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?

Proud to present Angel Time

Like this book needs an introduction. :) Anne Rice, one time vampire writer, now writes for general market Christian readers specifically. She's given up her vampire writing for naught, as I understand it, because it points to a very dark time in her life that she'd rather not revisit. So going back to her Catholic roots, she's now writing with a more defined perspective. Not as defined as affiliated Christian publishers thank goodness but defined none-the-less.

Will it be good?

*gasp*

What kind of question is that?

Of course it will be. After all, this is Anne Rice. It wasn't what she wrote about that made her who she is but her exquisite style. Keep in mind, despite writing Christian fiction, you won't find Mrs. Rice's work in larger Christian Bookstores as you should. Knopf publishing isn't affiliated. However, I do foresee some larger Christian bookstores ignoring this fact as Mrs. Rice stands to sell a lot of books!

So there ya go! Another non-affiliated Christian book and at least two more to come in this series. I'm excited.

British Fantasy Society Top twenty something!

I stumbled across this just a few minutes ago at www.britishfantasysociety.org.uk and I must say that even though I've no idea what this is a list of I do know that I like it. Forever Richard in the top twenty of some very grand books.

Perhaps placement on the list is superfluous yet being on the list isn't. Do read Maryann Boo's outstanding review of Forever Richard when you get the chance. :) Then go read Forever Richard or Never Ceese (paperback version) if you've not read Forever Richard first. It's a series after all. I'd certainly want you to get the most out of it.

Open Book Society begins discussion of Never Ceese

Starting October 1st, the Open Book Society will be doing a chapter by chapter discussion of Never Ceese as I understand it. Do check it out as I would appreciate any support. In addition, you'll get a play by play look at my Bram Stoker Short-listed debut novel. They will be reviewing the paperback of course. ;)

The Open Book Society will also be posting an interview to go along with hosting Never Ceese and my Thirsting for Blood Series as their club choice for the month. Do spread the word!

The web address to the forum that you should visit NOW LOL and vote and say hi and wait anxiously until Monday as I'm doing is: Right Here! :)

Exposé on the Christian Publishing Industry

Addendum: You will have to scroll waaaaaay down once you click on the link to find my article but it is there. :) Other good stuff too so don't forget to check it out.

I can't believe I haven't posted to this sooner. I was approached by Kelly Mortimer of the newly formed Christian Media Association to write an article for her first newsletter (at least I think it was her first newsletter) and I happily took her up on her offer. If you don't know who Kelly is and you're an author or publisher, you should definitely get to know her. You can read this entire newsletter to learn more. Here's a teaser to how my article starts and then you can click on the passage to go to the newsletter to read more. It's everything I've learned so far but do keep in mind, I'm still learning. :)

Exposé on the Christian Publishing Industry – Everything You Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask.

By Sue Dent


. . . With CBA and ECPA defining the Christian Publishing Industry, and meeting no resistance, it is no surprise that absolutely everything in Christian publishing, called “Christian,” is associated with these two fee-requiring affiliations. . .

Keep in mind, with the way publishing is here in the US, the so called Christian publishing industry isn't necessarily about looking down on smaller published, self-published or unknown authors, it's more of a discriminatory nature. If you read my article, upon scrolling down a bit, you'll see this. So on top of the usual battle of getting noticed because you're a new author, if you find your work appealing to this audience, you also have the unwinnable battle of never being able to get to this industry's readers unless you have a fee-paying affiliated publisher with strict requirements regarding how you should write to appeal to their audience -- even if you're already appealing to them. Yeah. I think I said that right.

A few snippets from here and there!

Little gems I find from surfing the net. Enjoy.

"We LOVE the book "Never Ceese"! 11yo [daughter] just finished it in the last couple of days, and is not too happy that I don't have "Forever Richard" . . . She would be soooooooo thrilled to get both of these books! :) Obviously, this is one of our favorite fantasty stories . . ."

"I had the first in this series and so was able to read both of them in quick succession. I have read Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga, and I prefer Sue Dent’s vampire series, (by a LOOONNNGG shot!) It’s not strictly romance, but it does have a bit of that flavor in the mix! Trust me, you’ll want to check this series out!"

More to come.

