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Recommended Books for Christian Writers / Speakers

CHILDRENS BOOKS - WRITING AND MARKETING
How to Write a Children's Book and Get it Published, Barbara Seuling, Charles Scribners, 1991. Barbara Seulings book is the best of the lot. She realistically portrays the difficulty in breaking into the children's market in the '90s, yet she encourages the reader and provides a wealth of helpful information to do just that. Barabara Seulings book is easily readable for a reference book and one that anyone interested in writing for children today should have in their personal library.


FICTION WRITING
Complete Guide to Writing & Selling the Christian Novel, Penelope J. Stokes, Writers Digest, 1998. Writing for the Christian-fiction market has its benefits. One generally doesn't need an agent to get one's manuscript considered. Though the quality of Christian fiction has improved greatly in the past decade or so, publishers are still willing to take a chance on a newcomer. And most Christian publishing houses are small, making the publishing process a warmer, more personal experience.
How to Write and Sell a Christian Novel, Gilbert Morris, Vine Books/Servant, 2000. Morris, a highly acclaimed Christian author, illustrates the art of developing the three basic elements of novel writing: plot, character, and setting. In well-defined terms, with a collection of examples from his own published novels, Morris guides the aspiring novelist in constructing a plot, deciding on point of view, writing dialogue, and developing character and setting. He concludes each chapter with helpful exercises to develop the skills just taught. His final chapter details the steps of marketing, including formatting manuscripts and surviving rejection.
Self Editing for Fiction Writers, ...How to Edit Yourself Into Print, Renni Browne and Dave King, Harper Perennial, 1993. There's not much of the old-style editing going on at publishing houses today. Renni Browne, veteran of William Morrow and other publishers, founded the Editorial Department in 1980 to teach fiction writers the techniques professional editors (many of whom have gone independent) use to prepare a manuscript for publication. In this book, she and senior editor Dave King share their accumulated expertise in a series of brilliantly compact lessons.

NON-FICTION WRITING
The Art and Craft of Feature Writing, William E. Blundell, 1988, This classic book is used to teach Wall Street Journal writers the tricks of the trade. It deals with the nitty gritty of coming up with ideas, gathering the right kind of information, and getting past most common road blocks that crop up during the writing process.
Successful Nonfiction: Tips and Inspiration for Getting Published, Poynter, Para Publishing 1999. Successful Nonfiction is a collection of pointers and affirmations for those nonfiction writers who view their books as "products" and their readers as "customers." Self-publishing guru Dan Poynter weaves together real-life publishing anecdotes, quotations from writers, and information from his own research and vast experience to comment on everything from combating procrastination to knowing when to call in a ghostwriter.
The Magazine Article: How to Think It, Plan It, Write It, Peter P. Jacobi, Writers Digest. This book is probably the most focused, practical book on the market. Full of ways to find writing ideas, organize them, and get them down on paper in a captivating way. For anyone searching for a resource written just for writers, you'll find it here.
Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, Elizabeth Lyon, Perigree Books , Many writers, and aspiring writers, don't realize the opportunities that exist in the nonfiction book market. This book shows them how to take advantage, with topics including subject matter research, creating marketing plans, and writing a strong "About the Author" section. Also features two dozen actual proposals.
Write on Target...A Five-Phase Program for Nonfiction Writers, Hensley & Miller, Writer, 2000.

