You want to be a writer, but you don’t know a thing about the publishing world. Or maybe you’ve been writing, and have tried to approach agents and editors to no avail. Publication appears a steep brick wall, impossible to penetrate or scale.

Whether you’re new to the writing world or an experienced but weary professional, you need someone to help you get inside the door.

Three of those publishing industry insiders have been working behind the scenes for the past several months in a secret author lab. Well, not really, but they’ve kept the secret since December.

Thomas Unstated, Jeff Gerke and Mary DeMuth. And what they’ve created for you is called The Bestseller Society.

Why did they create this site? Because they got a lot of folks asking how to write better, get published, and get noticed. The Bestseller Society helps you with all those things, for one low monthly price, rather than a pricey (and short-lived) conference. For less than you’d spend on that yearly writers conference, you can get coaching and instruction all year round. It’s pretty fun. Check out our main page.

The Society is made up of three academies:  the Marketing Academy led by Thomas, The Fiction Academy led by Jeff, and the Nonfiction Academy led by Mary. Each academy is $37 a month, but you can become a Mastermind by joining all three for $55.

Here’s a bit about us:

Thomas Umstattd runs the Marketing Academy. He’s uniquely qualified because:

1. Thomas is still in his twenties (oh the energy!), Thomas has pioneered several successful companies.
2. Thomas has a passion not only for social media and web presence, but he understands the needs of authors. Check out his site, Author Media.
3. He’s a real-time thinker and strategist, constantly keeping up with the next new thing. He knows how to sift through what is fluff and what marketing efforts bring true success to authors.

Jeff Gerke runs the Fiction Academy. He’s uniquely qualified because:

1. Jeff has published several books, including novels and books for Writer’s Digest on how to write novels. He also is a nationally known editor for several publishing houses.
2. He’s a prolific speaker, sharing his seminars and proven techniques for both character and plot development around the country.
3. Jeff inaugurated Marcher Lord Press, a publishing house for speculative fiction. As its founder, publisher and chief editor, he knows how to shepherd writers through the publication process.

Mary DeMuth runs the Nonfiction Academy. Mary is uniquely qualified because:

1. She’s traditionally published twelve books, and has also learned the art and craft of e-publishing and Print on Demand.
2. She understands the importance of platform. She’s learned the power of marketing, tribe creation, and social media engagement. Follow her on twitter!
3. She is passionate about helping other writers. She wrote a book about it. And I’ve mentored writers for years on my successful and well-visited writing website. She also has a teacher’s heart, mentoring and teaching writers all over the world.

Cool side note: If you sign up for the Nonfiction Academy, you get Mary’s nonfiction proposal tutorial (100+ pages, $25 value) free with sign up.

The Bestseller Society folks had a lot of fun setting this site up. They laugh a lot, learn a lot, and give a lot. What you get with membership:

• Hours and hours of un-boring, super exciting video instruction (and we introduce new content often).
• Upcoming podcasts on trends, craft, and marketing
• Printable resources
• A mastermind forum where we coach you, and you learn from other writers on the journey
• Freebies on proposals, queries, marketing plans, and character sheets
• Access to guest teachers–particularly top agents, editors and publishers
• Heavy discounts on products and tutorials created by industry insiders
• Curation of content. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out the best information and what will really help you get published and get noticed. We find the best, most success-producing content and deliver it to you.

You want to publish a book. We want to help you get there. Join the Bestseller Society and watch your publishing dreams come true.

Free ways to connect:

• Follow the Bestseller Society on Twitter
• Like the Bestseller Society on Facebook

Join the Bestseller Society

In a world absent of stability, we crave loyalty. We long for friends who prove steadfast and unwavering, over countless years and complicated circumstances. Regardless of how impossible its tasks, today becomes bearable—enjoyable!—when buoyed by the presence of faithful others.

But I wonder if our desire for it is equalled by the desire to offer it?

Even more than our longing to receive friendship, we must be people determined to be friendship. We need to be the friend who faithfully cheers on the weary, encourages the discouraged, ignites the disenheartened. We need to be friends who see the potential beyond the mess, who maintain the capacity to believe in spite of evidence to the contrary. We must be the friend who celebrates another’s joy without harboring envy, and weathers a struggle without growing faint.

