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The Christian Book You’re Praying About Whether Or Not To Write

I bet you’re writing a book right now.

You’re nearly half-way finished and you’ve been writing it for about two or three years now.  But you probably also haven’t touched it very much in the last few months.  Am I right?

Or maybe you haven’t started writing “your book” yet…but you’ve been considering it.  Maybe even praying about it.  You’ve got a topic you’re passionate about, that you want to tell other people all about, and you’re wondering if you should begin writing it.

I would encourage you to do so.  If God places the burden on your heart, then go for it.  Get on with it!  Put your pen to paper, your fingers to the keyboard, and get writing.

Stop stalling.  Tell the world your story and just do it.  Many people will read it and be touched by what you have to say.

Look, it may not become a New York Times bestselling novel, but it just might impact people for eternity.  Listen to that voice in your head and start today.  Yes, today.

We’re All In The Same Boat

Like you, I’m also writing a book.  Actually, I’m in the process of writing two books, but that’s another story altogether.

I have “finished” (notice the quote marks here) writing a book about discerning and understanding God’s Will in our lives.  It is currently entitled, “Revealed: God’s Will”.

My book is about trying to answer the hard questions in life regarding what God would have us do (i.e. Who should I marry; What college should I attend; Where should I work; etc.).  I call this God’s UNREVEALED will in our lives.  And the way we answer these tough questions is by applying His REVEALED will in our lives, which is His revealed Scripture to us…otherwise known as the Bible.

But in my publishing naiveté, I didn’t realize just how hard it is to actually get published!  I naively thought that actually writing (and…um…finishing) the book would be the hard part and that getting it published would be merely a small hill to overcome.

Boy, was I wrong!

The Challenge In Getting Published

In today’s Christian publishing world, it is next to impossible to get a traditional publisher interested in a non-fiction book, such as mine.  There are tens of thousands of people each year who write books and there are only a handful of publishing houses to choose from (or rather, get chosen by).  Therefore, these companies are looking for authors with an established Platform, which is an industry term used to describe your influence around the world.

In other words, why would people buy my book compared to such-and-such (insert here the names of the authors for the last few books you’ve purchased)?

Platform is influence.  It is notoriety.  When someone is famous, people will buy their book purely because they are famous.  When someone is not famous (like me, for example), few people will buy my book.  Or at least this is the mindset of most big publishing houses.

It is for this reason that most of the books you see in Christian bookstores (or Barnes & Noble, for that matter) are written by famous people, or people with an established Platform, or with a unique and captivating story.

But that also leads to the beauty of the exploding self-publishing industry (which is a topic I plan to write about more in the near future.).  More and more people are going the self-publishing route, making a good dent in the literary world, and are controlling the publishing process from start to finish.  Self-publishing has its challenges, but also its benefits.

Where Is The Publishing Industry Going?

I recently came across an article that was written a few months ago by Michael Hyatt, who is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Michael has a very influential blog which I tend to read frequently and thoroughly.  The article has to do with finding an agent to represent you in the publishing world.  Please note that I have taken bits and pieces from the article and pasted them below, so I’d encourage you to go to Michael’s site to read the full version. (click here to go to Michael’s article.)

Below is some information from that article which is fascinating to me, and quite helpful.  Maybe it will be for you as well.  Enjoy!

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First of all, let’s revisit the facts. Last year, more than 560,000 new books were published in the U.S. alone. About half of these were self-published or “print on demand” titles. In addition, industry experts estimate that there are another four million manuscripts completed that have not yet found a publishing home. That’s a lot of competition.

Conventional trade publishers, like Thomas Nelson, receive thousands of unsolicited book proposals every year. We simply don’t have the staff to wade through these book proposals. Frankly, we can’t justify the investment. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The vast majority of proposals we get are not commercially viable.

