Category: Publishing Industry

17 February 2021

What Are Comparable Titles and How do I Find Them?

If you are considering submitting a proposal to a publisher or a literary agent, you will find they don’t only want a sample of your writing to help them decide whether they are interested in you and your manuscript. Usually, they also want you to suggest between three and five comparable titles.

What Are Comparable Titles?

Comparable titles are books that are similar to yours. They may be in the same genre, have similar plots, use similar tropes, be written in a similar style, and/or have a common thread such as the setting.

Comparable titles should be new books, released in the last five years and ideally in the last two years. (No, you can’t use Jane Austen and Charles Dickens as comparable authors). They should be books which have seen success in their niche (you don’t want to compare your manuscript to the publishing equivalent of a movie that scores 9% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Avoid books that have topped bestseller lists and/or been made into movies. These books have typically seen success outside their core genre, so aren’t truly comparable.

Choosing megahits could also be interpreted as suggesting you haven’t done your homework (to find more suitable comparable titles), or that you have delusions of grandeur (“you have to publish this book because my mum said it would make a great movie” is not going to win you a publishing contract.)

Most agents and publishers want you to name between three and five comparable titles, each from a different author.

Top tip: Once you have identified possible comparable titles, note the authors. Read their new releases and add them to your comparable book list to keep it current.

That’s all well and good if you plan to seek a literary agent and pursue a traditional publishing contract.

But what if you plan to self-publish?

I would still advise making a list of comparable titles and authors. It will help you with a range of writing and marketing decisions. Knowing your comparable titles and authors will:

Inform your genre and the tropes you use.
Provide a guide to writing style and point of view (if all your comparison titles are written in first person and present tense, then you might need to reconsider your use of past tense omniscient point of view).
Enable you to find book reviewers who review in your genre.
Give examples of cover design trends in your genre, which can inform your cover design.
Help you find joint promotional activities to help expose your book to new readers and build your email list.

Finding comparable titles and authors will also help you identify your target reader, because readers who enjoy books by your comparable authors should also enjoy your book.

So How do you Find Comparable Authors?

Bestseller Lists

Start by checking the Amazon top 100 list for books in your genre.

I suggest starting with the Amazon lists because everyone has access to them, and because they are purely based on sales i.e. what buyers are buying. Lists in major publications have several limitations:

Lists don’t count Amazon sales (because they get their sales figures from BookScan, and Amazon don’t release their sales figures).
Lists may exclude self-published books.
Lists may be curated (i.e. whoever compiles the list chooses which books to include and exclude).

New Release lists from Relevant Writing Organisations

American Christian Fiction Writers publishes a monthly post compiling the new releases from ACFW members. It’s not all the new releases in Christian fiction, because not every Christian fiction writer is a member of ACFW, but it’s a start.

Upcoming Releases Posts on Book Blogs

Publishers typically work twelve months in advance, so they already know what books they’re planning to release in the first quarter of 2022. They have typically produced the cover and book description several months in advance. The books are then made available to industry professionals (including book bloggers) via services such as NetGalley.

Many book bloggers will post about they books on their to-review pile. Some (e.g. Rel at Relz Reviews) work with publishers to reveal the covers for their upcoming season.

Book Blogs

Many book bloggers review books in advance of publication. Others feature lists of books they’re looking forward to (often books they’ve already downloaded from NetGalley).

Following blogs in your genre can give you insight into what books publishers are publishing, so you can track new releases in your genre and find books to add to your list of comparable titles. You can also track debut authors, and add them if appropriate.

But how do you know which titles are most like yours?

Simple. Read.

Read new releases from comparable authors, and read new releases from debut authors in your genre. You don’t have to read every book – it may be enough to read the Kindle sample to determine whether the book is a comparable title or not.

I know. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Reading in your genre and interacting with readers and bloggers will help keep you up-to-date on writing and publishing trends …

And your comparable titles.

3 February 2021

Book Marketing | How Do I Market a Book?

This is one of the most common questions I see in Christian author groups.

Unfortunately, it’s also one of the hardest to answer.

Why? Because the question is too vague.

It’s like asking “what should I buy?” If I’m hungry, I should buy food. If I’m cold, I should buy clothes. if I’m bored, I should buy a book. No one can give a helpful answer without more information.

Top Tip: It’s best to ask specific questions, especially in Facebook groups.

The other issue is that the question is usually asked by someone who has already published their book. Most marketing happens before the book is published. Yes, you can advertise a book after it’s been published, but the success of post-publication advertising will largely depend on how well the early big-picture steps were completed.

Here are my suggested steps to marketing a book:

1. Write an excellent book.

Your book needs to be of the same standard as a book released by a traditional publisher, because this is the standard readers expect. Your book should also be written in an accepted genre, because that shows there is a group of readers who want to buy books like yours.

Click here to read about understanding genre.

2. Build your author website.

All authors need a website, an online home base that they can use to attract potential readers and even to sell books from. Recent events have shown (yet again) how easy it is to lose followers from a third-party website or social media network. Instead, build your website on a self-hosted WordPress site to limit the risk of losing your site.

