The technologies and links in this book were accurate as of the date of publication but are ever-changing. However, the concepts and principles remain the same!

Hopefully you’ll enjoy this glimpse into the technical world of “today” even if, in a few years, this book is relegated to a quaint remembrance of “the way things were.”

In any case, enjoy!

Preface: Let’s Get Technical!

I’d like to share with you how I’ve been able to reach the world online with my message… which is really God’s message: God loves you and has a purpose for your life.

I came to Christ on February 9th, 1987, and ever since, I’ve wanted to tell the world about Him! I did what I could while working a secular job, sharing my message with anyone who would listen.

Then on February 14th, 1995, I felt God calling me to quit my secular job and go into full-time work for Him. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where to start.

But I did know how to create a website. I had been working in the Advanced Technology Group of a For- tune 10 corporation for nine years, researching everything from virtual reality to speech recognition, from tablets you could write on to maps that could tell you the nearest Chinese restaurant. Basically, everything a smart phone can do today!

It was a dream job for me, meeting researchers in their labs around the country at places like Apple, IBM, NASA, and MIT. I would come back from those visits and share what I learned with my colleagues to see how we might use these upcoming technologies in our business.

My final project before I went into full-time ministry was to create my company’s first website using the brand-new (at the time) HTML markup language.

It was exciting stuff, and my visionary eyes lit up with possibilities!

That’s when God called me into full-time ministry, to use all these gifts and talents that I had developed for Him.

As I told a reporter from USA Today, when asked why I quit my corporate job to go into an internet ministry, I said:

“I have a message I want to get out, and the Internet was made for delivering messages!”

I’ve been doing this now for over 30 years, and if you have a message you want to get out to the world, I’d love to help!

I’ve built more than 100 websites. I’ve created mailing lists that have grown from 1,000 to 40,000 subscribers. I’ve built a social media presence to reach 5,000 people. I’ve created multiple podcasts and YouTube channels, audiobooks, and online classes.

I love using all the tools and technologies at our disposal to reach as many people as possible with the message that God has put on my heart.

And I’d love to share how I did it with you. By the end of each chapter, you’ll have practical steps and tools to get you started on each of these things as well. I hope by the end you’ll have the confidence to move forward, knowing that you really can do this!

Ready to start?!? Let’s get technical! (Cue Olivia Newton-John’s dance music and let’s go!)

Eric Elder

Chapter 1. How to build a website

(Here’s a live demo of the things talked about in this chapter.)

Your website is your home base. You can put anything on a website that you want to share… like your message, audio, videos, and links to your books or products or courses. It’s your one-stop for everything related to you.

Choose a domain name

The first step in building a website is choosing your domain name. A domain is like your own kingdom. It’s your address where people can find you.

If you choose a free or low-cost website builder, you can pick a domain name that is attached to the company you use, such as WordPress or GoDaddy or Blogspot. If so, then your domain could look like this (these are examples, not functional sites):

ericelder.wordpress.com
ericelder.godaddy.com
ericelder.blogspot.com

Then you can tell everyone they can find you at your domain name, and they’ll be able to read all about you!

For just a little more money, though, and not much at that, you can get your own custom address that’s shorter just about you and easy to remember, such as these (these ARE functional sites):

You can get these by registering the domain with a domain registration company, such as:

There are thousands of accredited domain registrars around the world, each with their own pricing and plans. I pay from $15-25 a year for a each domain name I’ve registered, so the price is relatively inexpensive.

Finding the right domain name can be an art! Many are taken, but many are still available! If you live in the US, you can buy a domain that ends with .COM (most common for companies and easy to remember) or .ORG (for non-profit organizations). You can also buy domains with other extensions like .NET, .ONLINE, .SPACE or .ME.

Country Codes can also be attached to domain names, like amazon.co.uk for Amazon in the United Kingdom, or amazon.it for Amazon in Italy.

If your preferred domain name is taken, you can add an adjective to make it more meaningful. For instance, for my online bookstore, books.com was taken, so I added an adjective to make it inspiringbooks.com.

Even better! I created that website to cover the range of books that I’ve written, as they all have some element of inspiration.

Go ahead and take a look! Go to web.com for instance and search for a domain you’d like. If it’s taken, they’ll suggest others. All the registrars use the same database of names, so you should get similar results at each one. But before you actually buy a domain name, let’s look at what you’ll do with it next.

By the way, when trying to decide between domains, you can check to see which term you’d like is the most popular as far as of what people are already searching for. Just go to trends.google.com and type in a word or phrase. There you can compare different words to see which words or phrases have historically had more people searching for them! I also use these trends when trying to think of names for books or podcasts or courses.

Choose a hosting company

A hosting company is where your website will live. It can be a different company than where you register your domain. Most registrars can also host your website for you for free or for a fee, but you can host your website anywhere. For instance, at one company, I pay about $10 a month for hosting my websites. Prices can range from $2-50 a month, depending on who is hosting your website and what you want to do with it.

I currently use web.com for both my domain registrations and my hosting, although their pricing is changing, as companies often do, so it all really depends on your needs and your budget. (Update January, 2026: I currently use WordPress.com to register all of my domain names for a low rate of $13 per year).

Choose how you’ll create your website

Many hosting companies have their own tools to help you create your websites, and most also offer the ability to use WordPress to create your site, a popular website creation software. I use WordPress for most of my sites, but only because I’m familiar with it and many people use it, not necessarily because it’s the best or easiest. You may want to use your hosting company’s tools instead! But for demonstration, I’ll show you how I use WordPress here. The same principles apply to most website creation tools.

Choose your theme

First, choose your theme. A theme is the “look and feel” of your website, whether bright and bold or simple and elegant. You can usually change your theme at anytime, but pick something initially that catches your attention and start creating.

Create a page

Add a new page to your website by clicking on “Pages,” then “Add New.” Add a title for the page at the top, then start typing your text and adding other content like pictures, videos, and links.

Create another page!

Next, create another page or two to get a feel for how it’s done and how it looks. View the pages in a browser and see how how they look and feel.

Arrange your menus

Once you’ve created a few pages, you’ll see that they will probably appear automatically on the “Menu” of your website. Some themes automatically add every page to the menus while other themes only add pages that you individually specify to be on the menu.

Menu items can be rearranged by clicking on “Appearance,” then “Menus.” Menus can also be nested one inside another, for submenus that display when the main menu item is selected.

To rearrange menu items, you can drag and drop them in the order you’d like, or nest them within other menu items. My flagship website at theranch.org has hundreds of pages, posts, images, and videos. I’ve nested each set of these pages within just a few main menu options. I simply designate every page as either a option or a “Child” menu option underneath a “Parent” menu.

There might also be several menus on your site: one along the top, one along the bottom, or one along the side. You can choose which items appear on each menu.

Add a link

If you want to insert a link into the text on your page, highlight that portion of text and click “insert link” or click the icon that looks like a chain link.

Then type in or copy and paste the link that you’d like the person to reach when they click on it. I’ll often go to a webpage in my browser and copy and paste the entire link from the address bar, including the https:// prefix, such as https://theranch.org. that page’s link from the address bar. If you’re new to shortcuts for copying and pasting, you can highlight some text and hold down the “Command” and “C” keys on a Mac or the “Control” and “C” keys on Windows to copy anything. Then to paste, hold down the “Command” and “V” keys on a Mac or the “Control” and “V” keys on Windows.

Once you paste in the link, the words on your page will now be clickable. To test your link, view your page by selecting the “View” option and click the link!

Add an image

To add an image, put your cursor at the location where you want the image to display. Click “Insert Image” or the “+” icon to upload an image from your computer or choose an image from one you’ve already uploaded.

After choosing your image, you can click on the image to add more features, like adding a link to the image if someone clicks on it, or add a caption below it, or change the dimensions to be small, medium, large, or customized on your page.

Add a video

You can add a video the same way you add an image. Put your cursor where you want to insert the image, then upload a video or paste in a link to a video that already exists on another website, such as YouTube. I like this second option if my storage space is limited on my website hosting company. Instead of uploading the video to my website, I’ll upload it to my YouTube channel (covered in a later chapter), then I’ll link to that video from my web page.

For instance, on WordPress I can choose “Insert Video from Link” or “Insert Video from YouTube,” then copy and paste the link in that field when prompted. The video will appear as if it’s embedded on my web page, even though it’s actually stored and streaming from YouTube.

Add a post

If you want to write a series of articles that are sorted on your website by the date you posted them or by a category you choose for them, you can create a “Post” instead of a “Page.”

Choose “Posts,” then “Add New Post.” Enter a title for your post, then write your content, including links or images or videos just as for a page. But now your post will appear in a list of posts, sorted by date or category or however you’d like. Posts can also be sent to others automatically on your mailing list if you choose to set up this option.

Add a sign-up form

Most themes include a “Contact Form.” To insert one onto a page, choose “Insert Contact Form” and start from the default that is presented to you. Your website visitors can fill out this form and submit it to you.

Some forms have an option to “require” an answer by checking a box next to that question, such as requiring a visitor’s email address and first name. Other fields may be optional, such as a phone number. You can choose whether a field is required or optional.

You can also add short text boxes for answers, longer-form text boxes for people to write lengthier responses, radio buttons (which lets people choose one and only one from several options), or check boxes (which lets people choose as many options as they’d like from several options).

Include your email address on the form where you want these responses to be sent (it doesn’t have to be displayed to the visitor or to spammers who just search the web looking for email addresses). This is one of the beauties of using forms if you don’t want to share your email address publicly. When a visitor fills out your form and submits it, their responses will be sent directly to your email.

Add a payment button

If you’re selling something or asking for donations, you can also create a button that visitors can use to send you money (covered in a later chapter on payment systems).

You can add a payment link or HTML code that your payment system will provide to you on any of your pages or menus. I have a page on ericelder.com that gives people several options to make a donation.

You can see it at ericelder.com/donate.

View your site on multiple devices

Once you’ve added several pages with your content, see how it all looks on multiple devices: desktops, laptops, phones, or tablets. Some themes automatically adapt to different sizes of displays and orientations (try turning your phone or tablet sideways to see how it may change the way your website displays).

If you like what you see, great! If not, move things around on your page or try a different theme or two to see how they compare.

It can take time to adjust everything, but this is where you can make it shine! Get it just the way you like, or at least GETMO (Good Enough To Move On), and click “Publish.”

Submit to search engines

Some web hosting companies will automatically submit your site to search engines once it’s published so that it appears whenever someone types something that exists on your website that’s of interest to them.

If your site is not listed automatically on search engines, you can go to your favorite search engines where you want your site to be listed and submit the main page yourself. For instance, to submit a site to Google, go to:

https://search.google.com/search-console/

The search engine will then “crawl” through your entire site, indexing all of the text, links, images, videos, and so on. Search engines will do this type of crawling on a regular basis to see if anything has been added, changed, or removed. It may be done daily, weekly or periodically depending on the amount of information on your site and how frequently it changes.

Once your site has been submitted and crawled, do a search on that search engine for something that you know is on your website and see if it displays. It may take time before your site appears high on the results page. But once you see your site is listed, you’re done! Everything is now set for people to start finding you and your message on your website!

Chapter 2. How to build a mailing list

A website is great for people to come and visit, but a mailing list is a way to take your message to the people!

In this chapter, I’ll talk about mailing lists, specifically about a list of email addresses of those you want to reach with your message. There’s a time and place for physical mailing lists, but this chapter is about electronic mailing lists.

I used to send out a paper newsletter every three months to several hundred friends, family, and supporters. In that newsletter, I included a message of encouragement for their faith, updates about my ministry and life, and an appeal for funding for our ministry.

Each newsletter generated about $300 in donations. But guess what it cost for all the paper, envelopes, ink, and stamps to send out those quarterly mailings? About $300!

As email began to grow in popularity (remember, the internet was in its infancy when I began my internet ministry), I switched over completely to sending email newsletters instead.

The problem with sending dozens or hundreds of emails, though, is that you can only send to about 40 email addresses at a time. Some email service providers block your emails if you try to send more than that simultaneously. If the number is under 40, you can use the “Carbon Copy” (“CC”) field and include everyone’s email addresses there. Or you can use the “Blind Carbon Copy” (“BCC”) field to hide each person’s email address from everyone else’s on the list. (The terms CC and BCC were from the days when people would place a sheet of physical carbon paper between two or more sheets of paper in a typewriter to create an exact copy of the original while typing out their letters.)

If you want to send 40 or 50 or 100 or more emails at a time (depending on your email provider limits), you’ll want to use a mailing list company that is dedicated to sending out emails in bulk.

Here are a few mailing list services I’ve used over the years:

Many of these companies let you start for free while your mailing list is (relatively) small. (I say relatively because anytime you can reach anyone with your message, that’s great!) For instance, Mailchimp’s free plan includes up to 500 contacts and 1,000 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 500.

At the time of this writing, I’m using Campaign Monitor and paying $190/month, at their discounted non-profit rate, to send an email four times a month to 17,000 subscribers, which adds up to nearly 70,000 emails a month (or nearly 800,000 per year!).

I have a friend who is currently using aWeber and pays $112/month to reach 13,000 subscribers, five days a week, which is 260,000 emails a month (or 3.12 million per year!).

So you can start for free, but you can plan on paying more over time as your mailing list grows. Hopefully, the benefit to you and/or your readers will outweigh the cost, so don’t be afraid of the cost… growth is good!

You’ll notice I’m reaching way more people now than when I was doing a physical mailing, and much more frequently, for less than the cost of sending my paper newsletter by paper mail—and now almost half of my subscribers are in countries all over the world!

Gutenberg would have been jealous of us!

Building your list

I started my list first by sending paper newsletters to as many of my friends, family, and others who I thought might be interested in hearing about what I was doing. I gave them the option to let me know if they didn’t want to be on my list. If I didn’t hear back from them, I kept sending them my newsletter.

People don’t usually mind being contacted once. But they do appreciate permission to be contacted repeatedly.

When I switched over to email, I did the same thing. I continued to send my updates to those who were already on my paper mailing list, and from time to time added new people I thought might be interested in hearing from me, too.

I also added a sign-up form on my website for people who visited after finding it from a search engine or a friend. As more people started signing up for updates, I grew my list to about 1,200 subscribers.

A major boost came when I partnered with a man I met at an Internet Evangelism Conference, which was hosted by the Billy Graham Training Center. I sat by this man one day at lunch at the conference, and he told me he had an online ministry of sending out a daily Christian quotation, five days a week, to about 1,000 people. When he heard I had some tech skills, he asked if I might help him, and I did!

His list grew exponentially as his readers loved getting these short, daily, “seeds of inspiration” for their Christian walk. My new friend, Greg Potzer, started advertising on Google for $100 a month, and his signups shot up dramatically every time he did so. People were searching for the type of content he was offering, and they subscribed when they found it.

At one point, Greg added a Sunday sermon from guest pastors to his weekly offerings. I was also writing and sending weekly messages by that time to my list when he decided to feature my messages every week in his mailings.

Now, instead of reaching a few thousand of my own people, I was reaching tens of thousands of people through his list! Over time, we merged our lists and grew it to about 40,000 subscribers. We were shooting for 100,000 as our next goal, but about that time, social media began to rise, and email subscriptions slowed.

We began adding these new ways to connect with people, but the shift also fragmented our approach. Still, we have found that email is the most reliable way to reach those who really want our content. By the way, natural attrition eats away at any mailing list. About 20% of subscribers fall off of mailing lists automatically each year because of changing email addresses, changing jobs, or technical glitches or accidental spam triggers. So any growth has to outpace attrition to keep a list growing over time. It’s hard work! But this is reality, as it is in anything worth doing.

We’ve since gone back to having our own mailing lists for our different purposes and ministries, but we had a much larger start than we would have had on our own. There may be some partnering you can do to grow your list!

For our lists, we’ve mostly collected addresses organically, sending to people we personally know or letting them sign up on their own, whether through a search engine or on a paper sign-up sheet when we give talks or hand out business cards.

You can also buy mailing lists for your target demographic, which could be good for certain uses, but we simply haven’t done it for economic reasons as much as any other. Apart from occasional advertising on Google or on other mailing lists, we have stuck to word of mouth or search engines. You might find a better approach for your lists!

Now, let’s get technical!

Now, let’s look at how to set up your mailing list. I’ll use my current company, Campaign Monitor, as an example. (Update January, 2026: I now use WordPress.com’s free mailing list option.)

If you already have a list of email addresses to start with, you can add them one by one or upload the entire list all at once.

For me, I go to campaignmonitor.com, login, then go to “Lists & Subscribers,” then “Create a List.” I’ll give the list a name, such as “Let’s Get Technical,” then I’ll create a list only of those people who are interested in a class like this.

Then I select “Continue to Import,” and I can start typing in the subscribers, one by one such as:

john@xyz.com
talitha@abc.org
spencer@lmn.net

If I want to include more information with each subscriber, I can use a comma between those pieces of information, like this:

john@xyz.com, John Cooper, Louisville, KY
talitha@abc.org, Talitha Abbed, Cairo, Egypt
spencer@lmn.net, Spencer Stout, London, UK

When finished, I hit “Next” and I’m prompted to name each “field” that I’ve just included using those commas, and I name them “email,” “full name,” “city” or “state/country.” You can add any fields and name them as you’d like.

Then I click “Save and Continue” and I’ve got my list started!

I usually enter some test emails before adding real subscriber addresses, then I send myself some tests messages.

To create a message email, I go to “Campaigns” and then “Create a Campaign.” I give my campaign a name, such as “Book Announcement.” From there, I select “Design Email” to choose a layout or theme for my email. I pick one and start writing my content and adding links and pictures of videos, just as I do when creating a webpage.

Then I send my message to my test mailing list, which you’ll remember I called “Let’s Get Technical.”

Once my test looks good, I know I’m ready!

I add my real subscribers, either one subscriber at a time, or I can choose to upload a list, which is a simple text file or spreadsheet containing several dozen or hundreds or thousands of subscribers and their information, separated by commas or by cells in a spreadsheet.

Now, each time I want to send a message to that group of subscribers, I just create a new “Campaign,” write my heading and content, and send it to the “Let’s Get Technical” list that I’ve created!

Add a sign-up form to your website

For every mailing list you create, your mailing list company will give you a link or some HTML code that you can add to your website to make it easy for website visitors to sign up. Copy and paste this link or code and that’ll make it easy for people to get on your list by themselves!

If you have multiple lists, your mailing list company will give you a link or code where people can choose to sign up for multiple lists as well. Also, having a mailing list company and these links allows people to easily change or remove themselves from your list by clicking a link, rather than having to bother you with all of those requests.

So start with CC or BCC if you want, then grow to a free or eventually paid mailing list service over time. Than have fun reaching more and more people with your message!

Chapter 3. How to build a social media presence

“Facebook saved my life.” That’s what my friend said to me as we were talking a few months ago on the anniversary of his son’s death. My friend was down and spiraling further downward.

So he posted about it on Facebook. He told me that as the reactions and comments started pouring in, he felt strengthened again. We were at a worship service that night, and he had a huge smile on his face as he told me the story. “I mean it, Facebook literally saved my life today.”

I told him I agreed. I got on Facebook in the beginning at the request of my daughter who was going off to college, and she thought it would be a good way for me to keep up with her life there. It was great seeing her posts and pictures, then I began uploading my own.

I discovered friends I hadn’t kept up with in years. And I learned much more about people that I thought I knew well, but only on Facebook did I see some of their hurts and pains and particular proclivities that I had never seen in person!

I began sharing parts of my life, too, that some of them had never seen before either: including my faith.

When I think about building up a social media presence, I think first and foremost about building up my community… those people I’m walking through and want to walk through life with. For me, it’s not a platform to sell things, or to convince people of things, but to live life together.

When my wife Lana passed away after 23 years of marriage, there were days I wanted to reach out to someone, but I didn’t know who to call. I didn’t want to bother anyone in particular. And I didn’t want to necessarily even have a conversation about it. I just wanted to express what was on my heart. Doing so felt cathartic.

As I mentally scanned through a list of my friends that I could call, I didn’t have it in me to do it. I needed someone to “be there” on the other end of the line, someone who could share my burden.

Those are the times I would turn to Facebook. I would share some of my deep emotions, whether “I’m having a bad day” or “I’m missing her” or “I keep crying, and I know it’s supposed to be good for healing, but still it hurts.”

Then, like my friend who had lost his son, people began sharing their comments and reactions. “Same,” they’d say, for they had lost a friend in Lana, too. “We’re here for you.” “We’re with you.” “You’re not alone in this.”

Just typing those words again now brings tears to my eyes, just as it did then.

What a blessing to have a community to share our burdens, our grief, our loneliness, our pain. What a gift. What a way to lift our spirits. What a way to “be the body of Christ” for one another.

Years later, when I traveled to Italy, I shared my pictures. I shared my videos. I shared my stories. I went live on Facebook from various locations. And people followed me all along my way! “We’ll never get to Italy,” they said, “so it’s nice to see it through your eyes. We feel like we’re there with you.”

People might complain about social media. But for me, it really is social media. It’s a big part of my social life! I check it daily to see what people are up to and to share what’s up with me. I live and work at home, so it’s nice for me to have another way to connect with people through the week. It’s life-giving to me! And, when I share my own ups and downs and how God is walking with me through them, it can be life-giving to others, too.

Now, when I make new friends, we connect on social media. When I’m out speaking, I’ll share my contact information. When I write a book, or do a podcast, or send out a message to thousands, I’ll include a few links where I can stay in touch with people who want to stay in touch with me.

For me, it’s not marketing to people, although it can have that effect. It’s not selling something to someone, although it can sometimes turn into that. Social media is a community. Where friendship happen. And on the deepest level, where love takes place.

Real-life evangelism involves walking through life together with others, celebrating joys and sharing hardships, and sometimes “one beggar showing another beggar where they found food.”

There are lots of ways to build a social media presence! There are lots of tools and techniques to help you sell your product or service or idea to others. But for me, there’s nothing like an organic approach. It fits my style, my personality, my heart, and my own needs for social and spiritual encouragement.

With that in mind, let’s get technical! Here’s how I’ve built my own social media presence… through love!

Be real

Rick Warren has said that people clap for your successes, but they connect with your failures. It can be easy to share only your joys and high points on social media. But when you share your struggles, too, you can connect even deeper.

I shared one day on Facebook about something God was teaching me about divorce. I had never been divorced, but I watched several of my friends go through them. I thought I was being kind when I told one of them that I was still praying that she and her husband would be reconciled. She replied, “You can pray that, Eric, but what I really need is prayer that I would be able to love him, even if we never do reconcile.” That gave me a whole different perspective, and a whole new sensitivity to the topic.

I shared this insight on Facebook, and one of my childhood friends was so touched, he asked if we could get together. We went out for dinner at a local restaurant where I began to share with him, at his request, more stories about how God had been working in my life. That one Facebook post opened the door to a much larger conversation with a friend I hadn’t connected with in years.

And to underscore Rick Warren’s point, at the end of this conversation, it wasn’t the high points that my friend was touched by as much as when I told him about one of my own failings in my own family life. He said he had the same thing happen, and it was his best takeaway from our hours long conversation.

I’ve found the same as I’ve addressed other topics, inviting input and feedback along the way. Not trying to just “sell” my idea or product, but to be real about my life and what’s working and not working for me, and they share about their lives.

Rather than creating a highlight reel of your life, be real with your life!

Post pictures (not just text or links)

Facebook (and other social media platforms) give extra credit to photos… photos of food, people, scenery… anything.

A picture os not only worth a thousand words, but it makes for a higher ranking on social media algorithms, too. If you just post text, it can get buried and skipped over. If you just post links, it doesn’t get as high a rating from your friends or from the algorithms. To get the most bang for the buck, the most attention, post a picture. Tag someone in it. Add a location. Add a hashtag, like #howtowriteabook! By adding these extra details, your post will get extra credit with the algorithms. The platform will reward you by putting your post in front of more people.

I’ve learned that if I include a link anywhere in my post, that link is automatically turned into my “picture” that accompanies the post. While that’s good because it adds a picture, it doesn’t actually work as well as if I had shared a picture directly. Why? Because a link takes people off of the social media site, and because of that, the algorithm gives you a lower ranking, showing it to fewer people. They want people to stay on their site!

So even when the main goal of my post is to share a link, I try to upload a picture first, maybe even a picture of whatever I’m sharing. By doing this, the picture is highlighted, rather than the link. Sometimes I’ll include the link in my post, but other times I’ll include the link in the comments. My post gets more views, and the link is still there for those who want to click it.

Upload videos directly (not just links to videos)

If you want to share a video, upload it directly to each platform, not just a link to the video on some other platform. This is for the same reason as when posting links… the platform wants you to stay on their platform. So I usually try to upload a video directly to Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn or TikTok if I can. If I can’t and really do want people to watch the whole thing on YouTube, I’ll upload a picture from the video first, or a short clip from the video, then include the link to the longer version. This seems to get more traction for my post than if I had just shared the link to the video. Plus, people can grasp quickly what I’m sharing, rather than having to decide if they want to click over to watch the video when they don’t even know what it’s about.

Tell stories

One way to tell people about what’s important to you is to tell them what you want them to do, like “Go watch The Chosen!” But there’s another way, and that’s through storytelling. Here’s one of my most popular posts, which struck me as odd at the time, but which somehow resonated with people.

“I was taking care of my daughter’s snail this month while she was out of town. I thought it was doing fine until it stopped moving. For several days. After ten days, I was going to pull it’s bubble maker and tell her I was sorry, I had killed it. But the night before, I was was watching an episode of The Chosen where Jesus prayed for a little girl who had died and brought her back to life. I thought it was unlikely to happen in this case, but I really felt bad for this little snail. I prayed that God would raise it back to life. The next morning, I saw the little snail, clinging to the top of the bubble maker, with fresh bubbles flowing over it! It was alive! I couldn’t believe it. I fell to my knees and praised God, not knowing if this was my prayers, or if the snail had just been resting those previous days. But what I do know is I had been inspired to pray, and I prayed. And now the snail’s alive. Praise God!”

