The Writing Life

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Sunday, October 12, 2025

A World of Possibilites

Take a moment and think about your life as a writer. As you look around your world, what do you see in your mind? Is the world full of opportunities or is it limited and scarce?

In this article, I want to help you have a wide mindset about your writing life and the possibilities for you. These possibilities only exist if you have the right mindset and take continued and steady action.

Whether you are brand new to the writing world or a bestselling author with many books (like me), no one is beating on your door asking you to go here or there or to do this or that. Every one of us have to craft our emails, phone calls, text, book proposals and query letters. We have to pitch the right person for the opportunity to happen.

As I’ve often written in these articles, who you know is as important as what you know. Only you can write and tell your story.

Maybe you want to publish a book. How can you get a connection to the right person who can help you? Maybe you exchange business cards with them at a writers conference.

Today a writer that I met at a large conference last May reached out to me with simple email. She reminded me of our meeting (wise) and then asked the best way to get started (another wise action). I responded with those answers.

Another author that I’ve known for years reached out to me about a friend with a possible book project. She asked the best way to get started. I encouraged her to send a brief introductory email to me and to her friend. This method is another way to open the door of opportunity.

LinkedIN has millions of people and business relationships. Reach out to someone you want to know on linkedIN and send them a connection invitation. Or look at their contact information and see if you find an email address. The craft an email with your pitch or whatever you need.

Email is often the best communication tool and method to begin the process. In general, everyone reads their email. Sometimes email has it’s own challenges. I receive a lot of email and sometimes when I do not receive a response in a few days, I will send a second email. Or sometimes through the joy of technology, my personal email terry@terrywhalin.com doesn’t always reach me. It’s weird but it happens.

If you met someone at a conference and got their business card, then reach out to them. It doesn’t matter that you met them months (or even years) ago. In the opening paragraph remind them of where you met and then briefly ask for what you need from them.

There is a wise verse in the book of James.”You have not because you ask not.” (James 4:2) Learn to ask in a way which gets a response.

This week I was talking with another author. He mentioned sending his manuscript out to key leaders and asking for their endorsement. I admired his initiative in asking for these endorsements. Yet I also understand mny of these busy professionals will not have the time to read the manuscript. The easiest response for them is “no” or silence (no response).

When you make the endorsement request, craft your request in a different way so you get a positive response. Offer to write a draft endorsement or even write a couple of them (from the endorsers perspective) then send those sentenes with your request. It’s strange to write a couple of glowing sentences about yourself. For the recipient, it is easier for them to revise your sentence and say yes than to write their own endorsement. Your creative request will be different and potentially pay off with a yes response instead of a no.

You can use these examples in other areas like to speak at an event or to be a guest on a podcast or to write for an online publication or a magazine.

Before you pitch, take a few minutes to look at their website, listen to some of their podcasts, read their guidelines for the publication. This groudwork will help you craft your pitch into something they need or will respond positively,

We live in one of the greatest times in human history. In your pocket through your phone, you have the ability to reach people around the world. The possibilities are endless for you and your writing—but only if you take action and keep pitching.

It’s what I’m doing every day. I knock on new doors. I pitch podcast hosts. I propose new writing opportunities. The opportunities are there but only if you seize them.

Several Statements of Truth

The work is never finished. There is always more writing and places of opportunity.

Continue to make new connections.

Continue to explore new publications and places to publish (online and in print).

Continue to learn and explore (and fail) with your reach.

Your persistence and consistency and commitment to not quit will be the difference maker.

I can not do anything about the choices of others. I can try and help but each person controls their own life. There is only one person where I have any control: me.

