Here's how this blog works: You send in publishing questions, and I give you a straightforward answer. Nearly all of the recent questions relate to agents…

Rita wrote to ask, "I've been offered a contract on my novel… When an author is offered a deal and they don't yet have an agent, should they seek one at that point? And if an agent accepts, should the agent still get 15% of the royalties, even though he or she didn't market that book or secure the deal for them?"

Ten agents might give you ten different answers to this, Rita. Here's mine: Unless you know publishing, contracts, negotiations, and what's considered standard in the industry, you'd probably benefit from having an agent. So yes, I'd seek out an agent to help you, in most cases. However, I wouldn't feel right about taking the full 15% commission unless I somehow improved the deal for you. If I didn't sell it or find you the deal, it would seem unfair for me to take a full commission. Not every agent agrees with that perspective, so be aware as you talk to people.

Julie wrote regarding a related question: "If I already have an offer from a publisher, will an agent negotiate the contract for a fee?"

Negotiate it for a fee? No. But some will do a contract reading or contract evaluation for you for a fee. Or you could pay a lawyer to review the contract and make notes (be prepared to pay a good sum of money), OR you could pay someone who specializes in contract evaluations to look it over and make suggestions. When someone does an evaluation, they go through the contract, mark it up, tell you what's fair, and suggest things you can ask for in order to improve the deal. But that requires you to actually do some negotiation — so if you're really not comfortable negotiating, you may want to talk with an agent about reviewing the contract and handling the negotiations for a reduced commission — say ten per cent.

Dale sent in this question: "Do agents ever 'go after' a person's story, if they think it would make a great book?"

Sure they do. Look at all those US Olympians who won gold and are now announcing book deals… don't you suspect there were some agents wandering over to say, "Hey — congratulations! Have you ever thought about doing a book?" I've called some people who I thought had the makings of a great book.

Eva wants to know, "How common is it for an author who writes for both the CBA and ABA markets to have separate agents for each?"

Not very common. It happens occasionally, but I don't know that it really works well. Here's why… If I'm representing you, I want us to talk about your writing and your career. I really don't want to talk about part of it, then have some other agent whispering in your ear about another part. I realize there are some CBA agents who really don't have any contacts in the general market, so they're open to this arrangment, but I'm not seeing it working to the point that the author actually has a hit in both markets. My advice: Find an agent you like and trust, and focus on him or her, working together to build your writing career.

Carol wrote and said, "There are a couple famous authors soliciting stories for compilation books right now. I know it's a longshot that mine is selected, but if it is, and I use notes from my book in progress, would I ever be able to use my thoughts again in a different form?"

Probably, but it will depend on the deal you sign. Some compilations projects ask for one-time rights, and you're free to re-use your material. Other compliations want to buy the idea and expression outright, so that you're really selling them the work. Of course, if you're truly putting your thoughts and notes into a different form, you probably don't have to worry, since you'd be using a unique expression. (And this would be a good time to note that I am not an attorney, so I'm not giving you legal advice here. Check with an attorney before making your decision.)

A couple additional notes:

1. Publishers Weekly is doing a special class called Book Publishing 101. I know others have raved about this — a great introduction to the world of publishing. It's a full day seminar, put on by the staff of PW magazine, on Monday, September 22, at NYU's Kimmel Center in New York. If you really want to find out how books are created, you should give it your consideration. For more information, visit PublishersWeekly.com.

2. A few months ago, I bragged about book sales remaining strong, even though the rest of the economy was going down the tubes. Well, the salad days are over. Though bookstore sales were surprisingly strong the first half of this year, they took a nose dive recently… down more than 7% in July. Ouch.

3. Many readers of this blog have considered attending a writers' conference in other to be face-to-face with an agent or editor. But while that thrills you, it also scares you… what will it be like? What will be said? If you'd like to see a sample conversation between an author and an agent, check out the interview I did with Randy Ingermanson at www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com/blog. Randy pretended to be an author with a fine book idea, and I played the role of agent. We created the conversation on instant messenger, so you can read the transcript and see what happens in this type of situation. It will also introduce you to Randy's excellent writing material.

4. I've had numerous readers ask if my friend Mike survived to see his daughter's wedding last weekend. He did. Thanks for your prayers. He's still hanging in there.