That one story got more reactions than most of my posts for the whole year. People commented about how it gave them faith to pray for situations in their own lives. Some people asked me to turn it into a children’s book. Some people told me about their experiences watching The Chosen. And the more people that commented and reacted, the more frequently the post was displayed to others who then also commented and reacted.

How did a show impact you? Share it! How did a message touch you? Share it! How did a Bible passage speak to you this morning? Share it! Not just a link to a show or a message or a Bible passage (which you can still post, possibly along with a picture related to it). If it spoke to you, then it might speak to others. Sometimes it’s okay to just share a simple “thought for the day.” But many times, people are wanting to hear how that thought impacted you.

Ask questions

One of my friends gets interactions on almost every post he makes. I couldn’t figure out why until I realized he was often asking others what they thought about an idea. He would share his thoughts, but then he would ask for their input… a key to being “social”!

One of the questions I’ve posted online has been simple but still surprising every time: “How can I pray for you today?” I don’t do this to win social media points. But I do this when I really have some time and want to pray for those who are needing prayer in their lives.

I was at an all-day prayer retreat one day, and our group was praying about everything that came to our minds. We then decided to go to social media and ask people what was on their minds and offered to pray for them as well. We had set aside the whole day to pray, so we were glad for the responses. And people starting pouring out their prayer requests. The more people who posted, the more people saw the post, and those people then added their prayers. The prayers came in all day long, and we prayed all day long.

This wasn’t a trick. It was a natural outgrowth of what we were already doing and wanted to keep doing for others, just as we knew we would want others to do for us. Can the golden rule be as simple as that? It can!

Like and respond to others

For me, social media is not a one way street, although others sometimes use it that way. Being social means liking and commenting on other’s posts at time, too. Get to know people. Care for people. Love people! What a great way to meet new people and enjoy lifetime friendships! If you use it this way, I believe everyone will be happier, including the algorithms. :)

Create Reels, #hashtags, and change profile and background pix

Trends tend to rise and fall. Reels, short videos, adding music, adding hashtags can all help or detract, depending on the platform and period in history.

Take time to experiment, see what others are doing, give it a shot for yourself!

By the way, whenever I change my profile or background picture, social media seems to think that’s a big deal. So if I have a really big announcement, and a picture of me or an event I want to highlight, I feature it on my profile or background picture.

Adding features like @feature or @highlight or @followers can also boost a post, but like all boosts, if you boost all the time, people don’t know what you think is really important. Sometimes save the big stuff for the big stuff!

The moral of the story

Social media can be a horrible, ugly place. But it can also be a place of life, of life lived well and in community.

There’s a story about a traveler who was about to move from one village to another. As he walked on the road between the two, he met an old man.

The traveler asked the man what the people were like in the village ahead. The old man asked, “What were the people like where you came from?”

The traveler said, “They were awful, rude people. I had no friends; people were trying to cheat me and insult me at every turn. I was miserable.”

The old man said, “I’m sorry, the people in this village are just like those people. You will not be happy here, either.” The traveler nodded and continued on.

Later that day, another traveler approached the same old man and asked, “What kinds of people live in this village? I’m leaving my old village, and I’m looking for a new home.”

The old man asked, “What were the people like where you came from?”

The traveler said, “They were wonderful people. I had many good friends, business was strong, and it was a most hospitable village. I wish I didn’t have to leave.”

The old man said, “You’ll find the people just like that here, too.”

What’s the moral of the story as it relates to social media? I’ll let you work that one out for yourself. :)

Remember: “If you don’t make time for friends, you won’t have any.”

Chapter 4. How to create a podcast

When I talk about podcasting, I’m talking about using audio or video to get your message to as many people as possible. The beauty of this method of sharing your message is that there are so many ways to do it!

One of the easiest ways is to go live on Facebook and share whatever’s on your heart for as long as you’d like. Your Facebook friends and family will be alerted that you’re going live, and they can click and watch you as you talk in real time, or you can save your video for 30 days or permanently so they can go back and watch anytime.

These options weren’t available back when the iPod first came out and people were still listening to recorded radio-style programs on their music players. Even though the iPod has since come and gone, the word “podcasting” is still used to share your message via audio. And now video. And now live!

Here are a few ways you can use podcasts.

Where are your people?

Your first goal is to determine where your people are currently listening to their music and messages. If they’re on Spotify, go for Spotify. If they’re on YouTube, go for YouTube. If they’re on Apple podcasts, go to Apple podcasts. Or if they’re on Facebook, as I said earlier, go to Facebook!

Spotify has a nice way to upload podcasts that they will then distribute to all the other podcasting services, such as Apple or Amazon.

One of the podcasts I upload to Spotify this way is called “Using Your Gifts with Eric Elder and Friends.” In this video podcast, I use zoom to interview my friends who are using their gifts in cool ways for the kingdom. I record and edit the videos (covered in later chapters), then upload the podcast to Spotify.

You can find it by searching for “Eric Elder.” I have another podcast called “Harry Potter: Lessons in Friendship,” where I talk to two other hosts about each of the Harry Potter books and what makes the friendships in the book work, what breaks them, and how all of us can make our friendships better. Again, this is a zoom recording, which I later edit and upload. Just search for “Eric Elder and Harry Potter” to find it.

A current limitation on Spotify’s distribution is that while I can upload and offer video podcasts on Spotify, they only distribute the audio portion to the other services. Alternately, I could upload all of my videos directly to Apple or Amazon or any of the other podcasting platforms, including YouTube.

Recording the podcast

For these interview-style podcasts, I don’t have special equipment. I simply use the microphone that’s built into my laptop, then I hit “record” on zoom to save the video to my computer.

I edit the video by trimming off the front and back ends of the podcast at least, and sometimes trim out some of the video within the podcast. Sometimes I’ll add some intro and outro music and a graphic at the beginning or end of each episode using a few tools that I’ve downloaded for free, such as Audacity for audio or iMovie or DaVinci Resolve Final Cut. More about those in later chapters!

I also sometimes simply record a video or audio on my phone, using the free camera app or the audio recording app. You could buy a USB microphone to plug into your system, but that’s usually more than I need for these interviews.

Now, for another podcast I do, usually a series that I upload to YouTube, it’s just me at a microphone sitting by my piano, which also has a microphone. Since I’m often singing and playing the piano on these episodes, these external microphones help to create a very listenable experience.

With all of my podcasts, I usually run the audio portions through a website at auphonic.com to level out the volume throughout my entire podcast, whether it’s variations in people’s voices, or between music and speaking. This is an extra touch that’s not necessary, but I’ve found it can bring everything up to an even level so listeners don’t have to turn their volume up and down throughout the podcast to hear better.

Defining your podcast

It’s easy to start a podcast. It’s also easy to stop a podcast after only seven or eight or fifteen episodes because it can turn out to be more work to think of content, create, edit, and upload it! Knowing this going in it’s best to have not only an idea of what you’d like to talk about, but to plan out at least 30 topics on that subject that you’d like to discuss over 30 episodes. If you can make it to 30, you’ll have better luck continuing beyond that!

Your podcast could be interviews, monologues, a Bible study, a book discussion, or whatever message you’re wanting to get out. But up front, make a list of not only the subject but 30 topics you’d like to discuss.

Go ahead and brainstorm them just like you were brainstorming the chapters of a book. Each topic will become an episode. If you shoot for 30, you could go for 50 or 100 or 300. But if you shoot for five or ten, you might give up after only a handful.

You can also think in terms of seasons or years. Maybe you have 10-12 episodes one season, and 10-12 the next, and 10-12 the next. This can help you break down the process into manageable chunks, but still give you enough momentum to keep going after a season break.

Recording your podcast example

Here’s a sample of how I record using Zoom.

Zoom is a free download that allows you to have an online video meeting with one or more people. You could also use Teams or Skype to do the same.

When I open Zoom, I have an option to record the meeting using the “Record” button. If it doesn’t appear on your screen, you might have to click the three dots to open an extended menu. Click Record, then click either “onto this computer” or “onto the cloud.” I use “onto this computer” as my cloud storage is limited. (Your situation may be the reverse, as you have more storage in the cloud!)

Tip for musicians: One option I use when recording music at my piano is to turn on “original sound for musicians.” This uses a better quality audio tool to preserve all the music that I’m playing. For normal meetings, I don’t turn on this option, as the normal mode filters out background noise, making it better for normal speech.

When my meeting is over, I simply turn off the recording by pressing the square “Stop” button. Or I simply end the meeting and the recording stops as well. Important: keep Zoom open after stopping the recording or ending the meeting so the recording has time to save to your computer or the cloud. This may take from a few seconds to up to a minute or two.

Now you can access your recording and upload it as is, or do some trimming or editing using the tools I mentioned in the chapter on editing audio and video. That’s also where you can spice things up and add intro and outro music, graphics, text, and more to your podcast.

Uploading your podcast

Here’s how I upload my podcast to Spotify.

First, I create a free account on creators.spotify.com.

Next, I create a podcast, adding a title, description, and some cover art.

Then I create an episode, adding an episode title, description, and other information, such as a season number and episode number. Perhaps start with season “1” and have 10-12 episodes in that season, then the next year call it season “2” and have 10-12 episodes in that season. For my current podcast, I have planned out 25 episodes for the year, so I call it season 1 and number each episode accordingly.

Finally, upload the audio or video file that you’ve created and edited. You’ll have a chance to preview your podcast before publishing it live. Choose a publication date, whether it’s the day you upload it or a date in the past that it first aired elsewhere or a date in the future when you want it to become available. I have a friend who does a daily devotional. He can queue up several podcasts to be released each day, whether it’s going to be days, weeks, or months in the future.

Hit save and watch your podcast go live when you’ve chosen it to go live!

Distributing your podcast

Pick the platforms where you want to send your podcast. You can choose from the options Spotify partners with such as Apple Podcasts or Amazon Podcasts. You’ll want a title and description for your podcast, plus keywords and episode titles. Numbering your podcasts in the title isn’t necessary as the number will appear automatically next to each podcast.

Monetizing your podcast

Oftentimes you can just offer your podcast for free to anyone who wants to listen. But there are some options to monetize your podcast, such as charging a subscription fee, such as $2 or $7 or $10 a month.

As a podcast listener, I have never paid to listen to a podcast, so I wasn’t too surprised when I didn’t have any takers when I tried offer a podcast for a monthly fee. But just because I don’t pay and I couldn’t find takers to pay doesn’t mean you can’t (or at least try!)

You can also make money by offering a “tip jar” for listeners to help you out, buy you a coffee, or buy some merch that goes with your podcast. Spotify and others offer this kind of “donation” option as well as a flat-rate fee.

A friend of mine makes money on his podcasts by finding sponsors. He has certain products he likes to use, so he contacts them directly and asks if they’d like to sponsor an episode or series. He’s been able to make $500 a month on sponsorships, and he gives the product or company a plug somewhere within his podcast, whether at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end.

And finally, if your podcast gains popularity, the platform itself might start sending you a portion of their listener fees or ad revenue. I have a friend whose YouTube podcast has become so popular, she makes enough income to support missions projects globally.

The truth is, someone’s going to pay for you to do your podcast, whether it’s you or others. So if you can find a balance that’s a blessing to everyone, that’s a win-win all around!

Sharing your link with the world!

Once your podcast is set up and running, share it with the world!

Send texts, emails, make social media posts, using the seven-touch rule to let people know about your show at least seven times in possibly seven different ways. (My advertising and teaching friends tell me it usually takes seven attempts to get someone to take action on something you’re promoting or teaching.)

You can also post your podcast link on your website or on your business cards (which is covered in a later chapter).

Next, we’ll talk about one of the most specific and popular ways to post your messages online: through a YouTube channel.

Chapter 5. How to create a YouTube channel

Why create a YouTube channel? For starters, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, only after Google (which also happens to own YouTube).

More so, YouTube is the go-to platform for all things video. If you have a message to share, and you can turn it into a video, try YouTube!

How to create a “channel”

YouTube lets anyone upload videos for free. If you’ve ever watched a video on YouTube, you’re just a step away from creating your own YouTube channel. YouTube uses your existing email address to track the videos you watch, so that becomes your YouTube account by default.

To create a channel, simply open YouTube in your browser or in the YouTube app, then click on your account profile—usually the picture of you or an icon of a default person in the upper right of your browser.

Next click “Create a channel.”

You can now begin customizing your channel by adding a display name, a handle (which begins with the @ sign, such as @ericelder), a description, and links to your website or sites. For me, my YouTube channel is at youtube.com/@ericelder.

Upload a video

Next, upload a video! Click the “Create” button or the + sign in the upper right corner, then click “Upload videos.” You can drag and drop or select a video or several videos from your device.

While your video is uploading, you can choose a title, a description, and set various settings, such as adding the video to a particular playlist (create a new playlist by clicking “new playlist” if you don’t have one) and add the video to it. You can also choose whether you want the video to be “public,” “unlisted,” “private,” or schedule a date when it will go public.

Once your video has uploaded, you can edit the video using YouTube’s editing tool, such as trimming off the beginning, end, or even segments within the video.

Once posted, you can copy and paste the link to your video and share it with others!

The more videos you add, the more likely your YouTube channel will grow, both organically (because you have more content), and algorithmically (because YouTube rewards users who upload lots of videos by increasing their rank and showing them to more people).

Invite others to watch

YouTube rewards creators who promote their channels and gets lots and lots of subscribers. They make their money by keeping people watching on their platform! So if you get more people watching your channel, it makes YouTube very, very happy! And you get your message out to more people! That’s a win-win! There are incentives for every level you hit in terms of subscribers.

For instance, when you get 1,000 subscribers, you can begin to share in the profits that YouTube makes on ads that are displayed on your videos (before 1,000 subscribers, YouTube keeps all the profits). So there’s a big incentive to get to 1,000. As of today, I have 692 subscribers after several few years of posting over 200 videos. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t hit those levels right away. Then again, do all you can to bring people to your site and you could reach those levels much more quickly than me.

The main thing for me is to get my message out to as many people as can benefit from it. So by creating and uploading videos, I trust that God will use those messages to reach the people He wants to reach. Can God do it without your help? Sure! But can He also use you and your wisdom and the wisdom of others to reach others? Of course. So I still try to do all I can to reach people, and I trust God to do all I can’t.

“Subscribe and hit the bell”

It can feel awkward promoting yourself or your own channel. But sometimes people just need to know what to do to help you reach more people. So when telling others about your channel, encourage them also to “subscribe and hit the bell.” When someone subscribes to your channel, your videos will appear on their YouTube homepage. When someone hits the bell, that will send them a notification whenever you post new videos, rather than simply appearing on their homepage.

Creating playlists and podcasts

You can group your videos together by creating a playlist or a podcast. They’re really similar things, just known by different terms.

Click “Create,” then “New playlist.” Give your playlist a name and add some videos to it that you’ve uploaded!

In my case, I have a playlist for all the videos in this book from when I taught it as a zoom class. The playlist is called “Let’s Get Technical.” I also have a playlist called “Using Your Gifts” where I’ve put all my video interviews that I’ve done with friends who are using their gifts in cool ways. I also have a playlist of music videos I’ve created featuring piano music of my own or my sister’s, Marilyn Byrnes, called “Mesmerizing Music Videos.”

To create a podcast, simply choose “Create,” then “New podcast,” and start adding videos to your podcast. I’ve created a podcast of my videos based on the Harry Potter books called “Harry Potter: Lessons in Friendship.”

Tips for growing your channel

Here are a few tips from my friends and the developers at Youtube to grow your channel:

Post on a regular schedule, such as the same time and same day of the week or month.
Create both shorts (under 60 second clips) and longer segments from your podcast for highlights, then include links to the full episodes in the description. My “shorts” sometimes get hundreds of views while my full-length videos (20-60 minutes) sometimes get under a hundred views. The short clips help get my message out, but also help to promote my longer clips if people are interested.
Add music to your video. Music helps the listener and can also attract people who like the music you play. Note that if you use music that you don’t own, it can send royalties to the owner of the music every time someone watches your podcast… but you can’t monetize that episode for yourself.
Customize your “chicklet,” that initial graphic that people see when deciding which video to watch. Attention-grabbing text or headlines or a carefully selected shot from your podcast can help with those clicks. When uploading your podcast, you can also upload a custom graphic, or you can let YouTube choose a still image from your video. If you don’t like the one YouTube chooses, you can ask it to generate a couple more, and choose the one you like best.
For titles, use verbiage with an “itch” that needs to be scratched. Humans are curious and gravitate towards questions, controversy, or something interesting or unresolved so they can try to resolve it.
Go live with your podcast, either directly through YouTube’s live features or from within Zoom if doing interviews. Going live notifies people that something is happening right now if they’ll click on it, so it can bring more viewers who are curious.

We live in a crazy age that we can reach people in countries all over the world instantaneously. Make use of it! For God and for good.

Chapter 6. How to create an audiobook

If you’ve written a book, it’s a fairly simple next step to create an audio version for those who like to listen to your content. And many people do! It’s nice to be able to listen to a book while driving, working out, doing yard work, or other times when picking up a book is either inconvenient or impossible.

Historically, when selling my own books, about 80% of my readers have bought paperbacks, 15% eBooks, and 5% audiobooks. But those numbers are changing as more and more people are listening.

And if you don’t have an audiobook, it’s like leaving money on the table… and missing out on reaching people who might benefit from your content. So here’s your guide to creating an audiobook.

By the way, I’ve included a BONUS chapter at the end of this book to use AI—artificial intelligence— to help you create your audiobook in your own voice or someone else’s. So if after reading this chapter, you’d like a little assistance, check out the BONUS chapter at the end!

Where to put your audiobooks?

I’ve put my audiobooks on several platforms:

I put them on Amazon, using ACX.com (owned by Amazon), which feeds content to listeners who use Audible (also owned by Amazon).
I put them on Spotify, using findawayvoices.com (owned by Spotify) to upload the audiobooks and distribute them to several other platforms, including ACX if you want.
I put them on my own website (owned by me!) at inspiringbooks.com. So when I upload the audio files to my own website, I can offer it for sale directly to my readers as a download and keep nearly all the proceeds, minus the online payment fees (covered in a later chapter on payment systems).
The fourth platform I’ll describe more in the BONUS chapter, as I’ve used Google Books to create and distribute “auto-narrated” books from my typed versions of my books.

Creating your audiobook for Audible

Creating an audiobook on ACX.com is very similar to creating a paperback or ebook on KDP (Amazon’s print and ebook website). First, create a free account on ACX.com. Then “Claim your title” if you already have a paperback or ebook on Amazon.

For this example, I’ll be creating an audiobook for my book called My Stories of Faith.

I simply click “Claim my title” then search for my book. Once I see it, I claim it! All the information about the book (title, keywords, descriptions, etc.) is pulled from my previously uploaded book so I don’t have to retype. Plus, the audiobook will then be linked to the other versions of the book so readers can choose whichever format they like when they find it on Amazon.

Recording your audio

I already own some nice microphones for recording my piano music so I use those (AKG Perception 200), but they are much higher end than is necessary for audiobooks. You can use software to enhance your voice and add special effects to make it sound more rich.

A simple USB microphone can work just fine for recording an audiobook. There are hundreds of such mics, but here’s one that’s currently good for a good price: the FIFINE USB Computer Microphone for $30 from Amazon.

For software, I use GarageBand, which is free on my Mac and for any Apple app stores (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone). I also use Audacity from time to time, which is free for both Macs or Windows computers from audacityteam.org.

To record, I simply open GarageBand, select my input as “mic or line,” then create a new project. I’ll usually test speaking into the microphone to see how close or far from the mic I should be, see if I should turn up or down the volume on the input device (either on the microphone itself or in the audio input setting in software). I want to keep my voice in the green, seldom in the yellow, and never in the red, or it will begin to break up or crackle if the input level is too loud.

When I’m ready, I press the “record” button and start reading a chapter! I’ll usually record one chapter at a time. If I make a mistake or stumble over words, I’ll just keep recording and start that sentence or paragraph again, waiting till I finish my chapter to stop the recording and do my edits.

After recording

After I record my audio, I usually “filter” my voice a bit to enhance it. For me, I often use “Male Narrator,” which deepens my vocals and reduces background shooshing sounds.

I also like to use an external website when I’m all finished to level out my entire audio file (if my voice drops too quiet or raises too high, Auphonic can level everything out so listeners don’t have to strain to hear me or be overwhelmed by a sudden increase in volume).

I record each chapter in one file, so when I’m done recording, I’ll have one file per chapter, plus a file for an intro or conclusion, and a simple recording stating the title, the author, and the narrator, like this:

“You’re listening to My Stories of Faith, written and narrated by Eric Elder.”

I’ll also record one sentence at the very end of the book, usually as the last sentence of the last chapter, that says, “Thanks for listening to My Stories of Faith, written and narrated by Eric Elder. You’ve reached the end.”

The statement “You’ve reached the end,” or some other wording that says “the end” is required by Spotify and ACX to let listeners know there’s no more!

I’ll share more about recording and editing your audio in the next chapter, “How to edit your audio.”

Creating your audiobook for Spotify

When you’re finished recording all your chapters, you can create a free account on findawayvoices.com, which is owned by Spotify and used for their audiobook services.

Findawayvoices can also send your audiobook to other platforms, such as Audible, which is convenient, but currently costs a 20% cut to Spotify from your profits on Audible for this option. So it’s up to you if it’s worth it to upload it yourself to ACX for Audible customers, or just have Spotify send it to Audible for you.

Creating your audiobook for your own website

If you’re the main person pointing people to your books anyway, you can keep more control and keep more of the revenue by simply uploading the audio files to your own website and eliminate those in the middle! Those in the middle are great when they’re also helping you find readers for your book, but if you’re doing all the work anyway, you can do this yourself, too!

Just upload your files to your website, for instance using the “Media Upload” link inside WordPress. Then create a page that is private except to those who have the link.

Next, create a payment button, such as from PayPal or Venmo, which I’ll cover in a later chapter. Then when people pay for their audiobook, you can either display a confirmation page that has a link to your audiobook or you can send them an email yourself that includes the link.

We’ll look at editing audio next.

Chapter 7. How to edit audio

I love editing! Why? Because I can present my best possible self to those I’m trying to reach!

It’s not that I try to make things look like they’re real when they’re not. It’s that I like taking what I’ve already got and making it as pleasant and listenable as I can for my audience.

I’ve learned from experience, listening to my own recording and the recordings of others that bad audio discourages listening, whether I’ve stuttered, coughed, stumbled over words, or had odd background noises. But with a little editing, I’ve been able to clean up those messes and make something presentable!

Recording in Garageband

I often use GarageBand on my Mac for recording and editing, which is available for free on Apple devices. I’ve also used Audacity, which is also a free download and works on both Mac and Windows computers.

For the example in this book, I’m going to use a simple USB microphone that I mentioned in the last chapter, called a FIFINE USB Computer Microphone for about $30 from Amazon.

The microphone comes with a USB cable that I can plug directly into my computer. I also use an adapter to convert the larger size USB 3 to the smaller USB-C which my computer uses.

When I plug in the cable and adapter, an option pops up on my MacBook asking if I’d like to use this new microphone. I select “Use.” Then I can test it by opening GarageBand and recording something.

When I open GarageBand, it asks me which project I’d like to open, so I choose an “empty project.”

Next it asks what type of track I’d like to create, and I choose “Mic or line,” then select the input microphone from those available, in this case, my USB microphone.

A new track is created, and I can see a little green bar showing me the sound that is coming into that track. When I talk into the mic, I can see the green bar rise and fall with the amount of sound coming into the system. The microphone I’m using has a dial on it so I can adjust the input volume. I test it by talking into the mic in the same way I plan to record, and adjusting the volume as I test to try to keep the green bar near the top of the green or sometimes yellow range, but never hitting the red range. If it hits the red, it’s too loud and will “clip” the sound, making the sound crackle or pop at those points, and there’s no easy way to fix that after recording. So it’s always better to record with the volume staying in the green and yellow range.

Next I can press the red “record” button and start talking, doing a test of just a few words or phrases, then pressing the record button again to stop recording. Then I press “play” to listen to the sound.

If I like it, I’m ready to record! If I notice something that needs to be changed, such as being too close or too far from the mic, or hearing pops when I say words with the letters “p” or “t” or “ch.” Some adjustments may include adjusting my distance from the mic, or adjusting the volume dial, or by using a circular nylon “popper stopper” between my mouth and my mic.

I bought a popper stopper online for cheap, but you can make one yourself by putting a nylon stocking over an embroidery hoop! (I’ve done that, too!) By speaking through the nylon, with the mic on the other side, it cuts down on the amount of breath that gets through to the mic.

Trimming audio

If I like what I hear, I sometimes simply trim out the silence or dead space from the beginning and end of the audio and I’m done!

To trim out a segment in GarageBand, I make sure the recording is selected (in this case, the recording will have a white bar at top and bright blue for the track). I move the playhead (the vertical line that shows where the track is currently being played) to where I want to make the trim by grabbing the top of the playhead and dragging it to where I want, or by tapping in the timeline area above the recorded segment. I make the cut in the audio by using the Edit menu and selecting “Split regions at playhead.” I also use the shortcut that is shown next to that option, which is to press the “Command” and “t” keys at the same time.

Once split, I can select the entire clip to be removed by tapping on the white bar at the top and deleting it with the delete key. I do the same to cut out the silence at the end, using the same sequence: I tap to put the playhead where I want the split, I press “Command” and “t” together, and I tap on and delete the extraneous segment. If nothing splits when you take that action, you might need to be sure to select the track again that you want to split.

