by Crystal Bowman
I have heard writers say, “I will only write something if it’s my idea.” Well, that’s fine if you plan on self-publishing. However, if you want to work with a publisher, either traditional or independent, a writer needs to be open to direction, critique, and even a different idea.
I self-published my first book which was my idea. Cracks in the Sidewalk was a collection of humor poems I wrote to supplement the poetry workshops I was doing in the local school. In a short time, I sold thousands of books and decided to pursue traditional publishing.
Since this was long before the Internet and websites, I called a local publishing house (Zondervan) and spoke with the children’s editor. He was impressed with my book sales as well as my experience in early childhood education and told me the kinds of book they were currently interested in acquiring. Three out of four ideas he shared were not my “thing.” But one of them was. When he said they were interested in launching a beginning reader series, my blonde brain started spinning. Five years later, I signed a contract for four beginning reader books, and another contract for four books soon followed.
Here's the thing:
Writing a beginning reader series was not my idea. But it was something I felt capable of doing, and it catapulted me into the world of publishing. Since then, I have written more than 100 books. Many of them were my ideas, some were ideas that publishers asked me to write—which I call, “assignment writing,” and others were a combination of both—meaning they were open to my ideas but wanted to see a different slant or direction.
Consider this:
When you hire a builder to build a house, you tell the builder what kind of house you want, including the size and style. If the builder said, “I only build houses that are my idea,” you would not hire that builder. You hire a builder because he has the experience to build a quality house for you, but you get to decide what type of house you want. He may offer suggestions based on his expertise, but the final decision is yours.
Publishers hire writers who have experience, but they may offer suggestions based on their own knowledge and experience as well. When they solicit a writer for a specific assignment, they choose a writer whom they feel is the best fit for the project.
Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself:
I was asked to submit a proposal for the comic page in a popular kids’ Christian magazine. Though this wasn’t in my “wheelhouse,” I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. With some input from my brilliant and creative daughter, I created some fun animal characters, wrote a comic, and submitted a proposal. To my surprise, the editor offered me a contract but requested a slight tweak which I was happy to make. That was more than 10 years ago. I am still writing the comic page for that magazine and had no idea how much I would love writing it!
Bottom line:
Write what you want to write and publish it however you can. But keep an open mind and be willing to write other material because you are a writer, and someone trusts you to write something they want to see in print. Explore all the writing opportunities that come your way. It’s okay to say no if you feel it’s outside of your ability (I could never write a novel!) but say yes when you can and don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. You just might end up doing something you didn’t know you would love!
TWEETABLE
Love this, Crystal!! Of course direction from God can come through editors and publishers. We need to pray when asked to do something that was not "our idea," and ask God for clear direction and discernment. He guides in many ways outside of our box. We will never know the power of the Holy Spirit until we put ourselves in a position where we cannot do it without Him.
ReplyDeleteExcellent perspective, Julie. Thank you for sharing your insights.
DeleteYears ago I tried to pitch a story to an editor from Focus on the Family. He wasn't interested in my topic, but he liked my writing. He asked me to write an article on his topic. I was hesitant and unsure if I could do it. Bottom line: I wrote the article, Focus on the Family published it, and I received a nice paycheck.
ReplyDelete