What am I missing here? Or what opportunities are you seizing or missing? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

When you look at the writing world, do you see limitations or possibilities? This prolific author and editor sees unlimited opportunity. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

A great deal of the publishing process is outside of our control as writers. When I speak with authors, I find many of these authors have unrealistic expectations. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

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Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,700 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Labels: A World of Possibilites, abundance, action, ask, book, connection, consistency, magazine, opportunity, publishing, scarcity, Terry Whalin, The Writing Life

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Sunday, October 05, 2025

Expand Your Writing Target

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

With our writing pitches, we are aiming at some publication or some publisher or some literary agent. I'm encouraging you to shift your writing in a new direction and expand your opportunity in a new direction. If you do, then you will expand your publishing efforts and potentially hit a different target.

As an editor, I often speak with authors focused on publishing a book. I'm actively looking for the right authors and the right books for Morgan James Publishing. If you are going to publish a book, I encourage you to send it to me (my work contact information is on the second page of this link).

I love books and understand their reach yet I also know about their limitations. For example, within the book business if your book sells 5,000 copies during the lifetime of the book, then that is a good number. In the world of magazine writing, it is fairly easy to reach 100,000 or even 500,000 readers with your writing. These two aspects are not a choice of doing one or the other. In this article I want to show you how you can do both and expand your reach and help yourself gain more literary agent and editor attention.

Recently I received a well-crafted devotional book for possible publication. When I spoke to the author, she had never considered submitting a devotion to the Upper Room magazine. This quarterly publication has a circulation of six million. Talk about multiplying your writing efforts. The first step is to read their guidelines and examples of what they need. The Upper Room even has an online submission form for their devotions. Several years ago I wrote four possible devotions and submitted them. Three of my submissions were rejected but one was accepted and published. Before it was published, The Upper Room emailed asking if I would like to publish a blog article on the same day as my devotion. Through studying their blog, I learned occasionally a blog entry would include one website link. I submitted my article and included a link to my book. I seized another opportunity. You can do this as well.

Do your book contain personal stories from your life? Could you take one of these 1,200 to 1,500 word stories and reshape it slightly into a magazine article? Almost every magazine will publish personal experience stories. Learn to write a magazine article. Read their guidelines, then give the editor what they are requesting. At the bottom of your article, you can include a single line (or two) like "Terry Whalin is the author of 10 Publishing Myths and lives in Southern California" with a link to your book. You have expanded your reach with this effort.

If you write fiction, you can also write magazine articles or short stories. Use a current market guide because the details change each year. Read the guidelines and read some articles online, then submit your stories to the publication. It only happens if you submit your articles or stories.

Book editors and literary agents are looking for authors who understand about publishing because these people already know what it takes to get published. You can increase the interest from editors and agents if you publish in magazines. It's one of the reasons I continue to write for different publications. I've shown you the details how you can follow the same path.

Several years ago I recorded a teleseminar about how to get more mileage from your writing. I give a free 27-page ebook with more ideas and details. Follow the link to get this recording and free ebook.

Finally, I want to give you a valuable resource from the founder of Morgan James Publishing, David Hancock. One of his latest books is The Babylon Blueprint for Authors which will help you get promotion ideas. When I speak with authors, many of them decide to self-publish or are looking for a traditional publisher. This book includes about 40 pages which compares self-publishing, traditional publishing and independent publshing (like Morgan James). Follow this link to get your free copy of this resource.

What steps are you taking to expand your writing target? Let me know in the comments.

Tweetable:

Many writers are focused on books. According to this prolific author and editor with a slight shift they can reach more readers. Get the details: https://bit.ly/46LnFgt #writingtip #pubtip (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more podcast recordings launched:

Allison Lane and I discussed how to avoid the publishing mistake that kills your book sales at: https://bit.ly/3KEoVcl

During my years in publishing, I’ve reviewed thousands of submissions and spoken with many authors about their plans and dreams for their book. I’ve found many of these authors have unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. From my experience, many aspects of the details of publishing are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

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Labels: books, David Hancock, devotionals, Expand Your Writing Target, magazine articles, Morgan James Publishing, telesminar, Terry Whalin, The Babylon Blueprint for Authors, The Upper Room, The Writing Life

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Sunday, September 28, 2025

Fill Your Empty Calendar

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Last week during my Bible reading, I was reminded of an important truth: 168. It’s the number of hours each of us have for our week. How do you fill those hours? Do you have an empty calendar? What steps will you take to fill it with your writing?