When cutting off the beginning and end, I usually leave about one second of silence at the beginning, and several seconds of silence at the end. This makes for a smooth listening experience when listening to one track after another.

I then listen to the whole segment again using the “play” button. If I like what I hear, I’m ready to export the track to a file by selecting “Share,” then “Export song to disk.” I name the file and choose the filetype, such as MP3, and click “Export.”

Then I’ll find the file on the computer, open it, and play it back to see how it sounds.

Recording in Audacity

Here’s an example doing the same thing in Audacity, a free software program that works on both Macs and Windows available for download from audacityteam.org by going to their website and clicking “Download.”

To record in Audacity, open the app and click the “AudioSetup” button to make sure your microphone is connected and recognized. In my case, I’ll choose my USB microphone from the “Recording device” menu. I also check to make sure my “Playback device” is selected properly so I can hear the playback, for instance, “MacBook Speakers.”

Now I do a test recording by pressing the red “Record” button.

As I record, I’ll see a green bar showing how loud or soft my input is. I adjust the input level if needed on my microphone or in the software so my recording stays in the green or yellow range, but never the red. I then press “Play” to listen to my recording.

If I like it, I just trim off the silence at the beginning by clicking directly in the track where I want the split to start, then dragging my cursor to the left across the region all the way to the beginning which I want to split off. That section will then be highlighted, and I press the “Delete” to delete that section. In Audacity, the entire recording will shift to the left to automatically close the gap created by the deleted section. I do the same to trim off the end.

Then I press the “Play” button to see how it sounds. If I like it, I save it by choosing the “File” menu, then “Export audio.” I give the file a name and press “Export.”

Adjusting volume

If I find the volume is too loud or too quiet in my exported file, I can adjust the volume for the whole track, or adjust it section by section within the recording.

To adjust an entire track in GarageBand, I can slide the volume slider, which is to the left of the track, to the right or left while playing the track. I aim for the top of the green bar, no higher than the yellow, and never touching the red.

In Audacity, I adjust the same way, using the slider that shows up as green when playing back the audio, and stay within the green and yellow, never red.

Another option in both of these programs to automatically increase the volume of the entire track to the maximize the volume is called “Normalization.” I’ll sometimes just use this setting when exporting a file to save the file with the fullest volume possible. Here’s how.

In Audacity, I select the “Effects” menu, then “Volume and normalization,” then “Loudness” and click “Preview” to hear how it sounds. If I like it, I click “Apply.”

In GarageBand, I choose “Settings,” “Advanced,” then I check the box for “Auto Normalize” to export at full volume.

One final step I like to take with all of my audio is to run it through a different type of “normalizer” on a website auphonic.com. I use this especially for interviews where two speakers are using different microphones or have different speaking volumes. By uploading my exported audio file from GarageBand or Audacity to auphonic.com, I then click “New Production.” I choose various settings here, such as creating a “mono” file from a stereo file, especially for just people talking, and I can click boxes to filter out background noises or hums. Auphonic especially helps me to level out the volume of each speaker to be at the same level. For my podcasts that include live music, this produces a nicely leveled out track for both my speaking and my singing or playing. I also save my files with music as “stereo” files if I’ve used two or more mics to record.

If you’d rather have more control and adjust the volume manually within each track, such as where you notice just a few spots that are too quiet or too loud, you can adjust those spots on your own using the “Mix” menu, then “Show Automation” in GarageBand.

Once you turn on the “automation,” you can click anywhere on the yellow volume line that now appears on the track to make a “dot.” Click another spot to make another dot. Then select and drag the dot or section where you want to raise or lower the volume. I use this technique especially for my music when I want to increase or decrease the volume for the best possible effect.

Adding effects

Finally, you can add special effects to your track to give your recordings some extra “punch.” GarageBand and Audacity include several default effects, such as “Male Narrator” or “Female Pop Diva.” You can experiment with these different effects to see how you like them. If the defaults are good, you’re done and you can export your file! If they need some additional tweaking, you can go to the “Track Controls” or “EQ Settings” and adjust the dials to make your voice sound more “present” or “distant,” reduce irritating tones, or bring out the best of your voice.

When you’re happy with the sound of your entire track, export and save the file!

Chapter 8. How to edit video

Let’s take a look at editing a video.

First, we’ll explore iMovie for Apple devices, which is available for free. Second, we’ll look at DaVinci Resolve, which is a more advanced, professional-grade video editing software that works on both Apple and Windows devices, and is also free.

Either way, the concepts are similar whatever software you use, so I’ll share how I edit videos in DaVinci Resolve.

Editing with iMovie

Let’s start with iMovie. For those of you with Android devices, you can do a quick search for “iMovie alternatives” to find similar apps for Windows or Android devices.

I’ll start by using iMovie on my iPhone. To begin, I’ll open iMovie on my iPhone. When I open the app, there’s an option to start a new project and select either “Magic Movie” for a quick automatic edit or “Movie” to create one from scratch. I’ll chose “Movie” so I have more control.

Then I open a new project and select a video from my gallery. This is a 40-minute video of my testimony and a song that I shared at a recovery group meeting.

I can trim off the beginning and the end of the video by swiping to the desired points, tapping on the video, and selecting “Split” to cut the unwanted sections. I simply tap on the sections I’ve just cut off and click “Delete” to delete them.

Adding titles

Next, I’ll add a title to the video.

I tap on the video timeline, select the “Title” option (the “T” icon), and choose “Reveal style.”

Then I tap the text box, edit the title to say what I’d like, such as “Eric’s Testimony,” and adjusted its position on the screen by dragging it with my finger.

The title automatically fades in and out, which adds a nice touch to the video.

Adding music and adjusting volume

iMovie allows you to add background music, which can enhance the mood of your video. Here’s how I do it.

I tap the “Gear” icon to add a theme soundtrack and also select fade-in and fade-out effects.

To control the volume, I tap on the video and adjust the volume slider to increase the level of my voice.

Then I can add background music by tapping the “+” button, selecting a track, and adjusting the volume so it doesn’t overpower my voice.

Adding photos and transitions

I can also add photos for additional punch.

I click the “+” button and choose a photo from my library.

iMovie will automatically add a transition between the photo and the video. I can tap on the transition icon (which looks like a bowtie), then I can change to different effects like “Slide” or “Wipe.”

Finalizing and sharing

Once the editing is done, I click “Done” at the top of the screen, and iMovie allows me to rename the project and export the video by tapping on the “Share” icon, either saving the video to my files or sharing it directly via email or social media.

Editing with DaVinci Resolve

For more advanced projects, I use DaVinci Resolve. It’s a powerful, high-end video editing software available for both Apple and Windows devices. While the learning curve is steeper compared to iMovie, it offers incredible precision for professional work.

I’ve used DaVinci Resolve to edit feature-length films like ballets and musicals and puppet operas! But I also use it for simpler projects like YouTube videos.

You can download DaVinci Resolve from blackmagicdesign.com. Click on “Products” and search for DaVinci Resolve and click “Download.”

To edit a video, open Resolve and click “New Project.”

Name your project. For this example, I’ll name it “Eric’s Testimony.”

Click the “Edit” icon at the bottom of the screen, then drag and drop a video file into the “Master Clip”section. When prompted, choose whether to match the project’s frame rate to the frame rate of the video, and your filename will appear. Drag it down to the timeline to begin trimming and cutting the video.

To trim the video, scroll through the timeline using the red slider bar. You can zoom in or out with the plus and minus buttons.

Then use the razor blade tool to cut sections of the video. For instance, if I want to cut out the introduction, I find the location where I start speaking, select the razor blade icon, and click on the video to make a split. Then I right click on the part I want to delete and click my “Delete” key. To delete and also shift the video to the left to close the gap that’s been created at the same time, I click the “Shift” key and the “Delete” key. This is called a “Ripple Delete.”

I can continue cutting out segments of the video using the razor blade tool to trim off the end, and to trim out stumbles or stammers or long silences.

Adding titles and effects

To add a title, I place the cursor where I want the title, such as at the beginning of the video.

Then I click the “Effects” button, click on “Titles,”and choose the title style (for instance, a scrolling title).

I drag the title to the timeline above the video, then edit the text of the title in the “Inspector” panel on the right. I can position the title to the left, right, or center, and adjust its size and scroll speed.

Adjusting audio levels

To adjust the audio track, I simply tap on the segment of the video I want to adjust, hover over the audio bar (below the video bar), and drag the volume line up or down.

If I find my voice is too loud or soft throughout the video, I’ll usually use an external tool like Auphonic at auphonic.com to normalize the audio levels and remove background noise.

Saving the video

To save the video, I export it using the “Deliver” tab (the icon that looks like a rocket ship). I’ll usually choose YouTube for the format, as I like its defaults, then I name the file and select where to save it.

I click “Add to render queue,” then click “Render All” to finalize the video.

Uploading to YouTube

Once the video is ready, I’ll usually upload it to YouTube, which we looked at in an earlier chapter. I’ll review again here how I upload it.

First, I go to YouTube Studio by visiting youtube.com, then, if I’m not already signed in, I’ll click “Sign in.”

I can then click the “Create” button at the top right corner, and then select “Upload a Video.” From there, I drag and drop the video I just exported from DaVinci Resolve onto the upload window, give it a title, write a description, and choose how and when I want to share it: publicly, privately, or unlisted.

Watch some examples

DaVinci Resolve has allowed me to create pro-length and quality movies, allowing me to mix camera angles, adjust color quality, add graphics, blur backgrounds—everything necessary for a high-end production.

If you go to my YouTube channel you can see hundreds of videos I’ve created just like this! They’re organized into music, messages, podcasts, and shows I’ve produced. I’ve taken my movies to local movie theaters and held screenings for my family and friends. It’s so cool to see a movie you’ve created on the big screen! But it’s also just as cool to share a link to it on YouTube and know that viewers all around the world can watch with just a click. If you’d like to see my YouTube channel and all the videos I’ve created, just visit: youtube.com/@ericelder.

Chapter 9. How to create business cards

I love creating print products to promote my outreaches, whether books or music or musicals.

I’ve used Vistaprint to print business cards, bookmarks, postcards, notecards, flyers, banners, and display stands. I love their quality and their price. They’re fast and efficient, and they even have mailing services so I can upload a mailing list and have them print and mail my cards to others.

Let’s look at several types of products and how to create them.

Creating business cards

For example, I have a business card that says, “This is your ticket,” and it’s shaped like an actual ticket. It directs people to my website, ericelder.com, where they can access my books, videos, music, and more. It’s a fun, memorable way to leave my information with people. On the back, it shares additional resources like my flagship website theranch.org, where people can find inspiring faith stories.

Here’s how I create them.

First, I go to VistaPrint at vistaprint.com and browse their designs or upload my own.

I’ll choose one of their templates and customize from there. I can choose a paper type, like standard, deluxe, or even plastic, choose the types of corners I’d like, whether rounded or square, and choose the finish, whether matte, glossy, or raised foil. I can also upload my own logo, artwork, or images that align with my branding.

Currently, you can print as few as 100 cards for about $18. The more you order, the lower the cost per card, for example 1,000 cards for less than $50. Depending on the price you pay, you can have your cards printed and shipped within a week.

I can continue filling out the information I want from the template, such as my name, organization, phone number, website, and email address, then adjust the layout as needed. If I want more text or images, I can click onto the template, then change the fonts and colors, then preview the card before finalizing.

I can also add text or graphics to the back of the cards for an extra fee. Some people prefer blank backs so they can write personal notes, while others opt for more information or artwork. Also keep in mind that glossy finishes can add punch, but they can be harder to write on.

First, I go to VistaPrint at vistaprint.com and browse their designs or upload my own.

Mock-up cards for books

Now that we’ve looked at one example, the others are variations of the same process, but for different purposes. For instance, I have sometimes created mock-up cards for my books—cards featuring the front and back of my book’s cover. They’re the same as a business card, but they look like my book! Instead of lugging around cases of my books, I can hand out these mock-up cards with my book’s cover, tagline, and a link where people can buy them. This is a convenient way to share your book and keep the conversation going.

Bookmarks

Another great idea for authors is to create bookmarks featuring their books. One of my writing students created a beautiful bookmark that features her book’s cover on one side and the book’s description on the other. It’s a practical and affordable promotional tool, perfect for slipping into a book when you hand a copy to someone, or for promoting your book when you don’t have a copy. This keeps your book’s cover and title in front of readers as they enjoy your book, plus it’s another marketing tool that they can then use to share about your book with others.

Postcards

I’ve sent out Christmas postcards for years, featuring a picture or two on the front and a brief update on the back. In recent years, I’ve used VistaPrint’s mailing service as well, so I can upload my entire spreadsheet of names and addresses, and VistaPrint does the mailing for me.

I’ll still have VistaPrint ship a few dozens postcards directly to my house so I can first write a personal note on the back and send them out myself. I’ve really loved using their mailing list feature so I can reach as many people as possible with these cards. I care about every person I mail my cards to, but sometimes the process of hand printing, addressing, and mailing out my cards doesn’t get done until February or March! This speeds things along and still helps me share updates with those I care about. People tell me they put the cards on their fridge or other places where they remember to pray for us, which I really appreciate!

I recently printed and shipped 185 postcards for an event for $150—less than a dollar each! The current price of a postcard stamp alone is $.56, and a first class letter is $.73. For about $.25 more, I can have all the cards printed and shipped, too, by using a service like this!

Flyers

I’ve also used VistaPrint to create flyers for my ministry, from 8.5”x11” newsletters to 11”x17” double-sided, glossy fold-outs to raise money to make a movie. While I often use email to send out this kind of information and links where people can watch videos, sometimes I like to be able to hand someone a flyer or newsletter so they’ll have it when they get home and be reminded about my project. I’ll also print extras and ask if people would like five or ten to take with them to share with others. It’s a great way to use word-of-mouth to share about your activities.

QR Codes

VistaPrint also offers free QR codes for anything you’d like to link to. I’ve included these codes on cards and flyers, such as links to my website with all my books listed for sale, called inspiringbooks.com, or links to my donation pages or video trailers about my current or upcoming movies.

To generate a QR code, I click on the “QR Code” option, then I enter a URL, such as https://inspiringbooks.com. I can customize the look and feel of the QR code to change corner styles, the size of the dot sizes, or add text to it so people will know where they’re going when they click, such as “Scan the barcode to visit inspiringbooks.com.”

Once designed, I can add the QR code to any of my printed materials.

Endless possibilities

The list seems endless of possibilities of things you can print.

I’ve printed banners as large as 8’x3’ to display the name of my upcoming musical His Name Was Nicholas on a horse-drawn wagon for a Christmas parade carrying singers from the production. Some of the cast also walked alongside the wagon handing out cards to invite people to the show.

One of the items I really love is a table-top stand featuring the book cover of my Christmas book called St. Nicholas: The Believer. This display rolls up into a little container, then can be unrolled and displayed on my table of books where I offer and sign copies of my books after my shows based on it.

Get creative! Enjoy the process! And share your message in multiple ways. Every touch helps people connect more with you and the message you’re trying to share.

Chapter 10. How to set up a live online class

I’ve taught more than a hundred classes online using Zoom. I’ve found it to be a great way to interact with a group on a topic I’m trying to share, wherever the participants may live, anywhere in the world!

I’ve also used other group chat technologies like Skype and Teams, but when Zoom came along, I fell in love with its features and for me, ease of use.

Here’s how to do it.

Create a Zoom account

First, if you don’t have a Zoom account, go to zoom.us to create a free one. Enter your email and other information, and you’re ready to go! Your participants don’t have to set up a zoom account to join your meeting. You simply send them a link to your meeting and they can use the Zoom app to connect with you.

Scheduling a Meeting

Once logged into Zoom, look for the option to “Schedule” a meeting.

Give your meeting a name, choose a date and time, and choose whether your meeting will repeat or take place just once. If you want, you can just press “Save,” and you’re set!

But let’s take a look at some of the options you get when you press “Options.”

Here is where you can have Zoom generate a Meeting ID automatically or use your personal meeting ID. I like to have Zoom generate an ID for me automatically, as I don’t like giving out my personal meeting ID, which is more like my phone number and anyone could join any meeting I’m having if they have my personal ID.

I also set up a passcode to access the meeting. I usually choose a simple passcode related to the meeting, like “writers” or “me.”

I usually uncheck the “Waiting Room” option for most of my meetings so users don’t have to wait to enter my room. They can enter the room even if I’m not there and chat with the other participants beforehand.

For a class setting like I used for this “Let’s Get Technical” class, I’ll turn on the “Video” option for the host (me) and for the participants so their video appears automatically. I also check the box that lets people connect their audio via “Telephone and Computer Audio.”

There’s still one more “Advanced” tab that I check that says “Allow participants to join anytime.” If I have a large group or a special event like a wedding, I’ll choose to “Mute” participants upon their entry so their voices can’t be heard accidentally when they enter the room. I also often check the box that says “Automatically record meeting” so I don’t forget to record it once I get going. I like to record my classes for students who can’t attend live, or to turn the class into an online course, like I’m doing with this one.

For repeating meetings, like a 12-week class, I’ll use the same link every time to make it easier on myself and my students.

When I’m done with these options, I’ll press “Save,” then copy the invitation link and send it out! I press “Close” to go back to the home screen.

When it’s time to start my meeting, I open my Zoom app (or go to zoom.us in my browser), then look for my “Meetings.”

When I find the meeting that I scheduled, I click “Start.”

Interacting

Now comes the fun part!

Once in a meeting, there are multiple ways to participate. I like to start by choosing how I want to view the attendees. I usually select “View,” then “Gallery” if I want to see all faces at once, or if I’m on a smaller device, this option lets me swipe left or right to see more participants that can’t fit on one screen.

If I want to highlight whoever is speaking, I can choose “View,” then “Speaker,” and Zoom will switch to the current speaker when it detects their voice.

I can share my screen or invite others to share their screen with the group by hovering over the Zoom window and choosing the green “Share” button. I select the default window to share everything on my screen, or I select a particular window or app from those that are open on my device. Then I click the blue “Share” button.

If I haven’t set the option beforehand to record the meeting, I can begin recording by clicking the three dots, the “More” button, and choosing to record the meeting to my computer or to the cloud. I usually record wherever I have the most storage space available.

There’s a chat room on the side if you click the “Chat” button where you can type text or links or other material, or where anyone can have a private conversation with anyone else in the room. Sometimes I use this feature to have people ask questions when they think of them, and I can look over their questions and answer when I get a moment.

Breakout rooms

One feature I especially like for small group discussion is called “Breakout Rooms.” These allow you to split up a larger group into smaller groups for more personal discussions.

Look for the three dots, the “More” button, and choose “Breakout Rooms.” Then choose how many groups you want based on how many people are in your meeting, such as three groups of four people in each group based on a meeting with twelve people. Zoom can randomly assign people to each group, or you can rearrange people into specific groups on the next screen.

When ready to break out, click “Open All Rooms” and each person will be asked to click “Join” to enter their breakout group. Now the group members can chat on their own within their rooms.

As the host, you can click “Join” to become part of any group that has been created. You can also “Move” people or yourself from one group to another.

When the time’s up for the breakout groups, click “Close Rooms” and all the participants will be given an option to return to the main meeting, either at the time they click the option, or automatically after 60 seconds.

I often use this option in the middle of a meeting, after sharing some information with the whole group at the beginning, then breaking into smaller groups, then coming back together again at the end to share what was learned in the small groups.

Go live!

One final option I’d like to highlight is the ability to go live with your Zoom meeting on Facebook or YouTube! Click the three dots, the “More” button, and choose where you’d like to send the live stream.

I use this option for sharing group events, or for interviews when I want others to watch the interview live. For interviews, I set up a Zoom meeting with the person I want to interview, then click “Record on the computer,” then click “More” to go live on Facebook or YouTube. This is a great way to do an interview, save and record it, and share it live, all at the same time!

Saving your recording

If you’ve recorded your meeting, you’ll be able to save it after you end the meeting. When you press “End Meeting,” you’ll see a screen that says it is saving your meeting. Don’t close Zoom until this process is done, which could take a few minutes. When the processing is done, a window will display showing you the file that has been saved. You can use this file to share it with others as is, or use your video editing software to edit, and then later share your recording.

If you’d like a more detailed, fast-paced, and fun video about how to use Zoom, you can watch one I recorded on my YouTube channel called “How to Zoom” at youtube.com/@ericelder.

Chapter 11. How to set up a payment system

Setting up payment systems might seem tricky, but there are free ways to do it. Services like PayPal, Venmo, and Square take a percentage of the sale, but the initial setup is free. For example, if you have a PayPal business account, they typically charge around 3.49% per transaction plus a fixed fee—around 50 cents.

If you’re selling goods and services, setting up a business account is essential. With a personal account, you might pay slightly less, and with a nonprofit account, the fees are reduced even further. Personally, I pay about 30 cents plus 2.3% as a nonprofit.

You can set up payment buttons, links, QR codes, or simply provide your email address for people to send money directly to your PayPal account. When using PayPal and Venmo, users can also pay via major credit or debit cards. I set up all my payment buttons on PayPal, then allow users to choose how they want to pay.

How I use PayPal

You can see examples of PayPal buttons on my website at ericelder.com, as I have a Donate tab for donations to my ministry. When they click the PayPal link, they see a prompt that says:

“Thank you for helping us share the good news of Christ. Please type in how much you want to give.”

When someone makes a donation, they also have the option to cover the PayPal fees by adding that fee to their donation. This feature has been beneficial since it’s been added, as many donors choose to cover the fees, which helps especially for larger donations.

Additionally, donors can check a box to make their donation a monthly donation, ensuring a steady stream of support for my ministry. This is just one example of how you can structure payment options for your services or products.

Setting up a PayPal account

If you don’t have a PayPal account yet, it’s straightforward to set one up. Visit PayPal.com and select “Sign Up.” You’ll have the option to create either a personal or business account—both are free, but a business account is recommended for selling products.

If you already have a personal PayPal account, you can easily upgrade it to a business account. Just remember that you can’t link two PayPal accounts to the same bank account.

When setting up your account, you’ll be asked for your banking information, including your routing and account numbers, which can be found on your checks. PayPal will verify your account by making small deposits or withdrawals (under $1), which you will need to confirm.

Creating a payment link

Here are the steps to set up a payment link for people to make a payment. For me, I’m creating donation links rather than sales links, so I navigate to the “Sales” section and select “Donations.” This is where I manage my donation buttons. The current link for this section is at paypal.com/donate/buttons/manage.

I click on “Get a Link” to create a simple fundraising link. I enter my project name and can add a logo or an image related to my cause.

Next I type a message I’d like to display to potential donors, such as “Make a $15 donation, and I’ll send you a paperback of my latest book about recovery.”

I can then specify some example donation amounts, whether a single amount, such as $15, or multiple amounts, such as, $10, $15, $20, or “Other.” This allows donors options if they’d like more of their donation to go to the ministry.

I also tick the boxes to allow the donor to make their donation recurring, to collect the donor’s address for end of year tax statements, and to allow the donor to include a note to me with their donation.

Then I click “Publish” to create a link. I can copy and paste this link into an email or onto a webpage, or there’s an option to use some HTML code to insert a button directly onto your webpage.

I can also have PayPal generate a QR code for my donation link by clicking on “Get a QR code.” PayPal will generate a QR code that you can download to use on your website or printed material. Anyone can scan this QR code with their phone, which will take them directly to the donation page.

Setting up a Venmo account

Venmo is actually owned by PayPal, so creating a Venmo account follows similar steps! Some people prefer one over the other, so I offer both. You can get started by going to venmo.com and setting up a free account. As with PayPal, Venmo takes a percentage of the payment to run their business.

Setting up a Square account

I use PayPal and Venmo to offer links for people to make donations in emails or on my website, but I use Square to accept donations when I’m selling books or other products in person.

For example, during a book launch, I’ll use Square to take credit card payments in person, as I can swipe, tap, or type in someone’s credit card information. It’s a nice way to receive payments when people don’t have cash or I don’t have change.

You can sign up for a free Square account at squareup.com.

Square offers several options for processing payments, including a free magstripe reader that connects to your device with an adapter. For newer devices without headphone jacks, Square provides Bluetooth readers for a small, one-time fee.

On Square, I can simply type in an amount and receive a payment, or I can set up my products and prices and inventory ahead of an event.

When I do my live shows, I can give access to my Square account to any of my volunteers to receive payments, and they can use their own phone, tablet or laptop to login and take payments.

All of my books and products are pre-defined within Square, as I’ve set them up beforehand with pictures of each item and default prices. This way, my volunteers simply tap the picture of an item someone is buying, and the price pops up. The volunteer can change the quantity or continue adding products for a final total.

When the final total appears on the screen, the person making the payment can simply tap or swipe their credit or debit card and sign the screen. They can then enter their email address for a receipt. If the person has used a Square reader before with that same credit or debit card, an email will be automatically sent to them using their previously stored card information, even if they’ve never done business with you before.

Square also lets you sell products from a web store based on the products and prices you’ve entered. I’ve used this for selling products that I don’t normally sell on Amazon, such a show-specific shirts, sweatshirts, and ornaments. You can see a sample of my Square online store at this link:

https://ericelderministries.square.site/shop/his-name-was-nicholas

Creating subscription plans

Now that we’ve covered payment links in general, I want to show you one more option, and that’s creating a subscription plan on PayPal.

I create this option similar to creating a regular button, but I set a start and an end date for recurring payments.

For example, if I offer a monthly class on Zoom, I can create a button with a fixed price of $97 per month for three months. This spreads out the payments for the payor, and I don’t have to send out reminders for people to pay each month.

Three options

I like to offer three options for things like classes because people do really like to have choices and deals!

For instance, if I offer a three-month class, I’ll offer one option at one price for all three months, another option for a payment plan of three payments spread over three months, and an option to pay for just one session over all of those months. And I’ve had people choose each of those three options! It allows people to take classes and pay for them at budgets and timeframes that make sense for them.

