Tag: devotional writing

Categories
Award-Winning Author

Award-Winning Author Interview with Sandra Chambers

award-winning author

Can you share a little about your recent book?

Fingerprint Devotions: 40 Devotions to Help You Realize You Are a Kid Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose (ages 8-12)©2023, Ambassador International helps kids discover a personal relationship with God, develop godly character traits, and discover their self-worth and purpose in life. The book contains some fascinating facts about fingerprints like—out of 7.9 billion people on earth today, no two people have the same fingerprints, not even twins. Some animals also have fingerprints like humans—the chimpanzee, ape, monkey and koala bear. The devotional pairs interesting facts like these with a scripture, a short devotional, a journal activity and a prayer.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

In today’s culture, there is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of our children. They are growing up in a culture that no longer holds traditional Christian values. The culture is shifting so fast that even Christian parents can hardly believe the lies that are being perpetuated as truth. These lies attack at the heart of who our children are—their sexual identity, their worth, and their purpose in life. As a Christian, I believe that God created every person to be unique, one-of-a-kind, with gifts and talents to serve Him and make the world a better place.

How long have you been writing?

I think my writing career started when I won an essay contest in elementary school. Then I had a high school English teacher that inspired me to major in English. After graduation, I began a teaching career, but also kept writing. Over the years, I have published 700+ articles for 20+ publications including travel stories, news stories, lifestyle stories, feature and cover stories. Then fourteen years ago, I self-published my book, Lord, It’s Boring in My Prayer Closet: How to Revitalize Your Prayer Life. At that time I knew nothing about book publishing or the world of marketing. I slowly began going to writer’s conferences, taking classes, joining writing organizations, etc.  During COVID, I started writing some children’s picture books just for fun. It was at that time I believe God gave me the idea for my kid’s devotional, Fingerprint Devotions.

And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?

I worked on my children’s devotional for a couple of years, sending out queries while I was finishing it. In April, 2022, I got a contract with Ambassador International, a small traditional Christian publisher.

Which of your books is your favorite?

Since this is my first children’s book, Fingerprint Devotions, is my favorite because I just felt God’s pleasure and grace as He guided me in writing it.

Tell us about an award you won that was particularly meaningful.

I am so blessed to have my kid’s devotional chosen as a finalist and winner for several different awards, but I believe my most cherished award is my 3rd place Selah award from Blue Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference (BRMCWC) this past May. BRMCWC was one of the first conferences I attended in 2014 to learn more about writing. I saw so many fabulous authors win Selahs and I thought—wouldn’t it be awesome to win one of those some day.

How long does it take you to write a book?

It just depends on the genre and length of the book. My kid’s devotional took two years, but I have a kid’s picture book (Maisie Discovers Her Fingerprint) with the same fingerprint theme for younger kids (3-8) coming out Oct. 1st, 2024. It’s based on my real grand puppy, a Frenchie named Maisie, and my daughter, Sarah.  It was a story I wrote quickly just for fun, not even thinking about publishing it. My family loved it so much and encouraged me to publish it. So I began getting it critiqued in my writer’s group as well as a professional edit. People think writing a children’s book is so easy, but it’s really not. Every genre has it’s rules you need to learn. Writing just 500 words is much harder than writing 2,000 words. I guess I worked on honing this picture book on and off for over a year and then I submitted it to my publisher, who said YES.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

I try to fit in working on some aspect of writing most weekdays. I don’t have set times. I used to be more organized than I am now, and I definitely think I have slowed down with age.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

Actually, when I wrote articles (and I still do some articles) I have to get the first paragraph just right before I can move on. It just helps me get started and keep going.

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

I think it has been seeing my kid’s devotional out in the world and the impact it has made on kids. I’ve gotten texts and emails from parents who say their kid gets up by themselves every morning to do devotions using this book, or they carry the book around all day with them. Or the fact that every kid at 7Homes foster camps this year had a book of their own because of donations from people during my book launch. Every time I hear a story about how the devotional is ministering to kids I’m almost in tears and I know that even if one child comes to God or understands how unique and special they are to God, it was worth all the time it took to write it.   

Could you tell us about a dark moment in your writing career?