-Chip

When my son Colin was about five years old, we took him to the Rose Parade in Portland. He got one of those helium balloons that have a Mickey Mouse head inside a second, larger balloon. Colin loved it, and enjoyed bouncing it around the car and the house, but then we walked outside, he let go, and… off it sailed into the Northwest sky, lost to the winds.

We talked about it a little bit. I didn’t scold him. Accidents happen. He was sad, and crying a bit, and upset that he’d done something so silly as to let go of the string. "Papa," he said to me (for he has always called me Papa), "when I grow up, I’m going to have a job where I go around and collect all the lost balloons, and take them back to the kids who lost them."

I don’t tell many "little children" stories — too much W.C. Fields in me, believing that children and dogs should be offered in small doses. But today I’d love to be five years old again, with dreams of doing something great for people; something big and nice and sweet, without being held back by an adult explaining why you can’t do it. Here’s why…

A month ago, my friend Krisy Dykes died of a brain tumor. Kristy was a writer, and a very nice person, always opening her emails with the same words: "Greetings from sunny Florida!" Late in her career, she called me and asked if I could help her. As it turns out, I couldn’t. Not very much, anyway. But I always appreciated her positive, joyful spirit, and her willingness to be an ambassador for Christian writing.

Then last night, I got a call from someone. An author I represent, Karen Harter, is in the hospital suffering with the late stages of cancer. They don’t expect her to last more than another day or two. Karen is a fabulous writer. Her first novel, Where Mercy Flows, won the Christy Award as Christian Novel of the Year, and her second, Autumn Blue, was both a RITA finalist and an ACFW Book of the Year finalist. Karen has the gift — Readers Digest likened her work to Anne Rivers Siddons. All of us expected her to be a star in the industry someday, then this evil disease hit.

And now one of my best friends in the world, Mike Swickard, is fighting it. Mike has cancer everywhere — he’s been fighting it for years, and all they’re really doing now is helping him get a handle on the pain, and he is just trying to fight it off so that he can make his daughter’s wedding on Friday night.

Mike and I go way back. We went to the same church, sang in the same group, graduated from the same high school. We used to go backpacking, had plenty of scrapes together, nearly got arrested one time by a small-town deputy with an oversized need to be in charge. I was in Mike and Heidi’s wedding. Mike was always the strongest guy I knew, and it pains me to see him beat down by this. 

When I got the call last night, from someone at the church who needed to give me the update about Karen, I was struck by all the things that were left unsaid. I needed to tell her again how much I enjoyed her work, and what a great influence her writing was going to have on others, and how much I have enjoyed knowing her and talking about words. And now it’s too late.

So I called Mike and talked with him.  I just wanted him to know how much he meant to me, and that I had appreciated his friendship, and that after my father died, he was one of the guys I turned to in order to figure out how to be a man. And that the world will be a smaller place when he leaves.

We’re not the same, Mike and I. He’s a welder, and knows everything there is to know about cars, and can take a 1952 Plymouth and restore it to pristine condition. I can do none of those things — it was always my job to hand him the tools and nod a lot, pretending I knew what he was talking about when he’d use a word like "tappet" or "rig reamer." I didn’t know then; I still don’t. But I’m glad to know Mike’s down time has made him a huge reader, and he always had an agile mind, so we can talk books and ideas without either of us feeling self-conscious.

Look… I don’t offer that many life lessons. I guess I figure I have too many questions as it is, so the last thing I need to do is to tell somebody else how to live his or her life. But hear me on this: If I had a chance to go around and collect all the lost helium balloons so that I could return them to sad little boys, I’d do it today. I don’t. However, I have plenty of people who I know and love, and I can tell them know how much I appreciate them, so that neither of us leaves the world feeling regret over things undone. It’s my chance to do something big and nice and sweet.

My thanks to Kristy and Karen and Mike for their wonderful friendship. I have appreciated you each for your unique gifts. Be at peace.

UPDATE: Award-winning author Karen Harter passed away in the wee hours this morning. Her husband Jeff was by her side, and she was surrounded by family and friends. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

UPDATE: My friend Mike Swickard, the Strongest Man in the World, passed away while I was traveling. The world is a lesser place with his passing. Rest in peace, Mike. I will always remember you.

