Common Mistakes by Christian Authors

I thought it would be useful to pull together some of the recurring issues that I’m seeing in books written by Christians. These are the things that annoy, the things that damage, and the things that usually result in the book being thrown away prior to its conclusion.

For those that wonder whether this is legalism, wherever we draw the line, Christians’ standards should surely be different to the standards of those who haven’t been bought for a price. How will the power of God be proved, if there is no visible difference between us and those still living in darkness?

I’ve included examples of books with these issues and linked to my reviews. Where relevant, I’ve also linked to my other posts that deal with the topics in more detail:

1. Use of swearing and blasphemy. I’m constantly finding profanity in Christian books. My post on this subject is the most popular to date. Yet, even here, Christians aren’t all in agreement and several have (poorly) attempted to defend the use of swearing in books. In my opinion, using a quotation containing a swear word, or just using the first letter and blanking the rest out, is just as bad. Examples include: No Graven Image, Run Baby Run, Mission Under Fire, Dan Walker's Football Thronkersaurus

2. Irreverent titles. Choosing a title is so important as it will be the main thing that stays in people’s minds. It will appear on any promotional and advertising material and will be used in conversation about the book. It’s no good coming up with a dodgy title and then justifying it with a long winded explanation, because readers don’t have the explanation when they initially consider the book. Examples include: The Prodigal God, The Heavenly Man, The Insanity of God, The Devil in Pew Number Seven

3. Glorifying sin. This often occurs in auto-biographies. Sometimes, authors are keen to demonstrate the dramatic changes in their lives when they become Christians. This is a worthy goal, but do we really need to know all the ins and outs of the drug taking, sexual conquests, and criminal activity. There needs to be a sense of shame and regret that accompanies these type of confessions, not a nostalgia or pride. I used to relay an amusing tale of drunken exploits from before I was converted until I realised that it was hardly honouring to God. It was almost coming across as if I was looking back with regret that I no longer had these experiences, rather than that I was relieved to be free from my lifestyle of sin which was ultimately meaningless and empty. Examples include: Street God, Junkie Meets Jesus

4. Poor conversion testimony and/or Gospel presentation is missing key elements. I’ve seen this in fiction and non-fiction. I’m not someone who thinks that every Christian book should contain the Gospel message explicitly. However, if people in Christian books become Christians, it needs to be clear what it is they are subscribing to; what do they now believe? I’ve read books where the character has some kind of overwhelming sensory experience that they attribute to God. They then decide this means they are a Christian, and everyone else in the book accepts this as if this is what makes a Christian. Surely, anyone can see the issue for any non-believers who happen to be reading the book. I’ve read of conversions with no mention of conviction of sin, focusing instead on the love of God exclusively. Likewise, those who seem to fall in love with Jesus which meets a need in their life at a particular time. This isn’t saving faith. Examples include: Journey to Riverbend, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Negotiator, Once an Arafat Man

5. Dogmatic on secondary issues. This is an obscure one and, again, tends to appear in autobiographies. Some authors use their personal stories as a platform for espousing strong views on a particular doctrinal, or church based, issue. The last thing a reader wants, when reading a biography, is suddenly to be hit with a sermon on charismatic gifts, Calvinism, replacement theology, home-schooling, political dogma, or the perils of different Bible translations. Authors should realise that they are shooting themselves in the foot when they do this because they will alienate anyone who doesn’t share their view and also annoy anyone who does share their view but just wanted to read a biography. If people want to read about these other issues, they will buy books about them or listen to sermons about them in church! Examples include: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, God Less America, The Mind of Terror, Hillary's America

6. Too much personal detail. This is more about protecting the author than anything else especially if the book receives wide acclaim. What if our circumstances change and there are things in the book we wish we hadn’t included? What if we want to work as a a missionary in a closed country in the future; will our book put us in danger? I’ve seen books with details of sexual exploits, even some where names are mentioned. Also, books detailing criminal activity which appears never to have been dealt with by the criminal justice system. Additionally, books containing things that are just too personal for others to read. Our emotions are changeable; we can write and publish something but later feel exposed and vulnerable. It’s important to get feedback from friends and family prior to publication and especially to ask permission from those that will appear in a book. We must think about our purpose in writing and weigh up the pros and cons before publication. Examples include: A Heart for Freedom, Why I Stayed, Why Me?, Once an Addict, Unashamed

