Today I'm blessed to have bestselling author David Gregory, who penned Dinner with a Perfect Stranger with us today.What piece of advice would you give a new writer in today's publishing world?
Write what’s on your heart, not what’s hot in the market at the moment. God has given you a message; communicate that. If a million people read it, great. If your family and a few friends read it, great. You haven’t failed by expressing what God has laid on your heart. That’s why Jesus lives in you, to express himself uniquely as you.
Tell me your journey of publication. How did you sell your first piece?
My journey is unusual, to say the least. I had co-authored and self-published a nonfiction book called The Rest of the Gospel: When the Partial Gospel Has Worn You Out. We still sell it out of our garage. A friend read it and loved it; she sent a copy to an author friend of hers, who loved it; he recommended it to his publisher, WaterBrook Press. I sent them a copy and it received some serious consideration but was finally rejected. However, when I self-published my first fiction, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, I sent them a copy and they jumped on it. It sold lots of copies, they signed me to a contract to write two more books, and I quit my day job and started writing full time.
It’s hard to overstate how very unusual this is. To get a book into the hands of a publisher for a serious look without an agent is hard to do. I just fell into that. Then to send them a second book and immediately get a contract for it is unusual. Then to sell enough copies and be signed to a contract sufficient to support oneself sufficiently for several years and quit one’s day job—that is extremely unusual. I would never advise anyone to expect it. It happens less than one percent of the time—among published authors.
How do you make a consistent income from writing?
I happened upon a publisher that was willing to make a big push on my first fiction and turn it into a big seller. Publishers are always looking for books that can make it big. I think it’s unrealistic to write with that in mind, however. I wrote Dinner with A Perfect Stranger because I wanted it as a resource I personally could give to people to share Jesus with them. I’m not the world’s greatest evangelist, but I do write, so I put what I wanted to share with someone in story form. I self-published it, printing 2500 copies. I figured if I could sell 1500 of them and break even I’d be doing well. I never envisioned the book becoming a best seller.
How have you dealt with rejection?
I’ve only had books rejected three times, and I think my expectations were sufficiently low that each wasn’t a big deal. The book I still self-publish, The Rest of the Gospel, has been rejected twice. But it has been a very successful self-published book (again, very unusual), so I didn’t mind. Self-publishing it has given me the freedom to provide lots of free and discounted copies to ministries and people overseas. About the time Dinner with a Perfect Stranger was accepted by WaterBrook Press, it was declined by another publisher. Fortuitously, it turns out, because they wouldn’t have pushed it as hard.
I think the important thing is keeping the whole publishing game in perspective. Publishers are looking for books they can make money on. Yes, good Christian publishers want books with a solid message, but if a publisher can’t make money, they go out of business. I have been greatly blessed by little books that individuals or ministries have published that a major publisher would never touch. Not enough market potential, they would say. And they’d be right. It’s OK to write a niche book that only gets read by a few thousand, or a few hundred, or just family and friends. I co-authored such a book, an exposition on Romans 6. Not many people read it, but those that did were blessed. Ultimately, the important thing is not that God reaches multitudes through us (that’s up to him), but that we express what he has laid on our hearts. He delights in expressing his life through us, even if the audience is very small. The widow’s mite applies to writing as well; it’s not the volume sold, but the heart.
How can a writer maximize his/her conference experience?
I recommend good writers’ conferences, like the American Christian Fiction Writers conference and the Mount Hermon conference for Christian writers. Not only do they provide the opportunity to interact with other writers, but they are set up to get you face to face with agents and acquisitions editors. They are an investment of time and money, but they can provide the direction and contacts that can minimize wasted time in the writing endeavor.
My primary advice for conferences would be, be bold. Take the initiative to talk with the contacts you need to talk to. Don’t make yourself a nuisance, but certainly don’t hide in the shadows. Talk to the people you need to maximize your benefit from the experience. That’s what you’re there for, and that’s why agents and editors are there, too.
What one thing does every writer need to know about the publishing journey?
God doesn’t measure success by numbers of books sold. God doesn’t measure success by the number of books published, or having any published at all. He wants us to know him and his love deeply, and to express his life in us freely to others. If writing—if getting published—is part of that journey, fine. But the publishing journey is not the Way; Jesus is.
Every Christian writer thinks God has a message he wants to share through that writer. Great. Write it. However many people God sees fit to have read it—that’s God’s business. Never get discouraged by outward appearances. God knows exactly what he is doing with each of us. He is working on something so much greater than book contracts and sales figures, or the lack thereof. One day that will be completely apparent. Right now, we lay hold of that by faith and enjoy walking with Him.
Write what’s on your heart, not what’s hot in the market at the moment. God has given you a message; communicate that. If a million people read it, great. If your family and a few friends read it, great. You haven’t failed by expressing what God has laid on your heart. That’s why Jesus lives in you, to express himself uniquely as you.
Tell me your journey of publication. How did you sell your first piece?
My journey is unusual, to say the least. I had co-authored and self-published a nonfiction book called The Rest of the Gospel: When the Partial Gospel Has Worn You Out. We still sell it out of our garage. A friend read it and loved it; she sent a copy to an author friend of hers, who loved it; he recommended it to his publisher, WaterBrook Press. I sent them a copy and it received some serious consideration but was finally rejected. However, when I self-published my first fiction, Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, I sent them a copy and they jumped on it. It sold lots of copies, they signed me to a contract to write two more books, and I quit my day job and started writing full time.
It’s hard to overstate how very unusual this is. To get a book into the hands of a publisher for a serious look without an agent is hard to do. I just fell into that. Then to send them a second book and immediately get a contract for it is unusual. Then to sell enough copies and be signed to a contract sufficient to support oneself sufficiently for several years and quit one’s day job—that is extremely unusual. I would never advise anyone to expect it. It happens less than one percent of the time—among published authors.
