Inspire the World: A Christian Writer’s Guide to Writing and Self-Publishing a Book Writerful Books, 4 November 20244 November 2024 Are you a Christian with a message to share? Do you have a heart for God’s Word and a passion for inspiring and uplifting others? If so, you have the potential to write a powerful book that can impact countless lives. But the journey from a spark of an idea to a finished manuscript can be challenging. That’s where we come in with a step-by-step guide to writing your Christian book and self-publishing it. With years of experience in Christian publishing, we are dedicated to helping budding writers like you bring your vision to life. Our team of experienced editors will guide you through each step of the publishing process, from crafting a compelling outline to helping you create a stunning book cover and getting it into the hands of fellow Christians. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, we’re here to support you and help you achieve your Christian writing goals. Organize Your Notes Categorise: Sort your notes into thematic categories that align with your book’s central message. Digitalise: Scan or type your handwritten notes and organize them digitally. Pen to Print is a useful service for deciphering handwriting and converting it to text. Cross-Reference: Identify connections between different topics and create a visual map or mind map to visualise the flow of ideas. Develop Your Draft Outline a compelling introduction that hooks the reader and a conclusion that summarises key points and leaves a lasting impact. Central Thesis: Clearly articulate the core message or doctrine you want to convey. Main Points: Break down your thesis into 3-5 main points that support it. Sub-Points: For each main point, develop 2-3 sub-points to provide further detail and background material. Conclusion: Once you have a clear understanding of your book’s content and structure, you can work on an impactful conclusion. Tips for writing a strong conclusion for a Christian nonfiction book: Recap the Main Points: Briefly summarise the key arguments and themes discussed in the book. Reinforce the Central Thesis: Restate your core message in a powerful and memorable way. Call to Action: Encourage readers to apply the book’s teachings to their own lives. This could involve specific actions, prayers, lifestyle changes or even joining a local church. Offer Hope and Encouragement: Remind readers of God’s love, grace, and power to transform lives. End on a Positive Note: Conclude with a hopeful and inspiring statement that leaves a lasting impression. Here’s a sample conclusion for a Christian nonfiction book about overcoming adversity to give you an idea of what is required: The journey of faith is often marked by trials and tribulations. Yet, as we have explored in these pages, God can use our struggles to shape us into His image. Remember, adversity is not a roadblock but a stepping stone. It is in the midst of our challenges that we discover the depths of God’s love and the strength of His grace. As you continue your own journey, may you trust in the Lord, cling to His promises, and embrace the hope that only He can provide. Craft Your Writing Process Dedicated Workspace: Create a quiet, distraction-free space for writing. Daily Writing Habit: Set a realistic daily writing goal. For example, it could be 1,000 words per day. Free Writing: Start with a free-writing session to generate ideas and overcome writer’s block. Focused Writing: Once you have a clear direction, switch to focused writing, adhering to your outline. Book Editing Process Developmental Edit: Focuses on the big picture: structure, content, premise, and overall discourse. Line Edit: Refines sentence structure, word choice, and clarity. Copy Edit: Correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Seek Feedback & Critiques Writing Groups: Join a writing group to receive constructive feedback from fellow writers. Beta Readers: Share your manuscript with trusted readers for honest opinions. Why Hire a Beta Reader? Professional Assessment: Consider hiring a professional editor for in-depth feedback. What is a Manuscript Assessment? Professional Editing Developmental Editing: A developmental editor will help you strengthen your book’s structure, content, and overall argument. Line Editing: A line editor will focus on improving sentence structure, word choice, and clarity. Copy Editing: A copy editor will correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Our Christian Book Editing Services Self-Publishing Process Choose a Platform: Select a self-publishing platform like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or SmashWords. Format Your Book: Ensure your manuscript is formatted correctly for your chosen platform. Design Your Cover: Create an eye-catching book cover that reflects your book’s content. Set Your Price: Determine a fair price for your book, considering factors like length, genre, and target audience. Market Your Book: Promote your book through social media, email marketing, and book reviews. Recommended: Why Work With Us? How to Get Your First Book Published Additional Tips Pray: Seek God’s guidance and inspiration throughout the writing process. Be Patient: Writing a book takes time and effort. Don’t Give Up: Persist through challenges and setbacks. Celebrate Your Accomplishments: Take pride in your hard work and the finished product. By following these steps and seeking professional guidance, you can effectively transform your words into a powerful and impactful Christian book. Here’s what our authors had to say.. - Patrick L. Thank you for another