Energy…the better-than-caffeine kind

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, marketing, tips Leave a Comment

by Melissa Tagg

Marketing.

I think a lot of writers hear the word and do a little scary-movie shudder.

Or maybe a full-on horror-flick scream.

Me, not so much because a) I’m more of a nervous laugher than screamer and b) I happen to work in marketing at a good-sized nonprofit. And I’ve realized something in the past few years. Marketing? It’s simply telling our story…in such a way that donors (or in writers’ cases, readers) want to be a part of the story.

But a few weeks ago-as I sat in an ACFW class taught by a group we’ll call the Brilliant Four (Jim Rubart, Rachelle Gardner, Dineen Miller, Kathi Lipp)-my definition of marketing deepened. The class, called Marketing Your Fiction Like a Non-Fiction Pro, had my mind zinging by the end.

Seriously, it’s like the Brilliant Four unleashed a hundred ping-pong balls in my brain. Which was exciting at the time. All these ideas! All these plans!

Then I got home.

Real life set in.

And those ping pong balls started leaving bruises on my brain. Ideas take time…and energy. Both of which are a little lacking here in Melissa’s world.

And I’m guessing maybe yours, too. Whether you’re working fulltime like me or raising kids or both, you’ve probably faced the same issue. You’ve got a great story burning in your heart, but little time to write it. You’ve got a book in the works or on the shelves, but the energy to market is hiding out.

Enter, copious amounts of caffeine.

Sadly, I do not have miracle-working time-saving or energy-boosting tips to offer. I’ll leave that to the organizational experts…and the people at 5 Hour Energy.

BUT…I did come across the coolest piece of Scripture a couple months ago. It’s stuck inside me ever since and in my daze of idea kaleidoscope brain, it’s soothing me more than ever:

Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time-pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. ~2 Thess. 1:11-12a (The Message)

Ahh, don’t you just love that? The thought of God filling my ideas and efforts with his energy, well, it changes things. Because suddenly:

-It’s not all up to me.

-I can trust he’ll make me fit for what’s ahead.

-I’m not bound by the clock…or a busy schedule…or lack of sleep.

But more than anything, when it’s God’s energy working in me, I’m assured significance.

When I’ve committed each and every task to Christ-writing, marketing, the everyday stuff of life-I can know that what I’m doing matters. That it’s going to amount to something. That my life and all the stuff that fills it honors Him.

No amount of caffeine can beat that.


Melissa Tagg is a former reporter turned romantic comedy writer. Her debut novel, Made to Last, releases from Bethany House in fall 2013. In addition to her nonprofit day job, she’s also the marketing/events coordinator for My Book Therapy. Connect with Melissa at www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook and Twitter (@Melissa_Tagg).

Comments 0

  1. Melissa,

    You hit the nail on the head, when we give it God, our results are assured and in the crazy busy world we live in it will matter — significance.

    What a great reminder as we start our Monday.

    Blessings!

  2. Loved your post this morning, Melissa!

    Too often we forget that it’s not totally up to us and that God has it all under control.(Jer. 29:11)

    Sometimes, I have to remember that I don’t need Starbucks to do God’s work! 🙂

  3. Pat, I’m glad it’s what you needed this morning. Those verses in 2 Thess. are like my new all-time faves. I think I will read them every Monday morning when a new week’s to-do list stares me down. 🙂

    Alena, my awesome ACFW roomie! Significance…I think it’s a search common to all of us humans.

    Linds, it probably makes sense that this spoke to your heart since we’re like, you know, almost the same person. p.s. Less than two weeks til reunion time!!

  4. Haa, Cindy, you make me laugh. No, we don’t need Starbucks to do God’s work. Although, it is a seriously nice additive to any day. And now I’m jonesing for a pumpkin spice latte…

  5. So many times I’ve wondered how I’ll get everything done, but when God is in the details, I know I don’t have to worry. God has proven his faithfulness time and time again.

    And I agree about the workshop with the Brilliant 4–amazing knowledge shared!

    Great post, Melissa. Thank you for speaking truth today!

  6. WOW — love that version of those verses! What an awesome reminder we are not on this journey alone or by our own strength. I’m going to post that where I’ll see it multiple times every day! Thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *