Chip MacGregor .com

Self-Publishing, Ghosting, and Other Expensive Ideas

Denise wrote and asked, "What do you mean when you say someone 'self-published'?"

Normally an author sends his or her agent a proposal. The agent shops it to a royalty-paying publishing house, who signs a contract, produces the book, and sells it to stores. The author licenses the sales rights to the publisher, so instead of actually "selling" the book, the author's job consists of chatting it up, helping promote it, and complaining that the publisher isn't doing enough marketing.

That's the "normal" route a book follows. But sometimes an author will choose to go directly to a printer, have his or her own copies of the book produced, and then try to sell the book directly. Under this arrangement, the author pays for all the production costs (editing, cover art, ink, paper, binding, shipping). Therefore, the risk is great. However, if the author can actually sell some copies, his earnings will be much greater. Instead of making a dollar in royalty for each book, the possibility exists that he can make ten dollars for each book sold.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I was able to say that with a straight face. Okay, in reality, the author knows NOTHING about producing books. So he (we're going to assume a male author, since nobody can tell most men anything) pays too much for a bad cover. (Self-pubbed books are notorious for bad covers.) He sends it to the printer who says they'll edit it, but don't. (Self-pubbed books are similarly notorious for poor editing.) He hopes for good quality ink and paper. (Take a guess at what goes in this parenthetical note.) He pays too much for each book, has no contacts for marketing it, and, worst of all, doesn't know how to sell them after he's talked with his relatives, neighbors, and steadily shrinking network of friends. He goes in debt $12,000, but he can puff his chest out at his 20th high school reunion, since he's now "An Author." That's the game, Denise.

Of course, there are two reasons people continue to self-publish... First, because there's a sucker born every minute. If you want to throw your money at a project in order to feel better about yourself, who am I to stop you? Second, because occasionally an author will educate himself. He'll invest in a real cover artist, send his manuscript to a legit editor, and team up with a quality printer. He'll find a great marketing company to help get the word out on his book, then throw himself into promoting it. And, above all, he will research and invest in sales channels, so that he stands a chance of earning back his investment. The few who do this often speak to groups, so they can sell them in the back of the room, or they know their audience extremely well, and understand how to reach potential readers. But this doesn't happen very often. Short of playing the ponies, pulling the handles of slot machines,  or buying stock options, I know of very few ways to lose money as fast as self-pubbing. More power to you!

Mary wrote to ask, "I have a friend who wants me to write his autobiography. He wrote a few pages -- they were poorly crafted, but sweet. I told him there's no market for this, but he insists I write it for him, and he has family money to finance it. How do we determine payment?"

Wow. If he's writing out checks randomly like this, ask him if he needs a consultant. I'd be happy to have him send some of that money my way, Mary. Okay, here's a quick way to determine payment... Look at the project and figure out how long it will take you to write. If you can create about four or five pages per day, and he wants 100 pages, you should be able to get it done in a month. (It takes a bit of experience to look at a project and figure out how long it's going to take, but let's say a month of full-time writing.) Now you have to figure out how much you want to make in a month. If you had a normal job, and worked for a month, maybe you'd make $4000. Since you have to pay your own taxes out of this, charge him $5000 and you're all set. (And yes, the $5000 price tag will probably scare away most people anyway.) Having told you all that, you should know the $5000 figure is low. 

Not everyone charges by "time on project." Some charge by the word  or by the hour. Last year, the average hourly ghostwriting fee in this country was $73 (it ranged between $50 and $100). It's hard to determine the average overall project fee for this type of thing, but I can tell you the average fee for an "as told to" book in this country was about $22,000...but it usually ran about four months, so my $5000-for-a-month estimate is pretty close to being spot on.

Of course,  you may want to heed my advice from an earlier post: If anyone asks you to write their memoir and they are not a celebrity, run the other way. Some day you'll thank me for this bit of wisdom.

And Linda wrote with the question, "What do you think of the services of The Writers Edge and ECPA's First Edition? Do these work?"

For the uninitiated, "The Writers Edge" (writersedgeservice.com) is a private company that solicits author proposals, then produces a printed report that is made available to Christian publishers. You list the title and genre, write your own short book description, and can use up to 75 words to explain your credentials. For that, they charge you $95. They claim that last year they placed 18 books with publishers, though they don't list the projects or the publishers.

The people at Writers Edge are very nice. They mean well. But I'm not a fan. I don't know of many editors who have the time to wade through a monthly report of unsolicited ideas on various ideas in random genres. In fact, I don't know of any significant editor who has contracted a book from this service. I'm not saying this is a bad idea, only that, in my experience, it hasn't been a boon to authors. I still think an author with an agent is much more likely to get his or her project reviewed -- in fact, I believe a well-rehearsed pitch at a writing conference would make a stronger impression than a brief description in what amounts to a printed slush pile.

ChristianManuscriptSubmission.com (formerly known as "First Edition") is run by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). It's similar to Writers Edge in that you list the title and genre, but they allow you to give a 500-word description of your book, a complete Table of Contents, and a 3000-word sample chapter. Rather than producing a printed brochure, they post the proposals on a web site available only to the publishing members of ECPA. The cost is $98 to have your book listed for six months.

In theory, this is a better deal -- you get more words, and you would think that ECPA members would be checking the site. But in truth, the same criticisms hold true. I know of no editors (at ECPA houses or elsewhere) who are short on proposals. So put yourself into an editor's shoes... Would you prefer to contract with someone you don't know, or with an agent you know and trust? Would you rather be reviewing random pieces on a web site sent in by anyone who can afford the fee, or a handful of polished proposals sent in by agents you've done business with in the past? There are thousands of unpublished authors trying to peddle their manuscripts, so this has created the biggest electronic slush pile on the planet. I just don't see that it's an effective tool.

I'm sorry -- I'm an agent, and I know this sounds completely self-serving. But I used to be an editor, a senior editor, and a publisher, and I can tell you with certainty that the publishing business has moved away from the do-it-yourselfer and toward the professionals and specialists.

Does it hurt to participate in The Writers Edge and/or Christian Manuscript Submission? Of course not. And maybe you'll be the one who gets noticed. But using that logic, you may want to also buy a lottery ticket, so that after you win, you can purchase your own publishing house. Business moves from less sophisticated to more sophisticated -- from amateurism to professionalism. It's why most houses only review agented submissions.

On Agents, Proposals, and More...

I've got a backlog of questions from readers, so I'm going to try and answer several people today...

Holly wrote to say, "I have a non-fiction book contract and an agent who only represents non-fiction. Since I also want to write fiction, do I need another agent? Is there a way to leverage my current situation to increase my odds of getting a good publisher for my novel?"

Some agents only represent non-fiction projects (and some only fiction projects, or children's projects, or whatever). So yes, the possibility exists that you may need a different agent for your novel. If you're happy with your NF agent and getting good service from him or her, then I'd simply approach the agent and say, "I'm planning to write a novel. Do you want to represent it? And if not, can you put me in touch with an agent you trust to represent it?" That keeps everything out in the open, and allows you to talk career management with your agent. As for leveraging your current publishing relationship, I'd suggest you find out if your current publisher does novels. If so, talk with your editor. Explain what you'd like to try and write. However, be aware of the fact that nearly every writer wants to do a novel, AND that a non-fiction audience can't be expected to follow you across the aisle in order to read your fiction. So by going to fiction, you're really starting over in your publishing career.

Kevin wrote and asked, "Is it really possible to market yourself as a novelist?"

I definitely think it's possible for a novelist to market himself or herself. Over the past year, I've tried to share some thoughts on how novelists can market themselves, so you may find it helpful to meander back through my posts in order to look for ideas. But here's the big picture: In my opinion, a novelist has to begin seeing herself not just as an artist (which you most certainly are), but also as a brand name or commodity that deserves marketing. And that means creating a well-thought-out plan for marketing yourself and your work. (Okay, I'll admit that part of me hates writing that. I don't like talking about words as "commodities," and treating the writing arts as though they were cans of corn. But let's face facts -- I'm talking with writers who want to make a living writing, and that translates to selling books.)

Non-fiction writers find it easier to do some basic marketing, since they have a topic or hot-button issue that is clearly discernable. If you were to write a book on losing weight or making money or raising kids, the potential audience for such a topic is easy to recognize. You can go onto radio programs and talk about the problem and the solutions you're offering, or write articles for magazines and e-zines that explore your particular approach to the issue. With fiction, it's tougher. Good stories are not about one topic, but explore numerous threads. And no radio or TV program wants to invite you on to re-tell your novel. So instead of focusing on the story, most fiction writers find they have to focus on the author or the genre. In other words, you and your voice becomes the focus of your marketing. This is why it's essential that a novelist has a clear style. Think of the marketing of successful novelists -- it's not always the story that is the focus, but the fact that there is another great book from John Grisham or Elizabeth George or Janet Evanovich. (Sometimes the focus is a bit more on the genre -- the publisher wants readers to know this is an Amish story, or a techno-thriller, or a cross-cultural adventure story. But that's much less frequent.) Looking at today's market, what's the lesson? Discover your voice. Write a great novel. Market yourself hard.

Kris wrote to say, "I read the sample proposals you keep on your MacGregor Literary site. I found them helpful (and can't wait to read Sandra Glahn's novel), but as an unpublished novelist, it made me wonder... What should I be doing to to pre-market myself?"

I don't think a new novelist is going to do much different from the work of a mid-list novelist when it comes to marketing. Make sure you know how to write exceptionally well, then figure out a plan and work hard at it. That means getting your name out there. Make sure you have a following of readers. Try to let as many people as possible know about your forthcoming book. Work to be successful locally, then try to find success regionally, then nationally. Participate in every possible marketing avenue you can afford. I've already noted that there is a day coming in which a novelist is going to have a hit by selling his or her books via the internet -- it's bound to happen, since the internet can be so personal. So be thinking of ways to maximize your exposure.

There has been a movement afoot among authors to "brand" themselves, but that's something I think is overdone among newbies. A "brand" occurs over time when customers have a series of positive impressions about a person or product. I think it's very, very tough for an unpublished novelist to establish a brand, since the potential readership has no context for establishing those types of impressions with an unknown author. (I'll have to blog about branding sometime soon.)

Nancy wrote and said, "I noticed  on your sample proposals that the authors have an extensive list of contacts. How necessary is this type of a list in a proposal, and what qualifies as a contact? If I interview an editor on my blog, does that qualify?"

If you maintain a relationship with the editor, then yes, I'd say it probably qualifies. Those authors listed contacts who are influencers -- people who would be on the publisher's "big mouth" list (a list your publicist will create with you, in order to get people talking about your book). Obviously, the bigger the name, the more helpful it is. But be aware that you really should only list people you are fairly certain will participate. Every editor is tired of seeing names like Billy Graham and Rick Warren, only to find out the author "intends to contact them and ask for an endorsement." A "contacts" list is just that -- a list of people you are already in contact with.

Karen wrote and asked, "What can you tell me about audio books? My publisher isn't interested in producing my books in audio, though they sell well in print. Is there a way to do that on my own?"

The reason your publisher isn't very interested? Money. There's just not much money to make with most audio books. Most of the New York houses will tell you that the audio book of a bestseller will only sell about 10% of what it sells in print. (So a book that moved 60,000 copies in hardcover will only sell 6000 in audio.) That's pretty skinny, especially when you consider that it's not like most sub-rights. If your publisher sells sub-rights for your book to a book club, or serial rights to a magazine, or excerpt rights for a gift book, all they have to do is send an electronic file. There's no real "production" cost to the publisher. But an audio book means they've got to rent a studio, pay an engineer, have an editor work on a shortened script, and possibly hire an actor to read the lines (unless the author agrees to do it himself, in which case the publisher has to pay plane fare, hotel, and meals). All of that means your publisher is investing dollars, and the pay-off generally isn't very good. For books that don't hit the bestseller lists, chances are the publisher will lose money.

An alternative is to do it yourself -- keep the rights, create your own scripts, talk with a local radio station about renting you an empty studio on a weekend at a steep discount, and pay their board-op $50 to record it. But then you've got to produce it ($1 per CD, plus $1 per case and label), store it, ship it, and, above all, SELL it. Most self-published projects lose money because the person who created the produce doesn't know how to sell it. If you don't know how to sell audio books, I'd encourage you to take a careful look at your business plan before jumping in.

Jim wrote to ask, "When do most editors draw the literary line on alliteration? Two words? Three? Four?"

A cool question, compadre. Every engaging editor eschews everyday alliteration. (Is this making you sick yet? It ought to.) Alliteration is out. It's considered too cutesy, or too lazy perhaps. My response would be "two words." If you disagree, feel free to leave a comment.

More questions to come!

Notes from the World of Publishing

The Atlanta Journal Constitution just anounced their winner for the "Worst Book Title of 2007." And it was... Disney's Cooking with Pooh.  Considering we're all on Thanksgiving break, I thought you'd appreciate knowing what you could have had instead of turkey. Runners-up included Letting it Go: A History of Incontinence, Everything You'll Need to Remember about Alzheimer's, and The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Field Guide to Identification.

Two thoughts come to mind: First, you should know that I didn't actually represent any of those books. Second, my buddy Steve Laube is the guy who put me on to this. Whether or not he repped any of them, I don't know...