Click here to read more about author websites.

3. Set up social media accounts on relevant networks.

While it’s unwise to build an entire platform on social media, it is worthwhile claiming your author name on the main social media networks (i.e. the networks your target readers use) and pointing followers towards your website.

Click here to read more about social media.

4. Work with an editor and proofreader.

Revise and self-edit your book until it is the best you can make it. Then use at least one paid editor to provide professional external feedback.

Click here to read why self-editing is important.

A developmental editor will help clarify your overall story, and help you fix plot, character, or structure problems.
A line editor will help polish your work.
A copyeditor will ensure the writing is consistent with the relevant style guide.
A proofreader provides on final check to ensure the manuscript is ready to publish.

Click here to read more about the cost of editing.

5. Set up an email list and offer a reader magnet.

An email list is your direct line to your fans. These are the people who will preorder your books and buy your new releases. The bigger and more engaged your list, the less “hard sell” you have to do.

Click here to read more about email lists.

6. Consider your path to publishing

Click here to read more about the paths to publishing.

Do you want to publish with a major traditional publisher? If so, your next step is to find a literary agent who sells manuscripts to your preferred publisher.

Do you want to work with a small press? Now is the time to submit.

Do you plan to self-publish? Make sure you’re self-publishing, not working with a vanity publisher (who won’t market your book, and probably won’t even edit it).

Click here to find out how to find a literary agent.

7. Create an ARC team.

An ARC is an Advance Reader Copy or Advance Review Copy. Create a team of people who will receive the pre-proofed version of your book, read it before publication, and review it on release date (or soon after). Reviews provide social proof for new-to-you readers and encourages them to try your book.

8. Hire an excellent cover designer.

If there’s one thing that’s more important than excellent writing and editing, it’s cover design. The cover is the first thing a new reader sees, so it needs to fit the genre, and attract your target readers.

9. Write a compelling book description.

When a potential customer sees your book, the first thing they see is the cover. If the cover looks appealing, the next thing they will do is read the book description. Your book description should introduce your main characters and the central conflict, hooking potential customers so they want to find out more.

10. Ask Book Bloggers to Feature Your Book

The internet is filled with book bloggers and bookstagrammers (booklovers on Instagram) who are always looking for the next great novel to read and promote on their blog.

Once you have a great cover and a compelling book description, you can approach bloggers in your genre and ask if they are interested in featuring you or your book. Offer them a free ebook for review (but remember they are under no obligation to review, even if you give them a free book).

Click here for information on how to ask book bloggers for reviews.

Top Tip: If none of the bloggers you approach are interested in you or your book, you’re either approaching bloggers in the wrong genre, or your book cover, book description, or actual book are to blame. If you can’t give your book away to an avid reader aka book blogger, your chances of selling it to a less avid reader are slim.

11. Publish your book.

Yes, we have finally got to the publishing stage (and I’ve missed several steps). If you are working with a traditional publisher, they will edit, design the cover, format, write the book description, print your book, and upload the book to all the major sales platforms. If you are self-publishing, these tasks are your responsibility.

12. Promote your new release.

Tell your email list and social media followers about your new release. If you have been featured on book blogs, comment on the post and respond to readers who comment. Share the blog posts, and retweet mentions. Release week is the one time followers will forgive you for self-promotion, so take advantage of that.

13. Write the next book.

If you’re aiming for traditional publication, write the next book. Publishers rarely offer new authors a one-book deal, as they want to spread their marketing dollar over two or three books.

If you’re self-publishing, write the next book in the series. Readers love series, and books in a series cross-promote each other.

14. Advertise

Once you have three to five books in a series, it’s worthwhile considering paid advertising e.g. Facebook and Amazon. You can offer books at sale prices (or even a free book) and make money as readers read through the series.

15. Apply for a BookBub Featured Deal

BookBub Featured Deals aren’t cheap, but they are the advertising prize. Apply as often as you can and expect to be rejected many times before you are accepted. In the meantime, work on getting more Amazon and Goodreads reviews.

Top Tip: if you only have one book published, don’t apply for a free deal on BookBub.

The way free deals make money for the author is via sell-through i.e. the reader downloading Book #1 free, reading it, then going on to but Book #2 and Book #3 and so on. This works best if you have at least three books in the same series.

Simple, right? (Not.)

As you can see, most of the marketing happens before the book is published.

If you have a published book that isn’t selling as well as you’d like, it’s possible the book isn’t meeting reader expectations. If that happens, my best advice is to write the next book, and ensure it meets reader expectations in terms of genre and the standard of writing, editing, and cover design.

Do you have any specific questions about how to market a book? Let me know in the comments.

1 January 2020

Dear Editor | Should I Pay to Enter a Writing Contest?

There used to be a view that legitimate writing contests were free to enter, and that any contest that charged a fee was suspect.

That’s no longer true—but it doesn’t mean that all writing contests are created equal, or that all contests are legitimate. Unfortunately, just as there are too many vanity publishers out to separate unwary authors from their hard-earned money, so too there are vanity writing contests.