How do you make a consistent income from writing?
I happened upon a publisher that was willing to make a big push on my first fiction and turn it into a big seller. Publishers are always looking for books that can make it big. I think it’s unrealistic to write with that in mind, however. I wrote Dinner with A Perfect Stranger because I wanted it as a resource I personally could give to people to share Jesus with them. I’m not the world’s greatest evangelist, but I do write, so I put what I wanted to share with someone in story form. I self-published it, printing 2500 copies. I figured if I could sell 1500 of them and break even I’d be doing well. I never envisioned the book becoming a best seller.
How have you dealt with rejection?
I’ve only had books rejected three times, and I think my expectations were sufficiently low that each wasn’t a big deal. The book I still self-publish, The Rest of the Gospel, has been rejected twice. But it has been a very successful self-published book (again, very unusual), so I didn’t mind. Self-publishing it has given me the freedom to provide lots of free and discounted copies to ministries and people overseas. About the time Dinner with a Perfect Stranger was accepted by WaterBrook Press, it was declined by another publisher. Fortuitously, it turns out, because they wouldn’t have pushed it as hard.
I think the important thing is keeping the whole publishing game in perspective. Publishers are looking for books they can make money on. Yes, good Christian publishers want books with a solid message, but if a publisher can’t make money, they go out of business. I have been greatly blessed by little books that individuals or ministries have published that a major publisher would never touch. Not enough market potential, they would say. And they’d be right. It’s OK to write a niche book that only gets read by a few thousand, or a few hundred, or just family and friends. I co-authored such a book, an exposition on Romans 6. Not many people read it, but those that did were blessed. Ultimately, the important thing is not that God reaches multitudes through us (that’s up to him), but that we express what he has laid on our hearts. He delights in expressing his life through us, even if the audience is very small. The widow’s mite applies to writing as well; it’s not the volume sold, but the heart.
How can a writer maximize his/her conference experience?
I recommend good writers’ conferences, like the American Christian Fiction Writers conference and the Mount Hermon conference for Christian writers. Not only do they provide the opportunity to interact with other writers, but they are set up to get you face to face with agents and acquisitions editors. They are an investment of time and money, but they can provide the direction and contacts that can minimize wasted time in the writing endeavor.
My primary advice for conferences would be, be bold. Take the initiative to talk with the contacts you need to talk to. Don’t make yourself a nuisance, but certainly don’t hide in the shadows. Talk to the people you need to maximize your benefit from the experience. That’s what you’re there for, and that’s why agents and editors are there, too.
What one thing does every writer need to know about the publishing journey?
God doesn’t measure success by numbers of books sold. God doesn’t measure success by the number of books published, or having any published at all. He wants us to know him and his love deeply, and to express his life in us freely to others. If writing—if getting published—is part of that journey, fine. But the publishing journey is not the Way; Jesus is.
Every Christian writer thinks God has a message he wants to share through that writer. Great. Write it. However many people God sees fit to have read it—that’s God’s business. Never get discouraged by outward appearances. God knows exactly what he is doing with each of us. He is working on something so much greater than book contracts and sales figures, or the lack thereof. One day that will be completely apparent. Right now, we lay hold of that by faith and enjoy walking with Him.
Stumble It!
9 comments:
"Never get discouraged by outward appearances." Another quote to add to my desk. Thanks for a great interview.
What wonderful encouragement to just write what's on our hearts and leave the size of the audience up to God -- and to be content and happy and blessed with whatever that audience is. Sounds like pretty wise advice to me. Thanks, Mary, for sharing this interview!
Amen! Let it be so that we are able to leave it in God's hands how many people see our work. Why do we write? We write to faithfully communicate a message that's burning in our heart. David Gregory obviously contented himself with being faithful- not famous- and God saw to the rest of the story.
I've personally known David Gregory for several years, and he is truly one of the most authentic writers I've ever met.
I think what sets him apart from other Christian fiction authors is that he writes with a spiritual purpose in mind and the story follows...rather than writing a story and trying to cram some Christianity into it.
I've read all of his books, and I always feel like I've learned something that enhanced my view of Christ. I can't say enough about how unique and talented David is! Any author would do well to listen to his encouragement to let Jesus write through you.
Thanks for such a refreshing interview! It's so easy to get snagged into thinking sales figures and rankings and numbers are important. My favorite line in the interview is this: "But the publishing journey is not the Way; Jesus is."
Great interview, Mary and David!! A very non-spiritual question arises in my mind as a result of reading this. David says Waterbrook chose to give a big marketing push to "Dinner." At what point in the publishing process does the author become aware that the publisher has planned this? Is it something that doesn't begin (with a new author) until initial sales figures start to roll in? Or do sales happen because a pre-emptive decision to push the book was made?
And what does "a big push" actually look like? Those coveted displays in the front of the store? Magazine ad space? Is there ANYTHING an author can do (besides hope and pray) that might encourage her publisher to made a big push? Furthermore, if a big push on the publisher's part resulted in correspondingly big sales, why wouldn't publishers use this tactic more often?
I am clueless about how such things happen in the real world.
Perhaps this is a subject for another post? Enquiring authors want to know!! :)
Such good advice! Often even my husband says I ought to write a book about whatever has his attention at that moment. Then I remind him that I can only suceed at what God lays on my heart to write. Yet at times, even I forget that. Sigh.
Thanks for the insightful interview and the reminder that each person's writing journey is unique. God tailors them to the path that He has for each of us. Fortunately, He doesn't treat us like cookie cut-outs
David, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom here. I know many, many were blessed.
Warmly,
Mary
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