About Writerful Books has been working with authors since 2012, helping them turn early drafts into manuscripts that are ready for readers. Over more than a decade the business has grown from freelance editing work into a full author services company, and it’s now entering its most significant change yet: a move to serve Christian writers exclusively, and to grow into something closer to a publisher in its own right. Where We Started Writerful Books began as a book editing service open to fiction and non-fiction writers of every genre and background. Based between Melbourne and Dublin, and having spent years living and working across Australia, Ireland, the UK, and the US, founder Declan brought a working knowledge of regional dialects and editorial conventions that few single-location editors could match. That international grounding shaped how the business operated for over a decade, working with thousands of writers across several continents on everything from debut novels to self-help manuscripts. Why We’ve Changed Direction Two things have brought Writerful Books to where it is today. The first is the industry itself. AI tools have changed what a writer needs from an editor. A manuscript can now get a competent grammar pass and a line edit from a machine in minutes, something that used to take a human editor days. That’s simply the reality of where publishing sits right now, and pretending otherwise doesn’t serve anyone. What a machine still can’t offer is conviction: an editor who reads a manuscript looking for truth and not just technique, who understands the weight of what a story is trying to say, and who will be honest about whether it’s ready and whether it’s needed at all. The second is personal. Writerful Books is now guided by a Christian faith that has deepened significantly in recent years, including a baptism that marked a real turning point. Read more on Meet the Team. That shift in conviction is why the business is narrowing its focus rather than trying to be all things to all people unlike the Apostle Paul! We’ve also stepped back from chasing the publishing industry’s usual checklist of trends and approval markers. That’s not a criticism of anyone still playing that game. It’s simply that our own standard has become something steadier: is this story honest, is it good, and does it point toward something true. We used to edit every genre. Then we watched the industry choose safety over honesty one too many times. Here’s what changed.. Why We Walked Away from “Woke” Publishing That question now shapes every decision we make about which writers we work with and which projects we take on. What Writerful Books Does Now Writerful Books exists solely to serve Christian writers, working across fiction and Christian self-help. Our services now include: Christian book editing, covering developmental and line editing for fiction and self-help manuscripts. Literary agenting, representing Christian authors as they prepare to query publishers and negotiate contracts. Independent publishing, as Writerful Books builds a small, carefully chosen list of uplifting Christian fiction and non-fiction under its own imprint. A Christian writing and blogging community, offering resources, industry commentary, and author interviews for writers of faith. Christian merchandise, for readers and writers who want to carry their faith into daily life. Who We Work With We take on new writers selectively. If we don’t believe in a manuscript, whether that’s the writing itself or the message it carries, we won’t take it on simply because it can be edited into shape. Our name goes on fewer projects than it once did. We want it to mean more when it does. Where We See Writerful Books Going Christian publishing has always had its major imprints and its established literary agencies, and that isn’t going to change. What we’re building is something more personal: a boutique home for Christian authors who want an editor and agent who reads their work closely enough to actually vouch for it, not a volume-based service processing whatever comes through the door. Over the next few years, we expect Writerful Books to grow from an editing and agenting service into a genuine independent publisher, releasing a small but meaningful list of Christian fiction and self-help titles under its own name, alongside continuing to represent select authors into traditional Christian publishing houses. We’d rather be known within Christian publishing for the quality and integrity of a small list than for the size of a large one. * We are always on the lookout for beta readers, book reviewers and talented writers to submit guest posts. If you would like to join our team and write for us and happen to be a lover of original fiction and ground breaking non-fiction published by independent publishers, feel free to contact us here and tell us more about yourself.. Here’s what our authors had to say.. Thanks for the good advice. I’ll keep working on it. Read Moreread less - Phil P. Thanks for the detailed report and the prompt turnaround. I don't have any questions about the report - it's all pretty clear. I appreciate the great feedback. Thanks, Phil Preckler. - Phil P.Read Moreread less - Lhexa D. Thanks for the report. This novella was based on my adolescent understanding of Catholicism and American slavery, so the parallels are deliberate. I won't change dialogue, since it's meant to reflect indoctrination, but I will change the pertinent prose. I will also follow up on some of the other suggestions. Thanks, you've been very helpful. Lhexa - Lhexa D.Read Moreread less - Luther R. Thank you for your review and comments. I have read the report and now in the process of going through the comments. If I have any questions I will get back to you. Thank again. Sincerely, Luther. - Luther R.Read Moreread less - Michael P. I received your report and took a gander. I’ll have more time later tonight to read it in detail. [...] Generally speaking, you