The Writers Guild strike is still going on, and you should know about it. Publishers Marketplace has already noted that it has caused the optioning of film rights to dry up, and agents are receiving force majeur letters from organizations invoking their right to extend their options. The lack of writing is going to put a squeeze on agents who work primarily in the land of Hollywood productions. And a lot of those striking writers are talking to literary agents about doing books.

If you're not aware, the strike concerns money (there's a shocker) that should be paid to writers when a program is shared over the internet. And the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is completely correct on this issue. The writer should be paid for digitally distributed content. When a studio sells episodes of a TV show via iTunes, then pays a sub-standard residual to the writer, the writer is the one not being adequately compensated for his or her creative work. Think of it this way: If your book publisher decided they could take your book and sell it to people over the internet without paying you a royalty, wouldn't you feel cheated? So support the WGA. They're in the right...

The Regnery Lawsuit is a mess. Regnery is a good company that I've done business with. They own some alternative sales channels that can really help boost a book's numbers. But now some authors are suing them because they believe the company has been diverting book sales away from retail outlets in order to sell strictly through their own wholly-owned subsidiaries (and therefore pay the author a smaller royalty). An interesting debate for those who care about author earnings.

A few years ago, one of the New York houses was accused of selling their books to their wholly-owned Canadian distributors, with the distributor then selling the books Stateside. Oops. That way they could pay the author a smaller royalty. When agents found out about it, they flipped. And the practice stopped...

Chris Coppernoll's novel Providence had created a fabulous marketing idea. The host of the "Soul2Soul" radio show is scheduling book signings at stores and churches, but using it as a fundraiser for those who have mounting medical bills. The church or store will advertise that Chris is coming, sell books, and the readers get to meet and talk with the author, like any other signing -- but the kicker is that 100% of the proceeds collected go to the family in need. He has done several of these already, sold hundreds of books, and raised a lot of money for people who need it. Calling the idea "Providence Cares," Chris Coppernoll is finding a ready audience for the program. Great work! Other authors should consider doing something similar...

If you're an author who is in need of help on your nonfiction proposal, I want to encourage you to check out what Mary DeMuth is doing on her web site (www.maryedemuth.com). I first met Mary at a Mount Hermon writers' conference several years ago, and at the time I thought she was doing the best book proposals I'd ever seen. (So I get credit for "discovering" her!) Now she has created a tool to help other authors improve their proposals. I checked it out, and I love it. Great stuff. When I asked Mary for some tips on creating great nonfiction proposals, here's what she said:

"Writers need to know a few things before they start. First, know your passion. A good book proposal emerges from a passionate idea. Think about the topics you get passionate about when you talk to folks. It's a huge undertaking to write a proposal, so be sure you have the passion to carry an entire book.

"Second, know your book. What genre is it? Where should it be shelved? How well do you know what the book will be about? Do you have access to good research and great interviews? Make sure a pub board will find your book idea unique.

"Third, know your immediate audience. The first audience of your proposal is the agent or publisher you're querying. Find out everything you can about them. Do they specialize in the genre you're writing? Do they take new authors? Have you met and talked face-to-face? What kinds of books are they looking for? Analyzing books already represented is a good step -- if an agent already represents three 'mom' authors, chances are he/she won't want to take on another.

"Fourth, know the bookselling industry. Do you know what's selling? What is oversold? What trends are up and down? Go to bookstores and walk the aisles, sign up for newsletters and updates from the publishing industry, go to conferences, talk to booksellers. It's imperative that you know what you're getting into before embarking on this journey.

"Fifth, know yourself. Writing a proposal is the first step in a long journey. Do you have what it takes to bring a book to completion? Can you take constructive criticism? Do you have the time to not only write the book, but to edit it in a timely manner and promote it when it releases? Do you have a critique group to help you through the process? Jan Winebrenner says publishing a book is 'like giving birth to an elephant -- only more painful.' Are you ready for that?"

Great thoughts, Mary. I expect you'll be seeing a lot of authors visiting your site.

I've got a backlog of questions to get to -- I'll try to catch up in the next week!

Chip

Platforms, Business, and Kindles

Linda wrote to ask, "Could you give some action steps for nonfiction writers who want to create a media-ready personae, as your friend mentioned in last week's post?"

Sure. The basic idea is that you want to be able to show a publisher you have the training and experience to be involved in the media push for your book. So you might start by getting involved in some media training, in order to demonstrate you know how to talk about your book and it's message. You could create some DVD's of yourself, speaking to a group. You'll want to demonstrate that you're an expert on your topic. Here are some questions to think through...

• What types of places do you speak? Tell me about your audience, your venues, etc.
• Give me a list of places where you have spoken over the past year.
• Give me a list of where you are scheduled to speak in the next year.
• Can you give me a list of radio programs (local and national) that you’ve done?
• Can you give me a list of television programs (local and national) that you’ve done?
• Can you give me a list of articles you have written that touch on your book's topic?
• Of the various media we’ve explored so far, what do you feel you do best?
• Of the various media we’ve explored so far, where do you feel you are weakest?
• Can you give me a list of articles about you or your books that have been written by others? Also include any television reports that have been done about you.
• As you look back on past books, what has the publisher done that, in your opinion, worked well?
• As you look back on past books, what has the publisher done that, in your opinion, did not work well?
• Describe the internet marketing have you done on yourself and your books.
• What other marketing have you done on yourself and your books (tours, direct marketing, your own publicist, music, product sales, etc)?

Carla wrote to say, "I'm trying to establish a good business foundation for my writing career. could you share some keys as to what I should be trying to accomplish?"

Okay -- if you approach your writing career as a business, you're going to want an overall PLAN. That means you need to think about what you want to do with your writing. What is success? What's the goal? What are you hoping to achieve? I work on the business side of publishing, so I encourage authors to think in terms of outcomes, which generally translates into dollars. How much money are you hoping to make next year with your writing? What plan do you have in place in order to earn that?

There are a number of other things to think through. From my perspective, you need to have a place to write, a time to write regularly built into your schedule, and a project that you're writing on. You need to set up a filing system, a "to-do" list, a contacts list, and a writing calendar. Further, I think you should set up 90-day and annual goals, both in terms of "what I'll write" as well as "what I'll earn." Finally, I encouarge you to set up the necessary professional relationships -- an agent, a critique partner, and strong editorial relationships. All of this, of course, is dependent upon the idea that you have a handle on the craft of writing. If you can't write, the best business plan in the world isn't going to help you.

Ashley wrote to ask, "Is it more difficult for a first-time author to break into the market with fiction or non-fiction?"

The truth is, it's hard to break into the market, period. But from my experience, there are more open doors in non-fiction than there are in fiction. If you come up with a salable non-fiction idea, support it with strong writing, and show that you can help your publisher market it via a growing platform, you stand a good chance of getting published. But even a good idea and strong writing can be a tough sell in the fiction market -- we've all seen too many great novels die quickly.