I have the same number of hours: 168 but in this article I want to give you some ideas and actions about how you could fill your empty calendar. Years ago, I would make a daily “to do” list and cross things off throughout my day. It has been many years since I’ve used this method to fill my calendar. Instead I have a series of activities which fill my day. If it is something I can do quickly such as answer an email or handle some other task, it doesn’t appear on my calendar. At the moment, I am not writing on a book deadline. When I have such a deadline, I make a specific word count for my writing and plan that into my calendar. I’m going to break my regular tasks into differnet categories for this explanation.

Regular Habits & Deadlines

As I’ve explained in these entries, I have an active social media presence where I post 12-15 times each day and use a scheduling tool. Also I write a blog and post a blog article every week. Plus I have a weekly newsletter which goes out a different day of the week. I use reminders on my phone to keep track of these tasks and deadlines to make sure I meet them.

Follow-up Work

Because of my work with Morgan James Publishing,I have a variety of authors who are at different stages in the publishing process. Some of them have sent me their submissions and I need to schedule a phone conference to see if they are the right fit to publish with us. Others have received contracts and not signed them. I call these authors or email to see if they have questions and encourage them to move ahead. There are internal procedures that I need to follow in this process. When I make a series of these phone calls, it can consume a solid portion of my empty calendar.

Processing New Authors

Individual authors and some literary agents will email me with submissions. I have an internal process to get them into the system then I reach out to them and suggest a recorded conference call. It’s where I speak with them about their book and why they wrote it and their plans for the book. I schedule these meetings on my calendar and in a short amount of time I have a series of meetings for the week ahead.

Answer Emails and Phone Calls

Throughout my day I receive a variety of emails and some phone calls. Recently through LinkedIN (where I have over 19,400 connections), I will get an email from someone asking for my phone number to introduce me to a person. I resist these calls because from my experience they are a huge time waster and not the right place to begin the relationship. Instead, I send them my work email and suggest they start the introduction on email--and normally that kills any further interaction and the time waster phone call. A substantial part of my day is spent on the phone with different authors and my colleagues at Morgan James.

Misc Projects

In this article, I’ve focused on details about what I do for Morgan James Publishing. I have other activities in other things. For example, I’m using PodMatch to pitch podcast hosts and schedule to guest on more podcasts. Also since 2000, I’ve been one of the leaders in an online writer's group called The Writer’s View. As a part of this group from time to time, I’m scheduled to lead a discussion. If you want to join this group, it is a two step process. First you need to create an account profile at: www.groups.io Once your account is created, send a request to subscribe to our group with this link: TWV+subscribe@TheWritersView.groups.io

I have many different activities that fill my empty calendar. I wrote this article to give you some ideas and actions for your own calendar. What steps do you take or am I missing in this process? I look forward to your comments.

Tweetable:

When you look at your calendar, are you facing many empty days? This prolific author and editor gives a series of ideas how to productively fill your empty calendar. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week another podcast recording launched:

Dan Amzallag and I spoke about 10 Publishing Myths on The Happiness Journey Podcast with Dr. Dan. Listen at: https://bit.ly/3VAZmeA

My Writing In Other Places:

With these articles, I encourage you to publish your work beyond your blog in other places. Below are three articles which were published in other online locations than this blog.

Each month I guest blog at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference blog. This month I wrote an article about how to increase your writing productivity.

At Writers on the Move, I explain why self-published books are rarely inside brick and mortar bookstores.

Once a month I guest blog about some aspect of book proposal creation for Almost An Author. This month I encouraged readers to delete any hype in their proposal.

