Make Your Writing a Ministry

Wandering Wednesdays

This week I am sharing some things I have learned and am still in the process of learning about being a published Christian author and the special ministry our writing can be.

What does the Lord want me to say to the people who read my writing?

Every Christian writer strives to find a winning formula for attracting potential readers, conveying a faith-based message, and entertaining in a way that draws them into the book. The second two have been accomplished if reviews are the indicator. The first has been the most difficult aspect of publication for me to learn and deal with on a daily basis.

Developing relationships with readers should begin before publication to be most effective. To draw the attention of potential readers, it is necessary to target the right audience, and then discover the best ways to reach them. Christian authors have the added desire to relate to believers and also appealing to those who may be seeking the Lord.

A historical fiction writer will appeal to people who share an interest in a particular time period, event, character, and place. An author of contemporary fiction can appeal to a reader’s sense of adventure with interesting settings which are believable, even if they are partially fictitious, and in an area it would be possible to visit. The trick is in finding the topics people can relate to when you talk about your book, whether it be in person or through social media.

My debut novel is a contemporary Christian romance. As I thought about how best to relate to people, it occurred to me that Christians struggle with marriage and dating relationships as much as non-Christians these days. What better way for a romance writer to connect with readers than by offering encouragement in their relationships. A big part of my social media is now promoting wise and biblical teaching regarding marriage and dating. The original target audience for my book was women in their twenties on up who like romance novels and Hallmark-type movies. So far that appears to be correct.

I also write devotionals, so another aspect for me is to feature weekly devotionals on my blog. Devotionals reach an audience that is by and large already Christian, so by building a solid relationship with people who read devotionals on a daily basis, I hope they will consider my fiction as well.

A new feature on my blog is Wednesday posts that wander to various topics, one of which is writing blogs. I don’t have a lot at the moment. This is a new area for me, but I know people who have been writing about writing for a long time. I am now featuring guest posts by veteran writers and other writers who have more experience in some areas than I do.

I may not have time to read as many books as I used to, but I hear about a lot of books, so author interviews have become a regular Friday feature for my blog. It’s interesting, and allowing them access to my audience will hopefully bring some new readers to my blog to win the book or read about the author, and perhaps some will stay.

Find the place where you, your book, and your target audience connect, something that benefits all of you, and run with it. Continue to re-evaluate on a regular basis and adjust as necessary.

The main thing for the Christian writer to remember is that your book belongs first and foremost to God. It is He who enabled you to write it, and He will lead you to the audience and the opportunities. The purpose of your writing is not for you to become rich and famous. The writers who do that are few and far between. Rather, the purpose should be to obey God in what He is calling you to write, commit it to Him, pray it will bless others, and most of all that it will glorify Him.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Colossians 3:17

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 19 years. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 38 years. They have two adult children.

Connect with Norma at:

www.normagail.org

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail