Cabbage Patch Kids & Publishing
Do you remember Cabbage Patch Kids? I am of the Cabbage Patch Kid generation. They became insanely popular when I was in Kindergarten and I distinctly remember the stories about women beating one another up in lines for the dolls. As an adult, I can recognize that the dolls are not actually very cute. Yet, at the time, I was ALL ABOUT Cabbage Patch dolls. I distinctly remember being consumed with envy when my best friend got a Cabbage Patch Kid playpen for her CBKs. It was covered with that heartwarming logo of a dolls head coming out of a cabbage plant…okay, in hindsight that logo is more creepy than heartwarming.
Do you remember what the marketing hook was for the Cabbage Patch dolls when they first came out? Oddly enough, even though it has been over 25 years, I still remember the commercials. The thing that stood out was that no two dolls were the same (or so they said). This was reinforced when I saw the dolls on the store shelves. They had unique outfits, features, names, and birthdays. A really sharp marketing team figured out how to tap into the feelings and emotions that come from children feeling different. Then they delivered on that by actually creating distinction in the dolls.
Now what in the world does a doll have to do with publishing? I talk to a lot of women who want to write books. Additionally, I often hear from other individuals who want to tell me about women who are potential authors. The problem is that more often than not, the women or those advocating for them communicate how they are just like some existing author or speaker. It’s even worse when someone tells me that a particular woman is going to be the “next” expression of a current author or speaker. Seriously? I understand that a lot of times people are just not careful with their words (I’m certainly guilty of that). However, I am concerned about the potential misconception behind the words and the frequency with which I hear this sort of thing.
So, let me talk specifically to those of you who desire to reach or teach women, especially if you desire to publish in some form as an aspect of that ministry.
God created one Nancy Leigh DeMoss, one Beth Moore, one Priscilla Shirer, one Kay Arthur, etc…No one will ever recreate the ministry the Lord has given them, nor can anyone on the outside possibly have the full story behind how God has created it or the fires they have had to walk through as a result. Penetrating ministries are not built by seeking prominence, but rather by seeking faithfulness. That includes faithfulness to who God has created you to be.
I recognize that a lot of times people are trying to communicate that someone is gifted in a way similar to some of these women whose gifts have been so effectively used. Let me suggest another way to communicate without comparing yourself to others. If you happen to stumble across this and are an aspiring author (or agent) who may someday submit something to me for review, I’ll go ahead and give you a heads up that it would be a good idea to definitely include this approach in your proposal.
I’m most interested in working with women who have a message that is already impacting women. As such, if you want to write a book for women, teach the message first. If you cannot find a class, Bible study, conference, or group of ladies to teach it to, then that probably means that something about the message, audience, or your communication of it isn’t tracking. Perhaps you are trying too hard to be someone you are not or to emulate someone else’s style and message. Find a way to communicate the message face to face, through your own life experiences and gifts before you try to convince me that it will track on paper. Then, don’t tell me who you are like, tell me how lives are being changed by your ministry. I’m serious, I really want to know this.
I am convinced that just as a generation was drawn to the distinct nature of the Cabbage Patch Kids, so is the Body of Christ drawn to distinct expressions of God’s gifts. Work, write, and minister out of your God given distinctions and do not try to cultivate a ministry built on the template of someone else’s.
Epilogue: Incidentally, I just googled the Cabbage Patch Kid playpen and found it listed on a website as a “Vintage Cabbage Patch Kid Playpen.” VINTAGE!?!?!?!? Since when did something so closely tied to my childhood become vintage!?
