Writing for One Sheep, by Nicki Copeland

When we write, we’re mindful of our target market (hopefully!). We might be writing specifically for Christian men or women, for seekers, for children or teenagers, or for another particular audience. And we want to reach as many as we possibly can within that group.

Reach, of course, largely depends on marketing and promotion. And for many writers, particularly the introverts among us, this is probably the most difficult part of the whole process. It certainly is for me. But if we want our book or our blog to be read, we need to promote it. Many publishers ask for marketing strategies before they will consider signing a contract with an author.

I totally understand this – of course, costs need to be met, and if a manuscript is good, we want as many people as possible to read it. But what we really hope is that it will take on a life of its own and that word will spread like wildfire.

But are high-volume sales and reach always what it’s about? Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who left his ninety-nine sheep to go and search for the lost one (Luke 15:3-7). What if your writing is intended for that one sheep?

We might long to reach the ninety-nine, but maybe the ninety-nine don’t need to hear the message God has given us to share. Perhaps it’s that one sheep who needs to read what we have written.

Humanly speaking, as I say, we want to reach as many people as possible. But Kingdom economics and Kingdom success are defined very differently from the way the world defines them.

I’ve had two books published. I haven’t sold a huge quantity of either of them, largely because I’m so bad at promoting them. I try to remind myself (as I remind all the authors I work with) that it’s not about self-promotion; rather it’s about promoting the message God has given us to share. But it’s still very difficult. I am so encouraged by the feedback I have received from those who have read them, and I trust that God will ensure that my books get into the hands (or onto the Kindles) of those He wants to read them.

So if you haven’t sold a huge number of books, or if your blog post hasn’t had thousands of hits, don’t be discouraged. God is in control, and He will ensure that your writing reaches all the sheep who need to read it.

That’s not to say, of course, that marketing and promotion aren’t important – they are. It’s a saturated market and we want to make sure we do everything we can to raise awareness of our own offerings. But let’s not lose sleep if our book doesn’t become an overnight bestseller. Remember the one sheep.

Nicki Copeland is a freelance writer, speaker, copy editor and proofreader – and loves anything to do with words. She is the author of Losing the Fig Leaf and Less than Ordinary? She is also responsible for the day-to-day running of Instant Apostle publishers. When she has the luxury of some free time, she can invariably be found with a book in one hand and some chocolate in the other. It's probably about time she updated her bio photo...