I Believe, Don’t I?

I read years ago that actor Jim Carrey, before he was known for his work on The Grinch or Dumb and Dumber of even before The Mask wrote himself a check for a million dollars.

It was his visual to keep pushing through the rejection and believe he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Well, I believe those words are transforming. Everything about me is that I’d encourage “audiences/women/readers to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and—maybe one day—the chocolate.” The problem? Like Jim Carrey before those memorable movies, few are finding my work.

The author’s life is not as glamorous as one thinks. When You’re Beautiful came out, our daughter and co-author talked about it with friends and they were convinced in their sweet imaginations that she should take her royalties and go to Vegas. At the time she was in 7th grade, so that was funny, but it was also comical because those funds took us to Chick-Fil-A a couple times.

I saw this image and hope sparked within me. That one day, someone I’ve never met would be asked who their favorite author was and it would be my name that blurts from their lips. Like Susan May Warren, Kristin Billerbeck, Janice Thompson, and Lysa TerKeurst effortlessly flow from my mouth. Not because I’m the perfect writer, but because through the power of God, the words He gives me would be life-changing.

Marketing is every bit a part of being an author as it is sitting down and writing. There’s also editing, revising, and if you are an indie, there’s cover design, formatting, and marketing truly is a category and beast of its own. Launch teams, guest blog posts, ads if you can afford them, press releases, social media, and doing the same with your other releases.

It’s easy to look at that image and get that hope followed by the crushing blow that it’s all a pipe dream. I am intentional about not looking at reviews beyond marketing purposes, or stats about where my books rank (unless I need to market during a promo,) or the income that is coming in beyond being a good steward about it all.

The reality is I’m doing this—the writing, the marketing, the ups, the downs, the lonely call I’ve surrendered to—is to advance the Kingdom of God. I want to see lives changed for Him. That whatever their surrender issue is, they will read one of my books and identity to what is shared and believe they are worth trusting God with that issue.

My goal this year is to find new readers who track with me through the journey. I have to market because God wouldn’t give me this purpose only for me to write and not ever talk about it. People have to find the books to be transformed. My heart is to give, and although that amount has been small, especially compared to the Jim Carrey scale, I’ve been able to do that. I’m not in it to count dollars. I am in it for God to count souls who moved forward in their relationship with Christ because I was obedient.

Truth is, I am someone’s favorite author. Sure, there is family and dear friends. But because I’m being obedient and I’m pressing on, God’s pleased. That’s worth everything to me.

If you’re discouraged by your passion, I hope today encourages you. Be that vessel God uses to advance His Kingdom. You can never go wrong with that. And that’s a check you can take to the bank.

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