Yes: change. To borrow a line from an old song: “You know it don’t come easy.” Indeed. Some people thrive on change. Others detest it. Change can cause emotional reactions from panic to joy. “Change” is the caption I used when I presented several authors, editors, and agents in the Christian publishing industry one question with a possible 5-point answer. Guts spilled, veins opened for some. Others ambled in a middle of the road short answer. The majority chose to remain anonymous. Does anyone really blame them? These aren’t the uninformed responses from perpetual wannabes or the measured opinions of conscientious pre-published authors.
In fairness I will give my desires for change in the industry but will preface it with certain interesting tendencies I’ve observed. In the last few years thrillers have become just what their genre title suggests. Some of them present hardcore serial killer stories for readers who watch shows such as the various CSIs, Criminal Minds, and Bones. The horror and gore as well as the twisted psyches of such events and people are not absent from these novels. The utter depravity of mankind is evident throughout the pages and the determination of thwarting that evil pushes protagonists of both genders onward toward remanding the villains. Some authors choose to implicate all of us as capable of derailing our better selves—that a certain portion of us lives in the perverted minds of killers. However, this is usually shown through the eyes and thoughts of the protagonist who’s an unbeliever, who can’t conceive of a God who would allow such horrendous behavior on this earth—the same old question every person asks before learning who God is, and even afterwards. Other authors use peripheral characters to insinuate the gospel or a faith condition—the contrast to the evil in the story. Some others cause their protagonist to throw up that “foxhole religion” when things get truly dicey—a quick prayer in desperation, forgotten when the situation is resolved. Handy, convenient. Like a lot of folks. Thrillers today in CBA can’t be considered “safe” reading. And of course they’re not for everyone.
And that’s the key, isn’t it? “Not for everyone”. Few novels are. So the tendency has been to provide a clearly identified market with every form of the same genre and keep feeding that gluttonous market until it dies of satiation. To the ignoring of another less predictable readership, smaller perhaps but really immeasurable in its potential and largely untapped.
Evangelism. The word strikes both purpose and panic into the hearts of many. Acts 1:8 comprises Jesus’ final words to His followers. Not being a witness? Not an option. Everyone is a witness for someone, something. Good or bad. The “church” is given power through the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witnesses at home and abroad wherever that may be. Period. However, how that personal evangelism takes place is subject to all kinds of interpretations. I prefer the simplest: show Jesus, tell of Jesus, be led by the Holy Spirit when doing so. Still, when man gets involved and tries to “improve” upon God’s methods for reaching the lost, literally all hell breaks loose. Evangelism in writing stories is still open to interpretation but more important is this is a communication which must take place between the Author of Life and the author. God loves creativity. If he didn’t, wouldn’t things be bland? The flowers all the same, vocabularies small, succinct. He colors people in all kinds of skin tones, gives them all colors of hair, shapes of noses, heights, shrill and deep voices. And multiple talents. So if one author writes the gospel message into a story and another hints at the way to find God, who are we to question the purpose? Right now, both kinds of stories are available in various forms in CBA literature. Some with not even a mention of Jesus and barely a random reference to prayer and others with the whole salvation message incorporated into a story. Some preachy. Some definitely not. There is a menu.
“Edgy” Factor vs. “Safe” Factor. Oh, please. One person’s edge is another’s safety zone. If you’ve read any of the discussion in the last several days, you’ve learned the edgy and safe factors vary radically according to who you ask about them—or who is doing the pontificating on their meanings. Both words pop up in plentiful amounts. In my mind the easiest to define of the two is the safe factor because it’s really a predominant opinion that this literature “protects” the reader from emotional and spiritual corruption by not allowing bad language, sexual conduct either with strong descriptions or through illicit relationship references, and, it would seem, putting stories on the prairie or in Amish (and the like) communities where apparently people are more holy than in other church communities somehow make a story more innocent, more meaningful, more spiritual, and more desirable. For safety reasons of course. To be totally fair, there are some excellent writers and stories in these genres. But “safety” for readers? Probably not the primary concern for those authors, or is it?
I’ve about had it with the word “edgy” as I’m sure many of you have. It’s too difficult to define and conjures up extremes for some and simply a less rigid or limited capacity for story plotting, language, references, etcetera, for others. I can’t define these words to satisfy everyone. In an interview some time ago in regard to my second novel The Famous One, this word came up. Here’s how the brief conversation went:
I think readers would consider this [The Famous One] an “edgy” Christian story, would you agree?
"Edgy" is a term which conjures up all kinds of debates and controversy. If by "edgy" you mean it's not "fluff", it addresses sinful issues plainly without judgment, and it shows the lifestyle of a young person growing up without God in his life, then, yes, without a doubt it is an "edgy" Christian story.
Again, there is a menu, but the “safe” stories clearly outnumber and often overwhelm those considered to be edgy. Others insist that “edgy” has yet to be tapped in Christian publishing.
Business. Businesses survive because they grow with the times. They morph into what it takes to remain current and viable and necessary. If this growth requires compromise, that compromise is weighed against potential danger(s) to the product offered and the core values of the company. This is where it gets dicey for the perceived foundations of Christian publishing. What are the dangers of “growth” to the core values?
Christianity, or following Christ, has never been “safe”, but throughout the centuries to the current days so-called Christians have been re-defining what the Bible says. Denominations decided music is not allowed in their services. Denominations decided there must be a kneeling down and a standing up directed by the leader. Denominations decided the Gifts of the Spirit died with John. Denominations decided only hymns may be sung in their services, only formulaic prayers spoken, only one way to conduct the services. And on and on. Jesus, on the other hand, is all about worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. Freedom.