INTERNET / WORLD WIDE WEB / ePUBLISHING
Web Word Wizardry - A Guide for Writing for the Web and Intranet. At last, a comprehensive book on writing for the Web and intranet. With both authority and enthusiasm, web-wordsmith Rachel McAlpine illuminates the twilight zone between web design and traditional business writing. This fun and practical guide is crammed with expert advice on how to make online content readable, usable, findable, accessible, and credible--all the necessary ingredients for a heavily trafficked, highly profitable web site.
The Web Writers Guide - Tips and Tools. Drawing on the advice of experts in the field, The Web Writer's Guide serves as the ideal sourcebook for tips and ideas for freelance and staff writers of online content. This book provides writers of all levels with the information they need in an accessible, easy-to-use fashion. To the many deadline- and project-conscious writers out there who need to further adapt to the dynamics of digital media, this easy-to-use, comprehensive guide serves as a remarkable guidepost.
Hot Text - Web Writing That Works. This book will show you how to craft prose that grabs your guests' attention, changes their attitudes, and convinces them to act. You'll learn how to make your style fast, tight, and scannable. You'll cook up links that people love to click, menus that mean something, and pages of text that search engines rank high. You'll learn how to write great Web help, FAQs, responses to customers, marketing copy, press releases, news articles, e-mail newsletters, Webzine raves, or your own Web resume. Case studies show real-life examples you can follow. No matter what you write on the Web, you'll see how to personalize, build communities, and burst out of the conventional with your own honest style.
How To Publish and Promote Online, Adair-Hoy, St. Martin's Griffin, 2001. Whether you're interested in publishing by download, e-mail, or CD-ROM; whether you'd like to do it yourself or hire an e-publisher, all you need to succeed, say the authors, is "a good book and a good marketing plan." Packed into this book's 266 pages is solid advice on creating an e-book, becoming an e-publisher, and selling your book online. Banner ads, it turns out, are a waste of money. Better to mention your book in your signature, then make your presence known by joining appropriate discussion groups, writing free articles for related Web sites, and sending out catchy press releases.
101 Ways to Promote Your Web Site. The key to a Web site's success is its ability to entice surfers to stop at that site, take in what it has to offer, and return at a later date. This guide provides hundreds of tools such as templates, checklists, and forms as well as information on proven techniques like using e-mail, links, and online advertising to increase the number of initial users and repeat visitors to the Web site.
Getting Your eBook Published for Dummies. Getting Your Book Published For Dummies is your complete guide to realizing whatever gem of an idea you’ve been carrying with you. If you’ve ever thought, “this would make a really good book,” be it the next great American novel or a guide to naming babies, here’s your chance to put pen to paper and find out! Written from both sides of the editor’s desk – by a widely published writer and a HarperCollins veteran publisher.
A Cheap and Easy Guide to Self-Publishing E-Books. A Cheap And Easy Guide To Self-publishing E-books is a complete guide that teaches step by step instruction on how to publish your e-books. It includes where to find the most up-to date marketing information,how to sell e-books without "talking and selling" anyone. It includes a detailed daily e-book marketing plan to help the reader market e-books on-line. This e-book includes many marketing techniques that require no marketing budget. It teaches the reader how to negotiate e-book publishing contracts from your computer at home. It includes links to e-book publishers and e-book sellers that will offer royalties to sell your e-book.