7. Failure to uphold biblical principles. This is one of my pet peeves. Is it really okay for a Christian character in a fictional tale to pursue a relationship with a non-believer despite the clear biblical instruction not to do this? What message is sent to the audience when the relationship works out despite the sinful behaviour? What if the Christian character appeared to know it was wrong but did it anyway and God appears to bless the decision? There are so many books out there like this but how damaging is this for a Christian trapped in an emotional entanglement with a non-believer and trying to make the right decision? What about Christian characters who swear, don’t go to church, dismiss parts of the Bible, commit crime, or appear to turn a blind eye to corruption, or bribery. We should not have Christian characters who behave exactly as their worldly counterparts behave. How about authors who promote evolution? Examples include: Why There Almost Certainly is a God, Wild At Heart, Things Forgotten, Nevertheless, Captivating, Bruchko, The Truth Seeker

8. Spiritual ramblings. Another pet peeve. I’ve been forced to skip whole chapters of books where the author rambles on and on about the goodness of God in a particular situation without actually saying anything. They use plenty of emotion and a range of flowery words to describe how they feel and basically seem like a record stuck on different versions of God is so good. The problem is, readers can’t usually relate to someone else’s emotional and spiritual experience of God because it’s personal. It either feels very cringe worthy or just pointless. A good writer will demonstrate the greatness of God through detailing the circumstances and His interventions without nonsensical ramblings about how they feel about it all. Examples include: Kisses from Katie (audio version is worse), God Knows My Name, Tables in the Wilderness

9. Failing to live up to their own standards (and God's). This has been an issue in the public eye recently because of the downfall of popular author, Joshua Harris. There have also been organisations that have written books and then later been exposed for corrupt practice. Authors with life-style issues and addictions have written books detailing the power of God helping them overcome these sins and then relapsed some years down the line. Essentially, if you’re going to write a book about it, make sure you’re truly converted. It does great damage to the church of God when these people with public profiles fall. Christians will fall into sin from time to time as we aren’t immune to temptation, but we are new creations in Christ, and shouldn’t then respond arrogantly, or wallow in lifestyle sins that we have been freed from in the past. We definitely shouldn’t try to justify ourselves in these circumstances. Examples include: Saving Levi, Anointed for Burial, Sinner's Creed

10. Focus on the subjective without checking Scripture. There is a danger when authors relate their subjective experiences, or their characters’ experiences, as if they are main-stream for Christians. This can apply to signs and wonders, appearances of Jesus, dreams, visions, healings, tongues speaking, casting out demons, prophecy, visits to Heaven, callings by God, talking to God, directions from God etc. The impression can be given that, unless a reader experiences these things, as the author or character has done, they are not a true believer. It could also make someone feel inadequate spiritually or, worst case scenario, it could result in someone waiting for these experiences to happen to them before they trust Jesus for themselves. If authors want to include these things in their books, they really must make it clear that it is their personal experience and not something that is likely to happen in the life of every Christian. The Bible is the only source of authority when things like this occur and we need to be referring back to it constantly. Examples include: I Dared to Call Him Father, Back to Jerusalem, Sadhu Sundar Singh, Heaven is for Real, I Told the Mountain to Move

11. Changing and misquoting the Bible. This should go without saying, but sadly I see too much of this either through ignorance or deliberate manipulation to fit a particular point the author wants to make. If the intention of the author is to make the Bible story or teaching more accessible to a particular group of people, then there is room for manoeuvre here. An example would be missionaries trying to deal with cultural issues e.g. Judas inadvertently becoming a hero because friendship betrayal is considered extremely clever in Peace Child! However, most authors are not dealing with situations like this and should not then be changing the Bible. This happens more often in films where dramatic licence is taken, but these films are often based on books. Authors’ that write about Bible themes should always remember that they are dealing with the perfect Word of God which is not something to be treated lightly, and that account will have to be given for every careless word. Examples include: The Shack, The Prayer of Jabez, The Purpose Driven Life

