Into the Fire

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Percentages

                                   Percentage

So. If it came right down to it, what is the percentage of Christian novels you read compared to those of the general market? I'll tell you my estimate: 80/20 Christian novels to secular.

I can also tell you it used to be 100% to zero. I spent 30 years in the world believing in God but not knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord. I spent the last 10 years before my salvation delving into worldly ways, essentially knowing right from wrong and rebelling into wrong areas. My rebellion wasn't against my parents because I loved and respected them and recognized that how they'd raised me was the way life should be. I think I rebelled because I wasn't "happy" so I tried sampling the other direction. That might've been fun for awhile, but it certainly didn't solve my "happy" problem – it only made it worse.

When I met the Lord, I didn't want anything to do with certain things I used to do so I began my Christian reading with the amazing Frank Peretti. Loved his novels. And that's how my reading stayed for many years.

However, in recent times, as Brenda S. Anderson noted in her guest post here, the authenticity of several Christian novels has suffered from rigid requirements to keep them "clean". Most of us realize life is dirty. Sometimes dirty low down. Does that mean we must saturate our work with filth? No. In fact, it makes the opposite true. We expose the dirt for what it is by writing authentic stories with real life un-sanitized situations and emotions but not focused on the vile. It certainly can be done and done well.

If you ever had the privilege of reading The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson, you know exactly what I'm talking about. A tremendous story of love and loss, defiled dreams and rewarding fulfillment, an incredible story with plenty of the ugliness and beauty of life and love.

The menu in Christian fiction, also acknowledged in Brenda's post, has been restrained significantly. Amish novels flooded the market. Historical romance is all that's offered according to Brenda Jackson instead of the inclusion of historical epics without the predominance of romance. Romantic suspense dominates the mystery/suspense genres.  

Most of us who read Christian fiction do it because we don't wish to be inundated with f-bombs, total irreverence, and explicit sex scenes. Granted, not all secular novels include these things, but it's fair to say that most of them take part in at least one of them.

So . . . your percentages?

 

God, thank you for rescuing me. I never deserved your love but am so grateful for it. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.      
     

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7 responses to “Percentages”

  1. BK Jackson Avatar
    BK Jackson

    Good question. I’m totally guesstimating but I’d put my ratio at 70/30 Christian fiction. The main reason for that is that it is so hard to hook up readers and writers. I’d love to read more general fiction, but I don’t have time to hunt to all ends of cyber space trying to find authors who match up with what I want to read.
    It’s hard enough to do that in Christian fiction where I am somewhat connected! And that small 30% of general fiction probably stems from the fact that I am eternally late in reading “classic” works–decades after they were all the rage. For example, it wasn’t until a few years ago I read “To Kill A Mockingbird,” and right now I’m reading the collected works of Flannery O’Connor (boy is that slow going!).
    I also miss niche market general fiction. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, there were a host of fantastic authors writing fiction for Star Trek (the original). I spent many happy hours reading about the crew’s further adventures. But for some reason, despite Trek’s ongoing popularity, those authors have shriveled up and gone away. What a terrible loss.
    So if any general market writers are trolling by my comment, if you write books high on the action side and low on the romance, or if you write American historical (also low on the romance), let me know! I’ve been searching for you!!!! 😎

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  2. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar
    Nicole Petrino-Salter

    I’ve read a limited number of the classics but a long time ago. Like you, I didn’t read To Kill A Mockingbird until a few years ago, but I’d read some Dostoevski, Salinger (although I’d hardly call him a classic author), and others many years ago.
    Anyway, I can’t imagine your frustration in trying to find those books that truly interest you. I’ve had a plethora to choose from but have been most disappointed in recent times with the Christian market which is the only reason I delved into some of the secular works. That and the shape of this world is what led me to Vince Flynn and Brad Thor which of course are exceptional in their genre.
    I can’t remember, Brenda, have you read Sibella Giorello? First class writer with very little romance. Or Demon by Tosca Lee?

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  3. BK Jackson Avatar
    BK Jackson

    I’ve heard you mention Giorello and Lee but I haven’t had a chance to read any books by them.

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  4. Brenda S Anderson Avatar
    Brenda S Anderson

    Of course I had to get an exact percentage, so I went to my Goodreads bookshelf for 2015. Out of 64 books read, only 5 were written for the general market, so that’s roughly 8 percent. I wouldn’t mind reading more general market, but as BK said, I’m not thrilled to wade through all the books out there looking for authors I regularly enjoy.
    I used to read all of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor novels, but his last few haven’t lived up to the first ten or so in the series. I always read Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch books, but his last one didn’t live up to all the previous at all. Then, of course, I always read Vince Flynn. My husband is reading our copy of The Survivor, so I get it as soon as he’s done.
    Then I’ve sampled Jodie Picoult and Kristin Hannah and other popular general market women’s fiction authors, but haven’t found any that stand out. I will keep looking, though!

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  5. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar
    Nicole Petrino-Salter

    Brenda, Giorello is a great writer and to you I’m only recommending Lee’s Demon, A Memoir. Tosca is an elite writer also.
    Bren, so there you have it. Finding authors in either market is difficult, but ultimately with few exceptions, we prefer Christian novels but good ones.

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  6. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    Most years I would say I’m probably 99% to 1%. I just can’t take the swearing found in so many these days. I did enjoy The Help despite the language. I read The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, a clean read. I enjoyed it and I’ve enjoyed many classics, but I’ve found I prefer Christian fiction. Like so many, I don’t understand why the Christian publishers are pushing the Amish thing. I’m pretty diverse in my Christian fiction genres, but I will never read an Amish book no matter how well someone tells me it’s written. I appreciated Brenda Anderson’s guest post recently. I like her definition of Christian Fiction as fiction marketed to a Christian audience.

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  7. Nicole Petrino-Salter Avatar
    Nicole Petrino-Salter

    I’ve discovered that unless the cussing and swearing is excessive, what offends me more is the secular humanistic POVs. The irreverence offends me more than anything else. Just below that is explicit sexual scenes – if there are any of those, I’m out. I can’t figure out why anyone wants to read the abcs of sexual intercourse in a story. What’s up with that?
    I agree with Brenda’s astute definition of Christian Fiction.

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