A business has the right to conduct itself by its own definition. And we’re speaking of lawful businesses here. To set their standards, to establish their goals and core values, to hire employees to match those desired aims. And rightfully so. If those values can be sustained through time and progress without much change, they will survive and often flourish. If they can’t sustain growth because they feel they’ll be compromised, they close rather than adapt.
Leaving out all the safe vs. edgy controversy, the business of publishing is bogged down by a ridiculous requirement that allows books to be bought and then returned. (This has been covered here.) It’s a practice which must be stopped or at least reduced to a few samples provided which may be returned by a certain date after receiving them if not sold. But to sell crates of books only to have them returned months later winds up being “fake” sales and is hurtful to all players, most notably the authors but certainly the publishers too. The idea is to sell the product. Unreasonable sales inflate the numbers only to have them deflated when the books come back unsold. Buy what you can sell. If you can’t sell what you bought, “blow them out” at cost plus 10% or below cost to make room for new books which will sell. Period. Common sense.
Business requires hands-on selling. Some CBA bookstores have clerks with no fiction experience or perhaps they read the “safe” stories but have “edgy” book-seeking customers. Don’t know how this can be remedied. I’ve long “preached” that I think to some extent publishers and their sales reps are out of touch with Christian readers. They intimately know this group who buys the “safe” fiction but have no real knowledge of the Ted Dekker groups, the Steven James fans, the Chris Fabry readers, the Lisa Samson devotees. They know Ted Dekker sells, they’re watching Steven James gain a following, they don’t know how to get Chris Fabry out there for literary people to enjoy, and they count on the appreciation of Lisa Samson fans to spread the word about her work without really promoting her. The speculative fiction fans drive CBA publishers nuts because . . . ? Possibly because they’re “afraid” some of their mainstream readers will complain about those books like they do about Ted Dekker’s without having read them, insisting they’re too whatever to be considered “Christian” novels. Also publishers insist speculative fiction has no readership in CBA, don’t sell, and here we go again with a lack of making the product known and available to those who desire it. But Ted Dekker makes publishers too much money and has too big a following to ignore in order to satisfy complaints. Plus he’s a prolific writer. Cha-ching.
Ministry. Ministry can be done without intention. Ministry can be found in entertainment. Ministry should not be the focus of fiction. Christian ministry is too diverse to set up parameters for storytelling. If a novel ministers because of its handling of issues: hurray and Hallelujah! To the Glory of God let this happen, Lord, but the objective of “Christian fiction” is truly the same as general fiction: to tell a story, hopefully in a meaningful way, hopefully that touches lives in the unending ways that stories can do that. Humorously, frighteningly, spiritually, joyfully, realistically, casually, for pure entertainment with each of these characteristics individually met or offered in a combined effort. Yes, I believe faith issues enhance storytelling, but that can be done in a variety of ways, and it’s quite obvious that exactly how this can be done is virtually unsolvable as far as a solid and undisputed definition.
Ministry implies “non-profit”. Christian publishing is not a non-profit business. Jesus Christ commended good business practices. Ministry and non-profits require good business practices. So do any other companies, corporations, or singular, lawful people conducting a practice for money and profit. Good business practices honor God’s provision and provide necessary services and products and recreational enjoyment. None of these offend God when done to honor His principles.
Marketing. Oh brother. The black hole of marketing. A needed service. A coveted talent. So not done well in Christian publishing. Why? Money? Ideas? I sincerely believe there can’t be a lack of talent in this arena, but how that talent is used? Who knows since in recent times authors have been told they are responsible—and the most logical choice—to provide marketing for their novels. “Who knows your book better than you?” True, but when discussing my novels, for example, all I want to talk about are the characters, their situations, and ask what were your favorite parts, did you like when . . . , etc. How ‘bout you? Did you take courses in marketing? Do you occupy that position within a company? Do you have any idea how to sell your book? If authors are responsible for marketing their books, then by all reasonable conclusions, there should be no marketing division/positions held within a publishing house, should there? Especially on the pub boards evaluating whether or not “they” can sell your story.
B&H has some of the most impressive means of marketing designed for their big name authors. Exciting, innovative. Will their methods sell books? I have no idea.
Word of mouth is touted as the one sure way to sell books. However, it sometimes takes months or even years for readers to realize how their love for a book is vital to the industry. Not all readers visit writers on the web. Not all readers know how essential it is to the success of a novel to tell their friends/family/coworkers about the great book they just finished. One thing the industry as a whole doesn’t have: time to wait for a book to make a splash. Time for sales to escalate. That time is now.
It’s fairly accepted that marketing fiction for men in CBA doesn’t fly. Most people in the biz emphatically claim men don’t read fiction. Excuse me? Then why are all these male authors bothering to write novels and getting published by the CBA? Of course women will read their books, but most men don’t even know who to look for in CBA fiction. You will always find men in Christian bookstores standing in front of the “Christian Living” or “Men’s Ministry” or the heady “Theology” sections. Surely there’s a way to market fiction for men. The ABA doesn’t seem to have a problem with marketing fiction to men.
Can anyone state with any authority and statistics to prove effective strategies on how to market CBA fiction for any and/or all readers? Yet authors are required to include their specific plans for marketing their novels in proposals.
Imprints. Many Christian publishing houses have been bought by secular publishing conglomerates. Within their houses they have many divisions and imprints. It has been suggested that a Christian publishing house designate an imprint to accommodate those Christian authors who might fit better in the ABA venue, but this presents the problem that is at the heart of this discussion: the designing of standards suitable to attach your “good name” to the final product. It could be done, but I’m fairly sure not to please everyone involved in this discussion.
I commend your patience and perseverance if you’re still with me. The question for the pros on Tuesday with hopefully a few concluding remarks.
Lord, help us all to be the ones you designed us to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