12. Too much graphic detail. Christians will argue about this until the cows come home. What is too graphic? The fact is, we all have different standards and different things effect each of us in different ways. Some may not be affected by violent scenes whilst others may have nightmares. Some may not be tempted when reading sexual scenes, others definitely will. Some may be able to tune out bad language, others won’t. We all need to remember that we have a fallen, sinful nature that will feed on graphic detail in a way that may not be helpful. We need to consider how much of this we are exposing ourselves to and how that affects our thinking and our behaviour. We need to ensure we are also focusing on good, pure things and know where to draw the line. To deny that what we read and fill our minds with has any effect on us spiritually is ignorant and foolish. There are plenty of Bible verses that prove that we are affected and that we are responsible for what we read, watch and listen to. Christian authors who put these things out there need to be aware that they could be causing a brother or sister to stumble, or putting temptation in their path or planting ideas that weren’t there before. It’s easy to place the responsibility on the reader, but Christian authors must surely consider how their words could affect others. Examples include: Bone Man's Daughters, Redeeming Love, Bridge to Haven

13. Excessive focus on dark themes. Should Christians read Ted Dekker or John Grisham? What about Frank Peretti? How about C.S. Lewis or Tolkien? Some of these books fall into the horror genre and I would question whether Christians can justify reading them. Some are fantasy but with a big focus on demonic activity. Some deal with the Occult in detail. Others involve magic and witchcraft. Again, Christians draw the lines in different places but authors really must consider the impact of their writings on their audience particularly as some of these authors are writing for children. Should a Christian author really write a book that makes a reader feel sick, or scared, or that gives them nightmares? I’ve heard authors argue that we need to be aware of the spiritual battle and learn the tactics of the enemy in order to defeat him. This is a weak argument, the Bible encourages us to study the Truth to determine error, it tells us to beware of the devil but never to investigate his schemes. Instead, we are told to put on the full armour of God and to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Examples include: The Screwtape Letters, By Reason of Insanity, Showdown, This Present Darkness

14. Misleading titles and summaries. How annoying is it when you’ve purchased a book on a subject that you were interested in reading about, but the book is about something else? What about when the book has large sections dealing with something not mentioned in the summary? How about if it extensively details the early life of the subject when the book is meant to be about something that happened to them later on? Christians need to be honest about their books and not try to sell them as something they aren’t. It’s not clever to deceive someone into buying a book with a Christian message when they aren’t interested In Christianity. The deception will just annoy them and they will have the perception that Christians aren’t truthful, or that Christianity is so desperate for converts that we are resorting to underhand tactics rather than relying on the power of God to open blind eyes. Likewise, dramatic claims to fame, or to some extraordinary experience, in a sub-title to grab attention, must be backed up by the content or readers will just be disappointed and irritated. Examples include: Taming the Tiger, False Witness, Shouting into the Silence, While the World Watched, Flash: The Homeless Donkey, They Say We Are Infidels, The Boy Born Dead

I’m sure there are more mistakes that Christian authors make, but these are some that I’ve come across. It’s worth highlighting that there are plenty of Christian authors out there who avoid all of these pitfalls and write excellent books. You can check out my 5 star reviews on Goodreads for some of these.

Let's stop and think about our purpose in writing, and whether the content is acceptable to God, before we put our names to something that may be in the public domain for generations to come!

Can a Christian Author Write for the Secular Market?

As an avid reader and book reviewer with a Christian worldview, I often face dissenting opinions. I expect this, to some extent, because I try to be honest and apply critical thinking which can be sadly lacking. (Here are ten reasons for writing honest reviews.) The interesting factor in all this, is that it is often Christians who are uncomfortable with my views and sometimes they seem to be arguing from a secular perspective on behalf of the world…..

One of the biggest areas of debate is definitely what I would describe as “content issues.” Is it okay for authors to include bad language, graphic violence, explicit or detailed sexual activity, drug taking and its effects? How about a Christian author? And what about Christian authors who write for the secular market? Is there any difference in acceptable standards?

Let’s start with authors who are not Christians, those who are in the world and very much of it, who haven’t yet had their eyes opened to the saving hope that Jesus offers. What about them? 

Obviously, we cannot expect people not claiming to be Christians to behave like believers. They will live as they choose and don’t see themselves as accountable to God. The fact that they will ultimately face God on Judgement Day and give an account of their lives is not really the issue. As Christians, we cannot seek to inflict Christian standards on non-believers. It is when someone becomes a Christian that their lifestyle will change as they seek to please God rather than themselves or other people.

Can a Christian reviewer express faith-based opinions about a secular book? Yes, of course we can and should be doing this. We don’t remove our Christian hat (or head) when picking up a book, and our faith is at the centre of what we do and who we are. How can we write an honest review without including faith principles or seeking to make some kind of spiritual application?

