Now that my ebook Four Weeks: Reflections for Advent is out in the world, I wanted to take some time to answer what I think will be some of the most common questions about it.
Where can I get this book? The top 3 places are Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Apple Books.
Where’d this book come from? Similar to my ebook No Perfect Time, most of the content comes from my former blog. I kept a regular practice of writing a series of posts every year for Advent that I always called “part devotional, part diary.” I’ve adapted and compiled what I believe to be the strongest pieces into a volume as a guide for Advent.
But is this really a “devotional?” Yes and no. It’s set up where there’s a reflection for every day of the week for the four weeks of Advent, plus one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day. So yes, you can use it like you would most devotionals where you can read one entry per day. However, the entries don’t have some of the typical trappings of a devotional such as an introductory Bible verse and a closing prayer. So you have the option to use it like you would most devotionals but you might feel moved to read it differently.
Then what would someone get out of reading this for Advent? Entries follow the themes of the four weeks of Advent: hope, peace, joy, and love. As Advent is a time to prepare and acknowledge our need for new birth, many of the reflections touch on that need by weaving in experiences of stress, loss, uncertainty, cynicism, doubt, and grief, but also always with an eye toward the renewal that is to come at Christmas.
Why’d you publish on Smashwords again? And again my answer is: why not? As I wrote a while back, there’s an unfair stigma around self-publishing that doesn’t exist for DIY creators in other media. I enjoy the process, and I don’t think that authors always need to go the traditional route to share their work with readers.
Where can I keep up with book and author news besides this blog? I have a newsletter that I send out near the end of every month, and rarely any more frequently than that. I also provide updates on my author Facebook page, my Twitter page, and on Instagram.
Any plans for a release event? I’m not sure yet. I’ll surely do a podcast episode about it. Stay tuned if I do anything more.
This isn’t your first book, is it? Not at all. I’ve written five others. Check them out here.
Jeffrey A. Nelson 