Go with God...

“It never fails to surprise me, in conversations with writers who seek my advice as to what they should write, how many fail to see before their very eyes the hay that might be gold. Instead of honoring the subjects and forms that invade their dreams and diaries, they concoct some ideas about what’s selling or what agents and editors are looking for as they try to fit their odd-shaped pegs into someone else’s hole. There is nothing more refreshing for an editor to meet a writer or read a query letter that takes him completely by surprise, that brings him into a world he didn’t know existed or awakens him to a notion that had been there all along but that he had never much noticed. Some of the most striking and successful books in recent history were clearly born of a writer’s obsession and complete disregard of what, supposedly, sells.”
–Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers, p. 17-18

Tricia’s Thoughts:
What is commonplace to you that might be new and fresh to the world around you? Think about that for a minute. For me, it’s teenage mothers. I was a teen mom, and I work with them on a weekly basis. When I put together my proposal for a book for teenage mothers, the editors loved the idea, but weren’t sure about the salability. (They thought it would possibly sell as many as 2,000 copies.) Zondervan finally gave me a contract because of my PASSION and my heart for teen moms.

When I received word that Life Interrupted had gone into it’s third printing, bringing the number of copies in print up to 7,600, I was amazed. I’ve also done dozens of radio interviews, magazine articles, and TV spots on the subject. Only God can do that! He placed this passion on my heart for a reason.

What about you? What do you really want to write but are afraid won’t sell? Forget the “numbers.” Go with God!