You finished your first draft. And ever since, you have been telling yourself the same thing. I need to find an editor.

Months go by. You Google Christian book editor, scroll through websites, bookmark a few, and never reach out.

Editors are not hard to find. There are plenty of them. What nobody has taught you is what kind of help you actually need, and who you can trust with the message God gave you.

In this episode I walk you through three steps: name the stage of editing you are at, know that affordable and trusted editors exist, and reach out with your word count and a request for a sample edit.

One of our members, Pam, said it plainly. "Through the final draft stage, I was able to self-edit the book more thoroughly and figure out how to hire a professional editor." Notice the order. The self-editing came first.

Once you know what you are asking for, and you are choosing from people who have already been vetted, finding an editor stops being a permanent stall and becomes a doable task.

If you are already a member, pull up the recommended editor list inside Christian Book Academy and pick one editor to contact this week. If you are not yet a member, you can join us at Christian Book Academy.

Have a thought on this episode? Share your comments on YouTube here.

Your testimony is not only part of your past. It may be the very thing God wants to use to encourage, heal, or give hope to someone today.

In this Hitz Blitz, Shelley reflects on Psalm 9:11 and God's invitation to tell others what He has done. She shares how her mom's healing story opened the door for an unexpected conversation in Michaels, and how one Christian Book Academy member turned her life story into a tiny testimony book that continues to impact readers.

You do not have to write your entire memoir or wait for the right platform. Your story can give God glory through a short book, a social post, a podcast, or one conversation with the person He puts in front of you.

For a few years, Hitz Blitz was a private podcast. Short episodes recorded on the way to somewhere else, most of them under ten minutes. A blitz is defined in the dictionary as "a sudden, energetic, and concerted effort, typically on a specific task," and that's what these were meant to be. A quick burst of encouragement for your writing, not a full training.

Now we're opening the archive up here on the Kingdom Writers Podcast.

In this episode, Shelley explains what the Hitz Blitz was, why she's sharing it now, and what to expect. These land on Tuesdays, though not every Tuesday. They show up when there's one to give. Your regular Kingdom Writers episode still arrives on Thursday, same as always.

Some of these run five minutes. Some run two. They'll feel different from what you're used to hearing here, and that's the point.

Little by little

Exodus 23:27-30

Here we have the Israelites moving through the wilderness and received the hopeful promise of a land they would possess.

But it would not come at the snap of God's fingers. It wouldn't even come in a year. It would be a gradual process. Little by little.

There are very practical reasons for this:

- If the land were cleared of its inhabitants immediately, the lack of human maintenance would cause crops to fail and the land to quickly revert to wilderness…oh great, more wilderness!

- With vast, uninhabited, and uncultivated territories, predators and wild beasts would multiply and pose a severe physical threat to the Israelites and their livestock.

- The phrase "little by little" highlights God's method of preparing His people. He gives them time to increase in numbers, become organized, and learn how to manage and care for their new inheritance.

For you mothers and fathers out there, think about the preparation and planning that takes place in those 9 months of pregnancy. Not only buying and receiving baby items but the preparation of your hearts and a 9 month course in maturity as you wait for this gift from the Lord.

As each of us prepares to give birth to our book babies, there is a process God takes us through. Little by little He molds and shapes us. We grow as Kingdom Writers one hard earned sentence at a time.

Yes, there are moments when we wish we could snap our fingers and have the book published. But we would miss out on so much and wouldn't be prepared if put in that position so quickly.

Just as the Israelites wanted to possess the land immediately, people often desire instant answers, success, or perfection. These verses remind us that "little by little" growth protects us from being overwhelmed by blessings or situations they are not yet equipped to handle.

What are some examples of "wild animals" that could become too numerous in our lives if not for the little by little process God takes us through in life and with our books?

(Pride, self-sufficiency, overwhelm with new responsibilities, lack of structure in place, worshiping success, etc).

I see one other glaring reason I think the Lord gives His people this "little by little" strategy: He wants us to rely upon Him every step of the way. If we got everything we wanted in an instant, we would be so prone to living our lives as if to say, "Ok God, I'm good to go! I'll let you know if I need anything else."

Maybe the Lord has given you a vision of a promised land to come. If so, embrace the "little by little" process He has for you. It will be worth the wait.

Resources:

If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you.

1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15 Minutes a Day

Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing.

Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.

2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes

If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get started now for just $27

3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy

Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book.

Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST)

Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.