Oh there are times I’ve wanted to give up. The most recent was even during my success of getting my Fingerprint Devotions published. It was so much work and the editing process took so long. In fact, the book took 1 ½ years to be published. That’s not long in the publishing world, but for the author, it seems like an eternity. I was so tired and then after it was published came the marketing. I remember saying, “I’m not doing this again.” I’ve heard the term, “birthing a book” and I think it’s an appropriate analogy to use because of the ups and downs and emotions during that time.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

My first rejection was on an adult prayer book that I queried in 2014 at BRMCWC. I had an editor form Harvest House interested in it and she took it to pub board. A few months later I had a telephone call from her. She told me the pub board decided NO because they already published prayer books by Stormie Omartian, but she said she loved my writing style and encouraged me to keep going and not give up. I think that was the nicest rejection I have ever gotten. Since then, I’ve had a couple of books make it to pub board, but were finally rejected. But as I learn more about the publishing business, I try not to take rejection so personally. Although it still hurts, I realize not every book fits every publisher.

Where do you get your ideas?

For my Fingerprint Devotions, I was reading about fingerprints and it was so fascinating that I just kept digging. I started writing down some of the facts I discovered and the sources. For my picture books, a lot of my ideas come from my daughter’s childhood.

Who is your favorite author to read?

If you mean in the genre I write in, I guess some of the classic childhood books. Tommy DiPolo for example and his Where the Wild Things Are. Some of the books I read to my daughter when she was growing up like Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown Wise. As far as other kid’s devotionals, Louie Giglio’s Indescribable Series and Michelle Medlock Adams Puppy Dog Devotions inspired me as I was writing my kid’s devotional.

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?

Don’t rush things. There’s a process to becoming a writer. Very few authors are overnight successes. Don’t get into writing to make money. If you don’t have a passion to write, then it’s not for you. As a Christian, our goal should be writing to please God and help others know Him better.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?

One is that beginning writers think they can write a book overnight and get it published by a big traditional house. That only happens with famous people who have ghost writers. I know it’s not fair, but that’s the way it is. They have a PLATFORM to sell books. The second is that many writers enjoy writing, but don’t take time to build a platform and without that, traditional publishers won’t even consider you. If don’t have a large platform, consider a smaller publisher, hybrid publisher, or self-publishing.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?

First, keep honing your writing skills. Attend writing conferences. Join professional organizations in your genre. Break in with article writing—build your portfolio of clips. Be willing to write for free and submit to various online blogs and magazine publications. Submit stories to local magazines, even your local community magazine if you have one.

Second, study writer’s guides such as Writer’s Market Guide; the Christian Writer’s Market Guide; and The Book Markets for Christian Writers. They give you an in-depth look at publishers, what they want, how to submit, etc.

Also, feel free to include: book cover image(s), where book(s) can be purchased, and social media and website links.

Sandra Chambers is a wife, mother, former teacher, journalist and author. Her passion, whether writing or speaking, is to help adults and kids realize they are uniquely created by God for a special purpose. She is the author of an award-winning children’s devotional, Fingerprint Devotions: 40 Devotions to Help You Realize You Are a Kid Uniquely Created by God for a Purpose (ages 8-12) ©2023 Ambassador International, and has a picture book, Maisie Discovers Her Fingerprint (ages 3-8) coming out Oct. 1st, 2024. Sandra is also the host of the Five-Minute Parenting Podcast.

You can find Sandra’s award-winning books on Amazon

Categories
Devotions for Writers

Seasons

devotions

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:”    

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Memorial Day ushers in a new season in our northern state. The blossoms on the apple trees have finished their fashion show and the buttercups appear along the fence row. The foliage of the hostas are rising to fullness and the weather welcomes sunshiny days. Our cold-starved land embraces the warmth.

What season are you in? Are you cultivating the soil of your writing or are you stalled in a barrenness of words?

Writing is like life in the ebb and flow of seasons. Imagine winter as a time of hunkering down to maintain routines and learn better processes. Spring represents digging into new projects. Summer is a time to weed out that which isn’t growing, and fall is the time of harvest. We could be in winter, spring, or summer for years, when we’re in a hurry to see the fruit of our labor. What does a writer do when it feels all is in delay?

Exercise:

Look at the acrostic ABIDE for an answer to waiting.

