Stephanie Reynolds Available by Zoom/Skype/Phone
Intro: There is always a need for wisdom and stories which bring us peace and solace, even during normal times. One of the largest repositories of wisdom like this is the Bible with its tales of redemption from those who followed their faith and heart, to where He has guided them. Carried in the minds of millions are those stories waiting to get out; looking for an avenue of expression to give flight to the miracle that occurred when Jesus came into their lives and changed everything.
In the works right now is a unique enterprise which is seeking 100 Christian authors to contribute to its book series that will be published at the same pace of the bestselling series of secular inspirational books. This Christian Writers Collective (CWC) will publish an inspirational book each month as part of their Jesus Can.. series.
In the first book of this series, Jesus Can…Give You A New Life!, each of the 100 writers will tell their own personal story of the miraculous change Jesus made in their life. Jesus Can…Heal Your Hurts is an example of a title that the CWC might choose for its second book. Whatever title they choose – and there’s millions of possibilities when you’re talking about what Jesus can do – each of the 100 writers will write an article sharing their experiences using that month’s title as a theme.
In our troubled world, such a project could encourage millions of people to reflect upon their inner most thoughts and tales of finding faith at a time when so many of us are seeking answers to life’s tough questions. Both sides of the equation could be helped by the Jesus Can… series; those seeking to give encouragement and those needing that which is being offered.
Q&A:
- Give us an overview of the project?
A: The appeal is to Christian writers who want to be co-authors of books in a novel new publishing project where 100 authors contribute to a single book, similar to how Chicken Soup for the Soul works, except with a Christian perspective.
- This is very interesting project, what kinds of stories or testimonials are you seeking?
A: Because you have to be able write your testimony, well, in order to apply for membership to the CWC, we decided to also make the first book of our Jesus Can… series a compilation of our 100 writers’ testimonies. It will be titled, Jesus Can… Give You A New Life! I’m using the word ‘testimony’ to describe the miraculous story of how Jesus came into each writer’s life and changed everything!
Just a quick excerpt from my own testimony: I asked Jesus to give me a new life on Sunday, April 10, 1983. Back then, I was 4 months pregnant and unhappily married to an unfaithful man. Today, according to Isaiah 54:5, Jesus is my Husband and He is more faithful than I ever could have imagined. The child I was carrying is now my 36-year-old son, Steven. Jesus gave him a new life at the tender age of 4-½. Wanting to obey Proverbs 13:22, and leave this business as an inheritance for Steve’s children, is one of the reasons I founded the CWC.3
- Is this purely a voluntary effort, how does the process work?
A: The CWC has the mission of a ministry, which is to “Encourage, Edify, and Evangelize,” but we are legally organized as a business. We’re a limited liability corporation, an LLC, in fact. Each writer will be an Independent Contractor operating their own business. We will collectively share many of the duties of producing 12 high quality books each year, such as writing, editing, and very simple promotions, but we’ll share the expenses of hiring professionals to perform more complicated tasks, like formatting our articles for publication, book cover design, planning and executing an overall marketing plan,etc. Another benefit of joining the Collective is that a writer’s Initial Membership Fee and monthly membership fees will cover the expenses of hiring professionals. I know this is a lot of information to try to take in so we’ll be hosting an Informational Meeting online on Sept 1st for those of you that are interested in joining the CWC. I’ll be your hostess for that meeting and happy to answer any questions you might have. You can also find more information about this meeting and the CWC on our website: christianwriterscollective.com.
- What is the primary goal of the CWC?
A: As I mentioned before, our mission is to “Encourage, Edify, and Evangelize.” Each book we produce will serve as a missionary to enter people’s homes, hearts, and minds, perhaps even more intimately than any human missionary could! Just as Paul contributed to the support of his missionary efforts by working as a tent maker, the profits from our books will make this business a self-supporting ministry. Another benefit of being a business is that our outreach will not be limited by the amount of funds we can raise. Instead, our ‘mission support’ will expand as our ‘missionary books’ are purchased by more people. This is a win-win for God’s Kingdom and our writers.
- When will the first book come out?
A: I had a very sentimental reason for wanting our first book to be released on October 8th. But, it’s still hard for me to explain that reason without crying so let me answer the question you’ve asked, first. My publisher says that mid-November is a more realistic date for the release of our first book, Jesus Can…Give You A New Life!
I’m OK with waiting that extra month to see this business I’ve been dreaming of for 4-½ years finally become a reality. My best friend and tireless proofreader, Mrs. Naomi Walker, believed in this business and encouraged me to keep at it until the day she died. She went home to Jesus, last year on October 8, 2019, which was also my 61st birthday. I have been driven, compelled, whatever you want to call it, to see the CWC’s first book published on the anniversary of her Homegoing. I think Mrs. Walker will be OK with it coming out about a month later,too. She had a gift for shifting my focus back to Jesus, rather than getting upset about things I couldn’t control.
- What’s in it for me?
A: In addition to participating in Kingdom work, the CWC is a business designed to make a profit for each of its 100 writers, not just the owner of the CWC. When I first started searching for writers, I used to pitch the CWC as a way to fund their God-given dreams. We’re estimating that it will only take 10-15 hours a week of their time, while resulting in a substantial income. The CWC is designed to make it possible for our members/writers to be generous with both their time and their money. For a more accurate ideal of just how much joining the CWC will allow each of its members/writers to earn, I encourage you to research just how many books Chicken Soup for the Soul is selling every year and has been selling every year since 1993. If you want to compare apples to apples, you can look-up how many books they sold during their first year of publication, since we’ll be starting our first year of publication, soon. I think it’s safe to assume that any professional Christian writer that actually looks up these easy to find numbers, will probably be in attendance at our Information Meeting on Sept. 1st. You can register for this meeting by using the CONTACT US form on our website: christianwriterscollective.com. My direct contact information is on our website, too. I look forward to hearing from you, today!
- How does one find you?
A: Christian Writers Collective
Mobile: (414) 588-0963
Work: 414-999-0015
Website: christianwriterscollective.com
steph@christianwriterscollective.com
About Stephanie Reynolds…
Stephanie Reynolds is the founder and CEO of the Christian Writers Collective LLC.
Starting writing by the prompting of Chuck Swindoll, Stephanie first journaled and then wrote a newsletter for Christian moms, and later became became a magazine writer. Freelance commercial writer, specializing in providing content for websites.
She has one son and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
CONTACT: Rachel Ford rford.specialguests@gmail.com or Jerry McGlothlin 919-437-0001 jerry@specialguests.com
