9 Hot Topics to Write About in 2019 for Christian Living and Devotional Writers

The first book proposal I wanted to send out to publishers was on the book of Revelation. My agent warned me that no one would be interested in a book about Revelation in today’s market, but she tried for me anyway. She was right. No one is interested in Revelation at the moment. I may self-publish my book at some point, but since my desire is to be traditionally published, I needed to find out what publishers are looking for right now.

In other words, what are the hot topics to write about in 2019 for Christian Living and devotional writers?

I asked around and searched the best sellers and new releases list and came up with these 9 topics:

Hospitality

This is not a Martha Stewart manual on how to have your house ready for guests. Hospitality is an everyday, ordinary life thing.  Recent books about hospitality encourage readers to invite others in even though their home or life isn’t perfect. Last year, Rosaria Butterfield’s book The Gospel Comes with a House Key was published by Crossway Books.

Digital Discipleship/Being a Christian on Social Media

Other topics on this list have been written about for generations. Social media and digital life is still relatively new in Christiandom, so there is a need for books on the topic. Just a few weeks ago, Chris Stedman signed with Fortress Press the rights to his book IRL: Searching for Meaning, Belonging, and Realness in Our Digital Lives.

Church

Church attendance is dropping all across America. I don’t say this to alarm you, because we know that God is building His kingdom and He will prevail, but lots of people are thinking about church and what it is supposed to be and how we relate to it since we do not live in a country where church attendance is a given. There are many upcoming books on the topic of church including Traci Rhoades’ book Not All Who Wander (Spiritually) Are Lost which will be published next year.

Gender and Sexuality Issues

This is a hot topic, but if you are going to write here, just with any topic, make sure that you don’t just have an ax to grind, but that you have some personal investment or reason why your point of view, experience, or expertise adds to the conversation. Dr. Juli Slattery recently wrote Rethinking Sexulaity: God’s Design and Why It Matters. You don’t need a psychology degree to write on the topic of sexuality. Sheila Gregorie started her blog To Love, Honor, and Vaccuum to write about marriage and ended up honing in on sexual issues in marriage. Along with her blogging and speaking, she has written several books about sex in marriage and is still writing more.

Decision Making

The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions by Emily P. Freeman was released this year following over a year’s worth of her Next Right Thing podcast episodes. If you haven’t read this book yet, you are missing out. Emily’s thoughtful writing style is part informative and part reflective. It’s just the right balance to get me thinking about my decisions and how I make them. I also noticed that instead of 12-14 chapters of 3,500-4,000 words, her book contained 24 shorter chapters. As a reader, I loved this format and it’s getting me thinking about the format of some of my future book ideas. 

Family and Parenting

This is a perennial topic and there are lots of books on the market on this topic. Make your unique voice and point of view clear so you can stand out. Risen Motherhood by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler releases soon. They host the popular Risen Motherhood podcast so they have already proven woman want to hear what they have to say.

Slowing Down/Waiting

This topic has been around for awhile, but is not exhausted. Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist was written in 2016, but remains a popular favorite book with over one thousand reviews on Amazon. Just You Wait by Tricia Lott Williford was recently released by NavPress. It’s a book about the discipline of waiting. Also, fellow blogger Patty Scott released a devotional this year called Slow Down, Mama: Thirty-One Days to Help You Slow and Savor.

Homemaking

We don’t hear the term homemaker very often. It’s old fashioned. But the truth is that women still spend time and energy creating, planning, and caring for their home and it’s still something they want to read about. The trick is finding something new to write about in this space. Several authors have done just that. Christie Purifoy wrote the Christian Living book Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace. Placemaker is about her reflections about her process of restoring her historic home. Victoria Duerstock wrote Heart & Home: Design Basics for Your Soul and Living Space which marries truths from the Bible and design tips into a beautiful devotional.

Millennials

Everyone’s favorite generation to pick on has now had years of experience as full-fledged adults. Now they are writing about their faith experience and their views on Christian culture. Here is a recent  list of books about millennials and their faith. 

Hopefully this list sparked an idea in your soul about what to write for publication. But most of all, whatever idea you receive and however you receive it, I encourage you to pray first before writing. God the Father has created you with your unique experience and voice with a message to share to encourage and challenge others. If He has put it on your heart to write, seek Him first for guidance and direction.

Have you noticed any other current trends in Christian Living or Devotional publishing? Comment below!

Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of Scripture at readthehardparts.com. She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.