Sharing Your Heart as a Devotional Writer

Note: it is my privilege and joy to introduce to all of you my amazing sister-in-law, Heather. She has been an inspiration to me in so many ways, writing being among them, and I am thrilled that she has agreed to share some of her wisdom and experience here with us on YLCF. Please join me in giving her a good, old-fashioned Southern welcome–you can even hug her if you want to; I know she won’t mind. And now, enjoy her fabulous advice on writing!  ~Lanier

“…then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
-Philippians 2:2

Do you ever experience something and bubble over with joy, wanting to share it right away? Have you survived a period of overwhelming anxiety or grief and feel a desire to reach out and help someone else? A great way to share your heart is through writing devotionals.

With our modern technology, you can text, tweet, or update your blog or facebook in minutes. Your story can zip to readers for immediate perusal. Then you sigh with relief. The words are out; the longing to connect has been satisfied.

Although it may take more time and effort, shaping your message into devotional form can make it more effective and help you reach a broader audience. Devotionals are concise and tightly focused, giving readers a quick dose of inspiration when they’re short on time. If you want to improve your skills as a writer, crafting devotionals is an art form that can be learned through practice.

Devotionals are often anecdotal, based on personal life stories. Some publications want you to interweave scripture quotations throughout your meditation; others want you to avoid this. If you don’t already own a copy, I highly recommend Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide. In it, you’ll find writing submission guidelines for hundreds of magazine, book, and online markets that are actively seeking stories like yours.

It doesn’t matter how old you are: if you’re a teen, there are markets for teen devotional writers. The very first devotional I sold was to Devo’zine, a magazine published by Upper Room Ministries. Many of the meditations are submitted by teens. According to the Devo’zine Writers’ Corner, here are some writing tips:

• Invite people to come closer to God.
• Tell about real experiences of real people who are struggling to apply their faith to daily life.
• Express only one main idea, leaving one memorable image with the reader.
• Lead readers into further conversation with God after they finish your meditation.
• Your journal can be a great source of devotional writing because your journal records your real thoughts about your experiences.

To increase your chance of publication, it’s important to follow submission guidelines carefully. Devo’Zine publishes poems, prayers, and meditations, but you must stick to a pre-selected theme and word count. YLCF offers a list of seven questions to ask yourself before submitting. Two other magazine markets for devotionals are The Secret Place and The Upper Room.

There are some publications that offer assignments to writers, and they’re more interested in you, the writer, than in your specific meditation. Here’s a reason why it’s good to build up your portfolio with clips (such as posts for YLCF), so that you’ll have a beautiful writing sample ready to send upon request. Then an editor may seek you out for a specific assignment, such as writing on a Biblical theme or for a holiday issue.

One great way to meet editors and find out what they’re looking for is to attend a Christian writers’ conference. There are dozens going on all around the country. If you can find one near your house, you can save money by commuting. Sally Stuart includes a list of recommended conferences on her website. By researching a bit, you may discover scholarships available, which require you to submit an essay.

I love Vonda Skelton’s story of how she sold her first piece to Focus on the Family over “grits and bacon” at a writers’ conference. In her Christian Writer’s Den blog, she shares how she overcame her fears to show an editor her article at breakfast:

“This sounds like something we could use,” he said.

“It does?”

“Yeah. Send it to me when you get back home.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious,” he answered. “Your writing’s good. And I know just where this would fit.”

“You do?” (Can’t you just hear the confidence oozing from my voice?)

He reached in his pocket and pulled out his card. “Here’s the address. I look forward to getting your article.”

And with that, he was off. Just walked away, backpack slung over his shoulder, breakfast tray in hand. Totally unaware that he had at that very moment been part of a miracle: After 63 rejections, I had finally sold an article.

Instead of throwing up, I cried.

As you grow in your skills and confidence as a writer, you may even decide to compile your devotionals into book form. If so, you’ll need to write a book proposal. You can read a sample of a devotional book proposal here.

The world needs to hear the voices of young Christian women! You’ve found the Truth, and you need to share it. Your stumbles and struggles are fodder for encouraging someone else to keep on, with hope. It can be intimidating to send your writing out into the great wild yonder. But it’s worth it.

A well-crafted devotional may change someone’s life forever. Pray for God to guide you to the right market. And He will!

Heather Ivester has published devotionals in magazines and inspirational gift books. She enjoys encouraging writers at her blog, Mom 2 Mom Connection.