Disappointment is part of every writer's journey but when used the right way it can help you find your target audience, clarify the message God has equipped you to share, and expand your platform. This was the first recording with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith for the Kingdom Writers Conference. We had some bizarre tech issues and so he graciously re-recorded his presentation. This one will be slightly different than what you heard at the conference. By the way, did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this teaching blesses you today!  

Kingdom Writers: A Podcast for Christian Writers of All Genres

#294: Pivot: How to Deal With Disappointment on Your Writing Journey with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

Many people want to write and publish a book but feel they don't have the time to succeed. Learn productivity principles that will help you accomplish your writing goals regardless of how full your calendar is today. This was the first recording with Dr. Tim Riordan for the Kingdom Writers Conference. We had some bizarre tech issues and so he graciously re-recorded his presentation. This one will be slightly different than what you heard at the conference. By the way, did you miss the conference?  If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this teaching blesses you today!  

#293: Writing Success in an Overloaded Life with Dr. Tim Riordan

We are the Priestly Pens in the author of Life as we are writing our books. However, does your “pen” ever feel dry? If so, enjoy this encouragement today which is an excerpt from the kickoff presentation of the Kingdom Writers Conference. Did you miss the conference? If so, you can still get all 15 presentations as well as 13 bonus training in the all-access pass here: https://kingdomwritersconference.com/battleplan/ We pray that this short encouragement blesses you today!  

#292: Refillable Pens - Encouragement When You Feel Dry

“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14 (NLT) In his classic book, Miracles, author C.S. Lewis gives us a wonderful illustration of Christ representing a pearl diver in search of hidden treasure. It’s a beautiful passage that your own eyes should read, “One may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in mid-air, then gone with a splash, vanishing rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to colour and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks the surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing he went down to recover. He and it are both coloured now that they have come up into the light: down below, where it lay colorless in the dark, he lost his color too.” (Miracles, chap. 14). Can you believe that you and I are that ‘dripping, precious thing’ Jesus went down to recover? If you’re like me, it’s a thought that seems beyond what my little finite mind can comprehend. We’ve become quite comfortable here in our ‘region of ooze and slime and old decay.’ So comfortable that we forget that we were created for much more. The Son of God volunteered to descend into the depths of darkness in order to bring us into His glorious light. Not only is this pearl diver the One who retrieves us, but his very life becomes the currency used in order to purchase us for display in the Father’s kingdom collection. I can imagine the great Pearl Diver regaling the angels in heaven with stories from some of his deep dives… “I found this one in the depths of despair and depression.” “This beauty was pulled from the sea of drug & alcohol addiction.” “A shark tried to snatch this one away from me but I eventually got her to safety. Got a few scars to prove it but you should see the shark…at least what’s left of him.” Perhaps even now the angels are on the edge of their seats hearing Him tell your story. Reflection: How does it feel to know how valuable you are to the Pearl Diver and his Father? As a Kingdom Writer, can you find creative ways to weave in your story of going from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light with your readers?  

#291: Into the Depths

What a fun month of celebration this has been!  This month marks 10 years since I took the big, scary step of faith of quitting my physical therapy job (and a regular income behind) to be full-time in our ministry and business alongside my husband CJ.  And we just finished our first-ever Kingdom Writers Conference. WooHoo! Thank you to everyone who joined us. What a fun week it has been! And right now our doors to Christian Book Academy are open. We only open a few times a year so if you've been wanting to join us now is the time to get in. Go to www.christianbookacademy.com and join us.  We have so many great resources for you including monthly two-day Virtual Writing Retreats to help you get your book done or your marketing finished for the month.  We also have a new Mini-Marketing Messages kit for you every month. These are social media templates and email templates you can use in your marketing to easily engage with your audience and sell more books.  We have so many trainings for you that go in the order of the Kingdom Writers Path as well, starting at the first draft, then your final draft, self publish, book launch and finally ongoing marketing which is in the stage called impact lives.  And so depending on where you're at in the Kingdom Writers Path, you can stay focused and find the training you can benefit from in your stage of the Kingdom Writers path.  We encourage you to join us if you're ready to write a book, want to publish a book before the holidays, or if you're ready to market your book before the biggest book-buying season of the year. Come join us at www.christianbookacademy.com. We cannot wait to serve you.  And to continue the celebration this month, we are highlighting Christian Book Academy member Jennifer Waddle. She was also one of the speakers at our conference. Today she's going to share a case study of how she put together a profitable book bundle and how you can do the same. Join Christian Book Academy Our doors are open for a short time this week to Christian Book Academy. Get in before we close enrollment here: www.christianbookacademy.com We help you write words that outlive you, self-publish books that fulfill your calling, and reach more readers with your message.  