However, when reading such books and writing such reviews, I try to keep in mind that the author is not a professing believer, and that I have chosen to select their book knowing this. My review will still detail things that may be of concern to a believer, but I would render a less harsh judgement for graphic content.

Turning to the other end of the spectrum—Christian authors writing for the Christian market. This should be an easy one. Christian authors should expect to be held to certain content standards by their readers. We are all part of the body of Christ and are therefore responsible to hold each other accountable—to offer correction, advice and a loving rebuke for the benefit of His Kingdom. I have written extensively about this elsewhere with a particular emphasis on swearing in Christian books.

For some reason, things seem to get complicated when dealing with the third category of authors. People like John Grisham who profess to be Christians, but who are writing for the secular market. Should Christians even attempt to do this? Is it a grey area? Can this content be held to different standards?

Most definitely, we need talented Christian authors writing for a wider secular audience and entering the spiritual battle-field in the process. Why should writing be any different to any other profession? We need Christians in every work-place and every corner of this world. Light needs to be shone in areas of spiritual darkness. Christians are reflecting the light of the world, or at least we should be.

Christians who have chosen to make their living as writers have massive potential influence especially with the rise of the internet. I would suggest, that those writing for the secular market have an even greater responsibility. They have access to thousands, maybe millions of people who might never set foot in a church or pick up a Christian book. These authors are effectively representing Christ to the world. Well, again, they should be.

It has been argued that it is okay for a Christian author to breach generally accepted standards of content when they are writing for the secular market. I cannot understand this on any level. Christians are Christians all of the time. 

We don’t become non-believers for a day, a month or a year when we are in the secular workplace—why should writing a book be any different? What is the point of having Christians in secular work places if they are going to conform to worldly standards. We might even ask the question—is someone really a Christian if they are going to behave like the world and there is no visible difference between them and Joe public?

The content of secular books by secular authors is deteriorating, but that is to be expected. People are becoming desensitised and are demanding more and more of what their fallen nature desires. Christians need to buck the trend and swim in the other direction whether they are writing for the secular market or not. It shouldn’t be a grey area.

Sure, Christians will differ on what is and isn’t acceptable content wise, but let’s develop our critical thinking skills. We should at least be considering whether what we are writing and reading is acceptable to God. We can take responsibility for warning others or at least making them aware of the things we observe so they can make informed decisions.

Can a Christian author really justify causing someone to lust or form graphic violent images in their mind or find themselves repeating bad language they read in a book? What about teenagers experimenting with drugs having read how to do it in a book written by a “Christian”? Maybe you think this is an exaggeration, but we all know how easily our minds can be corrupted, how quickly we fall into temptation and let’s not forget that our hearts and minds are attracted to evil in the first place.

Some full-time Christian authors may feel pressurised to increase the graphic nature of their books or to include bad language to attract a wider audience. There may be financial pressures or the need to make a name in the various genre markets. But, if someone is a true Christian, this will prove to be a false economy. God promises that He will honour those who honour Him. Conforming to worldly standards of entertainment comes back to a lack of trust that God will provide.

We must make sure we keep our priorities in check and remember that we are accountable to Him. Why don’t we use our talent for His glory and to reach out to those still in darkness with the saving message of hope. Let’s not waste the opportunities we have been given for evangelism and to represent Jesus, by instead writing rubbish, or even offensive content that might push people away from Christ. 

True Christians are serving one Master all of the time. Let’s remember Who we are living for, wherever we are and whatever we are doing!

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.  

Colossians 3 vs 23

10 Reasons to Write Honest Book Reviews

If you peruse a selection of the reviews on Amazon or Goodreads you will find that they are largely positive—as in 4 or 5 star ratings. Considering that it is now, due to print on demand, possible for anyone to self-publish with no upfront costs, can it really be that the majority of books are “really liked” or “loved” by most readers? Or is it that society is gradually conditioning us to avoid confrontation or negativity in favour of a more positive and uplifting approach?

As an evangelical Christian I am obviously in favour of encouragement and of trying to see the good side of things. But shouldn’t we also be honest and say what we really think about something? What value is it if we say that things are good when they are not? What will happen to the quality of our literature if we follow each other in enthusing about books that we actually found dull and monotonous in order to fit in? Is that what is happening or is it that we’ve lost the ability to think critically, having been instructed from an early age that we need to build a person’s self-esteem through affirmation?

