Well for some reason I can NOT figure out some do come to me to ask, "How do I get where you are in publishing?"
Why anyone would WANT to be where I am in publishing, flat broke with no hope of making any money at all off my writring (zero sells for the past hmmm, oh I stopped counting) except for the books I sell myself which are few and far between, is BEYOND ME! But hey, misery loves company and the more the merrier. If you choose my lifestyle I'd be more than happy to tell you how to get here. Oh, it will all come out good in the end. ;D
Okay so here's the premise for a series of blogs, (I know I just won't shut up) about the BEST way to proceed if what you want is to be like me. And who wouldn't want that!
Here's the skinny:
Sue,
Because I know this is a LOADED question, not to mention you dedicate so much of your blog to it . . . but any thoughts on how to go about actually choosing a "good" way to self publish, such as who to choose to print the work, etc.?
Since my work is definitely not "christian" fiction in any way, I won't need to worry about all of the CBA nonsense, thankfully. But I obviously still want to choose a venue that will allow me to have some (if any) say over where my books can be shelved, although I don't have a particular aversion to trying out the "traditional" publishing route, I want to have a solid self publishing path in mind since it's so damn hard to get published in the first place!
I'm trying to do all of my research now so that when the edit is finished, I have some direction as to where to head next. ;) So any thoughts are welcome.
So there you have it. There is a LOT on my blog already but sometimes it helps to follow an author along. And since this author has listened and followed the first step, seeking and finding an excellent PROFESSIONAL editor and understanding that this is the biggest investment an author should make and not PAYING for advertising, then I think it would only be nice of me to tell her where I went next etc . . .
So follow Rachel and I along on Rachel's publishing journey and you will see that I do indeed know what I'm talking about whether anybody wants to HEAR it or not. ;D
Showing posts with label Christian market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian market. Show all posts
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
What being flagged for the Christian market means.
******Repost for my non-affiliated Christian author friends. Boring to anyone else***
I try to provide information to new authors as I go through things myself. One thing I'm able to share now is just what being flagged for the Christian market means.
Some facts:
* Ingram/Spring Arbor is the main line of distribution for the Christian market.
* An author does not have to be published by a CBA or ECPA affiliated publisher to have their work considered and deemed Christian.
But does being flagged for the Christian market by Ingram/Spring Arbor mean immediate distribution into any of the bigger Christian Booksellers stores? Of course not. Neither does having distribution through Ingram mean you get into any of the bigger general market bookstores.
However, without having Ingram/Spring Arbor distribution or rather being flagged for the Christian market, no Christian Book Store on-line or otherwise can even order your book.
Before you rush right out to submit your book to Ingram/Spring Arbor you might consider this. While Ingram/Spring Arbor will bring books into distribution that aren't affiliated with the two gatekeeper associations created by Christian Book Stores in the 1960's to make sure the work put out didn't offend their market, they can't guarantee you anything.
If you check with the larger Christian Book Sellers such as Lifeway and Mardels you'll find that while they do get distribution through Ingram/Spring Arbor they'll recheck any title that comes into their store for acceptance by their conservative evangelical market. Lifeway even goes as far as to question books provided by CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers, the very associations they helped spawn in the 1960s.
Bottom line, pay attention. If some of your readers come from that targeted market CBA and ECPA serve and you want to get to those readers where they shop, submit your book to Ingram/Spring Arbor. Though most bigger Christian booksellers won't put it on their shelf, at least they can order it if a customer ask for it.
It's also helpful to remember that all bigger Christian Book Sellers do target a particular Christian market and not the broader Christian market. That's why they subject all books coming in to another round of scrutiny before they even think about putting anything on their shelf. Books published by the bigger CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers like Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Bethany House, Nav Press, David C. Cook do automatically go on the shelves though Christian Books Sellers won't hesitate to pull them if a customer says something. And yes, one customer can actually make a difference.
Some comments made somewhere else where I posted this and my responses:
C. says - Great information Sue! Thanks!
God bless!
C.
Sue says - Thank you C. I find it extremely interesting how little authors actually know about Ingram/Spring Arbor. I know I was clueless. I actually thought once I was in, I could finally do signings at my local Lifeway. Nope. Lifeway is exclusive to their own specific niche market. But at least a customer can get your book if they want to order it if you have distribution through Spring Arbor.
