In light of the last couple posts, some wrote this: “For the uneducated among us, what exactly does a literary agent do in CBA, and why is one even necessary in Christian publishing?”

A good literary agent will help an author focus an idea, respond to the writing, perhaps offer thoughts to give shape to the manuscript, assist in the creation of a strong proposal, know who will be interested in the project, have the relationships to get it in front of publishing decision-makers, solicit offers, walk the author through the decision-making process, negotiate the deal, and ensure contract compliance. Depending on the relationship the author and agent have, the literary agent may very well serve as encourager, timekeeper, counselor, career guidance officer, and sounding board to the author. Or the agent may serve as a business manager, helping the author map out the details of making a life in the arts.

Why is an agent necessary? Because most authors don’t necessarily know how to do all of those things, and need a specialist to assist them. And because a good agent brings access through his or her relationships in the industry. AND because publishers long ago realized the value of agents, and generally won’t look at unsolicited manuscripts, but ask that all proposals come through a legitimate agent. Think about selling your home — you can do it on your own (my wife and I have sold houses “by owner”), but it ain’t easy. You’ve got to educate yourself in order to make sure it’s all legal and that the deal is done appropriately and fairly. And if you own an expensive home, it’s awfully tough to sell it yourself — buyers want the professionalism that comes from having the assistance of a good realtor overseeing the sale. Similarly, when you sign a book contract, you’re agreeing to a series of legal clauses that will govern your book for as long as it’s in print. Having somebody help you through the process is always nice, and often necessary. Having someone assist you with the long-term view of a writing career is usually deemed important by most career authors.

I realize there’s an argument that “if we’re all nice Christians, we shouldn’t need an agent, but I haven’t found that to be true. Take a look at the guys who created the novel THE SHACK, then pushed it onto the bestseller lists. I know the authors made a big deal about three participants not having an agent, that they did the whole deal on a handshake, that they trusted each other and were all Christians and they didn’t need anyone digging into their business and taking a percentage. Sounded great… until the book went nuts, the authors were looking at splitting a huge pile of money, and they all started suing one another. It got ugly, the whole partnership dissolved, and I notice nobody is now talking about how brilliant they all were to just shake hands and be buddies. The fact is, a good agent would have had things in place, in writing, to cover things like author credit and royalty splits.

So now I can finally get to the person who wrote to ask, “How can you have a ‘Christian’ agency and still work in the general market?”

My faith doesn’t stop me from doing my job. I know plenty of good people who are agents and authors and editors, and who work in the general market. None of us find it incongruent to have faith and also work in the general market. (On the other hand, I think it’s very difficult for a non-religious agent to work with CBA publishers. They don’t have the contacts, they can’t speak the language, and the Christian publishers simply don’t trust them.) So I routinely get people asking, “Do you only work with religious books?” After answering the question a thousand times, I’m used to it. The answer? No. I work with religious books as well as books that have no religion in them. I’m a person of faith, I’m open about that, and that infuses the books I like best. It helps shape some of the choices I make with books, but it does NOT keep me from representing a book just because the characters aren’t all shiny, or the language is bad, or the climax doesn’t end with a salvation prayer. My faith is endemic to who I am, and it certainly influences who I represent and which books I shop. (For example, I don’t do porn, even though there’s money in it, because I believe, ultimately, porn is destructive and evil.) But I don’t believe everyone I represent has to have the same faith I do, or share every point of doctrine with me. Nor do I believe all the books I represent have to have a faith element, nor that they all need to be set in a Christian world and populated with Christian characters.  (This is what sometimes gets me into trouble with evangelicals. Too many believe we can’t just share the faith — we need to share the EXACT faith, and not be “incorrect” in any doctrinal points, or they’ll question if that individual is really part of their exclusive club. It’s the thing that drives me crazy about the hard-right evangelical world, quite frankly.) The fact is, I believe in the value of words, and my faith is broad enough to allow others to differ with me. Working in the general market isn’t a capitulation or compromise, at least for me. I hope that helps. 

Our discussion yesterday about CBA and the general market lead to several questions, including someone asking, “So what are the differences between CBA and ABA books?”

There are many similarities between the religious market and the general market. Both markets want to offer good books. (I’ve never met the guy who wanted to produce or sell a bad book.) Both want to entertain in some way. Both intend to have most of their books foster some sort of understanding.

Yet there are real differences. Many people writing in CBA are largely doing so because they feel they have a “message” they want to pass along. I meet these folks at conferences all the time – in their way of thinking, God has given them this great story, and they must be obedient and tell it to others. They have “Truth” that must be communicated. Sure, they want to be successful in the market, but even more important is the promulgation of the Gospel, and the notion of being obedient to share that message. Perhaps we could say “effective ministry” supplants “making money” in the hearts of many religious authors (not all, but many). And, of course, one could argue that there are certainly plenty of people in the general market who believe strongly in their own message, and feel that same need to share it, whether it be “how to lose weight” or “how to save the planet” or “why we shouldn’t go to war.” The notion of “calling” is a bit ephemeral — one author can be totally committed to a cause, and another can be totally committed to the opposite cause. In publishing, we understand the importance of exchanging ideas, of making a case, or saying it well. That’s the author’s job, no matter what market you’re in.

However, I think it’s safe to say that, if faith-based authors are often driven to share some sort of message, the general market is basically motivated to (1) make money, (2) entertain, (3) share something positive or persuasive that will improve you and your life and our world, and (4) make more money. So yes, there’s a difference between the two markets, though I don’t find the differences all that great. The CBA publisher who says he doesn’t want to make money isn’t telling the truth; the general market author who says she doesn’t write from a particular worldview is fooling herself.

Recently I’ve read a couple discussions exploring the integration of CBA and ABA, and they often say something about “the terrible state of Christian books.” Whenever I hear that sort of thing, I roll my eyes. Look, Christian fiction was the largest growth category in all of publishing in the first decade of this new century. And the quality has improved tremendously — anybody who says all religious fiction is weak just hasn’t taken the time to read some of the great Christian novels that have been done over the past few years. And the argument that they are “too safe” or “not realistic” is  simply not being honest about the market. Sure, there are shallow, simplistic Christian books printed — but how is that different from the general market? There are also edgy, thoughtful Christian novels releasing. That’s the way of all art — some people want deep, others want shallow. Some want to hear a symphony, others want to hear Justin Bieber. CBA is providing both types of novels these days.

The fact remains, the religious market is healthy and vibrant — as much as 20% of the overall book market, according to some studies.  I would argue that the faith-based book publishing market is still growing, which is why in recent years Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster have all started or purchased Christian imprints. There is money to be made in books aimed at CBA, there’s an audience for Christian books, and faith-infused books have become an important part of most large publishers’ portfolios. 

Continuing that school of thought, I also received this interesting question that relates to the issue: “What do you do with a book that challenges your view of faith?”

I take each on a case-by-case basis. I really don’t mind my faith being challenged. Again, I don’t have to share the same theology with every author I represent. I’m not a conservative evangelical, so I’m not exactly the perfect fit for every CBA author. But I’m one of those who believes in a big tent, so that’s why I represent a broad variety of faith-based writers. If somebody comes in and wants to do a book that doesn’t easily fit my theology, I suppose I have to mull it over. Is the idea salable? Is the writing strong? Does the author make a solid case? Does the author have the platform and ability to support the book? Do I believe in the book enough to want to shop it? Those are the questions I go through — pretty much the same questions every agent goes through, I think. 

There are plenty of books I wouldn’t choose to represent — I wouldn’t represent a book that rejects the deity of Christ, and I find prosperity theology heretical — but fortunately there are plenty of agents, and perhaps someone else will see value in those books and take them on. I started my agency with the phrase “Books that make a difference,” and I still aim to have that as the goal with every book we choose to represent. 

Just back from a fabulous BEA convention, where the mood was upbeat, nobody was whining about the future of books, and everyone involved (authors, publishers, agents, sales people, marketing folks) seemed excited about the future of the industry. Loved being back in New York and seeing all the great titles coming out. I like to watch trends, and noticed several at the show (which I’ll talk more about in future posts), including the changes to faith-based publishing. So while I was at the show, someone sent this: “You seem to be one of the few literary agents who works in the general market (what a lot of people call the ABA) as well as working in the Christian market (the CBA). I’ve published two books in CBA, but think my next book fits more of a general market audience. My question: is ‘crossing over’ from CBA to ABA a reality?”

Okay, if you’re not terribly religious, stay with me for a minute…. I think this stuff is interesting to talk about. First, for those not in the know, CBA is the Christian Booksellers Association, and it’s the realm of all things faith-based in publishing. ABA is the American Booksellers Association, and it’s sometimes used (though less and less) as a descriptor for the general, non-religious world of publishing. Now, if you’ll indulge me, let me offer a theological reflection that speaks to this issue of CBA and ABA books: Christianity teaches that when you meet God, you are changed. (I don’t care if you believe that or not, just hear the argument.) A Christian would argue that everything about you is different, because you’ve been exposed to God. So, from a theologian’s perspective, a Christian probably won’t be completely understood by those who are not Christians. He or she is speaking a different language. And any cultural anthropologist till tell you that the longer you’re a Christian, the fewer non-Christian friends you have, and therefore the less you have in common. So you’ll have a tough time communicating with non-Christians in language they’ll understand.

Still with me? Okay (done with the theology lesson), from an agent’s perspective, many faith-based writers simply don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to writing for non-Christian readers. They aren’t part of the non-fatih world, they don’t hang out with non-Christian people, they don’t watch non-religious TV or listen to radio programming that’s antithetical to their beliefs. In essence, they CAN’T speak to that group, because they don’t know the language. Picture this for a minute — imagine a Moslem, who had been raised in an Islamic home, who lives his entire life surrounded with Islamic influences, suddenly announcing he wants to write a book that appeals to a Christian audience, since there seem to be so many Christians who need to hear the message of Islam. Or imagine a novelist who has never been a church-goer, who doesn’t know the first thing about organized religion, suddenly being asked to write a novel about the pastor of a small-town congregation. 

See the problem? It’s hard to cross cultural lines. I was in a meeting a few years ago with a well-known Christian personality who wanted to “write a book for the general market.” She was big news, so we were all excited… until we saw her idea. It was basically an outline drawn from the book of James, with verses to support every point. When I tried to explain to her why that book would NEVER be picked up by the general public, she didn’t understand me. “But it’s TRUTH,” she argued. “It’s GOD’S truth, and people will see that if they would pick it up and read it!” You see, she just didn’t grasp the fact that the majority of readers won’t listen to that argument (just as she wouldn’t listen if the moslem author wrote a book explaining why Mohammed was God’s prophet). The general book culture isn’t interested in books from a strict evangelical viewpoint. Other Christians are, but the general reading public are not. And that’s an issue I face regularly with faith-based authors. 

So no, for most religious writers, “crossing over” is a very, very difficult task. Sure, it happens occasionally. But rarely by design. Nobody really thought “Left Behind” or “The Purpose Driven Life” were going to sell millions of copies to non-religious readers. They did, but I know the publishers didn’t have any clue that was going to happen when they contracted those books. Maybe (if you’re a Christian) that’s the sovereignty of God at work. Maybe (if you’re not a Christian) that was end times lunacy and dumb luck. “90 Minutes in Heaven” has sold 4 million copies to people who are interested in the concept of an afterlife, but I happen to know the publisher was shocked at the public’s embracing of that book. “The Shack” has sold 6 million copies or so, to Christians as well as non-Christians who were interested in spiritual things. It happens occasionally. But, generally speaking, the Christian writers who are read by a non-religious audience [a list that would include CS Lewis, L'Engle, LaMott, O'Connor, Percy, Sayers, Tolkein, Wangerin, et al] are not writing “Christian” books. They’re simply writing great stories.

Nobody thought the Harry Potter books were going to have such a wide appeal to adults, or that a YA novel like “The Hunger Games” would break out to such an extent. But that’s the beauty of publishing. You write your best book, aim it at your audience, and sometimes you get surprised. In my view you don’t really design a book to sell to both the religion and the non-religious market. 

We’re continuing our “ask an agent anything” series, where I’m trying to offer some short answers to your general publishing questions. If you’ve got a question you’ve always wanted to ask an agent, send it to me or leave it in the “comments” section. One reader wrote to ask, “What is “voice” in writing? “

Voice is the personality of the author, expressed through words on the page. When you write, your word choices, your phrasing and structure, your thinking and themes — they all help establish your personality as a writer. So the way I write is different from the way someone else writes — my personality comes through, and shows how I’m different and unique as a writer. (An example: Stephen King and William Faulkner both like long sentences, psychological implications, semicolons, and the use of the word “and” in their works… but nobody ever picked up a Stephen King novel and mistook it for a William Faulkner novel. Though they share some characteristics, each writer has his own personality, and that comes through on the page.) Of course, not every writing voice is good — just as not every singing voice is good. A great writer has a voice that is appealing and interesting.

Similarly, another person asked, “How does a writer know when he has established a strong voice in his work?” 

It takes time and effort. I’ve always thought a writer recognizes his or her own voice over time, so the more you write, the better you hear yourself in your words. My experience is that, as I write more and more, my personality becomes clear on the page. When we talk, your words don’t sound like mine. Your stories don’t sound like mine. Your personality is unique, and getting that to be clearly expressed on the page will help you define your voice. (So, for example, when I tell my story of being in the air on Sept 11, the way I tell the story of that day will be different from the way YOU might tell it.) The writers we love best express themselves through their own voices, and we love hearing those voices because they are individual, and, in the words of Carolyn Sloan, “they teach us to be ourselves by supplying us with an example of genuine emotion…” Great voice in writing is a unique and courageous act. And I don’t think it can be created — I believe it rises up from the soul of the writer.

And one writer wanted to discuss contests: “I’m entered in the Writers Digest Short Story competition, which states that Writers Digest has one-time publishing rights for the top 25 entries. So if I’ve entered, have I given up my publication rights? And as an agent, would you chew me out for being a bonehead? I just want to know if I’ve made a mistake in giving up my non-exlusive rights.”

You might very well be a bonehead (I’m reserving judgment), but you’re pretty safe with the WD contest. First, if it’s really “non-exclusive” rights, you’re free to re-sell those rights. And if this is a one-time agreement, it’s similar to any other print publication article. I doubt I’d chew you out… especially in the short story market, which is a tough, tough place to get published.

One writer wrote to ask me, “What do you think of POETS & WRITERS magazine? Do you subscribe? Why or why not? And if you used to, why don’t you now?”

I think Poets and Writers is a wonderful magazine. It offers very good information on writing and the industry, incorporates a lot of event and academic stuff, and has always worked to get writers connected to one another. There’s not much else like it. I used to subscribe, but I no longer do. That has nothing to do with the quality of the magazine, but instead with the fact that I can’t stay up with so many publications. A couple years ago I took steps to simplify my life, and that included giving up some of the magazines that were good, but that I didn’t have time to adequately read. (I took further steps last year, cutting out even more magazines, axing TV news, etc.) For those writers interested in the literary side of the industry, Poets and Writers is an excellent resource.

I have received this question several times: “You apparently do a lot of religious books. Is there a website that connects inspirational writers specifically with Christian agents? If not, do you think there’s a market for one?”

I do not know of a website that connects religious writers and agents. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one, it just means I don’t know of one. There are websites that attempt to connect Christian writers and publishers, including ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com, but I don’t know if there’s one aimed at agents. Would there be a market for one? Maybe — my sense is there’s a market for just about everything. The questions would be “is it any good?” and “is it better than what we currently have?” The industry is rapidly changing, which means the role of agents is changing significantly. Some well-meaning sorts tried to create a Christian literary agent association a couple years ago, but it didn’t work out. I thought it was a noble effort, but I also wasn’t in favor of joining… I just didn’t feel it was set up appropriately. You’d have to think through things like “how are you going to define Christian?” and “what sort of guidelines are we going to have?” I have no doubts about the sincerity of religious-book agents — I just don’t know that it’s big enough to really have its own organization. Why not simply do what I did and join the Association of Author Representatives (the trade organization for full-time literary agents)?

Another writer had a similar question: “Is there a place in religious publishing for a strong Christian story, but with rough patches of reality along the way?”

Of course there is. Publishing is replete with examples of literary novelists with religious themes who include some of the grittier aspects of life. If you’re unfamiliar, read the works of Lisa Samson, Flannery O’Connor, Gina Holmes, Susan Meissner, Ann Tatlock, Mark Bertrand, Elizabeth Musser, Ginger Garrett, Mary DeMuth, Alice Wisler, and Charles Martin. There are plenty of writers doing Christian books in a real-world setting. (I’m going from the seat of my pants, so I’ve doubtless missed some other fine writers who ought to be included.)