Hopefully, you can now appreciate why this is an important issue worth writing about. This is my list of reasons for writing honest book reviews.

1.     Maintaining a good standard of quality literature. This is particularly important with the massive rise in self-publishing in recent years. If readers were honest, those poor quality books that are badly edited or just not worth reading would be banished forever.

2.      Time is valuable. How many times have you downloaded a book or picked one up cheaply in a charity/thrift store only to read the first few chapters and abandon it? How many books do you have waiting in your “to read” pile? How many other ways are you wasting time due to not really knowing whether or not a book is worth reading due to the lack of honest reviews?

3.     Money is scarce. E-books and the ability to “Look Inside” a book partly negate this issue as you can “try before you buy.” But there are still some over-priced e-books out there. And what of those who prefer paperbacks or who aren’t internet savvy? Honest reviews prevent people wasting their hard-earned cash on something that will inevitably disappoint.

4.    Offensive content. Standards are lowering across the globe as people depart from biblical values. What was offensive twenty years ago is now considered acceptable. I appreciate that readers will have different opinions on what is and isn’t offensive. Wouldn’t it be useful to know in advance if there is bad language, blasphemy, sex, violence or drug-taking in a book? There are various Christian websites that evaluate movies but none that I am aware of for books. Readers rely on reviews yet I rarely see comments about this type of content issue.

5.      Authors want them! Most serious authors want to know how they can improve their writing. They want to know about content or editing issues. Changes are easier to make now than ever. The pain of receiving a 1 or 2 star rating is somewhat negated with an explanation as to why the reader didn’t enjoy the book. Sometimes it will be unavoidable or a mismatched genre preference—I have had non-Christians offended by the Christian focus of my books. But most authors want to know anyway. One author contacted me after I left a relatively negative review on Amazon to ask me to be a BETA reader for her. She told me that I had raised all of the issues that she had felt uncomfortable with when she had published the book.

6.     Encourage critical thinking. An honest and thought-provoking review may cause others to re-examine their own position on an issue. My most popular review to date was of the best-selling Christian book The Shack. Wincing at the numerous 4 and 5 star reviews, I gave it 1 star due to the bad language and erroneous theology. My review generated a great deal of discussion on Goodreads which led to someone recommending a Youtube documentary examining the book in light of Scripture. Surely it is good for all of us to be challenged in this way.

7.       Fostering reliability. Readers still look at reviews when deciding what to read, but how many are being put off by the grossly inflated statistics? If a book is rated 5 stars it should be something exceptional, but many are not. This has come about partly due to review swaps between authors who then cannot bring themselves to be honest for fear of damaging their own chances of success. This also occurs due to authors paying for reviews—yes, this does happen despite big companies like Amazon clamping down. But I would suggest that readers could easily over-ride these misleading and in some cases fraudulent stats by simply being honest in their own reviews.

8.     Increased success for indies. Good self-published authors can be lost in the tide of drivel. Readers become reluctant to buy indie books after a few disastrous purchases. If only they could rely on the reader reviews they might take a chance on a new author.

9.     Bucking the trend. Okay, maybe this is just me, but there’s definitely something satisfying about drawing attention to a little known author after a great reading experience; or, conversely, departing from the acceptable path of popular opinion by slating a “classic.” A word of caution here—only do this if it is what you really think. Ulterior motives tend to expose themselves in the end.

10.    It’s biblical! I had to of course mention the most important point. We should be “speaking the truth in love.” At times, that might involve contacting an author and offering feedback privately rather than a public review. It might also involve explaining publicly why a book is offensive or theologically inaccurate to steer others away from it. It doesn’t generally involve remaining silent and it definitely doesn’t involve giving an untruthful opinion about something to please an author, blend in with the crowd, or to avoid being controversial.

Let’s be honest in our reviews so that we can all enjoy our reading experiences.

Ephesians 4 vs 15

 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ

Proverbs 16 vs 13

 Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.

 

Ephesians 4 vs 25

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another.

Reflections of an Amateur Christian Author

I have always had an interest in writing, but more so in reading. I devoured books as a child. I sometimes even wrote stories that tended to be spin-offs from the movie I’d just watched. It was obvious these didn’t really contain any unique material or ideas! Since my stories often featured drawings as well, it wasn’t long before I realised that my skills in the latter were non-existent. This realisation usually came through the not-so-well masked facial expressions of various adults. Hence, my writings became text-only. 