How? As it turns out, the One who spoke to Moses “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Ex. 33:11) knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a true friend:

• Serve—not ministries or organizations, but individuals (Galatians 5:13)
• Choose words that build, strengthen. (Ephesians 4:29)
• Avoid complaining. It dulls your shine. (Philippians 2:14-15)
• Listen. Listen!  (James 1:19)
• Err on the side of mercy. (Matthew 5:7, James 2:13)
• Give forgiveness away as if you have more of it than you could possibly need. You do.  (Ephesians 4:32)
• Look past the stink of fish to see the potential disciple. (Matthew 4:18-20)
• Cling to people, not offenses. (Luke 6:37-38, 1 Peter 4:8)
• Do more than say “I love you.” Live “I love you.” (Ephesians 5:2, 1 John 3:18)
• Need a boost? Send someone a card. Want company? Find someone who’s alone. Give away what you wish for. (Matthew 7:12)
• Hang out with the sick and messy. Not the healthy and clean. (Matthew 9:12-13)
• Celebrate homecomings! (Luke 15:20)
• Pour courage into places of fear. (Matthew 14:27)
• Bandage the wounded. Comfort the abused. (Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 10:25-37)
• Make your presence a place of quiet, a place of rest. (Mark 6:31)
• Be an advocate for the weak. (Mark 9:42)
• Speak peace. (Luke 24:36)

Friendship—community—is a place where God’s glory dwells. How you can be friendship to someone today?

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nothing frees like discovering yourself safe in relationship.

For most of my life, I’ve been terrified of public speaking. In highschool, I put off the required course as long as possible, signing up only when I knew my graduation depended on it. My twice-a-year piano recitals from age 7 to 17 caused my hands to tremble, my performances showing no evidence of weeks of diligent practice. When called upon to sing a solo in the youth choir, I tried to be brave, grabbing the mic and pushing through my fear. But any kind of spotlight prompted physical proof of my internal terror: hives, trembling and nausea.

My root fear? Failure. I didn’t want others to see how incapable I believed myself to be.

As I aged, I grew weary of this battle. I didn’t want fear to rule my life, to decide what I could and couldn’t do, to limit what was possible. And so in 2006, on the recommendation of a friend, I attended a speaking conference. Perhaps the most risky step I’d taken, and one that would end up changing the course of my life.

I’m now on staff with the organization I once participated in as a student. Since that first day, I’ve learned how to prepare focused and clear presentations, which certainly tempered my fear to some degree. But the greatest gift I’ve received isn’t the presentation tools. In fact, what I received is an intangibility I never expected:

Safety.

From May 7, 2006 until today (yes, exactly 6 years), I’ve learned what it feels like to be so-very-safe in relationship that I can risk looking the fool. I’m surrounded by a team of professionals who inspire me with their talent and expertise. Even better, their constant friendship, gentle critique, and unwavering belief have helped me get out of my own way.

One friend told me on Thursday, “Michele, if only you could see what the rest of us see.” I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to see myself objectively, without the shades of self-doubt clouding my perspective. You might feel the same way. But perhaps the greater gift isn’t developing unadulterated confidence. But, instead, pushing through fear to lean into the reassurance found in relationship.

Another word for that? Abundant, cushioning grace.

As you and I cheer on those we love most, our greatest gift isn’t our advice or corrections. It isn’t time spent together or the warmth of our company. Our greatest offering is grace, eyes that see beyond the mistakes and mess-ups, a generous safety that not only allows for growth and potential, but buoys it, propels it, gently nudges it forward with confident belief.

Who needs to hear you say, “I believe in you?”

I shot off the 9-1-1 text to a friend. I’d just returned home from one trip, and had only 36 hours at home before leaving again. Laundry needed to be done, the suitcase re-packed, not to mention children, a husband and a house in desperate need of TLC. And I had no emotional or physical reserves left.

I LOVE what I do. I love meeting new people, love sharing stories and truth, love seeing the look of hope reflected off the faces of those who are suffering. But that evening I’d reached the end of my strength, the limit of my ability. I felt myself crumbling. And the thought of doing even laundry made me want to curl up in a corner and disappear.

Who are you kidding? You’re an imposter. You have no business trying to inspire and encourage others. Look at you—you’re a wreck! Exhausted, weary. You don’t have what it takes. This proves what everyone already knows. You should quit. 

