Christian Book Writing: Common Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

It's no secret that writing a good Christian book can be a daunting task. That’s because you want to make sure that you capture the essence of faith while also telling a compelling story.

Unfortunately, many writers make mistakes that ruin their book entirely. In this blog post, we'll go through some of the most common mistakes made in Christian book writing, and how to avoid them. Let's get started!

1. Not having a clear message

One of the biggest mistakes that writers make is not having a clear message. What is your book truly about, and what will your audience gain from it?

Christian books are supposed to be inspiring and, if done well, life-changing. Your book should have a central theme that runs throughout it, and your readers should be able to identify that theme easily.

If they can't, then you need to go back to the drawing board and figure out what you want to relay to your readers.

How to avoid it: Make sure your book has a central theme. Ask questions like: What is the main message of my book? What am I trying to say to my audience?

Once you have a good understanding of your message, make sure it's evident in your writing. If you're unsure what your book is about, begin by writing a quick summary and outline.

Writing everything down can enlighten you if your book truly has a point and purpose. Pick out the most important themes and messages that you want readers to take away from reading your book, and work on that.

2 . Not having a well-defined target audience

Speaking of the target audience, this mistake often goes hand in hand with the previous one. If you don't know who your book is for, it'll be challenging to write effectively for them.

When writing a Christian book, it's important to remember that not everyone will agree with your point of view. You need to decide who you're writing for and gear your book specifically for them.

How to avoid it: Figure out who your target audience is. What are their demographics? Think about the age range of your audience, what they do for a living, and what questions do they have in life.

Once you know this information, start tailoring your writing to fit their needs. Make sure that the tone, style, and content also appeal to this audience.

3. Not having an engaging and organized plot

If you're writing a fictional Christian book, a well-written and engaging plot is essential. Many Christian books fail in this regard, making for a very dull read and causing readers to lose interest.

Your book should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. The events throughout the story should be well-connected and move the plot forward.

How to avoid it: Start by outlining your story. What are the significant events that will take place? How does the plot move forward?

Once you have a good idea of what happens, start filling in the details. Make sure each event is relevant to the overall storyline and has a purpose. If something doesn't seem to fit, get rid of it.

Also, make sure your characters are well-developed and interesting. No one wants to read about flat, two-dimensional characters. Give them depth and make them relatable.

4. Being preachy or moralizing

One of the worst mistakes you can make when writing a Christian book is being too preachy or judgy.

It's easy to fall into the trap of moralizing while writing a Christian book. Sometimes, you won't even notice you're doing it. However, this can quickly turn readers off and make them feel like they're being lectured.

Your book should be about sharing your faith in an interesting and engaging way, not preaching to your audience. When you start moralizing, you run the risk of alienating potential readers.

How to avoid it: When you're writing, try and imagine your target audience. How would they react if they read what you've written? Think about how others will interpret the message.

Remember that not everyone has the same beliefs as you, so write with an open mind and keep things positive.

If possible, have someone else look over your work and see if anything seems too preachy or moralizing before publication. It doesn't hurt to get a second opinion from someone who can help catch mistakes like this!

5. Poor writing skills

This mistake is pretty self-explanatory. If you don't have strong writing skills, your Christian book will likely be filled with mistakes.

Poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and choppy sentences are all indicative of poor writing skills. It's difficult to take a book seriously when the writing is amateurish and unpolished.

Nothing's worse than reading a particularly poignant line and suddenly seeing a grammatical error after all.

How to avoid it: You can do a few things to improve your writing skills. First, practice! Write as often as possible and read a lot of good books.

Another thing you can do is get feedback from others. Ask family and friends to read your work and give their honest opinion. Finally, invest in sound editing software, beta-readers, or editorial services.

6. Not doing your research

This is another common mistake that can easily be avoided. If you're writing about a specific topic, make sure you do your research first.

This book is supposed to do something for people, so don't just rely on guesswork or personal opinions – get factual information from credible sources.

Failing to do your research can lead to mistakes in your book, and potential readers will likely catch on. They'll see that you don't know what you're talking about and lose trust in you as an author.

How to avoid it: Do your research! There are plenty of resources available online and in libraries. Make use of them and take the time to learn as much as possible about the topic you're writing about.

7. Doing it all by yourself

While impressive, no man is an island. From fleshing out your ideas, getting feedback, or doing your research, you need other people's help.

It's simply impossible to do everything alone when writing a Christian book. Once you finish your manuscript, you still need help with editing, design, and marketing.

Unless you have all the skills required, it's best to delegate tasks to other people. This will help ensure your book is high quality and meets industry standards.

How to avoid it: Delegate! Find trustworthy people who can help with different stages of the book writing process.

Create a system where everyone knows their role and what is expected of them. Having a good team in place will make the entire process much smoother – and less stressful!

You'll probably need the most help when it comes to publication. Unless you have experience in book publishing, it's best to employ the aid of a reputable Christian book publisher.

They'll take care of all the technical aspects while guiding you through publication and marketing. This way, you can focus on writing your Christian book instead of worrying about mistakes along the way.

Final Thoughts

Writing a Christian book is no easy feat, as you can see from all the mistakes that need to be avoided. But knowing what these mistakes are and how to avoid them will make everything much easier for you!