It’s time to join the battle for our culture- using the Power of Story.
Announcing the launch of my debut novel, Fragments– with preorders beginning around 11/1/2024 and release 11/26/24 in ebook, print, and audiobook.
I had a mission in mind when I began writing- to engage in battle with the enemy- using the Power of Story.
Why, you ask, do you write Christian fiction when the experts say there’s no market for it? Someday I may write the tale of my own rejection of the Bible and of God, at the tender age of 8. It might be titled something like “How my love for great literature nearly led to my eternal destruction.” For the purposes of this conversation, I’ll be brief:
The Power of Story is greater than we realize-
Jesus understood the power of story, and he made effective use of it in his teaching. Think of the parable of the sower, the pearl of great price, the lost sheep, or the prodigal son.
In the modern day, stories inform our understanding of the world, history, and ourselves much more than we realize. Books, movies, and TV are powerful shapers of culture, not only reflections of it.
The enemy has been using the Power of Story to great effect-
Through the past seven decades or so, the enemy has used modern media and the Power of Story for his purposes.
Name the area in which our culture has declined, and it is possible to find the seeds of those cultural devolutions in popular media prior to that decline.
The ideas were intentionally planted, nurtured, and later bore fruit. These false stories were advanced years and sometimes decades before the cultural shift.
It’s time Christians joined battle, using that power against the enemy-
It’s natural to look at a problem as big as the degradation of our culture and say, “I’m just one person. What can I do?”
But we can all be part of the battle, each in our own way, with our talents and within our sphere of influence.
I chose to join this battle by writing thrilling Christian fiction.
What weapons will you bring to the battle? Will you charge, or will you stand by and watch? Miss your chance to make a difference?
The systems of this world do not favor the Christian message-
Censoring, deplatforming, and shadow banning on social media and search engines are all issues facing any Christian engaged in the online world.
Even more draconian censorship measures are being advocated by the leaders in the Western world.
The systems of the world particularly disadvantage Christian fiction-
Internet search algorithms don’t advantage the discoverability of Christian fiction.
Even many so-called Christian publishers dissuade authors from writing fiction that is “too overtly” Christian.
Many bestsellers in the Christian fiction categories on Amazon (who sell approximately 50 percent of all books and 85 percent of all ebooks and audiobooks) are books with decidedly unbiblical messages.
You’d think you’d be safe handing your children or grandchildren a book labeled Christian Fiction.
You’d be wrong.
In this environment, how can a Christian author find readers who might want his books?
Social media will not show posts from authors to readers—unless the author pays dearly for that visibility.
11,000 new books are released every day. Most are lost in the avalanche, and readers are never aware of books they might love to discover.
Showing up in the offerings on Amazon or other retailers requires a substantial marketing budget—an unviable one for most, the current cost of which is around 12 dollars per book sold, much more than the return for each sale.
Christian book retailers such as Christianbook.com only list books that are already bestsellers. They won’t list new books.
Word of mouth is the only reliable way for readers to find a new Christian author and for that author to find his readers-
It’s easy to discount the efficacy of one person telling two friends, who go on to tell their friends, and so on, but there is no more powerful way to communicate ideas—especially if the participants are committed to the cause.
I’m committed to entering this battle to use the Power of Story to bring light to our ever-darkening world.
Are you?
As I launch my debut novel, I need your help to spread the word.
And you can play a part, even if you don’t read the kind of fiction I write.
Interested? Want to strike a blow for the Kingdom?
Here’s what you can do. You can choose any or all:
1) Tell your Christian friends about me by sharing this email, asking them to pass it on to others, and them to more. Remember—email is best. When you post on social media, only a fraction of your friends and followers see your post on their timeline.
2) If you DO enjoy thrilling Christian fiction, click this link where you can sign up for my newsletter and get a free book:
https://books.jawebbauthor.com/The_Seekers_Series/genesis
3) If my writing appeals to you, consider supporting my Kickstarter campaign where you can get advance access to my debut novel and, in return, will receive early-bird pricing, bonuses, and perks only available to my Kickstarter backers.
Click the link below to check out the Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1126624234/fragments-the-seekers-series-book-one?ref=97uwio
4) I need a select few people who’d like to be part of the team for this book, and the others currently being written. I need:
- Launch Team members to assist with the launch of my first book, Fragments. These select few will assist with the planning and execution of launch strategies and communications. This is a core team, and the members should be people passionate about waging this battle. Learn more by clicking HERE.
- BETA readers to read upcoming books in rough-draft form, to shape the story and suggest improvements.
- ARC readers hand-selected to review the completed manuscript before it’s released for publication. A kind of final quality control.
Please EMAIL ME if you’re interested in joining the team in any of these ways.
I appreciate your consideration so much.
If you have any questions, please email me at jawebb@jawebbauthor.com
Now go boldly forth and strike a blow for the Kingdom!
J. A. Webb
ACFW Genesis award winner medallion