  1. Allow God to have time to produce what is needed. He “The God who started this great work in you (will) keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish.” Philippians 1:6 (MSG).
  2. Be all-in for the season you are in. Instead of wishing your life away, embrace where you are. “Work from the heart for your real Master,” Colossians 3:23-24 (MSG).
  3. Invest in your writing life. Conferences, critique groups, and counselors who mentor writers can all increase your confidence in the craft. “Take good counsel.” Proverbs 15:22 (MSG).
  4. Dig into God’s Word and let it saturate your words. He will equip you for the job He’s given. “Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (MSG).
  5. Experience the joy of living in fellowship with the Lord. As you dwell in Him, He will infuse you with His words. “Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us.” Psalm 89:15-17 (MSG).

When we abide with the Lord, He brings peace and purpose to our writing, and everything else falls into place in due season. May you bask in the light of His presence!

How will you live in the present as you look to the future?

Sally Ferguson

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for April, Part 2

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Come Write with Us

When it comes to writing projects, getting started sometimes can be the hardest part. In this open mic episode of Writers Chat, Brandy Brow, one of our weekly cohosts, leads us on a free writing trip. She shares the different types of writing prompts people use to bring twists and turns to their stories. Then she leads us on a five minute free way of writing. After this, we journey through another prompt of writing to music. If you’re stuck, or simply want to know some different ways to get ideas, this episode is for you.

Watch the April 20th replay.

Diving into Devotions with Julie Lavender

Whether you write devotions or are curious about them, this episode is a wonderful how-to for writing and submitting devotions. Julie shares a wealth of information from her years of experience as a devotion writer, covering everything from writing to submitting for publication. For more information check out this week’s episode.

Watch the April 27th replay.

Bio

Julie Lavender, whose maiden name is “Bland,” jokes that she loved trading her dull name for a colorful one. Julie is a journalist, author, and former homeschooling mom of twenty-five years with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is an award-winning writer and her newest book, 365 Ways To Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments Into Lasting Memories (Revell), released in October. Julie enjoys making memories with her family and would love to connect with you at www.julielavenderwrites.com or on her Facebook group page, 365 Ways to Love Your Child. You can connect with Julie on social media or www.julielavenderwrites.com.

JOIN US

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

National (What?) Month

lighter look at a writer's life

As you are reading this, it is December, the last month in the slog that has been 2020. Many of you have just finished Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month (for those of you who have eluded this illustrious event).

Writers around the country commit to writing an ENTIRE NOVEL during the month of November. There’s even a website, an accountability program, and more. Writing can be stressful, especially in these times, but, hey, let’s write a book in an entire month!

November is typically a hectic month for me, which I’ll discuss below, and that’s why I have never participated in Nanowrimo. Until this year. Sort of.

I have written some fiction, but my current focus has been devotional writing. I have been kicking around some ideas for new devotional books, so I decided to work on one of those during November. I guess you could call it “Nadevowrimo.” Has a certain ring to it, don’t you think? Seriously, I don’t think I’ll be starting a new trend any time soon, but it worked for me, for a while.

I figured if I wrote one devotion every day except Sunday (I need rest, y’all!), I’d have a good start on a new book by the end of November. The commitment of writing one piece a day would certainly help my discipline, wouldn’t it?

I am a teacher, and November tends to be “crunch time” as we barrel toward the end of the fall semester. Add virus concerns to that mix, and it has been even more intense, as my administration encouraged teachers to finish as much of our class work as we could by Thanksgiving break.

I am the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) coordinator at my church and one of the county coordinators in my area. At the beginning of November, I supervise the packing of a ton of shoeboxes, and then, the week before Thanksgiving, I oversee a drop-off center, where other churches, groups, and individuals bring their boxes to us. My fellow church members and I are then responsible for collecting them and transporting them to the Regional Drop-Off Center an hour away.

So, I wrote religiously for the first two weeks of November. Then OCC Week hit simultaneously with the new guidelines for wrapping up my semester at school, and what happened to Nadevowrimo? It flew out the window.

You know what? That’s okay.

For two weeks, I was disciplined. For two weeks, I got a lot of writing done. As I write this post, there is a week and a half left in the month, and I plan to “climb back on the horse” next week. Instead of beating myself up about missing some days, I’m celebrating what I did accomplish and looking forward.

Another thing about this experiment: I didn’t particularly like the stuff I wrote. There were times I wanted to close up the laptop, quit writing, and eat a package of cookies. Then I realized: programs like Nanowrimo are all about FIRST DRAFTING, getting the thoughts out of the mind and on the page. For me, it wasn’t about quality or even quantity. It was about roughing out those ideas to give me plenty to work with when I am ready to complete the project.

