Have you had failures in your life? If so, it’s a good indication that you’ve taken some risks along the way. 

A few notable “failures”

• John Creasey received 743 rejection slips from publishers before one word was published. He eventually published 560 books and sold over 60 million copies 
• Michael Waltrip lost 530 races before winning his first NASCAR race in 2001…the Daytona 500
• Abraham Lincoln lost 18 elections for various offices before being elected 16th President 

We’re going to look at one of my favorite stories in the Bible about a man who took a big risk.

- 1 Samuel 14:1-23

• Saul & his troops were down to 600 men and only 2 swords among them (Jonathan holding one of the swords)
• Depressing situation under this pomegranate tree while the Philistines were wreaking havoc in every direction.
• Jonathan has had enough and decides to take a risk. Jonathan realized he couldn’t win a battle without entering a battle. 

How about you & I? Have we reached a point where we’re tired of seeing nothing happen with our books? Tired of allowing the enemy to run amok all around us?

Jonathan seized his divine moment while everyone else was asleep. I want to touch on 4 things from this story we can apply to our own lives. 

When we choose to take risks as Kingdom Writers…

1. We inspire the faithful closest to us. Jonathan’s armor-bearer was with him “completely” (heart and soul) (14:7)
2. The paralyzed are moved - Saul and his troops represent the paralyzed who were waiting for the perfect opportunity. With Saul, we learn there’s a time for prayer and a time to leave the shade of the pomegranate tree to engage in battle 
3. The prodigals are restored (v. 14:21). 
4. The weak become strong (v. 14:22). Jonathan’s risk motivated those in hiding to come out and join the battle 

No doubt you & I have felt paralyzed, prodigal or weak at various times as writers. Let’s allow Jonathan’s example from over 3000 years ago to inspire us to take risks for the Lord in these days we are living in. In Jonathan’s words, 

“Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭14:6‬b

Prayer

Book Writing Lab

Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas

…and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft.

We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo!

Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

Do you want to harness the power of partner promos by borrowing someone else’s audience? If so keep listening as this is one of the fastest ways to grow your audience and sell more books.

My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been coaching authors for over a decade helping you reach more readers with your message by using our social media templates and bridge-building system so you can consistently market your books without feeling pushy or salesy. 

In each of our trainings, we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives.

In the next few minutes, we are going to talk about the power of partner promos.

When it comes to partner marketing I recommend that you do something to give first. Instead of looking for ways you can benefit, how can you help that person first.

"You Can Have Everything in Life You Want if You Will Just Help Enough Other People Get What They Want.” - Zig Ziglar 

Three ideas:

1. Show up and like/comment on their posts a couple times a week. You will get noticed if you add valuable comments on a consistent basis.
2. Give them a shoutout on social media and tag them. This could be a book they've written that you love or a concept they teach you recommend or a quote of theirs, etc. Anything that would highlight them in a positive way.

If you want to go to the next step, read and review their book on Amazon. Then do a post on social media and tag them in it. Make it more about the book. For example "I loved this book and this is why I recommend it" instead of about them personally. But mention that you gave the book a 5-star review on Amazon and why. This will get any author's attention.

3. Here’s a courageous writer's idea. Host them on a live video either on Facebook or Instagram live. This could also work if you have a podcast to interview them. Make it all about them and featuring them and getting to know them. 

Once you've built a relationship with them, then invite them to do a promotion with you. A 10-book author giveaway is a great option. You can also do a top 10 favorite podcasts (or books or blogs) in your niche and feature them. You can do this on social media if you don't have a blog yet. Then reach out and ask them to share it. Since they know you they’ll be more likely to share it.

I gave 11 ideas in last month’s podcast.

Book Writing Lab

Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas

…and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft.

We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo!

Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

Would you like to get more done without exerting as much energy? That’s exactly what having a system will help you do and what we are going to talk about today.

My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been mentoring writers for over a decade helping you self-publish your books in multiple formats using our publishing map and step-by-step system so that you can write words that outlive you and self-publish books that fulfill your calling.

In each of our trainings we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives.

Today we’re going to talk about how systems can be YOUR secret sauce.

1. What is a system? In the simplest form, it is a checklist you create for a repeatable task.
2. How does having a publishing system help? You save brain power because you don’t have to think about what to do next. You simply follow the checklist.
3. What is the best way to start using systems? Start writing down the steps of tasks you do often. Include the websites you need, copy/paste text you can reuse etc. In Christian Book Academy we provide a checklist for you for each stage of the Kingdom Writer’s Path. You can then adapt the checklist to the steps you take.

Will you start using systems to save time and energy? It takes some upfront effort but is so worth it.

I’m often asked how I get so much done and I say that systems are my secret sauce and now they can be yours too.

Book Writing Lab

Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas

…and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft.

We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo!

Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

What could happen if you devoted just 15-minutes a day to your writing? Keep listening over the next few minutes to this encouragement that when applied can help you finish writing your book.

My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been mentoring writers for over a decade helping you get your books out of your heads and onto paper with our book writing formulas so that you can write words that outlive you and self-publish books that fulfill your calling.

In each of our trainings we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives.

Today we’re going to talk about being a 15-minute writer.

Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful novelists of the Victorian era. Over the course of 35 years, he wrote 47 novels. He did all of this while working a demanding job as a post office inspector.

He committed 15 minutes of every workday hour to writing 250 words. This commitment could produce up to 10 pages of a novel each day. Trollope made the decision to turn off all distractions during those 15-minute segments, only hearing the ticking of his watch.

Although this may not be realistic for all of us, this practice shows what can happen during uninterrupted 15-minute intervals. When we become intentional about scheduling these 15-minute writing sessions, it can add up over the course of weeks, months and years. Even if we haven’t written 250 words, these segments could allow us to organize our thoughts or ideas. Productivity can be defined in numerous ways.

What if you and I committed to writing just 15 minutes a day? Surely this is a realistic goal for each of us. Could you commit to 15 minutes of focused writing each day?

Once you get going, you may get into a writing flow that seemingly never ends.

Book Writing Lab

Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas

...and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft.

We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo!

Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/