Throughout my many years in publishing, I’ve co-authored over a dozen books and reviewed thousands of submissions (no exaggeration). As a part of the process of working with these authors, I speak with them about their dreams and plans. Many of these authors have unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the details of publishing are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

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Get these articles on your email:

Labels: consistency, Fill Your Empty Calendar, follow-up, persistence, planning, proactive, publishing, scheduling, Terry Whalin, The Writing Life

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Sunday, September 21, 2025

The Challenge of Writing Choices

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As writers, we have many choices for our writing. Sometimes it does not take much to stand out and distinguish yourself from others. In these entries, I’ve been talking about appearing on podcasts and using PodMatch which is connected to over 90,000 podcasts. During the last eight months, I’ve booked or recorded over 60 podcasts. This past week a couple of those podcasts launched online and I recorded another podcast and booked another one. One of the keys is always looking for these opportunities then pitching the podcast host why they should book you on their podcast.

When these podcasts launch, do you promote them to your readers and on your social media connections? Recently I attended a webinar about podcasting. The instructor has her own podcast but has been a guest on hundreds of podcasts. She mentioned it is rare for these podcast guests to promote her podcast when the episode appears. I was surprised to hear this information. Whenever one of my podcasts appears, I write a short social media message and post it to my followers on three different platforms along with an image connected to that episode. Also I add it to these blog articles as you can see below this article.

In addition, I’ve created a system to continue to promote these podcasts and the episodes. My actions are simple and do not consume lots of time or energy but they are consistent and repetitive. You can take these sorts of actions and stand out to the podcast host. Then when you pitch them to be scheduled as a return guest, they will be more likely to read and respond positively to you. Your actions make you the exception.

As you can see from the image at the top of this article, we have many different choices as writers. How do you make the right ones? How do you know what to write each day? How do you develop writing habits? How do you take action to pitch and follow-up and move your writing forward? I'm not going to be able to answer all these questions in this single article but I will give you some links and ideas to move forward with your choices. One of the critical elements is understanding what you can do to be effective. Knowledge is fine but the real action is to apply this information to your own writing life and your goals as a writer.

Reader Marked

In the first chapter of Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, I list a series of writing possibilities. Follow this link to get the chapter. Each one of these possibilities could be a career or complete business for your writing life. Originally I self-published Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and the basic content came from these blog articles. I reworked them, added practical application and cartoons. After selling several thousand copies of my self-published book, I moved the updated edition to Morgan James Publishing. Recently I reworked this website and the variety of places where you can get this book.

If You Want to Write Books

Most writers when they begin a book manuscript, they face the blank page, put their fingers on the keyboard and begin. Whether they are writing a novel, a nonfiction book, a children’s book, or any other type of book, they start with the manuscript. Instead I encourage you to take a different action. Create a book proposal as your first step in the creation process. Your book proposal helps you think through your reader, audience, title, outline, competitive titles and your marketing plans. Every author has to market and tell people about your book no matter how you publish it. Even if you self-publish your book, you still need a business plan. I've written two book proposals received traditional contracts with a six-figure advance. I’ve reviewed thousands of submissions during my years in publishing and I built those insights into my Book Proposals That Sell book. Get a free copy here or use my website to buy a print version.

If You Want to Write for Magazines

I understand many writers want to create a book, but the reality is you can reach more readers with a magazine article than most of us will reach with our books. There are a few book authors who become bestselling authors and reach many people but the majority do not. With a magazine article, it is easy to reach 100,000 or even 500,000 readers. It's one of the reasons I’ve written for more than 50 publications (actually I stopped counting and it is many more than 50). Many authors have not tried writing for magazines.

The steps are simple. First, get a market guide like the Christian Writer’s Market Guide or go to your local library and look for the Writer’s Digest Market Guide. Find some publications where you could pitch your article. Then go to their writer’s guidelines (on their website) and see what types of articles the editor wants to receive and the specifics (word count and focus). Then write and pitch to them what they are asking to receive. It is that simple because many writers never do these important first steps, your submission will stand out and be considered--and maybe accepted and published.

