Fans, Followers, and all that Jazz

If you've been around here any amount of time, you have likely heard about the book I am (slowly) working on, Mommy, why are you Angry? In the event that you're new here - Welcome! Thanks for visiting! I do hope you'll stay a while. - here's a summary:

While most women hope and plan to become a mother, few intend to spend their days feeling frustrated with their children, overreacting, yelling, being short-tempered, and more. Many women experience this ongoing struggle with anger, yet they are frequently so burdened with feelings of shame and guilt that their anger becomes a closely-guarded secret.

By transparently sharing her own prior struggles as an angry mother to five, Tyler will convey two truths every woman needs to hear: “You are not alone!” and “You can have victory over your anger!” With a Christ-centred and practical approach, Mommy, Why Are You Angry? will provide women with the strategies - both spiritual and hands-on - that will help them to find freedom from anger, and thus become the mothers God intended them to be.

I have been incredibly blessed to have the opportunity - two years in a row - to attend an amazing conference for writers and speakers. Over the course of those two weekends, I presented my book proposal to four publishing houses and two literary agents. Everyone liked the idea! Yay! The proposal even made it all the way to pub. board - a bunch of folks at the publishing house meet and talk about all the books they're considering - WooHoo! - before hitting the wall. The wall was, in essence, that I am a nobody. Okay, you don't have to get all worried about my self-esteem! I know that I'm somebody to at least 5 or 6 people! But in the world of book publishing, a previously unpublished author with a teeny tiny blog doesn't amount to the kind of "somebody" they are looking for.

The thing about book publishing these days is that it's no longer just about having a great message or good writing. Publishers don't like to take risks with their money; they want a sure thing. For a publisher to think your idea (or mine) is a sure thing they are looking for those first two factors plus a large platform. In other words, a whole lotta fans! You see, fans are kinda like "guaranteed sales."

I have been wrestling with this whole platform issue for over a year. There's something about it that feels so...self-aggrandizing. Like me! Follow me! Last night, though, God was not going to let me sleep until we did some business. (I confess, it may have also had something to do with the coke slurpee I had at 9pm.) I felt Him telling me that not only did He give me a message to share, but that He needs me to do some work to let people know I've got a message about the life-changing power of Jesus Christ! I sensed Him asking me why I was resistant to using the social media outlets that have proven to build the platforms of others, social media outlets that He is using to get His message out. It occurred to me that I was not resistant because I didn't want to appear prideful, but I was resisting because of my fear and insecurity. What if no one "likes" me?!

At 2am last night (I guess that would actually be this morning), I sat down and created a facebook fan page. While the page bears my name and my head shot, it isn't a place for people to come and love me and tell me how great I am. No, it's one more small place for me to share what God has been placing on my heart in the hope that it draws even more women to Him. And if I am faithful in telling others of His glory, He will draw as many "fans," "followers," and "friends" as He decides are necessary.

Just like I can't sit here in front of my computer screen and hope that God magically and mysteriously turns my thoughts into the book He's given me to write, I also cannot merely wish and pray a platform into existence. Not only has He given me a book to write and a message to share, He has given me - entrusted me with - the task of doing the work to get that message out there! To let women know that, with God and God alone, they don't have to be angry anymore!

All that to say, Hey, wanna be my fan?!

I'm also making myself available for speaking engagements. So if your church ministry, women's event, or MOPS group is looking for someone... ;)

Sing praises to the Lord who reigns...Tell the world of His unforgettable deeds. ~Psalm 9:11 (NLT)