I’ve been pondering something lately… Do I really need to spend so much time chasing down a publisher for my writing?

I recognize the value and the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting published but I’m studying to be a pastor not an author. To date, I have two novels, both of which fall under the category, Christian Fiction. No mainstream Christian publisher will touch Hemlock, after all it takes task with those authors who make them the most money. There are smaller presses but the amount of time that goes into writing up proposals, chapter summaries, author bios and overviews kills my study time, my family time, or my writing time and for what, to say I have been published? To get a little more traffic and publicity for my work? Is that why I write? Well, I suppose some would say yes that is why I write. They would say as an author purposefully writing about Christian subjects I do so to spread God’s Word to as many souls as possible. In one regard they’re right. But then I have to weigh that argument against the products on the shelf of the major Christian publishing houses and ask, is this God’s Word? Are these books what Christianity is? Sadly, it would seem the answer is generally a resounding no, at least not when it comes to most novels. Then there is the fact that Thomas Nelson, the number one Christian publisher in the world now has a self publishing arm and that Tommy’s CEO openly recognizes the shift occurring in the publishing industry. Today’s publishing is an age of Lulu and easy access to catalogued publication. It is an era of thoughts and ideas where anyone can place their work into the public square. Whether it succeeds or not is a whole other story. Seriously. The publishing industry understands that things are changing, that they no longer hold the bull by the horns. The way I see it, and this may be way off but hey it’s my opinion, publishing as we are accustom to is not the historical norm. When people of old wrote books they went to their local press and had their work printed. If the book was good it stood the test of time and became well known. If the book was poorly written it didn’t sell and, well we don’t know about it. Today publishing the book is the smallest part of the whole process.

All that aside, I am not strictly an author; I am not even primarily an author. I am a student studying to be a pastor. I happen to enjoy writing and have managed to pump out two novels which are in need of being published. What a blessing that I live in a time when anyone has access to a local publishing house. That is why I will be utilizing Lulu to publish my works. No I’m not rebelling against the system. I don’t have anything against old school printing presses. Frankly, I don’t have time to pursue them. If my writing catches on hopefully they will pursue me, but I’m not counting on that. The publishers who I trust, who I respect, do not publish adult fiction, they publish non-fiction and books for children. If I ever write something in those categories you bet I’ll send it over to them.

I am going to focus on my studies, on learning how to be a pastor. I am also going to continue to put out media which expresses the true Christian faith(and non-religious works), whether it be novels, photography, radio, drawings, videos, you name it. I enjoy using my gifts to serve others and to proclaim the Word of God.