As a Christian missionary on Logos Hope from 2011-2013, I spent a day every two months composing my newsletters for my supporters. I tried to make sure they were thorough, colourful (with photos,) detailed and interesting. They seemed to be enthusiastically received. But I suppose that was to be expected as I’d been given training in how to write them. One point that stuck in my mind during the training was about what not to do rather than what to do. Maybe that says something about my personality, but I won’t dwell on that here…

It was mentioned in passing that we shouldn’t spend too much time detailing our personal spiritual experiences. These tend to put people off since often the reader can’t relate to them. That struck on immediate chord with me--the monotony of reading page after page of someone else’s vague encounters with God and their subsequent attempts to analyse them. I determined from the outset to try to connect with my readers by making my content as relevant as possible. I thought about what I would want to hear about if I was at home, the things I would be interested in, and, conversely, the things that would bore me or that I would skip through. 

People do want to know that their missionaries are trusting God and learning through their experiences on the field. But they don’t need the spiritual lessons spelled out for them in tedious detail. These lessons are easily evidenced through the way missionaries deal with everyday events. A Bible verse at the top of the page or a list of prayer points typically suffice. Lessons learned don’t need to be proved via lengthy spiritually-sounding explanations that risk sending even the most faithful supporters off into a deep snooze. 

Why do some missionaries suddenly lapse into church or “God-speak” in their newsletters? Words that long ago ceased to be used in everyday conversation suddenly make a reappearance. I’ve also noticed how missionaries seem to forget their sense of humour. Cross-cultural missions create some of the most amusing situations that exist on earth. It’s inevitable with the clash of people groups. And that’s before we consider bringing a new and potentially threatening religion into the mix! Maybe some people raised their eyebrows at the presence of my “Humour/Cultural” box. But many enjoyed it, making comments to the effect that it really helped them understand some of the dynamics I faced on a daily basis. 

It wasn’t until mid-2014 that I seriously considered writing anything more substantial for a wider readership. It came about purely because I wanted to raise awareness of a ministry situation and realised that a book might be the best method of doing so. I wrote, They're Rugby Boys, Don't You Know? (now called Street Kids, Solvents and Salvation) to highlight the plight of teenage street boys in the Philippines addicted to a solvent called “rugby.”

I wrote in narrative form as if I was verbally telling the story. Some readers that knew me said they could hear me speaking as they read. The vast majority of the feedback was positive and I generously received a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews. But there were critics too. People pointed out that I wasn’t a professional author, that the narrative was rambling in places, that there were a few typos, and that it could do with a proper edit to improve the flow. Personally, I think the latter group were more astute and the former were just being kind as they desired to help in the mission work!

For Rugby Boys, I did a lot of self-promotion around my mission work—not that I wanted to or particularly enjoyed doing it, but because I had picked up from a few articles that it was essential. I decided to self-publish through a print on demand company, Lulu.com, largely due to their royalty rates. I emailed the blurb about my book to all of the independent Christian book shops in England. I submitted the e-book to all of the big websites: Amazon, Nook, Itunes, etc. And I waited. There was not a lot of movement. 

I sold a hundred or so copies to friends and family. I joined Goodreads and other social networks to promote my book. I started a blog. I moved from Lulu to Createspace. I read reams of information about how to increase visibility as an author and tried various tricks and ideas. Still there was not a lot of movement. I joined social network groups and gave my e-book away for free to generate reviews. The reviews trickled in but with no real impact on sales. My analysis was that people who actually read the book seemed to enjoy it and that low sales were still because of a visibility issue.

Then came Planet Police. I had held off writing about my police work. I believed that I needed a spiritual purpose in writing and couldn’t just write something for entertainment. In the end I realised that if I included my personal testimony, it could be an effective evangelistic tool in the hands of the right people. Concerned that some of the content might be considered inflammatory, I approached my former police force and asked for their comments on my draft manuscript.  

Sussex Police suggested a few things be removed. They also advised that I not publish it for my own sake! I complied with the former and thought and prayed a lot about the latter. They mentioned that I might offend people of other faiths with my Christian views. They warned that my story might receive interest in a national tabloid and my personal life might be ripped to pieces. Finally, I decided to seek the legal protection of a publisher. 

