I’m Writing A Book!

And a bit about my journey as a new author

TLDR version: I’m writing my very first book in partnership with Brazos Press (a division of Baker Publishing Group) tentatively titled ‘A Just Gospel’.

Couldn’t have done this without my literary agent, Morgan Strehlow and The Bindery Agency.

Oh, and all current paid subscribers (as of 8.20 pm EST, February 7, 2024) + the NEXT THREE new annual / lifetime paid subscribers get a free, signed copy of the book when it’s published!

Ok, now the long, sappy version:

I’ve never wanted to write a book.

Don’t get me wrong - I’ve loved reading books for as long as I can remember. I just never wanted to write one.

Until I realized that I absolutely needed to write one when there was a reckoning in the North American Church & culture on justice and none of my (predominantly white, western, evangelical male) theological heroes had anything of substance to say.

So I started tweeting (sorry but I’m not calling it ‘X’ or ‘Y’ or whatever they decide to call it tomorrow). Studying theology at a top US evangelical seminary and seeing my professors and classmates miss out on themes of justice & injustice throughout Scripture and church history only made me tweet more.

When the Twitter character count couldn’t contain my thoughts anymore, I started writing long form think pieces for Christian media outlets like The Christian Post and Religion Unplugged. Then, I started writing on Medium before eventually moving my writing HQ permanently to Substack.

Meanwhile, my social media platforms started blowing up. My thoughts, theology and writing seemed to be resonating with thousands of western Christians who were yearning for more reflections on the God of justice who liberates us from sin and all of its effects (including injustice & oppression).

Along with the attention also came the public attacks and reporting of my tweets to my employer and its US affiliate. But I had to keep going. Staying silent on the western church’s historic resistance to justice was no longer a privilege I had.

Then, to my surprise, publishers I highly respected started to approach me.

“We’ve been following you for a while and really appreciate your voice. Have you ever thought of writing a book?”

The timing wasn’t right though - I had just moved into a new job (a senior leadership role nonetheless) on top of figuring out life as an immigrant (again) in a new country (Canada).

Then, a couple of reputable literary agents reached out. “Send us a proposal and we’ll get you in front of publishers”, they said. I thanked them for their interest and continued procrastinating the inevitable.

The timing just wasn’t right and I only wanted to write a book when I truly felt like I had something unique to say. I also remember telling God, “If this is from you, send me the right team that will guide me in this journey.”

Enter Morgan Strehlow from The Bindery Agency who slid into my DM’s in early 2023:

“I thought I was already following you because you’re already all over my Twitter feed.

Anyway, if you don’t yet have an agent I’d love to chat with you…I’ve been a creative collaborator and book coach for a lot of authors in the Christian publishing space, particularly for those writing on justice. I haven’t shared it publicly yet, but I’ll begin agenting with The Bindery Agency on May 1. Whether it’s with me or another agent, I think the values and mission of The Bindery could be a good fit for you! That is, if you are looking for one.”

I couldn’t believe it! Here was a seasoned publishing professional about to start as a literary agent with a literary agency. And she was asking *me* to consider being one of her very first clients! So I looked up The Bindery Agency.

Here’s the first thing from their website that caught my eye:

“The Bindery is a literary agency that serves both first-time and established writers, with a particular focus on under-represented voices.”

I remember thinking, “This is it! This is the team I’ve been waiting for.”

I signed with The Bindery Agency that summer. Over the next few months, Morgan worked closely with me to bring out my most authentic (and surprisingly, prophetic) voice in the form of a book proposal.

The book idea became crystal clear: A book about how colonization has shaped the practices of the western church (specifically in its resistance to justice movements within and outside the Church) - and what western Christians & church leaders can do to prioritize justice Jesus’ way in a decolonized way.

A truthful diagnosis. But also a hopeful prognosis that helps cast a positive vision for prioritizing justice in the 21st century western church!

Pitching the book proposal to publishers in late-Fall was a whole experience - one that I could probably write another Substack post on. But we soon received interest and offers from nearly half a dozen top publishers - truly an honour for a first time author!

Clearly, we were onto something and for some reason, these respected publishers saw *me* as a credible voice to be teaching these things. My Master’s degree in Political Management, background as a Republican Political Consultant turned Liberation Theologian, regular speaking engagements on justice with thousands of US & Canadian Christians each year and 5+ years of seminary training in a dual master’s degree program only seemed to have added to the credibility.

One publisher that caught my eye throughout the whole process was Brazos Press. Many of my author friends have published books with Brazos and only have the best things to say about their experience.

As a person of colour from an underrepresented community in publishing, I also knew I’d be bringing the diversity to most Christian publishing houses - both in thought and being.

But Brazos has a long-standing history of working with diverse authors offering prophetic critique and hopeful solutions to the western church. Getting to work with and learn from their Editorial Editor (also my soon-to-be Developmental Editor), the legendary Katelyn Beaty was a huge plus.

So I signed the contract for my first book with Brazos Press this week!

I cannot tell you how excited I am for this book project. Thank you for being on this writing journey with me as a free subscriber!

For all my paid subscribers as of now (8.20 pm EST, February 7, 2024) - as my way of thanking you, you get a free signed copy of this book as soon as it’s published!

For the NEXT THREE annual / lifetime paid subscribers - you also get a free signed copy of this book when it’s published. So take advantage of this exclusive giveaway by upgrading here:

I cannot wait to keep you updated on this journey! Definitely keep watching this space for more.

PS: Every dollar I receive from paid subscribers here on Substack goes directly towards my seminary costs.