Overcome by taunts of inadequacy, I sent out the phone text to a friend, someone I considered strong, a warrior. And if ever I needed a warrior to pull me out of this pit, it was now.

Within the hour, she replied. I expected a sermon, maybe a verse and three or four spiritual points.

Instead, she offered this:

“Breathe. Relinquish. Repeat.”

Breathe: The intake of oxygen, the in-and-out that happens 12-20 times a minute, 24 hours a day. Without thought or attention. Without effort. Breathe. You’re alive, Michele. You’re living. A real flesh-and-blood life. Stop worrying for just one minute. And savor it. Breathe.

Relinquish: It’s not about you. In fact, all this has very little to do with you. Relinquish, Michele. You didn’t know what life would look like when you filled your schedule a year ago. But HE did. Let him handle it. Let Him do His job. He does it much better than you anyway. Just show up and see what He will do. Relinquish.

Repeat: The opportunity to receive a fresh start today, and new mercies in the morning. The ability to inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale as many times as needed until the panic recedes, the weariness eases and you can tackle this moment. No more, no less. Repeat, Michele. You will have to do this again and again over the next month. But you don’t have to do handle all those days all today. That’s the beauty of one-day-at-a-time living. If you try to tackle more than that at once you won’t survive. But you can do this moment, this day. Breathe. Relinquish. Repeat.

If you’re at the end of your means, without the resources to do anymore, I have no squeaky-clean sermon or vacuous platitudes. I give you, instead, the words that rescued me a couple weeks ago, and gave me the breath and space to live one day, one inhale at a time.

Breathe. Relinquish. Repeat. As often as necessary.

You can do this.

How do you cope with moments of weariness or inadequacy?

Life gets crazy, physical energy depletes, emotions turn as wild as the weeds choking my yard. And I end up a pile of pathetic neediness.

Somebody love me! Fill me! Meet my never-ending abyss of needs!

I loathe those moments, hate it when I feel less than sufficient and strong and certain. And I dislike it even more when I cling to all the wrong people, places and things to find a fill.

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Just come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of his mercy
As the deep cries out to deep

We sing
Come Lord Jesus, Come
Come Lord Jesus, Come

The lyrics of this Kutless song forces me to face the truth: There is no place at Jesus’ table for the satisfied. Only the hungry, thirsty and needy have a seat. Those who have been satisfied elsewhere will find nothing of interest in the presence of Christ.

But the needy? The needy will find a table set with a feast, a chair empty and waiting to be filled, and everything she’s ever been searching for in the presence of Life.

Pathetic? No. At home? Yes.

“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” ~ Psalm 81:10

Do you need to come to His table today?

We’d already raised three boys, meaning we knew what parenting involved. Busy days, sleepless nights, and the complicated dance between affection and correction, holding close and letting go. Been there, done that. And not always well, I might add.

But these children were coming to us with extra needs, and we weren’t entirely sure we’d be equipped to meet them. Even without those special needs, our boys ranged in age from 14 to 19. It’d been a long time since we were in the preschool years. Our home had “grown up” with our children. We no longer covered the outlets or hid the scissors. All our toys had found another home at Goodwill, as did the sippy cups and plastic forks and plates. The bathroom has been remodeled, with countertops sitting at adult height, far too tall for a child to reach the sink. And our bulging shelf of movies and games lacked anything of interest for children under 5.

It’s been 4 months now—4 months today. And since that first day we’ve discovered our lack of toys and movies was the least of our worries. Our lives have completely changed—bedrooms, routines, closets, schedules, mealtime, movie night. Not a single part of my prior life remains. It’s as if the family we had before has been buried, and in its place is this new family still trying to find familiar ground.

I’m not overstating it when I say this has been a monumental transition. Most of the time, I’m dizzy from it all, like I’m standing in an earthquake trying to find a safe corner to crouch in, solid earth in shaky territory. Each day we live in uncertainty. Each day we wake up and wonder how we will do it. We have no idea what tomorrow will look like, let alone a month or year from now. But we are learning to become comfortable with chaos, familiar with the unknown.

It isn’t easy. And it’s definitely not glamorous. But it’s good.

