Book-writing partnership for pastors & Christian speakers
The message you've preached a hundred times belongs in a book.
You've already done the hard part: years of study, prayer and preaching. I help you turn that message into a published book, written in your own voice, without you having to become a writer.
- You bring
- Your sermons
- We shape
- The manuscript
- You hold
- Your book
From the pulpit
to the page, and into the hands of people you'll never meet.
Sunday sermon, 42 min
becomes Chapter 3
Written with leaders who serve
- Local churches
- Conference stages
- Mission fields
- Church networks
Sound familiar?
"People keep asking if I've written a book about this."
After the service, at the book table, in the parking lot: someone always asks. You know the message has changed lives. But between shepherding people, preparing next Sunday and traveling to speak, the book never gets written.
There's never a quiet season
Ministry doesn't pause for a writing sabbatical. The book waits, year after year.
Preaching isn't writing
What lands powerfully from the pulpit can feel flat on paper. Translating it is a different craft.
Where do I even begin?
Decades of notes, recordings and illustrations, with no clear path to a finished book.
The good news
You don't need to become a writer. You already have the book.
It's in your sermons. My job is to draw it out.
The journey
From sermon audio to published book.
A clear, structured process with a real person walking beside you. You'll always know where things stand, what comes next, and exactly what's needed from you, which is usually far less than you'd expect. From the first call to a published book takes one to two months.
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01
Share your recordings
Send the sermons, talks and notes you already have. Audio, video, outlines: whatever exists is enough to begin.
Your part: a few links
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02
A heart conversation
You tell me why this message matters, who it's for and the stories behind it. This is where I capture your voice: the way you speak, teach and land a point.
Your part: an honest conversation
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03
A structure you approve
I shape your message into a clear chapter outline, so a reader can walk through it the way your congregation has.
Your part: review and approve
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04
Your first chapter
I write chapter one in your voice, using your own phrases, stories and cadence. If it doesn't sound like you, you can stop right there. See the first-chapter guarantee.
Your part: read it and tell me honestly
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05
Every fact checked
Names, dates, places and Scripture references are verified before a chapter reaches you.
Your part: nothing
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06
Chapter by chapter
Your feedback is worked into each chapter before I move on to the next, until the book says exactly what you mean, theologically and personally.
Your part: notes in the margin
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07
Your complete manuscript
You receive the full book, start to finish, to read as a whole.
Your part: read it through
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08
Final corrections
You send your last corrections and I work them all in.
Your part: one final review
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09
Published on Amazon
Your book goes live on Amazon as e-book and paperback, plus hardcover in the Ministry and Legacy packages. Order your own copies at printing cost.
Your part: hold it. Share it.
"It sounds like me on a good Sunday."
The goal for every book
Your voice, not mine
A book your congregation will recognise on the first page.
The people who've sat under your teaching should hear you in every chapter: your illustrations, your convictions, the way you land a point. Nothing generic, nothing borrowed, nothing that sounds manufactured.
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Built from your own words
Your recordings are the raw material. Your phrases stay yours.
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Faithful to your theology
Your convictions and Scripture references are handled with care. You approve every page.
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Your name on the cover
It's your message and your book. I work quietly in the background.
About me
Hi, I'm Dirk Develing
I live in the Netherlands.
I'm a follower of Jesus and I lead a local church. So I know what your week looks like: the sermons, the people, the meetings, and the book you keep meaning to write “one day”.
I know what makes a book work
For three years I worked at a Christian publisher. There I learned why some books reach thousands of readers while others stay in a box in the garage. It's rarely about the writing alone. It's about a clear message, a strong structure, and a book that speaks to the reader instead of at them.
I know what it's like to write one
I've written two books myself. I know how it feels to face the blank page, and to wonder whether your words on paper will ever sound the way they do from the pulpit. I also know the joy of holding your own book for the first time and handing it to someone who needs it.
Why I started Booqz
I've met so many pastors with a message worth sharing, and no time to write it down. Booqz is my way of helping you do that. You bring the message, and I bring the experience to turn it into a book that sounds like you, stays true to Scripture, and stays yours.
