Writing Is a Lonely Endeavor, but It Doesn't Have to Be

This will be the last post I’ll do for a while about our recently released book Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World.

The launch went really well; we spent a week as the “#1 New Release” in the Amazon blogging category, and as I write this we have thirty Amazon reviews. John and I would love to see the book hit fifty reviews soon, but we’re super thankful for the reviews we already have.

This week John and I begin recording the audiobook, which will be a first for both of us. In truth, I have some experience at this from another book, but it didn’t go very well, so I’m anxious about the recording process but hopeful this recording will go better. We’d love to see our audiobook hit Amazon by Christmas.

The community that developed around the book was one of the most surprising aspects of writing this book. I don’t think it should have surprised me the way that it did, but nonetheless, I am surprised.

Throughout the book, we mention the names of bloggers from around the world who write words online to exalt the glory of God. There’s Ryan in New Mexico; Chase in the Missouri Ozark region; a Tim in Florida and another Tim in Vermont; Alistair in Scotland; David in Norway; Nitoy in the Philippines; and Chris, Cassie, and Ruth in Australia. I know this because last week I shipped seventy books to the four corners of the world!

Perhaps I felt so surprised and encouraged by the Christian blogging community because, ordinarily, blogging is a lonely endeavor. We generate ideas alone. We write alone. We edit alone even when we have editors. We queue up posts alone. And even when we read the same viral post, we read it alone. But the book—as much as writing is inherently a lonely endeavor—was produced in community, even as we hope it was produced for a community.

In Jen Oshman’s endorsement of the book she wrote that John and I “create a needed community.” Maybe. But I think the community was already there. We just tried to help the community that already exists, be a better community, a lived experience of the community we already are. The Gospel-Centered Discipleship Writers’ Guild played a huge role in that. It’s a group of a hundred or so writers who care about all the same sort of nerdy, gospel-y writing things. In Oshman’s endorsement, she added, “Reading [Blogging for God’s Glory] is to sit around a table with other writers.” I love that she wrote that line. We hope and pray others feel the same.

Below are the official endorsements we received from various authors and blogging advocates. Be sure to check out their work too.

And thank you for helping us and encouraging us. If you buy the book and leave an Amazon review, that would mean a lot to us.

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“I’ve been told that the glory days of blogging are long gone. Maybe. What I am sure of is that blogging is now a crowded field, filled with countless voices offering pathways to success. I’ve longed for voices like Benjamin and John’s, filled with seasoned wisdom and an unwavering resolve to elevate the glory of God over all other aims. Forged out of the hard hours of reading carefully, working the keyboards, and humbly connecting with other writers, this book proves that Benjamin and John are fast becoming two voices to heed in whatever lies ahead.”
Chris Thomas, pastor of Raymond Terrace Community Church in the Hunter Valley of NSW, Australia, host of the Gospel-Centered Discipleship Writers’ Guild, and blogger at PloughmansRest.com

“Ok, I’ll admit it: blogging isn’t dead. And I wouldn’t want to kill it. But blogging has changed, because nothing ever lasts long on the internet. John and Benjamin are reliable guides to how you can still blog to the glory of God. I’m praying God will use their book to help raise up a new generation of writers eager to use their gifts to tell the world about the good news of Jesus Christ.”
Collin Hansen, editorial director of The Gospel Coalition, host of the Gospelbound podcast, and author of Blind Spots and Young, Restless, Reformed

“Writing is a lonely endeavor. With this book Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson create a needed community. Reading it is to sit around a table with other writers, sharing tips and tricks of the trade, as well as deeper issues like prioritizing God’s glory and staying spiritually vital throughout the seasons of writing and ministry. I heartily invite all bloggers to pull up a chair and join in this helpful conversation.”
Jen Oshman, author of Enough About Me, former overseas missionary, pastor’s wife, podcaster, and blogger at JenOshman.com

“Writing for online, public consumption is a tricky thing for Christians. We fight pride when pageviews soar and when they tank. Throw in tech problems, networking, and unfriendly algorithms, and it’s easy to lose sight of our purpose in writing. Blogging for God’s Glory in a Clickbait World offers a primer for launching a blog and a heart check for sustaining it. Immensely practical and engaging, this book is for bloggers of every age and stage. Though I’ve been blogging for nearly two decades, I finished this book with renewed purpose to make much of Christ in my own small corner of the internet. Blogging for God’s Glory is a book I’ll recommend over and over to aspiring writers.”
Glenna Marshall, author of The Promise is His Presence and Everyday Faithfulness, and blogger at GlennaMarshall.com

“My advice to any Christian who is thinking about starting a blog is to first read this book—and to pay close attention. Vrbicek and Beeson have written the most helpful and realistic guide to Christian blogging that has been produced in a decade. If you follow their advice (and examine your true motives) they can save you a lot of wasted time and frustration by showing you why your sole objective should be to blog for the glory of God.”
Joe Carter, Executive Pastor of McLean Bible Church, editor at The Gospel Coalition, and coauthor of How to Argue like Jesus