Seek Twice as Many Rejections

In January 2007 I reviewed my writing credits. In the past year I had sold a few Sunday School handout articles, wrote for a newspaper for free (great experience) and sold my stories to several compilations. Of course, I also wrote for my blog, the church blog, a church drama and designed cards. None of the latter brought in income.

My first goal for 2007:  Receive twice as many rejections in that year as I did in 2006.

YOU CANNOT SELL WHAT YOU DON’T SUBMIT

I hung the above on my desk in large letters.

At the end of 2007 I recorded more rejections, but on the positive side, I made more money than I had in the past three years combined.

For the next few weeks I will post lessons I learned about writing, marketing, and getting acquainted with other writers, editors and publishers. .

To begin, at a writers conference I heard about an anthology called “A Cup of Comfort.” I sold them many stories and devotionals until they quit their publications. “The Cup of Comfort” publisher was the only anthology producer I ever knew who paid the author to hold book signings.

The idea of extra money pushed me to find sales locations in Nebraska and Oregon.

In the past I had worked in the pre-need arrangement of a funeral home. I made calls to family members of the deceased. Although my boss didn’t consider these tele-marketing, many families did, but in the process I learned to make cold calls.

Because of the cold call knowledge and the idea of more dollars, I called many pastors, bookstores and newspapers. I spoke in Sunday morning worship services in small churches miles from home and met a boatload of believers who not only bought Cup of Comfort, they became my prayer partners.

Lesson Learned:

Do It Afraid!

Often I stuttered on the phone, but perseverance paid off.