Some publications require you write a query letter with a one page pitch of your idea and other details. Learn to write this important tool and use it. Other publications want to receive the entire manuscript in the submission. Each magazine is different what they want and expect. If you do what they ask, you will get published.

Editors and literary agents are looking to publish books from writers who have been published. Writing for print publications is a way to capture more attention and response from these book editors and literary agents.

The Bottom-Line Actions

There are several key actions in this process. First, you will be rejected so expect it and keep pushing forward. As writers we have to grow some thick skin regarding rejection and understand that it is timing and reaching the right person with your pitch. That takes continued effort and searching.

Also some other steps is to read and follow their guidelines. Keep looking for the right connection and building new relationships. Meet your writing deadlines and be consistent as well as preserve your relationships. It will pay off for your publishing efforts but takes continued effort.

I encourage you to follow the links in this article to other information and keep moving forward on your writing life journey. What am I missing or other ideas do you have? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

As writers, we have many choices for our writing. In this article, this prolific author and editor gives some specific steps and actions you can take for your writing life. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more podcast recordings launched:

Billy Dees (@BillyDees) and I spoke about 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed on the Billy Dees Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/47L65do

Byran White and I spoke about writing, publishing and owning your success on the Did I Write That? The Story Behind the Story Podcast. Listen at: http://bit.ly/46tEScz

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Labels: choices, Terry Whalin, The Challenge of Writing Choices, The Writing Life

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Sunday, September 14, 2025

Get The Right Connection

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

From my years in publishing, I understand while on the surface publishing a book may look simple, it is full of complexity. One of the ways to cut through this complexity is to find the right guide or mentor with the right connection. Sometimes finding this right connection can take years.

In this article, I want to give you some ideas how to find the right connection for you and your publishing. Maybe you’ve read Malcom Gladwell’s bestselling book, The Tipping Point. In 2019, I wrote this article asking Where Is Your Tipping Point? on the Writers on the Move blog. The book highlights four personality types and when I read it, I understood that I’m a connector. Even if you aren’t a connector, you can understand the importance and grow your connections.

As I think about it, my connections come from many different places such as conferences, LinkedIN, podcasts and many other places. It’s important as you make these connections to keep track of your data such as their email and cell phone number. I have several places including my address book and my phone where I will add someone's contact information. It takes a few extra minutes but whenever I need the information (and that may be years later), I’ve made it easy to locate and use. If you don’t have a system or habit or practice for such details. I encourage you to create one that will work for you.

Years ago I exchanged business cards with people at conferences, connected them with a rubber band and brought them home and put them into a drawer in my desk. The information is there but not in an “easy to use” format. Through the years, I’ve gathered thousands of business cards.

When you return from a conference or gathering, I encourage you to take a few minutes and add the details into an address book that you can search, save and find when you need it.

Sometimes the right connection takes time and even years to happen. As an example, I’ll tell about a pair of my Morgan James Publishing authors with a forthcoming book. Their editor and ghostwriter is one of my long-term friends and one of my former editors from Penguin / Random House. She is no longer there. The authors are expert in a current topic and snagged the attention of a literary agent. For over a year, this agent shopped their excellent book proposal to publishers. In a few cases, they came close but no contract was offered from a traditional house and their agent gave up on shopping it because she could not find the right connection.

These authors had not tried an independent publisher so my editor friend reached out to me. I loved the authors, the topic and their book proposal and book. Through a process, my colleagues agreed and offered these authors a book contract. They signed and now their book is in production. In November both authors will be speaking at a large conference in Boston. We are on track for them to have books to sell at that event. Several months ago, this opportunity to sell books was not going to happen. Also this timely book will release next year in the bookstores. This process begins with finding the right connection and that takes work.