Now, I still want to eat an entire package of cookies, but only for fuel to give the strength to keep writing.

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

Spreadsheets: Organizing Wisdom from Author Karen Whiting

I am one of those writers who sits among piles of stuff. That piece of information I need? I know I have it written on a piece of paper…somewhere. When it comes to writing, organizing one small devotion is not hard. Hook, Bible point, application. But now that I am writing devotional books, I’ve been wondering how to organize my writing. How can I be sure that my topics aren’t repetitive? How can I see my writing progress without having to scroll through a long Word document? Where can I jot ideas down so they don’t get lost?

With these questions simmering in the back of my mind, I attended Karen Whiting’s class at Montrose Christian Writer’s Conference in Montrose, PA. Karen Whiting is the award winning author of 26 books including The One Year My Princess Devotions, 52 Weekly Devotions for Families Called to Serve, and The Gift of Bread. Although the title of Karen’s class was Marketing Your Book, she generously shared additional ideas pertaining to organizing all aspects of being a writer. What is her secret?

Spreadsheets.

It sounds like a simple thing, but the idea has changed my writing life. Here’s how Karen uses spreadsheets:

Spreadsheets to Outline a Devotional Book

Rather than a traditional outline, Karen organizes her devotional book writing on a spreadsheet so she can see all the elements of the book at a glance. On her spreadsheet she includes a column for each element in the devotion including the title of each devotion, scripture passage, key verse, quote, and (most importantly) the need of the reader each particular devotion meets. For her upcoming devotional book for moms, she included needs like affirmation, love, and assurance. This way she can make sure that the book as a whole is meeting a range of the spiritual and emotional needs of the reader. She can also see that she does not write towards one need too often while ignoring others. She also uses spreadsheets to outline her parenting, craft, and Christian life books.

Spreadsheets to Organize the Marketing Plan

When I create a marketing plan for a book proposal, I use a bullet point list to brainstorm my marketing ideas. Karen uses a spreadsheet and groups similar marketing together. One section for radio interviews, one for television interviews, one for social media marketing, another for blog post and article ideas. She includes contact information for each radio station or magazine publisher. Then when she is ready to market, she has all the information she needs in one place. She can just go down the spreadsheet like a to-do list and make notes on her progress for each task. When an interview or article is complete, she adds the link on her spreadsheet.

Spreadsheets for the Launch Team

Leading up to the book release, the launch team will read advance copies of the book and generate excitement on social media and other places. Karen said it’s wise to have about 30-40 people on the launch team, but be prepared to see only 20-25% follow through. She uses a spreadsheet to keep track of members of her launch team, their addresses, and ideas for the gifts she will send to them. During the marketing class, Karen offered personalized suggestions to each author in the room by giving ideas for gifts for our launch team members. I was amazed at how creative Karen is on the spot! For my upcoming book Take It to Heart: 30 Days through Revelation, a Devotional Workbook, Karen gave ideas like squishy stress ball hearts and heart shaped candy. Yum! She also encouraged me to create speaking topics about truth since I encourage Christians to find simple truth in Scripture. Such helpful ideas!

I’m so grateful to Karen Whiting for sharing her wisdom with us at Montrose Christian Writer’s Conference. I came home energized and equipped to organize my devotional writing in an effective way.

Do you have any tips for organizing your writing life? Do you use spreadsheets? 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.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

The Bridge: How to Choose and Write the Bible Point in a Devotion

The Bible point is the bridge between the hook where you began your devotion and the application point at the end of your devotion. The Bible point bridge must be strong and smooth, a natural arc so your reader can implant God’s word into his or her heart.

A short form devotion is usually three paragraphs: the hook, the Bible point, and the application point. Last month I wrote about the first paragraph, the hook. The hook pulls the reader towards the Bible point in the second paragraph.

How does a devotional writer choose and develop the Bible point? Here is how I do it:

Brainstorm all the Bible points. If I am writing for a publication, I am assigned a Bible passage. If I am writing for my own blog or book, then I chose what Bible passages I will be focusing on for my blog series or book. First I start with a prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide me to see the truth in the Bible passage. Then I read and reread the Bible passage writing down all the things that stand out to me about the passage.

