Chip MacGregor .com

Want to have a million seller?

In this business, you often see the term "million seller" bandied about. "This book is going to sell a million copies!" is a phrase I've had thrown at me dozens of times at conferences and conventions. In my view, people who talk about million sellers tend to over-promise and under-deliver. The numbers on 2011 book sales are in, and...well, nothing gives clarity to promises like some hard numbers.

How many hardcover novels released last year hit the million mark? One–John Grisham's THE LITIGATORS. (Stephen King's 11/23/63 fell just short.)

How many hardcover nonfiction books released last year sold a million copies?  Two–Laura Hillenbrand's UNBROKEN, and Walter Isaacson's STEVE JOBS. (Bill O'Reilly's KILLING LINCOLN just missed, selling more than 990,000 copies.)

How many new trade paper releases last year sold a million copies? Three–Todd Burpo's HEAVEN IS FOR REAL (the biggest selling book of the year, at just under 5 million copies), Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP, and Steig Larson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. 

How many YA and children's books hit the million mark? Four, and every one of them was part of a series: Jeff Kenney's DIARY OF A WIMPY KID #6, Christopher Paolini's INHERITANCE #4, Rick Riordan's HEROES OF OLYMPUS #3, and his KANE CHRONICLES #2.

How many mass market releases in 2011 sold a million copies? Five, and three of them were from the same author. The list includes Grisham's THE CONFESSION, Nora Roberts' THE SEARCH, and three from George R.R. Martin: A FEAST FOR CROWNS, A GAME OF THRONES, and A CLASH OF KINGS.

And a new category, how many newly-released ebooks sold a million copies in 2011? The answer will undoubtedly surprise you–one. Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP.(HEAVEN IS FOR REAL just missed hitting the mark.)

The numbers for backlist books are pretty skinny–only three backlist titles sold a million copies, and all three were from the same author. Suzanne Collins' CATCHING FIRE and MOCKING JAY hit the million mark in print sales, and HUNGER GAMES sold a million ebooks. 

And that's the full list. Interesting to note that last year there were no backlist trade paper books; the highest was BREAKING DAWN, which sold 750,000. So a total of 19 books sold a million copies in 2011. Let's put this in perspective...

There were a few more than 250,000 NEW titles released in 2011, and of that group, 16 sold a million copies. There were approximately three million books for sale in the US last year (that number is much in dispute, and some would put it closer to four million), and a total of 19 of them sold a million copies. (Okay, time for the disclaimer: These figures are being pulled from Publishers Weekly, the bible for those of us who work in the industry, but a publication that relies on publishers and retailers for their figures. So could some author have sold a million ebooks from his or her website and not made the list? Sure. But when you look at these numbers, it makes you wary of the inflated claims some authors have about their personal ebook sales.)

One of the most interesting details that arises from looking over the full sales reports, which can be found in the March 19 edition of Publishers Weekly, is that the vast majority of bestselling authors have been there before. Of the thirty top-selling novelists from across all publishers last year, only two names show up on the list that weren't there in previous years. So the same old names (Patterson, Roberts, Sparks, etc.) are what are paying the bills for publishers. This is a business that keeps going back to what works (and WHO works) in order to make money.

What's the lesson for the writer? Um...before you decide that writing books is going to lead you to fame and fortune, you may want to peruse the bestseller lists. A little dose of reality can be a good thing. 

 

Home from ACFW ... (where Sandra won Agent of the Year!)

 Chip, Amanda, and I are all just coming off a six day road trip to ACFW conference, followed by visits to several publishers. It’s always good to get home.

The conference was great. We had a lot of fun connecting with friends and associates in the world of ACFW.  I worked very hard meeting hopeful authors; connecting and praying with my clients; squeezing in times to confer with Chip and Amanda whenever possible. Between us, we taught or participated in at least half a dozen teaching and/or industry sessions. Chip did a great job as emcee of Susan May Warren’s My Book Therapy pizza party. Though I had to duck out early to attend a publishing dinner, I hear he helped move things along at the line dance lesson which followed. Here’s a YouTube link to one of the most well organized line dance lessons I’ve ever seen … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNvFf7tQH0w.

At the awards banquet, we were pleased to cheer for all the winners, and picked up a few awards ourselves. Our very own Jenny B. Jones won twice; once in the Young Adult category for I’m So Sure (Thomas Nelson) and again in the Long Contepmorary Romance category for Just Between You and Me (Thomas Nelson).