I’ve got many of these types of stories but the bottom-line is: to make the right connection every author has to be in the right place, at the right time with the right stuff. Yes, there were three rights in that last sentence. It takes work and continued effort to make that connection. If someone gives up, the connection doesn't happen.

Action Steps:

1. Take a hard look at how you process emails and phone numbers from whoever you meet. Do you have a consistent habit with this information? If not, create one and begin the habit.

2. If you don’t have a profile on LinkedIN, then make one and completely fill it out (a critical element including your photo), then make new connections. Are we connected on LinkedIN? Follow this link to my profile and check. If not, then send me a connection invitation. Publishing professionals move around but they take their LinkedIN profile with their move. When I want to reach someone I’ve not connected with in years, LinkedIN is one of the first places I turn to see their contact information. Use this resource to get the right connection.

3. It takes persistence and patience to find the right connection. Last spring I taught at several writers’ conferences. I’m still adding these new connection to my address book and following up with these authors. In my view, it is never too late to restore and renew a connection with someone. Make it a part of your writing life.

What steps are you consistently taking to make the right connection? What steps have I not included? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

A key element in publishing is making the right connection. In this article, a prolific author and editor gives you the stories and details how to find that connection. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more podcast recordings launched:

Ruth Douthitt and I spoke about publishing myths on the Writer’s Day Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4n4Etoh

Carol Graham and I spoke about what are the 10 Publishing Myths You Need to Know and Understand on the Never Give Up Hope Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4mzGyYp

Even if you self-publish your book, you need to be cautious about your decisions and who you choose to work with for your book production. I’ve met authors who have spent thousands of dollars in the self-publishing process and unknowingly worked with someone in the Philippines and produced a terrible looking book which is only sold online. I’ve heard the unrealistic expectations of writers. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

Get these articles on your email:

Labels: consistency, follow-up, Get The Right Connection, networking, persistence, Terry Whalin, The Writing Life, writers confences

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Sunday, September 07, 2025

Too Good to Be True

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Last weekend I got two different email pitches about reviewing my books. I answered each of them and exchanged several emails until I reached the actual pitch from these individuals. At that point, I passed on their offer because it sounded too good to be true. Another way to put it, these offers were a high priced scam for authors.

In this article, I want to give you some of the details then you too can avoid and not fall into an offer which is too good to be true. If you take these offers, you will potentially waste a lot of money and energy. Finally I’m going to show you a better way to get these reviews which is old fashion yet effective.

The Pitch

Each of these emails approached me with a pitch about getting reviews for one of my books. The person writing me intentionally selected one of my books which had zero or only a few reviews. Even though I’ve written a number of articles about the importance of my reviews. A few of the books that I wrote early in my career do not have any or few reviews. In general these are children’s books that I wrote as a work-made-for-hire where I was paid upfront for my writing with no additional earnings. Because they were work-made-for-hire, as an author I had little inventive to encourage reviews (ask others) or do any promotion on these books.

The person pitching me had no idea of the work-made-for-hire element with these books. The approach was strictly about the lack of reviews. Here’s part of their pitch (both email pitches used similar language):

“Let me say this upfront, I’m not a promoter or marketer. I already work in real estate (houses by day 🏡, books by night 📖). But my love of reading grew into a community of over 2,000 readers who follow along with me.

Here’s what we do: we look for books that deserve more attention, especially those with few reviews, and we simply read them. Afterward, we share our honest thoughts on Amazon or Goodreads. That’s all. No campaigns, no social media, no ads, just genuine reading and feedback.

Think of it like shopping for a shirt. If there are no reviews, people hesitate. Books are the same. Readers want reassurance before taking the leap, and that’s where our group comes in.

I know authors sometimes feel cautious when someone reaches out, but this isn’t promotion. It’s simply readers helping readers discover your story.

Would you like me to introduce Never Too Busy to my reading group and save it a spot on our upcoming list?”