How do you tell the difference between a reputable writing contest and a vanity contest? Check out these 5 questions. #WritingContest #WritersLife Share on X

So how can a writer tell which contests are legitimate, and which are vanity contests?

Here are some questions to consider:

Who runs the contest?
How much does the contest cost to enter?
How many categories are there?
How quickly are the entries judged?
Who are the past winners?

Who Runs the Contest?

Many contests are run by writing organisations. For example, American Christian Fiction Writers runs the Carol Award for published authors, and the Genesis and First Impressions contests for unpublished authors. Romance Writers of America run the RITA Award for published authors. In Australasia, Omega Writers run the CALEB Award.

Other contests are run by chapters of larger organisations. For example, the TARA is run by the Tampa Area Romance Authors, and the MARA is run by the Mid-America Romance Authors.

Some contests are run by publishing organisations. For example, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association run the Christian Book Awards for nonfiction, and now manage the Christy Awards for fiction. Others are run as part of a writer’s conference e.g. the Selah Awards are linked to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writing Conference, or run by a not-for-profit e.g. Stories of Life.

These are generally legitimate awards. Sure, some are more expensive than others (it costs USD 125 to enter a single book in the Christy Award, plus the cost of providing paper copies for judging). But the purpose of the contests is to recognise the best in the industry, and the contest attracts entries from major publishers.

But some contests are run by less honourable organisations.

Some vanity presses run awards, with the prize being a free publishing package (“worth $10,000!”). Sure, the vanity press might sell that publishing package for $10,000, but there’s a lot of profit in that. These contests are simply a way for the vanity press to solicit sales prospects.

Other contests are run by for-profit organisations. Now, I have nothing against a for-profit organisation (after all, if organisations such as bookstores, publishing companies, and freelance editors didn’t make a profit, then there would be no bookstores, publishing companies, or freelance editors). But a writing contest run by a for-profit organisation means the objective of the contest isn’t to find and recognise the best writers in the genre.

It’s to make a profit. Let the buyer beware.

How Much does the Contest Cost to Enter?

Contests run by writing organisations will often have two rates—a member and a non-member rate. The non-member rate is often expensive, but that’s not because the contest is a vanity contest. It’s a not-so-subtle attempt from the organisers to encourage entrants to join the organisation. Some writing organisations only permit entries from members, but potential entrants can join and enter at the same time.

Other contests (such as the RITA) allow the first entry at a relatively inexpensive rate, but additional entries cost more per entry. This is because they’re disincentivising authors from submitting multiple entries—they want each writer to enter their best book, so the contest represents as many different authors as possible (given the contest is capped at 2,000 entries).

In contrast, vanity contests will often offer a discount on the second and subsequent entries—because they make money by having lots of entries, and because they use the number of entries as a marketing point. These contests range in price from very expensive to free. But free isn’t always good—some vanity contests claim copyright on entries, which means the entrant is effectively giving away that writing and getting nothing in return.

What is the Money Used for?

To properly gauge whether a writing contest is too expensive or not, authors need to assess what the entry fees are used for.

For example, some writing contests award cash prizes, so a portion of the entry fee will be used to fund the prize. The Indie Book Awards offer cash prizes. I can see that’s an attractive proposition for many authors:

$1,500 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the best Fiction Book
$1,500 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the best Non-Fiction Book
$750 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the second best Fiction Book
$750 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the second best Non-Fiction Book
$500 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the third best Fiction Book
$500 Cash Prize and trophy awarded to the third best Non-Fiction Book
$100 Cash Prize and a Gold Medal awarded to the winner of each of the 70 categories
Finalist Medals will be awarded to up to five finalists in each of the 70 categories

$100 sounds relatively generous … except that it costs $75 to enter one book in one category of the IBA, and $60 for second and subsequent entries. That means the category winners only come out $25 ahead, and that’s assuming they only entered one book in one category.

Overall, IBA promises $12,500 in prize money across 70 categories, plus the cost of producing and sending six trophies and up to 350 finalist medals. Let’s say the trophies cost $50 each, and the medals are $5. That’s another $2,000.

But that means the contest expects to get at least 350 entries. At $75 per entry, that’s over $26,000. More if there are more than 350 entries.

That’s a lot of money for a “not for profit” contest with direct expenses of less than $15,000.

Where does the rest of the money go? Well, some will go to web hosting. Some will go to paying the person who emailed me about the contest. Maybe they pay the judges (you can apply to be a judge—you’ll be in the illustrious company of people like Terry Whalin, Acquisitions Editor for Morgan James Publishing, yet another vanity press).

Is that writing contest reputable, or is it a vanity contest? One way to decide is to check the entry fees and where the profit goes. #WritingContest #WriteTip Share on X

Other legitimate expenses include administration (the RITA has 2,000 entries, each of which are judged by seven judges in the first round. That’s a lot of administration), or prize trophies. Contests may also require specialised software, which will come out of the contest budge.

Some writing organisations don’t say what happens to contest proceeds, which probably means they go back into general funds to further the objectives of the organisation. Some say a portion of proceeds will be used to fund conference scholarships (e.g. the CALEB Awards from Omega Writers, or the Selah Awards from BRMCWC).