I would like to offer eight concrete actions you can take if you find yourself in this place:

  1. Re-evaluate your commitment. Maybe you thought your idea was so good that agents and publishers would be clamoring to talk with you. Now that you have had a head-on collision with reality, it’s time to re-evaluate. You have no doubt already invested hundreds of hours in writing a book proposal (or the entire manuscript) and trying to find an agent. So far, you have nothing to show for it. Are you willing to invest the additional time and energy it’s going to take to see your book into print? This is the time to think soberly about the hard work still before you.
  2. Embrace the challenge. Getting published is not easy. Instant success is not the norm. And even if you got it, it wouldn’t be good for your character development. Trust me, once you land a publisher, you will face a whole new set of challenges. Stop complaining about how difficult it is. Nobody cares.
  3. Ask for feedback. Accept the fact that virtually no one will have the guts or the time to tell you what they really think. No one wants to hurt your feelings. This makes it particularly challenging to get at the truth. Whatever you do, don’t console yourself with some illusion that God told you to write this book or that you just know in your gut it’s going to be a bestseller. None of this will help you get published. In fact, both responses will turn off legitimate agents and publishers. Worse, they will keep you from discovering what is missing in your proposal or what is included in your proposal that is causing it to get rejected. Instead, ask, “What are the two or three things I could do to make my query letter or proposal more attractive?”
  4. Revise your proposal.
  5. Widen your prospect pool. You can start with my list of Literary Agents Who Represent Christian Authors. You should also try to network with agents, editors, and published authors through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and writers’ conferences.
  6. Build your platform. By platform, I mean an audience—people who want to hear what you have to say. I can’t overemphasize how important this is. Getting your book into print will require a big investment on the part of your agent and publisher. Both will be looking for ways to insure their success and minimize their risk. If they know that you have already built an audience, they are much more likely to take you on. The good news is that it’s never been cheaper to build a platform. That’s not to say it’s easy. It’s not. But with blogs and other forms of social media, you can begin building a tribe of followers. Frankly, this is often as important as the book itself.
  7. Resubmit your proposal. Yes, you can resubmit your proposal to agents who have rejected it previously. However, you have to be very careful. Don’t re-submit it right away. The market can change in the intervening months. Something that didn’t make sense then, might make sense now.
  8. Consider self-publishing. If you have built a following, you might want to consider publishing the book yourself. Make sure you do your research and don’t assume that this will be a cake-walk. It is not a panacea. Self-publishing will have its own challenges, not the least of which is that it will be up to you to create market demand for your book. (The truth is that you will have to do a good deal of this yourself even in a conventional publishing arrangement. Just ask any published author.) However, if you have the confidence, the money to invest, and a good marketing plan, it is worth considering this option. And, no, I don’t think it hurts your chances of getting picked up by a traditional publisher. It certain situations, it can help you.

Finally, don’t lose heart. Most authors have rejection stories. Rejection is part of the process. It doesn’t have to be the end. Like I used to tell my children, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

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ACTION TO TAKE: Are you writing a book?  Have you written one but it hasn’t been published yet?  Leave a comment below and tell us about your book.  What is the title of it?  What is it about?  Have you submitted it to any agents and what has been the outcome?  If you haven’t written a book yet, are you thinking about writing one?  What is the topic for the book you hope to write some day?

Image credit: Jeff Boriss (Creation Swap)

Comments

  1. says

    Are you writing a book? Have you written one but it hasn’t been published yet? Leave a comment below and tell us about your book. What is the title of it? What is it about? Have you submitted it to any agents and what has been the outcome? If you haven’t written a book yet, are you thinking about writing one? What is the topic for the book you hope to write some day?

  2. says

    I’m loving this post. I write both fiction and nonfiction. I’m writing (and pitched) my nonfiction work but I self publish my fiction work.

    My nonfiction book is “God Says Yes: Living in God’s Acceptance and Love”. Have you ever allowed your personal hangups to dictate your relationship with God? Well my book addresses this an more. I wrote it to show we are exactly the people God seeks.

    • says

      Thanks Dana! That’s awesome about your book!!!

      Keep up the work and don’t stop! God will use you and your writing to glorify Himself while serving others. To God be the glory!

  3. says

    I am writing a book. The working title is “Becoming Little Orphan Annie: Discovering Who You Are in Christ”. 

    This non-fiction book has a movie theme, as you may have guessed by the title, and explores how child like dreams have more to do with us as adults than we think. 

    This book takes common things like characters or moments in a movie and relates them to our lives and relationship with God. I always wanted to be Little Orphan Annie when I was a kid. Not because she had Daddy Warbucks, I have a better Father than that, I wanted to be Annie because she never left anyone the same way she found them. She could burst into song or break out into a fight just as easily and she was loyal and kind. These are traits I identified with as a kid, and realistically not much has changed. 

