Tag: the business of writing

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The Intentional Writer

How to Quit Striving and Work by Grace

The intentional writer

If you’re like me, you often feel overwhelmed by all the things an author should do to succeed. Social media, interviews, guest posts, newsletters, running ads, and on and on. How are we supposed to accomplish all this platform and promotion stuff and still have time to write?

And is it possible to do it without losing the joy of writing?

Yes.

But it takes a mindset shift. And Grace over Grind by Shae Bynes has helped me move from frantic, guilt-ridden striving to a more confident, calm, and steady writer’s life. Does that sound like something you’d like, too? Then read on.

These quotes summarize the focus of this book:

“You don’t have to strive endlessly to make things happen with the dream God placed in your heart for your business. You simply need God’s empowering presence, and everything else is going to flow from there. … [Grace] enables you to successfully do what God has called you to do, and to do what you could never do on your own.”

Shae Bynes

“If you grind long and hard enough, you will get results in your business. You can absolutely achieve business success by the world’s standards in your own strength, requiring exertion and excessive hard work. … Alternatively, you can embrace the invitation laid before you to embrace a new standard, one that seeks God’s best, testifies of His amazing grace, and ultimately has greater Kingdom impact.”

Shae Bynes

The trouble with working from a grind mentality

As the author points out, you can be successful through grinding and hard work. But I’ve heard several accounts lately of good Christian men and women that were caught in a grind mindset of overwork and overachievement—until something in their lives crashed. Their body gave out or some unforeseen trial arose that left them helpless. And in that place of helplessness, they realized they’d been working by grind instead of grace.

Once they shifted their mindset, the Lord led them to new ministries that impact the world more effectively while enabling them to live a more intentional, non-striving life.

You and I can make this mindset shift now, before we hit burnout!

Grace Over Grind lists several indications that you may be grinding instead of abiding in God’s all-sufficient grace and power.

  • Financial anxiety
  • Prayerlessness
  • Lack of sleep
  • Analysis paralysis
  • No boundaries
  • No joy or peace

If these sound familiar and you’re ready for a change, embrace the freedom of working in the unforced rhythms of grace instead of the relentless striving of the world’s grind mentality.

How to choose grace over grind

This slim volume will point you toward seeking God first and appointing him as your business partner. With biblical examples and real-life stories, it illustrates how to run a business through faith and god-honoring principles instead of doing it all in our own strength and scrabbling after opportunities and connections.

This is not a book of answers. It is a book of biblical principles with questions to help you ponder these truths and figure out how to apply them to your writing life. I urge you to take your time and work through all the questions as you read.

If you are willing to surrender every part of your dream, your business, and your life to God, this book will lead you to a lower-stress, more confident way of pursuing your writing dreams.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit www.lisaebetz.com.

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Guest Posts

5 Tips for Running Your Author Business

Guest posts

You’ve dreamed of becoming an author for years, and now, you’re preparing to submit your first manuscript to agents and start offering additional writing services through your new small business. And while you’re excited, you might also feel overwhelmed; after all, you have a lot to learn about being an author and an entrepreneur! The following resources can guide you through everything from tackling writer’s block to marketing your book, and these tips will help you master the best practices for managing a thriving writing business.

Shift Your Mindset

It’s important to shift from thinking of yourself as a freelance creative to thinking of yourself as a small business owner. This means that you need to uphold professional standards in all of your communications, set up organized systems that help you stay productive, and make decisions with your future reputation in mind. Have confidence in your writing abilities!

Establish a Payroll System

Eventually, your business might grow to the point where you need a couple of employees to keep everything running smoothly. When that time comes, it’s best to set up an organized payroll system so that you can manage your 2021 payroll calendar and make sure everyone receives their paychecks on time. Using a payroll template can be a good choice if your business is too small for an automated payroll system. Payroll template software can also include helpful functions like time tracking, invoicing capabilities, and employee scheduling.

Paying Taxes

You will need to pay taxes on the earnings that you make through your writing business. Yes, this means setting aside a chunk of your income from book sales and any other services you offer through your business! Paying your taxes late — or neglecting to pay them at all – can have serious consequences down the road. It can be a good idea to work with an accountant for guidance in this area. Wealthfront recommends looking for an accountant who has relevant experience working with businesses similar to yours, so see if you can get any recommendations from other writers you know!

Join Your Chamber of Commerce

As an author, you want to spend lots of time networking. You never know when those connections with other authors will come in handy! If you have a writing business, you could consider joining your local chamber of commerce. Founder’s Guide recommends joining your chamber because it allows you to have a voice in your business community, make new contacts with people in your industry, and promote your business. You’ll be able to attend events with entrepreneurs you might not have met otherwise!

Ongoing Marketing

Naturally, you’ll want to spend most of your time writing and editing, but you also need to leave room in your schedule for marketing. Even if you’re working with a publisher, maintaining a public presence and letting your readers know where they can find your book is important! And if you provide other writing services, you have to make an effort to get the word out. When you’re busy, it’s all too easy to put marketing on the backburner, so automating social media posts is one simple way to ensure that you’re always promoting your business.

Starting your journey as an author can be difficult. Every author’s career is unique, and building your professional writing business will involve lots of highs and lows. But with these tips, you’ll start taking your business seriously from day one so that you can invest in your future success.

Are you ready to become an author and publish your first book? Almost An Author can help you navigate your new career path. Check out our resources for aspiring and new authors today!

As a former banker, Jim McKinley uses his background and skills to provide advice and valuable resources to anyone who needs help with their financial literacy. In his spare time, Jim spends time with his family and his dogs and he maintains his website Money with Jim.  

Photo via Pexels

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for February, Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

The Business of Writing with Tom Blubaugh

In this episode of Writers Chat, Tom Blubaugh addresses the basics of writing as a business. He shares the importance of having the right mindset in treating writing like a business rather than a hobby and how you can use that mindset to transform the way you sell books. Tom also addresses the nuts and bolts of starting your business as a writer and the purpose of using an LLC. Most of us don’t like this part of writing, but it is important to protect your business by setting it up correctly. Tom give great advice, and that’s all it is, just advice. He is not a CPA nor is he legal counsel, so please check the laws in your state before starting your small writing business. For more, check out this week’s replay.

Watch the February 2nd replay.

Bio

Tom Blumbaugh, author, speaker, readership building, and entrepreneur. At the age of fourteen, he began by writing poetry. In 1974, Tom self-published his first nonfiction book, Behind the Scenes of the Bus Ministry. Since then, he’s published articles for denominational and business magazines. Then in 2011, at the age of 69, his first novel was published by Bound by Faith Publishers. Tom is the CEO at Chirstian Authors Community & Services. You can follow Tom on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and at www.tomblubaugh.net.

What are You Writing?

Here at Writers Chat, we are delighted to have many new writers who’ve joined us over the past several months. So, with that in mind, today’s open mic episode is a getting to know you kind of episode. Our gracious hosts, as well as some of the writers in the gallery, shared a little about what they’re writing, how they made the decision on a genre, and any tips for fellow writers. It is always encouraging to hear another writer’s journey and how they decided to write. Perhaps you need encouraging or a bit relaxing. Well, this episode will do both. Put aside all the crazy that’s going on in our world and check out this week’s episode.

Watch the February 9th replay.

JOIN US!

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link. 

Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.