God has called for his people to write since, well, the beginning of Scripture. Although the biblical canon has closed, God still calls Christian creatives to write fiction and nonfiction books that help to encourage believers and spread the Gospel.
Perhaps you are one of the millions of Christians who heed this call. If you’ve ever felt the tug on your heart to write a book as a Christian, what do you do next?
As someone who has been in the publishing business for 10 years, I’ll walk you through how to navigate this calling, and what to do next.
Calling is a curious thing, that can show itself in many forms (check out Charles Stanley’s advice at the end of this article to understand calling better).
Any writer will tell you that when they feel the tug on their heart, the idea won’t go away.
Sometimes God uses our stories (testimonies) to stir up the hearts of others. Sometimes he gives us an allegorical story—similar to that of the Chronicles of Narnia—to convey Gospel truths via modern-day parables. Sometimes he gives us a nudge to write something that will communicate Gospel truths in a subtle way—similar to The Lord of the Rings.
Whatever form it takes, we know that God loves stories.
Jesus would tell parables, and God put his own story into 66 books. We know this as the Bible.
Seeing that God is an innate storyteller, it makes sense that some Christians would be, too—seeing that this creative gift comes from above.
If you feel the creative tug, the idea won’t go away, you’ve had confirmation from believers to write your story, and you feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit…you likely have a calling to write that book.
So where do you begin?
No one writing journey is the same. As Richard Doster observes in his article about the Christian writer’s calling, the call to write can take many forms. But no matter what form your writing journey takes, you should take the following steps when getting started.
Perhaps you have already followed this calling and intend to publish. We will get to that in a moment. But all Christians who intend to write a book should analyze the following steps. After all, if hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of believers feel the call to write, saying, “God told me to write,” simply isn’t enough.
We must make sure we write well. Otherwise, we will fail to communicate Gospel truths effectively.
With that in mind, here are some steps to take.
Read Well and Read in Your Market
Good writing starts with good reading. There are plenty of authors in your genre, especially in the Christian market.
Find books that have been published in the last five years (to give you a sense of what’s current) and read voraciously. Mentor texts (good examples of quality work that you can study) are by far the best way to know your market. Absorb good writing, to get a sense of what quality work looks and sounds like. Having worked in Christian publishing for years, I have unfortunately witnessed many authors who don’t read.
If you can’t afford to buy too many books, have your local library stock some titles you’d like to peruse. Remember, Christian writers deserve fair compensation too, so do your best to make sure they earn a living (and don’t use a pirating site. Stealing is against the Bible).
Master Your Craft
Take online classes or creative writing classes at a local college. Work with a Christian writing coach. Join a Christian critique group, such as Word Weavers. Attend Christian publishing and writing conferences.
Some writers will take years to hone their craft, so know this will take a lot of time to get right. Some Christians prefer to work with a ghostwriter, having another writer take care of the “craft” part. There’s nothing wrong with this, just be prepared to pay the ghostwriter a fair wage for their time.
Invest in Editing
All books need edits. Whether you choose to self-publish or go the traditional route, your book will need to be edited.
Once you’ve mastered your craft and worked with a critique group, you’re ready for the editing stage.
I help authors with edits, but there are several other Christian editors out there in the marketplace.
Similar to ghostwriting, prepare for this to be an investment. However, editors will help to shape your story, so that your message can be communicated effectively.
Decide Whether to Submit or Self-Publish
Depending on your preferred route, you can either publish the book yourself or seek a publisher to do it for you.
Although there are different types of publishers and models—hybrid versus traditional—expect a long wait time if you choose to go the traditional route. Traditional publishers often schedule books years in advance and expect a decent ROI. It can be tough to get into the traditional market.
Many Christian writers opt for self-publishing. This is a good route for many, but make sure to do good work, no matter what path you take.
It Doesn’t End Here
Whether you go traditional or self-publish, your work won’t end after the editing stage.
Doing good work involves hiring designers, text formatters, book cover creators. It involves purchasing things to make the book look professional, such as ISBNs. Remember that whether you work with a publisher or do it on your own, to do good work. That comes with the calling.
Readers will not pick up a book if it has a sloppy cover or a lot of typos. We must represent Christ well in our work.
Unfortunately, a lot of Christian has earned a bad reputation for being “cheaply made and looking.”
This applies to the messages and appearances of Christian books. Although we do want to be the salt and light that’s in the marketplace, we cannot discount the importance of doing good work.
For instance, we see the temple artists doing good work in the Old Testament. They don’t just slap a haphazard mural on the walls. They design everything meticulously.
If God’s temple deserved good work, surely the books he calls us to write should follow the same structure.
As you may have surmised from the article, good writing takes an investment. And before I get pushback on this, we have to consider what it takes to enter any other field. Christian doctors must pursue years of medical degrees.
Christian teachers must receive a diploma for classroom management.
You get the point.
Although you don’t need a degree to be a good Christian writer, you do need to invest in resources to be the very best you can be at your craft.
As one famous quote puts it, “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”
If all this information has not scared you away yet, you may be ready to get started on your writing journey. Pray for God’s direction, do good work, and persevere. I’m cheering you on from over here, and would love to help you in that journey!
You’ve probably heard the phrase “the call of God,” but maybe you don’t know exactly what it means. Is the Lord still calling people, or was that something He did only in Bible times? Does He speak only to a specific few or to everyone? Although He may not use an audible voice, He’s still in the business of seeking followers.
Called to Salvation—Because sin has created a barrier between us and God, He first reaches out to establish a relationship with us by offering salvation through Christ.
Called to Sanctification—Once we have been reconciled to the Lord, He then calls us to sanctification or holiness. This means that He sets us apart for His purposes. It’s not a perfect life, but one that is bent toward righteousness and obedience. Although this is an act of God that begins at the moment of salvation and continues until our physical death, it also requires a commitment from us. If we choose not to cooperate with the Lord in this process, our growth in Christlikeness will be hindered.
Called to Service—God has chosen to carry out His work in the world through those who are saved. He has determined the tasks He wants each of us to do; our job is to serve Him by accomplishing what He’s planned for us.
How are you responding to the Lord’s various calls? Remember that someday we will all stand before Him and give an account of our lives. Habitually saying no to His voice will result in loss, but those who have lived for Him instead of themselves will be richly rewarded.
Taken from “The Call of God” by In Touch Finding Ministries (used by permission).
Great Resources on Christian Writing and Writers:
How Can We Avoid Making Bad Christian Art?
How Can Christians Succeed in Pop Culture?
9 Christian Authors You Should Know
Evangelical Tracts and Real Art
Do Our Worlds Have Creative Power?
50 Great Christian Books on Creativity
In and of the World: How Culture is Transforming Protestants
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/YakobchukOlena
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
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