    At the core of who I was designed by God to be, I still am. I believe the same is true for others. 

    The world may have dumped on us, bruised us up, even out and out kicked our rears a few times, but our basic design of who we are is no different than when the Master Maker created us. We just need to learn how to look past the bruises and the junk to get back to the core of who we are, so we can live the purpose God has called us to now! 

    I am only about a 1/3 of the way through and find that I vacillate between doubting my authority to write and the absolute need to say what God has given  me to say. 

    I have not shopped it to agents, but I am simultaneously working on a book proposal so I can begin to do so soon. 

    Writing a blog is one thing, writing a book is on a whole other level. (LOL)  

    • says

      Dayna, don’t stop! Keep going! That sounds like an awesome book! Finish it. Many will be blessed by it.

      And I agree that blogging is different than writing a book. I have one book to my publisher now and we’ll be starting on editing soon. I’m about 1/3 done with a novel as well. 

      I concur that book writing is so much different than blogging. But the two are the same in that you have to put your seat in the chair and start writing!

  4. AD Masters says

    I have just finished a gratitude book/devotional. I want to publish it but realize I will probably need to self-publish my first book. I am also looking into writing contests that I can submit my book and/or parts of it to.

  6. Robert McAleer says

    My books will be more of a testimoney to what God has done in my life and what he has shown me.I wrote this summery over ten years ago.This was just the beginning.BEYOND BELIEF

    SUMMERY WRITTEN BY ROBERT A McALEER

    “BEYOND BELIEF” is the story of what happens when a Christian family moves into a neighborhood of Satan worshipers and engages them in spiritual warfare. It will take you to the very limits of your imagination and beyond!

    The story will take the reader from innocence, and ignorance of the spiritual realm around them, straight into the battle that even now threatens to consume their very souls!

    Satan is real and the world you see around you is the result of Satan’s, and his army of fallen angels, demonic influence on mankind. This is not the life God intended for mankind! Satan’s time is running out so it’s time you know the truth. Are you prepared for what is to come?

    The main battle between good and evil doesn’t occur until chapter seven. I felt it necessary to include chapters one through six to explain how Paul and Eve Adams came to find themselves in the position to even consider spiritual warfare as an option in dealing with the situation they found themselves in.

    Chapter one is about how Paul and Eve met and the incident that began the whole series of events that carried them to the place that is truly “BEYOND BELIEF”. I’ll let you hear about it from Paul.

    Shortly after we met Eve and I rented an apartment together. We were involved in alcoholics anonymous but there was suddenly a large number of members going back to drinking. We were among them. One night, I still remember it like it happened yesterday, we decided to go to the store to get something to drink. I chose a bottle of white wine and Eve chose a bottle of MD2020. We went back to the house and listened to some music while we drank our wine. I had just poured my second glass of wine and sat down when I noticed that Eve was finishing her bottle of wine. She then became very agitated and started to yell and argue with me. I tried talking to her but it was as if she didn’t hear a word I said. I was standing in the center of the room when suddenly she got off the couch and came toward me yelling and screaming. She started hitting me so I backed up to the front door. I didn’t know what to do, she had never acted like this before, so I grabbed her arms and tried talking to her again. God only knows why I asked her what I did. The hair on my neck stands up and a chill runs down my spine even now just thinking about it. I let go of her arms and she started hitting me again so I grabbed her arms and looked her in the eyes, they were black…staring, and a strange feeling came over me. Suddenly I heard myself saying” Your not Eve, where’s Eve! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of the answer I got. Suddenly she said in this deep, strange voice “Eve’s…not…here!” Panic, disbelief, this can’t be real! That’s the only way I can describe what I was thinking. My mind was reeling as if I had been hit with a two by four and I let go of her wrists. She began to hit me even harder in the face and head so I grabbed her wrists again and tried to think. I didn’t know what to do so I started praying in my mind and the only thing I could think of was “God help me I don’t know what to do!” She then became more violent and started kicking me. I didn’t want to hurt Eve so I pushed her down on the bed and sat on her legs. It was then that she said in that same strange voice “How do you know you’re not hurting Eve’s little arms!” Then she started crying and it sounded like Eve so I loosened my grip on her wrists. The crying immediately changed to this hideous laughter “HA HA HA HA HA!” I once again looked into those eyes and in my mind screamed “ NO!” The voice then said “My what a strong will you have!“ The last thing it said to me was “ I’m going to destroy you!” After that Eve passed out on the bed and I poured the rest of my wine down the drain. The next day Eve didn’t remember anything that happened after we started drinking.