MARKETING
Christian Writer's Market Guide 2004. The nineteenth edition of this guide includes topical listings for magazine and book publishers, helpful market analysis, lists of literary agents, and contact information for special markets, editorial services, writers’ conferences and groups, photography markets, and more. The most complete and accurate publishing resource for Christian writers, the Christian Writers’ Market Guide provides what no other resource can.
2004 Writer's Market, 2004 Writer's Market is the #1 tool for writers who want to get published. It's easy to see why. Inside you'll find detailed listings for more than 8,000 editors who buy what you write. Each entry includes crucial information for making contact in the most efficient, effective way, including mailing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, plus information on what each editor wants, how much they pay, and how often they buy. You'll find thousands of completely updated listings (plus 1,100+ brand new publishing opportunities!) for book publishers, consumer magazines, script buyers, trade and professional journals, plus more then 300 agents! No other reference provides such complete AND current information.
A Savvy Approach to Book Sales, Elaine Wright Colvin, Essence Publishing. $9.95 U.S.; $12.95 Cdn. A Savvy Approach to Book Sales…Marketing Advice to Get the Buzz Going is a concise reference book to the myriad of details when a new book comes off the press. The biggest job an author faces is book promotion. If you are not out there trying to make your book stand out, you will simply be lost in the crowd of 150,000 plus new books that roll off the presses each year. How will you get the attention your book needs to jump start sales and create the exciting buzz?
A Simple Guide to Marketing Your Book, Mark Ortman, This book is 100% meat and potatoes. Jam packed full of valuable information that will help you sell more books.
Guerrilla Marketing for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your Work, Levinson, Writers Digest, 2000. "This book teaches the marketing tools every writer needs to know today." John Gray, Author of MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS
Christian Writers' Market Guide 2003, Sally E. Stuart, Shaw. The 2003 edition of this guide includes more than 1,200 potential markets (along with all the information needed to contact them), and tells writers exactly what publishers are interested in what topics or types of books, articles, or stories.
How to Write Irresistible Queries Letters, Lisa Collier Cool, Writers Digest Books, 1990.  Anyone who wants to publish an article or a book MUST READ THIS!!
How to Write a Book Proposal, Michael Larsen, Writers Digest Books, 1997. Written by a literary agent who has successfully placed writers' manuscripts with more than 100 publishers. This newly revised book takes you through every step of writing a nonfiction book proposal.
Publish to Win.. Smart Strategies to Sell More Books, Jerrold R. Jenkins and Anne M. Stanton, Rhodes & Easton, 1997. An Indispensable Survival Guide for Authors and Publishers. It’s no secret that the publishing industry has become cutthroat, overcrowded, and, for many, barely profitable. Even the largest New York publishers are now talking publicly about how to survive the next decade. Now, more than ever, it is vitally important for independent publishers to think expansively about book selling. Publish to Win gives superb marketing guidance for authors and publishers alike.
1001 Ways to Market Your Books, John Kremer, Open Horizons, 2000. John Kremer's home might be nestled in Iowa cornfields, but his advice on book marketing comes straight from publishing's epicenter. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books is a tome of biblical proportion, a 700-page "organized potpourri" of useful ideas, examples, tips, and suggestions. You name it, Kremer covers it: publication scheduling, series and directory writing, attaining bestsellerdom, direct mail, cover design, offbeat advertising, online sales, alternative markets, and much (really!) more. He includes addresses and phone numbers, Web site addresses, and hundreds of marketing stories from authors and publishers.
Writer's Guide to Book Editors,, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2003-2004... , Jeff Herman, Prima Publishing. This ultimate writer's reference connects you to who's who in the publishing industry. Inside, you'll find the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail and Web addresses for hundreds of top editors and agents, plus essays from industry insiders who reveal the secrets to big-time success.

POETRY
PIX NOT AVAILABLE The Art and Craft of Poetry Michael J. Bugeja Writers Digest Books; (August 2001) Poets will build their poetry-writing skills with help from past and contemporary masters--everything from generating ideas to examining the finished poem. They'll learn how to: * Use journals to develop their observational skills and turn life experiences into ideas for poems * Master the tools of the trade--voice, line, stanza, title, meter and rhyme * Acquire fluency in a variety of poetry formats and forms, everything from narrative, lyric and dramatic verse (traditional formats) to fixed, free and sequence styles (traditional forms) * Fine tune their work Exercises, assignments and sample work from more than 100 standout poets--everyone from Louise Glück to Walt Whitman--ensure that every reader, whether poet, student or bibliophile, discovers just how extraordinary poetry can be.

REFERENCE
Christian Writer's Manual of Style, A, Bob Hudson & Shelley Townsend, Zondervan, 1988. A standard reference guide for anyone involved in Christian Publishing. Editors Bob Hudson and Shelley Townsend surveyed fifty Christian authors and editors to find out what they need to know -- but can't find in secular references. How do you handle the capitalization of the deity pronoun? How do you obtain permission to quote from published hymns, poems, or books? Find out fast with this completely indexed style guide. Besides all the basic rules of style, editing, and proofreading
Become a Richer Writer: Shift Your Writing Career into High Gear , Gene Perret, Jester Press. This book doesn't give you tips on how to write, it leads you to develop the skills to become a much better, wiser writer. I think that, if you have ANY thing you would like to do better at, this book will help you.
Book Editors Talk to Writers, Judy Mandell, John Wiley & Sons, 1995. A great resource for writers hoping to present an informed front: it divulges inside know-how on writing proposals, researching competing books, negotiating contracts, interacting with editors, bottom-line pressures, the extent to which a writer's participation in marketing aids a book, and more.
Get Published...100 Top Magazine Editors Tell You How, Gage & Coppes, Henry Holt, 1994.  Gage and Coppess have written the only book out there that tells you how magazine publishing really works.
How to Be Successfully Published in Magazines, Linda Konner, St. Martins. This book teaches you how to handle that most fickle of beasts (it's true), the editor. Linda Konner has been on both sides of the editor-freelance writer relationship. Her straightforward, entertaining guide offers hints on what charms editors and what alienates them. The bulk of the book comprises invaluable interviews with 28 editors and 10 writers who tell it like it is.
Writer's Essential Desk Reference..., Second Edition, Writer's Digest, 2001. Offers tons of valuable information and advice for the freelance writer, including tax matters, health insurance, copyright and contract laws, research resources, promoting yourself, and selling your work. Even better than a best friend who knows the business (because you can't consult it one time too many), this is a remarkably useful, and yes, even essential reference for would-be and current freelance writers

