My Surprising Journey from Blogger to Author (Guest Column)

My Surprising Journey from Blogger to Author | BloggingBistro.com

Note from Laura:

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Susie Crosby, a writer with whom I did some blog coaching two years ago. During that consulting session, we sat on the porch of a cute coffee shop, tossing around ideas for a blog or smartphone app.

Susie’s hope was to take a verse from The Message translation of the Bible and blog about one important word from that verse for her target audience of college students. Each blog post would feature a different verse and word.

Susie’s idea intrigued me, and I thought it would interest publishers. The devotional market is glutted with amazing writers, so Christian publishers are looking for a unique twist on the standard 250-word devotional article. When your readership is hard-to-reach Millennials, that twist needs to be particularly compelling.

Susie began blogging and diligently pitching her devotional book idea at writers’ conferences. As she faithfully built her writing platform, unexpected and exciting opportunities began to unfold.

Read on and vicariously experience Susie’s story.

From Blog to Book Contract, One Word At a Time

By Susie Crosby
Guest contributor

Writers’ Conference #1
Edmonds, WA

My heart was pounding as I approached the historical building where the Write On the Sound Conference was taking place. I had never been to a writers’ conference before, and I wasn’t sure I belonged at one.

I had hurried out of work just in time to attend the last session of the Friday evening schedule, and the workshop I had selected was about publishing. It was disheartening, to say the least. I knew practically nothing about publishing going in, and in two overwhelming hours I realized that I knew even less than I thought.

My take away? Getting published was going to be almost impossible.

Glimmers of hope

As I reviewed my notes from that day, however, there were glimmers of hope. One in particular about a blog that had become a published book piqued my interest. Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, by Julie Powell, was the work that the presenter had mentioned.

This bestselling book was based on a blog created by the author. Her posts were written with wisdom and humor about her attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Childs’ Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was so well received that the blog-turned-book become a major motion picture starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep in 2009.

But publishing a book from blog posts wasn’t common. It wasn’t expected. And it wasn’t something that I thought would ever happen to me. I didn’t even know how to blog, after all. And I really didn’t want to learn. Maybe I would try it someday if nothing else worked out…

I tucked the conference notes away and doggedly continued to work on the draft of my first book.

Writers’ Conference #2
Bellevue, WA

This time, although still shaky, I was prepared. I registered for the full two days of the Northwest Christian Writers’ Renewal Conference, made editorial appointments, read The Christian Writer’s Coach: How to Get the Most Out of a Writers Conference, and packed my computer bag with my freshly edited manuscript and a brand-new box of business cards.

I researched the editors that I was going to meet with, and practiced my pitch. I prayed. I walked around the parking lot. I called my husband and texted a close friend to help calm my nerves. I felt like such a rookie.

A life-changing appointment

The fifteen-minute appointment with a senior editor at a publishing house was life-changing. She was receptive, positive, interested in my book for college-aged women. She asked me for some sample chapters and gave me her card.

I was ecstatic. Could it really happen this easily for me? First time pitching to an editor, and she wants to see more of my work? It must be too good to be true.

Yes, it was. After six agonizing weeks, I received the “thank you for submitting your book proposal” email instead of a contract.

One of the main reasons? I didn’t have a “platform” or a “following.” I was heartbroken and discouraged, but I kept writing.

In a subsequent phone conversation with this same wise and gracious editor, I asked her advice on next steps. She suggested creating a focus group of people in my target audience, and highly recommended starting a blog.

I was not excited about the blogging option, but I knew I had to give it a try. I contacted Laura Christianson for a one-hour consultation and she gave me great tips about blog length and formatting. We talked about how to connect with readers, and I left with new motivation and a valuable packet of social media information.

My next meeting was with a young friend who had experience designing and maintaining websites. It was apparent very quickly that paying her to create my website would be much more effective than trying to do it myself.

So, while she worked on the technical and artistic details, I wrote and wrote and wrote. Not just for college students. For everyone. One word at a time.

Writers’ Conference #3
Concord, NC (well, actually, Portland, OR)

This is the one that I thought would be the “big” one. The one with the famous names and the higher-level connections. It was expensive, but I was willing to make the investment.

Just about two months before the conference, I realized that this one wasn’t meant to be. Although I had registered and had secured a hotel room, my good friend who planned to go with me was on the waiting list. Quite far down on the waiting list. Hesitant to buy airline tickets across the country for something that wasn’t a sure thing, we canceled.

Instead, we bought train tickets to Portland, Oregon, just a few hours away. We rented a hotel room by the river, brought our notebooks and laptops, and wrote (and talked and laughed and ate and wandered around the famous Powell’s Books for hours).

It was inspiring, refreshing–a restful, unstructured time that allowed us both to tap into our creativity.

Writers’ Conference #4
Bellevue, WA

Northwest Christian Writers’ Association Renewal Conference one year later. My blog was now 5 weeks old.

I signed up for two editorial appointments this time, still pitching my devotional book for college students. The first editor was professional but dismissive.

The second was from Harvest House, a Christian publisher in the Pacific Northwest. He was friendly and honest. He told me that books for college students are not big sellers. He said something about needing around 10,000 followers to generate a publisher’s interest in a book for that age group.

I sighed and said something to the effect of, “That’s why I started my blog. I’m just getting started, but I’m having a lot of fun writing and posting for more and more people every week.”

He was curious. “Tell me about your blog,” he said, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

I shared with him my idea to define and write about one word at a time from the Message version of the Bible, and he was noticeably intrigued.

He asked for some blog posts, and I sent them that night with a link to my website. Three months later, Harvest House Publishers sent me an e-mail with the heading, “Congratulations!” They had decided to publish–not my book, but my blog.

Just One Word: 90 Devotions to Invite Jesus In, will comeout in early November of 2018.

When I attend Writer’s Conference #5, I will not be meeting with an editor. I will be attending workshops, continuing to learn and grow as a writer, and sharing with my writing colleagues the surprising joy that I have found in blogging.

My blog had its first birthday in April of 2018. The “One Word” posts have been archived due to the book contract, but there will be some “sneak peeks” of Just One Word on the blog this summer.

Currently, I am posting each Monday morning about God’s promises–the “good news” that we can hold onto today.

Need help building your author platform?

Laura Christianson, founder of Blogging Bistro, has worked extensively with everyone from pre-authors to multi-published, best-selling authors and publishing houses. Laura offers one-to-one coaching for:

brand development
website planning
blogging
social media

Click here for more information, fees, and to self-schedule your first coaching session.

About our guest columnist

Susie Crosby is an active blogger and a kindergarten PE teacher. She loves the beach, cozy coffee shops, and discovering the creative and meaningful ways that Jesus works through people andwords.

Susie is a wife and mom to two sons, and she resides in Seattle, Washington.

Connect with her at susiecrosby.com.

Attending writers conferences can pay off! Here’s how.

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How one writer went from blog to book contract, one word at a time

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