A bit of techno-news that's important: In case you haven't heard, Kindle is going to be the next big thing in publishing. It's an electronic book, being released today by Amazon. Similar to a cel phone, you can download up to 200 titles onto it (each title is a relatively cheap $9.95), and you don't need wi-fi or a special membership to do so. It has a built-in Oxford English Dictionary, by the way. And Jeff Bezos, the head honcho at Amazon, insists that Kindle is going to replace the printed page. Oh, yeah -- the cost is $399. Um...I think I'll wait.

Andy, Editor at Zondervan, Stops By...

Things to Unlearn.

Italicized thoughts.

I don’t know if I’ve been around long enough to be a curmudgeon. There’s got to be an age cutoff, or something. I would eschew the term Luddite, for obvious reasons, though I have yet to create a Facebook page or post home videos to YouTube or upgrade to Vista or the iPhone. I do have a wireless Media Center Extender so I can watch recorded TV that I have stored on my external firewire drive through Media Center (with dual tuner). I’ve only met one other person who does that. So perhaps I’m just really really progressive, and forward-thinking. Yeah, that’s it.

But I do have enough things on my list to call this post the beginning of a series. A series called “Things to Unlearn.” And in this series, I will be making the case for a change in the status quo when it comes to telling stories in books. Chances are you just learned at a writer’s conference from some published writer to do exactly the thing that I’m telling you never to do again. Sometimes it happens.

And so my first curmudgeon’s rant—I mean, discourse on the bleeding edge of the craft of writing for postmodern times—is this: Please stop using italics for interior monologue.

I’ve heard that the Chicago Manual of Style used to recommend italics for interior monologue. Currently, in the fifteenth edition, the options given are quotes, or no quotes. (I looked at the fourteenth, and it lists all three possibilities. So it is a distinct change to no longer include italics.)

That might be the only evidence I need, but even if CMS gave unction to italicized thoughts, I would disagree. As readers become more and more sensitive to authorial intervention, italics seems another way of saying, “Look here, see what I’m doing?” It distinguishes the narration from the interior monologue, distancing the reader from the character and creating a false dichotomy.

When it comes to the point-of-view character, there is no need for italicized thoughts. That’s the beauty of the limited third-person or the first-person POV: the character’s voice is integral to the narration. A switch from third-person narration to first-person monologue can be done skillfully and easily, without confusing the reader, and without needing to distance the reader through a this-is-narration, this-is-interior-monologue indicator like italics.

In the rare case of the more omniscient third-person narrator, I would even advocate the much-malaised thought attribution in order to work around the italics problem, if absolutely necessary. Though, still better to use paragraph breaks or just ease into the thoughts by going from third person to first person.

There’s only one instance in which italics are appropriate, in my opinion, and that’s when a voice is speaking inside the character’s head. You know, the voice that tells you, Great job, Meisenheimer, could this sound any more arrogant? Because to the point-of-view character, this is a voice, unheard, but with the possibility of being an independent entity, although, of course, in my case, I sure hope not. It represents an actual dialogue within the character’s head, and a distinct voice separate, we assume, from the narrator’s thoughts. Though, I admit, there’s a good possibility this could be done without the use of italics. And if a writer figures out how to do that, then even better, I say.

ANDY MEISENHEIMER is married to Mandy and proud father of Ralph Edward. His best friends: Duncan, part Jack Russell and all bark, and Barnabas, a chubby and aloof shar-peagle. By day, he is an acquisitions editor at Zondervan. By night, he is an avid recorded TV watcher, novel reader, Wii player, and diaper changer. Likes: Phish, About Schmidt, the Enderverse, Berry Punch. Dislikes: Serial killer novels, Celebrity news, Biopics, Soda pop.
http://thesearebooks.blogspot.com

Wisdom from a Fellow Agent

Steve Laube (pronounced "Lobby') is a longtime friend of mine. We first got acquainted years ago, when we were both working as editors and we spoke at some of the same conferences. I always found Steve to be wise and articulate (whereas I'm known more as "wise-guy" and "intemperate"). Once I became an agent, I used to pitch him projects at Bethany House, and our friendship continued. Then Steve succumbed to the dark side and became an agent in his own right, and the two of us started our own little chat group -- a couple of literary agents, dishing the dirt on projects and trying to one-up each other. He's still a friend, we still chat, and I still value what he has to say.

Some people will think I'm crazy, turning my bl0g over to a competitor -- but I always appreciate my conversations with Steve, so I thought the readers of this blog would enjoy hearing what an experienced friend has to say on the topics of the day.

Steve, it's great to have you join us. Let's start by talking about CBA -- what are the trends you're seeing in fiction?

"This is always a challenge. Three years ago I couldn't sell a bestselling historical author anywhere. Today everyone wants historicals. Who knows about tomorrow? Publishers and authors alike tend to 'chase the ball' in an effort to match the perceived interests in the market. Unfortunately everyone sort of gets the same idea at the same time. For example, there was a sudden flood of chick-lit after Kristin Billerbeck's first novel was such a success. But here we are, a few years later, and very few publishers are willing to even consider a new 'lit' project.

"We get the same problem with science-fiction and fantasy (which are two distinct genres, contrary to common verbiage). I championed that category when I was at Bethany House and we launched Karen Hancock, Randy Ingermanson, John Olson, and Kathy Tyers. Unfortunately the market was soft and the category sort of frittered away to where the 2007 Christy Awards didn't even have the category designated for an award. However at the same time we have observed the wild success of  CBA YA fantasy novels from both Donita K. Paul and Bryan Davis. That success has opened a small window of opportunity in this category for adults too. Only a couple publishers are looking, and I can state that they will probably only release one or two authors, and wait for the market to vote. If the numbers are not strong? The cycle will begin all over again.

"So my advice is to stop chasing the market. Don't suddenly decide that you must write an Amish novel just because they are popular today. Don't write a Da Vinci Code knock-off just because it was cool to write a story with a 'lost manuscript.' Writers have no idea how many similar proposals we see that simply echo the current bestseller list. At all costs avoid the cliche'd approach to storytelling, i.e., the need to toss in a tornado to create suspense, or an assault on a woman to engender sympathy, or a myriad of other themes and triggers that are overused. Take your writing to a level that causes agents and editors to gasp at its creativity and brilliance. This can't be done by brainstorming one afternoon. It's why many bestselling books take years to develop and write."

Amen! So my Amish chick-lit about a girl caught in a tornado while searching for some lost Amish recipes won't fly?

"And now you've got me preaching. let me move to another subject before a blow a gasket."

Deal. What are you seeing with writing and publishing in non-fiction?

"There is a similar problem of chasing the market. The difference is that publishers aren't as concerned with 'story' or 'craft' with non-fiction. Instead it is the author's platform or past sales performance that has become the new threshold.

