From Edie: Feel like your platform is too small to matter? Discover why your words have value right now and how to faithfully steward your message, no matter the size of your audience.
Your Words Matter Today: Encouragement for Writers with a Small Platform
by Kate Huff @KateOliviaHuff
Have you ever felt like your words don't really matter yet?
Like you need a publishing contract or a couple of books on a shelf before anyone will take you seriously? Honestly, before you take yourself seriously?
Or maybe you've stared at your subscriber count and felt the slow leak of discouragement that comes when the numbers don't match your effort. You pour yourself into the words, hit send, and then... silence. A low open rate. Maybe a few replies. Does anyone care?
It can be discouraging. And if we're not careful, that discouragement starts to whisper lies. Your words aren't ready, your platform is too small, or you should wait until you have more to show for it.
I get it. I talk to a lot of writers about newsletters. It's kind of my thing. I have lots of conversations about list hygiene, growth strategies, and all the things we're supposed to be doing. Don't get me wrong, the technical side matters, and I believe in doing it well. But today I want to pull back from the checklist and talk about something that matters even more—the purpose and the heartbeat behind the words we share.
Because if we're not careful, writing becomes just one more thing to check off the to-do list. And it was never meant to be that.
If we were sitting across from each other at a little coffee shop having an Alchemy moment, here's what I'd say to you:
Your words matter today. Not someday. Not when you finally land the deal of your dreams.
They matter today.
The Parable of the Talents and Your Words
Remember the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25? A man going on a journey entrusts his servants with talents to steward while he's away. Two of them put the talents to work and double what they were given. But one servant buries his in the ground, and they remain safe, hidden, untouched.
I think about that parable a lot when it comes to writing.
Our words are like those talents, except they've been given to us by God. And when we hold on to them too tightly (waiting until we're ready, until the platform is big enough, until someone gives us permission) aren't we a little like that third servant? The one who buried what he was given instead of trusting that the gift was meant to be used?
Be honest with yourself. Are you hiding your words?
Do you believe God gave them to you in the first place?
If you truly believe He did, why are you holding on so tightly? The servant who buried his talent thought he was being responsible. He thought he was protecting something precious. But the master called it something else entirely. Don't let fear dress itself up as patience.
Steward What You've Been Given
Here's the truth about your newsletter, your blog, your small-but-mighty email list: the number of people subscribed doesn't determine the value of your words. It's your job to steward the audience you have, not the one you wish you had.
You never know how God is going to use the words you put into the world. Sometimes He might give you a glimpse, but most of the time, you'll never fully see the impact. And that's okay. That's faith.
I don't have a published novel yet. But every month, I have the opportunity to write words that land in the inboxes of people who actually chose to receive them. And honestly? That's an honor. I may never stand to speak in front of a packed auditorium, but I can show up faithfully for the readers I have right now.
That's not settling. That's stewardship.
Someone Needs Your Words Today
The faithful readers you have today are not a consolation prize. They are the people God has placed in front of you right now. One of them might need your exact perspective to shift their thinking. Another might need your encouragement at just the right moment. Someone might need your story. Today. Not someday.
And here's something else worth remembering: every word you write is shaping you as a writer. The voice you're developing right now, the muscles you're building, the person you're becoming—it all starts with the small act of showing up and writing faithfully before anyone is watching.
This season of small is doing something in you that you can't even begin to imagine. Big or small, He is working in your life, and that's enough to keep going.
You Already Have Permission
You don't need a book deal to start. You don't need a bigger platform. You don't need someone to tell you the time is right.
You already have the words. You already have the calling. And you already have readers who showed up because they want to hear from you.
So write it. Post it. Send it.
Your words count before anyone is counting.
TWEETABLE
Kate works as a freelance content writer and newsletter specialist. She has over twenty years of experience crafting content, specifically newsletters, across diverse sectors, including non-profits, sales, and fundraising. She helps authors and entrepreneurs create compelling newsletters that connect with their audiences and offers tailored content creation services, as well as training on how to build newsletters and grow subscriber bases.
You can find her at WWW.KATEOLIVIAHUFF.COM or on most socials as @kateoliviahuff. Sign up for Newsletters Made Simple for Authors at HTTPS://REBRAND.LY/NEWSLETTERS-MADE-SIMPLEfor simple tips to take your newsletter from good to great!
No comments:
Post a Comment