In this conversation with long-time journalist, author, and writing coach Ann Byle, she provided us with some industry analysis, career advice, and some opinionated takes on relevant themes, particularly getting creative in modern Christian publishing.

The publishing landscape is definitely changing, so she shared the difference between vanity and custom publishing and noted that as part of her work covering Publishers Weekly’s religion section, custom-published books are earning more genuine respect in the marketplace.

Connections are still king and take time, but with some "chicken scratch creativity," you can build a career that lasts.

Ann Byle is at annbylewriter.com

Her book is Chicken Scratch: Lessons on Living Creatively from a Flock of Hens

Religion Book Line newsletter is at PublishersWeekly.com

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

As snow falls outside the window in Grand Rapids we decided it was finally time to share how our personal faith journeys have been disrupted and how that's affected our deep engagement with the material we edit, represent, and publish.

As former Christian publishing professionals, we once assented to certain beliefs. But we currently land in a very different place. And we know we’re not alone.

Whether your faith disruption is minor or you've identified some religious trauma, we hope you'll feel welcome to explore this topic with us and recognize something of yourself in this growing community of misfits we work with and publish for.

If you've stepped away from organized religion, the shift is personal and profound. But leaving one community shouldn't mean losing community entirely. Amidst our shifting identities (and judgment from others), writing and reading new books helps us more deeply appreciate unanswered questions and develop critical thinking.

If you recognize the strength in a diversity of voices, perspectives, and experiences and want to go deeper together, we hope you'll come along.

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.

So glad to have author and writing coach Jeff Elkins on Publishing Disrupted!

What do you do when the education or job you worked so hard for no longer fits the life you’re living?

In this episode of Publishing Disrupted, Mick Silva and David Morris are joined by novelist, writing coach, and Dialogue Doctor founder Jeff Elkins for an honest conversation about vocation, disruption, and creative reinvention.

Jeff’s story spans theological training, fifteen years as a successful pastor, an exit from church systems, and a gradual rebuilding of professional identity through writing, teaching, and community-building. Today, Jeff works in organizational training, runs a learning community for writers, and continues to publish fiction on his own terms.

Together, we talk about:
– Leaving professions that once gave meaning and identity
– Writing as a practice of presence, not just production
– How independent fiction publishing actually works in today’s marketplace
– Why community may matter more than algorithms

This episode isn’t just about publishing. It’s about passion, profession, and learning to build a creative life amid disruption.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or over at publishingdisrupted.substack.com.

Find Jeff Elkins at https://jeffelkinswriter.com/ and https://dialoguedoctor.com/

Publishing Disrupted is at PublishingDisrupted.substack.com

Mick Silva is at MickSilvaEditing.substack.com

David Morris is at dvdmorris.substack.com, LakeDriveBooks.com, and Hyponymous.com.