    Chapter two is about the sedative effect time and the influences of life have on a person. Paul and Eve succumb to the narcotic effects of the worldly reality around them. Seeking the fleeting pleasures of the flesh only to find themselves on a collision course with death.

    In chapter three Eve is found to be “mentally Ill“. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people that are truly mentally ill, but I believe that the term has been greatly abused by many members of the psychiatric community. Just remember that fifty percent of the psychiatrists practicing finished in the bottom half of their class. This subject is covered in depth and runs as a thread through the story.

    Chapter four is the result of the ignorant pharmacological treatment of Eve’s “mental illness”. After a battery of psychological tests, given while Eve is under the influence of a mood and mind altering drug prescribed by a doctor, Eve’s psychiatrist begins a dangerous game of let’s see what this drug will do. When Eve’s insurance runs out she is discharged from the hospital, dazed and confused, with seven prescriptions for a months supply of each drug and four refills! Fourteen days after her discharge Paul finds Eve on the couch in their living room. She has taken all of her medicine, aspirated, and is in a coma laying on her side in a puddle of vomit making a gurgling noise much like that of a vaporizer gone amuck. Eve is in a coma for three days. She comes out of the coma in a drug induced psychosis screaming about death, hell, and God. This goes on for three days. On the seventh day Eve comes out of the psychosis with no permanent psychological or physical damage. Where was Eve those seven days?

    Chapter five is when Paul explores the possibility that the event of chapter one could be the key to understanding everything that has taken place since. He begins to seriously consider that what occurred was in fact an example of demonic possession. Being the intellectual person that he is Paul doesn’t want to jump to any wild conclusions. He begins a quest for knowledge on the subject of demonic possession and thus on to the study of “spiritual warfare”.

    In chapter six Paul and Eve move into a neighborhood of Satan worshipers and get the opportunity to put the knowledge they had gained about spiritual warfare to the test.

    The forces of good and evil collide head on in chapter seven. The battle is brief but intense, ending with Paul attempting to blow-up his own house! Whether or not Paul won the battle is a matter of perspective but all I have to say is, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

    In chapter eight Paul and Eve, driven by some unseen force, embark on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Seven days later, driven by that same unseen force, Paul ascends to the top of the Devil’s courthouse on the parkway where he proceeds to read from his Bible(KJV), chapters fifty and fifty-one of the book of Jeremiah, God’s judgment against Babylon. What happens next is awesome!

    We find Paul and Eve in chapter nine, no longer held by the force that was driving them, returning to New Washington, South Carolina only to find out that they are wanted by the police for questioning. Upon arriving at the police station Paul and Eve identify themselves to the officer on duty and are immediately arrested for attempted arson second degree.

    With their sanity in question chapter ten takes Paul and Eve through the process of determining the their mental state at the time they “allegedly” committed the attempted arson.

    Paul and Eve make bail in chapter eleven and begin working to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together again. They work with the Department of Social Services for eight months to regain custody of their three children. They go to court on a Thursday and get custody of their children and on Friday they receive notices to appear in general sessions court to answer the charges against them. It is a short reunion.

    In chapter twelve you will go into a courtroom with no jury and the verdict has already been decided on before the first witness for the prosecution takes the stand. Paul and Eve find out exactly what it means to be found “Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity”.

    Is this the end of Paul and Eve? Forever trapped in a state mental hospital on separate wards for the criminally insane! Separated by barbed wire and Eve’s psychotic drugs. Paul was never on psychotic drugs. They said the he suffered an induced psychotic episode caused by his Eve’s mental illness but was fine now.

    Chapter thirteen reveals the fact that the story “BEYOND BELIEF” is based on a true story! There is in fact much more to the story and it is far from being over. After all the fat lady has yet to sing.