Business & Legal Forms for Authors & Self-Publishers, Tad Crawford, Allworth Press.  A helpful compilation of basic forms and tear-out forms for actual use, plus an intelligent index. This is a very useful addition to the professional writer's library. The most difficult part of filling-in forms is understanding the questions. Attorney Tad Crawford not only provides the forms you need, he explains your choices for each line. He begins with a discussion of contracting. Then he provides each contract with a discussion of that agreement and a negotiation checklist.

As an author and a publisher, who has run his own business for over 30 years, I highly recommend this valuable book. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com.

The Writers Workbook, Appelbaum & Janovic, Pushcart Press, 1991. Originally issued in 1980, the Writer's Workbook is packed with the tactical how-to's of dealing with your editor, the subrights department, various promotional media and the potential sources of major sales. Presented in a direct and gentle style that respects you as an author, it compels you to clarify who it is you're actually writing for. And that's something you should really think about before you finish that first draft.
The Writer's Legal Guide (2nd Ed), Tad Crawford & Tony Lyons, Allworth Press, 1998. This is a terrific guide that tells writers at all levels what they need to know to avoid legal problems and negotiate successfully. It has the broadest coverage and is clearly written with many cases turned into fascinating and eduational anecdotes.

SELF-PUBLISHING
Poor Richard's Creating E-Books: Chris Van Buren, Jeff Cogswell, Top Floor Pub, 2001. "E-Publishing is the next big thing and something no author or publisher shold ignore. Read this book so you don't get left behind", John Kremmer, Author, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books.
Complete Guide to Self Publishing: Tom & Marilyn Ross, 4th edition, 2002. Everything You Need to Know to Write, Publish, Promote, and Sell Your Own Book (Self-Publishing 4th Edition). The newly revised Complete Guide to Self-Publishing is the best book available on the subject. Period. It's thorough, user-friendly, and full of tips to save you money and help you sell more books.

A Simple Guide to Self-Publishing: A Step-by-Step Handbook to Prepare, Print, Distribute & Promote Your Own Book - 3rd edition, Mark Ortman. Ortman supplies a good overview of the stages involved in publishing one's own nonfiction (and "to a slightly lesser degree, poetry and fiction"). Nor is he shy about citing other books that cover his topics in greater detail. Assuming you know little about the process, he discusses getting started, developing promotional materials and securing reviews, distribution, and continued marketing.

The Self-Publishing Manual: How to... Dan Poynter, Para Publishing, 2001.  Follow the author's step-by-step advice on how to produce a commercially-successful book, get it into print quickly and easily, and learn the basics of book distribution through this fine guide. You have to do it all yourself, of course: but that's the purpose of a guide which tells how to not only break into print; but how to exploit the special strengths of self-publishing.

MISC.
Write His Answer: A Bible Study for Christian Writers Encouragement for Christian Writers, Marlene Bagnull, Joy Publishing, 1990, It is sorely needed refreshment for the struggling Christian writer. It's also practical, easy to read, supportive and yet challenging. The book consists of thirty-three short chapters, with a supporting structure of Scriptural references, simple homework assignments, and plentiful examples from the author's own struggles.