In spite of the changes and challenges, I believe this might be the best thing that’s happened to our family, the best thing because we’re learning …

• Generous grace is like oxygen to a family stretched thin.
• Security planted in the certainty of our faith is the only real kind.
• Obedience to God’s call is seldom fun or flashy, but it’s always right.
• One-day-at-a-time living is wisdom.
• God provides enough manna for today. Never less, but rarely more.
• The height and depth, and length and breadth of the love of Christ is the only kind that can meet needs like mine.

Long before our phone rang, I was an orphan desperate for a place of grace. The depth of my need terrified me. And those around me. No love was ever enough, no food satisfied the ache.

But then a Father looked at my scrawny, mess-of-a-self, and said …

I choose her. That one. The one with all the insecurities, impossibilities and special needs. I’m making her my own, even though I know how hard it’s going to be and she’ll never fully appreciate the sacrifice I’ve made. I’m doing it anyway.

That’s the solid earth I stand on. One day at a time. Like I said, this might be the best thing that’s every happened to our family. And me.

What challenge is your family facing, and what are you learning in the middle of it?

About a year ago I wrote a story in the back seat of our Ford Expedition as we drove west for a family vacation. It was one of those stories that made me cry with every keystroke, making the males in the truck wonder what was up with mom. Somewhere in between Las Vegas, NV and Los Angeles, CA I pressed the “send” button with with wet eyes, never dreaming it would make it in print. But it did, and I’m beyond thankful (pg. 100, to be exact!).

Here’s the back cover copy to give you a taste of the rich stories within the pages of Always There:

God is with you…
…in the excitement of first steps, first words, and the first day of school
…when you are frustrated, overwhelmed, or alone
…in the middle of the night and the middle of the unpleasant
…in your most important relationships

God is there in every busy, exhausting, and exhilarating moment of being a mom.

It’s one thing to know in your mind that God is everywhere. It’s quite another to feel in your soul that he is by your side, holding you up, sustaining you. In Always There, you’ll find an inspiring combination of real-life mothering stories and Scriptures that assures you of God’s abiding presence, written by popular voices such as

• Ann Voskamp
• Alexandra Kuykendall
• Kathi Lipp
• Tracey Bianchi
• Kim Hill
• Renee Swope
• and many more

No matter where you are in your mothering journey, Always There offers you hope and encouragement along the way. From the humorous to the solemn, these fifty-two short devotions will capture your heart as you reflect upon your important role as a mother and upon your ever-present and steadfast source of strength.

Susan Besze Wallace is a magazine writer, the author of The New Mom’s Guide to Life with Baby, and a columnist for MomSense. She spent twelve years as a nationwide newspaper reporter before the daily deadlines of mothering three boys became her passion. She lives in northern Virginia.

After spending years in this arena, however, I’ve discovered the spotlight grows arrogance like the sun grows grass. Hardly a week passes when I don’t encounter someone (online or in person) who reeks of self-importance. I’ve always had a sensitive sniffer, and the stench of arrogance can turn my nose up in a split second.

About as quickly as I mutter my displeasure, I’m struck with a horrible thought: What if I stink just as bad? What if my attitude and responses are polluted by a rotten root of arrogance within? Quite often Arrogance is the last person to see herself clearly.

More often than not, I struggle with a thread of insecurity. And so I attempt to reassure myself: Arrogance and insecurity can’t coexist, can they? Yes, they can. In fact, arrogance is often an attempt to mask an acute awareness of weakness. Self-deprecation is its own form of self-consumption. Whether I’m glossing myself or mourning my failures, I’m still making it all about me.

Arrogance repels. Confidence, on the other hand, attracts. Like a fulcrum centered between two distasteful extremes, confidence keeps a person grounded and draws other people in. It provides a sense of safety, for self and others. It inspires, encourages, challenges, leads. One definition describes confidence this way:

The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. The state of feeling certain about the truth of something.

A person of confidence knows where she stands. She isn’t compelled to carry “look at me!’ signs and brag about her position or strengths. She is simply aware of both, grateful for her gifts, and determined to use them to the best of her ability.

The line between confidence and arrogance often appears thin, but the canyon between the two is significant. How can you recognize the difference?