    BEYOND BELIEF

    SUMMERY WRITTEN BY ROBERT A McALEER

    “BEYOND BELIEF” is the story of what happens when a Christian family moves into a neighborhood of Satan worshipers and engages them in spiritual warfare. It will take you to the very limits of your imagination and beyond!

    The story will take the reader from innocence, and ignorance of the spiritual realm around them, straight into the battle that even now threatens to consume their very souls!

    Satan is real and the world you see around you is the result of Satan’s, and his army of fallen angels, demonic influence on mankind. This is not the life God intended for mankind! Satan’s time is running out so it’s time you know the truth. Are you prepared for what is to come?

    The main battle between good and evil doesn’t occur until chapter seven. I felt it necessary to include chapters one through six to explain how Paul and Eve Adams came to find themselves in the position to even consider spiritual warfare as an option in dealing with the situation they found themselves in.

    Chapter one is about how Paul and Eve met and the incident that began the whole series of events that carried them to the place that is truly “BEYOND BELIEF”. I’ll let you hear about it from Paul.

    Shortly after we met Eve and I rented an apartment together. We were involved in alcoholics anonymous but there was suddenly a large number of members going back to drinking. We were among them. One night, I still remember it like it happened yesterday, we decided to go to the store to get something to drink. I chose a bottle of white wine and Eve chose a bottle of MD2020. We went back to the house and listened to some music while we drank our wine. I had just poured my second glass of wine and sat down when I noticed that Eve was finishing her bottle of wine. She then became very agitated and started to yell and argue with me. I tried talking to her but it was as if she didn’t hear a word I said. I was standing in the center of the room when suddenly she got off the couch and came toward me yelling and screaming. She started hitting me so I backed up to the front door. I didn’t know what to do, she had never acted like this before, so I grabbed her arms and tried talking to her again. God only knows why I asked her what I did. The hair on my neck stands up and a chill runs down my spine even now just thinking about it. I let go of her arms and she started hitting me again so I grabbed her arms and looked her in the eyes, they were black…staring, and a strange feeling came over me. Suddenly I heard myself saying” Your not Eve, where’s Eve! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought of the answer I got. Suddenly she said in this deep, strange voice “Eve’s…not…here!” Panic, disbelief, this can’t be real! That’s the only way I can describe what I was thinking. My mind was reeling as if I had been hit with a two by four and I let go of her wrists. She began to hit me even harder in the face and head so I grabbed her wrists again and tried to think. I didn’t know what to do so I started praying in my mind and the only thing I could think of was “God help me I don’t know what to do!” She then became more violent and started kicking me. I didn’t want to hurt Eve so I pushed her down on the bed and sat on her legs. It was then that she said in that same strange voice “How do you know you’re not hurting Eve’s little arms!” Then she started crying and it sounded like Eve so I loosened my grip on her wrists. The crying immediately changed to this hideous laughter “HA HA HA HA HA!” I once again looked into those eyes and in my mind screamed “ NO!” The voice then said “My what a strong will you have!“ The last thing it said to me was “ I’m going to destroy you!” After that Eve passed out on the bed and I poured the rest of my wine down the drain. The next day Eve didn’t remember anything that happened after we started drinking.

    Chapter two is about the sedative effect time and the influences of life have on a person. Paul and Eve succumb to the narcotic effects of the worldly reality around them. Seeking the fleeting pleasures of the flesh only to find themselves on a collision course with death.

    In chapter three Eve is found to be “mentally Ill“. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people that are truly mentally ill, but I believe that the term has been greatly abused by many members of the psychiatric community. Just remember that fifty percent of the psychiatrists practicing finished in the bottom half of their class. This subject is covered in depth and runs as a thread through the story.

    Chapter four is the result of the ignorant pharmacological treatment of Eve’s “mental illness”. After a battery of psychological tests, given while Eve is under the influence of a mood and mind altering drug prescribed by a doctor, Eve’s psychiatrist begins a dangerous game of let’s see what this drug will do. When Eve’s insurance runs out she is discharged from the hospital, dazed and confused, with seven prescriptions for a months supply of each drug and four refills! Fourteen days after her discharge Paul finds Eve on the couch in their living room. She has taken all of her medicine, aspirated, and is in a coma laying on her side in a puddle of vomit making a gurgling noise much like that of a vaporizer gone amuck. Eve is in a coma for three days. She comes out of the coma in a drug induced psychosis screaming about death, hell, and God. This goes on for three days. On the seventh day Eve comes out of the psychosis with no permanent psychological or physical damage. Where was Eve those seven days?