I jot down interesting words that I want to look up to see what they mean in the original language. (You can do that here on blueletterbible.org.) I list descriptions of who God is. I notice any commands someone in the passage had to follow, although, be careful here because not all commands given to others in the Bible are for us to follow as well. The same goes for promises. Not all promises given in the Bible are for all people for all time. I also look for emotion words, too, and jot down if the Bible passage or verse reminds me of any other verses or passages. I also read the context around the Bible passage so that I remember who is speaking and in what time period are they speaking.

Let it simmer. Once I have brainstormed all the possible Bible points, then I pray again and set the list away for another day. I want to give the Holy Spirit time to work on my heart and see what particular Bible point He wants me to focus on for the devotion. During this time, I also read a commentary or two to make sure that I have not missed anything or misunderstood any of the Bible passage.

Pick one Bible point to focus on. If you are writing a longer Bible study lesson or a sermon or a longer blog post, you may be able to focus on many points in the Bible passage, but in a short devotion you will only have room for one point. Many short devotions have a word count of between 250-350 words. Plus, your devotion will be more memorable if you focus on one well-developed Bible point.

Explain the Bible point in simple, but descriptive detail. Once you picked out the one Bible point to focus on, then you can write the hook and the Bible point. Writing about the Bible point is not a retelling of the whole Bible passage. It’s a short paragraph pointing out one observation in the passage. You don’t have a lot of words to spare here, but make sure you reserve some words for descriptive detail to paint the picture of the passage in the reader’s mind.

The bible point bridge in devotional writing. Almost an Author.

Try it out! Pick out a Bible passage. Maybe it could be one that you are reading in your own Bible reading right now. List out the possible Bible points, then pick one to write a devotion on. You can submit it to any of these publications and maybe your devotional will be published! Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions along the way.

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.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

Gotcha! How to Write a Compelling Devotional Hook

A short form devotional has three sections: a hook, a Bible passage connection, and a connection to the life of faith.

Here are three things that will make your devotional hook compelling to the readers:

1. Begin with the end in mind.

The hook should get the reader thinking about the connection to the life of faith that you will make at the end of your devotional. Before I write a devotional, I read the Bible passage several times and list out the possible application points that are presented in the passage. I pick out only one of these as the focus. If there is not a clear command to follow in the passage, I look to see what the passage tells us about who God is and how that particular aspect of God’s character impacts our lives. Make sure that the hook pulls the reader towards the one focus point of the passage.

2. Draw from a variety of sources.

Use stories or illustrations from history, science, nature, or personal experience. Know your audience. Are you writing the devotional for women? Men? Both? Older or younger people? Make sure that the hook you share will be relatable to your readers. Take care to make your hook understandable across cultures since many devotional markets have an international audience. If you are writing a group of devotionals, make sure that there is variety in your hooks.

3. Use descriptive language.

If you are writing a devotional for a publication, they will have guidelines for a word count. Most of the time, you will have between 270-400 words. You need to make sure every word counts. Budget some of those words to use descriptive language in the hook. You want your reader to paint a picture in her mind so that her heart is ready to hear God’s truth and to remember it. Use words that convey emotion as well.

how to write a compelling devotional hook

If you are interested in writing devotionals, keep a notebook nearby during your regular Bible reading. When the Holy Spirit bring a truth to your attention and how it relates to your life, jot it down. From these writings you can write a devotional and submit it to one of these seven places that have open submissions.

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.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

More than Motivational: 3 Ways to Make Your Writing a Ministry

Christian Living and Devotional writing falls under the umbrella of non-fiction writing. In general, non-fiction writing informs and motivates readers to change something about their lives. Although Christian Living and Devotional writing informs and motivates, it also ministers to the reader’s soul.

To minister means to serve or to give aid to someone. In other words, to help someone out. Christian writers know that the only lasting help for our readers is to point them to Jesus. Our writing is a tool that the Holy Spirit can use to change the lives of our readers.

How can we be sure that our writing is a ministry and not just motivational? Here are three ways:

1. Stay in God’s word. If you are continually reading God’s word, the words that you write will be naturally saturated with Scripture. If you are writing out a devotional idea and then looking for a Scripture to support your idea, you are working backwards. The most effective Christian Living and devotional writing flows out of your Scripture reading and study. Make daily Bible reading a habit. Read the whole Bible, not just your favorite parts or the parts that are already familiar to you.