How Many Categories are There?

One way for-profit contests make money is by attracting lots of entrants and awarding lots of prizes—the Indie Book Awards above are one example. Reader’s Favorite are another, with over 100 categories.

Yes, everyone’s a winner in these contests.

In contrast, the RITA has 2,000 entries across 13 categories (including debut), and only 4% of entries final. The ACFW Carol Award and the Christy Award both have three finalists in each category. although they don’t specify the number of entries.

How Quickly Are Entries Judged?

I’ve recently seen an author say they published their book four months ago and have already been a finalist in three awards. My first reaction is that these are vanity awards: legitimate awards operate on a much longer timescale, and restrict entries based on copyright date i.e. their 2019 awards are for books with a 2018 copyright date. Books published in 2019 won’t be eligible for awards until 2020. Any annual contest that accepts books older than a year needs to be looked at carefully—do they only offer categories in alternate years? If so, it’s probably legitimate. If not … you can figure it out.

In contrast, legitimate awards usually have two or more rounds of judging over several months. After all, it takes time to send the entries to the judges, who then need a month or more to read and assess their entries, especially if the contest is a whole-book contest like the RITA. Even a contest that only judges the first five pages (such as the First Impressions contest from American Christian Fiction Writers) allows a month for first-round judging, and another month for the final round.

Who Are the Past Winners?

Most contests provide lists of past winners. Check those lists. What books have previously finaled and won this contest?

If it’s a major US or international contest, then the list of finalists and winners should include authors and books you’ve heard of.

They might be books you’ve read or want to read (depending on the genre). They should be books with professional covers that suit the genre, professional editing, and lots of reviews—including Amazon (or similar) reviews from readers.

If it’s a smaller regional or national contest, then you may not have heard of the authors if it’s a different country. But the winning books should still look professional. You should be able to read the Amazon sample and not see obvious errors.

But if you’ve never heard of any of the books, authors, or publishers and the book covers are ugly and the Amazon Look Inside shows obvious errors, then that tells you something about the legitimacy of the contest … and whether it’s one you want to enter.

Because that’s the key.

It’s great to win a writing contest. But only if you can tell friends and colleagues you’ve won without being given the side-eye because they wonder if you’ve been duped.

It's great to win a #WritingContest. But only if you can tell friends and colleagues you've won without being given the side-eye because they wonder if you've been duped. #WriterBeware Share on X

Author, beware.

2 October 2019

Introducing Sunrise Publishing (Now Open for Submissions)

I usually include information on new publishers in my monthly newsletter, but this is the exception. Sunrise Publishing have just launched, and they’re open for submissions until 10 November, so wanted you to know as soon as possible.

This is an excellent opportunity for contemporary Christian romance authors … especially those who love Susan May Warren’s Deep Haven series as much as I do.

Sunrise Publishing is the latest initiative from bestselling and award-winning author Susan May Warren, partnering with Lindsay Harrel. The two authors conducted a Facebook Live presentation on 30 September (well, 1 October New Zealand time) sharing the story behind the new collaboration, and announcing their submissions process.

Sunrise are currently open to submissions from US and international contemporary Christian romance authors.

Sunrise Publishing accepts submissions from unagented and unpublished authors, although previously published authors may also submit as a way of rebooting their career. The objective is to give new authors the opportunity to be published without having to work through an agent or have an existing author platform.

While Sunrise Publishing is a traditional royalty-paying publisher, their publishing model is more similar to the old Kindle Worlds than to the practices of most current traditional publishers. Books will be published in six-book series, with a new book published every two months. This model allows books to be launched to an existing audience, which will enable new authors to build their platform off the back of the world.

Susan May Warren Presents …

Each series will have a “Lead Author” who will choose three authors to create a series based on a “world” created by the Lead Author. The first Sunrise Publishing world will be Deep Haven, Minnesota, the scene of Susan May Warren’s six Deep Haven novels, and the spin-off six books in the Christiansen series. Susan May Warren will be the Lead Author, and will mentor the chosen authors.

Each participating author will create their own unique story within the Lead Author’s world.

Susan May Warren has some ideas for possible storylines, but the authors are also welcome to create their own story using a combination of new and existing characters. Novels will be edited by the Lead Author, Lindsay Harrell, and a team of editors. All novels will go through several rounds of editing, the same as at a larger traditional publisher.

Susan May Warren referred to this as a “James Patterson Method” of publishing.

James Patterson gives a plot summary of up to 80 pages to his co-writer or collaborator, they write the book, and he edits it. The Kindle Worlds model (also used by Melissa Storm at Sweet Promise Press) allowed authors to write in another author’s setting, but with little or no interaction from the “owner” of the world.

Sunrise Publishing will operate somewhere between the two: the Lead Author will be involved in crafting the plot and will mentor the authors (unlike in the Kindle Worlds model), but the Lead Author won’t dictate the plot (as James Patterson does).

Click here to find out more about the Deep Haven series.

What are Sunrise Publishing Looking For?

