With over 4 million new books published last year in the U.S. (self-published and traditionally published combined), is there any room for yours? Isn’t the market already saturated?
And with Americans reading at an all-time low (only 19% of Americans now read for pleasure and the average reading time is only 17 minutes/day), you might wonder why you should bother adding your book to the mix.
While these statistics are rather depressing and may give us pause, let’s look at the bigger picture for a moment.
As you know, this podcast is directed toward Christian writers. So the bigger picture for us is God’s plan in all of this – His redemption story for the lost and His sanctification process for His saints.
Did you know that, according to a recent Pew Research Center study, “Self-identified Christians make up 63% of U.S. population in 2021, down from 75% a decade ago”? And that only 10% of Americans say they read the Bible daily? Folks, those are alarming statistics.
So let’s return to today’s topic – should you write a book?
I believe that if God has given you a story and called you to write it, the answer is a resounding, “Yes!”
The key, however, is not to just write any book, but one that makes an impact – a kingdom impact that offers the hope of salvation to the lost and help fellow Christians continue to grow in their faith.
How do we do that?
- We point people to Jesus through our testimonies.
- We share the truths God has revealed to us.
- We reference scripture.
- We incorporate Christian themes into our fictional stories.
- We create realistic characters who struggle with real-life issues yet balance it with biblical truth.
Yes, Christian works should offer hope, light and love. But real life is raw and gritty and confusing – it’s not a Pollyanna-ish existence.
We need to let our readers see God at work in our stories so they can see that God can work in theirs, too.
Ours is a serious calling, with eternal implications. It’s not to be taken lightly.
May we seek God’s direction in every word we write and step we take in the publishing process.
May we not take Scripture out of context to fit our story but shape our stories around God’s truth.
May we not allow our fears or confusion to prevent us from doing the work God has called us to do.
May we choose to dedicate the time and effort necessary to complete our books.
May we always give God the glory for our finished books and any success that we experience.
May we remain in the Word and pray for the lost, that their eyes would be opened and their hearts softened to choose Jesus.
As the Bible states in 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV):
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Friend, let me encourage you by saying:
- Your book matters.
- How you write it matters.
- The people you’re writing it for matter.
You’re not just writing a book. You’re writing a life line.
Go make an impact.
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If you’d like help along your writing and publishing journey, I’m here for you. Schedule a book coaching session with me to discuss your most pressing issue. Gain the clarity and strategy you need to complete the book God has called you to write.
Email me (info@inkandimpact.com) or DM me on Instagram to receive the scheduling link.
Listener Opportunities
Have you written a Christian book (fiction or nonfiction)?
It doesn’t have to have been published just within this year. If you have written a Christian book, I would love to learn about it.
Send me an email to info@inkandimpact.com that includes:
- your name,
- the title of the book,
- a brief summary (like the back cover copy), and
- a link to where I can see the cover and read a few sample pages.
Please don’t send any attachments.
But I do want to learn about your book and I would love to be able to share it with others I know. Especially with indie published authors, it’s hard to get your book seen a lot of times and I would love to help get you a little bit of traction here through the podcast.
Looking to join a weekly writing group specifically for Christian writers?
I am so excited about The Inkwell that I’ve been hosting for about two years now, where we meet every Wednesday at 10am EST to write and connect with each other and pray with each other.
It’s just really blossoming into this beautiful weekly writing session that I know I get so much out of, and I hear from so many of the other participants that they are really thriving with it as well.
And yet, I also hear from several West Coast people that they would love to join, but it’s just too early in the morning. 10am EST is, I believe, 7am their time and I know that’s really hard, especially if you have littles and you’re trying to get them out the door to school or if you have another job and you’re trying to get off to work. I understand that.
So, I’m thinking of adding another time slot!
I would still keep the 10 o’clock – that’s not changing. I would just add a 2 o’clock EST time slot on Wednesdays. I would love to get feedback from those of you listening in the Pacific Standard Time, or even mountain time – oh, wherever you’re at, lol.
Let me know if you would be interested in a 2pm EST time writing session at The Inkwell, and please do send me an email at info@inkandimpact.com or, if you’re on Instagram like I am (that is my favorite social platform of choice these days), send me a DM. Connect with me and send me a DM and let me know what your thoughts are about The Inkwell.
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That’s it for today fellow pen pusher.
Remember, don’t just write a book. Make an impact.