2. Pray for your readers. Prayer is the acknowledgement that it is the Holy Spirit who is at work in your readers, not just your words. Vicar Peter Adam was interviewed about how not to be boring on Nancy Guthrie’s podcast Help Me Teach the Bible. Peter Adam said that in his preparation time for speaking somewhere he spends half his time studying and the other half of the time praying for those who will hear the message. I think we can do the same thing with our writing. Take some of your writing time to pray for your readers that the Holy Spirit would change their lives to make them become more like Christ and that He would meet their needs. This is different than praying for yourself as a writer. Pray for your readers that their spiritual needs would be met however the Holy Spirit sees fit to do that.

3. Connect with the larger body of Christ. Most of our studying and writing takes place alone in our homes away from others. It is very easy in this situation to stray from an orthodox understanding of God’s word. We also can face writer’s block as a devotional or Christian Living author, not sure what to say about a particular passage. To make sure we are accurately handling God’s word, stay connected to the larger body of Christ. Attend church regularly. Ask your pastor or church leaders about a Bible passage when you get stuck. You may even want your pastor and elders to approve your writing and check it for doctrinal accuracy. I have heard that some Christian songwriters like Michael Card do this with their song lyrics.  

make your writing a ministry

The best Christian Living and Devotional writing acknowledges that Jesus is the One that changes the reader’s life. When we stay in Scripture, pray for our readers, and connect with the larger body of Christ, our writing can be a ministry and not just motivational.

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.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

5 SMART Goals for Christian Living and Devotional Writers

I started out 2019 with one goal: to get a Christian Living or devotional book contract. That didn’t happen. A lot of other wonderful things happened like a lot of speaking engagements and getting meaningful reader feedback from strangers and growing my email list from 240 people to 890 people. But because I did not meet my one goal I felt defeated and discouraged. I started to see myself as a failure as a writer.

Then I remembered a blog post I had written for a copywriting client about SMART goals. I realized that I was not a failure as a Christian living or devotional writer, but the goal I had set was not a SMART goal.

A SMART goal is a goal that is:

Specific

The goal needs to be specific enough that you know when it is complete. To “get better” at something or “do well” at something is not specific enough. My “get a book contract” goal was actually not specific enough. There are so many small steps between the thought of a book and getting a contract. I should have broken up this larger goal into smaller, specific pieces.

Measureable

You need numbers attached to your SMART goals such as submitting three book proposals or sending out one query letter a month.  These numbers also need to be entirely in your control. “Getting one book contract” is not totally in my control. There are agents and editors and publishers that factor into that goal. Instead, I should have focused my goal on submissions and manuscripts and book outlines and drafts as opposed to the book contract itself.

Attainable

Your goals need to be realistic. “Publish ten books this year” is not realistic for most writers. At the same time, the goals need to be challenging enough to spur you on. If you already write two blog posts a month, don’t make that the goal. It’s not challenging.

Relevant

Make sure your goals will actually lead to your overall life goals as a writer. For me at this point, I need to concentrate on submitting articles for websites and publications with larger audiences. In the past, I have guest blogged for smaller blogs which I appreciated doing, but I need to focus on articles now in order to achieve my overall goal of growing my platform and getting my book published.  

Time-bound

If there is no due date for the goal, it’s not happening.

With the SMART goal parameters in mind, and lots of prayer, here are my five realistic goals to start out the New Year:

1. Create and share Pinnable images for all my old blog posts. This goal is important to me because other than Google, Pinterest is my biggest traffic source for my blog, Read the Hard Parts. Pinterest is also where I am getting most of my 50-100 new email subscribers. Along with this goal, I also want to schedule ten pins a day on Tailwind, manually pin once a day, and create one Read the Hard Parts freebie per quarter. These goals should help me reach my overall Pinterest goal of one million Pinterest views per month. At this moment I have 232k views per month. But one million views cannot be my SMART goal because Pinterest could change their algorithm at any time and that is out of my control. But these other goals about sharing and Pinterest images are in my control and will over time contribute to my overall goal.

2. Submit one article a month to a large website or publication. First I need to gather a list of places to pitch my articles, places like The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, For the Church, incourage.me, and Leading Hearts Magazine. Notice my goal is to submit an article and not get it published. That is in the Lord’s hands.

3. Create a blog post once a month. For the last two years I have been blogging about once a week. Now I have almost one hundred posts on my site. So that I have time to submit articles, focus on Pinterest, and try to write a book, I need to cut back here.