Jenny is always a hoot, and her off the cuff acceptance speeches were no exception. If you weren’t there and would like to get an asparagus-free taste of the awards banquet, check out the liveblog at http://acfw.com/conference/liveblog.shtml led by Tyson Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media.

By the time the Agent of the Year was announced, I’d thoroughly decided there was no way I would possibly be walking up front to accept the award, so I was thoroughly shocked, quite honestly, when my name was called. I think my thirty-second-at-best acceptance remarks relayed this.

I will admit I was asked to prepare a speech just in case, which I did. But learning mid-conference that winners would have 30 seconds max to say thanks, I ditched it.

Still, I think it expresses very well what this award means to me, so I’ll share it here.

When I heard I was nominated and realized there was the chance that I might have to trot up to the front of the room and receive recognition, I hoped to find something in my closet which I hadn’t already worn to other ACFW and conference events. But … no luck. I’m not much of a shopper, actually. So it took a bit of a nudge from my husband, offers of help from my two best girlfriends, and some pre-shopping advice from a fashion savvy author I represent, to get me to the “social wear” department of our local upscale department store. “Don’t worry about the price,” they all said. “Just find something that makes you feel fabulous.”

After selecting as many dresses as possible to take into the dressing room at once (as much as I hate shopping in general, I loathe the back and forth between the racks and dressing room even more) I narrowed it down to three, then one, marched over to the jewelry counter to find jewelry to accent the dress, then escorted my usual frugal self to the register without stopping too long to ponder the fact that the dress I chose was (of course) the most expensive of the bunch and (gasp) not on sale. It did make me feel fabulous, though, so I caved and bought it.

And then the next morning at church Randy Alcorn, whose book THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE has greatly influenced my thoughts on money and possessions, was a guest speaker. Randy, in his very gentle-yet-convicting way, reminded me (well, it wasn’t just me, but it felt like it) that God provides for us so that we, the church, can provide for others.

My soul said amen. And then it started doing a number on my conscience. Suddenly the price tag of that dress started to matter again. Before the day was out, I decided I’d be returning the dress and looking elsewhere for something with a more conservative price. And that I’d be praying for an opportunity to up my contributions to others in need. It’s not the first time God influenced my life through the work of a book or author.

Before I was even aware there were such things as “Christian books” (which begs the question – can a book be a Christian?) authors like John Steinbeck, Norman Maclean, Elizabeth Berg, and Gabriel Garcia- Marquez helped shape my sensibilities for what makes a good story good. 

Back in the day when I was a new believer and Christian fiction was housed on one shelf, Frank Peretti’s THIS PRESENT DARKNESS opened my eyes to the reality that we live in a battlefield, and are responsible for keeping ourselves girded in prayer and armed with truth.

Donald Miller’s, TO OWN A DRAGON, helped usher me through a very dark time in my life when I realized I still had “Daddy Issues” I needed to resolve.

A few years ago, Randy Alcorn gave me a signed copy of his book HEAVEN, which opened my eyes to the delights of the age to come. And then, God gave me the opportunity to share these insights with the twelve year old daughter of my best friend who was losing a battle to brain cancer but looking forward more each day to meeting Jesus.

When I first began agenting, I wondered if my dream to create a bridge for Christian fiction authors to inspire the world to a higher standard of entertainment was realistic. Leif Enger’s PEACE LIKE A RIVER showed me that it is. Learning that Barnes & Noble had chosen to place Carla Stewart’s CHASING LILACS at the front table of every store across the country this past summer helped affirm my confidence that I do indeed recognize good writing, and that my endeavors to represent quality books – and authors – who make a difference in our world is worthwhile.

Lisa Samson’s book QUAKER SUMMER helped dawn in me the notion of looking for an opportunity to reach out to my local community – even if it only felt like a tiny drop in a very, very big bucket.

Reading Melanie’s Dobson’s book LOVE FINDS YOU IN LIBERTY, INDIANA while my son’s class rehearsed their roles in a civil war peace cotillion added a fullness to my appreciation of the struggles of our founders and forefathers. And mothers.

This summer I had a chance to meet Arloa Sutter in person – she’s an author I represent whose new book THE INVISIBLE just released. As the director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries in East Garfield, Chicago, the work she is doing on a daily basis to help people in one of the most impoverished communities in America is inspiring. But the reality of her message and her life – that there’s always hope – came at a time when I needed that reaffirmed as the economy struggled to recover from a downward spiral and so many of the yet-to-be published authors I represent needed encouragement to keep their heads up, and continue fighting the good fight with me – even when prospects seem bleak.

