I’ve made a very late New Year’s resolution. I am no longer going to respond to every question about book publishing with the noncommittal and vague “It depends.”
There’s really only one response to just about every question, and it always comes down to competition in the publishing world.
Why are agents so difficult to connect with? Competition. This agency receives several thousand proposals each year from aspiring authors; and among the five agents, we offer representation to less than 1%.
Why are traditional publishers so hard to crack? Competition. Most of the books they publish each year are from experienced, proven authors. For the few openings allocated to new authors, each will receive dozens of proposals for publishers to consider.
Why is an author platform such a big issue for everyone? Competition. You are competing for attention with authors who embrace the platform requirement and flourish with it. A solid author platform reduces the financial risk of publishing.
Why is it hard to sell your book? Competition. There were four million books published in 2025 (according to Publishers Weekly). That’s 11,000 per day.
Why is it difficult to gain traction with podcasts and YouTube channels? Competition. There are millions of podcasts worldwide and over 100 million YouTube channels. That’s channels, not videos. There are about 20 billion videos on YouTube, with around 7,500 more uploaded during the time it takes you to read this blog post.
Christian publishing is competitive. Publishers compete for authors, books, sales, and employees. Agents are also part of this same competition.
Christian ministries compete for attention with other ministries. Christian colleges compete with one another for students. And, yes, Virginia, even churches compete with one another.
Trying to explain why things are the way they are without actually getting to the real issue only delays reality from setting in. The presence of competition explains a lot, maybe everything.
Even the apostle Paul wrote this about the Christian life in general:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV).
Why do you think the biblical metaphor of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is protection and weaponry for competitive battle? The Christian message is a battle cry since the world considers it foolishness. In this fallen world, every endeavor is a competitive pursuit; except for Christians, it isn’t against flesh and blood. Knowing that should focus your approach.
Publishing is for those unafraid of competition. The friction-based process alone will mature your faith. It is both challenging and worth it.
This is EXCELLENT! Thank you, Dan!
This is bare bones truth … quite an eye opener. Thank you. When we give our work to the Lord and do the work required, we can know He will give it his measure of success.
Thank you for laying this out in such a clear and concise manner. Now I have something to hand to all the friends and relatives who keep asking me why I’m not published yet, and if I just posted a few more Instagram reels, or gave away more prizes in my newsletter, or (as someone suggested yesterday) start my own podcast, the publishers would flock to me, and my book would be on the shelves by Christmas. This explanation is helpful. Thank you.
Clear, concise, spot on. Having just submitted a manuscript, I get it…there’s a lot of competition.
Thanks for the frank clarity.
David
WOW – trusting! This is an excellent reality check in the waiting as we are pressing towards the prize. I’m so grateful to rely on Ephesians 2:10 and God’s steps already ordered while being diligent. Thank you!
This was so good and something I needed to hear. We shouldn’t be afraid when we know whois by our side. Competition is what it is all about. Yet, we have an advantage: Our Lord and Savior.
Well stated. We sometimes forget the publishing industry is a business, driven by financial responsibilities and not emotion.
This is an excellent article. Depressing, but true. The saddest part of this truth to me is there’s nothing at all said about the quality of writing, power of the story, or literary excellence. After having had more than a hundred books published, many of them bestsellers, it saddens me to see that a socially “loud mouth” so outweighs quieter literacy. Personal opinion.
The Christian book industry certainly has changed. As Christian bookstores have declined and new ways to discover and buy books have emerged, publishers have shifted their editorial acquisition strategy.
Now, with the business model focusing on online purchasing, which makes up 2/3rds of Christian publishers’ revenue, author marketing/platforms matter much more than ever.
Readers have very few places to see a book in person and buy it. Writing a good book is just half the battle now…or maybe less than half. And AI in book creation will change that even more. Not exactly encouraging for good writers, or maybe it creates even more opportunity for them!