Your message deserves to reach further than your church walls. I'd love to help you get it there.
Dirk Develing
Pastor, author & founder of Booqz
What leaders say after reading their first chapter
Pastors and speakers who finally put their life message into print.
"This is amazing! The text is my style and there are stories and insights in this first chapter that I have not used for many years! Thank you so much! This is so encouraging for me to get back to writing!"
Larry Kreider · Founder, DOVE International · Lancaster, PA
Pricing
Your message, in a book you can hold
One clear price. No hidden costs. Your book is written in your voice, fact-checked, and published on Amazon within one to two months, and it stays yours.
Message
$2,450
For a focused teaching or a short sermon series.
- Up to ~120 pages
- 1 feedback round per chapter
- 1 correction round on the full manuscript
- Professional cover, based on a template and tailored to your book
- Published on Amazon as e-book and paperback
Ministry
$3,450
For the message you have preached for years and want to share in full.
- Up to ~200 pages
- 2 feedback rounds per chapter
- 1 correction round on the full manuscript
- Custom cover design, with 2 concepts to choose from
- Published on Amazon as e-book, paperback and hardcover
Legacy
$4,250
For the complete work you want to leave behind.
- Up to ~300 pages
- 2 feedback rounds per chapter
- 2 correction rounds on the full manuscript
- Custom cover design, with 3 concepts to choose from
- Published on Amazon as e-book, paperback and hardcover
- Amazon author page set up for you
- Small group study guide, with discussion questions for every chapter
Included in every package
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Your voice. I study your sermons, talks and notes until the book sounds like you.
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Your first chapter, guaranteed. If the first chapter doesn't sound like you, you can stop there and I'll refund your first payment.
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You are the author. Your name is on the cover. You approve every chapter.
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Every fact checked. Names, dates, places and Scripture references are verified.
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Full ownership. You keep all rights and 100% of your royalties.
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Author copies at cost. Order your own books at printing cost, for your church, events and book table.
Pay in three steps
You pay as the book takes shape, not all at once.
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1
At the start — I gather your material, create the outline and write your first chapter. Covered by the first-chapter guarantee.
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2
Halfway — when your chapters are written and approved.
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3
On delivery — when your book is published.
How much of my time will this take?
Far less than writing it yourself. Your involvement centers on sharing existing recordings, a few conversations, and reviewing chapters as they're ready. I handle the heavy lifting of writing and structuring.
How long does it take?
One to two months, from the first call to your book on Amazon. The pace depends partly on how quickly you review each chapter.
What if I don't like the first chapter?
Then you stop, and I refund your first payment. The first chapter is where you find out if the book really sounds like you. If it doesn't, you shouldn't have to pay for the rest.
Will it really sound like me?
That's the whole point. The book is built from your own preaching: your stories, your phrasing, your emphasis. You review and refine every chapter until it reads like you.
What do I need to have ready?
A message you've preached and refined, plus whatever recordings or notes you have. Audio from a church livestream, a conference video, sermon outlines: all of it is useful.
Whose name goes on the book?
Yours. It's your message, your ministry and your book.
Is it honest to use a ghostwriter?
Yes. The message, the insights and the theology are yours. I help you put them on paper, just as an editor would. You approve every chapter before it is published.
Do you use AI?
Yes, and I'd rather be open about it. I use AI writing tools built for long-form books to turn your recordings into a first draft much faster. That's what keeps the price within reach. But the tools don't decide what your book says: your sermons do. I shape the structure, every fact and Scripture reference is checked, and you read and approve every chapter before anything is published.
What if my book turns out longer?
Then I'll discuss it with you before I continue. You never get a surprise bill.
Can I get only the manuscript, without publishing?
Yes. If you already have a publisher, contact me and I'll make you an offer.
I'm outside the US. Can we still work together?
Absolutely. I work with English-speaking leaders across the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Africa. Conversations happen online, at a time that suits your schedule.
Let's put your message on the shelf.
Start with a simple, no-pressure conversation about the message on your heart and whether now is the right season for your book.
