Book marketing experts say to be a successful author, you must write about a topic with a proven market. This means researching a book idea and running it through a series of evaluations to see if it is marketable, for example, checking the popularity of a subject on Amazon or search engines.
Yes, researching a book idea makes sense. I’ve been studying book marketing for many years and I’ve discovered fantastic tools to help with researching your book idea, tools like KDPRocket, for example… but this post is not about tools!
When your writing is God-inspired, however, there’s a good chance He will lead you to shake things up and write about a subject that isn’t popular.
His ways, after all, are not our ways.
When I wrote my first book in 2008 about autism, there weren’t many books about faith and autism, and yet, I felt God’s leading to write it. I prayed for confirmations and received them. (Do you want to know more about that process? Comment below to let me know! )
At that time I was in the thick of dealing with my son’s diagnosis. I learned to rely on God’s promises to find hope, guidance, and even provision when the recession hit and we could not provide therapies for my son. I wrote Autism’s Hidden Blessings: Discovering God’s Promises for Autistic Children and Their Families to encourage readers about God’s wealth of promises for struggling families. I shared our experiences—the ups and the downs— and what the Lord was teaching me.
Choosing to write about autism was a response to the Lord’s call.
My daily writing schedule looked like this: I leaned into the Holy Spirit for guidance (I needed His help!) and the words flowed. It was such a satisfying, wonderful feeling.
It was like dancing with the Lord every day as I sat in front of my computer and pecked out the words of that book.
No, I’m not saying that the writing was easy. It was difficult. Writing can be a very lonely endeavor. I often longed for support and community… which is why I’m sharing this story with you.
As I read those words from 10 years ago, it’s hard to believe I wrote them. There are parts of that text that seem almost foreign. This book has gone out to thousands of parents around the world, pointing them to the Bible for encouragement and hope. I leaned into the Holy Spirit as I wrote it, and the book produced fruit.
The bottom line? All credit belongs to the Father.
Now it’s a new year, and I have many goals I want to achieve. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the choices.
This morning I was in the shower (where I get a lot of ideas!!), mulling over all I want to do this year, when the Holy Spirit nudged me with these words:
Write what’s on your heart.
Marketing common sense says to write what people want to buy. Yet, God has a different plan. He always does things in an upside-down way, doesn’t He?
“So those who are last will be first and the first will be last.” – Matthew 20:16 NLV
“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” – Matthew 20:26 NLT
The Secret of God-Inspired Writing
The difference between God-inspired writing is that it requires allowing God to lead. That’s a significant difference! Book experts tell you to write the things that people are buying if you want to succeed. God asks us to lean back into His guidance. There’s freedom there!
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” – Galatians 5:18 NIV
The result? Joy in writing! I felt so close to God when I was writing my books. Now in reality, I know that God is always with me: That’s a promise. However, as I leaned into Him as I wrote, I was aware of His presence. It was a beautiful experience.
New Year, New Opportunities
If you dream of doing something special this year, such as writing on a subject that God has inspired, take a moment to examine your motive. That requires spending time with God, reading Scripture and in a quiet time, listening to the Spirit.
God will call you to serve him with your gifts in a way that’s unique to His dance with you. And that’s what it is, dancing in everyday life with the Lord God Almighty. No, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense, and in a worship sense.
What’s Next for Me
In the next few weeks, I will publish a short story for Kindle. It’s my father’s true story, the one that my friends ask me to tell them again and again. When I tell that story to a new person, I love seeing them marvel at the amazing way God worked through my father. I often hear a GASP!! when I get to the end of the story.
If you’ve ever stepped out to follow a God-inspired dream but faced doubts, wondering if you heard God’s leading, this true story will set your mind at ease. God IS there, behind the scenes of our lives, calling us into His story and equipping us in ways that are astounding.
What’s Next for You?
God has a plan for your year! Have you asked Him about it?
If you aren’t sure how to hear him, check out this post about how I use a process of journaling and listening to the Spirit’s leading to help me. Keep in mind that Scripture is the litmus test of knowing God’s word and direction. No word or leading will ever contradict Scripture.
Calling All Writers
Is God leading you to write, but you aren’t sure if you heard Him or you don’t know how to get started? Now is the time for Christian writers and authors to share our testimonies and encouraging stories. This world is getting darker… and that will only allow God’s light shine all the more.
People are waiting to hear your story:
“Now God has saved from the punishment of sin! God’s power as King has come! God’s holy nation has come! God’s Christ is here with power! The one who spoke against our Christian brothers has been thrown down to earth. He stood before God speaking against them day and night. They had power over him and won because of the blood of the Lamb and by telling what He had done for them. (emphasis mine) They did not love their lives but were willing to die.” – Revelation 12:10-11 NLT
So don’t be afraid, tell the story! But how, you ask?
Trust me, God will make a way. Just step out and write. Today more than ever, it’s easy to get your writing to a world that needs encouragement. Blogging and self-publishing have opened doors that were once closed, and no, you don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to make this happen (in fact, don’t do this. I’ve self-published two books little cost.)
For now, just step out and write. Take that first step.
How can I help you? Let me know!
Do you need help with motivation? Direction? Learning about editing? Self-publishing? Blogging? Community? I’m waiting to hear from you! Comment below or contact me here.
Here’s to Year of Lifting God’s Glory High!
Kelly
Another Amazing Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
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