Next spring, everything about the marketing and selling of Christian books is going to change. The ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) is going to host the Christian Book Expo in Dallas, March 20-22. Modeled after the very successful Guadalajara Book Fair and the Los Angeles Festival of Books, I think this is going to be the next big thing for Christian publishing.

Why? Because of the direction the organizers are taking. Instead of being focused on retailers, the focus of this show is going to be on authors and content. The public will be invited, and the whole idea is to expose readers to authors and their work. Think about this: there are going to be 180 workshops at the Expo. They are planning readings, and performances, and dozens of speakers. There are going to be mini-events where authors discuss contemporary and theological issues. There will be activities for families, and an entire area dedicated just to children’s books. They are planning 11 different panels, with world-class participants, to explore what the authors have to say about today’s significant social issues. (The panels are going to be sponsored by Christianity Today.) And they’re expecting major media, the participation of every ECPA publisher, as well as most general market publishers who produce Christian books. I think this event is going to raise the awareness of Christian publishing in this country. Best of all, this will be a books only event, meaning all of us get to focus on authors and their works.

Here’s something that might surprise you: The Guadalajara Book Fair attracted 525,000 people last year. The LA Festival had 140,000 attendees earlier this year. The fact is, people are still interested in books. And since last year was the biggest year ever for selling religious books, it’s fair to say that people care about Christian books (even  if CBA and their retailers convention is struggling to survive). So this is the perfect time.

A few days ago I got a phone call from Mark Kuyper, the President of ECPA, and had the chance to ask him about the Christian Book Expo. His enthusiasm for the event came through clearly. "This is an author show," he told me. "The focus will be on Christian authors and their ideas." Frankly, it was nice to hear the guy in charge of the organization talking about  books rather than talking about marketing. "We want to reach as many people as possible with the life-changing message of books," he said to me, before noting that this is going to be "a great opportunity for readers to interact with top authors" as well as to "discover up-and-coming Christian writers." Part of the overall plan is to drive people into stores to buy more books, and Mark mentioned that they are going to work with local bookstores and churches, making this show a catalyst for Christian publishing instead of just making the event itself a big selling opportunity.

Oh… And they’re going to try and keep the cost to less than $20.

Frankly, I’m thrilled. CBE (I assume they’re calling it "CBE," even if that’s too close to "CBA") is no doubt going to see some involvement from music companies (since there are certainly musicians who write books), and from movie and entertainment companies (since many of them are translating Christian novels into film). But to think that somebody is trying to energize readers instead of retailers gives me hope for the future.

Yeah, I can already hear it… No doubt the people at CBA at upset with this plan. But they don’t need to be. Theirs is a show for retailers. This is a show for authors and readers, and I think it has the potential to significantly re-shape the way we think about Christian books. Huge news. I can hardly wait.

I’ve had a bunch 0f questions about the future direction of publishing, especially the future of CBA (the Christian Booksellers Association). Let me try to tackle some of the questions that have been posed to me or posted in the "comments" section…

Carol asked, "How is the much-touted Christian Book Expo different from the current ICRS?"

ICRS (the International Christian Retailing Show) is a collection of everyone who sells into religious stores. It includes jewelry companies, art distributors, t-shirt and tie manufacturers, card companies, music and entertainment corporations, and all the wacky stuff from Testamints to Gospel Golf Balls. There’s a sense that the show has lost its momentum. Next March, the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) will host the Christian Book Expo in Dallas. Many are viewing it as an alternative to ICRS. The focus will solely be on books, it will be open to the public, and they are hoping t0 line up major media for the authors at the show.

I have long advocated Christian publishers focus on BEA (the annual general-market book show) by sending editors, setting up media, and asking the folks who run it to put all the religious publishers in one location. But BEA just doesn’t thrill the old CBA crowd. Too expensive, too much competition, and too much liberal nuttiness to make Christian publishers comfortable. (They all attend, but it’s more of a sales show, so they don’t bring many authors or editors.) Will the new Christian Book Expo work? Beats me. But when your current plan isn’t working, you need to try something else. One of the weakest aspects of ICRS this year was the lack of media, so the ECPA types have decided to focus on a Bible-belt city, try to draw commercial crowds, and make it a "happening" that will attract TV/radio/print people. I’ll be hoping for the best.

Another person asked, "Will the new ECPA show make up for the loss of revenue from ICRS?"