Everyday there are stories being written, and read. Hearts – and consciences – being challenged and changed all because of books.

So, even if it means I have to trek back to the mall the next chance I get, I’m grateful for Randy, and for other authors whose books have shaped who I am, and who I am still becoming.

To be a part of this is honestly reward enough, though I am honored to have received recognition for it.

A sincere thank you to Chip MacGregor, the authors I’m privileged to help along in their publishing journeys and whose letters were responsible for my nomination, and all the authors whose work has influenced me over the years.

Like I said, I’ll be returning the mall very soon to return the dress I left hanging in my closet when I packed for ACFW.

I’m keeping the earrings, though.

Sandra

Still talking books and authors...

Okay, so on Monday I spent some time answering questions from people about which books I’ve been reading and what I like. On Tuesday I got this response from someone: “Well, there’s really only ONE BOOK – the Bible. It’s more than a book, so nothing compares to it. But books written by the muse of man that I have enjoyed would include…”

Um… where do I start? First, there isn’t only “one book.” There are a lot of books, many of great value – even to people of faith. Second, I’ve never heard of a book that wasn’t “written by the muse of man.” For crying out loud. Third, that is without a doubt the most pompous note I’ve received in years. 

Look, I appreciate that I have people of faith reading my blog. I'm a person of faith, and I represent a lot of Christian books. But I also live in the real world, not some hokey spiritual world where we need to always point out that we are religious. So give it a rest. Learn to write words that people want to read and you'll find more success. Geez...

Janet wrote to say, “Looking at all the religious fiction writers being published today, who do you 
think will be read and admired 25 years from now?”

First, this is a great question. It's also a bit of a slippery topic, since "popularity" and "longevity" don't always go hand in hand (in writing or in any other art). Tastes change and that pushes the culture away from one author and toward another. For example, Ernest Hemingway has long been considered one of America’s greatest writers. But as readers have moved away from his books, and as time has marched on, his reputation as a stylist has flagged considerably. And his buddy F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was reduced to writing B-movie scripts late in life because the reading public had soured on his work, now commands great respect from the literary community. So… you never know how time is going to treat writers.

Let me offer an example in religious publishing: I think Terri Blackstock is one of the best of the Christian thriller writers right now. However, with the contemporary feel of her books, I doubt people will be reading and studying her work in 25 years. That’s not to run her down – it’s simply to say they are contemporary stories, and those tend to fade quickly. (Remember just a few short years ago? We were all reading Tom Clancy.) As an agent, I don't want any of the authors I represent to think I'm running down their work if I don't select them as "writer of the century." But that's the hand I'm playing with this post today.

Second, in my view, your question begs a recency debate. Twenty-five years from now, I believe they'll still be reading and discussing Madeleine L'Engle and Walter Wangerin... but is it fair to name two of the old guard in CBA? I don’t know. So this is a stab in the dark. I think, 25 years from now, people will still be reading Sue Monk Kidd novels, and the “Hawk & the Dove” trilogy from Penelope Wilcock. I think the jury is still out regarding Francine Rivers, even though that may sound silly when you consider her success. And I can think of about five or six writers who could make this list if they continue to build on their talent, but they simply don't have a big enough body of work yet for us to make a clear judgment (names on that list would include Leif Enger and Haven Kimmel, who have immense talent and will need to match that with big ideas). I also think that there are numerous authors who have the talent and desire to do exceedingly well in this business, but to this point their books haven't quite matched up to their ability, so we need to be patient and see what happens over time. 

Third, this points to a question for writers: What are the qualities that make a story timeless? Doubtless that would include facing the great questions of life, and having likable characters face difficulties we all can relate to. But the problem with trying to create timeless fiction is that tastes change so much. Would LEFT BEHIND have been as popular today as it was in the 1990’s? No. Would HARRY POTTER have been as wildly successful in the 1950’s as it was fifty years later? I doubt it. So I think every writer writes for his or her own time, for their own generation, not for eternity.

On the nonfiction side, we can see something similar. People a quarter-century in the future will still be reading Frederick Buecher and John R.W. Stott, but they've become old-guard. I'd say the current names that will have a lasting impact are Alister McGrath and Brennan Manning (maybe John Piper, but I'm leery). I'm in the minority in thinking Brian McLaren is a flash in the pan, and I don't think names like John Eldredge and Max Lucado will have staying power beyond their lifetimes, being too tied to our current culture. Finally, I should note that I honestly think a couple of current authors I represent have the depth and talent to make a list like this, but they haven't yet had the success or the longevity needed to prove me correct yet.

