At All Times

Posted by Debasree Ghosh on Apr 23rd, 2018 in Authors in their Own Words | 0 comments

In this space, WestBow Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journey. The following blog is from Donna Renay Patrick, author of “It’s in Your Praise!” and “At All Times” For more information on the author visit her website, Twitter and Facebook page. To begin your self-publishing journey, get a free WestBow Press publishing guide today.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalm 145:3)
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Psalm 34:1)

Never did I think I would be an author of a book about praise and worship. About 20 years ago, upon entering this ministry area, God lit a fire under me that is still burning. The more I knew the more I wanted to know. I had been a musician for most of my life, but God began to show me that there is so much more to praise and worship than just great music; He showed me in the Word of God why praise, worship, and music don’t always come in the same package. Neither praise nor worship is about a great song; they are about what is in your heart. You can sing beautifully, and still have a heart that is devoid of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

As we experience difficult situations in our lives we sometimes ask ourselves, “What reason do I have to keep praising God while I’m going through such a terrible time?” You have EVERY reason! Not only are you under divine mandate to praise Him, but God will always deserve our praise. It might take a change in perspective.

Praising God

My first book, At All Times, was birthed from the belief that no matter what we go through in life the praises of God are always in order. I wanted to change hearts and thought processes concerning praising God. In the chapter, God Has Given Us Weapons: Are You Using Yours? the point is made that one of the weapons we have against the enemy is our praise! In 2 Chronicles chapter 20 King Jehoshaphat and the nation of Judah praised God on their way to what they thought was a battlefield. Instead, what they found were the dead bodies of their enemies! Why? Because God moved in their praises and destroyed the enemy.

In the chapter, Praising God Ahead of Schedule, you will discover you don’t have to wait until God manifests the answer to your prayer. When you praise God BEFORE your prayer is answered it is an incredible act of faith! It says to God, “I trust You to handle this situation for me. Thank You, Jesus!” Psalm 138:8 speaks to us, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O Lord, endures forever. . .” That’s a good reason to praise Him ahead of schedule.

Self-Publishing with WestBow Press

My self-publishing experience was incredibly rewarding. I learned how important it is to choose a publisher who really understands your vision, and will not water down your message. The assistance and mentoring I received from Westbow Press were invaluable. The consultant assigned to me every step of the process was professional, prompt in responding to my questions, and patient during the editing process. My biggest challenge as a self-published author is marketing. Along the way, I have met people more knowledgeable than I am, and have certainly heeded their wisdom. Early on, I was told that having a book is your business card to get you into various places. I have since learned that my book is not my business card; it is my business, and that is how I began to approach it!

Writing a book is a very large investment of time and resources. But it has been exceptionally rewarding to have written two books now on what I am most passionate about – praise and worship training and development.

WestBow Press authors who’d like to share a 350-600 word experience related to the self-publishing of their books are invited to do so through the Blog Guidelines Page. WestBow Press reserves the right to edit stories for content, grammar, punctuation, and length.

Journey to Self-Publishing

Posted by Debasree Ghosh on Apr 9th, 2018 in Authors in their Own Words | 0 comments

In this space, WestBow Press publishes articles written by our authors in which they share some aspect of their self-publishing journey. The following blog is from Bryan Deavor, author of “A Lamp to My Feet.” For more information on the author visit his Facebook. To begin your self-publishing journey, get a free WestBow Press publishing guide today.

The Journey

After diligently seeking God for four years, in 2016 the Lord laid it upon my heart to write and share His word with others. At first, my response was, “Uhh, are you sure you want me to write?!” Not in a million years would I have ever thought of writing, let alone think of trying to get a book published for others to read. Why would I, a nobody, be one called by God to write Christian books? The Lord has His ways of working in our lives, and I’m glad I heeded my calling. Not only was it revealed to me what to write about, I also received the inclination of future books to write as well.

Growing Closer to Him

While I was in the process of writing my first book, I felt excitement, joy, and peace. I knew that it was only because of God, that I was able to feel such a way for pursuing the journey He called me to walk. This was the way forward for me to step into my role of discipleship. Not only did I find my enjoyment during my journey with God on this project, but I grew much closer to Him. My relationship with Him grew to a deeper level of intimacy. He is my Father, and as such, He has my heart.

Once I had completed the first project, I had submitted the works to my editors. I started to feel that my works were not worthy of being published in the public eye. I began feeling that what I just accomplished would have no positive impact for our King and His kingdom. However, my editing team helped me to realize that the work I did was a good start for God and heaven. They helped me understand that the negative perceptions in my head were attacks brought forth by the devil himself. After understanding that, I knew I had to press on and move the book to a publishing company if I wanted to complete the good works on behalf of our Creator.

Searching for the Right Publisher

When I was researching self-publishing companies, I had narrowed down my list to three candidates. After much time praying and considering my options, I had placed calls with each company. Not only did I get to know a little more about each company, each company had their perks. It was WestBow Press that stood out from the bunch and laid heavily on my heart to proceed with. I felt that trying to reach out with my first ever book, a Christian piece of work at that, I needed the backing of a strong Christian publishing company.

Publishing with WestBow Press

After deciding to publish with WestBow Press, it was quick and easy to start the process. The whole team did great work on the project and their design staff exceeded my expectations for the book. From start to finish, sending the book live, was a breeze. The team made every step of the publishing process very easy for me. Each representative for the different phases was professional and courteous. WestBow Press was and is the best fit for my book. I could not be any happier with the results. I look forward to working with the WestBow Press publishing team on my writing endeavors in the near future.