Let me clarify a few things… The new Christian Book Expo is under the leadership of ECPA (a collection of Christian publishers). That organization is going to be around awhile. The money they’ve made at ICRS is simply through writing book orders (most of which is now done before the show) and selling international rights (a growing area for Christian publishers). So they hope to increase their income through selling space at the new Christian Book Expo. They’re also going to try to get the international reps to show up.

ICRS is under the leadership of CBA (an independent trade organization representing religious bookstores). CBA basically makes all its money on the ICRS convention — so I’ve had some folks tell me CBA will never give up on ICRS; that it’s the only way they can stay in business. Maybe. But if the publishers pull out of ICRS, it’s a pretty small show, and shrinking fast. Hard to see how it survives.  The leadership at CBA might move toward smaller, regional shows. Or they might try to re-think the whole thing. OR it’s possible CBA as an organization could close up shop, at least as we currently know it.

Tiffany asked, "How do you think the reduced exposure at ICRS will affect authors? And do you see events like BEA or the Christian Book Expo having more authors participate in an attempt to boost sales?"

Authors everywhere are talking about the fact that their publishers are bringing fewer and fewer authors to the show. I’ve been told the Christian Book Expo is going to make the participation of major media a focus, and I hope that’s true. It’s funny, but I don’t see many people talking about the lack of media at ICRS, and I can’t figure out why that’s being ignored. This year’s event didn’t attract half the media we used to get. With no media, it barely makes sense for a publisher to bring authors — all you can do is have them come for a meet & greet with some bookstore owners, but that’s an expensive proposition. Of course, that all points to the continuing need for authors to do their own marketing.

Important News to Know: Last week Ballantine cancelled a novel entitled The Jewell of Medina. The book was written by Sherry Jones, and is a fictionalized account of A’isha, who was wed to the prophet Muhammad at age nine. It tells the story of the life of Muhammad through the eyes of his youngest wife. The agent for that book, Natasha Kern, is a friend of mine and a fine agent. It’s not being talked about very much, but here’s why you need to hear about it: Random House said they cancelled this book because it might be offensive to some in the Muslim community. In fact, they were afraid of a possible terrorist threat from extremist nutjob Muslims. The book contains no sex scenes or patently offensive themes to Muslims. Apparently for all their talk about having open minds and inter-cultural discourse, the folks at Random House will cave to religious extremists who email threats to them. Asra Nomani wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about this, noting that this is "a window into how quickly fear stunts intelligent discourse about the Muslim world."

And Kudos to a Friend: As long as I’m mentioning other agents, I’d like to add a note of congratulations to Deidre Knight, a longtime agenting friend in Atlanta, for being given a Golden Apple Award. Deidre, who is well known in CBA circles for being the agent behind 90 Minutes In Heaven, was named "Agent of the Year" by the New York chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

Lots more questions to answer in my next post. Keep those cards and letters coming, friends!

Dana wrote to ask, "Was ICRS really as bad as everyone is making it out to be? Were numbers down all that much? I recieve emails from CBA (the sponsoring organization), and they shared some pretty good news to their membership."

You know, I don’t take any pleasure in predicting the demise of CBA. I’ve been a member for years, am supportive of its goals, and have established some wonderful memories at the annual book show. But no matter how you spin it, the numbers are terrible. Ten years ago the convention drew just under 15,000 participants. This year the number was half that. And the number of "industry professionals" who attended the show was half the number of what it was ten years ago. The floor space is obviously shrinking (and word is many publishers may pull out or significantly reduce their floor space even more next year). So, yes, it’s a significant downward trend. No matter how they try to spin it, the show is in deep trouble (in my humble opinion).

Sheri asked, "From walking the floor at ICRS, can you tell us about some of the book trends you’re seeing?"

We’ve continued to see growth in fiction, and particularly in fiction sub-categories. (So while we used to just see "romance," we’re now seeing "historical romance," "contemporary romance," "romantic suspense," "romance with characters named Fiona," etc.) We’re also seeing more emergent writers. More reformed writers. More spriritual journey writers. More charismatic writers. More writers with professional platforms (MD’s writing on health, or investment guys writing on finances, for example). More "social justice" and "green" books. More audio titles. A continuing movement toward celebrity. The beginnings of narrative nonfiction titles. Fewer books from pastors. Few homeschooling books. Very few education titles. Few men’s books. Few humor writers. Few Bible studies. Almost no CBA gift books. More small presses starting up (hoo-ray!). And a handful of companies (Moody is one, Cook is another) who have completely re-made themselves.

