Curious about how to become a spiritual writer? Wonderful! The wisdom you’ve learned, the obstacles you’ve overcome, the methodologies you’ve created—the world will benefit from you sharing them!
From our decades of experience, we’re going to share the three keys to becoming a spiritual writer. These are based on the mistakes we often see budding writers make as well as the paths to epic success others have forged.
But first, let’s get on the same page:
What is a Spiritual Writer?
We’re referring to any kind of transformational nonfiction: self-help, personal growth, inspirational memoir, straight-up spirituality books, as well as books exploring more “woo-woo” topics.
If you are writing to help people grow, change, heal, or simply realize that life is going to be ok again, we’re talking to you!
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get into how to write a spiritual book.
Spoiler Alert: one or more of the three keys might not be what you want to hear. But they will put you on the path to success, so please take them to heart.
Key #1: The Wisdom Must Be Yours
Many first-time spirituality writers have been deeply touched by other authors’ books and want to share how those books have transformed their lives. This is a big no-no.
Your content may be informed by others but it should not be a redux of content from other authors. It needs to come from your own experience. It needs to be synthesized and made unique through your story, experiences and application of it.
There really is nothing new under the sun. But the message and ideas you want to share are original when they come through you because you are unique!
Key #2: Workshop Your Material
Think of the books that have transformed your life. We’re willing to bet that most of those books came after that author refined their message many, many times. We’re talking about speaking events, one-on-one coaching or counseling, leading workshops, sharing YouTube videos and more.
The book that touched you so deeply was the last step, not the first.
👆READ THAT AGAIN.
Spiritual writers should be teaching before they write a book. You will not know whether your stories or methodologies resonate unless you test-drive them. This is the way to make the greatest impact with your book.
We like to call this step R&D. Research and development.
This might feel painfully vulnerable. It can bring up fears of not being good enough. You may not want to feel so exposed.
Rest assured that you are not alone. The authors that have inspired you have felt many of those same things. They moved through their fears so that you could be helped by their wisdom. You, too, can do this.
When you’re ready to start outlining your book, we’ve got a set of classic outlines that you can use as a template. Enter your info in the form below to download them:
Key #3: Give Yourself Time
Writing and publishing a book takes longer than most people realize.
If you have the desire to be a spiritual writer, we’re guessing that you’re already on your own spiritual journey. Think of writing your book as the next phase of your personal spiritual journey. There will be learning, growth, obstacles, and you will feel the full range of human emotions along the path.
It is often said that it takes 10 years to become an overnight success and this is especially true for spiritual writers.
Give yourself time to grow and learn as a teacher before putting your book into the world. The more surrendered you are to the process, the more proud you will be of the results.
If writing and publishing your book feels too long and arduous, listen to this time-tested wisdom: it is best to take the long journey to produce a book that you are proud of, that helps the most people, and that you will be thrilled to talk about for years to come.
If you feel called to write a spiritual book, we hope you’ll do it! The world needs your story and wisdom. If you follow these three keys, you’ll be well on your way to creating a book that changes lives and makes the world a better place.
If you’d like help along the way, KN Literary Arts specializes in working with spiritual writers. From idea development and book proposals to editing and self-publishing assistance, we’d love to help you get from wherever you are to holding a finished book in your hands. Book a free call with us today!