    Chapter five is when Paul explores the possibility that the event of chapter one could be the key to understanding everything that has taken place since. He begins to seriously consider that what occurred was in fact an example of demonic possession. Being the intellectual person that he is Paul doesn’t want to jump to any wild conclusions. He begins a quest for knowledge on the subject of demonic possession and thus on to the study of “spiritual warfare”.

    In chapter six Paul and Eve move into a neighborhood of Satan worshipers and get the opportunity to put the knowledge they had gained about spiritual warfare to the test.

    The forces of good and evil collide head on in chapter seven. The battle is brief but intense, ending with Paul attempting to blow-up his own house! Whether or not Paul won the battle is a matter of perspective but all I have to say is, “It’s not over until the fat lady sings.”

    In chapter eight Paul and Eve, driven by some unseen force, embark on a journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Seven days later, driven by that same unseen force, Paul ascends to the top of the Devil’s courthouse on the parkway where he proceeds to read from his Bible(KJV), chapters fifty and fifty-one of the book of Jeremiah, God’s judgment against Babylon. What happens next is awesome!

    We find Paul and Eve in chapter nine, no longer held by the force that was driving them, returning to New Washington, South Carolina only to find out that they are wanted by the police for questioning. Upon arriving at the police station Paul and Eve identify themselves to the officer on duty and are immediately arrested for attempted arson second degree.

    With their sanity in question chapter ten takes Paul and Eve through the process of determining the their mental state at the time they “allegedly” committed the attempted arson.

    Paul and Eve make bail in chapter eleven and begin working to put the pieces of their shattered lives back together again. They work with the Department of Social Services for eight months to regain custody of their three children. They go to court on a Thursday and get custody of their children and on Friday they receive notices to appear in general sessions court to answer the charges against them. It is a short reunion.

    In chapter twelve you will go into a courtroom with no jury and the verdict has already been decided on before the first witness for the prosecution takes the stand. Paul and Eve find out exactly what it means to be found “Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity”.

    Is this the end of Paul and Eve? Forever trapped in a state mental hospital on separate wards for the criminally insane! Separated by barbed wire and Eve’s psychotic drugs. Paul was never on psychotic drugs. They said the he suffered an induced psychotic episode caused by his Eve’s mental illness but was fine now.

    Chapter thirteen reveals the fact that the story “BEYOND BELIEF” is based on a true story! There is in fact much more to the story and it is far from being over. After all the fat lady has yet to sing.

  7. Michelle says

    Yes! I am writing two books currently. The first is titled, Amazing Grace, and it is the story of how the Lord brought me (a chief sinner) to my crossroads and truly saved me, forgiving me for all the years I spent in church playing with Him.

    The second is titled, Thank You Lord Jesus…for my single life. This book presses on my heart, because as a single Christian woman there is, what I feel, a very sad misconception that a single Christian must be delirious with desire to get married, to the point that their eyes are involuntarily crossing, knees knocking so hard into each other that they can hardly stand, their heart palpitating so hard they are close to dying from the double time it is doing…trying to keep up with their loneliness, burning flesh, and all the rest of their suffering, they must be experiencing…all because they are single. And certainly, they’re in no position to be picky…if the man shows up, with half a head, no neck, and one shoulder…girl…you better snatch him up…..he’s a man!

    Guess you can tell, I have pretty strong emotions on the subject. Anyway, the purpose of the book is to glorify God and thank Him for all He has done for me, for the life He has blessed me with…yes I am single and happy and filled with joy, content and blessed, yes blessed. And He is keeping me from fornication each and every moment of each and every day…one day at a time.

    The Lord is soooooo much bigger than a saint’s marital status that even when we are single. His blessing, His grace, His joy and happiness and contentment finds us and keeps us. I don’t know if many are aware of that.

    And that does not mean that one day I do not want to be married in the Lord…what it means is that I am thoroughly enjoying and rejoicing, thanking and loving Him right here, right now in my singleness where He currently has me and not wasting my todays being sad, waiting for a tomorrow that if it does come…it ain’t coming until it gets here.

