So You Want to Write a Book: A Strange Blend

Daniel Overdorf shares seven practical tips for aspiring Christian authors, including developing writing habits, reading great writers, attending conferences, connecting with editors, and understanding the realities of Christian publishing.

By Dr. Daniel Overdorf

October 19, 2014·3 min read

In brief

Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors: Seven Lessons on Writing and Publishing

Daniel Overdorf offers seven practical lessons for aspiring Christian authors, drawing on the challenges and rewards of writing a book. He emphasizes developing strong writing habits, learning from accomplished authors, and understanding the publishing business. His advice encourages writers to approach their work with perseverance, humility, and realistic expectations. Here are some Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

Successful authors need to enjoy the demanding process of researching, writing, revising, and editing—not merely the prospect of having a published book.
Reading accomplished writers, studying the craft, writing consistently, and attending conferences can help aspiring authors improve their skills and understanding of the Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.
Building relationships with editors and understanding a publisher’s ministry and business considerations are important parts of pursuing publication.

By Daniel Overdorf

The heights of delight and vulnerability come when you tear open the cardboard box that holds your first book. For those who wish to pursue this strange mix of glee and embarrassment, I offer seven bits of advice, including essential Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

Seven Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors

1. Check your motives.

Many want to have written; few want to write. Unless you relish the process—from the monotony of research to the tedium of rewriting and editing—you will never endure the meticulous work required to author a book and to convince a publisher it’s worth their investment.

2. Read good writers.

Whether you connect best with Shakespeare, Steinbeck, or Strobel, immerse yourself in the musings, plots, and arguments penned by the greats. Analyze their imagery, plot, dialogue, rhythms, and suspense. Dissect their nouns, verbs, moods, and tenses, applying these insights to the Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

3. Read about writing.

You might pick up a classic like On Writing Well, by William Zinsser, or something more recent such as On Writing, by Stephen King. And, every writer needs to keep The Elements of Style, by William Strunk and E.B. White, within arm’s reach, as these works often contain invaluable Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

4. Write often.

Even if you can catch only 15 minutes on the laptop, spend those 15 minutes pouring words into your word processor. Tomorrow you might find 30 minutes, or 45. Consistent writing stimulates your mind to mull over sentences and paragraphs long after you rise from the keyboard. And remember: a page a day equals a book a year; these practices are crucial Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

5. Attend a writers’ conference.

Several years ago I attended an American Christian Writers Conference in Atlanta. I filled my legal pad with pages about the craft and the business of writing that I still refer to today, highlighting significant Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

6. Connect with an editor.

Acquisition editors receive mountains of unsolicited proposals from aspiring writers. They have neither the time nor the patience to read them all. If, however, you make a personal connection with an editor at a conference or coffee shop, your proposal gains a face and personality. They just might read it, especially if you incorporate important Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors into your pitch.

7. Remember, it’s a business.

Christian publishers view their work as ministry. They know, however, that their ministry will continue only if they sell enough books to stay in business. They view a book proposal, therefore, with one eye on its ministry potential and another on its market potential. Writers who wish to be published must do the same, recognizing the vital Tips for Aspiring Christian Authors.

Daniel Overdorf serves as professor of preaching and dean of the School of Congregational Ministry at Johnson University, Knoxville, Tennessee.

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