Greetings from Sarah Sundin from Oregon, where I’m visiting family. Today I have the privilege of interviewing Becky Harling, the author of Rewriting Your Emotional Script and a speaker with a dynamic ministry of hope and healing.
Becky, how did you get into writing?
I felt for many years that God was calling me to be a writer, but didn’t know how to get started. God brought Linda Dillow into my life as a mentor and she connected me with Navpress. Navpress actually called me and invited me to send them a proposal. They turned down the first three proposals I sent in but told me to come back because they liked the way I wrote. They felt I wasn’t clear on my message yet. Turns out, they were right! I finally learned through a whole lot of tears how to write authentically from my brokenness.
How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles?
I now have two books published by Navpress: Finding Calm In Life’s Chaos, 2005, and Rewriting Your Emotional Script, 2008. Rewriting Your Emotional Script is now published in Polish and will soon come out in Swahili. My third book, Freedom From Performing should come out in spring of 2011.
That’s fantastic! Those are intriguing titles.
What has helped you promote your books the most?
Speaking, taking interviews and giving away free books…but, I still am not very good at promoting my books. I am just learning about this now.
What mistakes or wrong assumptions did you make with the marketing of your first book? Did those mistakes cause you to change? If so, how?
I thought the publishing company would market my book. Since that time I am learning to ask lots of questions and be very visible with my publisher. I take any interviews that come my way and I am learning how to network. For example, when I go to a certain area of the country to speak, I am learning to network while there. I am also learning to send a book (Particularly Rewriting Your Emotional Script) ahead to different counseling agencies prior to me speaking in their area, letting them know that I will be recommending their counseling practice to troubled women. I am just starting to do this now, so stay posted and I’ll let you know if that helps!
Is there something you did that really helped with marketing your books?
Taking interviews…and spending time learning how to do the interviews.
Did you see God open any doors you never expected in the promotion of your books?
Yes, never in my wildest dreams did I expect that within one year of its release, Rewriting would come out in Polish and now in Swahili. God is using it beyond what I would have imagined in the lives of broken women. He is also using it in halfway houses – I never expected that either!
Now that you have been writing a while, what do you find works best for you in promoting your work?
Interviews and giving away lots of free books to people who are influential.
What are your top tips for aspiring writers with their first book contract?
• Be persistent – don’t give up
• Hire a writing coach to help you get your proposal ready – someone well known in the publishing field as an editor, who can submit your proposal to publishing companies.
• Spend time asking God what is the life message you are to be writing about.
• Pray a whole lot!
Thanks, Becky! Those are great tips.
To learn more about Becky, her books, and her speaking ministry, visit her at Becky’s website or Becky’s blog.
Writing for Him,
Sarah Sundin
