by Elva Cobb Martin
How Alive or Well Is Christian Fiction?
Kim Moore, Senior
Fiction Editor with Harvest House, recently shared with me:
“Christian fiction is rather fluid right now. Ebooks on digital devices
are changing Christian fiction in rather dramatic ways, and authors, agents and
publishers are working to meet those challenges.”
Dan Balow, literary
agent with the Steve Laube Agency, lately wrote a blog titled “Is Christian
Fiction Dying?” He writes, “Last year a couple of Christian publishers stopped
publishing fiction. Others are nervous about and it and still others are
excited about it.”
He cited some reasons he thinks Christian fiction is causing some
publisher-confusion:
■ Fiction is the segment of book publishing
most affected by the sales of eBooks.
■ The relatively small number of new Christian
fiction titles published by the main ECPA
publishers.
■ The limited number of genres published.
Lighthouse Publishing of the
Carolinas CEO Eddie Jones has a little different take
on the subject:
“I believe the general public is
offended by the excessive cursing, gratuitous sex, and unnecessary violence,
and yet, this is what passes for entertainment within the secular market. I also
feel Christian Fiction has, for too long, catered to those readers who demanded
a “come to Jesus” conversion ending in every story.
Seems to me, there is an
opportunity for book publishers to reach those readers who are offended by the
word “Christ” but yet are drawn to themes of redemption, compassion, and
sacrifice. I think the best fiction presents God’s truth without mentioning Him
by name. When we allow God to work within the heart of a reader, they are moved
not just by words, but by His Spirit, also.”
Lighthouse is a fast-paced and innovative traditional, royalty-paying
publisher of eBooks and Print on Demand (POD) paperbacks. LPC embraces the new
book publishing model that favors eBooks and Print on Demand over long press
runs and warehouse inventories. They are excited about Christian fiction and
over the next couple of years are launching five new imprints.
One writer has posed an interesting question for those wanting more
“freedom of expression.” What if the Christian Booksellers Association morph’s
into a quasi-ABA with more sex, violence, and coarse language, how many chomping
at the bit to get there will be truly happy with the results?
On the other side of the coin are those who are content and feel called
to “write for the choir” (and read the same type fiction). One agent recently blogged
in defense of the choir. He quoted
statistics that 200,000 new books are published in the United States each year
from traditional publishers (not counting self-publishing), and that of those,
only 10,000 would be Christian books from Christian publishers. He summed up by
saying maybe we need more books with a blatant Christian message and worldview,
as there seems to be enough books covering the other side.
He’s got a point.
But for those maybe caught in the middle, how does a Christian writer
who desires to deal realistically with the nitty-gritty hard issues people,
including Christians, may face, and the Bible even covers, do so without
offending?
Author Timothy Fish may have
hit the proverbial nail on the head. He commented on Karen Ball’s blog that the
Bible, for the most part, tells what happened in grisly situations without giving a blow by blow account.
He uses as examples the story of the Levite in Judges 19 who cut up his raped
and murdered concubine into twelve pieces and sent her to the twelve tribes to
stir them to action. He also used the story of Ehud, a man God raised up to
deliver Israel from Moab, who thrust a dagger into the Moab king’s gut and the
fat closed up around it.
The key, Fish says, is that the Bible writers did not go into detail
about what precisely was taking place, what it smelled like or what the blood
felt like as these actions took place. He says many people have a blood lust to
show things that it is sufficient to tell only.
He’s got a point, too.
In conclusion, some would quote the dismal lowering of morals in America
as the reason Christian fiction is not selling as well as would be desired. A
new report, 2014 State of Dating in
America, published by the online dating sites Christian Mingle and JDate, revealed that 61 percent of Christians
said they would have sex before marriage.
Should the demise of morality, book sales figures, or anything else
cause us to waver writing in the Christian worldview, however that’s
interpreted? Should we continue writing fiction that not only entertains but also
shows Christianity and gaining God’s wisdom as the answer for an individual’s
problems, even the grittiest ones? Or should we try to tread more softly with inspiring
fiction that doesn’t mention the name of Christ but clearly shows themes of
compassion, redemption, or sacrifice? Is there room on the book shelf for both
to reach various groups?
Some believe we Christians and Christian writers, publishers, agents are
wrestling in a true spiritual warfare with the forces of evil which are trying,
and have tried all through history, to grasp the hearts and minds of man. MaryLu Tyndale is a prolific
Christian romance author who shows evidence of this warfare in her well-written,
exciting novels. Frank Perretti,
with more than 15 million novels in print and often called America’s hottest
Christian novelist, infused new life into Christian fiction when he introduced
this kind of warfare in his first bestselling novel This Present Darkness.
Do you believe there are
forces of evil Paul spoke about in Ephesians chapter 6 that are authoring
books, movies and television programs? If so, how would you define Christian
fiction and the direction it needs to go to win more victories and arise with
new life?
We look forward to your comments!
If You Missed the previous blogs, links are below
Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have published her articles. She is currently polishing her second novel, an historical inspirational romance. A mother finally promoted to grandmother, Elva and her husband Dwayne, and a mini-dachshund Lucy reside in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site www.elvamartin.com, her blog at http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com on Twitter @Elvacobbmartin and on Facebook.
