What It Takes to Have a Winning Team

Everyone knows who Lebron James is—at least they should know. Many consider him the best basketball player currently playing the game. He can do it all—shoot from the perimeter, make free throws from the foul line, dunk the ball with great charisma, pass it through arms and legs, muscle his way through guards, and practically defy the laws of probability on a good night.

He didn’t just start doing that. He’s been doing it since he was young. He entered the NBA at eighteen, right out of high school, completely bypassing a college career.

I remember the naysayers—they said he’s not good enough, he’s not old enough, he doesn’t have enough experience; in the NBA, he will face lots more competition, and he’s not that good. I remember all those comments because I wrote them. I do closed-captioning for television, and commentators often love to criticize famous people. Maybe it’s not so much beating up on people, but I cringe at times when I hear what ruthless so-called experts say, thinking how I would feel if they were saying that about me.

Marketing is really a game. It’s a big game made up of players, managers, owners, referees, commentators, and the “crowds” that watch, whether it’s in a stadium, in the galley, in the stands, or in a gymnasium. Somewhere, everybody fits. Those who don’t enjoy sports, well, I guess you miss the game.

But let’s pretend you are a sports fan, even if you aren’t. I use Lebron James as an example because he is a marvelously successful basketball player. He has done it all—except one thing that he wants more than anything else. He wants to win an NBA championship.

Why hasn’t he done that yet? After all, hhe’sbeen a professional basketball player for years. Were all the naysayers right?

Even the best basketball player in the world can’t win a championship all on his own shoulders. When Lebron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he tried. He did everything in his power to make it happen. He came close, but ultimately failed.

As I am writing this, the Miami Heat is playing the Chicago Bulls for a bid at the championship. I don’t know who will win—I am pulling for Miami for LeBron’s sake, even though I really like Joakim Noah for the Bulls (He showed up at my daughter’s nine-year-old birthday party and surprised us all.

Games are not meant, in large part, to be solitary sports (except for a few, like tennis). To win, it takes cooperation, commitment, hard work, perseverance, and team participation by everyone.

I have captioned hundreds of games in various sports, and afterward, the reporter usually interviews the most valuable player and the coach. He will also interview the losing coach and one of the best-losing players if time permits. It’s always interesting to hear what each coach says, and I especially enjoy hearing the players ‘ thoughts.

After the game, all the reporters from the various sports news agencies will gather in a press room, and the star players and coaches will sit at a long table. The press conference often includes a bunch of “stupid” questions. Usually, with grace, the players and coaches will endure the battery, probably remembering that paycheck (in the pros), and those in college get a taste of the limelight.

But for those teams who are successful, it goes so much deeper than that final winning shot. It goes back to hours of practice and sacrifice; learning to play together as a team, understanding the quirks of fellow teammates, what motivates them, and what annoys them; and encouraging each other on how to improve the other person’s game. It’s about “dying to self” and embracing the concept deep down that it’s not “all about me.” And sometimes you have those phenomenal athletes, like Tim Tebow, who openly give glory to God for their success.

How does this tie into the John 3:16 Marketing Network? Each author who has joined the network will admit to having a dream of becoming a best-selling author. And in the John 3:16 Marketing Network, this is achievable for an unknown author in subcategories. It has happened on Amazon several times in the eight months we have been in existence.

However, I would like to remind the reader that the ultimate goal of the network is to bring glory to God by promoting a Christian worldview in the bestseller categories on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or The New York Times. If we remember the ultimate goal is to glorify God, we can have an “inning team.”

That means we rejoice when someone else wins an award, secures a contract, receives a glowing review, or achieves something for the first time that they never thought possible. We die to ourselves, not wishing it were us instead. God has a path for each one of us.

As a Body of Authors, we can help one another achieve success on whatever path God sets before us. For some, that might mean selling only a few hundred copies of the book. For others, that might mean selling thousands of units. The outcome is not ours to control. We unselfishly commit to being part of a winning team, not counting the costs in personal sacrifice, but the ultimate cost of winning souls. That is the real game in Christian marketing.

It’s not always the outcome that matters, but the process through which we achieve it. If we focus solely on the outcome and disregard relationships as we strive for that elusive finish line, we are likely to fail. It’s just too hard. Winners have learned they need others’ help to succeed. This is the philosophy behind the John 3:16 Network.

Recently, an author complained to me, “I feel like I have given out so much and gotten so little in return.” She cited some examples, and I could relate to her sentiments about being slighted. We have all experienced it. None of us is immune because it’s not in our nature to ignore the hurtful things people do to us—even when it’s unintentional.

My email back to her was this:

God will return tenfold what you give out if you don’t keep score. He doesn’t forget. Think about all the people who have helped you, and you weren’t in a position to return the favor.

Believe me, you will receive it back in miraculous ways, and it’s always better than what you expected, perhaps from a different source. But you need to have a short memory to allow God to have a long one.

The John 3:16 Marketing Network is about a lot more than selling books. It’s about being a winner – dying to self, caring for others, and encouraging one another in the journey. With the right attitude and the gifts God has given us, I have no doubt that many in the John 3:16 Marketing Network will achieve great success in terms of book sales.

However, other kinds of success cannot be measured in dollars and cents—in relationships, networking, and acquiring knowledge and skills.

I don’t want to walk away from the marketing game because it’s too hard. I don’t want to sit in the stands watching others sell their books while I languish because I don’t know how. I don’t want to be stuck on the bench because I’m injured, whether it’s hurt feelings or pride that has tainted my attitude and made me selfish. And I don’t want to be a commentator finding fault with everything someone else has done wrong. I don’t want to be a referee—I want to play. And those commentators out there—I can hear it from the naysayers. They probably think I am just a little crazy. Well, guess what? My kids would probably agree with you (but they love me anyway).

Here we are all winners. We have taken that first step in successful marketing—networking.

Author’s Note: Although the John 3:16 Marketing Network is no longer active, the steps we took and the strategies we implemented still apply today in 2025. Create your own network with other like-minded authors, help each other with book launches, and you can achieve great things. However, remember that it is God whom we serve. Give Him all the glory for your success, and learn from your mistakes. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Happy Marketing!

To purchase How to Launch a Best-Selling Christian Book on Amazon, click here.

To read more blog posts by Lorilyn on book marketing, click here.