From Amish to vampires, Christian fiction expands

From Amish to vampires, Christian fiction expands

I found an news article labeled as such floating around the Internet (google it if you want to read it yourself) and thought I'd chime in since the actual wording makes it seem as though nothing like this has been done with Christian fiction before. I suppose the first thing to note here is that the label Christian fiction, in this instance, is referring to work produced by CBA affiliated Christian publishers not general market work. It's meant for a very narrowly targeted market of Christians and the writing conventions are tailored so that no writing offends their conservative evangelical audience.

I've not read the Amish fiction affiliated publishers such as Steeple Hill put out but one reviewers response pretty much nailed the genre. When offered a chance at a free book they wrote that they did like the work of this particular author but they preferred to read Amish Fiction about the Amish. Meaning that CBA affiliated publishers' Amish fiction is Amish from a conservative Evangelicals world view. Certainly makes sense since that's who their audience is.

As far a vampires goes, also from a conservative Evangelicals world view. The book being talked about on this news release is from Zondervan, a CBA(ECPA) affiliated imprint of Random House. I contacted Zondervan after an affiliated author told me I should, (when my book was appealing to readers who favored CBA work.) I was told that no affiliated publisher would ever allow their authors to write about vampires much less call them that. As I understand it, this affiliated version from Zondervan isn't even allowed to have fangs.

CBA affiliated Thomas Nelson pretty much held true to what the Zondervan editor told me and wouldn't take my work which was later deemed socially acceptable for distribution to the Christian Market. Interestingly, not long after Thomas Nelson decided not to humor me, they released two books that both authors claimed were about vampires.

The author of this Christian vampire book from Zondervan is a fan of mine (I think.) She did e-mail me once because she was excited that Zondervan was going to allow her to write about vampires. I had to say I was a bit frustrated by this until I realized they didn't let her do this at all. They're sticking to their guns. They don't want to distance the reader's that have made them what they are.

As far as affiliated publishers being allowed to write more "general market" like material--well, if they knew how to and succeeded they wouldn't be a niche market anymore would they. The Christian Booksellers Association was set up in 1950 by a group of Christian Bookstores, then called the Baptist Bookstore to provide very different and very targeted fiction to their visitors. It grew into a huge market and they're not about to offend that market.

Not anytime soon anyway.

Do keep in mind, this kind of confusion over what is Christian and what isn't in the publishing world, at least here in the US, is further complicated by one group taking the all encompassing label Christian and applying it to the very targeted work they put out. I suppose that's two groups if you consider that the ECPA is a group of CBA affiliated publishers whose restrictions are even more strict if you can believe that!

*CBA - Christian Booksellers Association

*ECPA - Evangelical Christian Publishers Association

Small press author gets big time praise!

Of course that's my perspective but you be the judge. Here's a message left for me on Shoutlife, a social network I belong to:

Hi Sue,
I'm at work but I had to stop and write to you. A woman just came into the library to return two "House of Night" books and Forever Richard. She said Forever Richard was far better than the House of Night books and wants to know when your next book will be out.

That's one for the small press authors!

So when is your next book coming out? This lady really, really wanted to know.

I'm glad I made your day. I love it when someone picks up a small press book and discovers a new favorite author. There is a great potential audience out there.

Kara




And here's an entry left on a forum at RomanticTimes.com, a forum that author Kate Douglas started for readers to leave names of books that they found cherishable. Here's the irony. Kate Douglas actually contacted me once to see if we might be related because of a last name we shared. We couldn't prove it one way or the other but then this reader leaves this comment on her forum and Kate remembered me. But now for the comment:

"My book shelves are ridiculously stuffed. I don't just own books, I possess them. I don't buy books, I collect them! It is a really good thing that I'm not rich! Although library book sales are my bane.
My favorite ever, as in I've read eight, nine, times, is Tahn by L.A. Kelly. If ever I'm feeling depressed that book manages to make a showing for a light skimming, and sometimes more. The sequel, Return to Alastair, is nearly as wonderful as the first, but I don't think any book can quite achieve that.
But Tahn isn't the only one. I just got Never Ceese by Sue Dent for my birthday. I was so excited. I love that book! It is so hilarious! If you ever need to laugh, that is the book. And on days that I'm feeling overwhelmed, I immediately go for the paranormal or fantasy, something that is intense and completely not like my life. I'm all into distraction. Something like Patricia Briggs. Ooh, her books are amazing."