Stumbling upon the only Christian publisher in England that accepted unsolicited manuscripts online in mid-2015, Onwards and Upwards, I submitted the document to them. I then forgot about it, knowing that all publishers receive thousands of manuscripts and that it had really just been a shot in the dark. Therefore, I was somewhat astonished to receive an email a couple of days later from the managing director stating that he had read my story, enjoyed it and that they wanted it! I needed to buy 200 copies of the book myself and they would do the rest. Planet Police was published in late 2015 and to date there has been no backlash, although initial sales are slow.

I still saw writing as something of a hobby but began to take it a bit more seriously in 2016. A friend mentioned that he was praying about what to write in his blog. I thought that was a bit crazy—praying about a blog post!? Did God care about things like that? But then I realised that he had been right. Any Christian putting material into the public domain should ensure they are representing Jesus at all times. My blog had to that point been quite random. I had updated it regularly with what I was doing on the field and what I was learning, hopefully in an exciting format. But it was time to make some changes--to take my writing more seriously, and to pray about it first.

Do I now see myself as a serious author? In some respects, not really. But I definitely take my writing more seriously and ensure there is a purpose in the things that I write. I am a Christian missionary and am currently between fields so I have time to spend online, writing books and updating my blog. There will come a time when I will probably not be able to prioritise these things as I will be involved in more practical field work. I am hoping to publish The Logos Life and a sequel to Rugby Boys this year or next. But early feedback suggests the drafts need some further work!

All this to say, I want to share with you here some of the practical things I’ve learned during my first few years as an amateur author. 

1.       Self-promotion irritates people, will make you feel uncomfortable and doesn’t make much difference in terms of sales. You need to get your book in front of readers that will then promote it for you. Consider offering it free for a period on Amazon Kindle. Carry out giveaways on Goodreads and LibraryThing for visibility.

2.       The more books you write, the more you will sell. This is logical. In a market saturated with self-published books, you should focus on writing what could turn out to be the next best-seller rather than spending hours advertising/promoting your first work.

3.       Choose a short snappy title for your book (no more than four words) and include a word that tells the reader immediately what it is about. I didn’t do this with my first book preferring to use a catchy phrase from the narrative. It’s too late to change it now. But I would if I could as it’s caused all sorts of confusion with readers thinking the book is about rugby, the sport. Even Amazon still have it in their rugby union category!

4.       Get it properly proofed and edited. My book had been edited, but you’d be amazed at the number of grammar Nazis out there. They will definitely comment on it in your review for all the world to see forever.

5.       A well designed cover is essential. Make sure that you are happy with it. You don’t want to be making excuses or feeling like it could’ve been better when promoting your book.

6.       Don’t stress about sales. Unless you get “lucky” or God decides He wants to use your work in a spectacular way, sales will be slow, maybe virtually non-existent, at first. Your author profile builds over time, so don’t expect dramatic results. Try to enjoy writing your stories. Don’t worry too much about the outcome sales wise.

7.       Don’t pay for advertising. The only real success I’ve heard about is through Bookbub, but it’s expensive and the path for acceptance is paved with rejections! There are lots of sites where you can submit your book for free. I got over a thousand downloads through Reading Deals but haven’t had much success elsewhere. Even that didn’t generate reviews. You can add your book to searchable book databases to ensure it is available online.

8.       Listen to your readers and read the reviews. Implement suggestions for change. Don’t react angrily or take it personally if someone doesn’t like your book. We have diverse opinions and should be free to express them. Consider thanking the reviewer for their honesty and if they haven’t been specific, ask them how you could improve your writing.

9.       Become an avid reader. Offer to review other people’s books and offer honest feedback in your reviews. Objective critique is what all authors need, but it is sadly lacking. People prefer to avoid confrontation using phrases like “It was good” or saying that it was “nice.” Be more specific and say what you really mean.

10.   Most of us are not professional authors and have other jobs, as some readers have not so tactfully reminded me in their reviews. But in all seriousness, we need to remember that and not expect to make a living out of our writing. There are very few who will be gifted enough to be able to do that, but it is not a realistic goal for most. Instead, let’s focus on our spiritual purpose in writing and ensure our faith remains central.

I hope this post encourages you in your writing for Christ and gives you some ideas for further reflection. Let’s pray that our Christian readers will be challenged and encouraged. And let’s pray that those who are not yet saved will be convicted and realise their need of a Saviour.

 Colossians 3 vs 23

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"