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by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

There’s something different about us. Our thought process. Our goal. Our message. We’re different. We face challenges within the writing industry that general market readers don’t face. Time frames are shorter, contracts are fewer, and compensation is lower. And the biggy—well, the biggy is the critics are louder and unforgiving.

Why do we choose to write in the Christian market?

• We love our faith. Christian writers understand the power of God. We “get” prayer: walking a path that is harder and standing up for something tangible to us but intangible to the world. Jesus never promised the road with Him would be easy, nor did He guarantee that we would receive everything we ever hoped for in this world. Still, we chose to write in the Christian market.

Choosing to Write in the Christian Market by @CindyDevoted on @BRMCWC #Writing #BRMCWC #Writinglife Share on X

This is what being called means. The nudge at our hearts to write something with underlying meaning to a world that looks for superficiality. It’s being forced to learn new ways to send the message of Christ that will be read by folks who do not know Him. Writing in the Christian market is a calling. Accepting the challenge is a choice.

• Looking deeper at our faith. Writing in the Christian market forces us to change our ways. What does that mean? It means learning to write our message differently, finding acceptable words, and teaching in a way that a younger generation of unbelievers would understand. By finding these new ways to write our words, we are challenged to let go of the old and put on new clothes of faith. Many Christian writers think this means compromising our beliefs if we don’t tell the story of Christ the way we’ve heard it our entire lives. NO! You never compromise the message. Instead, you find new words to say an old thing—words a sinful world will understand. The message never changes, but the delivery must as we are to continue to be a light. Jesus told parables—stories that spoke to an unbelieving group. His stories came to them in a language and a method the people could understand. To share His message today means learning His storytelling methods, and they are vital if we are to continue reaching a hungry world.

• Tell our stories in truth. Truth is something that the unbeliever is most critical of. Their idea of what is true versus the Christian view. Truth is an age-old conflict and one that Satan wields fiercely against the world. He used it from the very beginning of time with Eve, and it hasn’t stopped. His delivery has just changed.

So, how do we tell truth? Young readers consider Christian writing as sappy, cheesy, and unrealistic. Why? Because of two things. First, our need to pound the story of Christ into them like sinking a nail into hard wood. And secondly, by ending our stories in a perfect ending, tie-it-up-with-a-bow—the fairytale version. The question for us is, why is this so hard for the world to read? The answer: it makes the Christian life seem perfect. Pray, and God will give you what you want, and everything will work out happily, exactly the way we want it. When we learn to show that God does answer our prayers, but maybe not the way we expected, or that things don’t always end up the way we had hoped, but that, in the long run, it ends better than we anticipated, then we are telling the truth. The point is, we show our faith as what leads us to hope, even if the picture doesn’t come out the way we had hoped. As we said earlier, the message NEVER changes. Only the presentation does.

• Checking our intention. As writers, we desire the same things that any writer, Christian or not, wants. We want success in our writing. Our hope is for a book on the shelf, and an occasional paycheck would be nice. There’s nothing wrong with those desires. The Christian market offers these things to authors, but success depends partly on readers and partly on sales. The truth is, the Christian market is much smaller. Thanks to brick-and-mortar stores losing ground, the visibility of books is decreasing. The reliance on Amazon to display books, leads authors to believe that Amazon markets their books. We seem to lean on what Amazon says for our success. 

Keep in mind the meaning of success swings wide. Some may think that fame and continued contracts denote success, while others see the message being put into the world for readers’ benefit. If you are blessed to achieve a big success in the Christian market, it’s wise to remember where your heart is. Keep a humbled heart and a teachable spirit. Remember, others look at you to see the reflection of the One you write to represent. Again, there is nothing wrong with success, but how you handle it will speak to your overall intention. 

Be willing to share your knowledge, and though a paycheck is important, there are times when simply sharing benefits you and others more than compensation ever could.

Writing in the Christian market can be challenging, but the old adage of ‘anything worth having doesn’t always come easy,’ is true. Publishing as a whole is a difficult industry, and though slots for publication seem fewer and harder to attain, they are still available. 

What does this mean for the writer who chooses to write within the confines of a small market? It’s simple. First, pray without ceasing. Trust in God’s timing and know that though you think the time is perfect, God sees ahead of you. His timing is perfect. Continue to refine your craft. Learn amazing ways to tell the story that moves in harmony with current readers. Hold tight to your faith and your principles. Remember to be in the world, not of it. When you are told to “meet them where they are, raise the bar so that the standard rises.

We are Christian writers by choice. Take your faith, take your love of the Father, and write with excellence.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. Having served for a number of years as a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Ironstream Media, Cindy now works as a mentor, coach, and freelance editor. She is the co-founder of Writing Right Author Mentoring Services with Lori Marett and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Cindy is also the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and www.christiandevotions.us, as well as www.inspireafire.com. Her devotions are in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and her novels have become award-winning, best-selling works. She is a popular speaker at conferences and a natural encourager. Cindy is a mountain girl, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, where she and her husband still reside. She has raised four sons and now resorts to raising chickens where the pecking order is easier to manage. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com or www.wramsforwriters.com.