Trust God’s plan for your life, and embrace the journey!

I have a vision, and no matter the obstacles I may face, I am not giving up on it. That vision is to publish my children’s adventure story, The Spider and The Butterfly, so it can reach as many children around the world as possible. I love my story; it is funny and exciting and is most certainly a unique story to evangelize, and teach children about God, Jesus, and the values of friendship. I believe in my story so much, but more importantly, I believe in the power and love of Jesus to make a significant impact in this world!

I have been waiting for some time to receive positive feedback from publishing houses regarding my book The Spider and The Butterfly, which to date has been unfruitful. I must be honest, there are times I have thought “God, where are you? Why does this journey seem so hard?” but I soon realised the many lessons learned when things don’t come easy. Not getting what you want, in the time frame you want it, is often for a very specific reason, and if you are open-minded enough to be taught the spiritual lessons along the way, enlightenment happens. Look at Jesus, who experienced the most challenging circumstances of His life here on earth, yet He embodied the absolute highest level of enlightenment. Jesus inspires me every day never to doubt God’s plans and purposes for my life, and if I fully trust in Him my attitude and actions need to be aligned with God’s will.

No matter what you are waiting for—it could be answers to more than one prayer—please do not give up. It is during the waiting that our patience is tried, but it’s also during the hardest times in life that our faith in God is tested the most. Having patience really means mastering the ability to keep a good attitude while you wait, and having faith means whole-heartedly embracing the words… “Forsaking All I Trust Him.” God’s timing is seldom the same as ours, but it is always perfect. The fact that you are still waiting for prayers to be answered does not mean God has abandoned you; on the contrary, you are in your season for a reason. God is teaching you what it means to fully trust in His will for your life, and guiding you to be mindful of your own attitude and personal development along the way.

Writing a book is one thing, but getting it published is quite another, especially as a first time writer trying to break into the market. Waiting for responses from publishing houses can certainly be frustrating, but if you look upward and believe there is a greater plan in store, life can be a whole lot more interesting. I have also learned that even though some may reject your book, it is by no means a reflection that it won’t sell, or that it does not have a purpose in this world. I have previously mentioned JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, and how her first book was rejected by twelve publishers, yet she never gave up, and look at her amazing success story today! Her journey inspires and encourages me to keep pushing on, and I can’t help but SMILE at the many possibilities out there! Not only that, there is always hope — traditional publishing isn’t the only way to get your book out there…there is another option.

After completing the final edit of The Spider and The Butterfly, my book was ready for publishing and I decided to take the Traditional Publishing route as my first entry into the publishing world. For those who don’t know, there are actually two routes to publish and market a book…

1. The first is Traditional Publishing, whereby you submit your book proposal to publishing houses with the hope it will be accepted for publishing. The benefits of following this course, should your manuscript be accepted, are that the publishing house pays for illustrations, printing, and the marketing of your book. This initial cost saving and market reach was the main reason I chose the traditional publishing path first. The drawbacks however are many: you have to wait and hope someone accepts your story, then, the length of time it takes to publish can take up to two years. In addition, the royalties paid back to authors are a small portion of the sales because of the risks involved with a first time author, and the costs to produce the book and get it out into the market.
2. The second option is Self-Publishing. Here you do not have to wait for approval from anyone to publish your manuscript; you are in full control and can publish your book whenever you want. The drawbacks unfortunately are the upfront costs to find your own editor, illustrator, and experienced team to assist in launching your book on the correct platforms. On the plus side of this however, is your royalties are significantly more from each sale, and the books only get printed once they are sold.

My book is a very much a passion project, and more than making money I want to share the story with as many children as possible. I dream of The Spider and The Butterfly serving the purpose it was created for, but it needs to be published for my vision to be realised. I have been praying and asking God to guide me, and I now know self-publishing is the route He wants me to go. The truth of the matter is this; if you really want your dreams to come true, you must have the courage and will to pursue them! This requires action from my part and I know God will do the rest, just as God guided me to cross paths with Hilton and his brothers at www.uberwriters.com. Not only have Uberwriters assisted me with the editing of my book and guided me on the traditional publishing route, they are also able to assist me on the self-publishing path and help me to launch my book on the correct platforms. Uberwriters have the ability to design book covers and book layout, however my book is a children’s story, and this requires illustrations which I need to decide on and provide myself. So, before I can reach out to Uberwriters to assist me with self-publishing, my next step is to find a children’s book illustrator.

As a novice, I have never worked with illustrators before, but I prayed and asked God to help me. I am very grateful to Bridgit Kershaw who recommended an up-and-coming illustrator in Port Elizabeth, and with Google’s help I found another illustrator based in Pretoria. They are both Christian Illustrators, which is what I prayed for, as I felt it important that their hearts and minds be aligned to my Christian story. The next step is waiting for sample drawings from both illustrators, and with God’s guidance, I pray I choose the illustrator best suited to The Spider and The Butterfly. I can’t wait to see what the drawings will look like, and to finally see my book come to life in a whole new way! Collaborating with an illustrator is also going to be so much fun, and I look forward to every colourful experience.

Writing my book has been a wonderful journey so far, and now I am embracing this next phase with open arms. I have a definite goal and burning passion to get my book published, but this requires a sound financial plan as well. Not much comes easy in life, but I can confidently say that if I continue to put God first in everything I do, if I continue to work hard and save… the funds to realise my vision will come. Ultimately, God is my provider and I know my future is safe in the palm of His hands. I live with a confident faith that nothing is impossible when I have God by my side! I pray every day God will infuse me with the light and power of the Holy Spirit and that all my gifts will honour Him and bring Him glory!

I am super excited for what is to come next! I trust God explicitly, and carry a profound peace knowing that all the sacrifices I am making for my dreams to come true will certainly be worth it in the end!

Watch this space as my journey to publish The Spider and the Butterfly continues…

God bless you all endlessly!