The Deep Haven series is contemporary Christian romance.

For this first round of submissions, Sunrise are looking for authors writing from a Christian world view and in a similar voice to Susan May Warren (i.e. similar enough that it will appeal to her readers).

The main concern is the ability to carry a story, which is why Sunrise want authors to have at least one completed manuscript (which does not have to be published, or even be publishable). Beyond that, it will be important for authors to have an understanding of Susan May Warren’s Story Equation method of plotting (particularly, the Wound, Lie, and Fear). They need to be teachable, willing to work hard, and meet deadlines.

Submissions

Interested authors are asked to submit a premise based on a popular romance trope (click here to find the Sunrise list of tropes, or here or here for my more in-depth explanations of popular romance tropes).

Initial submissions are due on 10 November 2019.

Judging will be blind, and based solely on the premise and writing sample. The writing sample should be contemporary romance with a faith element, and as close to the existing Deep Haven voice as possible. Hints of suspense are okay, but the genre is contemporary romance not romantic suspense.

Sunrise will then select ten finalists, who will each have a telephone interview with Susan May Warren, and will be asked to submit another writing sample. The final three authors will be chosen (and contracts awarded) by 1 December.

More Details

Future series planned for 2021 and beyond include a general women’s fiction series with Rachel Hauck as the Lead Author, and a romantic suspense series (where the Lead Author is yet to be confirmed).

Sunrise is offering a traditional publishing contract.

There is no up-front advance, but Susan May Warren states royalties will be above industry level. Royalties will be split between Sunrise (the publisher), the Lead Author (as the owner of the rights to the series), and the individual author.

Books will be 60,000 words, and each author will be required to write and publish two books in the year-long series.

The contract will be for a fixed term. The term has yet to be decided, but seven years was mentioned during the presentation.

Books will be available in paperback and ebook form, and Sunrise may introduce audiobooks in time.

Sunrise Offers Free Mentoring

The three successful authors will be required to attend an in-person week-long retreat in Arizona from 12 to 17 January 2020. During this week, the successful authors will work with the Lead Author to plot all six books in the the series. There will also be a story bible, to answer any lingering questions about Deep Haven or the characters.

So, you ask, given this retreat is in Arizona and is paid for by Sunrise, are Sunrise Publishing open to submissions from international authors? I did ask. They haven’t budgeted for international airfares, but do welcome submissions from international authors. Susan says they’ll work something out regarding travel expenses for authors coming from further afield than Canada. Perhaps the author could pay their own fare to the US, or perhaps the international airfare could be taken out of future royalties.

All the Links

If you’d like to watch a replay of the Facebook live announcement, you can find it here: Facebook Live (Note: you may need to Like the page first.)

Here’s more information on the submissions process (and a link to the submissions page): Submissions.

Here are the Sunrise Writer’s Guidelines and other useful information: Writer Guidelines.

To find out about future calls for submissions, sign up for the Sunrise Publishing mailing list here: Mailing List.

Is there anything else you want to know? Leave a comment and I’ll do my best to find the answer.

Or click here to contact Sunrise directly.

7 August 2019

Dear Editor | What is a Christian Book?

What is a Christian Book?

This seems like a simple question to answer—and it can be, especially in non-fiction:

Bible studies and devotional books are clearly Christian in nature.
Memoirs or biographies of Christians are clearly Christian.
There are also a huge number of Christians writing in the self-help genre, ranging from obviously Christian topics such as improving your prayer life, to less obvious subjects such as diet.

The common thread is that Christian nonfiction uses the Bible as a reference or influence.

But there are still Christians writing nonfiction for the general market. For example Bear Grylls is outspoken about his Christian faith and his support of the evangelistic Alpha programme. But only one of his books—Soul Fuel, a devotional—is clearly Christian. He’s also written (or had ghostwritten) an autobiography, a wilderness survival guide, and several adventure novels for boys.

What is a Christian Book? This seems like a simple question to answer—and it can be with nonfiction. But defining Christian fiction isn't easy. #ChristianFiction #ChristianPublishing Share on X

Defining Christian fiction isn’t as easy.

You only have to read the one-star reviews of some Christian novels to work that out. I’ve read novels that I thought were clearly Christian, then read reviews that question the genre classification (and sometimes even the author’s salvation). It’s clear that different people have different definitions.

Before attempting to define what Christian fiction is, I’m first going to define what it isn’t. Christian fiction isn’t:

Defined by the author
Defined by the publisher
Defined by an organisation
Defined by the bookseller
Defined by the content
Defined by the world view

Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Is Christian fiction Defined by the Author?

Some say Christian fiction is novels published by Christian authors, on the basis that as a Christian, your beliefs should come through in everything you write, “Christian fiction” or not:

Every story choice you make arises out of who you are, at the deepest levels of your soul; and every story you tell reveals who you are and the way you conceive the world around you.

– Characters and Viewpoint, Orson Scott Card

I understand the sentiment. I agree with it. But being a Christian doesn’t automatically make what you write ‘Christian’.