I hear from expert marketers that three options also gives people a better feeling about their payment as they have a choice in how and when they pay. It’s not only convenient, but it gives a better payment experience, both practically and perceptively.

Chapter 12. How to set up a coaching calendar

As people find out about your expertise, they’ll want to talk to you. Setting up a coaching calendar can make this process as easy and painless as possible, and make you money!

If you’re like me, you may not like asking people to pay for your expertise. But allowing people to pay to meet with you can make them feel better about taking your time, and make you feel better about giving it. With a coaching calendar, all the transactional steps can be handled for you without your input.

The steps involve setting up your account on a service like Calendly, then creating a publicly available calendar. By adding a payment page to the calendar, this makes makes it easy for people to pay you without having to personally ask them for money. By letting the technology handle these transactions, you can focus on your expertise, rather than having to be a secretary and a sales person!

Set up Calendly

One product that does this well is called Calendly. Just go to calendly.com and sign up using your name and email address and other info needed.

The free option lets you create one calendar. I pay $120 a year to set up multiple calendars that people can book: one for a 1-hour session, one for a 30-minute session, one for a 15-minute session, and one for a free chat, which I use for catching up with friends or meeting with potential clients without charge.

Define your office hours

Choose the days and times that you’re usually available. You can block out specific days later by using your own calendar on your phone or computer.

Connect your calendar

You can connect your Calendly calendar to your personal calendar, such as iCloud calendar on your phone. This way, whenever you add an event to your personal calendar, your Calendly calendar will block out those dates and times so people cannot book you when you’re already busy.

Add a payment option

Calendly offers a payment option for an extra fee, but there’s a workaround if you want to simply send people directly to your PayPal or Venmo or other payment system.

Remember to enter all your events!

The biggest thing I had to remember when I started was to make sure I entered my events, and blocked off plenty of time before and after those events so I wasn’t too tightly booked.

I’ve learned a rhythm over time so I can be flexible with people wanting to chat with me, and not feel I’m too constricted by their appointments. It’s been a great win-win for me and for those who want to tap into my skills.

An example

On my website and on my business cards, I let people know they can book appointments with me at ericelder.com. On that page, they can click on a link that says, “Book a Time with Eric.” When they click it, currently they’ll see options for different lengths of appointments and prices: a one-hour session for a suggested donation of $65, a 30-minute session for $35, or a 15-minute session for $25.

I’ve priced these sessions to give price breaks for longer bookings, but I’m happy to accommodate shorter sessions depending on their need and their budget. After they select a date and time from my calendar that works for them, they enter their name, email address, and any specifics they want to discuss during our meeting. The confirmation page then guides them to make their payment.

After they book a date and time, both they and I receive an email with a Zoom link for our upcoming meeting. This process eliminates the hassle of scheduling and talking about payments! I love it! I just need to keep my calendar up-to-date, which I do on my phone using my normal calendar app. Calendly has an option to connect my calendar with my public calendar, and people visiting my site only see the days and hours that I’m available (but nothing else on my personal calendar).

I’ve also set up a second calendar for chatting with friends and family, making it easy for them to find a date and time that works for them from my available dates and times. I can use these for personal conversations or sometimes for introductory chats with new clients, but without a payment option.

Setting up your Calendly account

To set up your calendly account, go to calendly.com.

You can choose a free account with one calendar or a paid account with more calendars and options. I currently pay about $10 per month, paid annually.

One of the first things I do is to set up my availability. I can choose my normal “office hours,” such as between 9-5 each day, with a few options for evening and weekend sessions for those who can’t do my normal hours. I don’t feel confined to these hours, as I can also block out dates or times either in Calendly, or as I do, in my own calendar on my phone, which is synced with Calendly. But I like to specify some general days and times each week that I’m generally available.

I then customize when I want the meeting to start, such as only at the top of each hour, or every 10 or 20 or 30 minutes throughout the day. This allows people to fit meetings in when they’re able to meet, not just at the top of every hour.

Once I set my availability, I set up my booking page. This is the page people will see when they want to book a meeting with me.

For example, I created a link for my normal “Office Hours” that shows people when I’m available. You can see this link at calendly.com/eric-elder.

Then I customize the booking form to ask for specific information from my invitees. The default includes their name and email address, but I also add a question asking, “What topics would you like to discuss?”

To collect payments for your sessions, Calendly offers integrated payment options for a higher paid subscription. I found a bit of a workaround, where I’ve created a PayPal button that links directly to my payment page. Then I include that link on the confirmation page of the Calendly screen with a note that says “Click here to make a Payment.” Although it’s not as polished as the integrated payment solution, it serves my needs!

I then customize what information is included in the confirmation emails, such as a cancellation policy—making it clear that cancellations must be made at least 24 hours in advance to receive a refund.

I also set up email reminders for my invitees, having automatic reminders sent 24 hours before our meeting. This helps to prevent people accidentally missing appointments.

Once I finish setting up a meeting, I “Clone” it to create similar meetings, but with different durations and payments. For instance, I’ve created three different calendars for one-hour, half-hour, and fifteen-minute sessions by simply cloning the original event and adjusting the duration and pricing for the meetings.

Connecting your calendars

Calendly allows you to connect to different calendar systems such as iCloud and Google Calendar. This feature makes it easier for me to keep just one calendar up-to-date on my phone, and I can tell what I’m doing on any day and time, but the public has access only to my publicly available times.

Connecting your calendar with Calendly will depend on which calendar you’re using already, and there are good tutorials and help screens to walk you through this process.

The note I will make here is to ensure when booking things on your personal calendar that you want blocked off on your public calendar, put those personal events on the right calendar! I have a calendar on my phone that I share with my family, another that has birthdays, and now one that I share with Calendly. It can take some mental acumen to remember on which calendar I’ve put different things, but after a few weeks, I was quickly on my way to booking sessions properly, and not showing myself as available when I was already booked personally for something else.

BONUS: How to create an AI audiobook

I’m adding this chapter at the end because while creating this book, a few companies have released AI (Artificial Intelligence) products to help people create audiobooks using their own or other people’s voices. I’ll talk here about two of those products.

The first is Google Play Books, which allows you to upload your ebook and have it automatically translated into an audiobook for free. Google Play is a platform where you can play games, read books, and access ebooks. While I don’t use it much personally, I do have some of my books available there.

Recently, they’ve been offering the ability to upload your own ebooks and choose from various voices for the narration. They have five American male voices, five American female voices, and options for British, Spanish, and other languages. I’ve uploaded several of my books and found a few voices that I like, both in English and in Spanish.

You can see a demo of my books by searching for “Eric Elder” at play.google.com or go directly to
play.google.com/store/search?q=ericelder&c=books.

Using Google Play Books

To create an auto-narrated book, you have to first upload an ebook containing your text and making that available for sale. Once you’ve done this, a button will appear to “create an auto-narrated book.”

To start, create a free account at play.google.com/books/publish/autonarrated/

When I log in to my account, I can start by uploading an ebook version of one of my recent books called Breaking the Power of Unhealthy Attractions.

First I click on “Add a Book” and select the option to sell an ebook. When it asks for a book ID, I enter an ISBN for this book that I already own for this book. If I didn’t have an ID yet, I could let Google create one for me.

I then proceed to fill in the title, subtitle, and description. Next, I enter the publisher name and other relevant information, including the format of the book and the page count.

Now, I’ll select the genre. For this book, I’m choosing Christian Men’s Issues and Christian Self-Help.

Next, I add my name as the author, and I copy and paste my bio from previous books.

I then upload the .EPUB file for my book, which I previously created using Pages on my Mac by choosing File, Export as EPUB. I also upload a cover I’ve prepared for the book according to the requested dimensions.

I set a price and “Publish” the book! It can take a few hours or a day or two for the book to appear as published. Once it’s published, I log in again to my Google Play account, look for the EPUB version of my book in my account, then click “Create an auto-narrated book.”

The screens are similar to creating the EPUB version, with much of the information already filled in. If you already have the book divided into chapters and chapter titles, that makes this process very easy, as you can see the text of each chapter attached to that chapter title. You can also rename the chapter titles, and edit the text at any point.

I usually edit the first line of the book to specify that this is an audiobook, typing something like: “You’re listening to Breaking the Power of Unhealthy Attractions, written by Eric Elder.”

In the final chapter, I’ll include a line that says, “Thanks for listening to Breaking the Power of Unhealthy Attractions, written by Eric Elder. You’ve reached the end.”

As I mentioned in my chapter on creating audiobooks, opening and closing lines like these are required by audiobook platforms like Spotify.

Next, I can choose an English speaking voice for the book, such as Matt or Mike. I also have Spanish translations of some of my books, so I choose from the Spanish male voices for those books. This is one of the beauties of auto-narration, as I would not be able to pronounce the Spanish words as well as the Spanish auto-narrators!

Once I’ve made the changes to my text and chosen a voice, I can click “Save” to save my book, then continue through the screens to set a price for my book. I like to set the prices for all my books so I earn at least $5 in royalties per sale. In this case, I’ve chosen $10 as the selling price, as Google keeps a percentage for their service, and I get the remainder.

Once I’ve clicked “Publish,” I just wait a few hours or days for the book to appear on their website. I can also then download a copy of the entire book, separated into different files for each chapter, and upload them for use on my own website or to another distributor like Spotify.

Using ElevenLabs

The second I’d like to show you is from a startup company called ElevenLabs found at elevenlabs.io. The benefit of this option is you can upload your own voice samples and have your books narrated using your own voice!

I used this technique for a short recording I created of my late wife Lana reading Psalm 20 from the Bible. I had wished I had had her record it for me as it was a special one for us, but I didn’t do it while she was alive. So I took a recording of her reading another Psalm, Psalm 119, and I uploaded it to ElevenLabs. At the time, you could use samples from other people’s voices, but now they restrict use for only your own voice, as verified by a text sentence they ask you to read when you register with their service. But at that time, this worked!

I uploaded her reading of Psalm 119, then typed in the text of Psalm 20. Within 30 seconds, I heard Lana reading Psalm 20 in her own voice! It really was her own voice, just rearranging the sounds to speak a different passage. I loved it so much, I recorded a piano track of the song “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic to go along with it. It came out beautifully!

For myself, I wanted to test reading my new book using a recording I had done of another book a few years earlier called Fifty Shades of Grace, written under my pen name Nicholas Deere. I had five hours of myself reading that entire book, which I uploaded to ElevenLabs. They like to have at least three hours to create a good vocal model of your voice. Then I waited a few days for their computers to process my voice and create a new voice model that could read any other text.

I then uploaded an EPUB of my newer book, Breaking the Power of Unhealthy Attractions. I ran the new book through their process with my voice model, and the result was uncannily just like myself!

The settings allow for alternate pronunciations in case words or names are mispronounced, plus a plethora of options to provide different readings to make your voice sound more dynamic or more smooth. I began by testing the settings one paragraph at a time, regenerating the paragraph if I didn’t like a particular sentence or phrase. Once I was pleased with the results I was getting, I pressed the Convert button to do the entire book, which took about five minutes to convert 100,000 characters! I then had the option to download my MP3 files or other formats to keep for my own use or for uploading to platforms that accept AI voices.

Once finished and saved, I uploaded the files to my website to offer as the official audiobook for that newer book.

The cost was about $22 a month for 100,000 characters (that’s characters, including spaces, not words), plus an extra cost for every block of characters over that. My book was just 82,000 characters, so it was doable and cost-effective for that project. But to convert all of my books would cost several thousand dollars. So for now, I’m using the free auto-narrated voices from Google Play Books for the rest of my books.

Note about platforms

Not every audiobook platform allows the use of AI voices, such as Audible from Amazon. This is likely because they are working on their own auto-narration option that they will debut in the future. (Update January, 2026: Amazon now offers some test authors an “auto-narrate” option to transform their ebook into an audiobook automatically. This feature will likely roll out to all users on KDP at some point.)

But for now, several platforms, such as Google Books and Spotify allow and encourage AI narrations. These companies still have certain requirements to meet, such as sound quality and using only auto-narrated products. But that will change soon, I’m sure!

This is still the wild west for AI technology, so have fun experimenting and perhaps even selling your new audiobooks… whether you record them in our own voice or use a voice model of yourself or of someone else!

For me, the main thing is reaching the world with your message! And this is just one more wonderful way to do that.

Conclusion: The best time to plant a tree

Now you have about a million new ideas and practical ways to reach the world with your message. The question is, which one do you want to try FIRST!

It might seem daunting, but skim back through this book and pick one. Really, just pick one and start there! The only bad choice is to not start anywhere at all.

Do you know when is the best time to plant a tree? Twenty years ago! Do you know when is the second best time to plant a tree? Today!

I have a lot of trees in my yard—about 80. I’ve planted about 70 of them myself; the rest were here before I was born. I heard this advice about planting trees a long time ago, so I began planting a tree or two every year.

Looking at the trees I planted twenty years ago brings me such joy. I didn’t have to plant a tree back then, and it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. But now I’m so glad I did. I’m still enjoying apples from an apple tree I planted with my mom when I was in high school, and my kids made a couple apple pies with the apples from that same tree! My mom’s been gone since 1990, but the tree we planted together is still going strong.

As with many things in life, the seeds we plant today can bring a harvest in the years to come. That’s why I’m encouraging you to pick a place to start with any of these techniques, and start planting!

I’ve also lost many trees over the years, and I never know which one will produce the most fruit, the most shade, or the most fragrance. So I also like to plant several new trees to see which ones will flourish.

I have a friend who people say has the “Midas touch,” meaning everything seems to turn to gold for him like in the story of Midas from mythology. But my friend says, “No, not really, but I do touch a lot of projects!” And some of his projects do turn into gold!

So, plant some trees today! Take one of these ideas for a spin! See what bears fruit, if not right away, maybe someday down the road.

I appreciate you coming on this journey with me. I’m excited to see where it leads. I’d love to hear how it goes! If you need help or want to chat, you can connect with me anytime at: ericelder.com

You’ve been reading “Let’s Get Technical!” by Eric Elder. This book is also available in Paperback, Kindle, and Audible.

This book is part of a series of books on writing, self-publishing, and reaching the world with your book. Use these links to read them all!

Write With Me! Front Cover by Eric Elder

Endorsements

A few words from my writing friends…

“Eric’s a great communicator… he makes hard things easy to understand. I deeply trust Eric’s expertise.” Kirk Billiter

“Eric Elder is my ‘go-to-person’ for all things technical. Eric has the ‘know-how.’” Tim Wilkins

“Thanks for helping me with my writing. You give me the confidence to do the hard things.” Crystal Balas

“Eric has been a blessing to our ministry in so many ways…his technical expertise and assistance have meant everything!” Greg Potzer

“Eric has played a crucial role in getting my novel published. He has been the all-important bridge between my unpublished manuscript and my published dream-come-true.” Cammie Quinn

“I learned so much from this course, and I look forward to implementing these new skills (with help from my own notes from the course, and the accompanying book) in the future.” Donna Brooks-Mason

More by Eric!

DEVOTIONALS

Two Weeks With God
Exodus: Lessons In Freedom
Acts: Lessons In Faith
Jesus: Lessons In Love
Ephesians: Lessons In Grace
Nehemiah: Lessons In Rebuilding
Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind
Psalms: Lessons In Prayer
The Top 20 Passages In The Bible
Israel: Lessons From The Holy Land
Israel For Kids! Lessons From The Holy Land
The Inspiring Thoughts Collection
Water From My Well
365 Daily Devotions With Eric Elder
My Stories Of Faith
Living Life With A Capital “L”

HISTORICAL FICTION

St. Nicholas: The Believer (with Lana Elder)
San Nicolás: El Creyente (Spanish Edition)
San Nicola: Il Credente (Italian Edition)

MUSICAL

His Name Was Nicholas (with Lana Elder)

PIANO BOOKS

Clear My Mind
Soothe My Soul
My Favorite Classics

JOURNALS

A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Prayer
A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Faith
A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Love

SEXUALITY

What God Says About Sex
Fifty Shades of Grace (under pen name, Nicholas Deere)
Loving God & Loving Gays
Cómo amar a Dios y a los gays (Spanish Edition)
15 Tips For A Stronger Marriage
Breaking the Power of Unhealthy Attractions

GRIEF

Loving Thoughts (with Greg Potzer)
Making The Most Of The Darkness

WRITING & PUBLISHING

Write With Me!
Write With Me! Notebook!!!
Let’s Get Technical!

ALBUMS

Clear My Mind
Soothe My Soul
My Favorite Classics (with Eric’s children and sister)
His Name Was Nicholas EP (with Matt Ludwig)

STAGE PRODUCTIONS & FILMS

One Life (a ballet with Cynthia Dewar and Erin Morton)
His Name Was Nicholas (a musical with Lana Elder)
San Nicola (a puppet opera with Girolamo Botta)

To learn more or order, visit: www.inspiringbooks.com.

August 4, 2023 by Eric Elder

Write With Me! NOTEBOOK!!!

A COMPANION GUIDE to help you WRITE & SELF-PUBLISH that book on your heart!
by Eric Elder

Ready to write? Roll up your sleeves and write with me AN ENTIRE BOOK from cover to cover!

I’ve written and self-published over 35 books (this is #37!) and helped dozens of others do the same. I’d love to help you!

Eric Elder

Read below or download the PDF
Also available in Paperback

Preface

This book is a companion guide to my original book Write With Me! in which I describe how I’ve written and self-published 36 books (this is #37!).

You can read the chapters in Write With Me! then answer the prompts in this book to get great start on creating your own book from cover to cover!

Just start with Chapter 1 and answer the questions as best you know how. You may be surprised that within a few weeks you’ll have a complete version of your book, even if in simplified form!

My main encouragement with both of these books is to help you WRITE & SELF-PUBLISH that book on your heart, getting it out of your head and into a form that others can enjoy. If the stories on your heart have helped you, I know they’ll help others, too!

More than 30 years ago, I was given a wall hanging from a young man I met on a missions trip. Something I said had touched him deeply, and he wanted to encourage me that what I said mattered. I pray they will encourage you.

“God sends each person into this world with a special message to deliver, with a special song to sing, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak your message or sing your song or offer your act of love. God has entrusted these only to you.”

A few years ago, when I was in the throes of writing one of my books, my friend Greg Potzer (of This Day’s Thought at thisdaysthought.com) sent me 21 quotes on writing and perseverance. The quotes gave me the boost I needed to keep writing. I’ve included them below in hopes they’ll give you a boost, too.

Remember, words have power. God created the whole world and everything in it with just a few words. Maybe your words go forth and touch the world, too.

Eric Elder

21 Quotes on Writing and Perseverance

I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning. William Faulkner

A poem is never finished, only abandoned. Paul Valery

Of the making of books there is no end. King Solomon (Ecclesiastes 12:12)

If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought. Dennis Roch

I have made this letter longer than usual, because I lack the time to make it short. Blaise Pascal

From my first experience of writing a screenplay, I had learned something about the process of revision. You can always make something better, and if you make it worse, you’ll know it. I had learned to have no fear of rewriting. All writers should be so lucky. John Irving

You know that I write slowly. This is chiefly because I am never satisfied until I have said as much as possible in a few words, and writing briefly takes far more time than writing at length. Carl Gauss

The story is told of an accomplished artist who was applying the finishing touches to a bronze sculpture. He kept filing, scraping, and polishing every little surface of his masterpiece. “When will it be done?” asked an observer. “Never,” came the reply. “I just keep working and working until they come and take it away.” Unknown

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison

If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius. Michelangelo

I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. Mother Teresa

All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. Walt Disney

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. Henry David Thoreau

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. Dr. Seuss

Quit now, you’ll never make it. If you disregard this advice, you’ll be halfway there. David Zucker

There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though every thing is a miracle. Albert Einstein

Most of my friends who are novelists have told me that they never know the end of their novels when they start writing them; they find it peculiar that for my novels I need to know, and I need to know not just the ending, but every significant event in the main characters’ lives. When I finally write the first sentence, I want to know everything that happens, so that I am not inventing the story as I write it; rather, I am remembering a story that has already happened. The invention is over by the time I begin. All I want to be thinking of is the language- the sentence I am writing, and the sentence that follows it. Just the language. John Irving

Do not write so that you can be understood, write so that you cannot be misunderstood. Epictetus

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. Robert Frost

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Rudyard Kipling

When you sell a man a book, you don’t sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue – you sell him a whole new life. Christopher Morley

1. Write with me!

Describe the book on your heart in two or three sentences. What is it you really want to write about?

Write the “working title” of the book on your heart:

Write your name as the author:

2. The beauty of self-publishing

What is your greatest barrier to writing and publishing that book on your heart?

How might you overcome it?3. Think “books,”
not “book”

If you were to write multiple books, what are a few of the topics you’d write about?

4. Which book to write FIRST?

Which of the books on your heart would you like to write FIRST? Think about what you know, what you want to know, and what people ask you about the most.

What do you already know?

It’s been said that an “expert” in a field is someone who has spent 10,000 hours working in that area. By this definition, what are there some areas in which you’ve likely spent 10,000 hours?

What do you want to know?

What other topics are you curious about that you might want to spend a book-length amount of time researching, writing, publishing, and promoting?

What topics do people ask you about the most?

What are some topics which people already come to you for advice?

5. What’s your main theme?

After people read your book, what do you want them to know, to feel, and to do? Answer each separately.

What do you want readers to KNOW?

What do you want readers to FEEL?

What do you want readers to DO?

Based on your answers, is there a good “working title” and subtitle that you could give your book?

List a few ideas here. If one title stands out above the others, write it along with your name in the “working title” box on Page 3 of this book! This might not be your final title, but that’s okay! It will at least support your main theme and keep you moving forward.

6. Which stories support your theme?

Whether fiction or non-fiction, sci-fi or mystery, the stories you want within your covers will be the meat of your book. In two or three words, which stories, remembered or imagined, come to your mind that would support your main theme?

As an example, here are a few of the stories I wanted to include in our book St. Nicholas: The Believer.

His parents died in a plague
He traveled to the Holy Land
He became Bishop of Myra
He saved three girls from devastation
He was imprisoned for his faith
He attended the Council of Nicaea
He died, and his legacy began • Start your list here. Jot down a few words for each story that supports your main theme. Don’t edit and don’t worry about the order! Just jot them down as they come to mind. We’ll sort them out later.

7. No scene that doesn’t turn

Good storytelling contains a series of turning points, those moments where a person’s inner or outer world changes from a positive value to a negative. If you can, arrange your stories in a natural way that highlights those turning points. Ideally, the highs should get higher and the lows should get lower as the book progresses.

Jot down here a few of your story ideas below that you consider to be highs (+) or lows (-). Then try diagramming as many stories as you can on the chart.

–

Eric Elder's diagram of turning points from his book "Write With Me! The ultimate guide to writing and self-publishing that book on your heart." From Chapter 7: "No scene that doesn't turn."

8. Now write!

Now’s the time to write!

Pick one story and give it a working title. These may or may not become your chapter titles in the end, but at least you’ll have a target to shoot for while you’re writing each story. You can rearrange, combine or split up stories later.

For now, just pick one of your stories and spend 10-15 minutes (or maybe 30-60), and write the highlights of that story as they comes to mind in just a few paragraphs or bullet points.

Don’t stop to look up the details. Don’t try to to edit while you go. Just tell the story as it comes to your mind, whether from your memory or from your imagination.

Then do this again with each of your stories, one per day (or maybe a few) until you’ve finished jotting down highlights from each of your stories.

If you have more than 30 or less than 30 stories, that’s fine! You might end up using more or less in this book, and you can save some to use in your next book. (Think “books,” not “book,” remember?!)

But if you do have 30 stories and write one per day, you’ll have a really good start on your entire book—from beginning to end—in just 30 days!

Here’s a sample of the notes I took for each chapter of a book I wrote called Living Life with a Capital L. In the end, this book had 21 chapters, plus an introduction and a conclusion.

Now it’s your turn! Pick a story… and write!

Story 1 (Write your “working title” for this story or chapter. Then write a few paragraphs of what this story is about. Repeat for each topic you’re considering including.)

______________________________

Story 2 ______________________________

Story 3 ______________________________

Story 4 ______________________________

Story 5 ______________________________

Story 6 ______________________________

Story 7 ______________________________

Story 8 ______________________________

Story 9 ______________________________

Story 10 ______________________________

Story 11 ______________________________

Story 12 ______________________________

Story 13 ______________________________

Story 14 ______________________________

Story 15 ______________________________

Story 16 ______________________________

Story 17 ______________________________

Story 18 ______________________________

Story 19 ______________________________

Story 20 ______________________________

Story 21 ______________________________

Story 22 ______________________________

Story 23 ______________________________

Story 24 ______________________________

Story 25 ______________________________

Story 26 ______________________________

Story 27 ______________________________

Story 28 ______________________________

Story 29 ______________________________

Story 30 ______________________________

9. Flesh out your stories

Once you’ve jotted down your stories, take a break for a few days or weeks. You’ve just completed a massive undertaking!

After your break, you can come back to each of these stories and flesh them out with fresh eyes.

Now is the time to do your research: to look back at your journals, to look up dates and details, and to find old pictures, articles or ticket stubs—anything that will help jog your memory to add color and flavor to your stories.

You might find that what you remember is different from what actually happened! That’s okay, too. This is the time to make those corrections. This is why you’re doing your research: to make sure you’re telling the story the best way you can to get across your point.

Note: this step will take longer… much longer! I usually take about five or six months for this step. You’re writing the actual book now. So take your time, tackling perhaps one or two stories per week, for as many weeks or months as it takes.

10. Tips for self-editing

As you flesh out each story, you can go back through and self-edit each one.

When I finish a story, I like to read it aloud to myself or have my computer read it to me. This method reveals errors that may have been overlooked with just your eyes.

