The internet can be a judgey place and that's okay. I've learned to enjoy the fun parts and scroll past the bits I don't like.
Tl;dr - Jody shared comments from an email she received from a reader stating that she must not be a Christian because she wrote about sex.
Christian Authors in the World of Sizzle
I've been mulling over the conversation for days after seeing other authors (and readers) in the comments with similar struggles of being judged harshly and incorrectly. Some were there with encouragement, some had additional opinions on what should and should not be allowed in Christian novels, some were there with popcorn.
Jody took the lead and addressed the reader's concerns, like a pro would. My favorite part? She even busted out a Book Rating Chart graphic to explain what she teaches other writers and what you can expect to find in her books.
I declare this should be the standard.
It would be so helpful for publishers to use Jody's system when designing the book spines! Maybe today I just need a Cool to breeze through. It's raining? I need a Hot to hide from my chores.
Making recommendations would be a breeze for moms who may not have time to preview every read for thier voracious teenager. Color coding at a glance. No surprises. Maybe a parallel for our young men? A Cold to Hot scale for gross and manly things could be developed...
My takeaway from all this is that I feel like it's just plain okay to find joy in your daily trek. Whether it's internet banter, a much-anticipated new book, a pretty Pinterest rabbit hole, pouring over a verse a friend shared with you, or WHATEVER is filling up your cup today.
It's okay to enjoy.
It's okay to slow down.
It's not frivolous.
Let's help each other find joy and share the things that get us excited.
How can you support and encourage your favorite authors?
There are lots of things you can do for free!
Sign up for their email list - you'll get the latest news, fun stuff, and hear about new releases first.
Leave a review - it's even okay to write up a few lines to copy and paste on multiple platforms.
Follow them on your favorite social media - drop some encouragement, leave a fangirl squee, or snap a pic of your newest find.
Tell your friends - you have good taste, they trust you, and they always need good reads. It's a win for everybody :)
Visit them on their next book tour - if we pack the bookstore, they will keep ordering our favorite author's books and the publisher will keep signing them on for more books, right?
Add their books to your wishlists or GoodReads TBR pile - this creates buzz and the computer fairies talk to each other and bump amazing authors up on the algorithm chain.
Want to take it a step further? Vote with your dollars:
Pre-order those new releases - this tells the publisher that rabid fans are waiting and they make sure to order enough books to print.
Splurge on their swag - some authors are also crafty or techy-creatives. Grab a bookmark, a sticker pack, or a new tea mug for that friend that needs some extra love today.
Back that Kickstarter - this raises funding for extras (swag), for self-publishing, and sometimes even for supporting the writer as they do their job of writing.
Grab a giftcard to their shop - they make great stocking stuffers :)
I hope this blesses your day as you look for that spark of joy and share encouragement along the way. I've just discovered that I have a couple of Jody's books buried in my Kindle, huzzah!