#290: How to Sell a Profitable Book Bundle with Jennifer Waddle

Can you believe it? This month marks a decade since I resigned from my physical therapy job. We have been working full-time in our business and ministry since that day.  Honestly, it hasn't been easy.  There have been so many times we wanted to give up. But God has provided what we needed and He has brought us to the place where we are today. One of the things we're doing to celebrate is hosting our Kingdom Writers Conference...and it kicks off today the 15th of September. WooHoo!  So if you have not joined us yet, make sure to go right now and claim your free ticket at www.kingdomwritersconference.com before registration closes.  You will not want to miss 15 speakers over the course of five days helping equip you to move forward in God’s call to write.  Today I want to introduce you to one of our Christian Book Academy members and one of our conference speakers, Ruth L Snyder.  She has been taking some action in her marketing and she's going to share how using a simple tool that we provide in Christian Book Academy has helped her move forward in her marketing. Plus, on a recent post she was able to get 15 book sales. Yay! I hope you enjoy hearing from her and get inspired for the marketing of your books as well. DON’T MISS OUT...Get Your FREE Ticket to the Kingdom Writers Conference A FREE 5-day event ONLY for Christian writers with 15 industry experts to equip you to move forward with God’s call to write. Get your FREE ticket and join us 9/15/21 - 9/21/21 (skipping the weekend) at https://kingdomwritersconference.com  

#289: How Using a Simple Tool Has Helped Ruth L Snyder in Marketing Her Books

If you haven't heard yet, September 2021 is an incredibly special year for CJ and me. It marks the 10th anniversary of taking that big scary step of faith for me to quit my physical therapy job and getting a regular paycheck. CJ was already working full-time in our business and 10 years ago I took that crazy step as well. We have been two full-time entrepreneurs since that day and it has been a wild and crazy ride.  We've been mentoring writers for over 11 years and also have had Christian Book Academy for 6.5 years. Therefore we wanted to celebrate! We're celebrating and kicking off this month with our Kingdom Writers Conference and we want you to be part of it. It's going to be 15 speakers over five days and starts September 15th. Join us for free at www.kingdomwritersconference.com and tell all your writing friends.  It's going to be a fun, inspiring, and amazing time to come together as Kingdom writers for such a time as this.  This month we also wanted to highlight some of our speakers. By the way, all of our speakers have also been academy members over the last 6.5 years and we wanted to feature them and what God has been doing in their lives.  Today I want to share with you Beth Jones and the path that she took with Kindle publishing as well as the power of publishing a series. She will also share several other things that have really been beneficial In her journey of publishing over 20 books and the list keeps growing.  I hope you enjoy hearing from Beth Jones and get inspired to publish your next book.  Get Your FREE Ticket to the Kingdom Writers Conference A FREE 5-day event ONLY for Christian writers with 15 industry experts to equip you to move forward with God’s call to write. Get your FREE ticket and join us 9/15/21 - 9/21/21 (skipping the weekend) at https://kingdomwritersconference.com  

#288: Kindle Publishing Success with Beth Jones

This year we wanted to do something a little bit different for September it is the 10th year anniversary since I quit my physical therapy job and went full time in our ministry and business with my husband.  This is a significant milestone for us. We have been leading Christian Book Academy now for 6.5 years, mentoring writers for over 11 years and we have so many things to celebrate. We're kicking this month off with a bang by opening registration to our very first Kingdom Writers Conference. The theme this year is Battle Plan: equipping you to move forward in the writing God has called you to do. Make sure to get your free ticket at www.KingdomWritersConference.com and invite all your writing friends, it's going to be fun.  We are celebrating this month all that God has done not only in our lives but in your lives as well. Therefore we want to feature different members in our Christian Book Academy and in fact all of our speakers this year have been in our academy at one time or another and now they are also helping and equipping writers. It's so fun to see the ripple effect. Today you will learn two of the writing tips Karen Lindwall-Bourg learned from Christian Book Academy that has helped her write and publish multiple books. I hope that you learn a lot from Karen as she shares some of her successes in writing. Kingdom Writers Conference A FREE 5-day event ONLY for Christian writers with 15 industry experts to equip you to move forward with God’s call to write. Get your FREE ticket and join us 9/15/21 - 9/21/21 (skipping the weekend) at https://kingdomwritersconference.com  

