What’s holding you back from putting yourself out there? Are you busy running here and there, trying to get everything done, and telling yourself you simply don’t have time? Are you uncomfortable with the idea of promoting yourself? Are you unsure how to go about looking for opportunities? Whatever the case, this week’s Publishing Secrets guest, Courtnaye Richard, is here to encourage you to go for it anyway. Courtnaye knows what it’s like to be constantly on the go and to worry that your efforts may be in vain. But she also knows the importance of consistently showing up. Listen and let Courtnaye encourage you to study the Scriptures and ask for God’s favor in what you feel called to do.
In this episode, you’ll also hear:
Between writing, blogging, speaking engagements, family, ministry, and more, Courtnaye Richard is a woman who wears many hats — or, as she describes it, “My life is on wheels.”
But Courtnaye also understands the importance of prioritizing her relationship with God. That was the inspiration for writing her 52-week devotional Inside Out with Courtnaye: to help other women like herself who needed a reminder — and perhaps even a little guidance — to set aside time to study God’s word.
“When we're sitting with Jesus, we're sitting with Him and allowing Him to teach us,” Courtnaye explains, “but we have to be still. We have to pause.” With that in mind, Courtnaye designed her devotional to include both Scripture and reflection questions in each section, inviting her readers to pause, reflect, and learn from what they read.
However, since she wrote the book for women who lead busy lives, she kept each section short enough to be completed on a single day out of the week. “I didn't want them to have any excuse not to get into the Word of God — including myself,” she says.
Although Courtnaye has been writing since she was a child, it was blogging that opened doors for her professionally. In fact, her very first speaking engagement came about because someone read a blog post she’d written and asked her to speak about it at an upcoming women’s conference.
But Courtanye admits that when she first decided to start a blogging, she had no idea what it was or how to do it. She only knew that she wanted to reach women far beyond her circle of acquaintance — and blogging was a great way to do that.
Over the course of ten years, Courtnaye has grown her blog and audience through:
As Courtnaye’s experience shows, a blog can be an incredible platform and a gateway for many opportunities. But it takes hard work, dedication, and intentionality to do it successfully.
Courtnaye self-published her devotional book, and she did so on a very tight schedule. With only three months to edit, proofread, take photos, design the cover, and more, she reached a point where she was afraid she couldn’t get it all done in time. But with encouragement from God and her husband, she kept at it and ultimately succeeded.
Despite juggling so many other tasks, however, Courtnaye knew that marketing and promoting her book couldn’t wait until after it was finished. “If you have a product or service, you need to let people know about it,” she explains. “How are you going to make a sale if nobody knows about it?”
Even though many aspiring authors understand that marketing is an essential part of publishing, many still hesitate to promote themselves or to focus on making sales. But Courtnaye believes we shouldn’t be afraid of putting ourselves out there.
“It’s not about you; it’s about the message” she says. You are the messenger. You’re the vessel that God is going to use.”
Think about it this way: God has equipped you to impact others. But that won’t be possible if you don’t allow Him to make your name — and your book — known to the people who need your help.
Likewise, instead of thinking of sales as “doing it for the money,” consider it an exchange of value. People are simply paying for the valuable information and services you have to offer. And, by selling those books and services, you just might be able to support a ministry that goes far beyond what you would be able to accomplish on your own.
Even though we as Christian authors are on a mission to spread our God-honoring message, to be successful we also need to make sure we are grounded in good business principles. That means being good stewards of our resources, but it also means being adaptable and seizing opportunities to grow and develop new skills.
According to Courtnaye, sometimes all we have to do to gain new opportunities is to ask for them. First, pray and ask for God’s favor, and then reach out to people and pitch your ideas or services. That’s exactly how Courtnaye landed a role as a contributing writer to a huge blogging platform that reaches thousands of women around the world.
While Courtnaye sent that particular pitch via email, she adds that these days, you can often send direct messages to people’s social media inboxes. That said, you should always follow directions — if someone only wants to be contacted by email or through a form on their website, don’t insist on reaching out to them in a different way.
When sending a pitch — whether it’s for a guest blog post, a podcast appearance, or a service offering — Courtnaye recommends contacting the owner, founder, or coordinator and pointing them to your own website so they can view samples of what you can do. That means you need to make sure your website is professional and that your samples represent you well.
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of being visible on social media. “Sometimes people don't know anything about you until they start seeing you everywhere,” Courtnaye says. The more people see you show up consistently and talk about what you are doing, the more likely they are to reach out and offer you opportunities.
If you struggle with the idea of putting yourself out there, you’re not alone. It’s common to feel insecure about promoting your work and asking for opportunities. But with God’s help, you can conquer that fear!
Courtnaye advises dedicating time to read passages of the Bible that deal specifically with fear. Be honest with God about what you’re feeling, and ask Him for the courage to move forward.
“Before you know it, you'll be stepping out of the boat and heading right towards Jesus,” she says. “He’s going to hold your hand, and he's going to walk you through every single step. So just step out of the boat, trust Him, and rely on His Word.”
BIO:
Courtnaye Richard is the founder of Inside Out Media Group, LLC - a faith-based PR, Marketing & Mentorship Agency. In her 15 years of experience, she has worked with platforms such as PBS, CBN, & TCT Networks, as well as local television and print publications. Courtnaye is also the founder of Inside Out with Courtnaye, a ministry that helps women grow in their walk with Christ from the heart and equips them to fulfill their God-given purpose. Courtnaye is also an author and contributing writer for ibelieve.com, Women’s Ministry Tools, YouVersion, and is a speaker of a host of women’s conferences. Her blog, Inside Out with Courtnaye, reaches thousands of women across the globe and was listed as the Top 50 Christian Women Bloggers Every Woman Must Follow. She's passionate about helping women make a greater impact in their personal lives, homes, church, community, and purpose. To find out more information or to book Courtnaye for your next speaking engagement, please visit www.courtnayerichard.com.
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