Geez. Inhale. Exhale. Once again. Okay.
I realize it’s neither fashionable nor profitable to take jabs at Christian publishing. However, since I’m a writer of Christian fiction with no apologies for the label and a champion of Christian fiction, and an encourager to Christian writers, I can at least assert an opinion which all of you who visit here know I am prone to do.
The expression “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t quite fit. Let me admit that the CBA industry feeds a portion of its hungry, a microcosm of readers who’ve been formed by paying their dollars for prairie romances, now bonnet books, historicals, and other chaste romances. Infiltrating those ranks with bestselling books by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, the male thriller authors such as Robert Liparulo and Steven James have been steadily advancing in popularity. When the old and worn statement that “Christian men don’t read fiction” surfaces, if we accept it at face value, then we must assume that the growing readership and buyers of thrillers are, yes, women. Therefore, using that logic, women buyers of fiction do in fact enjoy male protagonists in certain roles so it isn’t too wild to guess they might also accept them in some romance or women’s fiction. Is it?
Sometime, at some point, somehow, someone(s) decided it’s no good to put a male protagonist in any romance or women’s fiction book. Oh, please. Since it really doesn’t matter what I have to say on this subject, I’m going to say this: I think the opinions that have been formed at certain levels of the publishing industry have been based on a very small representation of the Christian reading public. And I think many of them are outdated and now incorrect. There. I’ve said it. And, yes, we writers have all been warned that what we post on our blogs is there for all to see. And if we’re too controversial, we’re applying topical—or verbal—poison to our potential writing “careers”.
How can some of these statements go unchallenged? Sales prove . . . Sales don’t prove the quality of writing. Sales don’t prove how well or how poorly a book is marketed. Sales can prove a book is well-received or the acceptance (or rejection) of a trend (i.e. bonnet books). If it isn't offered, no one can buy it! If the story stinks in a particular genre, it doesn't sell well. If no one knows it's there, no one will buy it. Sales don’t tell the whole story.
I’m sorry, but this one really gets to me. Rant over.
Father, touch my heart with your understanding. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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