What other ways can you self-edit? Write your ideas here, then do it!

11. Send it to a few trusted readers

Who are some “trusted readers” who might be willing to read your story? List them here.

These are not necessarily your “proofreaders” who point out all the errors, but rather “encouragers” who can help you know if you’re on track or not.

You don’t need many—just one or two or three—but enough to give you some honest feedback about your stories and your storytelling.

I like to send my chapters one at a time to my trusted readers. That way, I can get their feedback and make changes along the way.

Some possible “trusted readers”

12. Receiving feedback

Prepare yourself for feedback. The biggest surprise might be that people actually like your writing! Still others might not. That’s okay. Take the good with the bad. In the end, make the changes you feel good about, and in the end, be yourself!

As you receive feedback, make some notes here.

Positive responses

Tempering responses

Your own thoughts on your work (if you were to be your authentic self)

13. Getting endorsements

Starting with responses from your “trusted readers” jot down a few words or sentences you might use for endorsements of your book. You can use these when promoting your book. Then continue collecting these snippets as you share your book with others.

Endorsements might come from your editors, your early beta readers, or those who read your book after it’s published.

Ask their permission, make modifications if necessary, then include these endorsements in your both your initial and ongoing promotions.

Endorsements (list a few words or sentences and who said them)

14. Formatting your book

What books come to mind that are similar to what you envision for your own book, whether in look and feel or content? List those books here.

15. Interior design

Take note of the interior of the book you’d like to mimic. What fonts are used for the body text and headings (the size, shape, look and feel). List some possible fonts you like here (such as Times New Roman, Garamond, Sabon for body text or Arial or Helvetica for headings).

What are margins on each page, the “white space” from the text to the edge of the page? Take out your ruler and enter them here.

Top: _______

Bottom: _______

Inner: _______

Outer: _______

What elements are contained in the header and footer of each page, such as the author’s name or the book title or chapter title?

Left header: ___________________________

Right header: ___________________________

(if different)

Footer: ___________________________

What other pages are included in your sample book, whether at the beginning, the end or in section dividers of the book (such as a dedication page, an acknowledgements page, a table of contents, an epilogue, footnotes, or a list of other books available)?

Other pages: ___________________________

___________________________

16. Cover design

What do you picture on the front cover of your book, if anything? If you don’t have any ideas, describe the main theme of the book or an attention grabbing scene that might hook readers.

Sketch or describe it below!What do you picture on the back cover of your book, if anything? Consider things like a catchy description, an author photo and bio, or a bullet list of “What’s in it for me (the reader)?”

Sketch or describe it below!What do you picture on the spine of your book? This is often the book title and author’s name, and sometimes a logo or publisher’s imprint or a series number.

Sketch or describe it below!

17. Uploading your book

When uploading your book, you’ll be asked to include a description, three categories, and your pricing.

Write a few thoughts after each prompt below, then use those answers to create a complete description of your book. You can use parts of your answers on the back of your book, or use all of the answers on your book’s description on Amazon, because that description can be much longer and search engines will index every word for potential readers.

What you want readers to know, to feel, and to do

A few endorsementsA table of contents

An introduction or sample chapter

A few books and authors that are similar to yoursWhat categories are appropriate for your book? You can choose three. Consider which section in a bookstore you might find your book, such as Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Self-Help, Memoirs or Christian Living.

The more specific you can be, the more likely you’ll find readers interested specifically in your book (and the more likely you’ll rank higher in that category on Amazon than a broader category). Take a look at similar books in a bookstore or on Amazon to see what categories they use.

Then list a few categories here and choose your top three.

18. Creating your eBook & hardcover

In what formats would you like to offer your book? Paperback? Hardcover? eBook? An audiobook? A video series? Note below the different variations you’d like to create and rank their order of importance to you.

Format Importance (1-5)

Paperback _____

eBook _____

Hardcover _____

Audiobook _____

Video _____

Other _____

19. Turning your writing into speaking

When speaking about your book, perhaps at an event you or someone else organizes, what would you want to say to your audience? Fill in the blanks below to create an outline of your talk.

Main topic

Consider what you want listeners to know, to feel, and to do.

Opening words

Consider memorizing these opening words.

3 main points

What three main points would support what you want listeners to know, to feel, and to do? Consider arranging these points from least important to most important, as that will help your talk get more exciting as you build to the final point.

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3

Closing words

Consider memorizing these closing words. Remember what my childhood dance teacher said: always nail your opening and closing. People will forget about any mistakes in between!

20. Seven touches

Traditional wisdom says it takes “seven touches” before someone commits to buying a product or learning a fact or deciding to come to an event.

What seven ways, or “seven touches,” could you use to let people know about your book?

Consider these in your brainstorming: telling your story behind the story, posting reader reviews, offering to do a book reading, creating a video, giving away a few books, asking others to share about your book, and throwing a launch party.

Other ideas

21. Start writing your NEXT book!

Look back at Chapter 3 (Think “books,” not “book”), and write down which books you might like to write next.

List all of your ideas here, then rank them in terms of the topics you’d like to write about the most. If one bubbles to the top… get another Write With Me! Notebook!!!

God and I are both inviting you: Write With Me!

Topic Rank (1-5)

Endorsements

Here are a few comments from others I’ve helped with their writing or publishing. I’d love to help you!

“Eric’s help made all the difference!” Greg Potzer, Our Favorite Christian Quotations

“He was with me every step of the way.” Brent Knapton, Testimonies of Grace

“Eric gave warm fellowship, encouragement, and expertise.” Clayt Irmeger, Not to be Lived Single-Handedly

“His expertise was just what I needed.” Karen Neal, Bella Bella Cinderella

“Eric has an uncanny ability to motivate people to write.” Tim Wilkins, More Than Words

“He helped me self-publish in an easy, economical way.” Larry Booze, Say it to Stick

“His passion for writing is contagious.” Mary Felkins, This I Promise You

“He provided practical guidance with genuine interest.” Aaron Chan, book forthcoming

“Eric was the bridge to help fulfill my life-long dream.” Cammie Quinn, Follow the Wind Home

“I’ve seen him help others, and he’s now helping me.” Al Lowry, 365 Daily Bible Readings

“Without him, I would not have completed my book.” Sandy Egle, Ministering to the Least of These

“I know of no one better-equipped to guide writers.” Kent Sanders, The Faith of Elvis

“He never doubted I would bring my idea to completion.” Laurie Bliese, Will the Lights Go Out?

“He believed in my writing before I was sure myself.” Caleb Dossett, They Call Me Mr

“He helped me finally finish my 10-year project.” Jeanette Smith, book forthcoming

“Eric held my hand the whole way.” MelanEE Lisa Davidson, Loved. I. AM!

“I don’t think I could have done it without him!” Elizabeth Giger, Beyond the Front Door

“Eric gave me confidence when I had almost given up.” Steven Lomske, On the Bank of the Chippewa

You can do this! I’m glad to show you how!

I love hearing from my readers! For questions, comments or help with your book, visit: ericelder.com

More by Eric!

DEVOTIONALS

Two Weeks With God
Exodus: Lessons In Freedom
Acts: Lessons In Faith
Jesus: Lessons In Love
Ephesians: Lessons In Grace
Nehemiah: Lessons In Rebuilding:
Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind
Psalms: Lessons In Prayer
The Top 20 Passages In The Bible
Israel: Lessons From The Holy Land
Israel For Kids! Lessons From The Holy Land
The Inspiring Thoughts Collection
Water From My Well
365 Daily Devotions With Eric Elder
My Stories Of Faith
Living Life With A Capital “L”

HISTORICAL FICTION

St. Nicholas: The Believer (with Lana Elder)
San Nicolás: El Creyente (Spanish Edition)

MUSICAL

His Name Was Nicholas (with Lana Elder)

PIANO BOOKS

Clear My Mind
Soothe My Soul
My Favorite Classics

JOURNALS

A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Prayer
A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Faith
A Personal Journal With 101 Quotes On Love

SEXUALITY

What God Says About Sex
Fifty Shades of Grace (under pen name, Nicholas Deere)
Loving God & Loving Gays
Cómo amar a Dios y a los gays (Spanish Edition)
15 Tips For A Stronger Marriage

GRIEF

Loving Thoughts (with Greg Potzer)
Making The Most Of The Darkness

WRITING & PUBLISHING

Write With Me!
Write With Me! Notebook!!!
Let’s Get Technical!

ALBUMS

Clear My Mind
Soothe My Soul
My Favorite Classics (with Eric’s children and sister)
His Name Was Nicholas EP (with Matt Ludwig)

STAGE PRODUCTIONS

One Life (a ballet with Cynthia Dewar and Erin Morton)
His Name Was Nicholas (a musical with Lana Elder)
San Nicola (a puppet opera with Girolamo Botta)

To learn more or order, visit: www.inspiringbooks.com

About this Book

You’ve been reading “Write With Me!” by Eric Elder. This book is also available in Paperback, Kindle, Audible, Spotify or Apple Audiobook.

This book is part of a series of books on writing, self-publishing, and reaching the world with your book. Use these links to read the others.

June 14, 2023 by Eric Elder

Write With Me!

The ultimate guide to help you WRITE & SELF-PUBLISH that book on your heart!
by Eric Elder

Do you have a book on your heart? Don’t know where to start? Don’t know how to finish?

I’ll show you how!

I’ve written and self-published over 35 books (this is #36!) and helped dozens of others do the same. I’d love to help you!

Eric Elder

(Look inside to see what others are saying!)

Listen here, read below, or download the PDF
(Also available in Paperback, Kindle, Audible, Spotify or Apple Audiobook)

"Write With Me!" by Eric Elder

Chapter 1: Write with me!

Chapter 2: The beauty of self-publishing

Chapter 3: Think “books,” not “book”

Chapter 4: Which book to write FIRST?

Chapter 5: What's your main theme?

Chapter 6: Which stories support your theme?

Chapter 7: No scene that doesn't turn

Chapter 8: Now write!

Chapter 9: Flesh out your stories

Chapter 10: Tips for self-editing

Chapter 11: Send it to a few trusted readers

Chapter 12: Receiving feedback

Chapter 13: Getting endorsements

Chapter 14: Formatting your book

Chapter 15: Interior design

Chapter 16: Cover design

Chapter 17: Uploading your book

Chapter 18: Creating your eBook and hardcover

Chapter 19: Turning your writing into speaking

Chapter 20: Seven Touches

Chapter 21: To market, to market

Chapter 22: Start writing your NEXT book!

End Credits

Chapter 1: Write with me!
Chapter 2: The beauty of self-publishing
Chapter 3: Think “books,” not “book”
Chapter 4: Which book to write FIRST?
Chapter 5: What’s your main theme?
Chapter 6: Which stories support your theme?
Chapter 7: No scene that doesn’t turn
Chapter 8: Now write!
Chapter 9: Flesh out your stories
Chapter 10: Tips for self-editing
Chapter 11: Send it to a few trusted readers
Chapter 12: Receiving feedback
Chapter 13: Getting endorsements
Chapter 14: Formatting your book
Chapter 15: Interior design
Chapter 16: Cover design
Chapter 17: Uploading your book
Chapter 18: Creating your eBook & hardcover
Chapter 19: Turning your writing into speaking
Chapter 20: Seven Touches
Chapter 21: Start writing your NEXT book!
Endorsements
More by Eric!

Chapter 1: Write with me!

(Here’s a writing group where we talked about the things I talk about in this chapter.)

For years, I had a book on my heart I wanted to write. I didn’t know how to start. I didn’t know where to start. And I didn’t know how to actually write it.

But then I was challenged to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Unbelievable! Impossible! Or was it?

I found out it was possible! And I did it. (Well, I only wrote 30,000 words, and it took me 40 days. But at the end of those 40 days, I had finished the first draft of a fully fleshed-out, historical novel.)

And I’ve done it many times since. I’ve written over 30 books (35 if you count foreign translations and three books of piano music).

Now, I’d like to challenge you to write that book on your heart. Why? Because I believe when you share your experiences, your strengths, and your hope, others will be strengthened and find hope, too. And we could all use a little more hope, couldn’t we?

Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, thrillers or sci-fi or mysteries, I believe your writing is worth it. People will read it. And many will be blessed by it.

Do you believe it?!? I hope you do! And throughout this book, I hope to give you more and more encouragement to finally write and publish that book on your heart.

How did I do it?

I’ll tell you!

I set aside one month, just 30 days, to get my thoughts out of my head and onto my computer.

First, I wrote down 30 scenes that came into my mind. I didn’t have 30 scenes initially. But as I thought about all the things I wanted to include in my book, I thought about the day my main character lost his parents. I thought about the day he took a boat alone to the Holy Land. I thought about the night he threw a bag of coins through an open window to save a woman from destitution.

I jotted down each of these topics on one piece of paper. I kept going and going until I had over 30 topics that I might include in my book.

Then, I set aside an hour a day, more or less, to write a few paragraphs of what I knew and could remember of each of these scenes. I didn’t look them up again. I didn’t waste time going through old books and magazines and doing internet searches. I just wrote from what I remembered. This wasn’t the time for editing or making sure every detail was perfect. This was the time to get the stories out of my head and onto my computer and to jot down the key points that were important and memorable to me.

I did this each day for 40 days because I started adding chapters along the way as they came to mind or helped the story flow.

At the end of 40 days, I had a finished the first draft of a book that made me laugh and cry and inspired me all along the way.

Was it good? Or was it not so good? I didn’t know. But what I did know was that it captured the heart—the essence—of the story I wanted to tell.

And that story, birthed during my quiet time for an hour a day in November of 2009, became the basis for what eventually became my bestselling book to date— one that’s been turned into a ballet, a musical, and even an Italian “puppet opera.”

How did that journey go? And what got me writing my next book and my next and my next for 35+ books? That’s what I’ll tell you in the rest of this book.

Eric Elder

P.S. Ready to write? You can also get my Write With Me! NOTEBOOK!!! to capture all your thoughts to the questions and suggestions in this book. When you finish answering the questions in the notebook, you’ll have written a strong draft of your entire book from cover to cover!

P.P.S. Want to share your message with the world? You can also get me book Let’s Get Technical to learn how to create a website, a mailing list, a social media presence, a podcast, a YouTube channel, an audiobook, a business card, an online class, a payment system, a coaching calendar, and edit audio & video!

Chapter 2: The beauty of self-publishing

I’m still shocked when I read my own bio and see that “Eric Elder has written over 35 books.” It sounds like I must be really famous, or really popular, or “someone must really believe in Eric’s writing to publish 35 of his books!”

The truth is, someone does believe in my books. I do! I’ve found a way to get my message out to others, even if no one else ever believes in me or my work.

I also know that God has called me to write, to share the messages I’ve shared, and my readers are confirming that. He believes in me and my work, and that’s why I’ve published over 35 books.

The beauty of it is, I’ve been able to do all of it for free (not counting, of course, the massive amount of time and effort it takes to write, edit, tweak, and get the book to look and feel and read just right). You might pay for others to do all of that for you, and that’s okay. But for the actual process of “publishing” your book, all it takes is knowing how to export a PDF file (a Portable Document Format file) of your words and upload it to Amazon… for free. They’ll do the rest. Within days, your book can be available for people to print and ship all over the world.

From Day 1, Book 1, you can start making money, which has never been the case until now. That’s one of the great beauties of self-publishing.

You can do it. You can be your own publisher. And you can bless others and be blessed yourself from Book 1.

How does it work?

I want to tell you this right up front because you might be hesitant to write a book because you’re not sure if anyone will read it. You’re not sure if anyone will publish it. You’re not sure what to do with it after you’ve written it. So you never start it. Or you never finish it.

I want to give you the confidence that you can publish it. You can get your book out to the world. And once you do, the sky’s the limit. There’s no longer any gatekeeper blocking your way from doing this. The only gatekeeper is you. And if you can get past that gatekeeper, in your heart and mind and emotions, you can be sure your book will be published.

I’ll go into more details later about how to do this, but let me give you a few nuggets right now about how I do this and what you can expect.

1) Export a PDF file

Once I’ve written what’s on my heart and gotten it into the shape I’d like readers to read it, I export a copy from my word processor into PDF format. That fixes all the words on the page to appear like they will appear in the print version of the book.

2) Upload that file to KDP

I upload that PDF file to a free account I’ve created on Amazon (currently at kdp.amazon.com, which is Amazon’s official website for uploading self-published books. KDP stands for “Kindle Direct Publishing,” because you can also upload your books for display on Amazon Kindle book readers).

3) Create a book cover

I create a cover for my book, either on my own computer or on a website like Canva.com, or using one of KDP’s online tools to just choose some artwork from their offerings and add my title and name. Amazon figures out the rest to match the size and shape of the book I want.

4) Order a sample copy

I look over the sample version that is displayed on the screen, and if it looks good, I submit it for review. Amazon looks over the files to make sure they’re printable, and if so, they’ll approve the book for printing within a day or two. Then I order a sample copy (a proof copy) for myself and have it shipped to me within another few days.

5) Click “Approve”!

If I like what I see, I click “approve,” and the book appears for sale on Amazon within a few hours! If I see errors or changes I want to make, I simply make my changes and upload a new copy of my interior pages and/or my cover and order another sample. I’ll sometimes do two or three or four or more samples like this until I get it just right. But once I love it, I click “approve,” and it’s live on Amazon for others to order and ship to their homes. Hallelujah!

When someone orders a book, Amazon prints it, ships it, collects the money from the customer, and deposits a royalty into my account. I can pick my own selling price to adjust how much I’ll receive per book. I usually pick a price that earns me $5 per book—which is about $4 more than most publishers will pay you per book. Amazon makes money, I make money, and the customer gets a great product within days! Everyone wins!

I can also order copies of my own books at my “author” rate, which is about $2.50 for 100 pages, $3.50 for 200 pages, and so on, plus shipping—which is cheaper than I can print that many pages on my own printer or at a copy shop!

(Here’s a demo video about how to upload your book to Amazon’s KDP. You can watch it now to get an idea of the steps or finish reading the chapter first, then come back to it when you’re ready to upload your book.)

If this sounds too easy, it is! Or if it sounds too hard, depending on your comfort level with technology, don’t worry! I’ll walk you through how to do all of this, step by step, in this book.

But I wanted to start with the end in mind right here at the beginning to assure you of this: if you can write it, you can publish it. And if you can publish it, others can read it and be blessed by your words.

And that is my end goal: that your readers will be blessed by your story as much as you have been blessed by it! I care about you and your writing because I care about the people you will reach through your writing. It is their hearts and souls that are my end goal, and I believe, God’s end goal, too. If God has put a book on your heart, that means He cares about you and those He can touch through you.

So with that end goal in mind, let’s start back at the beginning!

Let’s start by clarifying exactly what book God has put on your heart to write first. Because you may be surprised that there is more than one book inside you waiting to get out!

Chapter 3: Think “books,” not “book”

One day I met a man who had written many books. He was speaking at a retreat and had just stepped off the stage to greet the guests.

I told him what an impact his talk had on me, then I told him about a book I was writing.

“I’ve been working on it for seven years and just can’t seem to finish it,” I said.

“Eric, stop right there,” he said. “Here’s the key to finishing that book. Think books, not book.”

It was as simple as that.

He went on, “If you keep thinking about that one book, you’ll never finish it in your lifetime. Is there another book on your heart you want to write after this one?”

I thought, then said, “Yes, I would like to write about… [and I filled in the blank].”

He said, “Now you’ll be able to finish your first book.”

I want to free you up with this: you don’t have to put everything in this book. If you have one book inside you, I believe you have many more inside you, too. And if you start thinking about your next book, you’ll quickly finish your first one to get on to that next one.

He was right! I began to think of the next book I wanted to write, and suddenly I was ready and able to finish my first book.

Public speakers understand this. After giving a few talks, they know they’ll never be able to say everything they want in one message. But if they haven’t spoken for a while or think this may be their one and only chance to speak, they’ll pack everything into that one message, making it harder than it has to be on themselves and on their listeners.

When speakers have a regular outlet, they find they can more easily make one or two or three important points and leave it at that because they can say more the next time they get up to speak.

Your heart may be so full of words and stories and pictures that are bursting to get out that you’re too overwhelmed to get any of them out.

But if you’ll think books, not book, you’ll find your words flowing much more easily and naturally, not having to cram every single thought into every page or sentence.

I already know you have a book on your heart. That’s why you’re reading this book.

But what other books do you have on your heart? What other topics do you want to write about? This book is important, very important, like mine was. But so is the next one, and the next, and the next. As much as I like my first book, I feel they keep getting better because I keep learning more and more every time.

So if there are many books on your heart, the first question is: Which book do you want to write first?

Chapter 4: Which book to write FIRST?

Here’s a good place to start to help you decide which book you want to write first.

1) Write about what you KNOW

It’s much easier to write about what you know rather than to create a book from what you don’t know. I imagine there’s already a book bubbling up inside you. Whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, fantasy or sci-fi, I think you’ll find it easier to base your book in something you know rather than something you’re creating from scratch.

For me, my first book was a devotional book I wrote to go along with some songs I had written. I thought it would be helpful for my listeners to know the stories behind them—why I wrote them, how they impacted me, and how they might impact those who listened.

I had written twelve songs, so I spent a week away at a cabin and wrote twelve devotionals, plus an intro and a conclusion, so there were enough messages for two weeks of reading and praying and listening to music. I called it Two Weeks With God.

I encouraged my readers and listeners to go through my devotional book and listen to one song a day during those two weeks, spending some quiet time with God.

The messages were easy for me to write because I knew how the songs had spoken to me. I just had to come up with a consistent length for each message, some additional verses on each topic that could be helpful, and a question or two at the end of each devotional to spur their thinking about their own lives.

One song was about prayers and why it sometimes takes so long for God to answer them. Another was about following Jesus wherever He leads since He is “the Way.” Another was about clearing your mind when thoughts are overwhelming you.

At the end of my week in the woods, I had written 14 devotionals. This was in 1999, before the advent of online self-publishing. I simply printed them on my desktop printer, trimmed and stapled them to fit inside a CD case, and shipped them out to people who ordered my CD.

It was a big step for me, but it was an “easy win” because the project was big enough to feel like I’d created something of value to others but small enough to finish writing in a relatively short amount of time.

For my second book, I took a different approach. It came in answer to the question, “What do people ask you about the most?”

2) Write about what people ask you about THE MOST

Whenever I share my testimony about how God has helped me break the power of unhealthy attractions in my life, people come up to me afterward and ask how they can do it, too. They often asked the same questions over and over.

When I realized I was repeating myself in my answers, I thought, “Maybe I should write down their questions and my answers and share them in a book. Then I could give people the book and have them come back later with any additional questions, or I could offer personal help.”

That’s the book on my heart that took seven years for me to write! I called it What God Says About Sex. The topic was so huge to me and to those asking the questions that I wanted to get everything just right. I wanted to be sure my answers were biblical, sound, and full of wit and wisdom to keep the reader reading and benefitting from whatever I could share.

Writing this book took a turn when I asked God who my readers would be. He said, “Write it for your children.”

My children? I thought!

Suddenly the enormity of the task weighed heavily on me. This wasn’t just a book for people across the globe who could take or leave my words as they wished. This book was for my own precious children, the ones I cared most about in the world.

Then God spoke to my heart again: “That’s the same audience I’m trying to reach, Eric. My own precious children whom I care most about in the world.”

So what was just an idea on my heart became something heavy on my heart, and then clear on my heart. God had people He wanted to reach through this message, and what I wrote really did matter.

After several years of starting and stopping and wondering if I would ever finish writing the book, I met that man who told me to think “books,” not “book.” That freed me up, and I finally finished the book.

3) Write about what you WANT to know

For my third book, I wrote about what I wanted to know. It didn’t start as a book. It started as a personal study of the book of Exodus to learn from the life of Moses how he lead so many people through the wilderness.

I was at a crossroads in my ministry, trying to decide how to move forward with the big things God was calling me to do, but struggling with keeping up with what He had already called me to do.

How was I going to reach more people and help more people with the limited resources and abilities of just one person?

I decided to look at the life of Moses as he was called from obscurity to leading over 600,000 men, not counting all the women and children, out of Egypt and into a new land. It was an insurmountable task! But God gave him the tools and the people and the abilities to do it.

So I sat down with my Bible in hand for 40 days, determined to learn what I could from this great yet unwilling leader. I needed either a new approach or to quit my ministry, which was a real possibility.

I spent those 40 days fasting and praying and jotting down lessons from the life of Moses that I could put into practice in my life.

After three days, I knew I was to continue in ministry. And at the end of 40 days, I had a plan in hand to move forward, step by step, which I implemented over the next two years.

When I saw the fruitfulness of my efforts, I began sharing these lessons with others… in our ministers’ association, in a men’s group, and eventually in book form, called Exodus: Lessons in Freedom—How to Get Free, Stay Free, and Set Others Free.

It didn’t start as a book, but it became one as I learned from God and put into practice what He shared with me.

What about you? What book is on your heart that might fall into one or more of these categories?

1) Write about what you know.
2) Write about what people ask you about the most.
3) Write about what you want to know.

Any of these could be good starting points, to get some early wins, and to create a book that can have a significant impact on others.

Chapter 5: What’s your main theme?

My writing friend Kent Sanders asks these three questions before writing:

“After reading your book, what do you want your readers to KNOW? What do you want your readers to FEEL? And what do you want your readers to DO?”

These three questions can help you know what to include—and not include—in your book.

When I wrote my personal memoir of how I fell in love with Lana and fell in love with Christ, I had these three goals in mind.

1) What do you want your readers to KNOW?

I wanted my readers to know that change was possible through the power of Jesus Christ for any kind of unhealthy attractions in their lives.

Some people believe the struggles I’ve had cannot be overcome—ever. So it was important for me to share that they can be overcome, and not just for me, but for anyone who loves Christ and who wants His help.

2) What do you want your readers to FEEL?

