Barbara Britton

Barbara M. Britton not only loves to write about the Bible, but she has also taught Bible stories for over

thirty years. She is multi-published in Christian Fiction where she brings little-known Bible stories to

light, or she makes you swoon with her sweet romances. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor

University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate.

Barbara lives in Wisconsin with her husband of almost four decades and an indulged cat. Her sons are

grown but they still come home and request their favorite recipes. You can find out more about

Barbara’s books on her website barbarambritton.com.

Most of your books are Christian romance. Why did you decide to focus on this genre?

I taught Bible stories to elementary school students for several years. When I began writing stories, my

manuscripts were geared toward young adults. Those early stories were not set in biblical times. My

fourth book sold to a publisher, and it happened to be a Bible story similar to Naaman’s healing from the

Old Testament. I enjoy writing romance or a romantic thread in a book because I like a happily-ever-after ending.

Readers seem to be drawn to a romantic thread as well.

You write both adult and young adult books. Which level do you enjoy more and why?

Over the years, the content in young adult books has caught up to adult books in the General Market.

Since I write in the Christian publishing world and cannot write sex on the page, premarital sex, or

swearing, there really isn’t too much difference between stories for adults and stories for teens.

Most of the biblical women I have written about were teenagers when they did their feats. The Biblical

Fiction genre is placed in the adult category even if my heroines are teenagers.

I do have a few YA manuscripts in a drawer. I enjoyed writing the coming-of-age thread or the first love

storyline.

How has SCBWI helped you in your book publishing journey?

Craft is craft. Whether you are writing a YA novel, Middle Grade, or adult story, the author must

understand story structure, pacing, conflict and tension, and all the nuances that make a book sell. I

gleaned a lot from attending events where writing was discussed and agents weighed in on what they

wanted to see in manuscripts. You can’t beat the people in SCBWI. Everyone has been helpful and

willing to share what is working in today’s book world. I also enjoy the Book Stop opportunities for

marketing.

What do you do when not writing?

I enjoy visiting family. We are spread out over the country. I also enjoy getting outside when the

weather cooperates. It’s helpful to exercise since I like to bake sweet treats and of course, eat them.

What advice do you have to other writers on publishing or marketing books?

A writer should follow their dreams and work to publish their story. There are many ways to publish

these days: traditional, indie, hybrid. Cottage industries for book design, cover design, and book

coaching have grown over the years. We have publishing tools at our fingertips.

The challenging side of publishing is the number of books flooding the market. I think everyone stayed

home during Covid and wrote a book. Also, we see AI creeping into the market where books may be

spurred along faster than normal. Today, getting your book discovered and sold is harder than ever.

That is why it’s important to find joy in your publishing journey and realize this is a long game.

Newsletters are an important tool to stay connected to your readership. They can alert your readership

to a new release and help with reviews and shouting to the world about your book. Gathering names is

important, but an author needs to gather the correct names. I do list building promotions that target a

Christian audience or my specific genre reader. Joining authors in my genre for promotions helps me

target people who will buy my books.

I am doing more in person events to meet new readers. I am tired of all the media filling my feeds and

I’m sure readers are tuning out numerous posts. If a reader has met me, I hope they are willing to

engage with me on social media or with my newsletter. I like to interact on Facebooks groups where my

readers hang out too.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on a devotional about Bible heroes who stumble into trouble. I also have a contemporary

romance brewing in my brain.