Editor Publishes New Resource for Christian Nonfiction Authors

For those who have 'always wanted to write a book,' Christian publishing veteran Dave Fessenden comes to the rescue with 'Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract'

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

FORT WASHINGTON, PA (ANS) -- I have written some 44 books and I am still learning about the ins and outs of the publishing world, especially in this new electronic age when almost anyone can self-publish with the help a whole plethora of specialist companies.

Cover of Red Dagger

After trying for some time to get my first novel "Red Dagger" published by a "regular" publishing house, I turned to www.lulu.com, and with the help of my son, Andrew Wooding, I was able to bring it out under the imprint of "Tanswell Books" -- which is my middle name -- and Lulu deals with the distribution and will print anything from one copy to thousands of copies and then send them out for you. They even supplied the artwork for the cover which Andrew then worked on for me.

Since "Red Dagger" was released, I have been approached by two film companies about the possibility of turning it into a movie, and this would not have occurred if I had not "self-published" the book.

You can order a copy by going to: http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?fListingClass=0&fSearch=Red+Dagger

Why do I tell you this? Well it is not just the fact that I am thrilled that it is finally published, but also because some reports say that over 80 percent of the general public would like to write a book.

After 20 years in Christian publishing, Dave Fessenden is convinced that the percentage has got to be even higher for pastors and other Christian leaders.

"I can't count the number of questions I've received from beginning and experienced authors on the process of writing a book," Fessenden told me in an interview.

As the senior editor for CLC Publications in suburban Philadelphia, he realized that Christian writers needed more than a brief, off-the-cuff response, so he began looking for a way to answer their questions, and to help talented people "with a word from the Lord" get that message into print.

Dave Fessenden

And yet, when he searched www.Amazon.com for a title to recommend, and he says that he could not find a single book on writing a nonfiction book from a Christian perspective.

"I decided it was high time someone wrote such a book," Fessenden said. "Then I realized that perhaps God was calling me to do it."

The result was "Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract," published this spring by Sonfire Media in Galax, Virginia.

In addition to editing well over a hundred books, Fessenden has written several of his own, so he understands the complexity of the writing process.

"One of my favorite quotes on writing is from a well-known author of a previous generation who said: 'There are three rules for writing a book. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are!' And it's true -- to some extent, the process of writing a book is shrouded in mystery, and is probably the main reason why so many potential authors find themselves staring at a blank page -- or blank computer screen, as the case may be-wondering where to start.

"What these authors need is a map for the journey. What they may want is a simple set of step-by-step instructions, but as our famous author said, they are out of luck! In Concept to Contract, however, I guide the reader the reader through eight elements of the writing process that every book author must do to get published."

The eight elements (with quotes from the book) are:

1. Brainstorming: "A good idea, one that comes from the Lord, will survive analysis; it will survive criticism; it will survive putting it on the shelf for a couple weeks. A good idea will even survive prayer."

2. Research: "Your ideas can be fleshed out and made more rich and in-depth through the added input of other people. It is an active application of the proverb, 'As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another' (Proverbs 27:17)."

3. Outlining: "What I am suggesting is that you change your way of looking at an outline. It is not a required document (required by whom?). It is a tool that you will find useful, no matter what kind of writer you are, no matter how you do your creative work. Think of it as a writing plan."

4. Preparing a book proposal: "When you prepare a good book proposal, you can use it as a guideline for completing the project. It helps everything fall into manageable pieces, and keeps your writing on track. Ah, but there's the rub! Putting together the proposal may be harder to do than writing the book-or so it seems."

5. Writing the first draft: "Writing that first draft may seem daunting-and it is! But the solution is to have a battle strategy used by some of the greatest military minds of history: divide and conquer."

6. Revision: "Consider your manuscript like a rocket to the moon, in which every ounce of excess weight has to go; or like a bus, where every passenger must pay to ride. Any words that don't pay their fare are off at the next corner. How do you identify your non-paying passengers?"

7. Fine-tuning: "Before you send out your completed manuscript, there are a number of final tweaks you can make that will save you and your publisher a lot of headaches-little niceties that can make or break a decision to offer a contract."

