Has it really been a month since my last post? My goal is bi-weekly, but life happens, doesn’t it?
In this case, life has included being a pastor, making a lot of lattes, enjoying being husband and father more than I ever have, AND working on Radically Normal (I have dropped “The” and “Christian” from the title, made it too long). I am just about done preaching through the main ideas of the book , which has forced me to keep the material more practical than theoretical.
You can read or listen to the sermons on my church’s website: www.tgcconline.com.
Along with that, I have been working on a book proposal and learning about the industry. Turns out, publishers and agents don’t really want to be sent completed manuscripts, they want a proposal, which provides them with the gist of the book as well as some sample chapters.
So here is the current plan: I am taking two weeks of vacation (from the church, not Starbucks) at the end of the year to complete the book proposal, then I will start looking for an agent. At the same time, I will also work on building my “platform,” getting my name out there in the internet world.
If you have any connections or suggestions in this process, I am all ears!
Josh
Glad to hear that things are coming along, Josh. Sounds like you are on the right track. One book I would highly recommend is ‘You Can Write!’, written by a good friend and writing advocate, Sheryl Fullerton. It’s a real inside-the-industry look at getting published. And interestingly, the book itself is self-published, and they talk about when that can be a good avenue to pursue.
Best wishes, Josh!
Oh, and here’s a great blog about writing/publishing. Chip is unvarnished and painfully direct, but it is good medicine.
http://www.chipmacgregor.com/
Thanks Mike! I will check both of those out. I just purchased “How to think like an editor,” it should be here next week. One thing is certain: Getting published is about far more than writting!