Betting on authors 25 years in the future is a bit like betting horses -- much depends on things beyond skill. There is timing, topicality, significance, and God's sovereignty (for my super-spiritual friends) or, if you don't mind my saying so, good old fashioned dumb luck. But I think a few of these folks are likely candidates. Would love to know who you think we'll be reading in 25 years.

And by the way, author Jim Rubart (the writer of the new bestseller ROOMS) is doing a booksigning with Paul Young, author of THE SHACK, this Friday night in Seattle. It's at the University Village Barnes & Noble at 7. If you're in the area, stop in and say hello.

 

Talking Books

People have been asking me about books...

Vicki wrote to ask, “With all the new books coming out this fall, is there one that really stands out? Something you can’t wait to read?”

Sure. I’m a huge Mark Twain fan, and when he wrote his autobiography he asked that it not be published until 100 years after his death. The first volume (of three) releases this fall. I CAN’T WAIT.

Dawn asked me, "What is the book you're most excited about these days?" 

From a business point of view? Well, Jim Rubart's ROOMS has been a steady-but-slow-grower, but after several months on the market it's just now hitting the bestseller lists (currently #18 on the ECPA fiction list). I'm excited about that one, because I think the more people who hear about it, the more will read it, and the bigger the fan base it will develop. I've said from the beginning that one had a chance to be a huge hit. And I should note that one author who is really generating excitement in the industry these days is Irene Hannon. I was listening to some editors talk at a conference recently, and the fiction director at a major house said, "Of course, Irene Hannon looks like she's going to own the romantic suspense category in CBA -- she's taken the place of Dee Henderson." As you can imagine, that made me very happy. Irene is a total pro, has sold more than a million Harleqiun books, and it’s nice to see her books at Revell do so well in the broader market.

Deborah sent this: "I like literary fiction, and you tend to talk about literaries a lot. Which new releases would you recommend I read?"

I'm finally finished THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE ASSOCIATION, and loved it. Then read Audrey Niffenegger's HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY and was disappointed. But I'll tell you, if you don't read Lisa Samson's RESURRECTION IN MAY or Susan Meissner's LADY IN WAITING, you're missing out on two great reads. Sandra Bishop gave me a copy of Carla Stewart's CHASING LILACS -- a wonderful read. So is Gina Holmes' novel, CROSSING OCEANS. (And yes, I represent several of these authors.)

Melody asked, "What book have you read recently and simply loved?"

That's always hard because we represent a lot of books, and frankly I don't represent anything unless I actually LIKE it. (For example, I think STUFF CHRISTIANS LIKE is a fabulous, wonderfully funny book. I was proud to represent it.) So I could point to great books from a dozen authors I’m really proud ot. But it's a fair question, so let me list a book or two I did NOT represent... THE HELP is really good. So is THREE CUPS OF TEA. Take a look at RADICAL, a book from David Platt. I'd never heard of it until the editor, Laura Barker, handed me a copy. Loved it. Oh, and I picked up a copy of ANCIENT PATHWAYS by David Robinson yesterday, which takes the Rule of St Benedict and moves it into contemporary times. Very well done.

Lauren came to me with this: "Can you recommend any hidden gems -- books or authors we haven't heard about, but ought to?"

Well, sure... I really like Philip Gulley's work, and nobody seems to give him much attention any more. A fabulous writer. And I just re-read a couple of Tom Bodet's novels (he's the guy who says, "We'll leave the light on for you"), and was reminded of what a good writer he is. Try THE END OF THE ROAD. Among the authors I represent, I'd encourage you to take a look at Ginger Garrett's works, as well as the novels of Kimberly Stuart. They're both producing excellent books (Ginger writes historicals, Kim contemporary comedic novels) that haven't received their due. 

Lori wrote, “You spend a lot of time talking about fiction, but I know you’re a nonfiction reader. Aside from the authors you represent, what excites you?”

I’m a huge Sebastian Junger fan, and I’ve yet to read WAR, so I’m looking forward to digging into that. I still have yet to read my copy of THE ART OF RACING WITH THE RAIN. And I’m looking forward to Vikram Akula’s A FISTFUL OF RICE, because friends in the industry have told me his book about creating a business model that combines capitalism with social justice is really strong.

Finally, Dave wants to know, "Now that it's football season, are there are great sports books you can recommend?" 