#287: 2 Powerful Writing Tips Karen Lindwall-Bourg Learned at a Writing Retreat

Have you had failures in your life? If so, it’s a good indication that you’ve taken some risks along the way.  A few notable “failures” John Creasey received 743 rejection slips from publishers before one word was published. He eventually published 560 books and sold over 60 million copies  Michael Waltrip lost 530 races before winning his first NASCAR race in 2001…the Daytona 500 Abraham Lincoln lost 18 elections for various offices before being elected 16th President  We’re going to look at one of my favorite stories in the Bible about a man who took a big risk. - 1 Samuel 14:1-23 Saul & his troops were down to 600 men and only 2 swords among them (Jonathan holding one of the swords) Depressing situation under this pomegranate tree while the Philistines were wreaking havoc in every direction. Jonathan has had enough and decides to take a risk. Jonathan realized he couldn’t win a battle without entering a battle.  How about you & I? Have we reached a point where we’re tired of seeing nothing happen with our books? Tired of allowing the enemy to run amok all around us? Jonathan seized his divine moment while everyone else was asleep. I want to touch on 4 things from this story we can apply to our own lives.  When we choose to take risks as Kingdom Writers… We inspire the faithful closest to us. Jonathan’s armor-bearer was with him “completely” (heart and soul) (14:7) The paralyzed are moved - Saul and his troops represent the paralyzed who were waiting for the perfect opportunity. With Saul, we learn there’s a time for prayer and a time to leave the shade of the pomegranate tree to engage in battle  The prodigals are restored (v. 14:21).  The weak become strong (v. 14:22). Jonathan’s risk motivated those in hiding to come out and join the battle  No doubt you & I have felt paralyzed, prodigal or weak at various times as writers. Let’s allow Jonathan’s example from over 3000 years ago to inspire us to take risks for the Lord in these days we are living in. In Jonathan’s words,  “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭14:6‬b Prayer Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas …and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/  

#286: Seizing Your Divine Moment: The willingness to take risks

Do you want to harness the power of partner promos by borrowing someone else’s audience? If so keep listening as this is one of the fastest ways to grow your audience and sell more books. My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been coaching authors for over a decade helping you reach more readers with your message by using our social media templates and bridge-building system so you can consistently market your books without feeling pushy or salesy.  In each of our trainings, we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives. In the next few minutes, we are going to talk about the power of partner promos. When it comes to partner marketing I recommend that you do something to give first. Instead of looking for ways you can benefit, how can you help that person first. "You Can Have Everything in Life You Want if You Will Just Help Enough Other People Get What They Want.” - Zig Ziglar  Three ideas: Show up and like/comment on their posts a couple times a week. You will get noticed if you add valuable comments on a consistent basis. Give them a shoutout on social media and tag them. This could be a book they've written that you love or a concept they teach you recommend or a quote of theirs, etc. Anything that would highlight them in a positive way. If you want to go to the next step, read and review their book on Amazon. Then do a post on social media and tag them in it. Make it more about the book. For example "I loved this book and this is why I recommend it" instead of about them personally. But mention that you gave the book a 5-star review on Amazon and why. This will get any author's attention. Here’s a courageous writer's idea. Host them on a live video either on Facebook or Instagram live. This could also work if you have a podcast to interview them. Make it all about them and featuring them and getting to know them.  Once you've built a relationship with them, then invite them to do a promotion with you. A 10-book author giveaway is a great option. You can also do a top 10 favorite podcasts (or books or blogs) in your niche and feature them. You can do this on social media if you don't have a blog yet. Then reach out and ask them to share it. Since they know you they’ll be more likely to share it. I gave 11 ideas in last month’s podcast. Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas …and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#285: The Power of Partner Promos and Tips for Getting Started

Would you like to get more done without exerting as much energy? That’s exactly what having a system will help you do and what we are going to talk about today. My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been mentoring writers for over a decade helping you self-publish your books in multiple formats using our publishing map and step-by-step system so that you can write words that outlive you and self-publish books that fulfill your calling. In each of our trainings we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives. Today we’re going to talk about how systems can be YOUR secret sauce. What is a system? In the simplest form, it is a checklist you create for a repeatable task. How does having a publishing system help? You save brain power because you don’t have to think about what to do next. You simply follow the checklist. What is the best way to start using systems? Start writing down the steps of tasks you do often. Include the websites you need, copy/paste text you can reuse etc. In Christian Book Academy we provide a checklist for you for each stage of the Kingdom Writer’s Path. You can then adapt the checklist to the steps you take. Will you start using systems to save time and energy? It takes some upfront effort but is so worth it. I’m often asked how I get so much done and I say that systems are my secret sauce and now they can be yours too. Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas …and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#284: Systems Can Be YOUR Secret Sauce

