How Joining an Editors’ Association Made Me a Better Writer

You probably know that hiring an editor can improve your manuscript and your skills as a Christian writer. As Terri Blackstock says, “Behind every good writer is a great editor.” But did you know joining an editors’ association can help you as well? 

But what else might you learn from editors if you entered their world and learned their secrets? You may be surprised by all the ways joining an editors’ association can benefit you as a Christian writer. I certainly was.

I discovered Christian Editors Association (CEA) through the editing courses offered through The PEN Institute, its education division. When I joined its support division, The Christian PEN, at first I was only interested in the education and discounts the organization offered. I was trying to find my feet in freelance editing, and I needed all the help I could get.

I didn’t expect Christian Editors Association to make me a better writer. But it did.

I’m now director of The Christian PEN, so I get an even closer look at how CEA’s divisions can benefit Christian writers.

What is Christian Editors Association?

Christian Editors Association is the leading organization for Christian editors and contains four divisions:

• The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network—This support network for Christian editors offers membership benefits such as education and software discounts, an email community, advertising opportunities, and more.
• Christian Editor Connection—This division functions as a “matchmaking service” to help authors and publishers find established, professional Christian freelance editors who have been extensively screened and tested.
• PENCON—The only annual conference for Christian editors, PENCON is a virtual event held each May, featuring workshops and interaction with a variety of industry professionals.
• The PEN Institute—This educational division offers online courses in an array of formats and fields of editing, from fundamentals of freelance editing to working with memoirs.

Christian Editors Association also sponsors the Editors’ Choice Award, the only book contest that not only recognizes high-quality Christian writing but specifically honors excellent editing.

This organization provides great opportunities for Christian editors. But how can it help you as a Christian writer?

1. Standards for Christian writers

As a Christian writer, you (hopefully) have a good grasp of basic English grammar—if English grammar is ever basic. Tools like Grammarly can help. But maybe you’ve wished for an even better understanding of its intricacies, a definitive resource to measure your work against, or a source you can point to when you want to say, “This is why I know I’m right!” Rubbing shoulders with editors can raise the standards you use for your writing and change how you apply those standards.

• Raise the bar with CMOS and CWMS

When I began my editing studies through The PEN Institute, I didn’t know there was such a thing as The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), let alone that it was the gold standard for book editing. Nor had I heard of The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style (CWMS), the industry-standard style guide for Christian books.

These books are the measuring line for grammar and usage questions like confusing commas, sneaky homonyms, or capitalization of religious terms. I was surprised (and still am) at how often I thought I knew a usage rule, only to discover I didn’t.

One of the first things I learned through The PEN Institute was “If you don’t know something, or even if you think you do, look it up!”

• Check your work for style and consistency

Once you’re aware of those pesky little problems, fixing them is the next step. This is where The Christian PEN’s discounts come in handy.

Members of The Christian PEN can get discounts on CMOS Online and PerfectIt software from Intelligent Editing. Linking the two can tell you whether you’ve observed Chicago style consistently throughout your manuscript. (Did you capitalize Your Majesty six times and forget the seventh?) This has been a lifesaver for me when I do a final pass on what I thought was a finished project.

• Strive for excellence with the Editors’ Choice Award

As a PEN member, I’ve also served as a judge for the Editors’ Choice Award, sponsored by Christian Editors Association. What an eye-opening experience!

This award used to be called Excellence in Editing, and as Christian writers, we do strive for excellence. Unfortunately, many entries in the contest don’t make it to higher rounds. Seeing what does and doesn’t make the cut has pushed me toward greater excellence in my own writing.

If you have a new release, consider entering it in the Editors’ Choice Award, open from June through December each year. The feedback you get from judges will show you where your writing can be more excellent—and where it already is.

2. Resources for Christian writers

Now that we know there are high standards for good writing, how do we apply those standards? This is especially important for indie authors. As this CIPA blog post points out, indie authors must be aware of what makes their books competitive in the publishing world.

• Find helpful posts on the PEN Tips blog

The Christian PEN’s blog, PEN Tips, isn’t just for PEN members. Hundreds of Christian writers and editors subscribe for its practical advice on numerous aspects of writing and editing. It’s been helpful to me in improving my wordcraft.

The PEN members who contribute to the PEN Tips blog explain more than just the mechanical details of when to use an em dash. They also share wisdom about life as Christian wordsmiths. Who is our true boss? How do we deal with stress? What are our priorities?

• Take online courses from The PEN Institute

PEN Tips blog posts often remind me of areas I need to work on. Those areas can often be strengthened through the excellent courses offered by The PEN Institute.