Absolutely. Check out BLOOD, SWEAT, AND CHALK, which is a great book about how the best NFL coaches built today's game. And Pat Kirwan's TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE BALL is a must for those who want to understand football better. Chad Gibbs has just released GOD & FOOTBALL, about the religion of the sport in SEC country. He's an excellent writer, and the book is funny and insightful. And one you haven't heard about yet is David Thomas' REMEMBER WHY YOU PLAY, the true story of a private high school football team that plays a game against a reform school team. Davis is a full-time sports writer, his book is being made into a movie, and you'll find the book has interesting storylines and nice insights into life.  

 

 

NEWSDAY TUESDAY ...

Okay, so it's nearly Wednesday. We brought our new puppy (as opposed to "old puppy?") home today, so I've been writing this between other things as well as helping with trips to the appointed piddle spot and throwing treat parties when Digby succeeds doing his business. 

(Digby's the cute one on the far left.)

IN OTHER (far more relevant) NEWS:

In case you haven't heard, we've added a new agent to our rolls here at MacGregor Literary. Amanda Luedeke made her conference debut this past week with us here at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference. All signs are pointing to her potentially having signed her first author already! 

Our fabulous friend and local author Hillary Manton Lodge simply couldn't take it anymore. While at the conference last week she took professional quality photos and headshots for all of us - keep your eye out soon for new photos of us all -- even if I am doing "that funny thing with my head" I'm sure our new pics will help us all appear far more professional.

 LIST AND REVIEW NEWS:

Gina Holmes' CROSSING OCEANS, her novel published by Tyndale, is on the August CBA bestseller list.
John Wilson, the editor of Books & Culture magazine (an online publication of Christianity Today) gave J. Mark Bertrand's BACK ON MURDER high marks.
http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/webexclusives/2010/august/wilson081010.html

UPCOMING RELEASES:

Susan Meissner's next novel, LADY IN WAITING, is releasing this week with Waterbrook. It weaves the story of a contemporary couple with that of Lady Jane Grey, and has been very much anticipated by those who enjoyed THE SHAPE OF MERCY and WHITE PICKET FENCES.

Chad Gibbs' GOD AND FOOTBALL is releasing this week from Zondervan. It's his look at the both faith and fanaticism with people who follow SEC football.

Keep an eye out for Serena Miller's historical Amish tale, LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUGARCREEK, OHIO.

Julie Cannon is busy at work on her next title, a contemporary southern novel, TWANG, which will be coming out from Abingdon Press.

AUTHOR EVENTS:

Jim Rubart went on a national book tour for his novel ROOMS, published by B&H. The tour took a small group of suspense novelists around the country, ending in New York for "Thrillerfest."

Carla Stewart is participating in this year's Books Alive 2010 Conference in Jefferson Texas on November 12-14th. This conference is hosted by Beauty and the Book - The Only Hair Salon/Bookstore in the World and headquarters of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs founded by Kathy L. Patrick, Author of " The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life". Interestingly, Ms. Patrick has recently taken over facilitation of A GOOD BLOG IS HARD TO FIND, a fun and informative blog to which MacGregor Literary author Julie Cannon is a regular contributor.

NEW DEALS:

Michael Hingson, who is blind and was high up in the World Trade Center on 9/11, will tell his personal story of being led down more than 70 flights to safety by his guide dog. He's just signed to do a book with Thomas Nelson. He's working with writer Susy Flory.

Pastor Mel Lawrenz, the longtime executive at Elmbrook Church in Wisconsin, is writing a new book on "spiritual leadership" for Zondervan.

Melanie Dobson will be writing her next book with Summerside Press.

JUST FOR FUN:

Some great descriptions of common maladies which plague writers on  Nathan Bransford's blog today. You may never again regard stilted dialogue so casually. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Children's Books

We're trying to take all your publishing questions, so send them along. Jan wrote to ask about children's books: "I read recently that an author doesn't necessarily need an agent if she is writing for children, and that it might be a better use of our time to submit directly to a publisher. Do you think that's true?"

Um... Okay, I'm not the children's book specialist. Just so we're clear, I rarely have represented children's books (a few times, like Rene Riva, I couldn't say no). So I'm not the expert. However, I've certainly been around children's books and children's book authors and editors. And in my experience, I would disagree with what you read. In my experience, most of the children's publishers want proposals to come through agents. (We can get into why that is, if you want -- a good agent knows what the publisher is looking for, helps the author make sure it's ready, know how to help prepare the proposal so it fits the publisher's format, understands the economics of children's publishing, etc.) So I'd tend to disagree with whoever wrote that article. 