"In the past an author could create a great idea, get published, and consequently be able to build a platform. This still happens (see Donald Miller and Blue Like Jazz), but it is not the norm. Instead the author must work hard, sometimes for years, to create visibility and a media-ready personae, and then create the great book. I have a client, Jill Rigby, who did this the right way. She spent years developing a ministry in her state for teaching manners to kids. She developed a public school curriculum and became an expert in her field. After ten years she thought it time to try and write a book for parents that would run parallel to her ministry. We worked together, found a publisher (Howard), and her book, Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World came out last year and has enjoyed considerable success -- so much so that her publisher signed her to do two more books.

"Unfortunately the majority of people have neither the inclination nor the skill set to develop this type of market visibility. They have an experience to share or a topic they have taught or a modest-sized ministry, and think that publishers are going to want to publish because the book is too important to ignore.

"I know Chip has told the hard news in earlier postings, but let me reiterate some of that so he isn't the only voice you hear on this topic. I know of more than one publisher who won't even consider looking at a proposal unless the author's previous books have sold 50,000 copies or more -- or if this is a first-time author, the projections are at a minimum of 30,000 in its first year. Those are some huge numbers. I was rejected by one publisher who said, after reviewing a project whose author has a national TV show in over 100 major cities and a dozen foreign countries and over 3 million books in print over the last 20 years, "His last book only sold 25,000 copies -- he isn't big enough for us."

Ouch.

"How's that for a slap of cold water on a chilly morning?"

So what's a writer to do?

"Again, write the absolute best book you can, and then write it better. If you are starting out, ply your talent in the magazine world. Get used to creating snappy ideas that editors love. I have a client who spent 10 years developing a reputation as a top-drawer article writer. The author was eventually asked to write scripts for a radio program. Then she was asked to record scripts of her own for that program. Next thing you know we were able to leverage those scripts into a book contract. She didn't start out with the book; she started out by becoming a great writer and making contacts in the industry. Now her dream has come true for publishing a book.

"At the same time, work on becoming an expert in your field. Speaking, writing articles, blogging, etc. Give us a reason to pay attention to what you have to say. The market beast is cold-hearted, vicious, and unyielding in its demand for big ideas."

I know you've worked as a bookseller, editor, and agent. You've seen the industry grow and change. What do you think the future holds for Christian publishing?

"I've been in this industry for 26 years. I've watched it grow, and personally felt its growing pains. But I believe the industry is healthy, and becoming smarter. One can walk around the convention floor at the annual International Christian Retailing Show (ICRS) in July and either feel despair or feel inspired. I must admit that after 26 consecutive annual conventions, I still get a thrill when walking the sales floor. It is a picture of 'God on the Move.' Nowhere else can one see so much incredible talent in one place, and all with the same goal: to help change the world. I remember one New York general market editor who recently came to the show for the first time. She said, 'I had no idea that I would see such a high level of quality in design and production, and such great content.'

"There are some who see the glass as half empty. They say that Christian bookstores are in trouble and this means the demise of the industry. All I can say is that CBA is a reflection of the market at large. The ABA independent booksellers are struggling just as much as CBA independent booksellers. The chains in both markets are cutting a wider swath. Is this good or bad? Hard to say, but there are more books being sold than ever before, so with that measure it is a good thing.

"It is a privilege to be part of this marvelous industry, and to contribute to the writing and publishing of books that have such an extraordinary impact. I've been asked, 'What do you do for a living?' I answer, 'I read.' When they ask, 'What do you do for fun?' I answer, 'I read.' It can't get much better than that!"

You still go to conferences and get hounded by authors who want to show you their latest book ideas. What other advice would you have for authors wanting to move forward in their careers?

"The best advice I've heard is to view the conference as a learning experience, not a 'selling' experience. So often writers are crushed or disappointed because the conference did not meet expectations. The publishing world is one that will break your heart. Therefore the best thing to do is to learn as much as possible about it. Then you can navigate the labyrinth with a little more confidence. I have clients who first heard me at a conference as many as ten years ago. They spent intervening years studying and learning and writing. Now their material is ready for prime time.

"Use a conference as a way to meet with other writers and make them part of your extended network and support. Editors and agents are always on the hunt for the 'next best,' and someday yours may be the exact project we are looking for."

Great advice, Steve. Thanks for joining me on the blog and sharing your wisdom.

"My pleasure."

-chip

Writing and Marketing

I've had a couple people suggest we spend some time exploring marketing your writing. To be honest, I'm reluctant to do that... There are a million conversations happening about writing and marketing. In fact, sometimes I think a lot of authors have given up talking about the craft of writing, and are spending all their time exploring the latest marketing ideas. I really don't want to duplicate what some other sites are doing, but I can speak to a few direct questions...

1. Candace wrote to say, "I'm lucky to have some great marketing at my publishing house, and they actually DO what they say they're going to do. My marketing director came up with some creative things to do when my book released, but now I'm stumped. What else can I do to promote my novel?

With all the whining that goes on regarding marketing, it's nice to hear an author show some appreciation. There's no publisher on the planet who wants a book to fail -- they often just aren't sure what to do in order to help your book succeed. So let me give you one thought: YOU are in charge of marketing your book. Not the publisher. Not the publicist. Not the editorial staff. You. So take the initiative. Be the person who is in charge of your own marketing. Make plans. Get people involved. Ask questions. Find out what your publisher is doing, thank them, then do something else. If they're setting up radio interviews but not getting you magazine interviews, focus on that. If they're sending out review copies but not setting up a blog tour, focus on that. Don't wait for somebody else to do it. There's nobody else who is more committed to the success of your book than YOU.

A good place to start is by reading some marketing books -- a quick trip to Borders or Barnes & Noble will give you plenty of ideas. Start by giving yourself a grounding in the field: read Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson, 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Ries and Trout, and maybe Kotler and Armstrong's Principles of Marketing in order to give yourself a basic knowledge of the field. Then, to really get up to speed, check out David Meerman Scott's The New Rules of Marketing, Sernovitz and Kawasaki's Word of Mouth Marketing, and John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing. The big names to know are Reis & Trout and Levinson -- in fact, Levinson has a Guerilla Marketing for Writers title that offers some good information.

Once you get a handle on the basic concepts of marketing (a topic I find most writers to be woefully under-informed about), consider talking to some experts. There are a bunch of free-lance marketing gurus who will consult with you. Sometimes they're trying to sell their services, other times they're willing to simply advise. But talk to somebody who knows how to help, and take their advice. That'll get you on the path to a successful marketing effort.

Jon wrote and asked, "What is the most overlooked marketing opportunity for writers?"

