When I first began writing for publication, back when Gutenberg was a pup, publishing a book was the goal, the prize, the pinnacle of success.
Nowadays, though, with the Internet and blogs and print-on-demand and Amazon, anyone can publish a book. And pretty much anyone does. Just browse a bit, you’ll see what I mean. Sheesh.
If your definition of success is simply to publish a book, you’re at least twenty years behind the times. And, at the risk of being fired from my position as a big, fancy, important literary agent, I suggest you might be setting the bar far too low.
I ask you to consider a different “pinnacle”—especially for a Christian—and that is to be read, to be heard, to have an influence.
Isn’t that the goal, anyway? After all, we don’t write just for our own vanity. We’re not writing just to be published, to have our bylines in a magazine or see our names on books.
We write—right?—to be read. We communicate to have influence, to touch lives.
That definition can and should change some things.
Because if your goal is to make an impact, then your book may be a book. But maybe not.
Bear with me. Don’t throw stones yet.
If you’re writing for impact and influence, there are other ways to touch the lives of readers and develop and build an audience.
That’s why I suggest that you broaden your thinking. Instead of always or only thinking “book,” think “delivery system.”
I once met with a gifted spoken-word poet at a writers conference. He was struggling with how to put his spoken-word presentations into a book. I suggested instead of thinking “book,” that he think “delivery system.” Such as a YouTube channel. His eyes lit up. He’d never thought of that. But it quickly seemed to both of us a much more suitable delivery system for his gifts and message.
So, sure, as a writer, you may want to draft a book proposal to send to an agent or editor; a book may be just the right vehicle, the right delivery system, for your words.
But maybe not.
It might be a book. It might be a blog. Or “tweets” (Xes?). It might be an email newsletter, a website like ChristianDevotions.us, or letters to the editor of your newspaper. It might be personal notes to military service members. Or seminars, podcast episodes, or online coaching sessions. Or screenplay or teleplay. Or downloadable Bible studies. Or something else entirely.
Books are still—and will continue to be—a great delivery vehicle for ministry and message; and other delivery vehicles may complement a book, or vice versa. But in the twenty-first century, there are other and, in some cases, better ways to get a message across.
So, let’s hear from you. Have you discovered or developed a delivery vehicle other than (or in addition to) books?
Gentle Criticism
Wise words, Bob. I work with high school students, and I often hear, “I don’t do books.” Their favored delivery systems aren’t printed on pages. I tell those book-avoiders that they are breaking my heart (if they don’t do any books, they’ll never do the most important Book). Meanwhile, we can leave a trail of short, biblical breadcrumbs to get them headed in the right direction.
Good words to start today. A message that I needed to hear. Our work is more than the words on a page. When we have a great idea, we are putting something in motion that is more than just a book.
This message of yours has been most helpful. Delivery System. I knew that I was the most effective delivery system in my most desired goal, which is to be a catalyst in the life of someone. I just have never realized that I could think of myself as the delivery system. That is what my whole story is all about. To know Him , love Him, and serve Him all the days of my life. To find Jesus, to meet Him, to want to follow Him. Thanks be to God for these well-timed words. Let Jesus pick you up and use you when He needs you, like an instrument on the tray of the surgeon does not resist the hand that reaches for it nor does it loose itself in the drawer in a stack of other instruments so it cannot be found. Wait on the Lord for He has the next meeting planned.
Don’t know about my influence,
and guess I never will,
but still I write with confidence,
quite glad to be a shill
for an art that’s obsolete
and has been for an age;
perhaps that’s why it’s such a treat
to set down on the page
fourteen lines in measured scheme,
ABABCDCD.
EFEFGG then seem
to light the grand fusee
that will set off today’s petard
to make a doorway for the Bard.
Andrew,
Your influence goes farther than you know. How often I have laughed with your humor, shed a few tears with your honesty about suffering, and rejoiced at your spiritual growth. All shown through poetry.
Praying for you and your wife.
Blessings.
So I need an agent to help me match my style of Bible study article with appropriate publications. Yes, I’m doing my own research. But is there an agent for that? Or do you have to have a book first?
Cathy, agents typically represent books, not other delivery vehicles, which are (rightly so) very specific to the particular writer/speaker/messenger.
Cathy –
Have you checked the Christian Writer Market Guide?
https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Writers-Market-Guide-2024/dp/1621842460/
It includes a list of periodicals along with the type of articles they seek.
I’m here for the comments. My husband wrote a book for Christian’s who have been hurt by fundamentalism before he died. I promised to try to get his message out somehow, but not sure a book is the best way. So I’m looking for inspiration!
This is excellent! Everything is not meant to be a book. Talent goes untapped because folks are only focused on a “book.” Sadly, good talent gets lost. Excellent article. Excellent.
I finally wrote something Cindy Sproles approved!
Great observation! I just played with a different medium with good results. As a lead magnet for subscribers to my histfic blog (e.g. you have to sign up to see it), I introduced my three main characters by creating a 1,000-word poem summarizing pivotal events in their lives. (Nod to Andrew Budek-Schmeisser!) I called it “Soul Sketches.” I then went to my friend who does audio for our church services, and he recorded me reading it. Two of my subscribers immediately wrote to say they loved both the poem and the audio.
I have portrayed my female MC in costume for many years, then offered my book at the back of the room. It’s fun.