Similarly, I’ve received several forms of this question: “Do religious publishers really have such overly strict requirements that they cannot use such words as ‘priest’ or ‘sex’ without being dismissed?”

No. That’s completely untrue. At least, in my extensive experience. Sure, if you’re doing a sweet romance, you can’t use racy language — but that sort of expectation is extant in ANY publishing line. You write to your audience. If your audience wants a clean romance, you write a clean romance. If they want a vivid action scene, you create a vivid action scene. But there’s not some written or unwritten code, other than societal norms. Think of it this way: If you’re writing to a religious audience who is offended by overt sexuality, then it’d be pretty dumb to include it in your novel with is supposed to be aimed at them. (A note: You may be referring to a blog post from bestselling novelist Ted Dekker a couple years ago, in which he cited a long-out-of-date document from Harlequin that listed certain words they didn’t want used in their religious fiction, in order to keep from sounding sectarian. Harlequin has since taken down that document, and the discussion has moved on.)

Happy to keep the conversation going…

Recently a friend said to me "it must be so cool to get paid to read
manuscripts for a living." I knew then that he really had no idea what
my job entailed. Reading manuscripts and reviewing proposals is an
important part of what I do, of course. But, honestly, it's just the
beginning of what can be a long process.

For me, sometimes reading manuscripts is soothing. It reminds me that
there is always the possibility of finding something fresh, or a
potential perfect fit for an editor, or simply a gem I want to
seriously consider. Other times it's stressful because I wonder how
I'll ever find time to help with another project. But, it ebbs and
flows, and all works out in the process. Publishing is a lot of things,
but one thing it most certainly is is a process.

Sometimes I think writers forget this.

For example, right now I'm working on submitting a project I've been helping an
author shape since January 2009. Yep, you read that right. 18 months of
work. Admittedly the author is a busy mom and works full-time, so it's
been a bit of an off and on process for her. But, I believe in her work
and her message, and I know when the time is right, we'll be ready. For
some authors I represent, patience (on both our parts) is the primary
speed. For others, sometimes, we have to hasten things a bit.

I'd love to hear from some of you who are willing to share how long it
took you to get published. I mean from first submission to book on the
shelf. Just to give some perspective. Anyone willing?

While we wait for your responses, here's a smattering of NEWS for you:

A COUPLE NEWISH BLOGS by a couple editor friends of ours we thought you'd like to check out:

Nick Harrison – Harvest House Publishers Nick Harrison Books
Barbara Scott – Abingdon Press The Roving Editor

CHIP WAS INTERVIEWED last Friday. Here's the link

REVIEW NEWS

Susan Page Davis' recently released title THE CRIMSON CIPHER
(Summerside Press) is a Top Pick in Romantic Times Book Reviews' August
issue.

AWARD FINALISTS 

Congratulations to several MacGregor Literary authors who have recently finaled in contests:

Kit Wilkinson's PROTECTOR'S HONOR is an RWA Maggie Finalist in the Inspirational Romance category. 

ACFW's Book of the Year Awards have been renamed. Henceforth they will
be called the Carol Awards after Carol Johnson, an editor who played a
big part in helping  create a place for Christian fiction in
publishing. Congratulations to you, Carol. And to the numerous MacGregor Literary authors who are finalists: 

- Historical Novella -
Vickie McDonough – A Breed Apart (Barbour Publishing)
Vickie McDonough – Beloved Enemy (Barbour Publishing)

- Long Contemporary –
Joyce Magnin – The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow (Abingdon Press)
Susan Meissner – White Picket Fences (Waterbrook Press)

- Long Contemporary Romance -
Jenny B. Jones – Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson)

- Mystery -
Mindy Starns Clark – Under the Cajun Moon (Harvest House Publishers)
Darlene Franklin – A String of Murders (Heartsong Mysteries)
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna – Pushing up Daisies (Heartsong Mysteries)

- Long Historical -
Siri Mitchell – Love's Pursuit (Bethany House)

- Long Historical Romance-
Janice Thompson writing as Janice Hanna – Love Finds You in Poetry, Texas (Summerside Press)

- Short Contemporary -
Vickie McDonough – A Wagonload of Trouble (Heartsong Presents)

- Short Historical -
Lynette Sowell – All That Glitters (Heartsong Presents)

-Women's Fiction -
Sara Evans & Rachel Hauck – Sweet By and By (Thomas Nelson)

- Young Adult -
Jenny B. Jones – I'm So Sure (Thomas Nelson)
Jenny B. Jones – So Not Happening (Thomas Nelson)

For a complete list of the finalists for the inaugural year of the Carol Awards, go to
The Carol Awards will be presented at ACFW's Conference in
Indianapolis, September 17-20.  If you've been thinking of going but
haven't registered, there's still time to do so here.

A FEW NEW BOOK DEALS

-Melanie Dobson is doing another Historical Romance with Summerside Press titled LOVE FINDS YOU IN AMANA, IOWA
-THE THREE MARYS, a new Bible study written by Eva Gibson will released from AMG in 2011
-Harvest House has contracted Poppy Smith to write a marriage book tentatively titled WHY CAN'T HE BE MORE LIKE ME
-Arloa Sutter is working on two Bible studies to accompany THE
INVISIBLE: What the Church can do to Find and Serve the Least of These, her imminently releasing title from Wesleyan Publishing
House

BEST SELLERS
I noticed something interesting today. Of the top 50 books on CBA's
list of Best Sellers for August, 2010, eleven (22%) of them were
fiction titles. And those eleven were written by seven authors. Like I
said, I just found this interesting …

News? Thoughts? Just let us know …

I'm finding a bunch of leftover questions regarding ICRS 2010…

A couple people wrote to ask if there were author signings… A ton of them! The convention keeps some "personality booths" busy, so conventioneers could get autographed books from the likes of Chuck Swindoll, Ted Dekker, Christy finalists like Kaye Dacus, and a bunch of other authors. The folks from the Thriller tour were all signing, and publishers had numerous authors in their booths to sign and give away books. Author signings is one of the reasons many folks show up for the convention. Author Tosca Lee hosted a "Heart of the Author" breakfast one morning featuring a dozen authors you could meet face to face, and there were various gatherings with significant authors going on every day of the show. 

One person asked if there's one "can't miss" event for booksellers at the convention… If it wasn't the big Hachette party mentioned yesterday, it might have been Barbour's "Fiction Cafe." Barbour sells as much fiction as just about anybody in CBA, and they brought in Wanda Brunstetter, Kaye Dacus, and numerous others so that bookstore personnel could meet the authors face-to-face. They do this every year, and I always hear good things about it (though I'll admit I've never actually attended). Like everyone else, retailers like meeting celebrities one-on-one, so this is always a good way for Barbour to highlight their authors and books. 

Someone wrote to ask what sort of awards are given out at the ICRS convention. There are all sorts of retailer awards given, some art awards, and various other ways to recognize retailers. I suppose the biggest are The Christy Awards, given to the top novels each year. This has become a big deal, getting major press in publishing, and it's nice to see. As I noted already, Lisa Samson was this year's keynote speaker, and she had good things to say about Christian fiction being "the outcome of a life well lived." (Did you know there is a patron saint for writers? I didn't. Lisa told us all about St. Francis de Sales, who developed a sign language and is also patron saint of the deaf. And yes, it's interesting that the saint for writers is named "sales," but I'm sure that's just God's sense of humor at work.) You can find a complete list of Christy winners at www.christyawards.com

Bestselling novelist Colleen Coble wrote to tell me that ACFW didn't just name their Book of the Year Award after longtime Bethany House publisher Carol Johnson, but also announced they were awarding her a Lifetime Achievement Award. They also announced the start of a website, www.fictionfinder.com, that will help promote Christian fiction to readers. And CBA gave its own Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime president Bill Anderson — a good guy who was always willing to meet and chat when we asked him. 

One cool thing that you may not have heard — Mosab Hassan Youssef, whose father helped found Hamas, made a public appearance in which he not only spoke of his newfound faith in Christ, but admitted to spying for Israel for ten years. It was a courageous, shocking speech, coming on the heels of the US government declaring him a security risk, and he received a standing ovation from the audience. (He also got some good news — a federal judge granted him asylum in the US while he was at the show.) Youssef has a book coming out with Tyndale this fall, and it should prove fascinating reading. 

Several people wrote to me in order to defend the sacred honor of St Louis… proving once again that Christians take themselves (and apparently their cities) WAY too seriously. To them I can only say, "Grow up, people! It's humor!" Sometimes I think this is the curse of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck — everybody is constantly filled with outrage. I can't be that outraged for so long — I'd explode. So, for the humor-impaired in our midst, I'll explain that my comments about St Louis were based on 4 days inside a convention center. (Not that it should matter, since you ought to be able to take a joke, for crying out loud. After all, your city is named after a FRENCH KING, of all things. My guess is he was canonized just before surrendering to the Germans.) 

One wag wrote to ask if this band performed at the convention: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-NOZU2iPA8

I told him I doubted it, but that many of the participants would have loved their performance. 

Speaking of great performances, check out this from the Opera Company of Philadelphia. It's great art, mixed with normal people at a train station, and it's one of the best things I've been seen that demonstrates the integration of art and normalcy. Enjoy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zmwRitYO3w

Finally, someone asked about the 2011 ICRS — it's in Atlanta, July 10-13. They were looking for the hottest place they could hold it next year, and Atlanta won out. Apparently Hell was booked. 

Just back from ICRS 2010 in St Louis. As cities go, St Louis was really nice, so long as you don't want to do anything but look at an arch. And it was 100 degrees (though I'll admit that was, technically, outside — a place I rarely ventured). Still, the show was cozy inside the downtown "America's Convention Center," and the hotels were all within walking distance. I've never been one to grasp the charms of St Louis. I mean, the tourist guides can point out the arch, which really is nice, and there's a fine museum underneath it, but not much else. (Actual tourist guide I overheard: "And from THIS angle you get another nice view of the Arch!") The baseball stadium is downtown, which is cool. And there's a Budweiser tour. Um… some good rib joints. That about covers the high points of the city. Not exactly what you might refer to as Vacation Wonderland.

However, since the Christian book show has shrunk markedly in recent years, putting it inside a smaller venue is nice. So St Louis is probably a good size city to host something like this, assuming it survives (more on that later). It doesn't feel like you've got to walk miles to get to everything. (Some of us remember attending past conventions that were so spread out it felt like you were trodding from nearby towns.) And while the convention space is certainly smaller, sticking it here made it feel more crowded, so the mood was generally upbeat. The only downside is that the entire area around the convention center is under construction (the city had to do something, since downtown was becoming ugly and dangerous). That meant it lacked a lot of great restaurants close by, like we had in Denver, and wherever you walked you were stepping over pipes or walking under scaffolding or wondering if the St Louis Crips were holed up in the big abandoned building next to you. 