  8. Michelle says

    Anyway, those are the two books I am working on. I have also just finished writing a Christian stage play titled STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF! (which is currently in production) and I have started writing another. I am also trying my hand at gospel song writing.

  9. Laura Ann Weymers says

    I’ve never written a book. Well, that’s not exactly right. I did write a children’s book in school as a teenager! What I am contemplating is putting together the arduous work of my pastor, Mike Stambaugh on the book of Revelation. If for no other reason, I want it to be a tool to be used by others in understanding the difficult content in Revelation and the importance in sharing Jesus with everyone because time is getting precious. I feel a pull to do this by God and I was looking for information and found this blog. It will be more like Mike “writing” the content of the book while I put it together to be an ebook. Are there others out there like myself?

  10. Sarah says

    2 years after you wrote this blog post, it still speaks volumes. I am
    writing my first book, “Hope in Autism,” geared toward parents of
    children with special needs, more specifically, autism. The book tells
    the story of raising our autistic son in the tension between Christian
    parenting and secular behavior modification therapy called ABA (applied behavioral analysis) and seeks to aid other parents who live in the same tension. There is hope in raising a special needs child through Christ who is making all things new. Though we grieve, there is still joy.

    I started the book only several months ago, but it has been on my heart
    and mind for the past three years. I finally decided to put pen to paper, but came to a stalemate over the past few months, succumbing to the voice that whispered I had no business writing a book. Despite the cliche, I do believe God is still calling me to write and so I am back in the game. I was given a full scholarship to attend a writing conference this summer, so I am preparing queries, one-sheets, and book proposals to be prepared for the unexpected. I am looking forward to learning a lot about the art of writing, as it has become a great love of mine. In the meantime, I blog at http://hopeinautism.com. Thanks for writing this! It is greatly helpful.

  11. TN Christian News says

    Charles,
    I’m writing a Christian memoir. Do you have suggestions on where to find market research for this specific genre? I need information on readers, competitors, and more. Thanks.
    Jason

  12. Dorothy Gable says

    Hello Charles, Thank you for your website. I am an unpublished, mostly fiction author, working on a non-fiction book to help the Christian caregiver navigate the dementia maze (see http://www.navigatingdementiamaze.com). As an unknown is it helpful to go to conferences that advertise break out sessions with agents? Which conferences have been the most helpful? Thanks, Dorothy Gable

  13. shareallicu says

    Ever since I started to write again, I’ve experienced more time with writers block than actually writing! I feel the Holy Spirit speak to me, “Trust me” but, it’s difficult when I can’t think enough to do what I love! I hope God knows what He is doing…. I miss writing 🙁

  14. heavensong1952 says

    maybe it is impossible, but i was looking for a seasoned writer to write the book with me. it is a true story about communication with God. it is about a crippled man praying to help him believe and getting up and walking (my ex-husband).The hospital even took a film to document it. Then he was getting messages from God, and he said he heard them in his heart. He also had amazing visions, and God gave him information about me and the bible which i didnt even know, because it was only one place in the bible. my ex knew what i was thinking about the night before, and twilight zone stuff. anyway, now he died and i wanted to tell his story. and my ex had such a big personality and was quite a character. there were things that happened in the hospital that i think is funny.The story has just about every emotion there is. my ex said god said he would be completely cured of ms before he died but that didnt happen, so i dont know if god wants me to write the book because it could make people question their beliefs. I dont know why that didnt happen but i still believe in the whole experience because too many strange things happened that cannot be explained. i was going to name my book either I believe in miracles, or The day God talked to papa, or The day papa talked to God (our little grandson who he loved very much, called him papa. my ex also told me that God didnt want me to tell anyone at the time, after i had already told a bunch of people, who either called me crazy, a liar, or hearing from the devil.

  15. jenniferbjensen says

    I am actually someone who is very hesitant about trying to get a book published. However, every single time I post something on Facebook someone tells me I should write a devotional. I would smile, feel a sense of value about what I had written, and forget it until my husband told me the same thing today. He is very honest and always thinks hard on a topic before even discussing it with me. With this encouragement I thought perhaps it is time for me to truly consider putting my posts into book form. How will I know whether this is realistic?