F.A.Q.
Readers Guides
Are there readers’ or discussion guides available for your books?
Yes. You can access them at the following:
The Last Christian
The Rest of the Gospel
Dinner
with a Perfect Stranger (more)
A Day with a Perfect Stranger
The Next Level: A Parable of Finding Your Place in Life
Translations
Have any of your books been translated into other languages?
Yes, many. Check out our Translations page.
Writing and Publishing
1. Who is your publisher?
Dinner with a Perfect Stranger (2005), A Day with a Perfect Stranger (2006), The Next Level (2008), and The Last Christian (2010) have all been published by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. WaterBrook Multnomah is the evangelical publishing imprint for Random House, Inc. You can visit their website at: www.waterbrookmultnomah.com or email them at info@waterbrookmultnomah.com
2. Who is your agent?
Chip MacGregor. Chip is a three-decade veteran of the publishing industry. You can find him online at macgregorliterary.com.
3. What was your journey to publication?
An online interview I did in 2006 tells that story.
4. Do you have recommendations for an aspiring writer?
Everyone’s situation is unique, so it’s hard to give advise that applies across the board. I do some a few pointers in the same online interview, however. In addition, check out the websites on writing and publishing that I reference below.
5. Are there any websites or blogs you would recommend concerning writing and the Christian publishing world?
Definitely. Check these out:
www.stevelaube.com/blog/
www.chipmacgregor.com
www.advancedfictionwriting.com
6. Are there any freelance editors you would recommend?
I recommend the editor who closely worked with me on The Last Christian, Steve Parolini. Steve was an invaluable resource on that book. His website is www.noveldoctor.com. You can reach him at steve@noveldoctor.com.
7. Do you know anyone who can help me more successfully market my books or myself as an author/speaker?
Rob Eagar at Wildfire Marketing. A super guy. Look him up at www.startawildfire.com.
8. Do you have any thoughts regarding self-publishing?
I have plenty of them. I self-published my first two books. Here’s the essence of self-publishing:
- You have complete control over your book: title, content, cover, layout, the works. That can be good.
- You have complete responsibility for getting your book into print. That costs money.
- You have complete responsibility for developing channels through which to sell your book: wholesalers, retailers, Amazon, etc. That can be a hurdle.
- You have complete responsibility for finding or generating customers who want to buy your book. Unless you have a ready-made platform (you are famous; you have a radio talk show; you have regular speaking or performing gigs), that can be a huge hurdle.
The fact is that the vast majority of self-published books end up sitting in boxes in the author’s garage. Having said that, self-publishing is, for many, a viable option. Especially if your goal is to deliver a message to readers, not to make money. To get started, I recommend www.believerspress.com. Believers Press prints The Rest of the Gospel for us.
Good Teaching
In some of your books you emphasize the message of Christ in us. Where can I go to find good teaching on this topic?
You can order the book I co-authored with Dan Stone, The Rest of the Gospel. You can listen online to some great messages from Pastor Steve Pettit in Gainsville, Florida at stevepettitmessages.com. You can read some excellent theological material on the subject at christinyou.net.
Movies and Stage Play
1. Where can I find the Perfect Stranger movies and TV series?
Go to our Movies page to look up a specific DVD.
2. Is there a stage play adaptation of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger?
There is. It has been performed in numerous churches and other venues. The contact information for the stage play is: Information to come.