Still, I don't want to sound whiny. I thought the convention went smoothly. The CBA team did a nice job of putting together this gathering and keeping spirits up in the face of (1) declining membership, (2) the forced sale of its headquarters, (3) the sudden and unexpected resignation of its President, and (4) the plague of locusts that attacked the opening ceremonies. Ha! Just kidding. The opening ceremonies (and indeed most every public event) went off without a hitch. The actual convention floor was great — I was glad they went back to the old plan of putting the book publishers all near each other, so it was easy to see whose books were doing battle and what the latest cover ideas are. The Art-and-Crud crowd was on the other side, and the various music people and purveyors of Jesus Junk were in between. (The music people are easy to spot –the women are all young and pretty, the guys all have ponytails.) The displays were maybe a bit more subdued this year, as companies cut back on art and signs, but that meant there weren't a bunch of howling morons trying to compete with each other in the music section. I liked the simple layout and the scaled-back designed. And there were no big embarrassing empty floor spaces where people had pulled out at the last minute, as there were in recent years. (True item: A couple years ago, a CBA exec made a point of telling me how wonderful it was that everybody had rented their space and showed up… except we were standing right in front of a big empty booth space at the time. I still marvel he could say that to me with a straight face.) 

If you've not been to ICRS before, imagine a giant building the size of an airplane hangar filled with 10×10 booths displaying books, music, jewelry, t-shirts, art prints, and knick-knacks, all with a Christian theme. Most are fairly mainstream, a few on the fringe. The people working the various booths are almost always nice (they're there to sell products, remember), though occasionally you find the bored sales guy or the woman who you can tell is DYING for a cigarette break. There are great ideas and remarkably stupid ideas, and they're all on display next to choir robes and Betty Lukens Felt Boards and Precious Moments statuettes. 

I'll admit: I love it. Love seeing all the new books, reading the titles, and evaluating covers. Love watching the signings, saying hello to friends, and being surprised by the authors who have jumped houses. I've seen people become speechless when they actually get to face Chuck Swindoll (who, let's be honest, is shorter than me). This show was a bit short on media, which is a bad sign, but Christian Retailing did its usual job of over-hyping everything ("Standard Publishing Is Throwing a Party!" — "Destiny Image Is Getting Into Movies!"). 

There were some really cool things that happened. First, FaithWords threw an A-list party. You may not have much context for this, but FaithWords is part of Hachette, and Hachette always throws a huge party at the Frankfurt Book Fair. So there's precedent for this, and it was the talk of the show. Speakers included Ted Dekker, Philip Yancey, Chuck Swindoll, and David Jeremiah — heavy hitters all. Second, the Christy Awards are finally getting some overdue national attention. Christian fiction is not only a significant part of nearly every publisher's bottom line, it's been the fastest-growing segment of publishing over the past decade. So it was nice to see Lisa Samson (an author we represent) serve as the keynote speaker, then win an award for Novel of the Year, and have the story picked up by national news services. Third, B&H Fiction's "Thriller Tour" got a lot of attention for four novelist and the company's new, upgraded foray into suspense novels. Jim Rubart, one of the B&H authors (and another writer we represent), made headlines with his "thank you" talk to retailers, telling them they are helping to change lives. And fourth, the International Square on the showroom floor was remarkably busy – proving there is a growing interest in American authors around the globe. I sat in the square for an hour, just to get a feel for it, and had a line of foreign publishers asking me about the books we represent. 

There were other cool things as well — the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) announced that their Book of the Year Award was now going to be known as The Carol, in honor of longtime Christian fiction editor and publisher Carol Johnson, and the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association (AWSA) gave longtime publishing consultant Sally Stuart their Lifetime Achievement Award for her years producing the Christian Writers Market Guide. But there were some clunkers mixed in… One of the award shows invited Phil Vischer to speak. Um… that would be Phil Vischer, the guy who created Bob the Tomato. He had huge success with his Veggie Tales tapes, but then he ran the company into the ground. Don't get me wrong — I have met Mr Vischer, and think he's very nice, but I doubt you really want people who are trying to run small businesses to follow his example. And his talk on the CBA of the 90's being like one big party — well, I found it odd and out of place. Just as bad was the workshop on social media — when a session starts by having someone have to explain what Twitter is… well, you have a sense it ain't going to be on the cutting edge. <
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However, my biggest disappointment was that there was no clear winner of my annual "Worst of Show" award. I realize that may cause you to put down your cup of Starbucks and gasp, so go ahead — I'll wait.   There. Back with me? Previous years have shown there is no LOW to which some tasteless bonehead won't go in order to claim he is spreading the gospel when all he really wants to do is make a buck. Earlier winners include "Praise Panties" (women's underwear with verses on them — I was always rooting for "His love endures forever"), "Armor of God Pajamas" (pajamas with the appropriate parts of Ephesians 6 printed on them), "Standing On the Promises Shoe Insoles" (don't ask), and "Gospel Golf Balls" (they featured John 3:16 on them, and as the saleswoman said to me, "You never have to worry about losing a ball — you're just helping to spread the gospel!"). Even worse, there have sometimes been truly tasteless products — I'm thinking of the artist who had created a painting of a junkie shooting drugs into Christ's arm, or the guy who sold "actual ash from the ruins of Sodom & Gomorrah" (a GREAT way to witness to your gay friends!). 

