×
Editors’ note: 

The weekly TGCvocations column asks practitioners about their jobs and how they integrate their faith and work. Interviews are conducted and condensed by Bethany L. Jenkins, director of TGC’s Every Square Inch.

 

Cindy Bunch is an editorial director with InterVarsity Press (IVP), where she acquires and develops books on spiritual formation and a wide variety of general-interest topics. In this role, she oversees several imprints, including IVP Crescendo, which celebrates the unique voice and contribution of women. Cindy has been leading small groups for the past 20 years and has written several Bible study guides, including Woman of God. Cindy and her family live in the Chicago suburbs just two blocks away from Elijah’s Coffee, a movie theater, and a great Italian restaurant.

When did you first start thinking about becoming an editor?

I decided that I wanted to be an editor in the ninth grade. Growing up in West Virginia, I didn’t know any editors, so I wasn’t exactly sure what being one entailed. I just knew that it probably meant reading books all day. And I liked that idea.

How did you come to work with IVP?

In college, I got involved with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and learned how to write and lead inductive Bible studies using a method similar to IVP’s LifeGuide® Bible Studies. Also, since I was a Christian and an English major, I started to explore the idea of becoming an editor of Christian books. After talking with several of my college professors and learning that religion editors often have theological training, I decided to go to seminary. During seminary I worked part-time for IVP handling permissions, fielding outside requests to reprint from our books. Then I moved to “the slush pile” to review unsolicited manuscripts. Eventually, I got to work on the LifeGuide series and the Formatio imprint, both of which I now oversee. Then, two years ago, we launched IVP Crescendo.

What inspired you to launch the Crescendo imprint?

Over the years, we have discovered that, although women often want to write for a general audience, sometimes they want to write for women only. Crescendo lets women do both. We want to intentionally support women authors who align with our mission to create spiritually and theologically robust books. We look for writers who are not merely sharing for the sake of sharing, but who also desire to nurture spiritual growth in their readers.

What types of books are published under this imprint?

We have a variety of genres that cover an array of subjects. Some of our books are memoirs, such as Table in the Darkness by Lee Wolfe Blum. Others blend personal stories with teaching, such as Broke by Caryn Rivadeneira and Teach Us to Want by Jen Pollack Michel. Our bestseller has been a novel that teaches about the spiritual journey: Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown. Some of the books focus on an issue that highlights women, such as Forgotten Girls by Kay Strom and Michele Rickett. Other times, though, the books address an issue of general interest, as in Refuse to Do Nothing by Shayne Moore and Kimberly McOwen Yim.

Do you have any advice for aspiring women authors who might want to publish under the Crescendo imprint?

First, write. Write blogs, articles, or whatever else will give you practice and provide feedback. Ann Voskamp is a great example; she started blogging in 2004—six years before her book One Thousand Gifts was published. Second, be in community with other writers and bloggers. Being in community not only provides insight and experience, it also builds a platform. Find a local writers group or check out Redbud Writers Guild or Ink—these are great ways to hone your craft in community. Finally, write what you are passionate about. Write what fits with your life, your work, your church ministry involvement; then the writing will flow naturally into speaking, teaching, and ministry.

Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?

In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
But the Gospels are historically reliable. And the evidence for this is vast.
To learn about the evidence for the historical reliability of the four Gospels, click below to access a FREE eBook of Can We Trust the Gospels? written by New Testament scholar Peter J. Williams.

Podcasts

LOAD MORE
Loading