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BECKY JACOBY
HOW TO WRITE A THEMED DEVOTIONAL BOOK
By Becky Jacoby
Let’s say you have a passion to share God’s word and your love for dogs. A good way to do that is through stories that combine both loves—in a devotional book.
That’s what I did. I just completed a 30-day devotional book with a dog theme. The manuscript has the working title Happy Bones and will soon be submitted to Lighthouse of the Carolinas Publishing.
Honestly, the dog-themed devotional wasn’t my idea. It came from Eddie Jones, the publisher, as a result of my pitch to him at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference. He nixed my idea of a 365-day devotional with monthly themes and asked that I write two 30-day themed devotionals instead because they would be much more marketable. I was happy to comply with his idea and both themes he chose from my list.
Since I had experience both as a writer and editor, Eddie suggested that I invite other writers to submit stories that I would edit and combine with my own work. So, I ran with the idea.
I emailed a “call for submissions” to writer’s groups and my writing friends (even my friends who aren’t writers but who are dog lovers and Christians). I asked for recipients to forward the email to their writing friends, too. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn showed my call to those in my social media networks. I also posted the call with several freelance writing publications.
My email included details and specifications such as length, format, deadline and copyright. I was not requesting photos, but I did request authors to send up to a 50-word biography that could include a link to their blog or Web site. Additionally, I listed what stipend I would pay to each writer whose work was accepted.
Soon, submissions began rolling in. I had already written about a dozen devotionals myself. Filling in with other’s contributions not only made completing the manuscript easier and faster, it also touched and inspired me to see what each had shared.
Better still, accepting submissions allowed me to grant several beginning writers the opportunity for a byline to appear with their published work. Plus, it allowed me to do a little mentoring and encouraging, always a privilege.
Now that the stories are in, I’m finalizing with last minute proofreading and spell-checking. We all make mistakes sometimes, but a polished manuscript marks one as a professional. When I’m sure it’s ready, I’ll send it to Eddie at Lighthouse.
In addition to the dog-themed devotional, I am also completing one for those who are passionate about creativity: crafts, painting, quilting, knitting, architecture…you get the idea. This one is called Creative Comforts and I hope to send it to Lighthouse by October.
So, look for two 30-day devotionals coming before or by year-end on two of your favorite subjects: dogs and creative passions. I’ll post the news of their publication on my blog (http://beckyjacoby.com/blog ) and Web site (http://beckyjacoby.com ).
Becky Jacoby’s fiction and nonfiction appear in print and online. She runs Servant Heart Publishing and an author interview / book review blog. She is completing a suspense novel with a heroine who is a female Marine turned civilian as well as a widow and single-parent, who begins a business training Military War Dogs.
Becky resides in coastal North Carolina with hubby Bob and two rescued dogs. She also enjoys reading, quilting, drawing and crafting, and mentors at-risk kids.
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