This year's show had nothing like that. I was pretty disappointed — apparently the budget cutbacks have even hit the nutjobs and shysters. Oh, sure, there was the company selling soccer balls with miniature verses on them, so you can stop the game, pick up the ball with your hands, and ask your opponent to squint and read the words, I think (apparently the people manufacturing these have yet to pick up on some of the finer points of the game). There were the usual collection of insipid one-off books claiming God wants you wealthy (one guy was having a sale on those, so I'm thinking he may be changing his theology, now that his 401k is down). And there were the "Blood Donor" t-shirts worn by the Kerusso staff, with the fake spilled blood and sayings like "Power in the Blood" on them. Ugh. I don't really understand who wears something like that, aside from the sales staff. Maybe the feeble-minded. They also had "Jesus Is My BFF" shirts, in case you need to give something to a middle-school girl you want to see get beat up. (I also noticed they were having a special on the "One Nation Under God" tees, which is doubtless because the red, white, and blue eagle on them make them look amazingly like the opening of the Colbert Report. My guess is that Glenn Beck supporters were buying these as part of their patriotic duty.)

Still, nothing really rose to the level of Award Winning Badness. I even called my buddy Steve Laube, to see if he'd spied anything that made him want to barf. Nope. If you were there, and saw something I missed, please make a note in the "comments" section below.

Of course, this may be a good sign. The fact that there are no longer so many stoo-pid products could mean we're actually getting rid of the crackpots and fast-buck artists. Or maybe they're just all going mainstream. (There was a Macy's close by, and I could have SWORN they were selling Praise Panties.) I'm not completely sure this trade show will survive — for all the good vibes, it was still much smaller than before, and publishers are pulling out, and the gift people already have their own shows. 

But all in all, a good show. Would love to know your impressions. 

I'm about ready to get on a plane and fly to the International Christian Retail Show (the big religious book show) in St Louis. Since I've had several folks ask me what sort of trends we're seeing in CBA, I thought I'd bang out a handful of things that I see going on…

1. More readers (Remember when we were worried about "why Johnny can't read"? No more. We read all the time. You might read books on your iPhone. You're probably wondering who's on Facebook right now. Wait — is that your Blackberry going off?)

2. More varieties of fiction (Bonnets! Pirates! Prairie dogs! Cowboys! Patriots! Immigrants! Soldiers! Shopkeepers! And some, such as Amish books, have created their own sub-genres.)

3. More historical fiction (People enduring hard economic times long for the good ol' days when life was simpler.)

4. More graphic scenes (There's a good and a bad side to this. I'm all for realism… but what IS it with people — must every fiction proposal I see these days have a rape scene? Be different. Let your character survive something else, like a nuclear disaster, or a car wreck, or waxy build-up.)

5. More creative packaging and inclusions (We're quickly moving toward the place where each editorial team will have a specialist whose job will be to create images, games, widgets, and other stuff to enhance the text.) 

6. More reformed and ecumenical books (CBA has become less the protected domain of evangelicals as we've seen the inclusion of a broader group of believers, including Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Christians. That means I'm now, finally, a Christian. It's about time.)

7. More book choices (Obviously we're seeing the rise of the digital book, but the real fight to be won is over the significance of the content in them, and how all those titles present choices to consumers. A great book requires time and effort and thoughtfulness and skill — and it trumps somebody who decides to barf some words onto a page and make it available online.) 

8. More new people in CBA (Who was reading a Summerside book three years ago? Now they're doing wonderful stuff that people are buying. AND we're seeing a renewed interest in small, privately-owned Christian bookstores.)

9. More memoirs and creative nonfiction (No, we're not there yet… but it's coming. A renewed interest in memoirs and journalistic writing among Christian readers — see books like SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME.)

10. More of an emphasis on platform (Like it or not, platform is king these days.)

11. More targeted relationships for authors (60% of the books we've sold at MacGregor Literary this year were designed with ONE publisher in mind.) 

12. More micro-publishers (We're seeing an explosion of little mom-and-pop operations, with companies only producing e-books or print-on-demand titles.) 

13. Fewer people at the show (Like it or not, ICRS is in a world of hurt. There were so few editors attending that many agents simply chose not to come this year. I used to fill up a week. This year I had to struggle to fill up two days.)

14. Fewer books on the shelves (Borders, Barnes & Noble, Family Christian, and Lifeway are all simply ordering fewer books and putting fewer books on store shelves. And the major publishers are producing fewer books.) 

15 Fewer agents (It's tough making a living as an agent, and after watching the huge growth of my industry over the past seven or eight years, it's clear that the vast majority of CBA books are being represented by about 20 people. So while it may seem everybody is calling themselves an agent these days, there are fewer of us than ever who actually make a living at it. Which brings to mind the words of P.J. O'Rourke: "My advice on dealing with publishers: Let your agent do it. Agents are more important than publishers. Agents are more important than anyone. Which brings me to my advice about dealing with agents. You can't. They won't speak to you. They're too important.")

Mark sent me this: “It
seems that slowly the CBA is selling out. Is this true? Is it the ABA getting
greedy? What does this signal for the future?”

It signals that the general market has recognized the value of Christian books,
Christian writers, and Christian readers. And, yes, it probably means that more
CBA houses will be sold (or come under the influence of) large ABA houses. As to the question "are they greedy?"
– good grief, they're running a for-profit enterprise. If "greedy"
means "are they focused on making a profit," of course they're
greedy. But I'd argue that CBA houses, for all the carefully-couched terms
about having "ministry" and "doing the Lord's work," are
also focused on profit. So maybe we should view this as a greater partnership,
rather than a sell-out. Sure, there are some questions to face down the road –
who will do commentaries and reference tools that aren't necessarily commercial
but still have value to believers? What happens when a company faces a decision to publish a book at odds with believers? How will
Christians respond when a company publishes some heretical tome? But, for those
not in the know, those very questions are faced by some of us every day. Time Warner
Book Group was a marvelous company that did many wonderful books when I was there (as well as before I came and after I left). We probably
also published some books Christians would find offensive. But you know what? I
was not responsible for every decision in the company. I was responsible to do
good books with solid Christian content that will sell in the marketplace. I
was comfortable with that role, and I believed in the company. So no, I don't find the blending of Christian and general markets a "sell out."

