Questions about the Industry

And it's back to questions from writers...

Stan wrote and said, "I've heard that about three or four CBA houses have sold in the past two years. What does this signal for the future? Is it the ABA getting greedy? Is the CBA selling out?" 

 I think this signals that the general market has recognized the value of Christian books, Christian writers, and Christian readers. And, yes, it probably means that more CBA houses will be sold (or come under the influence of) large general-market houses. As to the question "are they greedy?" -- good grief, they're running a for-profit enterprise. If "greedy" means "are they focused on making a profit," of course they're greedy. But I'd argue that CBA houses, for all the carefully-couched terms about having "ministry" and "doing the Lord's work," are also focused on making a profit -- that's how they stay in business. So maybe we should view this as a greater partnership, rather than a sell-out. 

Sure, there are some questions to face down the road -- who will do commentaries and reference tools that aren't necessarily commercial but still have value to believers? What happens when a company faces a decision to publish a book at odds with believers? How will Christians respond when a company publishes some heretical tome? But, for those not in the know, those very questions are faced by some of us every day. Time Warner Book Group (the company I worked for as a publisher) was a marvelous company that did many wonderful books. We probably also published some books Christians would find offensive. But you know what? I was not responsible for every decision in the company. I was responsible to do good books with solid Christian content that would sell in the marketplace. I'm comfortable with the role I played, and I believed in the company. My guess is that people working for other houses feel the same way. 

Stephanie asked, "How do you handle it when you have a change of editors (and editor styles) in mid-contract?"

This business is all about relationships. Editors move around quite a bit in the publishing world -- even more than in most industries (the reasons can be discussed in another post). So authors can expect this to happen to them occasionally. How to respond? Be polite, be positive, try to establish a new relationship with the new editor. Say hello. Send Starbucks. Show him or her that you're easy-going. Keep a positive attitude. Don't give the editor any reason to lose enthusiasm for your book, because every new person in a role is looking for projects that will succeed and make them look good. Make sense?

Ronnie wants to know, "What can we do as writers to stay current on this type of news?"

You mean besides "read my blog"? For CBA news, read Christian Retailing, Outreach magazine, World, Christianity Today (the magazine as well as their many excellent websites), maybe the CBA retailer's magazine if you can locate it. For ABA news, read Publisher's Weekly, subscribe to Publisher's Lunch, and keep tabs on book news. Go to the books shows to see what's happening with titles and covers and topics. Have conversations with other authors and editors. 

And Steve asked, "What been the biggest change you've seen in the years you've been agenting religious books? If you could pick a trend (besides e-books!), that has been significant, what would it be?"

I'm tempted to talk about the growth of Christian fiction, but I've been saying for quite some time that the biggest trend in Christian publishing has been the distribution -- AWAY from independent Christian bookstore/gift centers and TOWARD general market bookstores. That has both an up and a down side, of course, but it's simply the marketplace at work. Christian readers would prefer to spend $12 for a book at Wal-Mart (and don't underestimate Wal-Mart in the Christian retailing market) than $20 for a book at Betty's Angel Book Shoppe. That has caused Christian independents to go under by the dozens, and it is rapidly forcing a reshaping of CBA as we know it. 

Along with that has been the sale of various CBA publishers. Time Warner had its stock price stuck at $17 for three years, so in an effort to get some things moving (and to hold off Carl Icahn), the board decided to get out of the book business. They sold the Time Warner Book Group to Hachette Livre, a French publishing conglomerate that owns Hodder in England, Car & Driver  and Elle magazines in this country, and numerous publishing ventures around the world. On the heels of that came the sale of Thomas Nelson -- interestingly enough, moving from a publicly held company to a private one. It was a significant change for them, and they went through a couple years of tweaking to get things right. (They also bought out Integrity Publishing.) Then Simon and Schuster, which is seemingly always for sale by Viacom, and who had not had a Christian imprint, decided they needed CBA exposure. So they purchased Howard Publishing, lock, stock, and barrel. It was an interesting move, since S&S had been going after "name" CBA authors but with no place for them to call home. Harper Collins was already in the business, since they own Zondervan (as well as HarperOne), and Random House has their Waterbrook imprint, and they bought out Multnomah. Wiley has a religious imprint at Jossey-Bass. Viking is still in process of figuring out how Christian books fit in their model. My point is just to say that Christians have firmly established themselves as a market, that every major publisher is going after that market, and that the market itself has grown and changed in recent years, most notably in the areas of distribution and sales.