---

The pitch sounds interesting and like something to explore--so I responded. Her second email to me gave a little more info:

“I want to encourage you with this: many successful authors I’ve come across both new voices and household names didn’t rely on ads or campaigns at first. What moved their books forward was simply readers finding them, reading them, and talking about them. Competitors who understood this principle often pulled ahead, not because their books were better, but because their reviews made them more visible.

I always remind authors:

“A great book without reviews is like a lighthouse with no light—built strong, but unseen by the ships that need it most.”

The small gesture we give readers isn’t about paying for opinions it’s about valuing their time so they can read for fun without pressure. The reviews remain 100% genuine. That’s why this approach works and why authors often see their books finally break through Amazon’s invisible wall.

Even if this doesn’t seem like the right fit today, I’d love to keep the door open for Never Too Busy. Sometimes it only takes 20–30 voices for Amazon to start treating a book differently. And with the heart of your message, I believe it deserves to be discovered by more readers.

Would you be open to me keeping Never Too Busy on my community’s “watch list,” so if you reconsider, we can bring it forward?”

---

The third email gave the details and huge potential expense:

I noticed Never Too Busy currently has no reviews, which is a good foundation but still leaves so much room for momentum. As I often say: “One review is a whisper, but a collection of reviews becomes a choir that even Amazon can’t ignore.” 🎶

Here’s how my group works: I run a community of 2,000+ readers and reviewers. We don’t pay for reviews. Instead, we tip each reader $15–$20 not for the review itself, but simply as a coffee-and-cinnamon-roll thank-you for taking the time to read. Every reader has their own business and life, so this helps them enjoy the process while reading purely for fun.

Authors I’ve worked with often begin with 20–50 fresh reviews, and that alone can shift how Amazon positions the book in its algorithm. It really depends on how many readers you’d like to start with.

The usual process is simple: you’d send me a PDF of Never Too Busy so I can read it first, then I share it with selected readers in my group. From there, the reviews grow organically, one honest voice at a time.

Would you like me to save a spot for Never Too Busy and get this started?”

---

I passed on using this pitch. Something about it felt wrong to me--and the large potential expense stood out. If I “tipped” 50 people $20 each, that is a $1,000 expense. Follow this link to learn more details about Amazon reviews and their terms.

The Better Way for Reviews

1. Ask fans and readers to write a review.

2. Use a launch team to gather reviews at the release off your book.

3. Encourage people who have never written a review to use a book review template.

4. Write a page on your website and encourage reviews. Follow this link for a detailed example from one of my books.

These methods take time and effort from the author but do not violate the Amazon terms and do not have a large expense tied to them.

I hope this cautionary tale helps you with your book. If the pitch is too good to be true without additional explanation, then it probably is a lie and something you should avoid. Have you received these types of emails? Or maybe you have another suspicious pitch, then let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

If you get a pitch that is too good to be true, you should be cautious according to this prolific writer and editor. In this article, he gives a detailed example related to book reviews. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week another podcast recording launched:

On the Accents Podcast, Katerina Stoykova (@Katya_Stoykova) and I spoke about best practices in book promotion and more on WUKY Radio. Listen at: https://bit.ly/3HIizrz

During my decades in publishing, I’ve co-authored over a dozen books and reviewed thousands of submissions (no exaggeration). As a part of the process of working with these authors, I speak with them about their dreams and plans. Many of these authors have unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

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Labels: book reviews, lies, pitches, publishing, scams, Terry Whalin, The Writing Life, Too Good to Be True, truth

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Sunday, August 31, 2025

A Simple Reason Why

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Can you articulate in a single sentence, why you write and work in publishing? When you discover and can verbalize your “why,” it can serve as a motivator for consistent action in your writing life.

In this article, I will tell the story of my “why” and how every day it movitates my work in publishing. I have a simple motivation for my work in publishing. Day and and day out I do this work because books change lives. I know this fact firsthand because as a sophomore in college, I read a book which changed the direction of my life.