There are many Christian writers who are writing and publishing novels targeting the general market. Some of these authors started publishing in the Christian market and have moved into the general market (e.g. Deeanne Gist and Catherine West).

Others started in the general market before moving into the Christian market (e.g. Francine Rivers). Some have only ever written for the general market, and their books may or may not have underlying Christian messages (e.g. John Grisham and Debbie Macomber).

As Christians, we’re called to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Most non-Christians (even keen readers) wouldn’t knowingly pick up a Christian novel, so writing general market fiction that shows Christian values can be a way of reaching this new audience. I have no problem with this. If you’re called to write for the general market, then you need to ignore the naysayers and be obedient to your call.

I’ve also heard of some non-Christian writers working as ghostwriters, writing fiction that targets the Christian market. I’m less comfortable with this—I don’t have a problem with the concept of ghostwriting, but it feels dishonest for a Christian writer to knowingly hire a non-Christian writer and selling that product as “Christian fiction”.

No, Christian fiction isn’t defined by the author.

Is Christian Fiction Defined by the Publisher?

Some say Christian fiction is fiction published by Christian publishers, except publishers can’t be Christian. Only authors can.

Christian fiction might be novels published by members of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), but that excludes self-published authors and non-evangelical publishers targeting a specific denomination, such as Roman Catholic.

There is also the fact that most major ECPA publishers are owned by multinational media conglomerates. For example, Thomas Nelson (who publish the New King James version of the Bible) and Zondervan (who publish the New International Version of the Bible) are both owned by HarperCollins, which is a subsidiary of News Corp (founded by Rupert Murdoch and now a listed company).

No, Christian fiction isn’t defined by the publisher.

Is Christian Fiction Defined by an Organisation?

Last week’s post discussed the demise of the CBA and the new Christian Retail Association (CRA). There is a view that there were “CBA guidelines” on acceptable content in Christian fiction. If such guidelines ever existed, I’ve never found them.

I suspect the idea of “CBA guidelines” developed back when Lifeway and Family Christian Stores were the two major US sales outlets for Christian books, with over 400 stores across the USA. Traditional publishers had to ensure they only published books they were confident they’d be able to sell into Lifeway and FCS. Afer all, Lifeway Christian Stores were known for refusing to stock certain books.

The other prominent organisation in Christian publishing is the US-based Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). The ECPA require that books entered for the Christian Book Awards must:

include explicit Christian content, an overtly Christian message, and/or a distinctively Christian world view (e.g., allegorical fiction)

Entries must also be consistent with the ECPA Statement of Faith, which is essentially the same as the Statement of Faith of the National Association of Evangelicals. But that focuses on the core beliefs of Christians. The rules make no other mention of content. However, awards don’t include fiction: novels are instead eligible for the Christy Award (which has no content guidelines).

Confusingly, Christian Book Awards can be shortened to CBA. This could give rise to the confusion over “CBA guidelines”.

But not, Christian fiction isn’t defined by an organisation.

Is Christian Fiction Defined by the Bookseller?

Some say Christian fiction is fiction sold in Christian bookstores, members of the CBA (The Association for Christian Retail, formerly the Christian Booksellers Association), the CRA (Christian Retail Association) or an international equivalent.

But Christian stores tend to only stock books from major ECPA publishers which ignores self-published authors, non-evangelical publishers, and many small publishers. And fiction from ECPA publishers isn’t just sold at CBA stores—it’s also sold at mainstream booksellers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon, and at big box stores such as Target and Walmart.

No, Christian fiction isn’t defined by where it’s sold.

Is Christian Fiction Defined by the Content?

A lot of people seem to define Christian fiction—especially Christian romance—by the content. But it’s often a list of content which shouldn’t be included: no sex. No graphic violence. No swearing. No smoking. No drugs. No gambling. Perhaps no dancing and no alcohol and no mention of Halloween. But Christianity is about what we believe, not what we do (or don’t do).

While there are no overarching “CBA guidelines”, what I have found is that different publishers have different guidelines. Sometimes, different imprints from the same publisher have different guidelines. For example, Love Inspired (an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing) do not permit any alcohol consumption, yet Thomas Nelson (another HCCP imprint) published The Memory of You by Catherine West, in which the main character is part-owner in a vineyard.

No, Christian fiction isn’t defined by the content.

Is Christian Fiction Defined by the World View?

Some say Christian fiction is those novels written from a Christian world view. That sounds reasonable . . . if we could agree on “writing from a Christian world view” means. One view is that a Christian world view means the absence of postmodernism:

What is postmodernism? In simplest terms, it means we no longer believe in absolutes. Everything is relative . . . In postmodern literature, the author isn’t saying anything . . . you, the reader, have to decide what the text is saying to you.

– Writing to a Post-Christian World, Ann Tatlock

That makes sense to me. However, there are lots of books written by Christians that share a Christian world view, but which target the general market. The Testament by John Grisham is one of my favourite examples of this.

But all these things are telling us what Christian fiction isn’t.

Not what it is.

So what is Christian Fiction? You tell me. And I’ll be back to give you my definition next week.

