Buckets of Faith and a Lit Path - Candid Words from Someone Just Published

Being published is not the goal. There, I’ve said it. So many people I’ve spoken to believe that once published, that’s it, you’ve made it and I don’t just mean marketing and promotion, etc. Publication is merely part of the journey.

Likewise, being published does not mean my writing is any better than anyone unpublished. In fact, let’s be totally honest, in Waterstones (or any bookshop for that matter) there’s a lot of poorly-written drivel amongst the gemstones. Alas, publication is rarely about talent. Like any other business, it’s about profit margins. How many gems have you read that never reach the glittering shelves? I know I’ve read plenty. As an aside, it saddens me that society needs celebrity names to sell books and talented ghostwriters remain spectres in the literary world. 

Now, I realise I may sound a little bitter and cantankerous and I promise you, dear readers, I’m not. You see, we all have something in common – our faith in a great, big God who directs our path if we want Him to. For years I thought the road to success was getting published, that was my goal. Then, a short while ago, I realised that I didn’t care as much about it as I first thought. For me, it became about writing and God’s plan for it. I pray that my books get into the right hands and do the work God intends. Whether that means I spend many hours speaking in dusty churches to bunches of teens, my books take the world by storm, or even both, my writing is in God’s hands. Of course, I know that I will have a considerable part to play in that (and it will be lots of hard work) but I also know I’m not doing it alone, and nor am I working in my own strength.  

So, being published is not the end (yes it’s a milestone, and do celebrate – I’m not a complete party pooper!). Being published is a kind of glorious beginning. The beginning of the second leg of a journey, a journey in which we’re not alone and that requires buckets of faith and a lit path.