Yep, this is a good sign of how my Thirsting for Blood series is doing with general market readers. It continues to do extremly well with readers from that specific market of Christians CBA and ECPA serve as well as they are hungry for good fiction that doesn't offend. On that note I'd like to remind that while readers of that specific market are very accepting, their publishers and those that do blog tours and blogs for their very targeted fiction aren't. I submitted Never Ceese to one blog that claimed to review and list books for the Young Adult Christian market. I asked specifically if these books would be judged against the narrow standards that have come to plague this market. The owner of the blog said no yet now refuses to recommend my book to young adults based on language. Nope. There is no problem with language used in my books for young adults. That's why it's marketed as young adult. I've had fourth graders read and enjoy these books with their parents permission. These books have been deemed and approved as "socially acceptable" to the Christian market which means distribution to CBA and ECPA bookstores (even though no non-affiliated author can get in.)

So there ya go. Onward and upward. It's going to be up to you readers for this small press author to get anywhere fast and THANK YA'LL SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!

Love ya'll.
Sue Dent

Forever Richard gets all Pirate-ey tom-arrrrrr-ow!

That's right. So pay attention. MaryLu Tyndale has informed me that she'll be givin' Forever Richard away on her blog. I suggest you be gettin' yurself over there if yur wantin' to read it without partin' with the cash. I don't know what got into her but I'm figurin' a bunch of you don't care so long as you don't have to put out the cash for somethin'. Arrrrrrr!!! And just to show ya my good nature, I'm throwin' in one of them blasted hard copies of Never Ceese. If you buy Never Ceese you best be buyin' the paperback or else you'll walk the plank.

Trust me.

I can find a plank.

So there ya go! Now run over to http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com in the morn to get yur chance to win or pop over tonight to get a good seat. Don't know if that's required but it sure couldn't hurt. Pirates can be pretty sneaky I hear.

What arrrrrrrr ya doin'?

I said go!

Faithwords-cutting edge Christian Fiction or blurring the line?

If I had a vote it would be blurring the line.

At the moment Hatchette books has two imprints for Christian Fiction. Center Street and Faithwords. They describe Center Street as their imprint to handle fiction for "edgier" Christian readers (translated this means CBA readers because CBA has set itself up as the Christian Publishing Industry so anything Christian is inherently designed to appeal to evangelical readers first and anyone else after that.) Faithwords is, according to Hatchette Books FAQ, "exclusively written for Christian audiences." Again the Christian audience in publishing today is defined by CBA. So this would be Hatchette books CBA affiliated imprint.

And to further emphasize this fact, recent reviews of recent releases from Faithwords fall in line with reviews for other CBA or ECPA affiliated books. The work seems to unbelievable for CBA's and ECPA's audience of evangelicals and too overt and targeted for general market Christian readers.

Having said that, their Center Street imprint doesn't seem to offer much hope either. Publishing affiliated authors such as Dekker might be one of the problems. However, I feel the biggest problem is that the Christian Publishing Industry is presently defined by an organization whose market, according to www.cabonline.com is evangelicals and some Catholics.

Amazing isn't it?

But yes, IMO blurring the line is the order of the day. :)

Forever Richard passes the true test!

That's right no endorsement from Publisher's Weekly or any other first-line reviewers (that's all a racket anyway) well, except for the outstanding endorsement from the British Fantasy Society by my own hands (and what an endorsement!) But yes, two thumbs up from Mom! I actually thought it a fluke when she read Never Ceese and then made a call to tell me she enjoyed it very much. This is a woman (though loved dearly) who often compliments by telling you what's wrong. LOL Well, at least when it comes to her real kids, not her grand kids of course. They get the "Memaw" treatment. :)

The encouraging words told to me over dinner at Applebee's, "I told Judy(my younger sister by one year) that I don't usually enjoy these kind of stories but that girl can write." That sound you hear is me choking on a shrimp at Applebee's where we'd gone to eat. LOL She was on chapter 31.

So for Caprice, you've got another Rodney hater and Geoffrey lover and for me, I get to keep a fan. So stick that up your pipe and smoke it all you front-line reviewers who cater to authors who don't need your stupid help.

Beat that!

You can't so don't even try.

So here's one link to Never Ceese the paperback!

With distribution through Ingram and Spring Arbor, Never Ceese the paperback will be available wherever books are sold. Please make sure you buy one! Here's the link for Amazon. The temporarily out of stock business will go away shortly.

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.