This is a good place for me to point out that, over the years, I haven't exactly been the "agent evangelist." I made a good living as a writer without having an agent. (Truth? I kept talking to them, and I always seemed to know more about the industry than they did.) Is it possible to make it in this business without an agent? Sure it is. But it's getting harder. Most publishers simply won't accept un-agented proposals any more. They've done that as a means of trying to professionalize the relationship. They've also done it because the scads of young editorial assistants they used to have don't exist any more, so they don't have the personnel to wade through the unsolicited slushpile. It doesn't get talked about much, but the fact is publishers now rely on agents to be the first filter -- to go through the material and clear out the dross. They expect agents to help bring in publishable, salable manuscripts that fit the house and are well-written.

Now, having said that, the role of literary agents is definitely changing. Self-publishing is exploding, publishers are moving toward more e-books, and no one is quite sure what this business is going to look like in ten or twenty years. To which I say... "yeah? and this is new?" Hey, publishing is a dynamic industry. We've never really known what direction it was headed in. We all get surprised by mega-sellers that come out of nowhere and take us in new directions (Left Behind, Twilight, The Da Vinci Code, The Shack). So I expect the industry will be very different in a few years. 

That said, my guess is we'll still have publishers. People will still want information and entertainment. They may read it on a device, but somebody will still have to write it, and others will still edit and produce it. Authors will still need help with careers, and will still be looking for guidance on things like ideas and topics and writing. They will still need someone who understands contracts to handle the business side, and they'll still want someone else negotiating for them and singing their praises and protecting them. (As I've noted before, your publisher has a team of lawyers and accountants working for them. Who do you have as an author?) So I think those of us who are good at this job will continue to work and make a living. A longer answer than you might have anticipated, but those are my thoughts.

chip

Sandra writes about the "L" word ...

After having worked for myself as a freelance writer, and now agenting, I don't think I could go back to a nine-to-five job working for someone else. Never say never, but seriously, the freedom I've enjoyed in both "jobs" far outweigh the benefits I'm missing working for "the man". Cafeteria food. Overpriced health plans. The opportunity to practice defensive driving during rush hour.

And, I'd totally miss out on responding to the questions folks ask about an industry I love.

It's my birthday, (and I'm on vacation) so I'm going to allow myself the indulgence of answering this one often debated question which I hope stirs up lots of discussion and other questions, from you.

Gina asked:

What kind of Christian fiction do you wish you could find more of?

Personally, I wish I could find more Christian fiction that tells the story of redemption and discovery through a focus on character vs. plot.

The trouble with these, though, is that CBA booksellers don't know how to describe them quickly, which makes them hard to sell. Several CBA publishers have success with authors who write in what is often described as a more literary style. But, they have to limit the spots for these because it often takes years for these authors to build a following. This makes them hard to find in CBA bookstores, specifically.

Take my favorite book - PEACE LIKE A RIVER by Leif Enger. A word-of-mouth book which took a couple years to grow into a best-seller. It's one of the most "Christian" novels I've ever read, but I've yet to see it shelved in a CBA store. The most obvious reason for this is that sales folks who call on CBA stores sell CBA books. Still ... I often wonder what might happen if Christian bookstores stepped a little outside the lines and stocked non-CBA books. Gasp. I know. It's heresy. Like I said, it's my birthday. Indulge me.

The strength of books like PEACE LIKE A RIVER, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, EAST OF EDEN, is that the authors carry you away on the strength of their prose and the breadth and depth of their characters.

But, they are hard books to categorize without using the L word. Literature. It's an oft ignored category in CBA for a very good reason. It doesn't sell well.

I know, I know. I sound like a snob. I'm not. I understand the desire for commercial fiction. And, as an agent, I've learned to appreciate this desire, and come to understand the enjoyment of reading more commercial novels. Honestly, I've been pleased to learn that there are more excellent writers in CBA now than I thought I'd find when I started agenting two years ago.

And, literary or not, working with authors to help them entertain, encourage, and make a difference in the lives of their readers is not just a job. It's a dream job. In fact, it's like it's my birthday -- everyday.

Sandra

Hey -- while I'm here, I have a favor ... I've been racking my brain to come up with my own birthday blog tradition but so far the best I can muster is a fruity-drink recipe contest. Obviously, the islands are getting to me.

Anyone have any suggestions, I'm game!