Writing Wisdom from Christian Living and Devotional Author Sarah Geringer

I recently interviewed Christian Living and devotional author Sarah Geringer. I hope you gain as much writing wisdom from her as I have!

How did you get started as a devotional or Christian Living writer?

I began blogging in 2010 with reflections on my One Year Bible readings. My blogging stopped and started for several years. In 2015, I began blogging daily for Lent, and resumed a regular rhythm of writing posts for spiritual growth. I now write weekly exclusive devotions for my email subscribers in addition to blog posts. I also regularly guest post at A Wife Like Me, Devotable, and Woman 2 Woman Ministries. Every quarter, my devotions are published in Hope-Full Living, a devotional for seniors.

Do you research for your writing? What are some of your favorite resources?

I use my personal library of over 10 Bibles and hundreds of Christian non-fiction books. I also rely on biblegateway.com to research different translations when I’m pressed for time. Mostly, my inspiration comes from my quiet times alone with God in prayer and Scripture reading.

How did you get connected with your agent or editor?

Years ago, the (in)courage website had Facebook discussion groups. Michelle S. Lazurek was my group leader. At the She Speaks Conference in July 2017, Michelle walked up and introduced herself to me. We were both at the conference to pitch our book ideas. That fall, I saw on Facebook that Michelle signed as an agent. In January 2018, someone posted in the She Speaks 2017 Facebook group, asking if anyone had heard back from their publisher meetings. I posted that I was in contact with an agent who had not given a final answer. Michelle read my post and private messaged me, asking to look at my book proposal. I signed with her in March 2018, and she got me my first book contract in May 2018. God used Facebook and She Speaks to connect us. If you want to connect with an agent, I recommend attending a writers’ conference. It is an excellent way to connect with people in the industry. Read more about my experience at the She Speaks Conference here.

What do you do to stay connected with your readers?

My email subscriber list is my top priority. I try to offer them exclusive, high quality content every week to help them in their Christian faith. Pinterest is the biggest driver of traffic to my blog, and I spend several hours per week managing my feed there. I also provide content almost every day on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads and LinkedIn to reach various members of my tribe. I spend about 20 hours per week managing my social media accounts. It’s a large time commitment, but I truly enjoy engaging with my readers on each of these platforms. However, I normally take Sundays off because a Sabbath rest refreshes and recharges me.

How do you make writing a priority in the midst of your busy life?

Recently I shared a post on Instagram, telling how I apply Dave Ramsey’s financial advice to my writing life. He tells his followers to “pay yourself first,” because no one else will do it for you. Years ago, I realized that my writing wouldn’t happen unless I made it a high priority. I decided to pay myself first in writing, even though many other responsibilities called my name as a wife and mother. In 2015 I began getting up at 4:00 a.m. to write for a couple hours before going to my day job. This habit resulted in hundreds of blog posts, three self-published books, and a traditionally published book releasing in Oct. 2019. Even before I started that habit, I wrote in the afternoons while my children were napping. If you want to write for a living, you must make a daily no-break appointment with yourself. As you keep planting seeds, you will reap a harvest in due time. You may be interested in my course, Best Tips for Christian Writers. In it, I explain how I started out as a blogger, self-published three books, and work to build my platform as a traditionally published author.

Sarah Geringer is an author, freelance writer, blogger and artist. Her book Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus will be released by Leafwood Publishers in October 2019. Sarah also volunteers as a proofreader for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Encouragement for Today devotions. Her books include Newness of Life: Trusting God in Times of Transition, The Fruitful Life: A Unique Look at the Fruits of the Spirit, and Christmas Peace for Busy Moms: 25 Days of Quick Devotions to Calm Your Stress. She lives in southeast Missouri with her husband and three children. You can follow Sarah as she writes about Finding Peace in God’s Word at sarahgeringer.com.

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.