Royalty

Just got a royalty check from the publisher of Through Her Eyes - my first. It's taken two years just to pay off the advance they gave me when they bought rights to the manuscript. The amount made me smile - $1.19. That and a couple of quarters would buy a cup of coffee these days! But it means that Authentic Media got their money's worth from buying my manuscript; the sales have paid off the advance.

I was a little naive about the marketing process - didn't want to be involved, really, and couldn't bring myself to mail out promotional copies under my own name - wouldn't that be, quite literally, self-promotion? After all, Authentic had a marketing person who was assigned to do this, and Caleb Project had two marketing people. Wouldn't one of them see to the marketing? No, not really, as it happened. A little bit.

Yet people have found the book one way or the other. 2,040 copies have been sold. Not too bad. (Of course, some could be gathering dust. I happen to know that the last big order of 250 was placed this spring by 'Caleb Resources' and most of those still sit in the warehouse...)

I don't want to find my identity in having written this book - really, just edited it, the way I see it. But I do care, deeply, about the vision behind it, and am blessed to see it making a difference for people. So, yes, I do want more people to read my book!

One woman wrote to me last month:

"You have no clue who I am but I am working in the Middle East. My husband and I came here last April and, just before we left, I came across your book on Caleb Project's website. I immediately knew that I needed this book! To make a long story short, we got here, and were thrown into huge responsibilities (assuming leadership of four groups) so I didn't get to start reading your book until we went on a "semi-vacation" to Syria last month.

"The stories you compiled were eagerly soaked up by my exhausted and thirsty soul... There are no words to thank you enough for sharing the stories of these women with me! I'm only 24, happily married now for 1 and a half years and I'm totally committed to God's will in my life. I am both thankful for placing me here but at the same time overwhelmed by the enormous task before us..

".. I just wanted to thank you for writing your book! May the Lord richly bless you and everything you do!"

Thanks, M. I'd write you personally if I knew how to find you. But may God be your sustainer and provider, the one who gives you hope and keeps you going.