Success depends on expectation and effort.
If money is your mission, get ready to be disappointed. Just a fraction of a percentage point of all books sold. Some 80 percent of books published won’t average 100 books in a year. Less than 90 percent will sell a thousand. So the success stories we read about millions sold are anomalies.
Christians have the edge when the message, not the money, is most important. In that case, quality counts more than quantity. How much is a person’s life worth? If your book changes just one life, moving them to joy on Earth and a future in Heaven, the reward is priceless.
You alone can write your story.
The world isn’t big enough to hold all the books that should be written about Jesus (John 21:25). Why is that true? Answer: All Christians for over 2,000 years have experienced changes in their lives that would justify at least one book—probably many more. Whether fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or fact, your story is a unique reflection of God and his Good News.
Ask strangers if they know Jesus, and you may get the door slammed in your face. But if your stories show the problems you faced, who you were before, and how you changed, many will want to read your book.
Just write your story. That’s so simple a child can do it, but not unless you’re willing to invest the time and effort.
Publishing is affordable.
How much is your book worth to you? Producing your treasure and bringing people closer to the Lord is a treasure worth spending all you can afford. But don’t think your investment of time and money will be offset by profit from book sales. That rarely ever happens.
