Sending In the Publishing Agreement
By Sylvia St.Cyr

Back in 2015, I wrote the first draft of my first book, Love vs. Fear. I wrote the book over three months, every other day when my daughter was in kindergarten. After that, all I knew was that I had to get this book edited. I found a trusted and wonderful editor who took my work and made it better.

Almost two years went by for me before I signed a publishing agreement with Word Alive Press. I had done my research and knew right after I wrote the manuscript that I would be going with this company, it was only a matter of time.

The day I sent in my signed publishing agreement was March 9, 2017. I will never forget that day as I felt a rush of excitement, nervousness, and doubt.

What was I doing?
Should I be publishing this?
Yes! But what will people think?
How will this process look?

Questions filled my head and the next couple weeks went by in a blur. I couldn’t stop thinking about my book. What would the cover look like, is my intro good enough, what should the back cover say?

Normally I am a very bubbly and loud person who talks a lot and engages in conversation every time I get the chance. (Just ask my coworkers or husband) But these weeks were different. I was deep in thought as to my future as an author.

A lot of time was also spent in sporadic prayer, asking God what He thought, what He wanted of this all.

When I started writing this book, I knew it was the direction God wanted me to take, but it was still electrifying to sign and send in the agreement. It made everything real. There would be no more hiding.

I think that is what God wants from all of us in some way. Maybe you have a book that you want to publish. Maybe you have a different goal that God is asking you to pursue us, but whatever it is, I can almost guarantee that it doesn’t involve you hiding.

We as believers are asked to step out of our comfort zones and share the Good News, in that special way that we were created for. Let me say this to you. If you are waiting for a sign, a bolt of lightning to strike before you step out in faith, it may not come. But I can let you know that when you step out into what God has asked, and it is in His will, you will know.

Keep taking that one step. You don’t need to see the whole path, even one step is a step in the right direction. And if you sign up to publish with Word Alive Press, know that I will know just how you feel.

About this Contributor:

Sylvia St.Cyr is a Publishing Consultant at Word Alive Press. She is also a journalist and the Arts & Entertainment Coordinator for her local paper, The Citizen. She lives with her husband and two kids just outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Her first book, Love vs. Fear is set to be released late fall, 2017. For more info, check out her blog.