It isn’t easy to achieve success as an author. Being an Australasian Christian author is even tougher, because it’s a relatively unknown niche market. At a time when mainstream authors are struggling to make a living, how can our tiny niche expect to gain ground?
As Australasian authors, we are known within our small circle, but how do we expand our work to a world that is already crowded with better-known international names? And what about the endless supply of self-published releases, and ebooks for sale at a fraction of the price of our paperbacks? The competition is steep.
I don’t know how many readers I have here in Australia, but it often frustrates me when I think of the small market share we must have, even here in our own country.
So what more can we do? The prospect of marketing ourselves and our books is daunting, even overwhelming at times. I know there are some ways we can help ourselves. There are avenues of advice and direction that we, as individuals, can tap into. The internet is full of “how to’s” when it comes to advertising and promotion.
I appreciate that a lot of these ideas can be effective, but today, as I contemplate how successful breakthroughs could be made, it occurred to me that there was one vital and ultimately far more powerful tool we could be underutilising—the power of prayer.
I hope we all pray about our own work, and I know many of my fellow authors support and lift up my work in prayer, in the same way as I support them. After all, our writing is our ministry, our service to God. What would happen if we all came together in prayer for our industry as a whole? It’s a fledgling industry—ministry—worth praying for, and I believe that the Lord has wonderful things waiting for all of us.
So, I am asking that we all pray the Lord will open His doors for our Australasian Christian Writing community this year, 2015. And that He will bring His help and blessing to our industry as we seek to serve Him in obedience and love.
I don’t know how many readers I have here in Australia, but it often frustrates me when I think of the small market share we must have, even here in our own country.
So what more can we do? The prospect of marketing ourselves and our books is daunting, even overwhelming at times. I know there are some ways we can help ourselves. There are avenues of advice and direction that we, as individuals, can tap into. The internet is full of “how to’s” when it comes to advertising and promotion.
I appreciate that a lot of these ideas can be effective, but today, as I contemplate how successful breakthroughs could be made, it occurred to me that there was one vital and ultimately far more powerful tool we could be underutilising—the power of prayer.
I hope we all pray about our own work, and I know many of my fellow authors support and lift up my work in prayer, in the same way as I support them. After all, our writing is our ministry, our service to God. What would happen if we all came together in prayer for our industry as a whole? It’s a fledgling industry—ministry—worth praying for, and I believe that the Lord has wonderful things waiting for all of us.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)
So, I am asking that we all pray the Lord will open His doors for our Australasian Christian Writing community this year, 2015. And that He will bring His help and blessing to our industry as we seek to serve Him in obedience and love.
Rose Dee
Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.
Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.
Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction.
She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.
Visit Rose at: www.rosedee.com
Photo from www.lightstock.com