Now I learn all of the bigger Christian Book Sellers are like this, exclusive to a specific Christian market. CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers have to be getting worried as now it seems the larger Christian Book Sellers are even turning on them! YIKES! What is the world coming to. :)
D. says - Info from someone who has been down the road - totally the most valuable info I have seen in a long time.
Sue says - Thank you D. :) I wish I could say I knew it all. I also wish I could say that what I've learned doesn't make me wonder why CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers believe they are the Christian market. They're a large part of it yes, if money has anything to say about it but that's it.
And now these affiliated publishers who wanted to fill affiliated Christian book stores with their targeted fiction (so their readers could find them of course,) are leaving Christian bookstores in droves. And they don't want their work in the Christian section the general market bookstores now provide, they want their targeted fiction mixed in with the general market fiction. Can you say running around in a big OL' Circle?
CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers are breaking their necks to say they don't write targeted fiction. Michael Hyatt can't seem to say it enough lately. Yet they do. It's the audience they were created to serve. Sure. They've loosened up a little, gotten a little "edgier" if you will. (I personally hate that word) but they still write for a targeted audience and should be in the Christian section and nowhere near the bookshelves where general market fiction sits.
What are markets for if not to help readers find things?
I try to provide information to new authors as I go through things myself. One thing I'm able to share now is just what being flagged for the Christian market means.
Some facts:
* Ingram/Spring Arbor is the main line of distribution for the Christian market.
* An author does not have to be published by a CBA or ECPA affiliated publisher to have their work considered and deemed Christian.
But does being flagged for the Christian market by Ingram/Spring Arbor mean immediate distribution into any of the bigger Christian Booksellers stores? Of course not. Neither does having distribution through Ingram mean you get into any of the bigger general market bookstores.
However, without having Ingram/Spring Arbor distribution or rather being flagged for the Christian market, no Christian Book Store on-line or otherwise can even order your book.
Before you rush right out to submit your book to Ingram/Spring Arbor you might consider this. While Ingram/Spring Arbor will bring books into distribution that aren't affiliated with the two gatekeeper associations created by Christian Book Stores in the 1960's to make sure the work put out didn't offend their market, they can't guarantee you anything.
If you check with the larger Christian Book Sellers such as Lifeway and Mardels you'll find that while they do get distribution through Ingram/Spring Arbor they'll recheck any title that comes into their store for acceptance by their conservative evangelical market. Lifeway even goes as far as to question books provided by CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers, the very associations they helped spawn in the 1960s.
Bottom line, pay attention. If some of your readers come from that targeted market CBA and ECPA serve and you want to get to those readers where they shop, submit your book to Ingram/Spring Arbor. Though most bigger Christian booksellers won't put it on their shelf, at least they can order it if a customer ask for it.
It's also helpful to remember that all bigger Christian Book Sellers do target a particular Christian market and not the broader Christian market. That's why they subject all books coming in to another round of scrutiny before they even think about putting anything on their shelf. Books published by the bigger CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers like Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Bethany House, Nav Press, David C. Cook do automatically go on the shelves though Christian Books Sellers won't hesitate to pull them if a customer says something. And yes, one customer can actually make a difference.
Some comments made somewhere else where I posted this and my responses:
C. says - Great information Sue! Thanks!
God bless!
C.
Sue says - Thank you C. I find it extremely interesting how little authors actually know about Ingram/Spring Arbor. I know I was clueless. I actually thought once I was in, I could finally do signings at my local Lifeway. Nope. Lifeway is exclusive to their own specific niche market. But at least a customer can get your book if they want to order it if you have distribution through Spring Arbor.
Now I learn all of the bigger Christian Book Sellers are like this, exclusive to a specific Christian market. CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers have to be getting worried as now it seems the larger Christian Book Sellers are even turning on them! YIKES! What is the world coming to. :)
D. says - Info from someone who has been down the road - totally the most valuable info I have seen in a long time.
Sue says - Thank you D. :) I wish I could say I knew it all. I also wish I could say that what I've learned doesn't make me wonder why CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers believe they are the Christian market. They're a large part of it yes, if money has anything to say about it but that's it.
And now these affiliated publishers who wanted to fill affiliated Christian book stores with their targeted fiction (so their readers could find them of course,) are leaving Christian bookstores in droves. And they don't want their work in the Christian section the general market bookstores now provide, they want their targeted fiction mixed in with the general market fiction. Can you say running around in a big OL' Circle?
CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers are breaking their necks to say they don't write targeted fiction. Michael Hyatt can't seem to say it enough lately. Yet they do. It's the audience they were created to serve. Sure. They've loosened up a little, gotten a little "edgier" if you will. (I personally hate that word) but they still write for a targeted audience and should be in the Christian section and nowhere near the bookshelves where general market fiction sits.