For years I used to answer this question with the words "magazine articles." There are thousands of magazines out there, all of them calling for content. And you're a writer, so if you can take material from your book, re-shape it into a strong article, and make sure it fits their readership, you've got a built-in publicity machine. (An example: When I wrote 1001 Things Everybody Should Know About Christianity, I checked into "Christian History" magazine. They wanted several thousand dollars for a full page ad...but I wrote them a special article on some of the fascinating little facts I found, and they gave me a two-page spread -- for FREE. And they included a small shot of the book cover. It was like getting $10,000 worth of free advertising, and it was being delivered into the hands of people who already were interested in my topic.)

BUT I've changed my response. With the growth of the world wide web, I now think the most under-used marketing strategy is the internet. Here's why: I recently sent in an order on Amazon for a "Great Big Sea" CD (if you're not familiar with the neo-Celtic sound of this band from Newfoundland, you're missing one of the best contemporary groups out there). A few days later, I got an email from Amazon, telling me that my purchase was being shipped, and letting me know that they have a deal on the Great Big Sea concert video. They also told me that many people who purchase Great Big Sea also like another band, Gaelic Storm, and that the Wicked Tinkers' "Bangers for Breakfast" CD was on sale (another good band that offers up-tempo Irish folk music with a contemporary backbeat). In other words, Amazon is working to try and help me find products I'll like. They've tailored their approach to try and meet my unique needs. Fascinating...and instructive. What if authors began to do research and tracking like this? What if they focused their marketing on specific readers, and tried to growth their base in a similar way?

It's already happening. Stephen King has tried this (with admittedly mixed success to this point). Radiohead has released their latest album stictly over the internet, cutting out the middleman and going directly to consumers. I know that novelist (and theoretical physicist) Randy Ingermanson is exploring doing something similar with a future work. It's clear the day is coming when we'll see an author sell enough copies to hit a bestseller list even though the book has never been made available through normal retail channels. We're not there yet, but it'll happen.

Nadine wrote and asked, "Where can I learn about internet marketing?'

There are a number of books to get you started. Street Smart Internet Marketing by Justin Michie is one. Marketing for Dummies, Internet Marketing for Dummies, and Web Marketing for Dummies all offer helpful information. Steve Weber's Plug Your Book, and Levinson's Guerilla Marketing Weapons may prove useful. Among the more general marketing titles to try out are 1001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer, which certainly gives you a lot to think about, and David Cole's Complete Guide to Book Marketing is good. Jodee Blanco's Complete Guide to Book Publicity takes a bit of a different approach, and I found it helpful. You could also choose to take a basic marketing class at your local community college, check out the CD's of marketing sessions at writing conferences, or schedule a sit-down with a free-lance marketing specialist.

Cindy wrote and asked, "Do you think web promotion will help a writer find the perfect agent or publisher?"

Interesting question. Maybe in a general way -- it's certainly better for me to see an author has already invested in a good web site than to see that an author has done nothing to promote himself or herself. But let's face facts: Even a dynamite website isn't going to compensate for a weak book. So while it's nice to see an up-to-date site with lots of cool bells and whistles, it's certainly no guarantee of an agent's interest. If you want to catch the eye of a publisher, the first thing to do is to write a great book.

Lindy asked, "Should a website have the author's name, or the name of the project being developed?"

That depends on what the site is promoting. If it's an author's site, giving us background information, writing history, personal appearances, etc., I strongly encourage authors to simply use their name as the web address. But if the site is dedicated to a title or series, it needs to be focused solely on promoting the books.

More on this next time -- including one of the BEST marketing ideas I've seen in years.

Approaching Agents

I've had several people write to ask questions about approaching a literary agent, so let me try and tackle some basics...

Diane wrote to ask, "When is the best time to approach an agent? What do I need to have ready in order to talk with him or her?"

The best time is probably 11 in the morning. The hangover is gone, but the agent has yet to move toward that three-martini lunch. And what to have ready? Well, you ought to have a book proposal that is completely ready. That means you've got a good description of your book: an overview, the features, the details about word count and genre, and your overall focus. You also need to include information about the market: the audience, comparable titles, and competition. And you'll have a complete bio, not just something you dashed off in five minutes. You want to reveal who you are and what you bring to the table -- your past publishing credits, sales history, media exposure, and speaking schedule (where, to whom, on what topics, when, and how often). Hopefully your proposal will tell me something about marketing: what you plan to do in order to support this work, who is endorsing it, what you've done in the past that has worked. There will be a Table of Contents that explains to me the scope and sequence of your book (what you cover, and in what order), and above all there will be some sample chapters that are DONE -- written, edited, and polished. If you're authoring a novel, you'll send me a great synopsis that reads like a well-done short story, and you'll tell me that your novel is complete, so I can read the whole thing, should I desire to do so. If you've got a great book package to present, you're probably ready to talk with an agent.

Be aware that most people I talk to at writing conferences aren't there yet. They might have a good book idea, but it's not ready to show. It's like having fruit that isn't ripe yet -- the idea is good, but the fact that it's not ready makes it unpalatable. They're 60% ready, or maybe 80% ready, but they aren't 100% ready. The book still needs writing help, or the words are good and the rest of the material is weak. The ingredients all seem to be gathered, but the cake isn't baked yet. (Go ahead -- pick your metaphor.) Sometimes I discover I'm the first person to ever actually read the material -- a major mistake, in my view. If you're too shy to have trusted writing friends critique your work, you're clearly not ready to have an agent or editor tell you that your writing is bad. Make sure other eyes have looked it over and corrected the things you've missed. I've never understood why people want to show me their half-baked idea. There's nothing I can do with it, other than offer a kind word and hope they go fix it. So get your stuff ready -- 100% ready. Then talk to an agent.

Lynn wrote to say, "I would love to hear why you think an author should have a web site. What can the web tell you that the back of the book hasn't already said?"

Um...I think you need to explore the market more, Lynn. Web sites are imperative for authors, and there's little comparison to back cover copy (bcc). First of all, bcc on a book implies that the book is already in print, so there'd be no way to connect with an unpublished author. A web site introduces me to someone who may not be published yet. Second, bcc is generally not much more than an introduction to an author -- the equivalent of a freeway billboard, telling me the author's name, degrees, and hometown. A good web site is interactive. It offers an author history, tells me what the author thinks about any number of subjects, and gives me a chance to ask questions. Third, it offers current information -- telling me where the author is speaking, updates on recent media appearances, maybe even a chance to watch short video clips of the author reading his or her work. Finally, it present me with an opportunity to purchase other books from an author I like. There's really no comparison. Web sites are how we discover our world these days. From my perspective, they are essential for every author who wants to build a successful book-writing career.

Deanna wrote to ask, "Do agents want to read a part of an unfinished nonfiction book, or do they require a complete manuscript as they do with a novel? I was told at a conference that I should send a nonfiction proposal before it was complete, in order to leave room for content negotiation, but an experienced author friend recently told me that, in these competitive days, it's better to have any book done before querying an agent."