I wanted readers to feel that I understood their struggles, having been through them myself, and understood what it felt like to come through on the other side.

Some people don’t feel they’ll ever see “another side” to their struggle. They’re so downtrodden that they don’t believe change is possible, and they don’t believe it’s possible for them. I wanted to boost their faith that this was for them.

3) What do you want your readers to DO?

I wanted readers to put their faith in Christ for everything in their lives, trusting that He is still in the life-changing business today.

I wanted to hold out the Hope and the Answer that I found and encourage them to put their hope in Christ, too, believing that He could not only do this, but could do anything in their lives. Nothing is impossible for Him.

What about you? After reading your book, what do you want your readers to know, to feel, and to do?

Take some time with these three questions and see how they can bring focus to your writing.

Chapter 6: Which stories support your theme?

Once you’ve narrowed your main theme and what you want your readers to know, to feel, and to do when they’re done reading your book, you can now start jotting down which stories you want to share that will help drive that theme home.

For instance, when I was writing the book back in 2009 which I described in the introduction, my wife and I wanted to tell the story of the real-life St. Nicholas who lived back in the 3rd century. We wanted to give people hope that the same God who worked in and through his life could work in and through their lives, no matter what they might be facing.

We had been talking about the idea for years. We read books about St. Nicholas. We talked to scholars who knew about him. We traveled to the Holy Land, where he lived for a time, and I eventually went to his homeland in present-day Turkey to see where he was born, lived, and ministered.

We had learned enough about his life. Now it was time to write the book.

But where to start?

We started where I’m suggesting you start… by jotting down each of the stories from his life that we wanted to include to support our main theme: encouraging readers to put their faith in Christ just like Nicholas had done.

We gave the story a working title and wrote 30 scenes we wanted to include—30 snapshots from his life that we wanted to weave into his story.

It looked like this.

One of Eric & Lana Elder's early outlines for their book "St Nicholas: The Believer"

Here are a few of those snapshots:

His parents died in a plague
He traveled to the Holy Land
He became Bishop of Myra
He saved three girls from devastation
He was imprisoned for his faith
He attended the Council of Nicaea
He died, and his legacy began

This became our outline for the story. Having an outline gave us a goal to shoot for, something to write about each day for 30 days.

We then spent the next 30 days fleshing out just one story a day. It usually took an hour or less just to write down a few pages or paragraphs of what each scene would include.

We knew we might need to add or delete chapters or rearrange some chapters to tell the story in a compelling way. But having the outline gave us a plan, a way to move forward.

What about you? What scenes or images come to your mind that you could include to support your main theme? Maybe you only have a few right now. That’s okay! Now’s the time to “prime the pump” to get your ideas flowing.

Start your list and jot down just a few words for each story that supports your main theme. Don’t edit, and don’t worry about the order! Just jot them down!

I’ll give you some tips for working out the order and pacing in the next chapter.

Chapter 7: No scene that doesn’t turn

I read a good book about storytelling by Robert McKee called Story. In it, he analyzes all kinds of films and shares how to tell a good story. One of the keys, he says, is to be sure there is “no scene that doesn’t turn.”

By this, he means that if a scene begins with a positive value (either in the character’s inner world or outer world), it should turn toward a negative value by the end of the scene. If a scene starts with a negative value, it should turn toward a positive. This back-and-forth is what keeps the story moving forward.

I kept this in mind as I outlined the story of the life of St. Nicholas. There were many stories I wanted to thread together, but which ones should I tell, and how should I string them together?

I started by arranging the stories in chronological order, where I knew the order, and then flip-flopping stories where I didn’t know the order, from positive to negative or negative to positive.

I began the story with his idyllic life growing up in his wealthy parents’ home on the coast of the Mediterranean. Their family were Christians who had been impacted by the Apostle Paul on one of his missionary journeys to their hometown of Patara as mentioned in the Bible in the book of Acts.

But I included a cliffhanger at the end of chapter one that threatened to upset his idyllic life. A reader had to read chapter two to find out what was about to happen.

I won’t tell you here. You can read the book! But I can say that chapter two starts out negatively with some of the worst news their city could have heard. The chapter ends on a positive note as his parents decide to take up a cause to help everyone around them. Chapter three takes another turn, as his parents are doing what was right and good, but the chapter ends on a negative note that propels the reader forward once again to find out what happens next.

Every scene turned like this throughout the book, with the positives and negatives getting higher and lower until the climax of his story. The last valley was the deepest of all: an unexpected twist that sends Nicholas into despair. It was a classic storytelling technique where it seems like “all is lost,” that biggest drop before the final high that ends the story.

I didn’t have to fabricate the stories. But I did have to line them up and tell them in a way that I had “no scene that doesn’t turn.” People have told me they couldn’t put the book down. They had to keep reading from chapter to chapter to find out what was next.

Was his life riveting? Yes! But has his story been told in other ways that were less than riveting? Also, yes! The difference between riveting and dull is understanding the basics of storytelling—a difference that keeps your readers reading to the end.

I did the same with my personal memoir of how I fell in love with my late wife, Lana, and with Christ, called Fifty Shades of Grace: Love Changes Everything (written under my pen name, Nicholas Deere). The two stories are interwoven, and each storyline is significant to the overall story and its outcome.

Once I knew the main story I wanted to tell… that “love changes everything,” I wrote down about 50 stories I wanted to tell from my relationship with Lana and God that would support that main theme. I then laid them out in a way that each scene would have a turning point in my quest to find love.

My love story with both Lana and God had a natural arc to it where the highs got higher and the lows got lower. I didn’t have to exaggerate. But I did have to tell the stories in a way that leaned into each of those turning points to keep the story moving.

An agent in New York who represents some of the biggest names on the New York Times best-selling list said she was given my book by one of her best-selling authors. The agent said, “It’s definitely a page-turner,” just like the author had told her. Success!

Once you decide on your main theme and have listed out the main stories you want to share in your book, look at each of the stories and see if they have a natural arc that will build on the idea: “no scene that doesn’t turn.”

This may not apply the same way to every genre of writing, but it can help your writing in any genre!

What is the point you’re trying to drive home with your book? And what is the point you’re trying to drive home in each scene or chapter? Make sure that point is well-told and well-crafted. The difference will ensure your readers keep reading to the end.

Diagram of your highs and lows (starting and ending values are up to you!)

Chapter 8: Now write!

Once you’ve jotted down the main stories you want to tell (your outline), now it’s time to write!

You might feel intimidated to start, but don’t be. You’ve already done much of the hard work, honestly. You’ve defined your main theme. You’ve jotted down your main stories. Now it’s just a matter of getting those stories out of your head and onto paper or screen.

Let the stories flow. Pick one a day if you’d like. Write from what you know. Don’t stop to edit. Don’t stop to look up details. Don’t stop to second-guess yourself. Just write! There will be time for all of those other things later.

Right now, the ideas are locked away inside your head. That’s a great place for them to be! But it’s not helpful to others until you bring them out into the world. Writing your thoughts is a great way to do this… like pulling strands of memories from inside you and laying them out in front of you, so you can see them clearly.

You’ll have time to tweak or change, add or delete, rework or reword later. Now’s the time to just get the thoughts down so you’ll have something to work with.

“A ship in harbor is safe,” says John Shedd, “but that’s not what ships are built for.”

If God has put a story on your heart, now’s the time to get it ready to sail! Take those thoughts out of the harbor of your mind. Get them ready to sail!

For me, it’s enough to write down just a few paragraphs… maybe 500 or 700 or 1,500 words. Let me share a story I wrote this week. It’s about 550 words. Not much, but enough to tell the story. I call it “The Missing Psalm.”

We can’t go back again… or can we? Sometimes, the answer lies ahead of us.

A few months before my sweet Lana passed away, she recorded 31 Psalms for a project we were working on. We were writing a devotional about prayer to highlight 31 of the 150 Psalms in the Bible.

I asked Lana if I could record her reading them. Then my sister and my kids and I would record some piano music to go along with each.

It wasn’t until after she passed away that I realized I had forgotten to ask her to record one of the Psalms that was most precious to me: Psalm 20. That was the Psalm I was reading when I was talking to God about marrying her. I especially loved verse 4:

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”

I prayed that prayer over and over, that God would give me the desire of my heart… to marry Lana.

It was a long-shot prayer. In fact, I had read this Psalm just moments after Lana told me she was happy with her single life, wasn’t ready to commit to anyone or anything, and walked away from the spot on the floor where we had been sitting and talking about our future.

That was 35 years ago.

But God eventually answered those prayers! Lana said, “Yes,” and 23 years of marriage and six kids later, I still shake my head at how God encouraged me through that Psalm so many years ago.

How could I have forgotten to ask her to record that Psalm while she was still alive?

From time to time, I’ve looked back, wishing for a do-over. Maybe you’ve felt the same about something in your life.

Well, this week, I got one!

A friend posted a recording he had made using a new AI voice tool. He fed a sample of his own voice into the system, then asked it to read back to him something new he had just written.

In all my years of studying new technologies, including voice technologies like this one, I’ve never heard anything so lifelike. It sounded just like my friend… and it was! It was just brilliantly edited and rearranged so he could say something new.

Then I thought of my wish for a do-over.

I quickly signed up for an account (for $1!) and uploaded five minutes of Lana reading another Psalm (Psalm 119… also one of my favorites). Then I typed in the text of Psalm 20.

I clicked the button, and within 30 seconds I began hearing Lana’s sweet voice again, reading to me from Psalm 20… the missing Psalm that had meant so much to me 35 years ago.

I was in tears.

Yesterday, I decided to record some piano music to go along with it: the love theme from Titanic called “My Heart Will Go On.”

Today, I’d like to share it with you.

No, we can’t go back again. But sometimes, the answer lies ahead of us, in this case, in the form of a new technology that has brought back some very precious memories.

Keep pressing on. Keep moving forward. Keep trusting in God who can always make a way… even when there seems to be no way at all.

Click or visit this link to listen to Psalm 20, read by Lana Elder, with piano by Eric Elder:
https://ericelder.com/wp-content/uploads/my-heart-with-lana-3-19-2023.mp3

I include this as an example because it doesn’t take much to write out one story. I spent about an hour writing, then went back through and spent another hour tweaking, adjusting a few words or ideas here and there, and adding a couple brief sentences to help the readers apply the story to their lives.

Then I asked a friend to read and edit it. With a few more changes here and there, it was ready to go.

But the initial writing, just getting the story out of my brain and onto my computer, was fairly simple. I knew the story I wanted to tell, and I told it! Just one story. Just one hour. After that, I could change it to my heart’s content.

Writing a book is overwhelming. Writing one story, then another, then another… that’s doable! Especially if you just write from your head the first time through. Don’t edit. Don’t stop to look up facts or details. I did that later to double-check if my dates and memories were correct!

Just write from your head… describe the scene as you lived it or as you envision it. Include your senses that others may not see or imagine: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tears or smiles of joy.

Help your readers relive the story that’s in your mind. Once you get it out, you’ll be able to flesh out and fact-check your story, which we’ll look at next.

By the way, here’s a sample of the notes I took for each chapter of my book Living Life with a Capital L.

Notes for Eric Elder's devotional book on John from the Bible called "Living Life with a Capital L"

Chapter 9: Flesh out your stories

Once you’ve finished getting all your stories out of your head and onto paper or a screen, you can dive into fleshing out each chapter.

Now’s the time to re-read the essence of what you’ve written, look up facts in journals or online, and check out old pictures, receipts or ticket stubs. You may be surprised at the details you find… and what you remember right or wrong!

Then you can incorporate these ideas into your writing, one story at a time.

If I stopped to do this along the way, I would never finish a book! I would always find something else to do other than to write. I would debate myself every step of the way whether or not to include a certain tidbit or idea.

So I prefer to wait till I’ve finished writing all my stories before I flesh them out.

I’d like to share here a “fleshed-out” version of a snippet I shared in the last chapter. It’s based on the 2-3 paragraphs I quoted previously where I talked about Lana walking away from me after we had been sitting together on the floor and talking about our future.

This is from Chapter 19 of Fifty Shades of Grace, in which I used pseudonyms for myself, Nick, and for Lana, Noël. You’ll notice this version contains a lot more detail, detail which I went back later and fleshed out to give it more color, background, and insight.

The story picks up a few weeks before our conversation on the floor, about 18 months after we had broken up. I was living in Texas and she was living in Michigan. I had felt God wanted us to break up, and amazingly, both of us put our faith in Christ during our time apart. Unbeknownst to her, I felt God was calling us back together again, this time for good. I had been praying about it for three months by myself and felt I should broach the subject. But I had no idea how she would respond.

– – – – – – – – –

Chapter 19: Heart’s Desire(from Fifty Shades of Grace)

Noël couldn’t believe it! She had always loved me and had always wanted to hear this from me! She had even prayed when we broke up that one day I would come to love her like this and ask her to become a permanent part of my life. When we broke up, she trusted that God would give her someone better than me. And now He had! I was way better than the old Nick, now that I had put God first in my life. Noël was amazed—amazed at God, amazed at me, and amazed that God had answered her prayers, even her prayers from so long ago.

But Noël was also wisely cautious. After I broke up with her, she didn’t know if she could ever marry me. While she had hoped this would happen, she wanted to be sure about it all before we actually got back together. She wanted to think and pray about it, but she was definitely excited at the thought of it.

I totally understood her caution, and I totally expected and appreciated it. I couldn’t have asked for more. I was just so thankful that I was finally able to express to her all the love that had been building up inside my heart. Whatever happened, I knew God would speak to us if He really wanted us to be together.

Noël called again two days later and asked if I would come up to see her in Michigan the following weekend. She was going on a ski trip as a leader with the junior high youth group from her church, and she wanted me to come along.

I thought it was too soon. I wanted her to pray about it more before we saw each other again, so she could hear from God more clearly. But she wanted me to meet her new friends, to see what she was doing with her life, and to make sure this was really what I wanted, too. She was worried that I might have idolized her while we were apart, and she wanted to make sure I really did want to get back together again. I knew that nothing she would do that weekend would change my desires for her, so by the end of our conversation, I suggested that maybe we had better wait. Noël was hurt and disappointed.

I could tell this was really important to her—so that made it important to me. The more I thought about going to see her that weekend, the more I was able to see it through her eyes. She needed to see for herself that I was really serious about this. I had hurt her before, and I needed to do more than just talk to gain back her trust. I called her back and told her I’d love to come.

Noël said the very words that I had been thinking in my heart: “Thank you for seeing it through my eyes.” That was the confirmation I needed to go through with it, even if I felt like it was too soon.

I flew up to Michigan that weekend and fell deeper and deeper in love with Noël. She had always been cute, but that weekend she was gorgeous, both in body and in spirit.

I loved watching her as she laughed with her friends, did skits for the kids (dressing up as a dwarf with her ears poking out of her hoodie) and encouraged everyone she encountered in their faith. She was everything I had pictured and more.

On Saturday night, when we finally had a chance to talk on our own, we went upstairs in the old Victorian hotel where we were all staying. Noël and I sat down in the hallway to talk. She started telling me what she had been thinking about everything I had said.

She said that as much as she wanted to get back together with me, she felt like this was the first time in her life that she was getting to live life on her own. She liked her new life and her new independence. She was growing deeper in her faith, making great friends and loving working with the kids at the church. She said she was really sorry, but she wasn’t ready to give that all up.

I was sad—crestfallen, as much as anything. My bubble of excitement had burst, but I understood.

I felt like Jim Carey in the movie Bruce Almighty, when his character, Bruce, asked God:

“How do you make somebody love you without affecting their free will?”

“Welcome to My world, son,” God replied. “You come up with the answer for that, and we’ll talk.”

There was nothing more I could say to Noël. She thanked me for coming to see her, said goodnight and without a goodnight kiss or any indication that she ever wanted to get back together again, she stood up and walked away.

I sat on the floor and cried.

I had my Bible in my hands, so I opened it up and started reading through a few of the Psalms. When I read Psalm 20 and got to verses four and five, I cried again—but this time with joy. The Psalm said:

“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests” (Psalm 20:4-5).

God had already given me more than I could possibly ask for from Him. He had forgiven me of my sins, He had given me a new life here on earth, and He had given me the promise of eternal life with Him. I knew I had already gotten way more than I deserved, so how could I ask Him for more?

But when I read those words, I was encouraged and wanted to ask Him for one more thing. While I didn’t want to sound ungrateful on the one hand or extravagant on the other, I also knew that God still had more for me on this new path of life on which He had put me.

Not knowing if Noël would ever say, “Yes,” I underlined those verses from Psalm 20 in my Bible. I told God that night that if I could ask Him for just one gift in my entire lifetime, it would be to marry Noël. I knew it may have sounded childish, but I was serious. I prayed with all my heart that night that God would give me Noël. Then all I could do was wait.

– – – – – – – – –

You’ll note that this is a longer version of the story, 1,118 words, to be exact! But you can see how the extra details fill in the gaps, add “color” and interest, and give the reader more food for thought along the way.

And by waiting to flesh out my chapter till I got all of the stories out of my head, I was able to fill in the blanks for the readers, weave the stories together in a more compelling way, and add hooks at the beginning and end of each story to keep the reader turning pages.

Speaking of hooks, you might be tempted to hit “Publish” after doing all this work to flesh out your stories. But don’t! There’s something else I want you to hit instead… which I’ll share in the next chapter. (See what I did there?)

Chapter 10: Tips for self-editing

Once you’ve fleshed out each story, you may be tempted to press “Publish”!

But let me give you another tip: Don’t hit “Publish”! Hit “Pause”!

Writing a book is a massive undertaking. Once you finish a rough draft, you might feel like you’re ready to be done, already! But before you send any previews to anyone else, take a deep breath.

1) Take a short break

Let it rest. Let your brain rest. Then come back to your writing and read it afresh.

When you do, you’ll notice things you love, things you want to change, and things that made sense when you were writing them, but now you have no idea what you were trying to say! That’s okay! Now’s the time to fix those things before others see it.

I was taking some meds one time that came with a warning not to drive or be up and active or send texts soon after taking the meds.

I had been thinking about sending a text to a friend who had invited me to a Christmas party, but I wasn’t sure if I should go or not. The next morning, my friend texted to say, “Sure, come on over, I’d love to see you!”

I thought: “Did I say that with my out loud voice?” I honestly didn’t remember sending a text, but I looked back and I did! About half hour after I had taken the meds! The text was garbled, full of mistakes, and said what I was thinking, but not what I meant to say “out loud”! Gosh!

The same can happen with your writing if you send it to others without giving it a once over to make sure you said what you thought you said.

2) Read it aloud

After giving it a rest for a day or two or a week or two or a month or two, then you can use your “out loud” voice. Literally!

One of my favorite ways to self-edit is to read my writing aloud.

I find more mistakes that way than just scanning the text with my eyes. Phrases that may look okay might not sound okay. Gaps in logic become clearer. And missing words or reversed word order becomes apparent. You can also better identify which sentences are way too long.

Sometimes I’ll even have my computer or phone read it back to me. Hearing it read by “someone else,” even an AI voice, can make it obvious when a word is skipped or mistyped. Our eyes sometimes fill in the gaps or autocorrect misspelled words in our minds, but when a computer reads it back to you, the error can be more glaring.

So just sit back and enjoy and read or listen to your book being read to you, making corrections along the way.

3) Write it for a real person

My final step in self-editing is to write it for a real person. By this, I mean having a real reader in mind that I’m actually going to send it to as soon as I finish editing the chapter or book.

This really puts on the pressure to get it right! Knowing that a real person is going to read it makes me focus and think through what that reader might think as they read it.

I find this revealing whenever I read a reply from someone who responds to one of my weekly messages. I often know the person and what they’re going through, and after I read their response, I reread what I wrote through their eyes.

It’s quite a different experience to read what I’ve written through someone else’s eyes who has been through something very similar or something very different.

I was speaking one day about how I prayed for a woman to be healed of cancer. I truly believed the person would be healed, but in the end, she died. She had an incredible spiritual experience after our prayer, but still, she died.

A woman came up to me after my talk to say she was so relieved when I got to the end and the woman with cancer had died. As I was telling the story, she was getting more and more angry. She was sure the woman was going to be healed. It turned out her husband had just died of cancer, and she was mad at God that he died. And if this woman in my story was healed and her husband wasn’t, she was going to be even more angry.

Here I thought the story would be depressing because the woman with cancer died, but the woman listening to the story was so relieved!

We never quite know how our readers will respond. But if we know who is going to read our writing, or hear our message, we can get a better idea of how it might sound to that person. Having a real reader in mind is key for making sure you’re saying what you want to say… and not saying what you’re not wanting to say.

“Do not write so that you can be understood, write so that you cannot be misunderstood.” (Epictetus)

When you write for real readers, you can be more sure you’re saying what you want to say. Then find a few trusted readers and get ready to push “Send,” which we’ll cover in the next chapter.

Chapter 11: Send it to a few trusted readers

After you flesh out each chapter and do your self-editing, it’s time to be bold and send it to a few trusted readers!

Who is a trusted reader? Someone you think might be interested in your book, willing to read your book, and able to give helpful feedback (encouragement primarily!)

I have some friends who are great “proofreaders.” They relish in finding mistakes and letting me know they found them. I don’t usually send my writing to these friends first! What I’m looking for first is what they think of the book? Is it hitting the right topics people would be interested in? Do they think it’s worth publishing for more people at all? Or does it really need some major help?

I save my “proofreaders” for the final edit. If I’m going to rearrange or delete or add entire sections or chapters, a proofreader’s help would quickly be negated by all of my changes.

Who are some friends or family members who might be interested in reading what you’ve written? They may or may not have experience in your field. But if they believe in you, that’s a great start!

Then decide how you want to send it to them. Would they like a printout? Would they like a PDF file? Would they just like a chapter at a time via email?

For me, I often just send an email with the text of one chapter in it. I send it to 2-3 people, once a week, as I finish fleshing out and self-editing my chapters. It can take several months at this rate, but this allows me to craft my chapters for real readers, and it allows the readers bite-sized pieces of my book to digest.

And the feedback they give you on those first few chapters can inform how you craft the next few chapters. Are there major missing elements? Are they lost already by Chapter 3? Is there something you need to insert or work on or fix before going through this process with the whole rest of your book? Even if you’ve written your whole book, sending a chapter at a time can be helpful for those reading it.

And, of course, you can ask them! See what works best for them. I have a friend who likes reading a whole book, not pieces and having to wait! So, I do what they prefer! But for all the reasons above, I usually offer the book piecemeal, and people are usually happy to receive it that way.

When you ask them to read it, just tell them what you’re looking for in terms of feedback. Does it make sense? Do you like it? Are there any glaring errors or omissions? Is there any extraneous information?

Keep in mind, these readers might also make good reviewers of your work when you go to market your book. I don’t usually ask this of them right away. But if they send me some gems of comments, I’ll come back to them later and ask if I can use a quote from something they’ve written to me before.

We’ll talk about receiving feedback next!

Chapter 12: Receiving feedback

Here are three rules to remember when receiving feedback:

1) Brace yourself!

People might actually like your writing!

It is, perhaps, one of the most surprising things when someone says they like what I write. Saying that probably says more about me and my insecurities than about my actual writing.

As I wrote my personal memoir, Fifty Shades of Grace, I kept thinking:

“I can never publish this. People won’t like it. People won’t want to hear these stories. I’ll be embarrassed for no reason at all. And worst of all: It probably won’t make any difference in the end.”

My fears and hesitations were over the top.

So I was totally surprised when the first two “trusted readers” I gave it to said they not only liked it, but loved it! They said they had never read anything like it and thought I should publish it far and wide. They said it was a story that needed to be told.

I truly wasn’t prepared for that response. I was only prepared for anything but that response!

I have been similarly surprised when I’ve published other works. Not because the stories were so personal, but because they were so simple.

I wrote about a little snail that I prayed for one day. My daughter had asked me to take care of it while she was out of town for several months. At one point, I thought it had died. It hadn’t moved in almost 10 days. But then I watched an episode of The Chosen where Jesus prayed for the healing of a woman who had been bleeding for years and the resurrection of a young girl who had clearly died.

I was about to pull the bubble maker on the snail’s water tank, but decided instead to pray for it to be healed or resurrected. The next day, I checked the tank and it was alive… clinging to the bubble maker, letting the refreshing bubbles wash over its shell!

I shared the story with my email subscribers and on social media, thinking it was such a simple story, and probably not very meaningful to anyone but me. I wasn’t prepared for the response! People not only liked it, they loved it, shared it, and posted comment after comment about how it inspired them to have faith for their own situations that were dead or dying.

It was such a simple story. But the impact was profound. I wasn’t prepared.

So #1, I want you to brace yourself. People might actually like… and truly love… what you have to say. Your stories are important. And if they’re important to you, don’t be surprised when you share them that others find them important to them as well.

2) Temper yourself!

According to Webster’s, to temper something means “to mix” or “to keep within limits,” specifically:

“When you temper something, you mix it with some balancing quality or substance so as to avoid anything extreme.”

Some people might not like your writing. That’s okay! You’re not called to reach everyone. But you are called to reach those God wants you to reach. And sometimes, people who don’t like what you write one day will come to like it another.

One person read the first chapter of my Fifty Shades of Grace and responded with a scathing email. She couldn’t believe I would write about such things, things that should never be discussed publicly.

But three months later, she wrote to me again. She said, “I want to tell you something about myself that I’ve never told anyone.” She confessed to me something that had happened to her at a party when she was younger. She was so embarrassed about it, she had never revealed it to anyone in her life. The event had impacted her still to this day, even though she was in her 70’s. She told me that reading my story had helped her see that she didn’t need to hold onto that memory and the trauma of it anymore. She said that because of what I shared, she finally felt comfortable sharing her own story with me. And she said she felt healing come as she did.

