Let’s face it, not many people write novels for the sake of writing a novel. Okay, well maybe some people—but most of us start that long, arduous journey of learning to write, making connections at conferences, and either pursuing self-publishing or securing an agent to land an editor, for the purpose of getting published. As mentioned, not everyone does this. Some write novels for the sheer joy of creating a story which they stick in a drawer. Honestly, I don’t know anyone like that. You might. But let’s go back to the term “publishing”.
Merriam-Webster’s Definition of publishing : the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, musical scores or sometimes recordings, or art.
So, yes, most writers want to get our words—novels, articles, poetry, whatever—out there for the world to see our work! Or at the very least we want to share our heart with a lost and dying world, trusting that our message will land in the hands of someone who needs to read it.
At Christian writers’ conferences, this question is sometimes asked—Would you still be writing if you were only writing for an audience of One?
Capital One.
As in, you’re not your own audience, but God is your audience.
For many, the answer is still a resounding “yes”. For those writers the need to write is a burning drive, a dream, a call, that must be answered. I fall into that category, and yet, if I’m honest, my answer to the question—would you still be writing if you were only writing for an audience of One?--would likely be no. Okay, so if there was never any hope of being published, I doubt I would have continued on that journey. Yet, if God truly called me to write, then of course I could do no less than answer that call. (I answered the call in 2001 when I joined American Christian Fiction Writers).
My point is that the question gets right to the heart of the matter. Why do you really want to be a published author? Fame? Glory? You’re driven to write? Because God called you to write?
Scripture says, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3 :23 CSB
Not for people. Did you catch that part? But for an audience of One.
Whatever your answer to this question regarding an audience of One, remember that ultimately everything we do should be done for God. It’s up to Him to bless you with a bigger audience, but in your heart of hearts—make sure you do it all for Him. For His glory.
Lethal Outbreak: Lisa Harris & Lynne Gentry
Virus hunter Aiden Ballinger believes the source of the lethal outbreak that decimated a remote Tibetan village came from disturbing the permafrost. Desperate to rebury it before it buries the world, Aiden enlists Rachel Allen, a beautiful epidemiologist. But while Aiden and Rachel pursue the cure—and their feelings for each other—someone is hunting them. Whoever wants them dead will not stop until they are silenced.
Collision Course: Elizabeth Goddard
His cover blown, FBI Special Agent Reg Jacobson finds refuge on the other side of the country, but trouble follows him when he faces off with a woman from his past. Private Investigator Nicole Weatherly, hired to catch a thief, suspects Reg. When the bullets fly, Reg and Nicole must escape secrets from their pasts before their futures collide.
Glimmer in the Darkness: Robin Patchen
When Cassidy learns another child has been kidnapped from her hometown, she's convinced the man who took the girl she’d been babysitting seven years earlier is behind the recent abductions. She alone holds the key to finding him. Though James blames Cassidy for his sister’s death, he’ll help if there’s a chance to save a child’s life. Can Cassidy and James identify the serial killer in time to rescue his latest victim?
Expired Plot: Lisa Phillips
A man after justice. A local crime boss. The woman caught between. Undercover FBI agent Will Briar is working his way to the top of an illegal operation. But when he discovers the identity of the boss, everything changes. Hollis knows nothing is as it seems. Now she must either save her father and doom herself, or take a chance on the man who could be the answer…to everything.
Ice: Lynnette Bonner
Camryn Hunt witnessed a murder. Now she’s under the protection of handsome small-town sheriff Holden Parker. The gorgeous island location, and break from her dreary life, might be pleasant if the sheriff wasn’t so demanding. Determined that no harm come to Camryn, Holden secludes her at his home. He only wishes she didn’t intrigue him so thoroughly. Attraction only complicates things. Especially when the murderers arrive at his door. It’s going to take all his wits to save her.
Never A Traitor: Jan Thompson
The last thing Private Investigator Earl Young expects is to pose as a fake boyfriend to a whistleblower. His driving need to solve problems forces him to work with paranoid Sienna Halstead as she draws him deeper into her corporate world of secrets and subterfuge. The more time they spend together, the more attraction grows. When another whistleblower is murdered, Sienna knows she's next. How far will Earl go to protect her?
Ben in Love: Luana Ehrlich
Is CIA operative Ben Mitchell really in love with the daughter of a Turkish dissident? Titus Ray, his mentor, isn’t buying it; he thinks Ben needs intel on a Muslim cleric. But when Titus follows Ben to northern Virginia, he discovers Ben’s deception is more dangerous than he thought. With their lives on the line, can Titus convince Ben to abandon his plans before it’s too late?
Liar Like Her: D.L. Wood
When disbarred attorney Quinn Bello discovers a body that inexplicably vanishes, no one in her seaside town believes her—no one, that is, except newcomer Ian Wolfe, who for his own mysterious reasons doesn’t hold Quinn’s past against her. Together they search for the truth, but doubts about Quinn’s sanity and innocence increase as the danger escalates. Will they expose the heart of the deception before Quinn becomes the next victim?
Scripture says, “Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3 :23 CSB Not for people. Did you catch that part? But for an audience of One.
