@CindyDevoted

Writing advice is a dime a dozen. A writer sits through conferences, noting the gems they’ll glean and take home. Sometimes we’ve heard the same words over and over. Many times, we hear the debates, like write what you know…no, learn to write what you don’t know. When the truth of the matter is, it depends on where you are in your writing journey as to what you write.

Trends sway the industry and genres change at the drop of a hat. Self-publishing entitlesthe new writer but becomes a useful tool for the well-published author. The question becomes, how do we really know what we need to do as a writer? Where are the lines and what do they mean?

Writing has always been subjective. What one loves, another despises. That will never change but what never changes is the craft itself. Regardless if you self-publish or traditionally publish, continued learning and refining is necessary.

Since self-publishing became a “thing,” and more writers took publishing into their own hands, one thing has become apparent. Love and respect for publishers has started on a downhill spiral.

Writers now have the ability to put their own book in print, keep the profits (if there is any), and embrace the attitude of “my way or no way.”

So where does respect for the publisher fall? Before self-publishing, receiving a contract was a cherished and hard earned privilege. When a person moved from the ranks of writer to the status of published author, folks understood the hard work and grit behind producing a manuscript that finally made “the cut.” Quality meant something. All too often, being able to publish at the drop of a hat, leads to published work that is nowhere close to being ready for publication.

Before the business of self-publishing, traditional publishers prided themselves on launching successful careers with folks who truly appreciated and practiced the craft of writing.

What I have experienced over the last 10 years is a decline in the respect of the craft and publishers but a rise in entitlement and “it’s all about me.” Publishing has always been a tough industry, but how folks treat one another has crashed and burned.

Whether you self-publish or are fortunate enough to publish traditionally there are lines that need to be respected. Here are a few that will help you adjust your thought process.

• Your traditional publisher is NOT your self-publisher– Learn the basics of a contract. When you sign your name on the dotted line, you no longer own your manuscript. You have signed the rights to over to the publisher. Contracts are a give and take for both the writer and the publisher. Publishers enjoy pulling an author in on the publication process. They want the true author to shine through. However, they do not enjoy a demanding author who spends valuable time spouting out their personal agenda for the work. Remember, though publishers aren’t perfect, they have years of experience that work to the author’s advantage. They know what sells on a book cover, understand titling in the market place, and they certainly understand how to make a story flow with editing. Traditional publishers want your work to sell. They aren’t in the business to lose money. Remember you are not paying them to publish your book. They are paying you. Practice restraint and trust the publishers will protect your interest in the book. Though you may have input you will not have full control in the publication, so don’t cross the line.
• Pray, pray, pray – Spend significant time in prayer over your work. Pray for your publisher, editors, designers, and marketers. When you offer your work back to the one who gifted you the talent and inspiration, amazing things happen.
• Don’t burn bridges– Publishers tell stories of writers who wear them out with calls, never meet deadlines, and refuse to make necessary changes in editing. Make every effort to work well with professionals. If you self-publish you have full control, but if you are published traditionally, you must play by the rules. Failure to do so will follow you everywhere you go. Sometimes authors start with small publishers and as their careers grow, they move up to medium, and then large houses. Your reputation will proceed you. Remember the golden rule – treat others and you would have them treat you and you won’t go wrong.
• If you self-publish, don’t skip steps– Once again, it’s about the craft of writing. Don’t skip steps. If you are going to self-publish, then invest fully in the process by hiring a reputable content editor, interior designer, and cover designer. Remember, what you publish today, will follow you. Make your work the best it can be. Produce work that will honor God.  Don’t publish just because you can. Self-publication should be a business decision, not one based on “just having a book.”
• *Don’t believe the Amazon lie– Not that Amazon lies, but authors lie to themselves by thinking if they have a book on Amazon, it will sell. The harsh reality is, NOPE. Your book becomes one of the millions of books listed on Amazon and with marketing (paid marketing and having a platform), your book will not float to the top of the Amazon river.

Be a joyous author. Be gracious, loving, and grateful. Lead every step in prayer and kindness then trust in God’s precious timing.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. She is the cofounder of ChristianDevotions.us and the executive editor of ChristianDevotions.us and InspireaFire.com. Cindy is the managing editor for Straight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, both imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is an award-winning and best-selling author and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.  @cindydevoted