This is the kind of writing I pray God works through me… writing that will touch people deep in their souls. But I have to remember that sometimes people don’t want their souls touched! It can be hard to hear, hard to deal with, and hard to know what to do with what you hear.

In my book Loving God & Loving Gays, I had one trusted reader read through the entire book before I sent it to anyone else. She had read much of my work before, carefully editing and commenting as she went along. We were in lockstep on so many topics, I was shocked when one day she texted at 5 AM to let me know she had just read one of my chapters and she was emphatically not going to read any more. She was not going to endorse my book. And she was not going to read anything else I ever wrote.

I was, once again, shocked! This time for the opposite reason: someone completely hated and adamantly disagreed with what I had written.

I asked if we could meet and talk about it. She agreed. I asked if I could record the conversation, that if it upset her so much, it would probably upset others in my target audience, so I wanted to hear and work through what she had to say. She agreed to the recording.

She repeated her anger and frustration at what I had written both to me and to the recorder. I rewrote what I had written. I tried talking with her a few more times, but nothing I said or did changed her mind. Whatever happened had truly upset her to the core.

I doubted my writing. I doubted my thinking. I doubted that I should ever publish the book at all.

But then I remembered why I felt God wanted me to write the book. He wanted me to write it to help people like my friend change the way they viewed this topic. If it was an easy topic and everyone agreed with what I wrote, there would be no need to write the book! The reason I wrote it was to help people see it in a new way, having lived through decades of dealing with this issue myself.

I decided to pray. I asked God to reveal to her or reveal to me how I should proceed.

A few weeks later, I sent her one more draft of the entire book. Her response floored me. She said, “I love the book, the whole book. Especially that one chapter” — the one that she had been so upset by.

I said, “Really?”

She said, “Yes, I love it.”

I said, “But you were so upset about that chapter!”

She said, “Oh no, I wasn’t. I totally agree with you on that chapter.”

I said, “I thought you hated that chapter.”

She said, “No, I didn’t. I thought it was great! You must have misheard me.”

I was stunned. I hung up the phone, went back and listened to the recording. Yep, she definitely hated it and was never going to read anything I ever wrote again!

I asked if we could meet. We did.

I asked her one more time what she thought of that chapter. “I loved it. I totally agree with you. I’ve always have felt that way about it.”

I asked if I could play a portion of the recording back for her. I did. She was stunned.

She said, “I can’t believe I ever thought anything differently. I thought I’ve always felt this way.”

At that moment, God gave me a profound revelation: what I had prayed for about my writing had come true. With my very first beta reader, God showed me that not only could my words impact and change other people’s hearts and minds, they could change in such a way that they felt they “had always thought that way,” that they “couldn’t believe they had ever thought anything differently.”

Had I not tempered her comments with what God was doing in her heart, I might have given up on the project altogether.

As I’m writing this, just yesterday I heard from a mother and son who are reading that same book together, now five years later. They told me it was giving them both so much hope when they had all but given up. What a tragedy if I had taken that first beta reader’s response at face value and not allowed for what God was doing in her heart… and could do in other people’s hearts in the future.

3) Be yourself!

This is not to say we can’t improve. That’s why we’re asking for the feedback in the first place. If our work needs fixing, attention, or to have the brakes put on for some reason, we want people to be honest with us. Yet remember this, especially when writing very personal topics:

The best books read us. (Eric Elder!)

All of my writing is deeply personal. Whether it’s praying for a snail or telling about my intimate thoughts, my writing is filled with me. Everything I say can and possibly will be used against me! I feel that pressure regularly.

But I also feel that my thoughts are probably more common than people may admit… to themselves or to me. I want their feedback because I want to put out the best, most helpful work I can. And when I hear feedback that is repeated, or hear it and God speaks to my heart to listen, I take note and try to correct what’s wrong, address what’s needing attention or set it aside completely. Feedback is good and necessary. And I want to sift through it carefully and prayerfully.

At some point, though, I have to commit publicly to what I am writing. And at that point, the best advice I can give you is this: “Be yourself.”

After hearing the input, after making the changes, after adding or dropping or modifying what I’ve written, I have to commit to publishing my words so the public can read them.

Do I like it? Do I feel good about it? Am I willing to take the risk that others may love it, hate it or be challenged by it, whether they ever come to agree with my thoughts or not?

Again, just yesterday, someone told me they had read my book Fifty Shades of Grace. Again, my jaw dropped and my mind went into a tailspin as I tried to think what this person thought of my book. I respected their input. I wanted to know what they honestly thought. But I also cowered in fear in my heart at what I might hear. Even after seven years of hearing feedback on that book, I am still hearing it as if it’s the first time anyone has ever read it.

Because for that reader, it is.

I asked what he thought and said, “I really do want your honest opinion.” What he said spoke to my heart, and to this point.

He said, “If it were me, I would probably pull back on some of the descriptions.” But then he added, “But it’s not me. It’s not my story. It’s your story. And I don’t think you should change a thing.”

He is used to giving me honest feedback. He doesn’t mind telling me what he thinks. But his best feedback was what he told me with those words. It’s your story. Don’t change a thing.

There comes a point where we truly have to be ourselves. Where we have to write honestly what’s on our hearts, not being careless or flippant with our words, because words really do matter and are extremely important. But after taking care, after receiving feedback, after tempering the good with the bad, we need to push “publish,” trusting that what God had put on our hearts can be used mightily in His hands.

Chapter 13: Getting endorsements

Endorsements are words of encouragement from readers to recommend your book to others. You can include these quotes on your back book cover or inside your book to help nudge potential readers into reading your book!

It’s one thing to hear from a car salesman how great their cars are, but it’s another to hear from a “satisfied customer.” Your endorsements are your “satisfied customers.”

Where do you get them and how can you use them?

Here are a few starting points.

1) Use beta reader responses

When you give early copies of your books to others, they will often give you feedback you can use as reviews. Here are a few responses I got back from people who read my book Fifty Shades of Grace. I just took these short quotes from their email responses after they read my book:

“A gripping story—a page turner for sure!” R.E.

“Truthful and compelling. I wanted to cry and hold him and tell him everything would be all right (and sometimes box his little ears!)” J.T.

“It hooks you immediately.” K.S.

“Engaging, interesting—and significant.” G.P.

“Excellent! Not overly graphic, but very personal. ” D.M.

“A fascinating story—I think more than one wife will nudge her husband and say, ‘Here. Read this.’” B.B.

“I don’t think I could be so open and honest. That’s probably why it is so riveting.” J.L.

“A story that all of us can relate to.” A.L.

I didn’t ask these readers up front if they would write a review for me. I just let them read it and asked for their honest feedback. I later went through their email responses and found these short snippets that I thought would help others decide if this was a book they would want to read, too. I then went back to each of my readers and asked their permission to use the short quotes I wanted to use, in this case, with just their initials as the book was also written under my pen name.

All of them said “Yes”!

I put these quotes on the back of my book, underneath the book’s description as well as on the book’s website and on the Amazon description. I also used these quotes when I promoted my book to my email subscribers and to my family and friends on social media.

It’s one thing for me to say “I’ve written a great book!” It’s another to hear from others who have read the book and are willing to say “This is a great book! You should read it, too!”

2) Ask those you know

If you know people who are in your field and in your target audience, you can ask them if they would be willing to write an endorsement for you. I did this with my book What God Says About Sex, sending it to some people I knew who either had ministries related to this topic or to those who were in my target audience. I sometimes shortened or edited what they said to make all of the quotes read nicely together.

Here are some of their replies.

“This book is every parent’s new best friend.” Dan Mountney, Campus Pastor, Kensington Community Church

“After only a few pages, I knew I could trust this book in the hands of my daughters.” Bridgette Booth, homeschooling mother

“It’s the kind of book I could read to my son and not be ashamed.” Russell Pond, homeschooling father

“Eric Elder’s approach is as refreshing as is his testimony.” Tim Wilkins, Executive Director, Cross Ministry

“I won’t give away the surprise ending, but guarantee it will rock your boat.” Al Lowry, Founder of GIG, a music ministry at Saddleback Church

Again, I used these quotes on the back of my book, on my website and on Amazon, and in my emails to my subscribers and social media posts.

3) Use feedback from the public

After my books come out, when someone posts or emails a positive response, I continue to collect and use those quotes for the additional promotion of my book.

Your book will live forever, and people will continue commenting forever! When I go back and re-market a book, maybe to give it another boost or because it’s seasonal like my Christmas books and movies, I’ll use these public responses to “freshen up” the endorsements.

For instance, here are a few comments I received from people who watched a Christmas ballet based on my St. Nicholas book called One Life: A Christmas Story Ballet. I used these on some promotional materials for the show the following Christmas.

“Beautiful work. Love the music! I hope you can take it far and wide!” BRIAN BIRD, co-producer of Touched By An Angel and co-creator of Hallmark’s #1 original series, When Calls the Heart.

“Truly Christian, in the best sense of the word, with universal appeal.” JIM ROSENTHAL, former Communications Director for the Archbishop of Canterbury and founder of The St. Nicholas Society.

In these cases, the people happened to have titles and credentials that were significant to my project, so I used those in their bylines as well, with their permission.

It was as simple as asking, “I saw you posted this review. Would I be able to use it in promoting my project to others?” They both said “Yes”! One even wrote a dozen more snippets for me to choose from, as he knew the value of marketing.

You might feel uncomfortable asking people for endorsements, but again, you might be pleasantly surprised when you do! People are often happy to help, happy to lend their name to your project, and sometimes happy to see their own name in print! You honor them by valuing their feedback.

And it will truly help others when trying to decide if they should read your book or not.

So… ask!

Chapter 14: Formatting your book

When it’s finished, what do you want your book to look like?

Now’s the time to start finding some samples of books that are similar to what you have in mind, whether they’re lying around your house or at the library or online or at a bookstore.

What do other books look like that are similar to yours? What books have you loved that you’d like to imitate (imitation is form of flattery).

In the next few chapters I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know to format the interior and exterior of your book. Why? Because if you’re interested and motivated, you can do it all yourself! Even if you’re not interested or if you’re only interested in doing part of it yourself and asking others to do what they do best, these are still good ideas to have in mind.

For instance, when I was writing What God Says About Sex, I thought of a book format that I really loved. It was Bruce Wilkinson’s The Prayer of Jabez. Not only was it an international bestseller, but I loved the way he wrote it and the design and layout of the book. It was short and easy to read. The cover was tasteful, and the fonts and layout on the inside were welcoming.

So I took a copy off my shelf and started designing my own book in a similar way.

I measured the outer book dimensions. I measured the margins at the top and bottom and sides of several pages. I looked closely at the fonts used for the body text, the chapter headings, and the pull-out quotes that appeared occasionally. I even liked the “drop caps” at the beginning of each chapter, which are large initial letters of the first word that drop down 2-3 lines below the first few lines of text.

Then I set about learning how to apply each of these elements to my own book.

Is there a book that comes to mind when you picture your own book? For my friend Cammie Quinn, she wrote an epic Civil War novel about sheep farming in Illinois called Follow the Wind Home. The war is a backdrop for the story. The central theme is love of the land, love of home, and finding healing when we love too much.

I asked if there was a similar book in style or form that she liked. She said she loved Willa Cather’s book, O Pioneers! She said she had read it probably a hundred times.

So we took a look at the book and used that as a starting point. “Do you like the painting on the cover?” I asked. She did, so I suggested an artist who paints in that style—Mark Hill, who also happened to be in our writing group! “Do you like the font on the cover?” Not necessarily, she said, so I created a new font for her. “Do you like the size and shape and feel of the book or do you want it different in certain ways? What about the text on the interior? What about the fonts for the body and the headings? Do you want your name and title of the book at the top of every other page? How do you like the indents and margins?”

It’s surprising how many decisions go into making a book look just right! But when you break it down into each element, you can get a feel for what you like and don’t like, then pursue what you really want. I find that most authors have some idea of what they think their book will look like, even if they don’t think they do. They do! They just might not realize it yet. Most people have read enough books and have seen glimpses of their preferences, which start to emerge after looking carefully at each detail. And that’s great! It’s your book, so I love finding ways to bring it to life that convey the dreams in your head, just as your words have conveyed them.

My friend and bestselling author Debbie Macomber said before she wrote her first book that she could already see it on a bookstore shelf with her name in large letters across the top. And hundreds of bestselling books later, that’s still what I see whenever I look at a book rack at a grocery store: several books on the latest bestsellers list with her name emblazoned across the top!

So what does your book look like, feel like, talk about? What do you want your readers to know, to feel or to do? How does what you’re saying with your words translate into the book that you envision in your readers’ hands?

If you don’t have an idea, take a look at the world of books around you! Next, we’ll dive into bringing that vision to life.

Chapter 15: Interior design

Once you’ve found a sample book you’d like as a pattern for your book, you can start designing the look of the interior of your book. The interior includes everything inside the book, not the front, back or spine of the book. Everything else is in the interior, from the title page, copyright page, acknowledgments, and table of contents to the main chapters, section pages, and anything you want to include at the end: epilogue, notes, author bio or website links.

The interior can be as simple or as complex as you’d like! I have one friend who simply typed his story on a full-size screen and exported a PDF file of it just as it was. He uploaded it to Amazon to print out an 8.5”x11” paperback book just as if it came out of his printer, except with a cover and paperback binding. I have other friends who have carefully selected every font, every element, added headings and footers and page numbers and section dividers, resulting in perfectly-bound, bookstore-ready books.

I say this so you can relax! The main thing is to get your story out there, even if you post it freely online. But if you’re like me, you might also like to have your story printed like any other book you’d find on your shelf. It’s a huge accomplishment to write a book, so taking the time to polish it off is often worth any effort it takes. And it helps for marketing too. Aside from the conventional wisdom that you can’t judge a book by its cover, I’d still rather have the best-looking book I can have!

So, what are the elements to consider when designing the interior?

(Here’s a demo video you can watch that goes with this section.)

1) Choose your fonts

The font I’m using for the body of this book is called Garamond. It’s a very standard font for the main body of many books because it’s easy to read, and it has “serifs” on most letters… those “little feet” at the bottoms of the l’s and i’s and t’s, etc. Those little feet (which is what serif means in Latin) help pull the reader’s eye from left to right along each line of text.

I also like to use Times New Roman (like this) or Sabon (like this) or a similar serif font that is not too fancy but has those little feet to help the reader along.

Traditional printing rules suggested using serifs for body text and something stronger for headings, usually fonts without the little feet, or in Latin “sans serif.” Now you know some Latin, too. :)

Traditional “sans serif” fonts include Helvetica or Arial. Headings are meant to be bolder and attention-grabbing, so they don’t need the serifs to pull the reader along. For this book, I decided to use my own handwriting, which provides both boldness and personalization, because the book itself is very personal: Write With Me! I call it the “Eric Elder” font. I created the font using an online app from Calligraphr.com. (Yes, that’s spelled right!)

Try some fonts on a paragraph or two, or a heading or two, in your own book and see what you think!

BUT… don’t format your entire document in these fonts directly. There’s a better way.

2) Setup your styles

The better way is to define your preferred fonts as Styles. For instance, in this book, I’ve defined the style of the paragraphs to be called “Body” style and I’ve adjusted the settings to my liking: Garamond, 11 point, justified, with 1.1 points of spacing between lines.

Once I’ve defined a style, I apply it to the whole document. If I want to adjust the style later, I just change the definition of the “Style,” for instance to increase or decrease the font size or to switch to another font. Then when I make a change to one paragraph, I simply click “Update to Match” on the Style, and the change is applied to every paragraph in the book instantly, without having to go back and highlight and change every paragraph in the book manually.

I also create a style for “Chapter Titles,” and I define that style. If I want to change something later, I just modify the style once, and every Chapter Title in the book changes automatically.

Not only does this make changes easier, but it also helps for formatting other things, like the Table of Contents. Once I’ve applied the Chapter Title style to every chapter title in the book, I can insert a “Table of Contents” element at the beginning of the book and it will automatically create the table and page numbers from every Chapter Title because I’ve already told it what words should be considered Chapter Titles.

So you can see the value of defining styles right up front. It will make the rest of the process much easier!

I’ve recorded some tutorials for how to create these styles and posted them to my “How To” playlist on my YouTube channel at youtube.com/ericelder. Most word processing programs have this capability, and help screens and online videos can also walk you through the process.

3) Define your page size

If you’ve taken measurements of the sample book you’d like to mimic, you can adjust your document to be exactly that size. I like to save a new copy of my manuscript and work from that for the rest of the steps. Keeping the old copy helps in case I make a mistake or accidentally delete something while experimenting, but I don’t go back to that old copy any more. I make any new edits on the newly formatted copy.

I define the page size by simply changing the size of the entire document. For this book, I’ve defined the page size to be 4.375”x7.” I also like using 5.5”x8.5” 5.01”x8.71” or 6”x9.” It really depends on what you want your book to look like! Check out beforehand to see which sizes are available and most popular.

4) Set your margins

If you have an option, define your pages to be “facing pages” or “mirrored pages” so you can set your margins to be different on the left and right of your book.

You want them to be different because a book has a “gutter” in the middle when it’s opened, and you’ll need a little more margin on the inside of each page so you don’t lose words in the gutter.

For this book, in my margin setting, I chose “facing pages” and defined the inner margin to be .75” and the outer margin to be .375.” I defined my top margin to be .5” and the bottom to be .375.” How did I get these numbers? I found a book I liked, I measured its margins, and I plugged them in! Easy peasy.

5) Choose your headers and footers

Is there some text you’d like to appear on every page of your book? For instance, the title of your book and/or your name? Just tap the top area of your document and a “header” area should appear so you can type in some text.

For this book, I’ve put the title of my book on the right pages, and my name on the left. I like to do this so if someone copies a page from my book, they’ll remember where they got it, or others can tell where they got it and get a copy, too!

Most word processors will let you define a “different left and right” page. Once you type something into the left or right header, it will appear throughout your book. The same goes for footers. Just insert a field called “Page Number” at the bottom. You don’t have to number each page manually. In fact, you shouldn’t. Let the software do the work, and if you make a change in your text that changes the number of pages, the software will change the page numbers for you.

Other tidbits

To see a sample of other info you might include in your book, just look around this book or the book you’d like to emulate.

For instance, I usually include a title page on the first right-hand page of a book, with a copyright statement on the back of that page, on a left-hand page. I like to sign my books on the title page near my name!

It’s weird signing your own book, believe me! One day I met Jeanette Oke who wrote When Calls the Heart and other famous novels about the Canadian frontier. I was telling her about my St. Nicholas book, and she asked if she could have a copy for her grandkids. I pulled out a copy from my backpack and asked if she’d like me to sign it. She said, “Yes, please do!” Odd as it seemed, there I was, signing one of my books for Jeanette Oke! Crazy! And I signed it where I sign all my books… on that title page.

Books sometimes start new chapters on right-hand pages, something you can define in your styles for “New Sections.” Every time I start a new chapter, I simply insert a “Section Break” and it defaults to how I like new sections to start. Note this is different than a “Page Break,” which simply starts a new page immediately following the previous one. A Section Break includes those special instructions for making sure the page starts on the right. I don’t always do this, as you can tell from this book. I wanted it to keep this book short and sweet and didn’t want any extra blank pages.

I love layout and design as much as I love writing, so all of this is fun for me. If you do, too, great! You can dive as deep as you want into getting things just right. But if you don’t, don’t worry. You can reach out to me or others who do! There are people who will be glad to help you add all the window-dressing you want to make your book look its best.

Chapter 16: Cover design

Whether you design your cover yourself or have someone else do it, the best graphic design phrase I’ve followed over the years is this:

One dominant theme

It might be a striking image, a bold typestyle, a particular color scheme. But whatever it is, make it something that draws the eye.

I’ve created most of my own covers. It’s something I love doing, and it’s a fun challenge for me to get it “just right.” If you want to try, I’ll give you the specifics in this chapter for how to create a cover for your own book so you can upload it to Amazon or wherever you decide to print it.

And if you don’t want to try, there are some simple ways to create a cover on most publishing services. For instance, on KDP on Amazon, once you upload your interior and title information, you can simply click “Launch Cover Creator” and Amazon will give you a few templates to choose from, with the title of your book and your name already on the cover in appropriate places on the front, spine, and back.

You can then choose a different background image, change the color scheme, type over their dummy text with your own text, or upload your author photo. They make it easy!

But if you want to get more creative and build your cover from scratch, here’s how.

(Here’s a demo video you can watch that goes with this section.)

1) Determine your dimensions

When building your cover, it’s good to know up front that you’ll be creating one large graphic that will include your front cover (on the right of the graphic), your back cover (on the left of the graphic), and your spine (down the side of the book), all in one file. This cover will then wrap around the pages of your book and be trimmed to fit the size you’ve chosen.

Here’s an example of a complete cover file:

Full cover design for Nicholas Deere's book "Fifty Shades of Grace"

You’ll notice the “one dominant theme” on the front cover (the couple on the right), with the picture wrapping around the spine and onto the back. I like designing covers that blend from front to back to give it a continuous look. The title is in a graceful font, and the subtitle is in a different color, in yet another graceful font. I try not to go crazy combining too many fonts, but one or two that compliment each other is pleasant.

To determine your dimensions, you can simply upload your interior file to KDP and it will tell you specifically how wide and tall your graphic needs to be! They calculate the size by taking into account the width and height of the paper size you’ve chosen, in this case, 5.5”x8.5.”

So to determine the overall height of the graphic, it’s just a matter of adding a little extra (.125”) to the top and bottom of the page to account for that being “trimmed” off when they cut the paper after printing the graphic. The graphic “bleeds” off the edge of the paper like this to account for the trimming. So the height would be 8.5” + .125” for the top bleed and .125” for the bottom bleed for a total height of 8.75.” After trimming, the book will be only 8.5” tall, just like you planned for it to be.

To determine the overall width, add a little extra to the far left and far right of the image (.125”), then add enough for the width of the spine. KDP will calculate this for you, or tell you how to calculate it based on the number of pages in your book. The more pages, the thicker the spine. The fewer pages, the thinner the spine. In this case, the book is 220 pages.

For white paper on KDP, they say to multiply the page count by 0.002252.” So 220 pages x 0.002252” is .495,” or basically 1/2 an inch. So the total width of the graphic needs to be 5.5” + 5.5” + .125” + .125” + .5” = 11.75.” (Cream paper is thicker so they give you a different multiplier for that.)

So now you know the full dimensions of your graphic: 8.75” x 11.75.”

Again, they’ll do all the calculations for you! But now you know what they’re doing.

2) Design your cover

Taking your full dimensions, you can create a graphic that is that exact size. For instance, when I use Canva.com to create a graphic, I simply choose “Create A Design,” then “Custom Size,” then I enter my dimensions: 8.75”x11.75.”

From there I start adding elements and moving them around, the background image, the title text, subtitle text, back cover text, and spine text turned sideways.

KDP will also give you a design template so you can see the exact dimensions, including trim lines, spine width, and safety zones to be sure anything important doesn’t get accidentally cut off due to slight variations in printing and trimming. Here’s a sample of the design template:

The pink zone is for safety. Don’t have any important words or graphics there. The black solid line is where the book will be trimmed. The dotted lines in the middle show the spine. Make sure your spine text is rotated in a way that when the book is sitting on a table with the cover showing, the spine text is right-side-up! The yellow area is set aside for a barcode, which KDP will add to the graphic in a white box. You don’t need to create the white box or barcode; they’ll do it for you.

I’ll often import the design template into my design, then choose 50% opacity on the template so I can “see through” it and make sure my text and images are within the safety zones. Then I delete the template before saving the file.

3) Save Your graphic

When you’re done designing your graphic, you can save it in a PDF file for printing. If you’re using Canva, you can choose to download the image at high resolution for printing (300 dots per inch or higher). You can also choose between color formats (such as CMYK or RGB). Each publisher is different, so choose whichever format they prefer. KDP prefers CMYK, but can accept either.

Once you have your graphic saved, you can upload it to KDP under the option “Upload a cover you already have.”

After your interior file and cover file are uploaded, you’ll have a chance to preview your whole book online, from cover to cover! Exciting!

Chapter 17: Uploading your book

Let’s upload your book!

Now that you have your interior and cover PDF files, you can upload them to a book printing company like KDP from Amazon or Lulu or IngramSpark.

Let’s start by creating a free account on KDP. As of this writing, just go to kdp.amazon.com and click “Sign Up.”

If you already have an Amazon account for buying things, you can use that same account to upload and sell your books. If you don’t have an Amazon account, just fill out the information to create one. I use my same Amazon account for everything.

You’ll be asked for your name and contact info, your banking info for direct deposits of your royalties, and your tax info if you want Amazon to withhold certain taxes on your behalf.

Once your account is created, you’ll be able to upload your book! Just go to the “Bookshelf” and click “Create” to create a new title.

1) Paperback details

Now you can enter your title, subtitle, author’s name, description, keywords, and categories.

Some of these fields can be changed even after your book is published, like your description, keywords, and categories. But you want to get your title, subtitle, and author’s name right the first time around!

For your description, be sure to include words that your target audience might be searching for, including other titles or authors who might be similar.

Bonus Tip: For help in choosing words that people are searching for, you can go to trends.google.com and type in some words or phrases that come to mind when you think of your book. You’ll see which of those words or phrases other people are searching for, too!

Do the same for your keywords. These are the most important words you want your book to be known by. They can be individual words or phrases.

For categories, you can choose up to three. Think of these like the section of a bookstore where your book would be found, such as Christian Inspiration or Historical Fiction. You’ll want a category that is specific enough so people wandering through that “section” of the bookstore (even if only online) can find what they’re looking for. The categories you choose will also be used for determining the ranking of your book on Amazon. You could be #12 in Christian Mental Health, but #245,928 in General Christianity.

2) Paperback content

On the Content screens, you can enter your ISBN, choose your publication date, paper type, and trim size, then upload your interior and cover PDF files.