I chose to study journalism at Indiana University on the main campus in Bloomington with over 30,000 students. Early in the semester I joined the writing staff of The Indiana Daily Student newspaper. Six days a week we produced a full-sized newspaper and gained a great deal of practical experience through this work. I was rebelling from my upbringing and joined an active social fraternity. One night I had been out late partying and was hung over in the city room sitting at an old Royal typewriter (in the pre-computer days) and could not get my fingers on the right keys. When you made a mistake (and I was making plenty), you backed up, x’ed out and continued writing. I knew my copy was going to look terrible and my editor would be telling me about it. Each time I made a mistake, I muttered to myself, “Jesus Christ.”

Finally the blonde-haired girl sitting next to me could not stand my cursing and said, “Don’t say that, Terry, because one day when you need Jesus you will call out for him and he will not be there.”

I thought to myself, “Not true. I’m a Christian. I go to church when I’m at home. I even read the Bible in church when I am at home.” I had no personal relationship with Jesus.

She encouraged me to check out a bookstore two blocks off the campus which had pretty cards and posters. “Maybe you will find a book which interests you,” she said.

A few days later, I wandered down to this bookstore and bought a book called Jesus, the Revolutionary. I wondered how Jesus could be a revolutionary. At that time I was rebelling from my family and how I was raised. I read this book and it showed me a different side of Jesus than I’d ever seen before. About that time, I was invited to a Jesus people gathering in downtown Bloomington. Everyone sat on the floor on scraps of carpet in this open area with little candles as lights. The people in that room had something that I didn’t have. I bought a Bible and decided to change the direction of my life.

Initially I was planning to be a newspaper reporter on the Indianapolis Star or some other newspaper. Instead when I completed my degree, I joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and studied linguistics. I spent several years in Guatemala working among the Southwest Cakchiquel people and celebrated with them in 1990 at the publication of their New Testament.

I began to write for magazines and attended a writers’ conference and met an editor who liked my idea for a children's book called When I Grow Up, I Can Go Anywhere for Jesus which was published in 1992. In the decades since I’ve written more than 60 books for traditional publishers and I continue to write and work with many authors on their books. I’m acquiring or finding books at my third publisher, Morgan James Publishing, where I’ve been for the last 13 years.

As I began this article, my “why” is simple: I work in book publishing because books change lives. It drives what I do every day. In 1998, I published this little story in an article called Two Words That Changed My Life (follow the link to read it). Books can go places that we will never go as writers and influence lives that we will never touch this side of heaven.

Take some time and think about the reason you are writing. Can you capture it in a short sentence? If you can do this, let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

To motivate your consistent work in publishing, this prolific writer and editor believes you must have a simple reason why. Read the story and understand how to create your own why. (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more podcast recordings launched:

Wisdom Okonkwo interviewed me about how you should stop waiting for someone else to create your success on the Relatable Wisdom Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4oWYb6H

Roy Coughlan (@Poleire) and I spoke about Podcasts Can Help Promote Your Book on the PodFather Podcast. Listen at: https://bit.ly/41uLBBC

My Writing In Other Places:

With these articles, I encourage you to publish your work beyond your blog in other places. Below are three articles which were published in other online locations than this blog.

Once a month, I guest blog for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference blog. This month I encoruaged writers to be open to a world of possibilities then provides a partial list for our writing. https://bit.ly/3HwqxDZ

Also once a month I blog for Writers on the Move. This month I wrote about how publishing has many pitfalls. My article gives a cautionary tale and a series of actions for every author: https://bit.ly/45NDzpT

In addition, once a month I blog about book proposal creation for Almost An Author. This month I wrote about how an excellent proposal involves hard work at: https://bit.ly/4muNo1X

Publishing is a complex business and much of the process is outside of anything an author can control—no matter how they publish. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors realistic expectations and practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

Get these articles on your email:

Labels: ;perserverance, A Simple Reason Why, consistency, motivation, publishing, Terry Whalin, The Writing Life