3 August 2019

Publishing News | Introducing the Christian Retail Association

There have been several major changes in the Christian publishing market over the last few years, including the rise of Amazon as a publisher and retailer of Christian books, and the demise of Family Christian Stores and Lifeway Stores.

Many Christian publishers have pulled back on the number of books they publish, especially fiction. There has been corresponding rise in the number of authors self-publishing their books on Amazon and other online platforms … and a rise in the number of wolves (aka vanity presses) seeking to profit from the self-publishing revolution.

What remained stable was the CBA.

The CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, was established in 1950 as the Christian Bookseller’s Association, the faith version of the American Booksellers Association. Both organisations exist to support American book retailers. Publishers are represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) and the Christian Indie Publishers Association (previously the Christian Small Publishers Association).

The CBA acted as an intermediary between publishers, distributors, and retailers, helping retailers to find and stock Christian products. They hosted an annual international convention for Christian retailers, UNITE (previously the International Christian Retailing Show).

What is the Christian Retail Association and what's happened to the CBA? #ChristianPublishing #PublishingNews Share on X

In 2018, attendees were promised expense rebates, but many attendees reported their claims were rejected. Many executives left, and a new owner invested over $700,000 in the organisation. But the new owner reports he acquired a “failing and irrelevant organisation” with a “toxic” internal environment. Their website is currently “under construction”, so there may be behind-the-scenes attempts to resurrect the organisation.

The CRA—the Christian Retailers Association—is apparently rising to fill the gap.

What is the Christian Retail Association?

The CRA is the Christian Retail Association. Bob Munce was established the CRA in 2018 as rumours surfaced of financial instability in the CBA. The CRA website says:

Christian Retail Association, Inc. (CRA) is a non-profit ministry founded by Munce Group President Bob Munce in an ongoing effort to better serve independent Christian retailers. CRA was created to help build community within the Christian retail industry and to bring beneficial assets to store owners and vendors alike.

Retailers appear to have quickly adapted to the change. Kevin Ferguson, owner of Willamette Valley Christian Supply, says:

“There is no such thing as CBA. The language now is different; there’s been a transfer of terminology—it’s CRA.”

The CRA has already held its first trade show, the Christian Product Expo (CPE). The second, CPE International, is planned for late August.

How does this affect Christian writers?

First, the demise of the CBA and the formation of the Christian Retail Association is only an issue in the USA. The CBA is (was?) a US organisation serving the US market. Other countries such as Australia and New Zealand have their own equivalents of the CBA—e.g. the CBAA in Australia and the CBANZ in New Zealand.

Second, the two major US Christian bookstore chains have both closed in the last few years, pushing more customers online—to Amazon, or Christian Book Distributors.

Third, Christian books aren’t only sold in Christian bookstores. Barnes & Noble stores all have a Christian section. Walmart and Target both sell a small, curated selection of Christian books. Amazon sells Christian books, as do Amazon’s online competitors.

And that’s not just ebooks. I recently saw a blog post (but forgot to copy the reference) that estimated that Amazon sells 60% of all paper books sold in America. This doesn’t surprise me.

If you want to support Christian writers, distributors, and retailers, you can:

Buy epub ebooks and hard copies online from Christian Book*.

Buy in person from your local independent Christian bookstore.

Support independent Christian authors by buying their books.

*Christian Book are going through their own rebranding exercise. Founded in 1978 as Christian Book Distributors, they have always owned the www.christianbook.com website, and have historically been known as CBD. I initially misinterpreted that as central business district, but CBD is apparently also an acronym for cannabis. It’s that meaning that now tops the search engine results for searches for CBD, which is why Christian Book have rebranded. I guess they assume CBD customers are not CBD users. Or vice versa.

What won’t change?

Writers will still write Christian books.
Publishers will still publish Christian books.
Stores will still sell Christian books.
Readers will still buy Christian books

Do you think these industry changes will impact your reading, writing, or publishing activities?

14 November 2018

Geoblocking on Amazon: 13 Reasons Why I Don’t Want to Switch from Amazon.com to Amazon Australia

Authors (and readers) woke up over the weekend and found that thousands of books had disappeared from the Amazon store.

Only they hadn’t. Really. Except they had. Let’s take a look …

Here is the paperback version of Solo Tu by Narelle Atkins on Amazon.com:

It’s USD 8.99, which is around NZ 13.36 (or NZD 15.36 including sales tax). Here is the sales page on Amazon Australia:

Note the price difference for the paperback? That $26.01 is a lot more expensive than buying the equivalent book from Amazon US, even allowing for New Zealand sales tax (GST) and exchange rate differences.

And what do I get I search for the same book on Amazon US? Nothing. That’s right. Nothing.

But if I go back to the Kindle sales page on Amazon Australia and tweak the website address to read “.com” instead of “.com.au”, here’s what I get:

Voila! The Kindle version is for sale. But I can’t buy it, and I can’t see the price.

Amazon geoblocking is a half-baked solution to a non-problem which many authors are blaming for huge losses in income … which makes sense. How can Amazon customers buy or borrow books that don’t exist?

