I'm Interested in Writing Religious Books, By DF
By Joe Keim
January 1, 2021
My address speaks for itself about where I’m at. I’m interested in writing religious books, therefore my chaplain directed me to write you a letter. I have an unfinished manuscript that consists of multiple sermons that were written in church, word for word, and then translated into English. What is unique about these sermons is that they were preached by Amish men. I myself am Amish and would like to make these sermons available to the public. Do you think the general public would have an interest in this book? Do you have a publisher that would publish it for me? I have no money to speak of, and would like to have an income. I also want something worthwhile to do while in prison. Along with that I have a desire to write for God. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. — Sincerely, DF
Dear DF,
Thank you for taking the time to write us and share what you feel the Lord is leading you to do. After some consideration, we are of the opinion that your idea of turning Amish sermons into a book format would probably not do a whole lot for you. In our experience, one has to sell at least 2,500 books to get their money back from the cost of publishing the book. Unless your name is known, it is nearly impossible to sell more than a few books, maybe 50 to 100 at most. Advertising can get very expensive and only adds to the cost of publishing and selling your book. I am sorry to bring you this kind of news, but it has been the reality for us.
On the other hand, we would love to correspond with you while you serve your prison sentence. I would guess your days are long and that you miss your family and community. Are you getting some visitors? How long will you be in prison? Are you able to go to the church services while in prison?
Our ministry, as the name suggests, is centered around our Amish culture. Twenty years ago, the Lord called us to reach out to those who are hurting and desiring to get a better understanding of who God is and what their true purpose is in life. In time, we came up with several Bible study courses that we believe have been greatly used to help people. Our favorite one is the ABC’s for Christian Growth. There is a study for each letter of the alphabet, as explained in your first lesson. We would love for you to start this course, if you’d like. If you need some money to pay for postage, let us know. We would be happy to provide that for you. Just let us know how to go about doing that.
May the Lord continue to do great and mighty works through you! Please stay in contact. —Joe Keim
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