What’s the Difference between Devotional and Christian Living Book Genres?

In the quiet of the morning, I open up my Bible. I clip my booklight onto the front cover so I can see the pages in the darkness. After a short prayer, my mind is ready to read God’s Word. Some days I simply read, preparing my heart for the day ahead. But other days I read something I never noticed before. My eyes wide open, I grab my notebook, jot down my observation, and jump up from my bed with the burning desire to write about what I’ve discovered. What is the best way to share my new-found treasure?

I could blog about my observations or create an article or a standalone devotional to submit, but sometimes my ideas and observations snowball into a book idea.

I have several big ideas from Scripture that I want to write in book form. For each of these ideas, I need to decide what genre the book will be: devotional or Christian living.

What are the major differences between the devotional and Christian Living book genre?

Length.

Chapters in a devotional book are much shorter than the chapters of a Christian Living book. In fact, in a devotional book, each section or entry is not often called a chapter. Each portion of the book usually corresponds to the day, so the devotional is divided up into days rather than chapters. Victoria Duerstock, author of the devotional Heart & Home: Design Basics for Your Soul and Living Space, says the word count in her devotional book is no more than 300 words per day. That word count includes the Bible verse, the story/application, the prayer, and the design tip. Since this is a 90 day devotional, Victoria’s total word count for her devotional book was about 27,000.

In comparison, the word count of Christian Living books is similar to other Christian non-fiction trade books with a total word count of 45,000-55,000 or more. Michelle Lazurek, author of An Invitation to the Table: Embracing the Gift of Hospitality and Righteous and Lost: Finding Hope for the Pharisee Within shoots for 3,500-4,000 words per chapter in her Christian Living books.

For all of you who are now saying, it’s easier to write a devotional because it is shorter, not so fast! Shorter is not always easier. Devotional writing is tight. It takes a long time to choose the perfect words since there isn’t wiggle room for further explanation.

But the longer word count doesn’t make Christian Living easy either. Readers expect an in-depth exploration of the topic you cover in your book meaning you will be spending time researching and studying. You will use quotes from experts on your topic in order to connect your book with the existing conversation. It takes time and thought to select the quotes and use them naturally in your writing.

Depth of focus.

Even if the devotional book as a whole is focused on a particular topic, each devotional entry in the book centers on a Bible passage, usually just one or two Bible verses. Each devotional is narrowly focused on the Bible truth of that particular verse. In contrast, the chapters of a Christian Living book may start with a verse or Bible passage, or more often, a Bible topic, but the Bible portion is a springboard for exploration.

It’s like going off the diving board into the deep end. One person dives in with a small splash and beelines for the stairs to exit the pool and go on to next thing, refreshed from the dip in the water. Another person cannonballs in, treads around, and floats from one side of the pool to the next before slowly returning to the ladder.

A devotional zeros in. Christian Living broadens and explores.

Do you have experience writing either devotionals or Christian Living books? What else have you noticed as the difference between the two genres? 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.