highlighted exactly what I expected (not a bad thing). I knew going into this project that it would be a challenge staying “in the moment” i.e., biblical times/language. It has been fun. The protagonist’s journey – that’s what it’s all about. I’ll be in touch. Thank you. Michael. - Michael P.Read Moreread less - Catherine C. Thanks so much Declan. I’m going to make a few modifications now thanks to your suggestions. Great thanks so much! As you say good writing is rewriting, and as I re-read the rest of the manuscript I am struck with how many glaring holes there are and how many (lots!) opportunities for improvement! So, I think I will continue to work on it before I send the rest of it to you. Thanks for the feedback. I felt my writing had improved, so its nice to know I am not delusional. BTW, this is a completely new story, with the previous 2 manuscripts as only back story. Thanks so much. It is a very well written, comprehensive report. I’m very impressed with the quality. There are some helpful suggestions for improvement and the summary of characters and plot is spot on. [...] Thanks again for such an in-depth report, I know that was beyond the realm of a beta read, so I really appreciate it! Catherine Craig. - Catherine C.Read Moreread less - Rebecca R. Thank you so much for the report. I am thrilled to receive this kind of feedback! It was so detailed and the reader made really insightful and useful suggestions. Please be sure to thank them for their thorough critique and kind comments. This was beyond helpful for me as well as reassuring that the book is worth my continued hard work. - Rebecca R.Read Moreread less - Stephanie H. Thank you ever so much! Hope to send more business your way soon. Stephanie Hansen - Metamorphosis Literary Agency - Stephanie H.Read Moreread less - Grant E. This is a very flattering and super helpful review!! I can’t thank you enough. I just forwarded it two friends writing books, recommending they get in touch with you for beta reads too. - Grant E.Read Moreread less - Rob B. Just got to work and read the report with some trepidation. I'm happy to say that I'm quite excited. I've noted your points which I've found encouraging and enlightening so I think I'm going to be making some changes including extra work at the end. There is a sequel that expands a lot more on what happened and how Sarah's life changes and what drives Rachel. In the new year I'll send it to you for a read. In the mean time many thanks and have a great Christmas. Kind regards, Rob. - Rob B.Read Moreread less - David R. Hi Declan, First and foremost, thank you for the quick prompt service to my story collection, Human Being Human Doing. I will look at this over the next few days and email you with any explanation that may be required. Thanks once again; stay well and all the best. - David R.Read Moreread less - Elizabeth S. Thanks very much for this. I will work on the recommendations, especially to speed up/improve the beginning. I’m feeling a little more hopeful about the story overall. Best regards, Elizabeth. - Elizabeth S.Read Moreread less - Sean C. Thank you so much for your report. And I agree with, say, 95% of it. I always wanted to better describe the technical aspects of the business and I could have written 200,000 - 300,000 words, but I learned as I went along that that was not the route to take. I’m happy now to say hello again to the text and begin to revise it pretty much in the manner you suggest. I must say that it’s the journey of writing the book that is so satisfying – I suspect I will be lost when it’s actually finished (although I have an idea for another one). Good luck with Heart of Darkness, one of my favorites; you’ll easily breeze through it since it’s so short, then think, “what was he actually talking about”? Enjoy! - Sean C.Read Moreread less - David J. Thanks for that, your reviewer made some pretty encouraging comments and I can see the sense in the bits they criticised. I've made notes of a few things I'm going to modify or even remove. I hope you are also well. Kind regards, David. - David J.Read Moreread less - Anni T. Thank you so much for the quick turnaround on your beta read! Your report was very insightful and will help a lot in understanding a reader's perspective. I am so glad the story came together for you - that alone is extremely helpful. Yes, the subject matter is dark, which is always difficult when trying to write a story that is entertaining! I have lines that I won't cross, esp. when it comes to writing about children. I think writing for shock value is a race to the bottom. I'll go back and work on the dialogue that is stilted/unrealistic - yes, it would be awful for the narrator to have to read stilted dialogue! Also, I have to thank you for ploughing through the story despite it being so messy! My editor is finding 100s of errors and many inconsistencies. I've been under pressure to make a deadline for my audio publisher and I've had issues caused by the border closure in Victoria (we were meant to be moving there). I agree with the border closure, but it's been a difficult time - as have these past months been for many, many people. - Anni T.Read Moreread less - Danielle B. Thank you so much for your detailed responses to all of my specific questions and also your general feedback! This all helps SO much. The two most important things I took from your feedback was that 1.)[...] I just thought of some scenes/ideas of how I can do this so now I just have to write them out and see which ones work best 🤞 2.) There needs to be a stronger hook in the first chapter. I can see now that where I started the story probably isn't the best place to start it. And 3.) there definitely needs to be downtime between the intense scenes. Someone actually suggested this to me before but I was wary because I was afraid of slowing down the story and boring the reader but I think I just have to figure out a balance. 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