What are markets for if not to help readers find things?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
2009 Pluto Award finalists and Never Ceese!
Even with the teasing *and you know who you are ;)* I'd managed not to think about the finalists being listed today for the 2009 Pluto Awards, 12-23-09, or at least I'd forgotten it enough to be shocked when I saw the three finalists. Yes. Shocked! LOL
A story surrounding the lives of a werewolf and a vampire--a finalists in an award ceremony for Sci-Fi? Now I'll have nightmares trying to figure out how to market this little gem of a series. LOL Not to mention that this award is symbolic of what Christian readers want to see, a market whose industry won't talk about any author coming from outside their exclusive fee-paying publishers nor will they allow their authors to mention such authors in interviews etc . . . Ah, but this isn't the time for soapbox dancing. ;)
Never Ceese, short-listed in 2006 for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel has moved on to be a finalist at the 2009 Pluto Awards! Lest we forget, for Richard's sake, Forever Richard was nominated as well.
Absolutely amazing to me and thank-you to all who voted. You made my Christmas!
God Bless you everyone!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Cyn No More
So Cyn No More looks to be the official title for the third installment of my Thirsting For Blood series. Any comments *be nice* on how that sounds? Of course, you have to be nice or else I'll lovingly delete your comment. Oh the power of being in charge of ones own blog. :)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Officially In Stock at Ingram and Spring Arbor
Never Ceese the paperback, ISBN: 9780976994701, with it's fantabulous updated cover, is officially "In Stock" at Ingram and Ingram/Spring Arbor and is showing up as such. So order away. Oh and if anyone would like to help out with distribution feel free to contact me as I am S D Enterprises. :)
A vampire . . . a werewolf . . . Can two who were wronged make it right?
Never Ceese
www.neverceese.com
A vampire . . . a werewolf . . . again!
Forever Richard
www.foreverrichard.com
A vampire . . . a werewolf . . . Can two who were wronged make it right?
Never Ceese
www.neverceese.com
A vampire . . . a werewolf . . . again!
Forever Richard
www.foreverrichard.com
Saturday, April 25, 2009
The Christian Ghetto.
Lovely term, isn't it? I didn't create it though. I'd never even heard the phrase until I started trying to find more ways to get my books to a particular audience of readers who seemed to be enjoying my work.
I found the term to be a bit derogatory and offensive and researched to learn more. Apparently the term came about as a way to define writing, music, art etc . . . overtly dealing with the Christian market--for the Christian market, Catholic,protestant, you name it.
In the writing arena, fiction produced by the larger Christian publishers, or rather work produced by CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers (and a handful of other publishers who produce fiction for other Faiths not covered by CBA and ECPA) fit this bill. The fiction these publishers turn out is not designed to appeal to general market readers thus the term Christian Ghetto.
In the beginning I was thrilled to have the support of CBA and ECPA market readers and I'm still thrilled. I simply want to make certain it's understood that my work is simply general market fodder equally enjoyed by readers from a very specific market.
Readers interested in both Never Ceese (the re-published paperback ISBN# 9780976994701) and Forever Richard (autographed copy available at www.TheWritersCafe.com) can find my books where ever books are sold. As an added bonus, because of the attention my stories have received from readers of the Christian market, my publisher and I have submitted and qualified for distribution through Spring Arbor.
I found the term to be a bit derogatory and offensive and researched to learn more. Apparently the term came about as a way to define writing, music, art etc . . . overtly dealing with the Christian market--for the Christian market, Catholic,protestant, you name it.
In the writing arena, fiction produced by the larger Christian publishers, or rather work produced by CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers (and a handful of other publishers who produce fiction for other Faiths not covered by CBA and ECPA) fit this bill. The fiction these publishers turn out is not designed to appeal to general market readers thus the term Christian Ghetto.
In the beginning I was thrilled to have the support of CBA and ECPA market readers and I'm still thrilled. I simply want to make certain it's understood that my work is simply general market fodder equally enjoyed by readers from a very specific market.
Readers interested in both Never Ceese (the re-published paperback ISBN# 9780976994701) and Forever Richard (autographed copy available at www.TheWritersCafe.com) can find my books where ever books are sold. As an added bonus, because of the attention my stories have received from readers of the Christian market, my publisher and I have submitted and qualified for distribution through Spring Arbor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)