I can't speak for every agent, but I always prefer seeing a completed book to a proposed book. With a completed book, there's no mystery about due dates, no worries about family emergencies keeping you from completing it. I find it easier to sell a complete manuscript than a proposed one. That's not to say I won't seriously consider a proposal and sample chapters -- I will, if I like the idea and am impressed with the writing. But there's no question that a completed book has a leg up.

Sandi wrote to ask, "Can you explain why you don't think children's books are working in the Christian market?"

Sure. Young couples have kids. And kids are expensive, so many young couples do NOT have money. They want to read to their kids, so they go to Wal-Mart or Target and look for inexpensive children's books. Or maybe they go to Borders or B&N, and find one of those nice 25% off coupons to use. The selection at those stores may not be clearly Christian, but the books are almost always fun, readable, and moral. A Christian parent can read any Dr. Seuss or Berenstein Bears title to the kids and feel good about it. So there are a number of good choices for parents already. But four-color kids books are expensive to produce, and books that only appeal to a conservative Christian audience may find it a bit tougher to gain entry onto the shelves of Barnes & Noble. So the book may only be available at Lifeway and Family and other CBA outlets, which are reducing overall shelf space for books in general, and kids book shelf space specifically. In addition, it's probably going to sell for the full retail price. Harder to find, harder to sell, more expensive to produce...those are the reasons most of the CBA publishers have gotten out of the children's book market.

To be fair, Tommy Nelson and Zonderkidz and Cook have continued producing quality children's books. Tyndale and Broadman do some, as do Regal and maybe a handful of others. But the numbers are small, and it's a fact that several houses have backed out of kids books completely, so there has certainly been a trend away from kids books.

Dee wrote to ask, "What are the words you most want to hear from an author who approaches you at a writers' conference?"

Probably "You look younger than your photo." But "you've lost weight" is also nice, and "Here is your Starbucks" is a good runner-up.

Got a publishing question? Send it my way.

Questions from Beginning Writers...

A flurry of questions lately frpm some of the newcomers in our midst...

Danielle wrote to say, "I'm sorry to bring up a beginner's question, but what would you say are the big things an author needs to keep in mind when creating a nonfiction proposal for an agent?"

No need to apologize, Danielle -- it's a good question. I'd say there are three big things to keep in mind when creating a proposal. First, every proposal needs a big idea. So make sure you've got a strong starting point -- a big, salable idea. Second, every proposal needs to demonstrate great writing. The number one reason agents reject proposals is because the writing is weak. So improve your craft. Strong writing will make your proposal stand out. (As we Scots like to say, "Time spent sharpening the tool is never wasted.") Third, every proposal needs to be supported by a strong platform. In other words, work to show the agent who you are and how you're going to support your book. Do you speak to crowds of people? Talk on the radio? Write articles in newspapers or magazines? Have a popular web site? Are you an expert at your topic? What are you well known for? A proposal that demonstrates a big idea, great writing, and a strong platform will stand out from the slush pile.

Denny wrote to ask, "If an author submits three well-polished chapters of a fiction proposal to you, and you find them interesting enough to request the entire manuscript, but the author informs you he hasn't completed the novel yet, what would your reaction be? Do you say, 'thanks but come back when you've completed the entire work'? 'thanks and please send more chapters as you complete them'? 'you've wasted my time but I'll be merciful and give you a half-hour headstart before I hunt you down Most Dangerous Game style'? Or...?"

If I see three great chapters from a novel, I'll always ask to see the whole thing. Why? Because I can't sell a new novelist without a completed manuscript. Publishers are no longer buying a novel based on three strong chapters. They've gotten burned too many times by people who have paid an editor for help, or hired a collaborative writer, or taken a class to help them polish some chapters. The fact is, a novel takes talent and time -- there's something about working your way all the way through the process that helps develop a mature voice in a novelist (which is why most novelists have completed several books before they get their first contract). So if you're not done with the entire novel, I probably can't sell it. If I loved it, I'd doubtless stay in touch with you, but I'd encourage you to complete the whole thing before we talked seriously about representation.

Mary wrote and noted, "In an earlier post, you stated that Bookscan revealed only 25,000 books last year sold more than 5000 copies, that a mere ten books sold a million copies, and that the average published book will never sell more than 500 copies. How does that translate to CBA books? Do most of the books from bigger CBA publishers only sell 5000 copies? And are the publishers therefore relying on bestselling authors to foot the bill for newer, less-known authors?"

Absolutely. In my opinion, the numbers from CBA would mirror those in the ABA -- the majority of books released by major CBA houses will sell about 5000 copies. It's extremely rare for a CBA book to bust out and sell 100,000 copies. And yes, CBA publishers are living on the 80/20 principle: 20% of the books are bringing in 80% of the profits. In fact, it might be more like a 90/10 principle. But that's how the publishing game works -- one big success can float a boatload of smaller books.

A couple lessons that spin off from those facts... Don't be distraught when your novel sells 8000 copies. (It might not have hit the bestseller lists, but you're actually ahead of the curve.) Don't assume a bestselling author isn't your friend. (The fact is, her work may be financing your book.) You no longer have to wonder why that bestselling book got all the publisher's marketing money and attention, leaving little for you. (Publishers understand that a bestseller pays the bills.) And if you can sell 12,000 to 20,000 copies of your books, you can probably publish forever. (In other words, you're probably earning out your advance and making money. Not BIG money, mind you, but enough to pay your freight.)

On a related note, Carol wrote to ask, "What is a good answer to give friends and associates (and sometimes absolute strangers) when they ask you how many copies of your book have sold? I hate that question. For one thing, it's too close to, 'How much money do you make?,' which feels too personal. For another, I've discovered that if I say anything less than 'a million,' they seem to think I'm a failure. I once had a friend say to me, 'If you can't sell a million copies of your book, there's something wrong with you.' Help!"

Well, my first advice might be "get new friends." But that can be expensive, so you could also try lying about it, or ignoring the question, or responding with, "I'm not sure" or "I'm not at liberty to say." Some authors will answer another way: "It's done great since I won the Midwest Writer's Award" or "Sales have really picked up since I went on Good Morning America." But you're right -- it's a personal question, like asking your neighbor, "How much did you pay in taxes last year?" Besides, the average non-writer has no idea what constitutes success or failure in publishing. So I'd encourage you to figure out for yourself if your sales qualify as a success. (True story: I once created a book of card tricks, had it printed, and sold it myself. There are roughly 10,000 card magicians in this country. I printed 1000 copies of my book and sold all of them. 1000 copies may sound like small potatoes to you...but I sold a copy to ten per cent of the potential readership! Imagine if you sold a book to 10% of all the romance readers, or 10% of all the mystery readers. Success is in the eye of the beholder.)

Meg wrote to ask, "Why do you write so much about CBA and religious books?"