I realize that these efforts are still tied to a book, but breaking into different media occasionally seems to get attention.
http://www.JeanneGehretAuthor.com
Mr. Hostetler,
Your post is indeed an answer to prayer! I have been struggling and feeling guilty about not completing the “book”. Meanwhile, using my “delivery system”, God has used me to impact lives for Him in so many ways. Thank you for relieving this burden!
And there it is. Clarity. Thank you, Bob.
Well, to quote Thomas Jefferson, “I cannot live without books.” I blame my grandmother for giving me the first. So, thanks to her, I read Gone With the Wind when I was thirteen. Read it three times and still have the book on my sagging shelves. Fifty years later, I read more non-fiction for obvious reasons. The last fiction I read was Gone Girl, and I felt Ms. Flynn ran out of steam at the end. These days, if the title of the non-fiction doesn’t match the content of the book, I cross that author off my list. A catchy title will make me open the book, but the content will keep me reading. I recently sent 23 bags of books to Goodwill because they weren’t good enough to remain on my shelf. Lately, my favorite non-fiction authors have been Ryan Holiday, Robert Green, Mark Manson, Rhonda Byrne, Eckhart Tolle, Tony Robbins, Jake Ducey, Sarah Young, Viktor Frankl, and myself, to name only a few. My favorite fiction writers of all time are Stephen King, Terry McMillian, Jeffery Deaver, and Mark Nykanen (rest in peace, Mark) before he passed on my grandmothers birthday in 2022 (The Bone Parade owned me at page 1), and Jeffery Deaver goes without saying. Jeffery and Mark have twisted minds, but they are not alone in that department. Many authors have twisted minds and often I think it’s a job requirement.
Thank you again, Bob, for encouragement for less-experienced authors. As you can tell by other comments, there are those who need someone to help us know which direction we should take, to coach and counsel us.
Who would you suggest for an 84-year-old who still has much to share of God, our Father’s great love and life to those who need Him and His Son. I have more than I can handle and could use some help.
Blessings as you continue to serve Him.
Yeah, Bob … we can’t call ’em Tweets anymore. They are now eXcretions.
Oh dear.
Preach, Bob!!
Thank you, Bob, for this timely post. One of the best things about learning to write is the ways my teaching skills changed. How I see people and interact with them. Even if I never publish the journey has great rewards.
I started doing videos for Bible class and posting them on a YouTube channel (www.Youtube.com/Bible805)–but one of the BEST things is I discovered http://www.vidyo.ai– it is a service where you can upload your video (mine typically 30 minutes or so), then it slices and dices them into shorter ones.
You then need to go in, edit the auto captions they created and then you can post them directly to social media channels. I recently decided to try putting them on Tiktok–I’m 75 years old and care deeply about some of the younger people in my life and I decided, why not!? I’m recently doing a series on Lent (check it out at http://www.Tiktok.com/@Bible805yp) and I get over 200 views on each one. I have 15 in my Bible class……
The great thing about vidyo.ai is that it makes it so easy to create (because they do it all) the shorts of videos and then their A.I system will write the captions, get hashtages, and post automatically Tiktok and YouTube. I realize I dumped in a lot of info. I am planning on doing a blog how-to video on my process in the near future, you can sign up for my newsletter at http://www.Bible805.com–it will all be free, I’m not trying to sell anyone anything on this–but am very excited about the system.
I attended my first Christian writers’ conference in 2005 with hopes for a book contract. I had no clue just how much I needed to learn. Three days into the conference the director said something that changed how I viewed publishing. She encouraged those of us whose “book” dreams seemed dashed to meet with the periodical editors. A book might reach five to twenty-five thousand readers. But a magazine article could easily reach 100,000 readers!
I took her advice and met with two editors. After reviewing my writing samples, both provided me the opportunity to submit an article on spec (no guarantee of publication). That same year both articles were published and (cliche alert) I was off and running!
There’s something in the air!
Last month I wrote a blog post about this for ACFW and brought in Ronnell Gibson to talk about flash fiction! For years, the value I had placed on my book as “most worthy of praise” kept me from appreciating my other writing. I also love to write poetry, songs, devotionals, curriculum and short memoirs. I’ve decided to pursue publishing opportunities for all the wonderful forms of writing I enjoy and see what God will do!
https://acfw.com/good-things-come-in-small-packages/
The idea of thinking in terms of a delivery system resonates with me . . . and at just the right time! I love writing novels, but I also write nonfiction Christian living and devotions. A delivery system for these much more easily accessed by both the author and the reader. The impact I may make with one of my novels could be months (or uhmmm… years) in the waiting. Not so with blogs, newsletters, and podcast (all of which I do). It feels like a good balance of fighting for the Kingdom in the presence and in the days to come. On another note, my husband sends out a text message to about 140 people every morning. It’s a verse and a thought that he sends every morning but Sunday. People have said he should write a book, but he knows this is the delivery system that reaches his particular audience (quite a few of whom would not read a book even if he wrote it). Thanks for this encouragement Bob!
Super post!
If one’s desire is to truly touch lives , then it’s easier to become creative. Consider writing plays . Never under estimate the power of a good story and live theater.
Beautiful post, Bob! Thank you.
Reading through this post makes me remember the parable of the talents. As I reflect on it, I am asking myself if I am like those God gives a talent to and they don’t know what to do with it!
Sure I have ‘vehicles’ like Youtube, tiktok etc and haven’t learnt how to ‘deliver goods properly’ with them!!!!
This post has opened my eyes greatly.
God bless you.
Blessings.