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.. - Natalie J. Thank you so much for the report. It had great feedback. - Natalie J.Read Moreread less - Rob D. I am happy with the advice you have provided, it is practical and identifies real areas on how I can improve it further. Seems I underestimated how “ready” the manuscript is and may explain why there has been a lot of rejection. - Rob D.Read Moreread less - 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.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 - Pat K. Thank you for the valuable feedback on both the strengths and weaknesses of Windshift. I'll be working on those improvements during the weeks ahead. Thanks again, Pat. - Pat K.Read Moreread less - Tina H. Thanks Declan for your thorough breakdown of my book. Yours is the first feedback that is constructive. Friends and family are always a little too enthused and not always honest with their feedback. I will take your thoughts into consideration as I rework some of the chapters. Thanks so much for beta reading my book! Thanks, Tina. - Tina H.Read Moreread less - Christopher M. Thank you so much! This is great feedback, I appreciate your ability to see the grammatical details, while still evaluating the manuscript on it's broad strokes. That's not an easy thing to do. Thanks again, Chris. - Christopher M.Read Moreread less - Hugh A. Thanks for your report and your encouraging remarks, as well as your advice and criticisms. Your detailed comments under the various headings are invaluable to me. I accept your point about the beginning, introducing the protagonist rather than the protagonist. I’ll work on it. [...] As for the other issues that you’ve highlighted, I’ll work through the story and fix them as best I can. - Hugh A.Read Moreread less - Frank Thank you for your report by Carrie. Please pass on my thanks to her also, particularly for her involvement in the story. I have made some changes in accordance with Carrie's recommendations. [...] Well Declan I guess it is time to test the publishers. I am still deliberating on whether to use a Literary Agent or just go direct to Publishers. Any ideas on this would be gratefully received. All the best, Frank. - FrankRead 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 - 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 - Mark R. Just back from being out of town and opened your beta read at the airport. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this. Will be getting into your feedback now and using it to make the book a better read. Sincerely, Mark - Mark R.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 - Bob L. Thanks for the insightful comments. Beautifully written critique and I will use it to polish the manuscript. Regards, Bob Levey. - Bob L.Read Moreread less - Alarna H. Hello Declan, You’re amazing, this is exactly what I needed. Thank you for such a quick turn around. Kindest, Alarna. - Alarna H.Read Moreread less - Jodi D. Thank you for the report. Both readers finished commenting around page 200 - I understand one beta reader totally disliked the manuscript, hence not finishing it but was that the same for the second beta reader? I only ask, in case my Word document stopped displaying the comment boxes. Jodi. - Jodi D.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. EmailSubmit * 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