That one's easy: I sell a lot of Christian books. I do a lot of business with CBA publishers. It's true that I also do a lot of business with ABA publishers, but I'm fairly well known in CBA. A lot of people from CBA read this blog, Meg. But it's aimed at both CBA readers and ABA readers. Since that's where I make my living, I talk about both markets.

And finally, Samantha wrote to say, "I have a dilemma. I sent out a proposal for my novel a couple months ago, and last week a small publisher expressed interest in it. But my computer crashed, and I've been unable to retrieve the book. I'd already revised it several times, so the book the publisher had wasn't really the book I was still creating anyway. Part of me thinks this is a sign to ditch the book and do something else; another part of me thinks this is just part of the process and I really have to re-write that one. What should I do?"

Egads. Your computer crashed and you can't get ANY of it? I mean, you took out the hard drive, handed it to the computer geeks (or whoever it is that actually fix these types of things -- could be the computer fairies, for all I know), and they couldn't do anything? Ouch. I feel for you.

Uh, do we have time for a story? This really happened: At the end of two years of doctoral course work, they gave me comprehensive exams . Six questions, I have to write on four of them, and I have two days to display what all I've learned in my PhD program. I race home and spend the entire afternoon and evening on the first question. What I write is, in my mind, fabulous. Incisive, complete, erudite. I finish my answer (perhaps the greatest answer since the invention of movable type), and try to think of a last sentence -- a benediction to wrap up all this stuffy brilliance. In doing so, I lean back. My foot hits the power cord. The computer blinks off. And no, I hadn't had the brains to save it. Poof! One day's brilliance gone. Um...I was NOT a happy camper. I cursed, I stomped my foot...and then I sat down and wrote the stupid thing again, while it was still fresh in my mind. My rewritten answer was okay, but it could never live up to the beauty of my famous "lost answer." It's the one reason I'll probably never win a Pulitzer. (Sniff. Honk!)

Back to your question: Beats me. I doubt I'd take the crashing of a hard drive as a "sign," but then I'm not a person who is much into signs. (I might take it as a sign not to buy such a cheapo computer next time, I suppose.) However, it doesn't sound like you were completely happy with your previous work anyway. So here's your chance to live life over again -- go write the new, improved version of your story. Fix all the problems and tell it the way it ought to be told.

Or don't. The other choice is to figure you'll always be frustrated with it, and to move on to something else. Preferably with a Mac.

Authors, Markets, and What to Read Next

We've had a bunch of questions submitted lately about authors and the market. So, even though I'm sick with the flu and feeling lousy, I'll soldier on. ("What a trooper the man is! What dedication! What sacrifice!")

Jim wrote to ask, "What novelists would you suggest I read to get more acquainted with fiction in the Christian market?" He then asked me to stay away from the top names (Kingsbury, Dekker, Peretti, Jenkins), since he feels bestseller status allows those authors to pretty much do anything they want.

Some suggestions: Read Quaker Summer and Tiger Lillie by Lisa Samson. The former is a great look at modern Christianity, wrapped in the warm confines of a "Christian women's novel." The latter was a seminal book for Christian fiction. You can also try Serenity Bay or A Season of Grace from Bette Nordberg. For more along these lines, try a novel from Siri Mitchell or Mary DeMuth or Susan Meissner's Seahorse in the Thames. Or, to get in touch with women's novels, I'd encourage you to check out something from Bev Lewis, Cindy Woodsmall, or Francine Rivers. Ginger Garrett's Chosen is a wonderful read. And if you really want to see where that market is going, check out Kimberly Stuart's Bottom Line or Rene Gutteridge. (I represent some of these people, so I"m biased.)

For men's books, definitely pick up one of Brandt Dodson's Colton Parker books. James Scott Bell is another good choice, as is Randy Singer and Tim Downs. Charles Martin is one of the best novelists in the country, in my view. So is Penelope Wilcock, and you should try her Hawk and the Dove trilogy. Someone who hasn't been discovered yet is Elizabeth Musser, but her Swan House is a fine read. Another good writer who flies under the radar is Chris Well -- try Deliver Us From Evelyn. Wow. Too many names right off the top of my head -- I've probably left some out, but this should get you started. Feel free to post suggestions in the "comments" section of this blog.

Ashley wrote and said, "I've noticed that Charles Martin and Lisa Samson are considered 'literary novelists.' In your view, what qualifies someone as a 'literary' novelist?"

The term "literary fiction" came into vogue about 25 or 30 years ago, as a way to distinguish what academics and editors considered "serious" books from the more popular "commercial" books. The advent of paperback novels turned everyone into readers, and people wanted the sort of things they could see on television: action, big story, easy-to-understand characters, and the whole thing wrapping up nicely in a few hours. That's commercial. So while there's no agreed-upon definition of literary fiction, it usually includes an emphasis on great style, deeper character, and some sort of exploration of the choices people make when faced with the big questions of life (without there being a lot of teaching or pedantry). So think serious-minded stories offered by writers with some sense of moral conviction.

And if you're interested, humorist David Lubar has suggested that literary fiction is best summed up by "crumbs-in-the-butter" stories -- i.e., two people are having tea somewhere, when one notices there are crumbs in the butter, leading her to realize this is a metaphor for life. (He also suggests that having a butterfly die halfway around the world in the next chapter helps, so long as we're all left clueless about the ending.)

Tiffany wrote to ask, "Do you think we're going to see less Christian content in novels, and more redemptive books that don't have clear Christian content? The reason I'm asking is because I'm a charismatic, evangelical, Bible-thumping believer, but I tend to focus on books that are redemptive but not preachy."

I'm not a charismatic. I'm not a Bible thumper. I doubt I qualify as an evangelical. But I suppose I'm as good as any person to answer this question, since I work in the industry and help produce books that reach both believers and non-believers... I think we're seeing more "generally redemptive" novels, though with the growth of religious fiction in the past couple of years, you'd be hard-pressed to say we're not still seeing a lot of clearly Christian books. Maintream bookstores have discovered that Christians like (and buy) fiction. Has that led some authors to tone down the religious rhetoric in their novels? Sure it has. But I don't think we're seeing people water down their faith. In fact, I'd argue that my experience at Time-Warner proved to me that publishers and readers are willing to accept clear faith content, so long as it's well done. Like with most things in life, people want clarity.

And Ben writes, "If a manuscript doesn't fall exactly in a standard CBA novel category, but comes close and may provide a bridge between genres, does the book stand a chance? I ask because I'm writing a novel set in 16th Century Japan, but it's more of a male action-adventure, and the market for swordplay and history in CBA seems mostly channelled through romance novels."

I'd say you've got an uphill climb trying to sell a historical novel aimed at a male readership to a CBA house. There's certainly an audience for it in the general market (think of the Patrick O'Brian or Bernard Cornwell series), but CBA's male readership seems mostly focused on contemporary stories.