Do You Want Others to Notice You? by Susan Lawrence

Susan Lawrence

Do you want people to notice you?

Of course you do! We all do, but especially writers. We don’t write just for the thrill of exercising our fingers on the keyboard. We want others to read what we’ve written, to be uplifted, inspired and changed.

Many years ago, when I was focused more on shaping children than novels, we raised not only our biological children, but a series of foster children, too. For the most part, our oldest son, Benjamin, had no problem sharing his Mommy and Daddy, his home, his toys, and all the attention with foster siblings.

But one weekend we had some visitors with four children. All of us, my husband and I, the visitors, the foster children, and Benji were on our patio, so the little ones could play. Benji decided he'd had enough of sharing the spotlight. Everything he did, he would shout, "Yook at me! Yook at me!" His chubby hands would applaud his own efforts as he awaited our praise.

Even as mature adults, there is a joy in accomplishment, and we appreciate others recognizing our efforts. When an author gets a five-star review on Amazon, or when someone tells us how much they enjoyed our book (or article, or poem, or anything we’ve written,) it’s a tremendous rush.

 But is it okay to seek the accolades? Most in the business of writing would agree that it is not only okay, it is essential to a career. Writers, and those in many other occupations as well, are expected to promote themselves. It's called marketing. In the publishing world, it is deemed necessary to have a "platform" and "an Internet presence." We’re told we need to blog, Facebook, twitter, and Instagram. Book tours, book signings, speaking engagements, and even guest blog posts draw attention to us – and our “product,” our writing. So how much self-promotion is okay?

In 2 Corinthians 10:17, the apostle Paul admonishes us, "He who boasts, let him boast in the Lord. For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends."

In all that I do, I sincerely want to give God the glory. I also want to do everything possible to achieve success in the world of publishing. Translated, that means book sales. And marketing sells books.

So when does promoting my book become boasting? How much is too much? Asking for reviews? Sharing a good review on social media? Posting pictures of book signings? Quoting sales figures? When do we step over the line?

I'm not sure I have the answers to these questions. I have said, "I put my book in God's hands," but I still ask others to give Amazon reviews, I actively seek out book signings, and I use Facebook to talk about my book. But I make it my constant prayer that everything I do says "Look at my awesome God" instead of "Yook at me!"

Lighthouse Publishing, 2014

Susan Lawrence, a graduate of Kansas State Teacher’s College, taught special needs children for thirty-three years before retiring to devote more time to writing, speaking, and storytelling. She has published two family devotional books, contributed to three anthologies, and has written articles for various Christian publications. Atonement for Emily Adams is her first novel. Susan lives with her husband, Gary, in the woods of Iowa. She is the mother of three and grandmother of seven beautiful and brilliant grandchildren. Contact Susan at: srlauthor @ mchsi.com.

 Be sure to stop back tomorrow, when you can enter to win a free copy of Atonement for Emily Adams.

Read More

Dreams Deferred by Author Susan Lawrence

I never knew how to answer the standard question asked of children. What do you want to be when you grow up? I had four dreams – to be a wife, a mom, a teacher, and a writer. And I planned to have them all. 

At the tender age of twenty I became a wife, and only a few years later I landed my first job as a teacher of special needs children. The dream of being a mom took longer to realize – infertility claimed eight heartbreaking years before I held my little miracle son in my arms.

Two years later we were blessed with a second son, and four years after that we adopted our daughter. I spent a few fleeting years home with babies, and then I continued teaching, but I never lost my dream of being a writer. I wrote bits and pieces: kid’s plays, magazine articles, stories I could jot down while my family napped.

Life went by in a whirlwind of Little League games, spelling tests, and bedtime prayers. One by one our children grew up and moved away. My husband and I woke to the surprise of a middle-aged empty nest. The time for the fourth dream had arrived. My school district offered me the opportunity of early retirement with a benefit package. I could devote myself to pursuing the dream that persisted.

I wrote and rewrote. I went to conferences, studied the craft of writing, and established myself in a writing community. It was far more difficult than I’d anticipated. I achieved some small successes and encouragement from professionals. And I didn’t give up. I wrote and rewrote again.

In May 2014, seven years from the month I retired, my first novel,  Atonement for Emily Adams, was released. The main character, Emily, also dreams of being a mom. Her dream is deferred, too, not by life, but by death – the death of a child. Burdened by guilt, Emily tries to make up for her wrong by doing good works. Readers call the story excellent, inspirational, and satisfying.

Not simply a good story, Atonement for Emily Adams is fiction with a purpose. This late life dream-come-true of mine has the potential to make many dreams possible. Several months ago my husband, Gary, and I heard Scott and Marcia Borg, missionaries in Swaziland, Africa, share their vision to build a home for babies and children, orphaned and abandoned in the AIDs ravaged country. Swaziland natives would staff and run the facility and the children would be raised in a home-like atmosphere. The land had been purchased, but funds were needed to build.

Gary and I knew we had the opportunity to make a difference for these children who had no one to fight for them. We decided to donate our proceeds from my novel to Pour International, the non-profit organization founded by the Borgs. If Atonement for Emily Adams sells well, the book will build the abandoned baby home.

The dream of one little starry-eyed girl was a very long time coming. But it now has the potential for touching thousands of lives. A dream deferred is only a bulb, waiting underground for the right season to grow, sprout, and blossom.

Has your dream been deferred? What are you doing to nourish your underground dream?

Susan Lawrence, a graduate of Kansas State Teacher’s College, taught special needs children for thirty-three years before retiring to devote more time to writing, speaking, and storytelling. She has published two family devotion books, contributed to three anthologies, and has written articles for various Christian publications. Atonement for Emily Adams is her first novel. Susan lives with her husband, Gary, in the woods of Iowa. She is the mother of three and grandmother of seven beautiful and brilliant grandchildren. Contact Susan at: srlauthor@mchsi.com.

Read More