Workin' Backwards

Calling all tweens!

New tween devos are coming. They are all about your life and what the Bible says about you! Each devotion is personal. Each one will help you grow in your faith in God. Be ready! Get stoked because Jesus cares for you! New tween devos. . .coming from Zonderkidz in 2015. 

I've been planning the calendar for the devos for some time now. They come out in 2015. A lot of times, people haven't thought too much about life events two years out. Often they will be doing basically the same things. . . doing the same job, living in the same place, and being involved in the same activities.

But writing and marketing a book is very different. It is critical to plan far ahead. After all, a book doesn't just show up on the bookstore shelves. It didn't write itself. It can't just call out to the media to announce its own arrival and expect that everyone will drop what they are doing and rush to the stores to buy it. Yep. Writing and marketing a book takes a lot of planning and work long before the book ever shows up on the shelves.

One thing I have been working on is planning how to work backwards on the devos (and living the plan). Here are some steps in planning to work backwards.

Consider the due date for the manuscript. That seems very straight forward - right? You just look at the contract and look at the date on the contract. (*smiles as she types contract* Thank you, God! Please write these books through me.) The simply complicated answer is yes and no. Yep. Mark that all important due date on the calendar, but then think about that a little more.

Life is busy. Life is also full of surprises. Jobs, illness, family responsibilities, and many, many other things can change. In all truth, those things can change right at the time that a deadline is approaching.

A writer needs to have another plan, one that does not include writing up to the day before the deadline on the contract. So, she marks the calendar again. This time, she marks a self-imposed deadline. It is a date that reflects time to complete her work and a buffer time before the publisher's deadline. Wendy Lawton of the Books & Such Literary Agency writes more about realistic deadlines here.

This morning I am looking at those dates again. I'm checking just where I am on that plan because I'm workin' backwards.

Maybe you are a writer, too. You might be throwing up your hands as you read this. You might be thinking, "Well. That's nice for you, but how did you get to that point? How did you get a contract?"

I'm going to be writing about my journey. No one is born a published author. Your journey to publication might be different than mine, but I am happy to share my story. I praise God for every opportunity that He gives me, and I am continually amazed at His awesome ways! I love this verse:

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. . .  Ephesians 3:20  NIV

Don't you just marvel at the amazing things that God does? It is not about me or you. It is all about God working through us. Amazing!


P.S. You might be wonder what devos I'm writing about. I have the blessings of writing two devotional books for Zonderkidz. Will you pray with me about the devos? You can sign up to be a prayer partner on the right. I won't share your contact info. Promise.


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Tweetables

A writer needs to have another plan, one that does not include writing up to the day before the deadline on the contract.   Tweet this!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. . .  Ephesians 3:20  NIV   Tweet this!

It is not about me or you. It is all about God working through us. Amazing!   Tweet this!

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copyright (c) 2013 Carol McAdams Moore