a second book, which became 10 Blessings of God. I still have the original manuscript on my computer, and maybe I’ll publish that next year.

Once I had a manuscript, I started looking at publishing options. 

2nd Reason – I discovered I wasn’t a good writer

Perhaps this should have been obvious to me as I was only an average English student. Generally, my essays scored Cs. I was actually much better at Maths.

I began showing my book to editors. I remember one editor saying to me, about what I thought was a particularly clever sentence, “That’s the most awkward sentence I’ve ever read!” 

About this time. a literary agent did show some interest but told me my book required too much editing.

However, the most disturbing thing I was told about my writing was that I was quoting too many other people. I was hiding behind other people’s experiences instead of sharing my own. 

In retrospect, I wonder why I kept writing. But it was partly because I knew that people had been blessed by the devotions I had written. And also, because I discovered I liked hanging around the Christian authors I met at the Omega Writers events. I found like-minded people and I felt a bond with them. 

I heard a conference speaker once say, you can learn to be a better writer, but if your content isn’t very good, that’s a much harder problem to solve, so there was hope.

It took a lot of time and work to improve my writing. It wasn’t easy because there aren’t courses or workshops you can take for learning how to write a Christian Living book. 

The other issue of being able to write about my own experiences, instead of borrowing from other people's, also took a lot of time and energy. I had to work through some emotional issues to get to that place.

3rd Reason – I really didn’t want to self-publish 

I was around when self-publishing became a ‘thing’, and it wasn’t good. A lot of poor-quality books flooded the market, and I didn’t want to be part of that. So I persisted for over a decade to get traditionally published. 

During this time, through a series of unexpected events, I went back to study and completed a bachelor's degree in Christian ministry. Later, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Writing through Tabor College. 

Also, during this time, there was a five-year period where I was an interim pastor at three different churches. I preached my way through, 10 Blessings of God, a couple of times. So I felt it was worthwhile writing it, even if it never got published. 

I continued attending conferences, meeting agents, editors and publishers. I wrote book proposals and cover letters. Mostly, I was writing to Americans, so I had my book edited into US English, which makes me feel like a bit of a traitor! However, since 2005, when I started a blog, I’ve always had a lot more visits from Americans than Australians. 

In 2020, at an Omega Christian Writers Conference, my book, won the prize for the best unpublished manuscript, but it wasn’t enough to convince me that my book was good enough to self-publish.

In 2022, I spoke to an acquisition editor from England at another Omega Writers Conference who was genuinely interested in publishing my book. We corresponded for the next couple of months, but in the end, the editorial board decided my book wasn’t financially viable. 

Nevertheless, the fact that a completely objective, unbiased person wanted to publish my book made me realise that my book was, at long last, good enough to be published.

However, by now, we had moved back to Bendigo, and I had been fortunate to pick up a school librarian position. And while it was a good job and I felt blessed to have it, the position was taxing, both physically and mentally. I quickly realised that I would have to wait until I retired to publish my book. 

In February of this year, I retired, and now, finally, I have a published book. It’s published under my business name, Reams of Grace. 

Author Bio

Susan Barnes has thirty years of experience in pastoral ministry, serving in various roles at different churches where her husband, Ross, was the pastor. Since earning a degree in Christian ministry, Susan has served as a chaplain and an interim pastor at rural churches in Vic and NSW. Books have always been an important part of her life, and she worked for many years in public and school libraries. 

Susan has published hundreds of devotional articles where she shares her experiences of trusting God. She lives with her husband in central Victoria, Australia. 

 www.susanbarneswriter.com

The CPU of Publication and Beyond

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

The C's

Way back in 2012, when I launched back into my writing dreams, I was introduced to the 'Snowflake Man Randy Ingermanson. Randy developed a nonlinear system of plot development - the Snowflake method - but that's a post for another day (you can find out about it here).  He suggested three things are needed to get published - Content, Craft and Connections

Content

'What you know'. Randy says everyone has content that is unique to them. It might be your life experiences or story, or a skill or professional expertise, or it could be your imagination. No matter if you write fiction or non-fiction - who you are, your story, your personality, your life and your imagination will infuse your writing so that it is uniquely yours. 

Even so, it's important to refine and test your content. Make sure you have a story worth telling in a way that's compelling and impactful. 

