Confessions of a Christian Author

Last updated on: September 12, 2012 at 8:10 am by Adam Jeske

Confessions of a Christian Author 2012-09-12T08:10:27-05:00 Adam Jeske

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So this week I became an author…

A Christian author.

I can’t say that I like the adjective in this case. Chrissy and I wrote This Ordinary Adventure: Settling Down Without Settling for anyone thinking critically about US culture, for people wanting something more from their life right where they are, for people who feel stuck.

That’s not just for Christians.

So maybe I should have titled this post “Confessions of an Author.” But therein lies my first confession. I’m always thinking about how to get the most clicks, hits, sales, readers, reviews, and the rest. Here are some other confessions:

I wish we could add just one more book to the Bible. Mine.
I’m excited to get into drugs and hookers if I’m really successful, because a book about that would be really successful. I bet it could even be a made-for-TV movie.
I want to overhear people say, “I was just reading Adam Jeske’s new book…”
Most people have no clue about how little I am paid, unless I’m Rick Warren (which I’m not).
I want to be Rick Warren so that everybody knows me, but I can give away like 99% percent of my income, be really generous, and still live like a normal person. Plus, Hawaiian shirts. (Yes, I know he’s stopped wearing them, but I’d be into it.)
I get up ridiculously early and often stay up late.
I pace.
I worry about promotions, our next book project, how my colleagues at InterVarsity feel about this side work, if I’m squandering an opportunity, if I’m neglecting my family, if my ego is getting in the way of something good, if God is pleased with my writing…
In conversations, my mind sometimes wanders, asking, “Will this make a good blog post?”
I hope I make some people laugh out loud at some point while reading my work.
I wonder if my friends are sick of me promoting my writing on Facebook. But I can’t stop.
I fear I’m not good enough.
I’m no better or smarter than other Christians (or anyone for that matter). I am just good at thinking of ideas and articles that editors, publishers, and readers want.
I want to be Christian enough that my theologically-rooted friends are not suspicious of me, but I want to be as jargon-free and open as possible, so that people who aren’t Christians might read our book, too.
I hope I get huge traffic on this post from atheists who see the title and think it’s about me getting into drugs and hookers.
At the end of the day, I want people to be influenced, changed, better off because of me. And maybe that’s what we all want.

I love it.

Go buy our book.

Open season on a new Christian author—what do you want to know?

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