These courses are technically for editors, but they’re also good for writers. My grasp of the writing craft has become much stronger as a result of taking these courses. For everything from three-act structure to showing versus telling, you can use this knowledge in all aspects of your writing. And it doesn’t hurt to know where to put a comma either. (Did you know a comma isn’t needed before either? Check out CMOS 6.52.)

Whether you’re an indie author or a traditional author, thinking like an editor will vastly improve your writing.

• Learn from PENCON workshops

You can get even more instruction, along with great interaction, at PENCON, the only annual conference for Christian editors. PENCON is a virtual event that is accessible worldwide and offers incredible workshops, one-on-one faculty appointments, and Zoom sessions for attendees to “meet and greet.” The first time I attended PENCON, I cried when it was over.

Whether you write suspense, YA, memoir, or anything in between, you’re sure to pick up tips for your writing as you interact with editors and other industry professionals. I’ve often ended up in workshops I didn’t think I would use, only to discover they were exactly what I needed. (We’re Christian writers. We don’t believe in coincidence.)

You can purchase audio and video recordings of previous PENCON workshops, and if you’re a PENCON alumnus, you’ll get access to monthly Zoom fellowship meetings covering a variety of topics. 

3. Connection for Christian writers

Christian writers can benefit tremendously from networking with other people who work with words. One CIPA blog post describes benefits of your personal network of friends and family, and in a similar way, a network of professional Christian writers can make all the difference. That can also prove true for a network of Christian editors. 

• Ask questions and get new insight

The Christian PEN provides a thriving email community where members ask questions and share their expertise. I’ve learned so much about the English language, copyright issues, publishing advice, and all things writing-related in this email loop. As a member, you can ask any question and receive almost instant responses from the experts.

You probably have family or friends who look at you indulgently (or perhaps pityingly) when you wax eloquent about dialogue tags or character arcs or Oxford commas. Not here. You might get a variety of perspectives, but no one will look at you askance for obsessing over an apostrophe.

And the variety of perspectives can be a blessing too—don’t we all sometimes need to be reminded how beautifully complex the world of words really is?

• Find your people—and your next editor

Attending PENCON or taking a group course through The PEN Institute can remind you that you’re not alone. There’s a world of people out there who care about good storytelling as much as you do—from the broad sweep of a gripping character arc to the nitty-gritty details of punctuation.

Christian Editors Association can also make things easier when you’re ready to look for an editor. Christian Editor Connection, one of CEA’s divisions, is designed to help Christian writers and publishers find qualified Christian freelance editors. You can also research The Christian PEN’s member listings or reach out to the new friends you’ve made in the email loop.

4. Extra income for Christian writers

Are you looking for ways to make your love of words work for you? That’s the reason I originally connected with Christian Editors Association.

• Get started in editing

Are you the kind of writer who can spot a typo on a ketchup label? Can you feel it in your bones when a climax isn’t working? Maybe you can’t do those things, but you’d like to learn how.

As a Christian writer, you can use your wordsmithing skills to help others. And an editors’ organization can give you what you need to make that happen.

My freelance editing business would not exist without Christian Editors Association. Courses from The PEN Institute will walk you through the fundamentals of editing and freelancing, and a PEN membership will surround you with support for your journey and a team that has your back. (Plus discounts. Discounts are always nice.)

• Expand your offerings

Editing isn’t the only option for Christian writers who want to help other authors. You can find helpful information through CEA’s divisions for services like formatting and design, self-publishing, and social media.

If you have a talent for some aspect of Christian writing, Christian editing, or Christian publishing, you can join The Christian PEN and be eligible to teach through The PEN Institute.

Where do you go from here?

If you’re interested in the benefits of Christian Editors Association, where should you start?

First, invest in membership with The Christian PEN. I recommend Silver membership, which gives you access to all the benefits I’ve mentioned.

Then choose a course or two from The PEN Institute, using your PEN member discount, and start learning. When PENCON registration comes around, use your PEN member discount for that too!

If you launch an editing career, you can join Christian Editor Connection after two years of paid editing. After a book you’ve written or edited gets published, whether independently or traditionally, enter it in the Editors’ Choice Award.

Whether you’re a longtime Christian writer or just starting out, Christian Editors Association and Christian Independent Publishers Association can greatly benefit you and your writing. Learn, grow, connect, and thrive—your readers will thank you.

About the Author

Jayna Baas is an author and editor and the director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. Her debut historical novel, Preacher on the Run, was released in 2020, giving her a passion for helping other independent authors present their work with confidence. When she’s not writing or editing, you’ll often find her spending time with family in beautiful northern Michigan, drinking good coffee, or enjoying vicarious adventures on the screen or on the page. Although her love of words extends to multiple genres, her favorite story is still John 3:16.