Hopefully helpful news to aspiring authors.

The publishing industry is full of pitfalls the least of which will have a would be author giving up before they even get started. Can't say I knew about many of them going into it but I've learned a good bit since. All and all, if you walk in with your eyes open and your purpose set, you'll fair okay. But it isn't helpful when things aren't as they appear. This is particularly mind-boggling when attempting to choose a market for your work. For instance I chose young adult as my editor and first publisher said that's who they felt would most likely enjoy my stories. It's important to note my first publisher was also a Christian (non CBA affiliated) publisher so we eagerly began trying to get books into Christian bookstores. After all, we had distribution through STL a "Christian" distributor.

*Woop. Woop. Red Alert. Danger. Danger*

Little did we know that "Christian" in the publishing industry referred to one market not the entire market. And that one market is exclusive (meaning a publisher has to pay to belong) and denominational (meaning the work produced is for one audience and a very narrowly targeted one at that.)

Needless to say, calling my work "Christian" would not put it in the hands of anyone who would enjoy it the most. Well there's a fine how do you do! My first non-affiliated Christian publisher wasn't even told that the chances of her getting non-affiliated books in a larger (CBA affiliated) Christian bookstore were um, ZERO! The distributor simply took her money and would report with each attempt that "no, that Christian bookstore didn't want to carry her books either."

So many authors are contacting me now, I guess because I've so many openly Christian readers and with a vampire/werewolf story no less, and asking me how I did it.

The only thing I can tell you is this, unless your story is overtly Christian and designed to appeal to the audience CBA and ECPA serve (an audience that won't read sci-fi, fantasy and of course not horror. Nor will they read anything that isn't heavily evangelical) do NOT call your work Christian. Or if you do, make sure you tag on with every breath that your work isn't CBA or ECPA affiliated (if it isn't anyway.) That's an exclusive market and their work is not designed (nor does it) appeal to general market readers. Christians included.

Saying your work is Christian before you're picked up by a publisher will severely lessen your chances of having your work looked at by anyone other than an affiliated agent. And if you write in the Sci-fi, fantasy or horror genre, affiliated agents will send you happily marching. ;)