Barb wrote to ask, "You mentioned a Kindle… can you describe that for me?"

Yikes! Everybody should know about the Amazon Kindle and the Sony E-reader. Think of them as an electronic book — about the size of a hardcover book, and the text of your favorite book can be sent to it through the air. You can then call up the book on the screen (they both have good screens) and read it the way you would a regular book. You toggle the side of the Kindle to "turn the page." A Kindle will hold about 200 books in its memory, and if you ever lose a book somehow, Amazon will re-send it to you for free. (And, to correct errors I’ve made in the past, Amazon no longer sells all their e-books for $9.99 — some are more expensive. AND you can now email yourself Word documents, so you can read your friend’s work in progress on your Kindle.) They cost $349 and rely on cell phone technology, so you don’t have to be in a wifi hotspot. Oh, and you can get the NY Times or Wall Street Journal sent to you every morning on your Kindle. The Sony product is a bit less money, has more bells and whistles, but somehow doesn’t have the same pinache (and yet it’s the Sony that publishers are purchasing for their editors). We’re not at a place where everyone has an electronic reader yet (they don’t do graphics, and that’s a drawback), but this is the wave of the future.

Tracy wanted to know about the  movement toward selling electronic books: "I’m not sure I understand something… There is no paper involved, no ink, no binding, no shipping. In addition, marketing will be less about store displays and more about internet ads and pop-ups that piggyback on similar audiences, so this should lower the cost of moving books. But they’re paying less money? If authors are squeezed by lower margins, won’t that descrease the number of writers? What do you predict will happen — higher prices? fewer authors? greater sales?" 

There’s a debate going on between publishers and agents about the royalties that should be paid to authors on e-books. I’m of the opinion the royalty should be higher, since there are no hard costs (sure, there is editing and interior design, AND the publisher has to set up a delivery system to send the books…but it still is cheaper than ink/paper/binding). However, some publishers want to view e-rights as a subsidiary right, so they could conceivably sell it cheaply to Amazon and split all proceeds 50/50 with the author. So, unlike regular print royalties that have been agreed upon by nearly everyone, you can find one publisher paying 15% of net for e-rights, another paying 15% of retail, another paying 50% of whatever they receive. Right now it’s all over the map… but right now the money doesn’t amount to much. Give it a few years. Once our kids all have Kindles, and are all downloading their books, this will generate real money — and by then, we’ll have it figured out.

So YES, I predict higher prices for e-books. But NO, I don’t predict fewer authors — the potential for people to do e-books should increase opportunities for writers, not decrease them. And I’d certainly hope it leads to greater sales, as the Electronic Generation begins reading books and not just Facebook.

Cheryl wrote and asked, "Can authors include previously published stories from magazines and web sites in a book they are submitting to a publisher? In other words, can they use previously published stories in a new book?"

That will depend on the contract you signed for your article, Cheryl. If you give a magazine one-time rights, as soon as the next issue of the magazine comes out, you are normally free to re-sell your original article to someone else (though you’ll probably want to tweak it). But if you did an article for an e-zine and sold it to them on a work-for-hire basis, you may have signed over all rights to that story. Check your contract. With most ephemeral or periodical literature, ownership remains with the author, so in those cases you would indeed be free to re-use your piece in a new book.

Ashley asked, "What makes an agent (like, say, Chip MacGregor) who is so passionate about books decide to be an agent instead of writing books?"

I’m good at being an agent. I like the work. It feels like a better fit for me than being a full-time author. The fact is, I love books and words, and this job allows me to work with them. Can’t imagine having any more fun than this. But I have, in fact, written books. (Make sure to check out "The Y2K Family Survival Guide" and other great titles!)

By the way, there are two websites you really must visit… First, check out the new ezine ChristianFictionOnline to see some great stories and advice on writing fiction for the CBA market. Second, make sure to stop by www.StuffChristiansLike.net — a hilarious sendup of the church, written by a guy who has spent his life as one of us. The BEST new site I’ve seen in years.