4. Self-publish a short Bible study book by the end of January. Although my goal is traditional publishing, I’m getting back logged with ideas for books that have not found a match in traditional publishing. I wasn’t sure what to do about this until I heard novelist Shawn Smucker speak on a panel at Lancaster Christian Writers. He self-published until he was noticed by a traditional publisher. He said, “Sometimes self-publishing is the right move so that you are not stuck and you can keep moving.” That is exactly what I needed to hear. I was stuck with my half-finished ideas and at this point self-publishing a Bible study book will keep me moving. This goal comes with a myriad of smaller steps and goals like a rough draft by December 1, finish self-edits by December 15th, and then meeting with an author friend in January to learn how to format the book properly with a well-designed cover.

5. Send in my next book proposal to my agent by January 15. A new book idea has been unfolding and it has been a pleasure to see it blossoming. I want to have a deadline for this book proposal so I will get it done!

Will I get traditionally published in 2020? I don’t know. That is not in my control, ultimately. But these five SMART goals can help me get there, Lord willing.

What are your SMART goals for the New Year? Let me know in the comments!

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.

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising Devotional/Christian Living

Step Out in Front of the Crowd: How to Add Speaking to Your Writing Life

As a devotional or Christian living writer you have a burden to share the message God has laid on your heart. Your blog, books, and articles can help you reach your audience. So can speaking.

My Read the Hard Parts blog started because I want to encourage women to dig into the hard parts of Scripture, the ones we usually skip like Revelation or Ezekiel. Although I have taught children at our church for my whole adult life I never thought about speaking to adults until I had to give an announcement about social media to two hundred men at our denomination’s pastors conference. After this short announcement I got a lot of feedback about how well spoken I was. I was surprised! Then on the drive home I felt the Holy Spirit say to me “it is time to speak.”

Shortly after that experience, I learned what I could about how a writer can find opportunities to speak. And now I have spoken to almost a dozen ladies groups.

Here are some tips that worked for me for starting out as a speaker:

Develop a couple of topics

Have about three talk topics that are related to your writing. Since I write about the hard parts of Scripture, I started out with a talk on Revelation, one on Proverbs, and then one on how to read and understand the hard parts. I came up with a talk title and a short paragraph of explanation for each topic. I did not develop all the details of the content of my talks until I had a group request that topic in particular. I also decided that I would be willing to create a new talk that would fit the needs of any group that requested one on a particular topic. If I develop a new talk for a group then I can offer that talk to others.

Start Local

Next I created a flyer with my contact information and the topics of my talks. I visited local churches in the area and the libraries. I was nervous every time I did one of these cold calls, but I prayed each time that God would guide me and direct me where He wanted me to go. I also contacted churches in my denomination and let them know I would be available to speak at any event they may be having. I also asked to teach in my own local church and we created a women’s Sunday School class so we could study Revelation together.

Online Presence

In addition to handing out my flyer, I also added a speaking tab to my website with the talk descriptions. I would also highly recommend creating a free profile on womenspeakers.com. There is a location based search on this site so this is especially a good way for nearby churches and Christian groups to find a speaker who they don’t need to fly in from out of state.

Use Video

When I started to get some requests for more information about my speaking, I was often asked for a video clip of my speaking. At first I didn’t have any, so I improvised by sharing my Instagram TV videos and Facebook live videos and even some audio of myself as a guest on a friend’s podcast. Once I got a speaking engagement lined up, I invited a friend along to take pictures and videos to use as examples for future requests. You don’t need to video the whole presentation. Just a clip will do. The organizers just need to know that you are confident as a speaker and pleasant to listen to.

Build Some Excitement

Once you have a speaking engagement lined up, post pictures of your preparation. Share pictures on social media of your travels to the engagement.  Share pictures from your actual engagement. Hopefully some others in the crowd will share, too. All these social media postings will help build excitement around your speaking and will pique other’s interest as well. Take along some freebies and a sign-up sheet for your email list so that those who hear you speak can have opportunity to connect with your writing, too.

Writing life can be isolating. Speaking gives me the opportunity to connect with my audience in person. At my speaking engagements I listen to the questions the ladies have about the hard parts of Scripture so I can address them in my future writing and speaking. Plus I love the “a-ha” look on their faces when they understand a part of Scripture in a new way. Speaking reminds me why I am writing to begin with—to help women find simple truths in hard parts of Scripture.

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.

Categories
Devotional/Christian Living

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.