One more thing: The fastest growing segment of Christianity is charismatic, and we have probably neglected to mention that some small charismatic houses (Strang, Destiny Image, Harrison House, etc) have recently sold a ton of books -- so certainly somebody is buying their materials, whether they are in big ponds or small, and whether they are in general markets or not. I mention this because I've had questions about the "big" vs "small" publishing houses. 

Don't believe the people who say "big publishers are jerks who don't care about the little guy." I worked for a big publisher, and while I may be a world class jerk, there are still plenty of not-so-giant authors who would say I cared about them and worked hard to help them succeed. The stereotype of big business isn't always true, so don't accept that criticism as gospel -- particularly from people who may not know what they're talking about. Also, I don't see anything in Scripture that calls us to a ministry of "size." We're in love with size in America because we believe bigger is better, but God calls one guy to pastor ten thousand and another to pastor ten. There's nothing I can find in His Word that says "the guy who pastors ten thousand is therefore better, more spiritual, and higher on the kingdom ladder" (or whatever it is we're all placed on when God sorts things out). If you're called to write, then write your best. For some it will mean big dollars and a huge audience. For others, not-so-big dollars and a smaller readership. Some of the best books of all time haven't ever made a bestseller list or even been read by that many people. We're called to obedience, not noteriety. We're called to significance, not success.

Finally, Ben aksed, "You often talk about publishing news in your blog. Why is it important for authors to be aware of this sort of news?"

To impress girls at author signings and cocktail parties, of course. And, I suppose, to make wise decisions in your writing career (should you find that important). 

Comments

[Pam Hogeweide]

We're called to obedience, not noteriety. We're called to significance, not success.

totally. that's why i'm in it for the long haul.

thanks again for generously sharing your years of experience and insights. it's really helpful.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000281805373]

I love your blog because you aren't ashamed to talk about the realities of both our freedoms and our responsibilities in serving Christ in any professional environment, including publishing.

I find it very encouraging! Bravo!

[Cindy Thomson]

We're called to obedience, not notoriety. We're called to significance, not success.

Wise words, those!

[Lisa Jordan]

I appreciate your frank discussions on your blog. Your years in the industry show you have a clue about what is happening in the publishing world. Thanks for sharing that knowledge with those of us still trying to get our feet wet while making sound decisions for our careers.

[Sharon A Lavy]

I always have to smile when you put "You mean besides reading my blog?" In your answers.

Thank you for keeping us informed of the industry.

I've always loved the books put out by St. Martins Press. Think they will ever consider a German Baptist story? =)

[Judith Robl]

Love your tongue-in-cheek zingers! You are so real, down to earth, and heavenly minded. What an example for staying focused on the eternal while living in the temporal!

I have always said we are to occupy as if His coming were a thousand years off and to be as ready as if it were the next breath. You do precisely that.

[Lea Ann McCombs]

Lots of good informtaion here! Thanks for using your position in publishing to keep the rest of us informed.

[Brandt Dodson]

Profit? No. Say it ain't so.

Profit - business - greed, for lack of a better term, is a stickler for Christians. After all, isn't the love of money the root of all evil?

On the other hand, who among us will turn down a pay raise?

Profit makes the world go round. It enables us to publish and to continue publishing. Brand name authors - those whose name on the book cover is larger than the title - bring in the money necessary for the rest of us to publish. Again, it's profit that does that. Consequently, it may mean we have to publish with a publisher that brings forth books we may find offensive. Does that mean we shouldn't publish there? Should we take our processors and go home?

Writing "Christian" fiction means different things to diffrent people. For me, it means writing from that world view and not being afraid to take the heat when it's required. Whether I publish with a large secular conglomerate or a small Christian publisher, my world view and committment to Christ remain the same. Unalterable.

The CBA is changing.The closing of many independent CBA stores is but one facet of this change. But so is the advent of "Christian" fiction with its inroads into more genres with broader appeal. Most of us are the beneficiaries of this change. We can embrace it without surrendering to it; we can live within the world without being part of it.

[Nikole Hahn]

Thank you for this great blog. I enjoyed reading it. It's good to keep up with the publishing industry.