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devotional, essay about book marketing, humor essay, LInda Wood Rondeau, Musings from a Writer's Brain, self help, Who put the Vinegar in the Salt
MARKETING IS NOT LIKE YOUR THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY MEAL
by Linda Wood Rondeau
I’m an intuitive type of person. While I’ve always had a sense of doing things in an orderly fashion, I don’t like to think about what I’m doing when. I tend to approach nearly every area of my life with a “shoot from the hip” attitude. I’ve discovered, much to my chagrin, successful marketing requires much more than an intuitive approach.
When it comes to Holiday meals, my daughter told me, “You make it look so easy.” I’ve always managed to finagle the menu and spend time with the family. Pies and more complicated dishes were prepared ahead. Intuition told me when to start boiling the potatoes, put side dishes in the oven, or start the crockpot.
In the homemaking department, intuition has served me well because this sense has been developed through years of experience. My homemaking skills were honed over time, and I really didn’t have to spend hours “thinking” about how to manage Thanksgiving dinner—not even when I’ve had over twenty guests.
The marketing nightmare however leaves me wanting. I haven’t had the luxury of years of experience because the publishing demands and marketing strategies are too fluid. The fact a turkey takes x amount of time per pound has not changed in forty years. Marketing approaches seem to change with the blink of an eye.
A marketing guru said authors should spend 80 percent of their time writing. To this I say a hearty, “Ha!” Perhaps for someone who has worked in marketing. For the average author, the “to do” list keeps growing and the menu is ever changing. How do we lopsided-brain people balance marketing with writing?
When I attend workshops and seminars, the reality I see is the presentation is mostly provided by marketing experts. Duh! They aren’t writers! They are sellers. With me, my brain spheres are in constant warfare. Writing and marketing duties are constantly clashing for dominance.
I did receive one excellent kernel of advice in a recent workshop. “Don’t camp out in the overwhelmed pit.” I think that’s where I’ve been most of the time. My “to do” list far exceeds my energy and desire. I can’t focus because I feel too overwhelmed. Because I can’t do it all, I do nothing.
For the next several months, I’m going to adapt The Power of Three principle, like a three-course meal … meat, potatoes, and vegetables. Instead of trying to prioritize multiple priorities, I’ll choose three projects each of writing and marketing and vary them for maximum nutrition, simplicity, and interest.
Think I can do it?
About the Author:
By the author of I Prayed for Patience, God Gave Me Children.
A veteran social worker, Linda Wood Rondeau’s varied church experience and professional career affords a unique perspective into the Christian life. When not writing or speaking, she enjoys the occasional round of golf, visiting museums, and taking walks with her best friend in life, her husband of over forty years. The couple resides in Hagerstown, Maryland where both are active in their local church. Readers may learn more about the author, read her blog, or sign up for her newsletter by visiting www.lindarondeau.com.
WHO PUT THE VINEGAR IN THE SALT
by Linda Wood Rondeau
The world offers much beneficial self-help advice. Shouldn’t the Christian seek to be the best possible version of themselves? Aren’t we supposed to be good people?
Why not look to the world to solve life’s problems?
Because God has called us to be salt.
While there is much good to be found, like vinegar, the world’s best advice falls short of God’s recipe to live a victorious Christian life.
In a down-home, friendly manner, the author provides analogies, inspirational stories, anecdotes, a wealth of Scripture, and optional study guides for both individuals and groups, inviting the believer to discover God’s desires for his salt.
Catherine Castle 