Reaching the new generation with the love of Jesus can be tricky in this political climate, but stories are a brilliant way to spread the word in a non-threatening and respectful way.
Who knows how long we will have to be able to spread the good news of Jesus in stories for our children in the UK? As part of our sales strategy at Dernier, we contact schools – many, as soon as they hear the words ‘Christian books’ can’t get off the phone fast enough. (So we’re reaching out to Christian teachers, instead. If you know one, please do give them this link, for free books and the opportunity to buy more books at discount.)
Let’s shine our light!
In some countries, giving a Christian book to a child could get you into a lot of trouble. Maybe you live in one of these places now. When I wanted to visit a country in SE Asia a couple of years ago, I had to write and sign a note declaring that I wouldn’t take part in any media or publishing activities while in the country, in order to obtain my visa.
Right now, in the west, we are still relatively free (although some hot topics might already be sliding out of limits!).
So don’t delay with your story. Whether you write for teens, pre-teens or younger children, remember that your story has the potential to share something of the gospel with readers who might not otherwise hear it. And once the books are out there, they can be on bookshelves for years, so have the potential to reach whole families and even generations of families, or library readers! Faith, hope, love, answered prayer, light, life… these are wonderful themes that money can’t buy.
Don’t waste your opportunity. Don’t waste your time. Don’t waste your gift.
We need to flood the world with great books while we can!
It takes boldness, determination, effort and time to get to the end and get your book out into the world, but it’s worth it, and if you’ve been called to write, YOU CAN DO IT.
So write the very best book you can. Don’t be the one who never finished your story. Someone’s waiting for it!
Keep writing!
Janet
P.S. I recorded lots of videos with useful/essential writing-related tips throughout February… you can watch them all on the Write for a Reason blog. Please do use them – I made them for you!