8.Landing a publishing contract: "Take your proposal and manuscript to a writers' conference, show it around to editors and agents, and get some feedback -- but don't feel you have to "sell" yourself or your book. Let your proposal do the selling job -- you're just along for the ride."

"

Cover of new book

The economic downturn and changes in the publishing industry have made it harder to land a contract for a nonfiction book," says Dave.

An increasingly larger number of authors are considering self-publishing, in which the author, in some cases, pays the editorial and printing costs, (although not in my case.) Also in most cases, the author does all the marketing though, in the case of "Red Dagger," Lulu helped me considerably by taking care of the distribution and also got it listed on www.Amazon.com.

While Fessenden says that he is not opposed to self-publishing, he cautions that it is a lot of work for one person to take on alone.

"When you take on the role of a publishing company -- which is what self-publishing amounts to -- you have to do all the work yourself, or supervise the people you pay to do it for you," he says. "It's hard to keep all those plates spinning, so an author usually concentrates on the flashy aspects of book publishing -- marketing, promotion, graphics. Then the more mundane aspects, such as the writing and editing, tend to suffer neglect.

"'Concept to Contract' focuses on what the author should be able to do best -- writing-with a goal of producing a quality manuscript worthy of a publisher's investment. I am convinced that this approach has the highest likelihood of success."

Apparently many Christian authors agree. "Concept to Contract" was a sellout at its debut appearance at Colorado Christian Writers' Conference in Estes Park in May and at the Upstate New York Christian Writers' Gathering earlier this month. The book will also be available at the Montrose, PA Christian Writers' Conference later this month, at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers' Conference in August (at which I will also be speaking), and at the Lancaster (PA) Christian Writers fall kickoff in September.

Leonard G. Goss, an experienced editor who has worked for a number of major Christian publishers, wrote the foreword for the book in which he said, "My favorite chapters were the ones on research, front-end book proposals, and fine-tuning the manuscript. The book contains many helpful facts, but its primary purpose is to stimulate thinking and help readers understand how research and writing is to be done and how to muster the resources needed to do it. The guidance is solid and the advice is concise, easily applied, and often entertaining. This is one of the best how-to books available in its field."

Terry Whalin

Another industry veteran, Terry Whalin, author of "Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams," said, "Many would-be authors are passionate about their nonfiction topic yet challenged to navigate the world of publishing. Dave provides a focused plan for success."

"Concept to Contract" has been endorsed by several authors Fessenden has worked with over the years, including Dr. Harold Sala, president of Guidelines International and the author of 46 books.

"Dave's book," he says, is a God-send to the well-intentioned but sometimes unsure author who has a burning idea but doesn't know how to transfer desire into the nuts-and-bolts process of getting a book published. Whether you are a seasoned author or a novice this book takes you through the process start to finish."

"This is 'Vintage Dave Fessenden': witty, honest, non-threatening and extremely helpful," author Joyce Strong said. "Dave has the rare quality of being able to talk us through our foibles as writers while cheering us on to success. As an editor and an author himself, he is uniquely qualified to guide us, step by step, in creating manuscripts worthy of publication."

Fessenden has a B.A. in journalism, an M.A. in religion, and over 25 years of experience in writing and editing. Before his ministry with CLC Publications, he launched an editorial consulting business after 12 years on the staff of Christian Publications, Inc., the majority of that time as managing editor. In previous positions Dave worked in communications for a Bible institute and was a regional editor of the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.

He has published five books and contributed study guides and discussion questions for works by authors such as A.W. Tozer and Andrew Murray. He has written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books. A frequent speaker at writers' conferences, he has been an instructor for Jerry Jenkins' Christian Writers Guild, and did a ten-year stint as a regular columnist for "Cross & Quill," a Christian writers' newsletter. 

Dave also conducts Sunday school teaching workshops based on his book, "Teaching with All Your Heart."

Dave and his wife, Jacque, have two married sons and a granddaughter.

So if you want to become a published author, this excellent fact-filled book is a must-read for you and one of the places you can purchase it is at: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Christian-Nonfiction-Book-Contract/dp/0982577338

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Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly "Front Page Radio" show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK and also in Belize and South Africa. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel "Red Dagger" which is available this link.