Leona's Writing Career
Meet the Pro--In Cross-Genre Books
Feature article from Cross and Quill
The Christian Writers Newsletter
January/February 1998

By Leona Choy

Was it the "best of times or the worst of times" to launch my writing career? At age 27 I was returning to the U. S. exhausted from missionary work in tropical Singapore and Hong Kong with a baby and two toddlers in tow--the oldest just over three. And without my husband, Ted, who remained overseas to teach seminary for another year.

Increasingly, even as a Mom with my hands full, I began to sense God's call to write for publication. From childhood I wrote poems and stories, journalled, and was a voracious reader. But I hadn't taken any writing courses at Wheaton College. Moreover, in those early years we didn't have Christian writers' conferences, how-to books, Christian market guides or tapes.

So I borrowed stacks of books from the library and learned the writing craft between bottles and diaper changes. I joined the local chapter of AAUW where we mercilessly critiqued each other's writings. I determined to try every genre of writing until I got a sale in each to see which would suit me best. After many rejections, I met that goal. I concluded that journalism didn't appeal to me, but I liked creative writing, poetry and nonfiction. Of one thing I was sure. "No way would I ever write a book." (I've just published my 28th book, and more than a dozen foreign language editions are in print.) Never say never!

I kept freelancing while raising a family of four sons and editing publications for our campus ministry among Chinese university

students. I fell into book writing quite by accident by opportunities for ghost writing. Invitations to be a "friendly ghost" still haunt me, but I accept only a few of such books. Successful ghosting led to my own writing: historical and missionary biographies, books on China, anthologies of my poetry, the craft and ministry of writing, parable-allegories, contemporizing classic works, heritage sagas, short fiction, mission philosophy, and devotional books. In recent years many of my books center on what God is teaching me from the traumas of life, among them cancer, surgery and widowhood.

My China books are based on a lifetime of ministry among Chinese both on North American campuses and 14 trips to the People's Republic of China as tour escort and independent travel with my husband among the persecuted, underground churches.

My early books were published through traditional publishers. When I became more prolific in my writing, the submit-and-wait-endlessly cycle seemed too slow and laborious. At the same time, my potential for marketing was developing through broadcasting my daily radio program on the Christian station of which I was president. Speaking in churches and conferences was increasing my visibility, my web site was active, and direct niche publicity was working.

Based on those pluses, my eldest son and I formed Golden Morning Publishing primarily to umbrella my books, although we have published several books for others which I have ghost written. We control the entire process from writing, to multiple editings, seemingly endless proofreading, to camera-ready copy in DESKTOP Publishing. We work with graphic artists for full-color covers and subcontract the printing to a topnotch press. In the past 12 months we released eight of my new books, two already in second printing. Of course this represents many years of writing and research, although I always have several books in process at one time.

Advice to writers?

1) Why limit your writing to one genre? The Lord might want you to spread your wings in different or multiple directions.

2) In some cases, a legitimate option may be self-publishing (but not by vanity publishers). Success in the traditional publishing field is becoming increasingly difficult for the new author. If you strongly believe God has given you a meaningful message, this may be one way to go. However, be realistic. Be SURE you have a well-defined niche market, are willing to be visible and make your product known, have written a professionally excellent book, and have enough funds for a short press run. For the published author who speaks on his book topic an attractive self-published book may enhance his marketing outreach.

3) Your best writing may issue from your greatest struggles or adversities. Don't waste them. Life experiences the Lord takes you through are grist for your writing mill and opportunities for "profit-sharing" with readers who face similar experiences.

4) Creative writing is a pleasure craft but it demands serious commitment and large, continual doses of self-discipline. The finished manuscript doesn't drop from heaven. You must learn to say no to many worthwhile activities and spend long, lonely hours writing and constantly honing your writing skills.

You ask, which book do I think is my best? I always say it's the next one.

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