“What’s the difference between promotion and self-promotion? How do we promote ourselves/our books so that we honor God, respect others, and use common sense?”
The constant tension between marketing and ministry has plagued the Christian author, speaker, bookseller, and publisher forever. Why? Because Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple. Because we are commanded to die to self and to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord….
And yet, our society…our culture insists, even demands, that we market and promote our message.
Hanging on my office wall is the following saying from Ignatius Loyola:
Work as if everything depends on you.
Pray as if everything depends on God.
And another one is from James 5:16:
“…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Maybe that is the beginning of the balance. People in business, not just publishing, must work hard and make every effort to excel in their field of expertise. We never question a bank needing to market their wares, but if a Christian bank were to do so the critics would surge with vitriol. The principles of a successful business come into play with regard to our profession. We are in the business of communicating the message of redemption to a world that doesn’t read. Thus we are called to excellence in our craft for we have a message that can change lives. If we do not make every effort to be an evangelist (see marketer) of that message, the message will likely not be read or heard, and thus ministry would rarely occur. As one writer told me boldly, “Marketing, in essence, IS my ministry.”
Even the Mother Teresas, Thomas Mertons, Richard Fosters, John Eldreges, and Henri Nouwens of the world were out there in the public eye. They had a message of change that they were called to deliver. Thus they took the speaking engagements, they worked with their publishers in publicity, and they wrote absolutely stellar books that nearly sold themselves. Our challenge is to avoid the Publican attitudes of I, Me, and My. Instead we should strive to incorporate the Us, Our, and We.
Your turn:
How do you keep your balance?
Is this a real tension or are we thinking too hard about the topic?
[a previous version, now updated and edited, was published in February 2011.]
Fun Fridays – July 20, 2018
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This is timely for me too, having just had quite a bit of publicity due to receiving a Word Award for a play I’ve been working on for some time. I was interviewed by a journalist who is also a believer and when I said I was a bit reticent to have my picture and all the fanfare in the paper he chided me a bit and said he was so thankful to have the opportunity to do a story about a writer of faith and talked about how his ministry and mine is expanded every time it happens. A good and humbling reminder. Obedience means more than just writing.
I have struggled a lot with this also. What has helped me the most is the degree to which I believe those who read/listen to me will be helped by what I have to offer/say. If I truly believe what I have is value that God has entrusted me with to bless others, I am doing them a grave disservice to not let them know/read/hear it. That makes it about His message and the readers, not about me. That has relieved me of a lot of angst.
If we have a product that is uplifting and promotes Christian virtues, we have an obligation to share it with as many people as we can. That takes marketing and publicity.
Steve (and all– I love all the responses),
I agree, we (me?) with your blog and responses. God is interested in our character, our walk, our ministries (whether the pulpit or in the world).
It’s a daily ‘Drop this at the Cross,’ kinda thing.
It was a terrible day when I lost ‘everything.’ But God used it for good. I was under immense pressure and stopped praying for those I was helping or trying to help. God shook me by the shoulders but I ignored Him, I was so obsessed with the ‘how will we live?’ As the novel progressed and things changed, I read parts to my husband. He said, ‘that’s us.’
That epiphany paled me. It was very humbling. My anger, obsession, hiding from the world ended. I rushed into prayer, praise, and His Word. The pressure remains after four years, but I no longer worry, where will this or that come from? I am humbled by His provision, His providence in our lives. Regardless I have to drop everything and trust every day (sometimes every minute or so).
Whether this novel makes it’s way into the world, or if God was trying to reach me through those dark days alone, it’s enough. OK. It’s my desire to see my work(s) published. And, again, I get to go to Calvary to ask His will be done…
Now, this is my ministry (thus far) and it may simply be preparation for something else. I don’t know. But He does, and that’s what counts.
If anyone’s still in the conversation, here’s my final take on self-promotion.
Today was a world of hurt, and pancreatic cancer may win.
But it’s going to remember me, and it’s going to cry like a little girl at the mention of my name.
Valhalla awaits.
And for a musical hook, here’s Freddie Mercury and Queen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY
Andrew,
You are in my prayers, victor. I don’t know what else I can say.
Claire, you said it all. Going to go out in a blaze of glory, on the updraft of prayer.
God bless and prayers for healing. No pain. I love how you put it, blaze of glory, on updraft of prayer.
Many thanks, Claire.
And as for pain…I figure that to beat Hell you’ve got to go there, right straight downtown.
You rock. Inspiring.
I have typed up on my wall: ‘She has gone through Hell. So believe me, fear her when you see her look into the fire… and smile.’
I just put your name in place of the pronouns. Because you rock.
Claire, I am so honoured. Thank you for this.
The following verses seem to capture the dichotomy:
“Because the God who said, ‘Out of darkness light shall shine,’ is the One who shined in our hearts to illuminate the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not out of us.”—2 Corinthians 4:6-7 (NTRV)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”—John 15:4 (KJ)
How does one abide? Writing itself is often a way in which I abide.
Amen. Writing is how He brought me to my senses since I’d been without sense and backsliding. And when I can relate my character’s pain to my own, which is really nothing in the great scheme of God’s plan… I feel quite humbled. Thank you, Catherine.
Thank you for sharing, Claire. You seem to write from the palette of your pain, which is beautiful.
Thanks, Steve, for this thought provoking article. I too, have struggled with the thought that if I “market” my works I am calling attention to self. I like the connection you make between evangelizing and marketing. It makes sense. This is practical advice. Thank you!
This is THE struggle for me. Mostly I feel stupid promoting something I’ve written and not hearing much of a response. It really makes me question whether this is a ministry or just an empty vortex. It makes me timid to keep sharing my work. I wonder if what I’m writing is valuable at all or just adding to the noise. I guess I’m experiencing my pride being pierced. And I guess that’s not a bad thing. But it does make me question whether or not writing/promoting my writing is useful or if my time would be better used with face-to-face ministry (where you know people actually HEAR your words and then talk back).
Great post (the one I missed…)
How? As I write, read, and do the ‘social media’ thing, I admit I am yet to be published. The critiques it went through spanned the world, to even Muslims who asked for more Scripture. This was not me, though I have to tug myself back from trying to say it was. I had no idea that God kept Christians away from reading and only sent atheists, agnositics, and Satan worshippers!!! as well as on-the-fence believers to read that manuscript.
So, while I rework this monstrous manuscript and obtain an editor to finesse what I’ve done, I stick to my social media as my outlet for other authors and the struggle. On my regular page, I share the Gospel but don’t shove.
Each morning is my prayer to act in a godly manner in all things I write, even if it is political. My followers on social media come from all walks of life, again, not from me, and I hope and pray that words from Scripture or comfort will have those who don’t believe, wonder, search, and let God work.
I don’t always succeed, by the way. 🙂
I am setting up a local business, have a plan for speaking locally, then statewide to struggling writers and the morass of publishing (because I have been rejected often and learned a lot from especially this site).
I know a woman who is known worldwide for her blog, has travelled even to New Zealand speaking, and has recently published her first novel after fifteen years of ‘not promoting’ herself or her book, just the ‘how-to’s’ of a platform.
Great post and thank you for pointing it back to me.