On the Road to Theologizin' Bigger...
On the Road to Theologizin' Bigger...
I've never written a book before. I'm figuring this out as I go along.
If you haven’t heard: I’m writing a book.
Many of you have been doin community with me in some form for a few years at this point, and—as a result—weren’t that shocked by the news. But I figured it might be illuminating to share how we got to this point and where I head from here.
I started this newsletter on a different platform (before migrating to Substack) a little over a year ago. You can check out that first post here:
What I didn’t disclose was that The Son Do Move was also the name of a book I was dreaming up. You can detect traces of where I was trying to go in the post above. I’d even gotten to the point of pitching it to a few people (agents, acquisitions editors, etc.) in the publishing industry. I’ll be honest, though. I didn’t have a clear enough concept. I’m fairly confident in my writing ability, but I was (and remain) fairly ignorant about the ins & outs of the publishing industry. I’m grateful that I haven’t had to do any of this alone. Some individuals who believed in me and refused to let me fail (almost literally) held my hand through the process. I wouldn’t have come close to approaching this point without the seemingly untethered faith of my wife (Jessica), the constant cheerleading and door opening from Alicia Crosby Mack, or the absolute stalwart belief of
(who helped connect me with Lake Drive Books and is convinced I have something to offer the world as an author). And so (largely with Marla’s help, in fact) I came up with a new concept. Except it’s the same concept. The Son Do Move was about the idea that our faith shifts as our perspective does. Theologizin’ Bigger makes the same point, but speaks more clearly to our time. I was a lot more confident this time around with this repackaged concept, but something else was different…I wasn’t sure if traditional publishing was right for me. As an author, I am at (at least) two competitive disadvantages with regards to pay structures:
I am a Christian who does not write for the robust, conservative Evangelical complex.
I am Black.
I’m not speaking to anyone’s intent in naming those things. I’m speaking to the reality of publishing. I’m speaking to the business side. The fact is, some publishers struggle to see an audience for the things I write. In dealing with publishers and agents, I spent as much time trying to explain who on earth might buy my book as I did talking about the book I wanted to write. And when I was finally able to convince people that there was an audience for my words, the numbers seemed to suggest that publishers would be providing most of the value—despite the fact that my “platform” seemed so critical to getting this done.
And so I considered self publishing. But, remember when I said I was ignorant about publishing? I wouldn’t trust anyone in the industry to help me publish my book if they were ignorant about publishing . And I was having a hard time trusting myself for the same reason.
So I sought a different way. And I found it. I’m working with a publisher who has years of experience and expertise in publishing, understands how book buying habits have changed, and wants to see authors more fairly compensated for what they bring to the table.
That’s where you all come in. I figured if the only way that my book would be successful was if an audience manifested, then I was taking a gamble either way. So I decided to roll the dice early by crowdfunding for the production costs.
I won’t lie to you: I’m terrified of this gamble I took. If I fail? I’m not sure anyone will take me seriously as a writer ever again. But if I succeed? Then maybe a bunch of authors will feel like they have more options. And to me? That’s worth it.
If you’re feeling the vision, I’d LOVE for you to consider a donation. So far, I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve received. I’m starting to believe we may actually pull this off!
That was a VERY long preamble to get to the main point. Which is… I gotta write a book, y’all. And that means I’ve got to be strategic with my writing time (I still have a church ministry job, two podcasts to produce, and a whole family to be present for!). Which may impact the things you see in this space.
Over the next few months, you may see that more of my writings are for all subscribers—both free and paid. But I’ll be making a few more community oriented discussions and activities available for all paid subscribers. I’m doing this because I want to continue writing without the pressure that comes with a book deal. I also want to continue sharing this process with you all, who helped make all of this possible. I’m appreciative of you all for helping me get here and excited to see where we go.
Thank you for bearing with me.
Thank you for sharing your process. Thank you for being brave. Thank you for being the best little brother. I'm so proud of you. 🫶🏾
I'll buy your book because you are not writing for the conservative Evangelical complex
The fruit you bear is good. I look forward to eating at your table.