Happy to report that Family Christian Stores now have Never Ceese the paperback and Forever Richard listed as available on their websites!
I know, right?
The reason is because apparently they only look at if a book has been approved for distribution to the Christian market. Tomorrow I'll be heading to my local Family Christian to see about getting them to order a few for the store something my local Lifeway can't even think about doing because Michael Robbins their book buyer has refused to carry my work without even looking at it. You see at Lifeway, if the book isn't published by a fee paying affiliated publisher it has to go through the bookbuyer to be "scrutinized" and this is even if your book has already been deemed socially acceptable to the Christian market. Mardel's just says no if your work isn't published by an affiliated publisher. LOL I didn't even get past the initial phone call with them.
Oh I feel a book signing coming on. ;)
Congrats, Sue!
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you got through one door and I hope you get through many others!
But affiliated Christian on-line booksellers like christianbook.com aren't any kinder or less-elitist (Hmm, is "elitist" a word? LOL) That's why I was so excited to see Family Christian at least attempting to follow the rules. Yes believe it or not there are rules. ;)
ReplyDeleteNow stay on top of your publisher to submit your work to Spring Arbor because once it's been approved, (which it will be without question) your book will begin to show up on all online non-affiliated Christian bookstore sites.
Here's one for the record books though, your wonderful, exceptionally written and action-packed book Soul Runner is showing up at Lifeway at this very moment as being available through CBA/ECPA affiliated Moody Press (you know, the one with the not so classy cover that you have now.) But as soon as Michael Robbins gets wind that it isn't from an affiliated house, it will be pulled. And it's the same dang story!!!
Gotta love it!
BTW. I don't care to get in an elitest (there's that word again) bookstore either. It's just that many of my readers look for me there and can't find me. Arrrrrggghhh!
Now finish your next book so I have something to read in the carpool line. I tried to take as much time as I could to read Soul Runner but eventually I knew I'd finish. What am I supposed to do now Jon? Huh?
LOL Also note that I'm not sure who Lifeway's current bookbuyer is. It is or rather was Michael something and yes he told my local Lifeway manager that he'd talked to me about Forever Richard (which he hasn't,) and that he told me they'd not carry it (which he couldn't tell me since he never talked to me.) All he ever did was have me pay to overnight him a copy of Never Ceese then told me to call him when I got a publisher. How nice! I got a publisher and he still said no. Didn't give me my money back either for overnighting my book to him. He never even read the book. He had it all of one day before he turned it down due to the fact that it didn't come through an affiliated publisher. Hmpf!
ReplyDeleteStoopid Lifeway. But like you said, most sales don't come through brick and mortar stores anyway. Not until the book starts selling on-line first. It just makes me sick CBA operates the same way with their on-line stores as well.
Good thing I DON'T CARE!!! LOLROFL
Hey is your next book going to be like a continuation of Soul Runner? Because I might have to hurt you if it isn't.