• Posture. Arrogance carries himself with a telltale swagger. He carries his own spotlight and shows off as often as possible. He’s aggressive and difficult to approach, even as he’s vying for attention. Confidence walks tall, assured, but far less domineering. He is approachable, adopting an open and easy posture. No flashy signs or side-show are needed. Being himself is enough.
• Conversation. Arrogance spends more time bragging and less time inquiring, more time talking and less time listening. He doesn’t ask many questions, because he can’t afford to lose any ground. Confidence inquires and then listens. He doesn’t get defensive at differing responses or feel compelled to disagree or respond. He’s certain of what he believes, but is open enough to allow for the opinions and exploration of others.
• Relationships. The difference between confidence and arrogance might be most noticeable in relationships. Arrogance brags and then belittles, puffs up self while deflating others. Arrogance feels threatened by others’ success, and often turns it into a competition. Confidence is aware of both his strengths and weaknesses. He also allows for the strengths and weaknesses of others. He is unafraid to celebrate the success of others, as well as his own. This makes him easy to be around.
• History. Arrogance promises the moon, but typically delivers nothing but air. He boasts about his strengths, but when the time comes and his strengths are needed, he rarely shows up. If life were a poker game, Arrogance would be great at bluffing. He’s more concerned about image than true success. Confidence knows how to work hard. He lets his efforts and achievements speak for themselves. If you look at his track record, you’ll see consistency and follow through.

Confidence is a work of the heart. Like the frame of a house, it’s the solid internal support without which a person will eventually fall. Arrogance, on the other hand, is a frantic attempt to hang curtains on a frameless home. It adds color and draws attention, but it’s a poor coverup for what’s missing at heart.

What differences do you see between confidence and arrogance?

In the event you might be a memoir-lover, too, I’ve compiled a list of recommends. Some I’ve read. Other still occupy my lengthy to-read list (I *starred* the ones I’ve already finished). All come at the suggestion of someone I know.

Know of one I’ve missed? Please leave it in the comments. I’ll keep growing the list for the next week or so.

• *Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (Laura Hillenbrand)
• Leaving the Saints (Martha Beck)
• To Hell and Back (Audie Murphy)
• The Reluctant Tuscan (Phil Doran)
• Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life (Lauren F. Winner)
• *A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (Donald Miller)
• *The Glass Castle (Jeanette Walls)
• Half Broke Horses (Jeanette Walls)
• *Born Standing Up (Steve Martin)
• *Chosen by a Horse: a Memoir (Susan Richards)
• Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
• *A Circle of Quiet (Madeleine L’Engle)
• Tender Bar (J.R. Moehringer)
• Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me: A Memoir … of Sorts (Ian Morgan Cron)
• Liar’s Club (Mary Karr)
• Lit (Mary Karr)
• Cherry (Mary Karr)
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Steven King)
• *The Hiding Place (Corrie ten Boom)
• *The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (Gretchen Rubin)
• *Same Kind of Different As Me (Ron Hall, Denver Moore, Lynn Vincent)
• *Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (Elizabeth Gilbert)
• Decision Points (George W. Bush)
• Tuesdays With Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson (Mitch Album)
• *Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Immaculee Ilibagiza)
• The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister (Denise George, Carolyn Ross Tomlin, Nonna Bannister)
• *Gift from the Sea (Anne Morrow Lindbergh)
• *A Child Called “It” (Dave Pelzer)
• Running with Scissors (Augusten Burroughs)
• Girl, Interrupted (Susanna Kaysen)
• Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim (David Sedaris)
• Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith (Barbara Brown Taylor)
• Tattoos on the Heart: the Power of Boundless Compassion (Father Gregory Boyle)

The distributor of this film is watching closely to see well how a faith-based film like Fully Alive will succeed in the general theater market. If the film does well, they will be looking for more projects like Fully Alive to bring to theaters. I watched the pre-release of the film, and you will not be disappointed. It’s the perfect night out for a family or group of friends and neighbors.

The plan is for packed out theaters from coast to coast. This is where you come in …

Please support this film by bringing your kids, family, friends, neighbors…anyone you know.  Ken’s comedy is hilarious and the message is life-changing.  This is a film that you will be PROUD to be associated with.  For a list of participating theaters, please visit www.fullyalivemovie.com.  For a complete listing of theaters showing this film, click here. Remember, this is a limited release, for two shows only, March 22nd and 25th.  Please help us spread the word!

Once you make the decision to live Fully Alive … you will never be the same again.

See you at the movies!!!