Craft 

Knowing what you want to write is important, but so is knowing how to tell it. There's a joke about someone on a tour of (let's say) an aged care home. The director takes the guest to the recreation room where a group have gathered. One old woman shouts out 23 and the whole group falls about laughing. A man says 12 and by this time the group is in stitches. The guest turns to the director and asks for an explanation. The director says, 'This group have been together so long, they know each other's jokes, so they've assigned numbers to them to save time. A few more call out numbers, much to the merriment of the group, until a man stands up and mumbles, '34'. Dead silence - not a chuckle, not a snicker, not a smile. The guest turns to the director mystified. 'What happened there?' The director shakes her head, 'Ah, Sam could never tell a joke. He always gets the delivery wrong.'

It's not quite enough to have a good story, we also need to know how to tell it. That is the craft - learning the techniques, the strategies, the rules of writing. It includes knowing reader expectations and being aware of changes over time. If as writers, we want our stories to be noticed we need to hone the skills of the craft.

Connections

The next C is connections. This, I think works on a few levels. Randy mentions going to conferences to make connections with agents and publishers. Not that this is an invitation to stalk or hound or to button hole. Make genuine connections. 

I think connections can be much wider than that and include being part of the writer community - encouraging and supporting each other. Other writers are not the opposition. Rather, we are stronger if we support each other through many and diverse ways - maybe providing constructive feedback in critique groups or as beta-readers, buying, reading and reviewing other authors' books (especially those who write in a similar genre or area) or maybe through encouragement and prayer. 

And the other important group to connect with are readers and fans.

But it's not quite as simple as that in my experience. I would add three Ps and a U.

Add in the P's

Patience

If we plant a young mango tree today, we would be mad to expect it to provide us with a bumper crop tomorrow. Fruit trees take time to grow and often don't fruit at all for the first several years. Most authors do not experience instant results. So one of the most important tools in a writers' toolbox is patience. Allowing time for things to happen. it takes time to write a book - and then to rewrite it, to prune and polish it. It generally takes time to publish (whether traditionally or as an Indie). And it takes time to build an audience - and generally it takes more than one book. And the hardest thing is being patient when nothing seems to be happening, no one seems to be taking notice. 

Persistence

Being an author is not for the faint-hearted. It requires hard work. It can be a rollercoaster ride of excitement (typing 'The End' for the first time, holding the first book in our hands, reading a glowing review, the first royalty payment, having a bunch of sales, having a fan come back to buy the next book, winning a prize) but it is also packed with times of disappointment (getting negative feedback, receiving the umpteenth rejection letter - or no letter at all, having sales drop or getting no sales at all, discovering a scathing one star review, having hardly anyone buy your latest book, and 'crickets' - the long periods of silence). And there are so many things to juggle, so many things to spend money on for, often, so little (monetary) return. Moreover, there's a lot of trial and error - of working out what works for you and your books among the multitude of options and possibilities

If you see a successful author (however you define success) you see an author who persisted despite the setbacks and disappointments. 

Prayer

And as Christian writers, we should add prayer. Why do we write? What is our motivation? Whatever we do, we should do to honour our Lord. And in whatever we do, we should seek His guidance, His wisdom, and His provision. In the fallow times, when nothing seems to be happening, we can and should trust Him, rest on Him, wait for Him to do His work through us. And maybe, that's the hardest lesson of all. 

Then there's the U

What does U stand for? Unlimited? Unexpected? Unequalled? Ultimate? Unerring? 

It stands for YOU. 

Yes, you.  You have a unique story or stories to tell - even if it's the 1000th retelling of Beauty and the Beast - or Pride and Prejudice - you can put your own imprint on it, if told well. 

But it's more than that, because in the end, the buck stops with U.  No one else is responsible for your story. The world does not owe you a reading of your book, no matter how hard you worked on it.  

There's that saying 'If you build it, they will come.' (From the movie Field of Dreams). But just because you wrote a book, even a book the Lord has called you to write, doesn't mean you can stand in the field and wait for people to discover it. Don't stand around asking what others can do for you - rather, be proactive and consider what you can do, what you need to do to bring your dream and calling to fruition. 

Trust in God does not mean quiescence, standing still and doing nothing. It may mean waiting in active faith but it also means stepping out of the boat in the middle of the storm and walking on the waves.

Omega Writers Book Fair & the Omega Writers Conference

There are two upcoming opportunities - the Brisbane Omega Writers Book Fair (31 July) and the Omega Writers Conference and CALEB dinner (October) - opportunities to meet with other Christian writers, to learn from others and - with the Book Fair  - to connect with readers and, perhaps, sell some books. Even if your book is unpublished, it's still worth coming to the Book Fair to connect with other writers, to do the workshop or panel - and maybe to win a prize. Mark the dates in your diaries and - if you can - please come.

