Well, I have some big news to share with you at last. I’ve been working for over four years to be able to release this episode. A few weeks ago I received an offer of publication from Zondervan. This past week, I finally signed the contract. But for those of you who have followed the show and know about the Samson book I’ve long worked on, it might surprise you to know that isn’t the book that was purchased, at least not exactly.

One of the awkward parts of this podcast has been that I’ve been talking about publishing and writing for the past two and a half years having never published anything in my life. This is the part where I finally get to tell you how I did it; how all my plans have paid off; how you only need to do what I’ve done and… Boda bing, bada boom!

The truth is, this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and there have been times when I didn’t know if it would ever happen. There have been some really challenging obstacles and some twists I didn’t expect. My agent admitted it was one of the longest processes she has ever gone through. My path has been unconventional, providential, and generally speaking not something I could have expected or suggest others follow. At least, I hope it isn’t like this for everyone.

The other thing you should hear me say right at the beginning is that a publishing contract is not what you think it is and it won’t do for you what you might think it would. That being said it is also a gift and one that I am deeply humbled by and grateful for.

During our stay at home orders, I introduced my son to one of my favorite childhood movies, Cool Runnings. The main character was obsessed with making it to the Olympics and taking home a gold medal. His coach offered him a piece of wise advice. I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. “A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.”

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Pathways by Nancy Kress (audio)