Into the Fire

With the cautions and layoffs directed by publishing companies, authors are hereby warned that said publishers are serious about cutbacks. There will be fewer books published in this devolving economy. Period. Okay.

The reactions, of course, are mixed. Pre-published authors twitch and squirm at these admissions while the veteran authors shift their postures with a hint of uneasiness. The A-list authors consider the possible limitations. Some professionals in the industry spout quips about a much needed opportunity for higher quality with the dwindling number of publications. Others give the standard company line about producing the best of the litter, making us wonder why they haven’t done this all along.

Quality is a state of mind. How else can it be evaluated? And equating quality with bestseller is often an oxymoron.

Some publishers have admitted they’ll cut back and keep their best selling authors in the forefront of production. As I understand it, the number of novels published are broken into groups of so many per genre, depending either on what’s projected to sell the most or the genre which has proved the most effective for them (i.e. historicals for Bethany House).

No one can argue there have been tremendous numbers of novels produced in recent years. They fill shelves in every major bookstore and there are never ending lists of them online. Professionals continue to tell us that “most” books don’t earn out their advances. To me this is a puzzling admission because what it says to me is that the publisher either failed to effectively predict what would sell well or that the marketing for these novels hasn’t worked.

I suspect the average reader or the general public won’t notice any decreases in number of books produced unless they can’t find a newer novel by their favorite author. There are so many books on the shelves from which to select, it won’t be problem for a consumer to find a novel to read, familiar author or not.

Some of us have seen a lack of certain kinds of preferred novels for years, so we have experienced the absence of what we like for a long time (i.e. contemporary sagas, fantasy, sci-fi, literary). I think the literary folks are having less and less to complain about with writers such as Tosca Lee, Lisa Samson, Chris Fabry, and Susan Meissner. Others have never experienced a shortage of their preferred genre(s). Historicals and romance novels can be found anywhere, anytime.

So, what do you think? Will it be a blessing or a curse to reduce the number of novels produced? Are there too many or not enough?

God, what is man to you that you are mindful of him? . . . Sometimes the entire ordeal seems so small in comparison to the present times . . . Yet you call people to write stories, to obey your leading and do as you ask. You give words and stories to writers to declare your glory to a lost and failing people. Help us to tell the “old, old story of how a Savior came from Glory . . .” Help us to tell it with passion, with ordained creativity. Help us, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.