Let the Shoe Fit by Linore Rose Burkard

Welcome to another Fortifying Friday – the day we focus on providing words of encouragement and success stories. Recently, author Linore Rose Burkard joined us on a Writer’s Journey Wednesday and shared her article, “Starting Out Strong.” She returns today to help send you off into the weekend, motivated to dive into your writing projects.

Let the Shoe Fit

You know the saying . . . if the shoe fits, wear it. You also know what it really means: that if something strikes home, applies to you, own the truth of it. Admit it. Even better, take a lesson from it.

Following are just a few sayings I'd like to share, which I've often thought of doing, but felt that it's not enough for a blog post to just share some quotes.

Well, I've changed my mind.

Take these aphorisms and apply them to your writing life. You'll be surprised how well they can speak to your situation. And if the shoe fits . . . go for it!

Here goes:


"Only those who risk going too far will ever know how far they can go."

"Do something every day that you don't want to do. You need to get out of your comfort zone in order to grow." ~ Ed Smith

"Strengthen the things that remain."

"Opportunities are disguised by hard work, so most people don't recognize them." ~ Ann Landers

"When you reach for the stars, you may not get one, but you won't come up with a hand full of mud, either." ~ Leo Burnett

"I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it." ~ Johnathan Winters

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." ~ Will Rogers



How can your writing be improved by taking the advice from one of the above sayings? Do something today with that new thought or inspiration!

If I hadn't gone out on a limb by self-publishing the first Christian regency novel of its kind,I would never have landed three contracts with Harvest House Publishers.

If I had waited for success to reach me, I would not have met with the success I've had.

If I hadn't (figuratively speaking) reached for the stars, I wouldn't have achieved publication with a big publisher.

You get the idea. Now take some advice and let it move you ahead in your writing and career.



Added Bonus
Linore will be teaching two workshops at the upcoming Writer's Conference in Dayton, Ohio. July 28th, 9-1:30PM. Registration is still open. She’ll be teaching: How to Get the Platform of A Pro; and, Building Believable Characters. Anyone who registers and comes after reading this blog will get a free book from her! To register, please visit http://greaterharvestworkshops.com/



Linore Rose Burkard creates Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul. Her characters take readers back in time to experience life and love during the Regency England era (circa
1800 –1830). Ms. Burkard’s novels include Before the Seasons Ends and The House in Grosvenor Square. Her stories blend Christian faith and romance with well-researched details from the Regency period.

Ms. Burkard was raised in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She lives with her husband and five children in a town full of antique stores and gift shops in southwestern Ohio. Her hobbies include writing four new Regency novels, family movie nights, swimming, and gardening.

To find out more, please visit http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/

Starting Out Strong by Linore Rose Burkard

Did you realize there are additional things to think about, other than writing good material, if you want to be successful in the publishing industry? There’s so much more involved than penning an engaging book. Author Linore Rose Burkard is here today to share her insight this Writer’s Journey Wednesday.

Starting Out Strong

As I teach and speak to newer writers about getting off to a good start in the business, one of the focus areas that I often see neglected is platform.

This isn’t about the writing, okay? Your writing is the most important thing you do to express yourself and reveal who you are as a writer, and it’s got to be good and strong and well-crafted if you want to BE a writer and get published; but that’s only part of what a modern writer or author does.

Another facet of the writing life, love it or hate it, is marketing. We need to market our work (to an editor, an agent or publisher) but we also need to market who we are, and we need to do it in a professional manner. In other words, we need to establish a web presence, which is to say, start building a platform.

You may feel that your craft is the only thing you should work on, and, until it’s perfect, you’ll put off constructing that internet platform. To this I’d say that no writer ever feels their work is perfect, and if you are going to wait for perfection, you’ll be waiting a long, long, time. You’ll be waiting forever!

If you are serious about becoming a career author or writer, the time to start your platform building is NOW. New writers often think they’ll wait until they get that first contract to start their web presence. But did you know that if a publisher has a choice between two unpublished authors, one who has a blog, writes reviews or articles, is a good networker, and one who has none of the above, they will most likely choose the one with an already established web presence?

If your work is good enough to warrant a contract, that’s great, but it’s only part of what a publisher is looking for today. The book business is a BUSINESS. For publishers to stay in that business, they must earn money. They will award contracts to the writers who appear to have the best potential for doing so. Writers with a platform are pre-positioned to fit that bill. So how does one build a platform? To learn more about this topic and how to be ready to get published, join my mailing list. I’m working on a 10-part email course that you can subscribe to and I’ll announce it’s completion to my list.

I’ll be sharing my “Top Ten” essentials for marketing, platform building, professionalism, and more.




Linore Rose Burkard creates Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul. Her characters take readers back in time to experience life and love during the Regency England era (circa 1800 –1830). Ms. Burkard’s novels include Before the Seasons Ends and The House in Grosvenor Square. Her stories blend Christian faith and romance with well-researched details from the Regency period.

Ms. Burkard was raised in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She lives with her husband and five children in a town full of antique stores and gift shops in southwestern Ohio. Her hobbies include writing four new Regency novels, family movie nights, swimming, and gardening.

To find out more, please visit http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/