Early in my writing career, I decided I wanted nothing to do with Christian publishing.
I spent years laboring over a fantasy series, placed with the first two books in the series in a notable writing contest for Christian authors, and made a handful of connections in the publishing industry, but fantasy was a tough sell to Christian publishers, and the one published fantasy author I knew said it had taken her 27 (twenty seven!) years to place her first book. I was young, impatient, and most of the Christian books I had read were gifts from my mother-in-law, who really, really liked pioneer romance. So let’s just say I had a very limited and largely incorrect view of the Christian publishing world. If they didn’t want fantasy, I didn’t want them.
Fast forward more than a decade—it seemed I was on track. I had two books coming out with New York publishers, and more circulating with regular bites of interest. But in my spare moments, I had been putting together a book of readings for Advent because I couldn’t find what I wanted on the shelves. I have an undergrad in Religion and Philosophy and am married to a theologian, so this was natural and easy. It wasn’t a project I ever thought I’d try to publish, until I mentioned it to my agent.
She looked at a summary and said, “I didn’t know any of this!” And she set about trying to find a publisher in the Christian Book Universe.
We quickly realized that the Christian book world is very, very different from the ABA (American Booksellers Association). It’s so different, in fact, that my agent released my Christian works to another agent, who works almost exclusively with religious presses. I then began my crash course on writing for the Christian market. What are the key things to know for those hoping to break in? And why would you want to?
 |
| Published by Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers |
Where are Christian books, anyway?
Those who don’t frequent Christian bookstores might think religious books are a tiny fraction of all books sold. The “inspirational” section of the local bookstore is minuscule and usually populated with self-help or gift book titles (and Eat Pray Love wall signs, amiright?), and when it comes to children’s books, you’ll struggle to find any contemporary Christian titles in stores or at the public library. But roughly 20 percent of all books sold are religious, and that number does not include the bestselling book of all time, the Bible.
How do I get started writing for the Christian market?
I have three words for you, three words that are already familiar to most writers: Network, Platform, Proposals.
Network
Network is every bit as essential in Christian publishing as it is in the ABA. I’ve found both my agents via my author-learner-friend network and not through blind submissions. Likewise all of my books have been hand-sold to publishers by my agent. What are the key ways to build network in the Christian market?
- Search out Christian bookstores, visit, and ask if they have author groups or events.
- Attend online and in-person writing conferences.
- If you do social media (I don’t, but that’s a topic for another day), follow houses and professionals online and interact with them in meaningful ways.
- Write fan letters to authors you admire, though without the expectation that they will become a new BFF or refer you to their agent (because that’s creepy).
- Find or create a writer’s group that focuses on Christian literature.
- Make and maintain friendships.
There’s a little-known expectation in the Christian market that other authors are now doing some of the preliminary vetting. Agent guidelines often ask that submitting authors have a referral. A referral is a published author, one of that agent’s clients, who is willing to say, “Yes, I know this writer and they’re worth looking at.”
Your network matters. A lot.
Platform
In the Christian world, platform rules. Sure, it’s helpful in ABA publishing (otherwise would we have picture books by Madonna? Hmm), but in religious publishing, you truly need a stellar website, active subscriber base, teaching or speaking platform, or some other method of being known by your niche market. You don’t have that? Not all is lost. Use what you do have, and use it well. Here are some platform enhancers for all of us:
- Is your career or day job specific to your writing? Highlight it.
- Are you a teacher, librarian or other book professional? Use it!
- Do you have a quality website? No? ALL you need is a landing page—no need for an elaborate site, and they’re easy to make through site builders like Squarespace and Wix.
- Do you have any numbers at all? Your Christmas card list goes back 50 years and has 2,000 names on it, all of whom are blood relatives? That, my friend, is platform.
Proposals
If you write nonfiction, you know this beast and you know it well. If you write fiction for the ABA you’ve probably never so much as considered writing a proposal.
Start considering.
Proposals are the golden nugget of the Christian publishing universe, and I’m talking proposals for everything. Book of Lenten devotional readings? Proposal. Historical novel? Proposal. 3-word board book? Yup, proposal.
You may be thinking it’s absolute insanity to create a proposal for a board book, but I can guarantee a good, well written proposal is the industry expectation. So if you’re interested in writing for the Christian book market, learn to write, and learn to love writing proposals. I could write at length about the benefits of proposals that go far beyond book submissions, but here ends your introduction.
That fantasy series I mentioned at the start is still languishing on my hard drive, but rewriting it (and creating a proposal) are high on my writerly to-do list.
Here's a peek at more of Rebecca's books:
 |
| https://bookshop.org/books/halloween-good-night-9781481450614/9781481450614 |
 |
| https://bookshop.org/books/violet-and-the-woof/9780062441102 |
 |
| https://www.flyingketchuppress.com/sweetened-condensed-rebecca-grabill |
BONUS!
To celebrate her most recent release, Rebecca created a printable poetry journal and printable bookplates as a gift to readers. You can download them for free here: https://mailchi.mp/8539bd427a5a/mtamg8r3hz
- Here's a related article from Publishers Weekly: Kids Books Fuse Faith and Fun
Coming up on The Mitten Blog:
Website tips, writing craft tips, Equity & Inclusion Corner, Book Birthdays, and more!
The Mitten Blog is looking for a new editor! Learn more here, and email current editor Kristin Lenz with any questions.
Coming up in SCBWI-MI:
This is an hour dedicated to sharing your ideas and hanging out with our new E&I Team Coordinator. We welcome your thoughts for continued growth as we work together to celebrate and create quality content for young readers.
Bring your questions, comments, and your favorite candy. We may have a few tricks up our sleeves and some treats too!
SCBWI-MI members: Check your email for more info and the Zoom link.
No comments:
Post a Comment