Inspire the World: A Christian Writer’s Guide to Writing and Self-Publishing a Book

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..

- Alan C.

Thanks very much for taking the time to read my story and for your kind comments, highlighting errors and raising points for further consideration. It's all very helpful and reassuring to know there's a story in it, from someone other than my girlfriend. Thanks again. Take care, Alan Corcoran. (Author of Marathon Man)
- Alan C.
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- Tom F.

Sorry it has taken so long to get to you. I’ve been swamped with day-job work. I also want to thank you for reading and providing thoughtful comments.

- Tom F.
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- 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.
[...]
Best,
Danielle Brown - Danielle B.
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- Benjamin G.

I've just been looking over the beta reader report and can't thank you enough. You identified so many issues I would never have found on my own. I agree with all your suggestions and am excited to go through another revision to improve the manuscript. Your report was much more insightful and detailed than I expected. I will be referring you to fellow writers looking for a good beta reader. Thanks again. Sincerely, Benjamin J. Gohs - Benjamin G.
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- Chris

How fast you work! Thank you for your beta-reading and yes, your revisions. I feel privileged. Your comments are quite encouraging. In light of what you have written, I will only send you the completed work. It will take a few months. Your feedback tells me this: 1. I am in the right direction, the pace is well set, my English grammar and style are adequate, but will need to be revised by a professional. 2. The story summary is enticing. 3. Judging the first chapter, the book has good marketing potential. All that galvanizes me. If I got it wrong, by all means, tell me. I am looking forward to contacting you when the first draft of the Great Inversion will be tweaked and ready, but not professionally revised. Most cordially, Chris. - Chris
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- 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.
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- Laura B.

This was VERY helpful. I guess the Beta reader did not know that this is just the first 5 chapters of a longer book. I agree it needs work and that is why people hire beta readers- so they can get feedback and revise, revise, revise. Thanks again.. Laura. - Laura B.
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- Tanya D.

Thank you so much for your report. I sincerely appreciate your swiftness and all the great things you had to say about my manuscript. It was a true blessing to read your responses to the questions from the book; thank you for sharing those with me. I will forever be grateful that you gave me the original source of the quote, “We do not see things as they are; instead, we see them as we are.” I had it listed as anonymous, and the gal who did my citations insisted I change it; I am much happier to reference Talmud! I found your comments especially encouraging and will incorporate many of your suggestions. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with you. My most sincere thanks! - Tanya D.
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- 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.
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- Chris J.

Thanks Declan. There is a lot of work to do. I am not looking to become a professional writer, I just have a story I want to tell. Thanks so much for the report. Regards, Chris. - Chris J.
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- 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.
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- Claire C.

Thanks so much for you assessment. I have to confess, you were far more positive about my writing than I was expecting!

I have read through the assessment a couple of times and I am about to work my way through the Word version.

I was not surprised by your notes on the opening. It has been haunting me through every edit. Who knew the first line would be the most challenging. Thank you for your thoughts, I will see what I can do to make it more compelling/inviting.

It was also good for you to pick out the section I did on the vows. If you can believe it, it was a lot worse! I went on a crazy tangent, even played around with an illustration. I felt like a blog was inserted into the chapter, but I kept it in because I was trying to show in the reality of vows an entertaining way. I shall remove it happily and explore other ways of making my point.

For now, I have lots to do and I am looking forward to diving back into the manuscript with some direction and perspective from you.

Thanks again. It was really wonderful to read your encouraging words. This was very much a personal challenge for me - to write a story that had been dancing around in my mind for a few years. Knowing it wasn’t a total turd spurs me on to have a go at a second one.

Cheers

Claire - Claire C.
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- Amelia N.

Thank you for the report! The beta read was very helpful to let me know what to edit and work on next. Pass on my thanks to the reader.
Regards,
Amelia - Amelia N.
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- 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.
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- Joseph C.

Report received, many thanks. I'll let you know how it goes once I get stuck into the drafting. Cheers - Joe
- Joseph C.
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- Patricia L.

I took a quick read of the report yesterday and will focus in today. It appears I have a lot of work to do to create a book people will buy.
Appreciate the honesty.
Patricia - Patricia L.
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