Theme: Ask, Seek, Knock

As independent authors, we wear a lot of different hats. Writer, marketer, business owner, bookkeeper, book designer. It's easy to feel overwhelmed at times. And because we're Kingdom writers, we also face the obstacles the enemy throws at us.

God provided all the answers we need in His Word.

Let's look specifically at Matt. 7:7 NKJV, "Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

How many of you find it hard to ask for help, to seek for what you need, or to knock on the necessary doors?

Yet, as Luke 18:17 tells us we are to approach the kingdom of God like a child.

They are innocent, trusting, and act without hesitation or fear. Kids have no problem asking for what they want! Somewhere in our growing up years, we lost those qualities, but we need to recover them.

Without fear or hesitation and coupled with belief and faith, God wants us to…

Ask for his message, his words to put onto the page.

Seek him and his wisdom for how to do what he's called us to do.

Knock on the doors God leads us to. But also realize our books are like knocking on someone's door. Those who buy them have opened their door to our words. Our marketing is a knock on someone's door.

We are God's children, and he delights in us. He isn't going to hesitate to give us what we ask, seek, and knock for.

Resources:

If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you.

1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15 Minutes a Day

Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing.

Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.

2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes

If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get started now for just $27

3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy

Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book.

Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST)

Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.

Rooted

"This is what the Lord says: "Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Why plants & trees need water.

Practice:

• Cultivate silence - creating quiet spaces for prayer, listening, stillness, meditation on God's Word is vital for deepening our roots, perhaps even more in our day and age than at any other time in history, due to the amount of sheer noise.
• Gratitude - a deeply rooted life overflows with thanksgiving. "Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As Kingdom Writers, these practices are nonnegotiable if the words we write are to be fruitful and life-giving. As our roots go down deep into the Living Water of Jesus, we will overflow with words that impact and refresh others.

Resources:

If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you.

1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15 Minutes a Day

Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing.

Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.

2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes

If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get started now for just $27

3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy

Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book.

Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST)

Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.

Permission To Turn Up The Volume

Read Luke 19:28-40

It is more likely that inanimate objects like rocks would cry out to Jesus in worship than for the King of kings to enter his capital city without honor.

Jesus encouraged the joyful praise of the people, He didn't suppress it. But how quickly things would change in less than a week, as many of these same people would yell, "Crucify!"

Human beings created in God's image make much better worshippers than mere rocks.

- Line in the movie Troy by Achilles when fighting Hector.

A few other instances of inanimate objects crying out in praise:

"Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like lambs? Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob. He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock." - Psalms‬ ‭114‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

"You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!" - Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭12‬ ‭NLT

"Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!" - Psalms‬ ‭148‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

"mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children. Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!" - Psalms‬ ‭148‬:‭9‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As Kingdom Writers, may our written words give others permission to turn up the volume and burst into cheers with the joyful praise that our King Jesus is due. Let's not give rocks any reason to cry out.

Our joyful praise and worship now is practice for the future coronation of our King in that same city of Jerusalem 🙏 👑

Resources:

If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you.

1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15 Minutes a Day

Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing.

Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.

2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes

If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get started now for just $27

3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy

Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book.

Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST)

Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.

Light for my path

Psalm 119 is divided into 22 sections, which represent the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

"Nun" = 14th of 22 Hebrew letters. It signifies a "fish" (representing life/continuation) or a "faithful/bent-over servant," symbolizing humility and submission. (Joshua son of Nun)

"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭105‬ ‭

"A Lamp for the next sentence"

As Kingdom writers, we often want God to show us the whole story at once—the full outline, the perfect ending, the flawless draft. But this little verse reminds us that God usually gives light for the next step, not the entire road.

A lamp doesn't flood the path with daylight. It reveals just enough to move forward safely. In the same way, God's Word may not reveal your entire book, message, or calling today—but it will illuminate your next paragraph, your next idea, your next faithful act of obedience.

"For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life."

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭

"Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God."

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭

If we give God's Word daily attention, it will provide us with the direction, correction, and wisdom we need to be the best Kingdom writers we can be.

We are humbling ourselves and acknowledging our need when we open God's Word. We won't find anything in the world that matches its substance and guidance.

It's 'alive and active' as Hebrews 4:12 says, because the same God who spoke creation into being by His word is the same God who spoke the words in our Bibles. He's the same God who will empower our own written words that point to Him.

Closing:

God is not asking you to see the whole journey. He is asking you to trust Him with the next line.

Resources:

If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you.

1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15 Minutes a Day

Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing.

Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.

2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes

If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book.

Get started now for just $27

3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy

Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book.

Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST)

Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.