For the ISBN (International Standard Book Num er), Amazon can provide a free one or you can buy one or more from companies like bowker.com. A free one is fine and is tied specifically to Amazon, but some people like to have their own ISBN to tie it to their own identity. I’ve done both for my own books, and I often use the free ones for my clients to save them money.

For the publication date, you can leave it blank so it will go live as soon as you complete the steps, or you can choose a specific date in the future that you can announce to your target readers so they can all buy it on the same day. Choosing a specific day can help boost your rankings in terms of sales for that day, which can, if the sales are enough, help boost your book higher on the sales list and put it in front of more people. I usually leave it blank so it will go live as soon as I’m finished.

You may have already decided on your paper type and trim size when you initially formatted your book, so enter these options. You can still change these options before you publish your book, but not after you publish your book. So there’s still time to experiment and print some sample copies and see what you really like. Just don’t push “Publish” if you’re not sure yet.

Upload your interior file when prompted. Amazon will do some automatic checks to make sure your text and graphics are within the printable margins, your fonts are readable, and your layout is printable.

They’ll also check to see that your ISBN you’ve entered matches the ISBN you’ve included on the copyright page within your book. If you haven’t added it there, do it now, then save a new PDF file to upload.

Once the interior passes the checks, upload your cover file. Amazon will also check this file for any printing issues, then it will allow you to launch a Preview window so you can flip through your whole book, from cover to cover, to check the margins, fonts, and overall layout.

If Amazon sees any potential issues, they will flag them and note the page numbers so you can fix and upload a new file. If everything passes their inspection and yours, you can go on to set the rights and pricing.

3) Paperback rights and pricing

Here you can choose all countries where you want to publish your book (I choose All), the primary marketplace where you want to sell your book (I choose Amazon.com for US sales, but you might want to sell your book in your own country primarily if you’re not from the US), then choose a price for your book.

For pricing, I like to set it so I make about $5 per book, whether it’s a paperback, eBook, hardcover, or audiobook. That way I get $5 no matter what format the reader chooses. The reader get various advantages from any format, but I don’t lose or make more from any of the formats. But I do like to get about $5 per sale! For me, it just feels like the right price, both for me and for the buyer. You can choose different prices for different countries, but I just take the defaults that Amazon provides.

Note: Expanded distribution allows you to sell your book on other websites outside of Amazon. You’ll get less of a royalty, but could increase your overall sales. I like expanded distribution if your book size and territories allow for it. You may need to adjust your book size to a more common size if you want expanded distribution. If so, this option will let you know what to change.

Lastly, you can request a proof copy of your book. I definitely suggest choosing this option if you want to see it in your hands before making it available on Amazon. Don’t hit “Publish”! Just choose “Request Proof Copy.” You’ll have an option to order one or a few copies at cost plus shipping. These proof copies will also be marked as such so they’re not designed to be resold.

Order your proof copies, then wait to receive your first copy in the mail!

If you don’t like it, you can fix it. If you love it, press “Publish”! Amazon will verify all of your book info and within 72 hours, it will be live on Amazon!

Chapter 18. Creating your eBook & hardcover

About 80% of the books I sell are paperbacks, 15% eBooks, 5% audiobooks, and only a handful of hardcovers. That’s why I start by formatting the paperback first, then move on to the eBook and a hardcover, if I do one at all. Finally, I work on an audiobook, as that’s a different type of project.

Now that we’ve done our paperback, we can work on the ebook and hardcover.

Creating your eBook

Creating your eBook is fairly straightforward, unless you start adding bells and whistles. Then it gets complicated quickly, as an eBook follows different rules.

But for a normal eBook, it can be almost as simple as exporting your paperback book into an EPUB format. Most word processors will have an export function for an eBook. In Pages on a Mac, simply use “File” then “Export as EPUB.” If you use Word, you can simply save your document as a DOCX file and upload it to Amazon without any further conversion.

There are three differences you’ll want to note from a paperback to an eBook. First, you’ll want to include an auto-generated Table of Contents if you don’t already have one in your paperback. This table will be used in the eBook reader to help readers navigate by simply clicking on chapter titles.

The second difference is to create a simple front cover for your eBook. KDP recommends a graphic in .JPG format that is at least 1,000 pixels high by 625 pixels wide, with a resolution of 72 dots per inch. You won’t have a back cover or spine… just this little “chicklet” of an image for people to click on to browse or buy your eBook.

Once you export your EPUB file, you can upload it to KDP by clicking on the “Create Kindle eBook” option on your already existing paperback book. Don’t create a whole new title. When you add an eBook to your existing paperback title, many of the fields will be automatically imported and your paperback and eBook will be automatically linked on your Amazon page.

The third difference is you don’t need an ISBN at all. So you can delete that from the copyright page of your book, or if you have bought a block of ISBN’s you can use one on your eBook. But since it’s not necessary, you don’t need to use one on the eBook.

Creating your hardcover

I sell hardly any hardcovers, but you might want some for your own collection or special friends or family, or you might just want to make it available since you never know who might prefer that format. For instance, I’ve written a year-long devotional called 365 Daily Devotions with Eric Elder that people can read every day. So I’ve created a hardcover version for extra durability.

It’s easy to convert your book for the hardcover format, with a few changes.

First, you may have to change the dimensions of your book, as Amazon or other printers only do a few sizes of hardcovers. It’s easy enough to go into your word processor, choose the Document settings, and change the page size and margins to fit whatever dimensions are needed.

Second, your cover will have to be modified to accommodate wrapping the cover image around the hardcover. KDP will offer you a template for the exact size of your book, showing how much extra room is needed at the edges to wrap around your book.

Third, you’ll need a different ISBN than for your paperback. Again, you can get a free one from KDP or use one you’ve purchased, but every printed format needs a different ISBN so when people order your book they can be sure they’re getting the right printed copy. You’ll want to change the ISBN on the copyright page inside your book before exporting it as a PDF file.

And yes, I realize I used three acronyms in that last paragraph and you might feel it’s all a jumble! But when you go to upload your eBook or hardcover on Amazon, the screens will walk you through everything you need. Don’t despair… be thankful you don’t have to use Gutenberg’s printer and place every letter on every page and run ink over it! Comparatively, this is still pretty amazinglyeasy! You can do it!

Chapter 19. Turning your writing into speaking

Don’t be surprised if, as soon as you finish writing your book, God invites you to talk about it!

One of the best things writing has done for me is to help improve my speaking. By writing down my thoughts, I’m able to choose my words more carefully and tell my stories more compellingly.

After finishing the first draft of my book, Loving God & Loving Gays, my pastor heard about the book and wanted to read an advance copy. Before he was even finished with it, he invited me to lunch to talk about the book and an interview he wanted to do with me on stage at our megachurch. He said, “If your book is ready by that date, I’d like to order 300 copies to have available in our bookstore as a resource for our people.” I was stunned.

He said he wanted the interview to be extemporaneous, with a few seed questions to get started, but with enough spontaneity that it would feel fresh and unrehearsed. Keep in mind, this was the largest audience I had ever spoken to, both in person and online, on a topic where words really matter. Plus, the interview was to last just five minutes. My answers would have to be very, very concise.

I was nervous, but because I had written the book, I was prepared. I was ready for whatever kind of question he might ask in the moment.

In the end, what sounded like a casual, off-the-cuff conversation between friends was really the result of 30 years of life and ministry and nine months of crafting sentences on every aspect of the topic. I was able to condense a 230-page book into a five-minute talk that people still tell me has impacted them even five years later.

I don’t know that I would have been able to do it, certainly not as well, had I not spent so much time thinking through and writing down my thoughts beforehand.

All of this is to say that your words matter. The time you spend choosing your words and crafting your sentences matter. For me, it’s like playing a song on the piano. It takes hours and hours of work to learn a three-minute song. But that repetition, that figuring out of the notes, that detailed work to get the dynamics just right, all pay off in the end and make your playing look effortless.

As anyone who makes something look effortless knows, it’s not effortless in the preparation! Michelangelo said:

“If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius.”

Having said that, there are still certain things you can do to prepare to turn your writing into speaking.

1) What do you want your audience to know, to feel, and to do?

I usually start with the same steps that I start a book, asking myself, “What do I want the listener to know? What do I want them to feel? What do I want them to do?”

I was recently asked to speak at a memorial service for a dear aunt and uncle who had passed away on separate occasions. There was a lot I could have said, but I was given exactly three minutes. Many stories flashed through my mind of my interactions with them. Too many to share in that short time. When I thought of my audience, I tried to think what would be most important for them. What could I say that others couldn’t or wouldn’t say, as there were a few different speakers?

I decided to focus on three stories that centered on three significant decisions I had made while staying with my aunt and uncle at their house… and what it meant to me for them to host me and give me a place to think clearly and hear deeply from God.

I wanted the audience to know these stories of how their lives influenced mine. I wanted them to feel closer to God as they listened to the stories. I also wanted them to consider a significant decision that might be on their hearts and to make a commitment to Him. That’s what I wanted them to know, to feel, and to do.

Then I had to come up with the thread that would tie them all together. Each story was a significant decision tied to a specific date. So as I told each story, I mentioned the decision, the date, and how my aunt and uncle played a role.

Finally, I wanted to end with a call to action: to invite them to make a commitment to something that may be on their hearts, too.

The talk went well, and one person said afterward: “I think you are at your best when you are sharing your testimony freely like that. It’s powerful.”

By “freely,” he meant extemporaneously, as if it just sprang out of my heart in that moment. In a sense, it did. I had to rely on the Holy Spirit to give me the words to speak and to witness to the importance their lives had on mine.

But my “spontaneous” three stories were actually three stories I had written about at length in a couple of my books. I condensed whole chapters into single sentences so I could fit all three stories into my tight timeframe. I was able to do it more effectively because I had already thought through those stories deeply. I had come up with words and phrases to capture the essence of the stories. Then I told them in a way that drove home what I wanted this particular audience to know, to feel, and to do.

Two other things helped me deliver that message.

2) Write and memorize your opening and closing words

My childhood dance teacher taught us to always nail the opening and closing of our numbers. She said people won’t notice if you mess up in the middle, just be sure to nail your opening and closing!

The same is true for speeches. I usually try to write out and memorize my opening and closing lines. This assures I have something to say when I stand up and something to say when I wrap up. Here’s my intro from this talk:

“My name is Eric Elder, and Rowland and Martha were my uncle and aunt. When I think of them, three pictures come to my mind.”

I also had a closing statement, a call to action, that I had also written and memorized:

“I think Rowland and Martha are providing a backdrop for each of us today, including me. If there’s a significant decision on your heart, I think we could do nothing better to honor them, and to honor God, than by making a commitment today to follow the God of Rowland and Martha and the God of Joan and Ted and Glen and their descendants.”

Then I invited people to pray a prayer of commitment with me.

I follow this same format for almost all of my talks.

I write down on one sheet of paper:

What I want people to know, to feel, and to do,
I write and memorize an intro and closing,
And I write my main three points that support my theme, often described in three pictures that come to my mind.

3) What’s in it for me?

Third, I try to remember that everyone, everywhere, at all times, has needs. I try to ask myself what the audience is asking: “What’s in it for me?”

The three stories I shared that day may have been meaningful to me as the speaker, but my goal was to also inspire those in attendance, so I tried to make it relatable to them as well. A simple way I did this was to include a few statements that might touch something going on in their lives. I didn’t memorize these for my closing, but that’s where I included them. I said:

“If there’s a significant decision that’s on your heart—whether it’s to put your faith in Christ for the first time, whether it’s about your marriage, whether it’s about your kids or your job or your future or your finances or your health—I think we could do nothing better to honor them and honor God than by making a commitment today.”

By listing several ways my words might apply to their personal situations, I was able to help answer the question: “What’s in it for me?” I also opened a door for the Holy Spirit to turn one message into hundreds of messages, speaking directly to the situations they may have been facing. I wanted my message to be more than just how wonderful my aunt and uncle were when they were alive, which was very important, but also about how their lives could still have an impact on each one of us today.

Afterward, another person came up to me and said:“Thanks so much, Eric. I wanted you to know I made a significant decision today.” Touchdown! Hallelujah!

3) Using nervous energy

The last thought about speaking that I’d like to share here has to do with the common fear of public speaking. I’m told public speaking is one of the top fears of most people, and I can see why!

I get nervous every time I have to get up to speak. Every time. Every. Time.

One of the things I often do when I speak, almost every time, is cry. As I tell stories of how God has worked in my life, I cry. I believe it’s a sign of the Holy Spirit working through me. But I also believe it’s a release of the nervous energy that builds up inside me over several days or hours of preparation. When I get up to speak, I have to fix my words in full sentences and give them their final form, and that pressure, in front of a live audience, is immense. My brain is working overtime, the Spirit is speaking into me and through me, and my heart is full of emotion. And I cry.

And my audience cries… almost every time.

I have learned not to try to suppress it, but to lean into it. I am full of emotion, and as long as it doesn’t debilitate me, it can help me deliver a message that is full of emotion, too. Full of all the care and prayer and thought that I’ve put into it.

As Robert Frost said: “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.”

The same is true for speakers and listeners.

How are you wired? How might you use your nervous energy to lean into the emotions God has given you? Maybe you get overexcited and you talk fast. Maybe you get stage fright and very few words come out at all. Maybe you laugh when you’re nervous, or cry, like me. Instead of fighting those feelings, how could you lean into them and let God use them for good?

See what I did there? I just answered the question “What’s in it for me?” and made this chapter applicable to you!

You can do the same whenever you speak.

Chapter 20: Seven touches

Your book’s done and uploaded! Hooray!

Now you have two choices. You can just enjoy the victory of writing and publishing a book. Or you have to gear up for the next phase: marketing your book. If you pick option one, you’re done! But if you want to get your work into the hands of more readers, you’ll want to roll up your sleeves again.

Here’s one tried and true marketing concept that will help you as you go forward. It usually takes “seven touches” to convert a potential reader into an actual reader. By that I mean, you will want to expose potential readers to your book at least seven times, often in multiple ways, before they will commit to buying and reading your book.

People don’t just buy a Coke because they saw it once on a shelf at a store. They buy it because they saw an ad on TV, heard a jingle on the radio, saw a pop-up ad on Google, watched a sporting match with the company’s logo throughout the event, saw a truck on the highway with the logo emblazoned on the side, walked past a promotional display at the grocery store, then saw a sale price on the bottles on the shelf. Finally, they decided, “I’d like a Coke today” and put a case in their cart.

And that’s with an international product that has been advertising to you your whole life.

So how do we get our book in front of people seven times? That’s what we’ll explore next.Here are seven ways to tell the world about your story.

1) Tell the story behind the story

You’ve just spent a good chunk of your life writing your story. People want to hear about that. They’re enthralled by the process. They have seldom, if ever, met a “book writer.”

I was writing on my laptop at a local Steak & Shake when my server looked at what I was doing. “Are you a book writer?” he asked. “I’ve never met a book writer.” He was enthralled.

I chuckled at his description. I could type. I could string sentences together. I could tell a story. But somehow, in that moment, I felt like JK Rowling writing her first book in the Harry Potter series in a coffee shop in London. Can you imagine waiting on JK Rowling while she sipped coffee and worked on her forthcoming novel?

That’s what I felt like in the eyes of my server. And to much of the world, that’s what you’ll look like in the eyes of those who find out you’re a “book writer,” too.

Own it!

“Yes,” I said. “I am a book writer.”

For some reason, I liked his description even better than “author”! Being an author intimidates me. In my mind, it implies a certain lifestyle, probably more picturesque and more romantic than it actually is. If I tell people I’m an author, I sometimes feel like an imposter! But I am a book writer. That’s totally true.

So when I introduce a book to the world, I like to tell the story behind the story: why I wrote it, what it was like writing it, how it felt to have written it, why I’m thankful I took the time to tell it—and why I think they’ll enjoy reading it.

Tell the story behind your story. People want to hear it!

2) Post reader reviews

As I said earlier, it’s one thing to hear from a car salesmen how great their cars are. It’s another thing to hear it from a “satisfied customer.”

Collect reader comments all throughout your process. If someone is intrigued by the idea of your book and tells you so, write it down.

When I told people my wife and I were writing a book about the real St. Nicholas and the great faith he had in Christ, we would share a few tidbits about his life. People would say, “I’d love to read that. I didn’t know he was a real person.” Or they’d say, “I’d love to read that to my kids. I don’t want to take away the fun of Santa, but I still want to point them to Christ.”

Our book was perfect for just those scenarios. We had researched the story, we had found it compelling, and we took time to write it down for others to enjoy. That initial intrigue provided fodder for telling others why they might like to read it, too.

I also captured quotes when advance readers read chapters or the whole book. And then I captured quotes after the book came out to share those with others, too.

Pick one or two quotes and share them online! The next week, do the same! As readers continue to write, continue to post from time to time what they’re saying.

People love hearing from satisfied customers.

Bonus: ask you readers to take a picture of themselves holding your book, maybe when they pull it from the mailbox, or in a location where they’re reading it—maybe in their favorite chair or on a beach or by a fireplace. Include their pictures with their quotes for greater impact!

3) Offer a book reading

My local library loved that I had written a book about St. Nicholas. They asked if I would be willing to do a reading one day at the library to raise awareness about it. Of course I would!

It would be an easy win for me and for those who would come.

When the time came for me to do the reading, I was also introducing a new musical I had written based on the book called His Name Was Nicholas. So I created a whole 45-minute presentation. I talked about the book and why we wrote it. I talked about my high school English teacher who impacted me (and who I invited to the presentation). I talked about the upcoming musical and played some of the music from the show.

The local newspaper decided to feature the story and put me and my book on the front page. It was a 12-page paper and my friend was the editor! But it got my message in front of even more people.

The library felt the audience would be bigger if they combined it with a big open house they were having around the same time. So instead of a small reading to a few children, which is where they slotted me at first, my talk turned into a bigger event with people already wanting to come to the library.

I say all this to say you never know what kind of buzz you might create by offering a book reading to others, starting with your own local community.

4) Create a video

As much as we want people to read our books, the truth is they like to watch videos even more! You can use your phone or have a friend record you on their phone or camera talking about your book. It doesn’t have to be long, but it can be!

Share things you’ve already thought through when writing your book, such as “When the reader finishes the book, what do I want them to know, to feel, and to do?” Just talk about those things for a few minutes and post it online!

You can upload the video to your social media accounts. You can upload it to YouTube with just a few clicks. Then share those links with everyone you can!

I’ve created short clips… one or two or three minutes long, talking about my books, holding the books, reading portions from the books.

I’ve also created entire podcast series around my books. For my book My Stories of Faith, I launched it just after COVID began when people were staying at home and more than a little fearful. I simply turned on my camera in my living room and went live every night for a month, reading one story each night from my book, playing a song on my piano, and praying for those who were watching. I called it Bedtime Stories of Faith. People still talk about that series and how grateful they were for those faith boosters every night during that tumultuous time. You can still watch those videos on my YouTube channel at: youtube.com/ericelder.

I wrote the stories to share, so I wasn’t worried about selling books. I wanted people to have the information, to have the encouragement. Several people did order books as a result for themselves and for their friends.

Don’t limit your book to paper and ink. Set it free whenever you can!

5) Offer giveaways

People love free stuff. And offering a book or two online is an easy way to promote your book without looking like you’re promoting it. You’re giving something away! But it also helps people to learn about your book in a non-threatening way.

When I was promoting my St. Nicholas book and musical, I contacted a couple places that seemed like natural fits.

The first was an international health-sharing ministry I belong to that has a monthly newsletter which features a “member story” each month and how their ministry helps them. I told them about how they helped me through a rough patch in my health when I was trying to stage a ballet version of my book and was almost derailed by a medical situation, permanently. But thanks to their help, I was able to complete the project.

They set up an interview, asked for some photos of me, my book, and my upcoming event, and they slated it to appear in their November edition, right before Christmas.

It was a win-win for me and for their ministry. They got to share with all of their members how their ministry had impacted a fellow member, and I got to share about a project that was on my heart.

They offered two free books to their readers, so people could email to win them. Others could buy them if they didn’t win.

A second organization I contacted was a local radio station. I reached out to the morning show host and told him about my upcoming St. Nicholas musical and asked if he’d like to do an interview about the show and the book and the process that led up to it. He declined that offer, but said if I would just call into the morning show the next day and offer two free tickets to the show, I could talk about the show and the book and whatever I wanted for 2-3 minutes!

That was perfect! I called at the designated time, the host took my call, let me speak for 2-3 minutes, and had listeners call in for the tickets.

Call me naive, but I never realized as a kid, or even most of my adult life, that people weren’t giving free stuff away, they were wanting me to buy their stuff! The free stuff was just to get our attention long enough hear about what they were offering.

But now that I know what’s happening, I can help make it a win-win all around.

When I speak, I often pass around a sign up sheet for people to get on my newsletter list so they can get a boost in their faith anytime. Or even better, I’ll ask them to take out their phones and pull up my website so they can see it for themselves, bookmark it to visit later, and sign up for my newsletter right then.

Some people do a drawing for a free book if the audience will sign up or put their business cards in a bowl. Others hand out “idea sheets” people can take home that highlight some things they might get out of the book. Some people might not be ready to buy when you speak, but when they are ready, they’ll know how to find it!

There are so many ways to give your readers something of value both while you’re speaking to them and when they eventually read your book, which, if you’re like me, is probably your ultimate goal!

You took the time to write it. Now take the time to get it into their hands and hearts.

6) Ask others to share

I have friends who do podcasts who also happen to like my books! So from time to time, I’ll ask if they’d like to do an interview about one of the books on their show.

We chat on zoom for an hour about the book and the book writing process and whatever direction the host wants to take. They post it for their listeners, and I point people to their podcast. Again, it’s a win-win all around.

If you have friends who love, love, love your book, ask if they’ll share it on their social media along with a few thoughts on the book, and maybe why someone would want to read it. What they share doesn’t have to be long, or it can be, but even 2-3 sentences can be enough to expose your book one more time to people you know, and expose your book even further to people you don’t know!

When I was starting to record my piano music, I was talking to a musician friend who has worked with some really big name bands. At that time, when ordering CDs, you had to order 500 or 1,000 at a time. You couldn’t just print one, and there was no streaming or YouTube. My friend said, “You can probably sell 200-300 to your family or friends, but if you don’t have another way to get the word out, you’ll have a closet full of most of your CDs.”

Thankfully, that’s no longer the model! I can upload a song today and people can start listening to it immediately. But the same principle holds true for books. You might be able to sell dozens or even a few hundred books to family and friends. But if you want to reach a broader audience, though, you’ll need to enlist your current fans to share your book with their family and friends, too.

Sometimes it’s as simple as asking. So ask!

7) Throw a launch party

I saved this one for last, but I would do this one first.

I saved it for last because this can also serve as your own celebration of having written and published a book! Make it a party! And it’s all about you… and of course, your book.

You might feel uncomfortable throwing yourself a party. But please do! Let others help you plan it. You’ll find your biggest fans are also your biggest cheerleaders and happy to see you succeed at reaching this HUGE goal.

When I finished one of my books, a friend had also finished one of his so we held a joint launch party. He asked a coffee shop on campus at the college where he taught if we could do it there. They said, Yes! We invited friends and faculty and students and promoted it on social media.

I met him there on our launch night with a case of my books, and he had a case of his. We set up a book table in the hallway and made a spot to stand during our talks in the coffeeshop.

The interesting thing to me was that even though we didn’t have a big crowd, we had a big celebration in our hearts! We enjoyed being together and celebrating this milestone. We each talked a bit about why we wrote the books, then we each read a chapter aloud.

We only had 15-20 people at most, and we each sold a couple copies of our books. But what happened on social media was an entirely different thing!

We posted announcements leading up to the launch which generated tremendous coverage, then posted pictures from the event, with us and our books at the book table, which generated even more coverage! People celebrated with us from all over, sending congratulations and attaboys for our success.

Again, people were thrilled to see they had friends who were “book writers.” And in truth, it’s no small feat. It’s something definitely to be celebrated!

I’m working with two authors right now who are launching their books. They both chose local libraries as their venues, deciding on a time and date for their launches.

They’ve made a few posters to put around town and they’ve promoted it on social media. The buzz is already significant. I can’t wait to party with them and celebrate all they’ve done… and all their books will do for others out in the world.

I hope the same for you, too! So go ahead, throw a party!

Chapter 21: Start writing your NEXT book!

What?!? Yes, I mean it! What book has God put on your heart to write next?

Maybe it feels like you just gave birth to this baby, and I’m asking you right away if you want to have another! But if you jotted down a few book ideas at the beginning of this book, you may already have some ideas for your next book… or books! Now that you know the process, you can start writing the next one, and the next, and the next!

Don’t jump into it so fast that you forget to raise and nurture the baby to which you’ve just given birth! And be sure to enjoy a toast with some friends to celebrate the great accomplishment of publishing a book!

But if some new ideas have been percolating about your next book, go ahead and jot them down! Re-read this book, starting with Chapter 1.

Writing can be addictive. But what a great addiction! This is one addiction where you bless yourself and others, too.

I never knew I had more than one book in me. But I did! Thirty-six books later, you’d think I’d be out of ideas for books. But even as I write this closing chapter, I already have two or three more books in mind to write!

Want to join me… again?!? I’d love to have you! Why not? And this time, bring some friends!

God and I are both inviting you: Write With Me!

I love hearing from my readers!

For questions, comments or help with your book, visit:
ericelder.com

P.S. Ready to write? In case you missed it, you can also get my Write With Me! NOTEBOOK!!! to capture all your thoughts to the questions and suggestions in this book.

When you finish the notebook, you’ll have written your entire book from cover to cover! (Tip: Get ONE NOTEBOOK for EACH BOOK you want to write. Think “books,” not “book,” remember?!?)