Navigating the Unpredictable Sea of Publishing

 with Guest Connie Mann

I’m delighted to be back at Seekerville and hope to offer some encouragement, no matter where you are in your writing career.  (I’m a USCG-licensed boat captain in my non-writing life, so I hope you won’t mind the nautical terms.)

Over the years, whenever I’ve asked publishing veterans about the industry, they’ve all said essentially the same thing: publishing is hard--it’s always been hard.

I don’t doubt it, but it seems today, it’s a different kind of hard.

Publishing used to be more predictable. There was the occasional unexpected squall, of course, but authors sailed down fairly predictable routes.

That seems to have changed. Radically. Now we paddle like crazy on stormy seas of uncertainty, with nary a break on the horizon. It’s enough to make a writer seasick.

With the explosion of indie publishing, authors have more avenues to get their books into the hands of readers than ever before. Which is wonderful and amazing and not to be discounted. But like most good things, there is a tradeoff, as going the indie route has its own challenges.  At the same time, there are less options for traditional publishing. Houses have merged and streamlined and too often, have closed lines entirely, as with the recent announcement from Harlequin. That kind of unexpected wave can toss a writer into icy, uncharted depths, flailing about for solid ground.

If your career and plans have been swamped by a rogue wave, know that you are not alone. Ask any writer who’s been around a while, and they’ll tell you stories. I’ve been there, too, several times. I’ve weathered two line closures and two different contracts that suddenly sank, and it’s scary, discouraging stuff. To make matters worse, while I was struggling to get back into the boat, the doubt gremlins were standing on shore, taunting me with all manner of lies--instead of throwing me a life ring, the dirty rotten scoundrels.

Here are a few of the navigation beacons I cling to when this crazy business tosses me around.

Trust the lighthouse

The Great Creator stands as solid and unmovable as a lighthouse on a rocky cliff. Even when it’s stormy, the lighthouse stands. It doesn’t move, hasn’t stopped lighting our way.

It’s a huge comfort to know that God’s love for us never changes, either, even on days we don’t feel it, or don’t feel anything at all. One of my favorite verses is this one:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Just because things feel out of our control, they are never out of His.

Set a new course if necessary

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting different results.

The market is changing faster than most of us can keep up with. What sold last year isn’t selling this year. What worked in promotion six months ago, isn’t working now. It’s enough to make me want to climb into bed and pull the covers over my head.

But that won’t help. Take time to evaluate what you’re doing. If the current path isn’t getting you anything but gray hair, maybe it’s time to try something new, in big and small ways.

Take the helm

As much as I would love it if God sent me an email every day, outlining exactly what I should do, it hasn’t happened yet. So I have to make decisions and choices—and so do you. The harsh reality is that God can’t steer your ship if you’re up on dry land. You have to take action, leave the shore and take risks, try things. And above all, write. You can’t sell what you haven’t written.

Keep an Eye on the Sky

Publishing—and life itself—is all about change. If you’re in a really good place right now, enjoy every single minute to the fullest. Because inevitably, another storm will blow in. That’s life.  

But the good news is that the reverse is also true. When the storm is really bad, hold tight, because it won’t be like this forever, either. Promise.

Grab a life ring

I’m not telling any of you anything new, but sometimes, we need to be reminded of it. And we need connection. I’ve had some unexpected, deep conversations with fellow writers recently, ones that went all the way down to the hard stuff, the scary stuff. It was such a huge relief to know I wasn’t the only one going through these things. Talk to your writer friends. They can understand and encourage in ways no one else can. Feel free to contact me, too. I will be cheering you on.

Stay the course, friends. Together, we’ve got this.

What about you? I’d love to hear how you stay afloat when publishing gets stormy.

GIVEAWAY! Let us know if you'd like to be entered for a print copy of Hidden Threat from Connie. (E-book outside US)

Hidden Threat

She’ll uncover who’s poisoning her hometown—at any cost.

An environmental crisis is the last thing clean-water crusader Eve Jackson expected in her hometown. She’s used to taking on powerful DC politicians in her fight, but when a baby in Safe Harbor, Florida, shows mysterious signs of possible poisoning, the danger hits painfully close to home, stirring memories of her own mother’s death.

Eve’s search leads her to the Sutton Ranch, now run by her high school crush, Cole. Focused on keeping the family ranch afloat as a series of deformed calves are born to his herd, Cole has no time for Eve’s crusade. But as her unwelcome questioning ostracizes her from locals, Cole’s irritation turns to intrigue—not only about the source of the poisoned water but also the tenacious, loyal, and passionate woman determined to help.

As Eve digs deeper into Cole’s operation, she sees her suspicions in Sutton Ranch may be misplaced. Yet she can’t shake the feeling that his ranch, and perhaps his past, hold the answers she seeks. When the sabotage escalates, the two must work together to uncover the culprit—if they can survive the investigation.

Bio:

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and the author of romantic suspense novels Tangled Lies, Angel Falls and Trapped. Her latest novel, HiddenThreat, (book 2 of the Safe Harbor series) is now available from Waterfall Press. When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on Central Florida’s waterways, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She’s also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries break the poverty cycle. She and her hubby love traveling and spending time on the water with their grown children and extended family. (Hubby says they are good at fishing, but lousy at catching.) Visit Connie online at www.conniemann.com

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