Rejection to Best-Seller: Why Christian Authors Need CIPA
My Journey from Vanity Publishing to Indie Success
If you are a Christian indie author, the Christian Indie Publishing Association is an excellent professional association to help you build your author platform. I have discovered that sharing the indie publishing journey with like-minded Christian authors helps relieve stress, provides encouragement, and builds relationships. Even a small word of affirmation can keep us going when the goal seems unattainable. The Christian Indie Publishing Association is helpful in meeting many of those needs.
Independent authors have the edge nowadays, and the Christian Author Network (CAN) and the Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA) are there to help. They offer plenty of resources on their website, which I have used extensively. I self-published my first book back when it was called vanity publishing. My goodness, how times have changed. Today, even traditionally published authors are venturing into the indie world.
Because the indie publishing world is constantly changing, what worked years ago when I hosted the John 3:16 Marketing Network is not as effective today. When Twitter (X) was the rage and Facebook was ramping up, I took my completed manuscript with me to all my appointments at the Florida Christian Writers Conference and showed it to anyone who would listen. Two agents said to me, “Come back when you have a thousand Twitter followers and we will talk to you.”
The Turning Point: A Divine Conversation in the Car
When the conference was over, I drove home discouraged and disheartened. God and I have had many conversations in the car, and this was one of those times: I asked Him, “If I have a thousand Twitter followers and build my social platform, why do I need a traditional publisher?” That’s when I decided to go indie, and I’ve never looked back or regretted that decision.
From Rejection to Best-Seller: Children of Dreams
My memoir, Children of Dreams, about the international adoption of my two daughters as a single mother that no agent or publisher would look at, later became a best-seller on Amazon. I sold thousands of eBooks on Bookbub. It hit number 11 when I offered it for free. That top Amazon ranking equated to 20,000 downloads in one day.
My point in saying this is not to brag but to point out that there is freedom when you call upon the Lord. When you make decisions backed by prayer, God will not lead you astray. But, as the Bible says, be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves (Matt 10:16).
Why Join the Christian Indie Publishing Association?
One of the best ways to ensure you don’t get deceived by a publishing scam, tricked by tricksters, or “seduced” into publishing your book with one of those “roaches” in the publishing world is to join the Christian Indie Publishing Association. They also sponsor the Christian Indie Awards for outstanding Christian books by indie authors. And, each year, they host the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference in Andalusia, Alabama.
Helpful information on their website that I’ve used includes how to advertise on Amazon, radio, and podcast resources (how to connect with relevant hosts), and how to create an A+ page on Amazon.
New independent authors will find their resources helpful, and up-and-coming authors will also benefit from the available information, i.e., how to develop an audience for your self-published book. The annual membership is only $139, and the fee covers many of the website’s resources.
Even though I had been a member of CIPA for several years and entered their annual book competition a few times, I had never been to the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference until this year. When the conference registration opened for 2026, I quickly signed up. I have been to many conferences over the past twenty-five years, but the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference blessed me in several unique ways.
Divine Appointments at Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference
First, you never know who will be there. A Faith Radio representative asked me to do an interview and it cost me nothing. The Faith Radio Network broadcasts across South Georgia and North Florida as well as the Internet and I would consider that great exposure for any author.
As we got talking, I discovered he and I grew up in the same small town of Canton, Georgia. You never know who you will to meet, and I always credit those I do meet as divine appointments.
Another divine appointment happened on the last night of the conference. I went to pick up my books at the bookstore and as I entered the room, a woman was standing in front of my book table holding four of my books from the Seventh Dimension Series.
“Can I help you with anything?”
she said, “I’m looking for the first two books in this series.”
I told her, “I have one extra copy of the second book, downstairs, and if you buy the other books in the series, I’d be glad to mail you the first book in the series, Seventh Dimension – The Door.”
She agreed and was excited that I would do that. Then I asked her, “Where do you live?”
“Qatar,” she said.
“You live in Qatar?”
“Yes.” She replied.
Five attendees at the conference were from Qatar. You never know who you are going to run into and where they are from. I sent her Seventh Dimension–The Door as well as a copy of my newest book, Eighth Dimension–Frequency.
Spreading the Gospel Through Books
The Great Commission tells us to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and because my books share the Gospel, I felt like it was a divine appointment. God must have wanted my books in that part of the world.
The conference also had excellent speakers, including one of my longtime favorites, Jesse Flora, from Focus on the Family. I don’t think there is an agent or rep on the planet who is more approachable than he is. I don’t know if he will be at the 2026 conference, but whoever the speakers are, I look forward to hearing what they will share.
Resources That Save Time and Money
The publishing world is constantly changing, with new opportunities, and the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference fills a niche for Christian indie authors, providing knowledge and encouragement, as well as opportunities that may not come unless you connect with people on a personal level. Many of those personal moments are shared at mealtimes. The conference provides healthy meals, so if you have dietary restrictions, you have choices and don’t have to feel guilty about eating unhealthy food.
I wish, when I had started writing books, CIPA had been available. I could have learned a lot without making all the mistakes that new authors make, which would have saved me a lot of time and money.
The Value of Christian Indie Awards
I would also encourage anyone who can’t attend the conference to enter the Christian Indie Awards and/or Living Water Awards. This year, I entered a devotional that didn’t win, but I received feedback on what I needed to change. I made the suggested improvements and submitted the devotion to Grace Publishing. They accepted it for their 2025 Annual Christmas Anthology, Tis the Season, so my Christmas devotional is now published and available on Amazon.
While it’s nice to sell many books, the one thing we all want most is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Awards remind me they aren’t for my glory; they are for my Savior’s glory.
Writing an award-winning book is hard, especially when you do it as an independent or self-published author. CIPA has helped me build a more meaningful platform than I would have otherwise. The relationships formed over time continue to grow, and I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
An Unforgettable Night Under the Stars
The sweetness of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference is unlike anything I have experienced at other conferences. One night, we roasted marshmallows over a bonfire by the lake. With the stars twinkling overhead, attendees read their poems. That memory will be with me forever. It was like we were one in the spirit, praising God with our words and seeing His angels in the night sky shining down upon us. Conferences bring writers together in a way that just wasn’t possible before. As a member, you could make so many memories and learn so many things from resources previously out of reach.
Your Invitation: Don’t Miss Out
If you haven’t signed up, what are you waiting for? Click here to register for the March 18-21, 2026, Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference. You will be blessed, perhaps with a divine appointment like the ones I had.
To meet the award-winning authors from the 2025 Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference, click here.
More Helpful Tips from CIPA: Three Steps the Christian Author Needs to Know to Market Books
Author Bio:
Lorilyn Roberts is an Amazon bestselling author with over 20 books to her name, including Children of Dreams and Seventh Dimension–The Door. A recipient of 50-plus writing awards, she holds an MA in Creative Writing from Perelandra College and is a graduate of the University of Alabama, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Lorilyn is also a ham radio operator, call-sign KO4LBS, and CW enthusiast.
To learn more about Roberts’ books and to connect with her, you can visit her website at LorilynRoberts.com.