SPEAKERS
One Hundred Plus Motivational Moments for For Writers and Speakers, compiled by Goodrich, Klingler, Potter, Joy Publishing, 1993. Contains many stories and devotionals from over 100 of your favorite Christian writers.
1001 Humorous Illustrations For Public Speaking, Michael Hodgin, Zondervan, 1994. A treasure house of humor to spice up your speeches.Topics range from Ability and Acceptance to Words, Work, and Worship. Illustrations are categorized and indexed for ease of use. Space is also provided to record times and places used.
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, Michael Hodgin, Zondervan, 1998. Experienced speakers know the value of humor for adding punch to their point and muscle to their message. That's why 1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking belongs in every pastor's and speaker's library.
The New Encyclopedia of Christian.Quotations, Walter, 2001. This comprehensive and up-to-date volume features more than 20,000 quotes from over 2,500 sources. In addition to short quotes, there are many paragraph-long entries as well as "feature pages" that explicate basic Christian teachings. These extended quotations, scattered throughout the book, include important Christian documents, such as the Westminster Catechism and Luther's 95 Theses. An extensive list of entries, full cross-references, and an index of sources make this resource especially user-friendly.
Choice Contemporary Stories and Illustrations…for preachers, teachers, and writers, Craig Brian Larson, Baker, $18.99. Hundreds of contemporary illustrations. Provides hundreds of fresh, contemporary illustrations relevant to media-engaged listeners. The illustrations are indexed by multiple subject and textual references for quick retrieval.
The Complete Guide to Christian Writing.and Speaking, edited by Susan Titus Osborn, Promise Publishing Co, Second Edition 2002.
Communicate With Power: Insights from America's Top Communicators …Insights from America’s Top Communicators, edited by Michael Duduit, Baker, 1998.  A collection of interviews published during the first decade of Preaching magazine. Thought-provoking, practical insights for all concerned with effective communication. Not often do the words of Max Lucaado, Charles Swindoll, Calvin Miller, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, John Stott and Warren Wiersbe share the same book cover. But they and others who Communicate with Power have taken part in in-depth interviews in Preaching Magazine.
Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers, Craig Brian Larson, Baker. Taken from magazines and newspapers of the past 15 years, here are illustrations for today’s communicators. "Illustrations are key to connecting, " says Craig Brian Larson. The best illustrations are true, specific, and as up-to-date as the newspaper. These 265 illustrations from recent years connect to the listener's or reader's world. Their sources are documented, specifying names and dates where appropriate. They are about athletes, actors, novelists, psychologists, and other newsmakers. And these people and events connect abstract ideas with concrete reality in daily life.
Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching From Leadership Journal, Edward K. Rowell, editor, Baker, 2000. A collection of contemporary illustrations extensively cross-indexed for speakers, teachers, writers, and preachers.
PIX NOT AVAILABLE Humor for Preaching and Teaching, Edward K. Rowell and Bonnie L. Steffen, editors, Baker. A collection of short, humorous ideas from the best of Leadership Journal and Christian Reader magazines.
Public Speaking…A Handbook for Christians (Second Edition), Duane Litfin, Baker, 1992. Principles of communication are the same for anyone, but the author writes that being a Christian does affect how, when, and where the principles are practiced. Christians also can draw on great preachers--ideas unknown to most textbook writers.
The Quotable Christian, compiled by Helen Hosier, Barbour. Here is an inspirational collection of quotes from some of the best-known Christians of yesterday and today, including A.W. Tozer, C. S. Lewis, Billy and Ruth Graham, Hannah Whitall Smith, and many more. Arranged topically to help writers and speakers.
PIX NOT AVAILABLE The Speaker’s Quotebook…Stories, Illustrations, & Anecdotes, Benjamin R. DeJong, Baker, 1995. With nearly 2,000 quotable one-liners, sentence sermons, short poems, and mini-reflections that will enrich speeches, The Speaker's Quotebook is an old favorite for sermon preparation. The collection also includes ready-to-use fillers for bulletins and other printed materials. Arranged alphabetically by topic.
PIX NOT AVAILABLE Treasury of God’s Virtues, Elaine Wright Colvin and Elaine Creasman, authors/compilers, Publications International, Ltd., 1998, $20.00, 320 pages. A remarkable collection of Bible verses, songs, quotations, poems and other uplifting and inspirational writings.
Who Said That?: More Than 2,500 Usable Quotes and Illustrations, compiled by George Sweeting, Moody Press, 1995. Serious to funny, ancient to contemporary. From politics to religion. From philosophy to tomfoolery. From the deadly serious to the seriously humorous, you'll read quotes comfortably familiar and refreshingly new to help you in your presentations, sermons, and classes.


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