Readers Gotta Read

I had the privilege of interviewing author and book editor, Annie Barkley, who has written both fiction and nonfiction books and works as a Book Editor for Barbour Books – she also happens to be my (favorite) cousin.

Has Annie Always Wanted to be a Writer?

According to her mom, the answer is yes! The story goes that when Annie was two years old, she asked her mom to write down a story for her. Sadly, the story has gone missing, but her love of words clearly started young.

Annie always knew she would work with words and pursued a Communications degree in college. After starting her professional career as a newspaper reporter, she felt God leading her in a new path – toward Christian publishing.

Author or Book Editor – Which Came First?

When asked what she does for a living, Annie leads with Book Editor, since it’s her full-time occupation. In her role at Barbour Books, she develops book ideas, recruits authors and manages manuscripts through the publishing process.

She also writes marketing copy – like book blurbs for Amazon listings and back-cover book descriptions. Every day she works with words and books.

Does Editing Books for a Living Help Her Write Better Books (and vice versa)?

Definitely. After nearly 20 years at Barbour, Annie says she’s “convinced more than ever of the importance of being a good communicator, especially through the written word.”

How Important is Communication?

“‘Words have power’” is a cliché for a reason,” Annie says. Whether through email, conversation, or storytelling, clear and effective communication is an invaluable skill.

She even notes that Gen Alpha slang is its own form of effective communication – but understanding how to communicate across generations is just as important.

The First Book She Wrote

She contributed to a daily devotional for women. As a newspaper reporter, she also published many articles.

How Long Does It Take to Publish a Book – from Initial Concept to Publication?

For her children’s book, Diary of a Real Payne, the idea came up in work meeting and was given the green light to be contracted. Annie asked if she could write it – and was given the opportunity. This type of writing gig is known as “work for hire.”

From concept to print, the time-frame looked like this:

• 6 months to write
• 4 months for editing
• 1-2 months at the printer

In total, the process took about a year.

Annie’s Fiction Writing Process

Writing fiction presented a new challenge. For Diary of a Real Payne, she had to create the entire universe, including homes, rooms and daily life details for kids to easily visualize.

She also came up with the idea for how the book is structured with each chapter starting with a diary entry followed by a narrative – making it perfect as a “read-a-chapter-a-night” book.

Annie found that she had to be super intentional not to write in her own house as she found it was too distracting. To set herself up for success, she would go to library every day after work, put on noise cancelling headphones, establish word goals for herself and write. 40,000 words later, she had the first draft done.

After writing the first book, she knew she could write the second and third books in the series. Originally, she wasn’t locked in as the author of all three books. But after writing the first book, she felt ownership over the characters that she had established and wanted to see it through to the end.

Writing Devotionals and Bible Studies

When writing devotionals, Annie starts by digging into Scripture. She reads through the Bible sections, highlights key verses, and takes notes before choosing themes, topics and titles.

Her devotional books often follow three-month Bible reading plans (90–93 days) and provide daily encouragement for readers.

How Does She Handle Writer’s Block?

Her advice: “Butt in seat. Get the words out.” She also suggested walking away, clearing your head and coming back refreshed.

How Did She Get Her Books Published?

Since Annie works for a publisher, many of her books are “works for hire” – projects she’s contracted to write.

Annie’s Advice for Aspiring Authors

For Kids:

Write for your school newspaper or yearbook and seek writing opportunities that allow for feedback. Journaling is great, but writing for an audience helps you grow. The more you learn how to communicate in different ways, the better writer you’ll be.

For Adults:

Join local writers’ guilds or attend writers’ conferences. Write what you know and take advantage of today’s self-publishing opportunities. She says, “People who have a book inside of them have great opportunities available” compared to previous times.

Upcoming Books by Annie Barkley

Yes – Annie has more books in the works!

• My Daily Prayer Plan: 2026 Edition: An Interactive Prayer Tracker for Women
• Daily Wisdom for Women 2026 Devotional Collection

What Does Annie Hope Readers Take Away?

Annie hopes that the Holy Spirit works through the readers the way He worked through her writing it.

Writing Accomplishments She’s Proud Of

Annie came up with the concept for the 5-Minute Bible Study books, which now has many versions available for men, teen girls and women. Combined, these books have sold over 1 million copies and align perfectly with Barbour’s mission:

“To Inspire the World with the Life-Changing Message of the Bible.”

One of the 5-Minute Bible Study books she wrote was initially released in September 2020 and as Annie reflected, it was “dead in the water.” Book retailer Choice opted for a run of the book and between Barbour and the Choice edition, the book sold over 125,000 copies. She reflected that “It’s a really cool experience to see one of my books reaching so many people.”

Fun Facts About Annie:

• Annie doesn’t have a favorite author.
• She isn’t sentimental about hard copy books.
• Currently reading: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

Where to Buy Annie Barkley’s Books

• Barbour Books
• Amazon
• Choice book racks (in retail stores and gift shops)

Here are a few of her titles:

• Diary of a Real Payne: True Story
• Diary of a Real Payne Book 2: Church Camp Chaos
• Diary of a Real Payne Book 3: Oh Baby!
• God Bless Us Every One!: Devotional Inspiration from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• My Daily Prayer Plan: 2024 Edition
• My Daily Prayer Plan: 2025 Edition: An Interactive Prayer Tracker for Women
• The 5-Minute Bible Study for Women: Mornings in God’s Word (2020)
• The 5-Minute Bible Study Journal for Women: Mornings in God’s Word (2023)
• My Daily Prayer Plan: 2026 Edition: An Interactive Prayer Tracker for Women

I’m proud of you Cuz! 😉