Last updated on June 18, 2025
A New Way to Sample Christian Books
By Lorilyn Roberts
The following blurb in italics is quoted from Nathan Bransford’s blog, dated September 29, 2011.
“There is so much talk about self-published books in the writing-o-sphere. But have you actually read one?
Poll below –
Poll below –
Have You Ever Read a Self-Published Book?
· Yes
69%
69%· No
30%
30%Total Votes: 1,773
Additionally, we would appreciate your further thoughts in the comments section. Did you like the self-published book you read? Would you read another? Do you only read traditionally published books? Etc.”
The poll was underway when the comments were posted, so it’s interesting to look back at the final results. I read most of the voluminous 285 responses. If you would like to peruse them, here is the link: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/09/have-you-ever-read-self-published-book.html
While it’s hard to generalize from such a wide variety of responses, some things are clear:
1. There is still a lingering prejudice toward Print-On-Demand/self-published books.
2. Many readers do not think Print-On-Demand/self-published books are on par with industry-published books.
3. A sizable portion of readers have not read Print-On-Demand/self-published books.
4. Many who haven’t read Print-On-Demand/self-published books would if they could sample them for free.
Out of the menagerie of comments shared in this blog post, after much reflection, I came up with an idea that I will share in a moment. However, I would like to share my thoughts on the survey’s findings. I have said this for a long time, although most traditionally published authors won’t agree with me: Readers don’t care how a book is published. They might think they care because of preconceived notions that self-published books are in the category of “vanity” publishing, and therefore, inferior. In reality, however, when you dig deeper into those who are not biased, you will find that what readers really care about is content. Content is king.
My American roots go deep. Some of my ancestors arrived with the Mayflower, and in the decades of colorful history that followed, dreamers have helped make us a great nation. The key factors that made this possible:
Freedom and a capitalist system where hard work, creativity, and perseverance were rewarded those who didn’t give up. Do we really need gatekeepers to determine whether something is good? Do we really need a hundred authors with unread manuscripts returned because the overworked acquisitions editor was two months behind opening her mail? In the past, due to financial investment, book publishers decided which books would be published. Most never did, making it very difficult for promising authors to get discovered.
Get ten people in a room and I guarantee you, they won’t agree on everything. Chances are they will have different tastes on what they like to eat, where they want to go on vacation, and yes, certainly on what books are worth reading. The traditional way of publishing books squelches creativity. I have spent far too much time trying to understand what an acquisitions editor or agent wanted, where he wanted my manuscript sent, and then he lost my manuscript anyway. That wasted time could have been better spent procuring an editor, improving my writing, and publishing and marketing my book myself. That is exactly what I did eventually. My point, though, is that the readers didn’t care how my book was published. They did care that it was worth reading.
I believe the days of mailing a book to one hundred publishers over five years, hoping to find a “taker,” are gone. Why would anyone want to do that? Authors can publish their own books now, faster and more efficiently. It doesn’t mean that the traditional way won’t exist in the future. It does mean ALL publishing companies will be vying for supremacy in a rapidly changing environment where the old ways of doing things won’t work as well. Competition raises the standard and drives down the cost of publishing. The reader benefits from more choices in books, and the result is a brighter future for new authors who possess a gifted entrepreneurial mindset. The only requirement is to write the best book.
While the John 3:16 Marketing Network is designed for Christian authors, I envision our paradigm being adopted by mainstream authors, although it may not be free. The hard work in the John 3:16 Marketing Network is borne by many who have a passion to serve. Opportunities abound to provide books to readers worldwide, not only through industry-published books, self-published and Print-On-Demand books, but also e-books. I envision e-books becoming popular in countries where the shipment of p-books is not practical or affordable.
We are on the cusp of a revolution in publishing, and the John 3:16 Marketing Network is at the forefront of marketing innovation. Readers want diversity, options, and choices. The John 3:16 Marketing Network is poised to experiment with new ideas and introduce readers to new ways to sample books. Again, I want to emphasize that allowing the reader more choices makes it easier for them to sample.
Not only is it important for authors to provide readers with the best possible product, but why not give book lovers “more flavors”? As the end of the year approaches, I have exciting news to share.
First, we will have a brief Christmas membership drive to allow newcomers (authors and bloggers) to join without a referral (you must believe in John 3:16).
Second, to celebrate our first full year of launching best-selling books on Amazon, we are offering a free e-book, Fifty First Chapters from Christian Authors: A New Way to Sample Christian Books.
Third, we will introduce a new John 3:16 Marketing Network Membership for our readers. If you’re interested, sign up to receive our e-zine. You will NOT be bombarded with emails because I don’t have time to write them. My goal is to provide access to the best, yet undiscovered, Christian literature in the world. In the future, we will serialize e-books and offer coupons for free e-books, short stories, and anthologies by John 3:16 authors. Please share your thoughts; we would love to hear your ideas.
Our first e-book, Fifty First Chapters From Christian Authors: A New Way to Sample Christian Books, will be released on December 15 (or sooner). To receive your free copy, all you need to do is sign up to receive our e-zine. Enjoy reading the first chapter of fifty books by fifty authors AT NO COST. Nothing like beginning a new book that whets your appetite for more. You won’t have to travel to a bookstore or surf the web to find the kind of book you want. We’ve made it easy for you to sample a large assortment of books from all types, whether you’re drinking your latte at Starbucks, at home curled up on the sofa, or during your lunch break at work.
Our John 3:16 Marketing Network authors are known and unknown, young and old, first-time published and multi-published, standard-industry published, self-published, and Print-On-Demand published.
Our goal is to glorify God in our writing and help one another promote books with a Christian worldview.
Comments are closed.