Suzy asked, “How do you handle it when
you have a change of editors (and editor styles) in mid-contract?”

This business is all about relationships. Editors move
around quite a bit in the publishing world — even more than in most industries
(the reasons can be discussed in another post). So authors can expect this to happen to them occasionally. How to respond? Be polite, be positive, try to
establish a new relationship with the new editor. Say hello. Send Starbucks.
Show him or her that you're easy-going. Keep a positive attitude. Don't give
the editor any reason to lose enthusiasm for your book, because every new
person in a role is looking for projects that will succeed and make them look
good.

Tim wrote and said, “What can we do as
writers to stay current on industry news?”

For CBA, read Christian Retailing, Outreach magazine, World,
CT, maybe the CBA retailer's magazine if you can locate it. For ABA, read Publisher's
Weekly, subscribe to Publisher's Lunch, keep tabs on book news. There are a bunch of blogs that stay current with things — Rachelle Gardner's CBA Ramblings are Michael Hyatt's excellent blog are two I find important and helpful. Also check out the Writers Digest list of 101 Best Blogs for Writers — a great overview of where to find good information. Have conversations with other authors and editors. Rarely do things come
as a surprise to the industry. Generally, any big changes are talked about for
months. By keeping up with some of these sources, you’ll be more prepared for
the industry shifts.

Carl said, “Why is it important to be
aware of this news?”

To impress girls at author signings and cocktail parties, of course.
And, I suppose, to make wise decisions in your writing career (should you find that
important).

A little
bit ago, Shawn wrote and asked about the Christian industry. Here’s his
question: “Is the biggest trend in religious publishing the fact that none of
the Christian publishers are owned or run by ministries anymore?”

I've been saying for quite
some time that the biggest trend in Christian publishing is the distribution –
AWAY from independent Christian bookstore/gift centers and TOWARD general market
bookstores. That has both an up and a down side, of course, but it's not
something a cabal has been planning — it's simply the marketplace at work.
Christian readers would prefer to spend $12 for a book at Wal-Mart (and don't
underestimate Wal-Mart in the Christian retailing market) than $20 for a book
at Betty's Angel Book Shoppe. That has caused Christian independents to go
under by the dozens, and it is rapidly forcing a reshaping of CBA as we know it.

Along with that has been the sale of three CBA publishers. Time Warner (my
former employer) had its stock price stuck at $17 for three years, so in an
effort to get some things moving (and to hold off Carl Icahn), the board
decided to get out of the book business. They sold the Time Warner Book Group
to Hachette Livre, a French publishing conglomerate that owns Hodder in
England, Car & Driver  and Elle magazines in this country, and
numerous publishing ventures around the world. So I lost the cache of saying I
work for Time Warner, the largest entertainment company in the world…but, of
course, I was able to say I'm a publisher with Hachette Livre, the
third-largest publisher in the world. On the heels of that came the sale of
Thomas Nelson — interestingly enough, moving from a publicly held company to a
private one. Then Simon and Schuster, who was already for sale by Viacom, and
who has not had a Christian imprint, decided they needed CBA exposure. So they
purchased Howard Publishing, lock, stock, and barrel. It was an interesting
move, since S&S has been going after "name" CBA authors but with
no place for them to call home. Wiley offers some great religious books through Josse-Bass, and Pengin doesn't have a CBA imprint, but they do have sort of a Christian ombudsman that coordinates the occasional religious book. And I should note that Harper Collins is
already in the business, since they own Zondervan, as well as HarperOne (formerly HarperSan Francisco), which offers some great books, as well as off-the beaten path Christian books (and, to tell the truth the occasional religious wierdology, like the occasional Wiccan Guide to Lesbian Astrology).

My point is just to say that Christians have firmly established themselves as a
market, that every major publisher is going after that market, and that the
market itself has grown and changed in recent years, most notably in the areas
of distribution and sales.

One more thing: The fastest growing segment of Christianity is charismatic, and
we have probably neglected to mention that some small charismatic houses
(Strang, Destiny Image, Harrison House, etc) have recently sold a ton of books
– so certainly somebody is buying their materials, whether they are in big
ponds or small, and whether they are in general markets or not.

Confused? Yeah, well, join the club. If this were easy to figure out, we'd all
be millionaires.

Two last notes:

1. Don't believe the people who say "big publishers are jerks who don't care
about the little guy." I worked for a big publisher, and while I may be a
world class jerk, there are still plenty of not-so-giant authors who would say
I cared about them and worked hard to help them succeed. The stereotype of
big business isn't always true, so don't accept that criticism as gospel –
particularly from people who may not know what they're talking about.

2. I don't see anything in Scripture that calls us to a ministry of "size."
We're in love with size in America because we believe bigger is better, but God
calls one guy to pastor ten thousand and another to pastor a church of ten. There's nothing
I can find in his Word that says "the guy who pastors ten thousand is
therefore better, more spiritual, and higher in the kingdom." If you're
called to write, then write your best. For some it will mean big dollars and a
huge audience. For others not-so-big dollars and a smaller readership. Some of
the best books of all time haven't ever made a bestseller list or even been
read by that many people. We're called to obedience, not notoriety. We're
called to significance, not success.