What could happen if you devoted just 15-minutes a day to your writing? Keep listening over the next few minutes to this encouragement that when applied can help you finish writing your book. My name is Shelley Hitz and I’m here with my husband CJ Hitz. We have been mentoring writers for over a decade helping you get your books out of your heads and onto paper with our book writing formulas so that you can write words that outlive you and self-publish books that fulfill your calling. In each of our trainings we promise to share at least one thing that will help you write, self-publish, and market your books so that the message of your books can impact lives. Today we’re going to talk about being a 15-minute writer. Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful novelists of the Victorian era. Over the course of 35 years, he wrote 47 novels. He did all of this while working a demanding job as a post office inspector. He committed 15 minutes of every workday hour to writing 250 words. This commitment could produce up to 10 pages of a novel each day. Trollope made the decision to turn off all distractions during those 15-minute segments, only hearing the ticking of his watch. Although this may not be realistic for all of us, this practice shows what can happen during uninterrupted 15-minute intervals. When we become intentional about scheduling these 15-minute writing sessions, it can add up over the course of weeks, months and years. Even if we haven’t written 250 words, these segments could allow us to organize our thoughts or ideas. Productivity can be defined in numerous ways. What if you and I committed to writing just 15 minutes a day? Surely this is a realistic goal for each of us. Could you commit to 15 minutes of focused writing each day? Once you get going, you may get into a writing flow that seemingly never ends. Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas ...and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#283: 15-Minute Writer

What does it look like to worship God through our writing? Read: 1 Kings 7:13-22; 40-45 Huram was an “extremely skillful and talented” craftsman from the area of Tyre in Lebanon who was commissioned by King Solomon to help enhance and decorate the temple. After reading about the precision and detail of Huram’s work, we see that he was a man who glorified and worshiped God through his skills. There was thought, purpose, and intentionality in his work. Imagine all the worshipers who would journey to this magnificent temple which stood for over 400 years. Upon entering the temple, they were set in the right frame of mind to worship the Lord as they saw the beauty of Huram's craftsmanship. As Kingdom Writers, we have been given the wonderful privilege of being commissioned by God in our calling to write words that outlive us. Just as Huram was hired and appointed to furnish and magnify the beauty of Solomon’s temple, we as Kingdom Writers are called to glorify and magnify the beauty of Christ. Our writings can help display a God more than worthy to be worshiped. We have no idea who will walk through the front doors of our books. Many of those readers may not notice the painstaking detail and effort we’ve poured into our books. But you and I can rest assured that God notices. Our books and writings are one of the primary ways we've been called to worship and glorify our great King. This is why we refer to ourselves as Kingdom Writers. Priestly Pens in the hands of the Author of Life! Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas ...and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#282: Creativity in the Kingdom: Worshiping God through our writing  

Email marketing is such an important part of a long-term marketing strategy for authors and yet one most avoid. In this training, Shelley shares 11 ways you can grow your email list as an author. Here’s the list: Option One: Strategic Partnerships Podcast Interviews Guest Blog Posts Social Media Takeover Social Media Swap Solo Email Swap Option Two: Gather Authors/Experts in Your Genre/Niche Collaborative blog post Top 10 Books in XX Genre Post Online Summit or Host Q&A’s or Coffee Chats) Anthology Group Giveaway Group Promotions The challenge? Choose one option from the strategic partnerships and one option from gathering authors/experts in your genre/niche. Then, implement them over the next two months. Let me know how it goes for you! Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas ...and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#281: 11 Ways Authors Can Grow an Email List

Do you have a book that you’ve started but you’ve struggled to finish? If so, today we want to share with you three ways to renew your commitment to write so you can click the publish button.  Ready to dive in? 1. Remember the reason you write. What is your why? When you have a strong purpose behind your writing, it will help you overcome the resistance we all face as a writer and the difficult days. 2. Who are you writing for? Who is your target audience? I want you to picture one person who is your ideal reader. If possible, choose someone you know from real life. Write down who this person is and why your book would be impactful to them.  This will serve as a reminder of why you write and that your readers are waiting for you to finish your book. Start praying for your future readers and the impact your book will have on their lives. 3. Write out your commitment to God and yourself and your future readers. Write this out with pen and paper and post it where you can see it every day. I am committed to writing and publishing my book (INSERT TENTATIVE BOOK TITLE HERE) by (INSERT DATE). ______________________ (add your signature) If you write out this commitment and sign it, let us know! Book Writing Lab Get your book out of your head and onto paper using our 3 proven book writing formulas ...and then create a writing plan to finish your first draft. We just launched our brand new workshop, Book Writing Lab, and you can get in today for just $27. WooHoo! Get started here: https://bookwritinglab.com/

#280: 3 Ways to Renew Your Commitment to Publish Your Book

Welcome to Kingdom Writers where CJ and Shelley Hitz are passionate about equipping and empowering Christian writers of all genres to share their unique gifts with the world. This podcast is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters! We believe that you have a specific role to play in the kingdom of heaven to impact lives for eternity. And because of this, we will pour out our lives encouraging writers like you to not only tell your stories but to take the courageous step of self-publishing your stories in books that will outlive you and leave behind a powerful legacy. This podcast is sponsored by Christian Book Academy where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom Writers!

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Kingdom Writers: A Podcast for Christian Writers of All Genr...

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