wonderful assessment. This is very helpful and I greatly appreciate your suggestions and compliments. Everything makes perfect sense. I'm working on the revisions now and I am very excited to complete the next draft. I was planning to start querying agents/publishers after that, but I was curious if you think feedback from beta-reading might be necessary/helpful before moving forward. Thanks, Patrick. - Patrick L.Read Moreread less - Martin O. Thanks for the comments, they were exactly what I wanted. [...] I like your idea of rewriting as a epistolary novel taking the form of a diary though I need to look up exactly what that means and find some good examples. Martin. - Martin O.Read Moreread less - Mark M. Hi Declan, what can I say? I'm thrilled and flattered by your response to the book, and I can't thank you enough for your thoughtful commentary. The report was so well structured and insightful, extracting multiple examples and delving deep into the complexities of the characters and plot and themes and subject matter... I don't know how you were able to process everything so quickly but I'm beyond impressed. I almost wish I had more work for you! So please feel free to weigh in on the other aspects! 😉 As you know, I was hesitant to get into the report... partly because you turned it so quickly I assumed you had a miserable experience! but mainly because it's difficult for me to anticipate or accept any form of praise after so much rejection (even more difficult to actually feel authenticity from someone you *hire* for their feedback). That said, and at the risk of overusing superlatives myself, I am appreciative of your work and your in-depth attention to the story---for both what was on the page and not. [...] I digress. In short, thank you for giving me a bit more confidence in what has so far been a soul-bruising journey. Looking forward to your thoughts. Cheers, Mark - Mark M.Read Moreread less - Geoff M. Thank you very much for the comprehensive review, Declan! I very much appreciate it. I am going to see if I can combine the first three chapters into two in order to get things moving more quickly. Thanks again! - Geoff M.Read Moreread less - Paul B. Declan, just read your report. I'm hugely relieved by your comments. Thank you so much for your thorough assessment. I'll ensure you get a mention in the acknowledgements. - Paul B.Read Moreread less - Jim C. Thanks for the feedback. I have gone through about half of it so far and find myself in agreement with most of the points and having a good think about some broader issues they raise. Will probably have a few questions once I have had time to digest things a bit. Best wishes, Jim. - Jim C.Read Moreread less - Allison D. Thanks very much, Declan—impressively speedy! I’ve passed your report on to the editor. Allison Draper - HarperCollins - Allison D.Read Moreread less - Liljana F. Writerful Books’ comprehensive manuscript appraisal was exactly what I needed to take my work to the next level. Declan’s thoughtful comments and practical advice helped me pinpoint issues with my characters, structure and style that I wouldn’t have picked up myself. I’m very happy with the constructive criticism I received, and now feel more optimistic about the future of my book. Thanks again! - Liljana F.Read Moreread less - Mary K. Thanks for your quick turnaround on the report, but even more importantly, thank you for your thoughtful and constructive comments. I've been hesitant to contact the victim's family but you've encouraged me to give it a go and see what happens. Truthfully, in my mind this book is about possibly getting justice for Tatanisha as well as Dell. Thanks again for your excellent suggestions. Sincerely, Mary. - Mary K.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 - 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 - Jo D. Thank you for the report. I like my premise for this work, but clearly I’m having trouble pulling it off. Thanks for catching so much. Best, Jo - Jo D.Read Moreread less - Katherine S. Please let the reader know that I'm flattered, and none of your beta readers should ever fear causing offense. I want their honest opinions, besides I'm pretty thick-skinned 🙂 - Katherine S.Read Moreread less - John K. Thank you, Herr Doktor. - John K.Read Moreread less - Russell T. Thank you for the assessment. I will make some of the changes you suggested and go forward. I don't know if the work is good enough for publishing, either by a commercial publisher or by self-publishing. Do you think I should try to publish it? Thanks for your input. RT - Russell T.Read Moreread less - Latifa J. Thank you for the manuscript assessment. I really appreciate how quickly you've gotten back to me. I'll start working on it as soon as possible, (rewriting it, taking everything you've mentioned into consideration). Thanks again! Regards, Latifa - Latifa J.Read Moreread less load more Contact a Christian Book Editor Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Service Required *Beta ReadingCopyeditingDevelopmental EditingLine EditingManuscript AssessmentManuscript EvaluationSensitivity ReadingOther ServiceCountry / Currency *Australia (AUD)Canada (CAD)Ireland (EUR)United Kingdom (GBP)United States (USD)OtherWord Count *Brief Synopsis *Any Questions? *For example: specific areas to request the book editor focus on.Submit Your Manuscript Click or drag a file to this area to upload. CommentSubmit * We respect your privacy and will always protect your copyrighted work. We accept manuscripts from authors in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States. Articles How to Get PublishedSelf-Publishing