Gail M. Smith

pray4you@wildblue.net

518-686-9888

Assignment: Editorial Content

The Blessings of Writing for the Christian Market Using your God-given gifts and passion to help Christian organizations fulfill their missions

Do you have a passion for writing and a deep desire to honor and serve God with the gift He has given you? I do, more than anything else in the world…

I had been writing in various forms for years, most recently for a local newspaper, when I sensed the

Lord’s prompting to “…pursue my writing.”

Not having a clue what He was getting at, I began to pray.

A month later I received a “random” e-mail from Writer’s Digest offering a “Test Drive” of AWAI’s

(American Writers and Artists Inc.) Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting for $17 - $380 off!

In hindsight, there was nothing “random” about it at all; it was definitely a God thing…

I had never even heard of copywriting, but as I read the e-mail and prayed it through, I felt led to order.

After all, for $17 and a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee, I had nothing to lose.

Within 24 hours, I received confirmation that my order had been processed. I logged into AWAI’s

website, downloaded the program and began reading.

The Pursuit was Over

The more I read, the more I sensed that “my pursuit” was about to end; yet I was in a quandary. As a

devout Christian with a passion for writing, I knew deep down inside there were faith-based

organizations who needed the skills I would be learning to help them achieve their goals.

…This was my deepest desire.

Not knowing how it would all play out, but being certain it would, I continued working through the

Accelerated Copywriting program; …then lo and behold! Two weeks later, I received an e-mail from a

man named Joshua Boswell that went like this…

“My name is Joshua Boswell...and I believe God has given you the

special gift of writing for a specific reason.”

Say what?!?

The Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market

Mr. Boswell proceed to tell of The Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market, a program he designed to complement The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting.

As I read his introduction, my heart raced and my excitement and anticipation grew.

God – The Bible – Jesus – Prayer - Faith They were all in there!

…All of these foundational elements through which I try to live my life were woven throughout his letter. This Joshua was a man after my own heart. He truly understood my desire to live fully for God, using my passion for writing and for Him to provide for our family while helping some great causes fulfill their calls.

Through inspired content writing, copywriters can make a difference far and wide.

For instance, you could help:

The Ugandan Water Project provide clean water for the Ugandan people

Teen Challenge set men and women free from their addictions and life issues

Your local food pantry feed the hungry in your community

…And even help break the chains of social injustice by co-laboring with organizations such as Love 146 to help free those enslaved by human trafficking.

What are the burdens God has placed on your heart? You CAN make a difference…

My pursuit was over. I placed the order.

As I read through the materials, I learned that my initial $17 investment was well spent, as The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting would be the foundation upon which all of my copywriting assignments would be built, regardless of genre or niche.

Though I knew I needed to complete the basic program first, I quickly skimmed the Christian materials. As I did, everything I read confirmed this was where God wanted me.

He had answered the cry of my heart…

The Blessings…

The intent of this article is not to get into the nuts and bolts of copywriting for the Christian Market, but to encourage you that there is tremendous blessing for Christians who desire to copywrite for God’s glory.

For starters…

Personal Fulfillment from knowing you are using the gift God has given you to help others.

Passion – You can write about things you are passionate about.

Be Your Own Boss - Work as much or as little as you want, whenever, and wherever.

Exceptional Pay – Get paid exceptionally well for doing what you love, which helps provide financial security for your family and also allow you to be more benevolent towards others.

Make a Difference - You can change the world by helping Christian organizations fulfill what God has called them to.

Work Part-Time - Because Christian copywriting can be very lucrative, you can work fewer hours, allowing more time for family and serving God.

God will be Glorified through your work as you serve in the Christian arena.

What other “jobs” afford you all of this and more?

Even though all of the above are truly blessings; to me, one of the greatest comes from Joshua’s statement, “It’s OK to talk about my faith in the marketplace.”

By “working” as a Christian copywriter, you don’t have to be constrained, or torn between being a Jesus-lover and working at a “traditional” job where your faith might not be welcome.

You can live out your faith: …through your work,

…while serving God, ….helping others,

…and providing well for your family.

Is this also the cry of your heart? It’s OK to Get Paid, and Even Get Paid Well

Let’s get back to “providing well for your family.” Honestly, I struggled with this, as you might. How was I going to ask a non-profit to pay me?

Joshua discusses this issue in-depth. He understands a Christian’s desire to be benevolent and the tension this creates.

He explains, “The ‘silent majority’ is no longer silent. The Christian Market is over $4.6 billion and growing.” Since Christian products - movies, music, seminars, apps, apparel, children’s products, to name a few - have gone mainstream, the industry recognizes the need for good copywriters in order to compete for its share of the pie.

Copywriters provide an essential service that helps organizations succeed in their missions. Just as they might need other paid staff, copywriters are hired to help them meet goals that would otherwise go unmet.

As I stated earlier in “The Blessing”… We are then able to be more benevolent in the areas God is calling us to personally support, while providing well for our families.

Christians have Direct Access to God’s Heart

As we pray, the direct line we have to God’s heart – inspiration through the Holy Spirit – can, in a heartbeat (no pun intended):

Show us where God is working so we can join Him;

“It’s OK to talk about my faith in the marketplace.”

Joshua Boswell

Illumine our minds and give us wisdom to know how to convey a message that will tug at peoples’ heartstrings;

Guide us to prospective supporters for the organizations we write for and give them “ears to hear” and hearts to respond.

The Sky’s the Limit!

Combine this “God-connection” with the practical tools allotted us through AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market, plus Web Writing 2.0 (if you are going to be writing for the web), and the sky’s the limit!

Nothing can stop us, as we co-labor with ANY organization, from helping them realize their goals and dreams while attaining our own financial security.

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” 2 Corinthians 5:14

Christ’s love compels us to employ our love for Him and the gifts and passions He has knit into us to live out our faith through works and share the Good News because of our gratitude for what He has done for us at the Cross.

Thank you, Joshua and AWAI, for the resources and opportunity to glorify God through my writing. At almost 59 years old, I am so excited that I have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up!

I’d like to share a testimony from the first letter I crafted a few weeks ago.

I am the founder and leader of Voice of a Vet, a faith-based Veterans task force in our community.

It was exciting to craft a fundraising letter for an organization I lead that employed the skills I have learned in The Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting and Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market.

Before working through these programs, I never would have had the nerve to ask someone specifically for $50, $100 or $200. But it has been exciting to go to the mailbox and open checks in these amounts from community members who are willing to become “Honorary Members” to help Voice of a Vet accomplish its mission “to recognize, honor and serve veterans.”

Your programs have helped me to understand the angles from which to approach and the emotions that need to be evoked.

We are a community of less than 4,000 people in rural Upstate New York, with more empty store fronts than not and little industry, but I have already received over $1,600 in just 2 weeks. YAY, God!

Though I am still working through The Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market, I know God has called me, and am very expectant and excited about how He is going to use AWAI programs and me to:

1) Help Christian organizations become powerful forces for His Kingdom; and 2) Pass along the blessings I will receive as I walk in faith and trust in His leading.

Is God Calling?

What about you? Do you hear God calling?

I’ll end by suggesting what Joshua suggested in that initial e-mail I received.

Pray about it…

Perhaps God wants to also bless you through a career writing for the Christian Market.

Get the details at The Secrets of Writing for the Christian Market or call AWAI at 866-879-2924 today to begin the most compelling and fulfilling journey of your lifetime.