I love maps. Very few things make me happier than the excitement of surveying the made-up lands of Narnia or Middle Earth. Scanning the page for landmarks, important features, or new locations makes the reading experience so much richer for me. In the same way, I like to utilize my love of maps and imagination to communicate timelines, identify benchmarks, and check progress. I even use them to teach and encourage.
Recently, at a writer’s conference, I found myself answering the same question often: “What does it look like to start a writing career?” Other questions usually strung rapidly behind this one. “How long does it take?” or “When can I get published?” rolled right along. After the third or fourth conversation, I broke out some 4 x 4 graph paper and a few markers and made myself a map for would-be Christian authors.
The Writer’s Map
While this map is not all inclusive, it does outline the journey from a 50,000-foot view. It is important to know where to start, what steps to take, and where you’re headed. Let’s unpack it. (You can click here for a large version of the map.)
Start at the beginning, the foot of the cross. As Christian communicators, we have a job to do. We communicate Christ and Him crucified. Our aim is to focus on the message of the gospel and share its implications with our audiences. When we begin the task of writing for Him, we start by grasping the gospel for ourselves. Ask God to restore the joy of your salvation, lead you with humility, and let the love of Christ in your life reign supreme.
Serve. When we start the process of writing a proposal or a manuscript, we must have those we serve at the forefront of our mind. We must know them, love them, and be able to deeply describe them. After all, serving them in the context of writing for them looks like knowing who they are and what they are like, uncovering their deepest need or challenge, and helping them find answers in Christ.
Shape your thesis statements. The next road on our map includes the task of identifying and sharpening your core messaging. When you know who you are serving, the next step is to focus and develop what you want to say to them. Everything in your book proposal or manuscript should reflect these core statements.
Communicating the “why” behind your topic. This step is the next step on our map through writing. We must be able to answer these questions:
- Why/how does the topic I’m writing about connect to the gospel?
- Why does the reader need to know this truth/concept?
- Why is the reader looking to hear the answer to their question/challenge from me?
It is now time to work and wait. Yep. We have reached the long, winding road of working while waiting on our made-up map.
Once you know your “why” answers, the work and waiting might feel overwhelming. But I recommend writing and writing often. Pray without ceasing and start the process of building the relationships you need to move forward. Dedicate the time and talent of writing to your regular schedule. Stay steadfast and be consistent.
When you work and wait enough, you will have reached the last stop before “Pitch Mountain.” Let’s call it Platform Pass.
Most would-be writers begin to shrink when this particular “p” word is thrown into the mix. But fear not. Instead of getting discouraged over the platform piece, change the question of “What is your platform?” to “Where are you meeting your audience in the most wide and consistent way?” or “Who are you partnering with to get your message out to your audience?”
When you can successfully navigate building a consistent presence in front of your audience, you can begin to scale towards pitching. You’ll need a solid proposal (answering all these questions on our map), trust in the Lord, and a willingness to work.
Pitch Mountain
Climbing the rocky passageways of the pitch process takes dedication and devotion. The sharp edges of rejection letters and the steep climbs of deadlines can keep some writers out of the race. But, if you stay true to the work and are constantly putting in the effort, you might make the summit of publishing a book. But the road doesn’t stop here.
Publishing is more than writing the book. Once you have completed the book, there is planning, preparation, promotion, partnership building, and a bit of a crash in the middle. Take courage. The road we began ends right back where it started. This loop of a writer’s journey is a walk of faith and requires us to play the long game of endurance and perseverance. Navigating this adventure will take time, skill, and resolve. But luckily, you have map and a little bit of an idea where you’re going and what you’ll need to get there.