Jeanette O'Hagan has published and promoted two joint anthologies – Glimpses of Light and Let Sea Roar, and seven books in her YA epic fantasy world - Under the Mountain novella series, the first two books in her Akrad’s Legacy series - a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements, and a collection of short stories in Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories. Her short stories and poems have also been included in over twenty anthologies - including Gods of Clay, Challenge Accepted and Tales of Magic and Destiny.

It's one thing to write the book, another to get it published and a whole new level to make it visible. It's a steep learning curve and can often feel overwhelming but there is nothing better than connecting with enthusiastic readers.

 
She will be one of the panellists on Marketing and Promotion for Writers at the Omega Writers Book Fair, along with Sally Eberhardt and Lynne Stringer and moderated by Nola Passmore. 11:30-12:15 am, Saturday 31 July 2021. Find out more here.

Don't Give Up

A number of years ago, I attended Bible College. I was very aware of when our first assessment was due, but when the time came to submit it, I purposely made a quick beeline for the door.  I was literally terrified of the pastor reading my work. “I am not good enough.  My writing is not good enough.  I hate being vulnerable.  I am not spiritual enough.  I hate people seeing into my heart.” Just as I reached the door, however, I heard “Has everyone done their assignments?” Very reluctantly, I turned, and gave it to the pastor, my heart hammering in my chest, as the negative self talk pervaded. 

  Fast forward a couple of weeks, and it was time to receive our results. The lecturer began to talk about the assignments we had submitted.  He majored on one in particular, and mentioned how well written it was, etc.  I was sitting there, sick with nerves, and sure that I had not done a good enough job.  Our assessments were returned to us, and I could not believe my eyes! It was my work that he had been talking about! My work! The essay that I thought was not good enough! This boosted my confidence. However, it would be many years before I could happily let others see my work, without the awful nerves and feeling of dread. (I still experience this, but to a much lesser degree!)

A couple of years earlier, I had rather tentatively enrolled in a free mail order writing course.  For over a year, they sent me regular correspondence, and would you believe, I just filed all of it, unopened. It sat in my filing cabinet like that, for years! Eventually they stopped sending mail to me.  Not surprisingly! Why didn’t I open it? The same reasons that I used at Bible College.  I was too afraid.  Of what?  Failure. Inadequacy. Disappointment. Judgement.  Vulnerability. Despite all of these negative thoughts, a seed had been planted. Maybe God wanted me to write. Really? Me write? It was only a tiny seed, but it had none the less found a lodging place.  Just not a very fertile one!

I talked to a girl at Church, a number of years later.   Lo and behold she was a writer.  During the course of our conversation, we realised that we had a mutual friend, and the two of them were getting together regularly to share their love of, and to encourage each other in their writing. I was invited to join them.  And I did, very nervously and apprehensively.  They were both successful writers, who had work published. And they even studied writing! They graciously made me welcome and encouraged me. But who would be interested in anything I had to say? And what did I have to say any way? The same old fears resurfaced. However, with the encouragement of my very patient writing friends, I began to write a few short non-fiction stories and bravely submitted my work to different publications.  And it was accepted.  Wow! I was a published author. But still a very reluctant and fearful one.  As a number of years passed, my friends continued to nag (sorry, encourage) me. And I continued to write, albeit infrequently, and was very grateful to have more of my work published.

I am currently in the throes of writing a devotional book.  This has long been my desire.  One that has burned in my heart, intermittently, for the last 20 years.  It is exciting to see this dream coming to fruition at long last. My encouragement to you is to follow your dreams.  Persist.  Persevere. Don’t give up. Everyone has a story to tell. My journey has been very long and slow, and at times painful.  A number of times I gave up hope of ever achieving my dream but God had different ideas and kept pursuing me, and encouraging me through different people and situations. My desire was bought to life again, resurrected when I thought is was impossible. God has taught me a lot over the years and I am now more confident to open my heart and share things He has done.  I believe that we are blessed to be a blessing. And if someone can be blessed through reading something I have written, I am responsible to write what God has laid on my heart.   God is good and faithful.  Follow the dream He has placed in your heart.  He will use your writing for His glory, and it will be a blessing to others. Don’t give up!

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Janelle Moore lives in Toowoomba, Queensland with her husband and their two teenagers.  She enjoys writing devotions and short non-fiction works, often using her children and their antics as her inspiration.