Take a Step of Faith and Finally Finish Your Book

Christian Writers: Learn how to Partner with God to write, publish, and market your book inside Christian Book Academy.

Christian Book Academy is an online membership for Christian writers who feel called by God to write a book but struggle to make consistent progress. Founded by CJ and Shelley Hitz who have been training writers since 2010, published over 70 books, and helped more than 1,000 Christian writers become published authors. The Academy guides members through a 5-step Kingdom Writer’s Path covering writing, editing, self-publishing, launching, and marketing, all in just 15 minutes a day. It includes:

  • A clear, step-by-step path from first draft to published book
  • Faith-centered community that understands your calling
  • Practical tools and coaching so you never feel stuck again
  • Progress in just 15 minutes a day
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Christian Book Academy Published Writers
author of Dreams Detoured

  • “I didn’t even know I was capable of this, and I would have never figured that out without Christian Book Academy. Dreams are coming true, and I’m not stopping here!”

    Debbie Oliver

We understand the struggle of wanting to write your book while also wondering if it will be good enough.

Since 2010, we have…

  • Helped over 1,000 Christian writers overcome self-doubt and become published authors.
  • Published over 70 books through our independent publishing company, Body and Soul Publishing.
  • Reached almost a million readers worldwide with our books.
Christian Writers Membership
What you will experience inside:

Everything You Need to Write, Publish, and Market Your Book

Inside Christian Book Academy, you get a clear path forward, a community that gets you, and the encouragement to keep going when self-doubt creeps in.

The Kingdom Writers Path – A step-by-step roadmap through every stage of writing and publishing your book.

Monthly Writing Challenges – Build a consistent writing habit in just 15 minutes a day.

Virtual Writing Retreats – Make major progress on your book, right from home.

Progress Pods – Weekly accountability with a small group of Kingdom writers who cheer you on.

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Is This For You?

Christian Book Academy Is for You If…

✍🏻 You feel called by God to write a book but you’re not sure where to start.

✍🏻 You’ve been carrying a book idea for months (or years) and can’t seem to make progress.

✍🏻 You’ve tried writing on your own but self-doubt, overwhelm, or busyness keeps getting in the way.

✍🏻 You want a faith-centered community that will encourage you and hold you accountable.

✍🏻 You don’t have hours to spare but you can find 15 minutes a day.

✍🏻 You want to self-publish without wasting thousands of dollars or making costly mistakes.

✍🏻 You’re ready to stop dreaming about your book and start writing it.

author of Fully Known, Fully Loved

  • “I cannot say enough good things about how Christian Book Academy and Shelley and CJ have influenced and empowered my journey to obey God’s call to ‘get out there and share’ the words He has given me.”

    Elizabeth Rennicks
Christian Book Academy

Take a look inside

When you join Christian Book Academy, our membership for Christian writers, you’ll walk through the Kingdom Writers Path, our step-by-step roadmap designed to take you from idea to published author.

Whether you’re just starting your first draft or ready to publish and market your book, you’ll always know exactly what to do next.

Our members love the bite-sized video lessons (10 to 20 minutes each) that fit book writing into the nooks and crannies of your life. No overwhelming course to plow through. Just your next step, made clear.

Meet CJ and Shelley

We’re CJ and Shelley Hitz, and we’ve been called “pastors for writers.” Since 2010, we’ve helped over 1,000 Christian writers overcome self-doubt and become published authors.

Together, we’ve published over 70 books through our independent publishing company, Body and Soul Publishing, and our books have reached nearly a million readers worldwide.

We created Christian Book Academy because we believe you don’t have to write your book alone. With the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the support of a faith-filled community, writing your book can be a faith-filled journey, not a lonely struggle.

We’d love to walk alongside you.

JOIN CHRISTIAN BOOK ACADEMY
CJ and Shelley Hitz

2-Minute Encouragement and Prayer for Christian Writers from CJ and Shelley

Free DOWNLOAD!

Create a 15-Minute Writing Habit to Finally Finish Your Book

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writing wheel

Frequently Asked Questions from Christian Writers

A Kingdom Writer is a Christian writer who sees writing as obedience and ministry, not just a creative project or business venture. Kingdom Writers partner with God in every step of the writing journey, from the first messy draft to launch day. They write to impact lives for eternity, whether their book is overtly Christian or simply written from a Christian worldview. The focus is calling and Kingdom impact, not just word count or royalties and follow Matthew 6:33 to seek first His Kingdom and then everything else will fall into place.

Most first-time authors can write and self-publish a short Christian book in 3 to 6 months when they write consistently, even just 15 minutes a day. Longer books or those requiring extensive research may take 9 to 12 months. The timeline depends less on talent and more on consistency. Many of our members have published their first book in under 90 days by focusing on a short, focused message like a devotional book, tiny testimony book or a guided journal rather than a longer book that can take years to finish.

No. Self-publishing gives Christian authors complete creative control, higher royalties (up to 70 percent versus 10 to 15 percent traditionally), and the ability to publish on their own timeline without needing a literary agent or publisher’s approval. You also keep full rights to your message and your platform. Traditional publishing can work for some authors, but most Kingdom Writers find self-publishing books align better with their calling, their budget, and their freedom to write what God has placed on their heart.

Self-publishing a Christian book typically costs between $500 and $2,500 when you do most of the work yourself and hire out only what’s necessary. Main expenses include professional editing ($300 to $1,500), cover design ($100 to $500), and formatting ($50 to $300). Print-on-demand platforms like Amazon KDP have no upfront printing costs. You can publish for less by learning the skills yourself, which is what we teach inside Christian Book Academy.

Yes. Many first-time authors are not tech-savvy and have never written more than a journal entry or blog post, and they still finish and publish their books. The key is having a step-by-step process on how to write a book, faith-based encouragement, and a community of Christian writers that helps you push past self-doubt and tech overwhelm. You don’t need to be a professional writer to be called to write. You just need to take the next obedient step.

It’s not too late. Many Christian writers publish their first book in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, and some of the most impactful Christian books ever written came from authors who started late. Your life experience, wisdom, and walk with God are exactly what your future readers need. You’re not behind. You’re not disqualified. The right time to start is now, one paragraph at a time. Many of our members use our 15-minute writing framework to finish their books without overwhelm.

Christian Book Academy, founded by CJ and Shelley Hitz, is one of the most active online communities for Christian writers focused on self-publishing. Members meet weekly in Progress Pods which are small accountability groups on Zoom and get access to monthly Virtual Writing Retreats, live coaching sessions, and a step-by-step self-publishing roadmap. Since 2010, the community has helped over 1,000 Christian writers finish and publish their books.

Christian Book Academy costs $49 per month or $450 per year. The annual plan is equivalent to getting nearly three months free. Membership includes the full Kingdom Writer’s Path curriculum, weekly Progress Pod accountability groups, monthly Virtual Writing Retreats, live coaching sessions, and an AI Tool Library. There are no long-term contracts and you can cancel anytime in 3 clicks.

Free Training for Christian Writers

Get all our training here.
Listen to the podcast.
Read the blog.
Watch the free masterclass.