Update

I can now see Solo Tu on Amazon.com again, and it’s available to buy. Let’s hope it stays that way, because I don’t want to be forced to move … as I explain below.

What is causing this?

There are currently two theories making the rounds. It could be that both are correct:

Amazon is having database troubles.
Amazon is using geoblocking to force customers to buy from their “local” store.

Amazon is having database troubles

It’s no secret that Amazon’s cloud databases are built on Oracle systems. It’s also no secret that Amazon have announced they’ll be moving away from Oracle by the end of 2020. Apparently, Amazon made a big shift in their databases on 1 November 2018, and the theory is this has messed with a lot of books.

This may be related to the problems with the recent move from CreateSpace to KDP Print. This is a move that’s been anticipated for a couple of years. It finally happened in September, with all authors forced to make the move.

But it isn’t only KDP Print or KDP Select books that are affected. Books from major trade publishers are also affected, although those seem to come and go. Two days ago, I was unable to buy the Kindle version of Transcription by Kate Atkinson at the Amazon US store. Today, I can.

Amazon is using geoblocking to force readers to buy from their country stores

Yes, I understand the financial rationale. If Amazon goes to the trouble and expense of setting up a Kindle store and/or a physical distribution centre in a country, then they want customers to buy from that store, not from the US store. There is also the teeny tiny issue of the Australian government believing Amazon should pay sales tax on sales made in Australia to Australians, but let’s leave that to the side for the moment.

But geoblocking (restricting access based on the users IP address) isn’t the answer. Forcing readers to buy from “local” isn’t what’s best for the customer. If shopping from Amazon Australia was best for me, don’t they think I’d have switched years ago? This behaviour makes a lie of Amazon’s stated position as “Earth’s most customer-centric company“.

But Amazon geoblocking isn’t good for customers who buy books.

And anything that isn’t good for readers also isn’t good for authors, because it encourages people to read less, or to buy other books (you know, books Amazon.com will actually sell them). Or it gives them (me) the push they’ve needed to check out another ebook store, such as Kobo or iBooks. Or to actually work out how to borrow ebooks from my local library.

As I see it, readers appear to have four options:

Give in to the geoblocking and switch to the local Amazon store for Kindle purchases.
Work around the geoblocking and wwitch their default address to a US address (e.g. Amazon HQ).
Do nothing.
Buy from Kobo or iBooks.

I’ve discussed these briefly in Where Have All the eBooks Gone? at International Christian Fiction Writers. But here I want to go into more detail about why the obvious answer—switching to the local Amazon store—is not a viable option for many Amazon customers. It didn’t take me long to come up with 13 reasons why. Or why not:

Existing Kindle Library
More Variety
Better Sales
eBook Gifting
Gift Cards
Giveways
Reviews
Currency Conversion
Affiliate Links
Embed Codes
Kindle Family
Audible Subscriptions
Other Subscriptions

Existing Kindle Library

Switching from Amazon.com to Amazon. com.au means customers run the risk of losing access to their Amazon.com purchases. It shouldn’t happen, in theory, but I’ve heard of people having their entire Kindle purchase history wiped, so anything is possible.

Last time I checked, my Amazon.com purchases didn’t show. Now they do. Amazon assures me it’s to my benefit to change, but I disagree.

More Variety

Amazon.com has a wider variety of Kindle books available. Well, it did last week. It still does—it’s just I can’t buy most of them from Amazon.com. I’ve seen many complaints that customers can’t buy specialised books in the Australian store.

Better Sales

A lot of sales are only available at the US site, including free downloads.

Note that only US and UK residents can benefit from Kindle Countdown deals, which is annoying. But switching to Amazon Australia won’t get me Countdown deals either, so that’s a moot point.

ebook Gifting

Amazon US allows ebook gifting. The Australian site does not. You can check this in the screenshots above: the US site has a “Give as GIft” button below the buy button. This is missing from the Australian site.

Many authors, influencers, and bloggers (including me) like to be able to gift Kindle books to friends, fans, or contest winners.

Gift Cards

Amazon US allows customers to buy and give away gift cards. Authors, influencers, and bloggers often use gift cards as an incentive to get readers to perform some action e.g. comment on a blog post, or write a review (but not an Amazon review, as that would be against Amazon’s reviewing guidelines).

Giveaways

Amazon US allows customers to give away books as a promotional tool. Amazon Australia does not offer this feature.

Reviews

Customers have to spend USD 50 per year on an Amazon site in order to be able to review (something I’ve previously discussed). If I’m forced to move from the US to the Australian site, the time will soon come when I’m no longer able to review on the US site. Reviews have more visibility on the US site, and book promotion organisations require a minimum number of Amazon US reviews before they’ll promote a book. Restricting reviewers will make that target harder to meet.

Currency Conversion

Many Amazon customers are also Amazon affiliates or Amazon sellers. It makes sense for them to shop in the same currency they earn in. For most people, this is US dollars, because Amazon.com is the biggest store.

Affiliate Earnings

I’m an Amazon affiliate, which means if you click one of my links and buy something on Amazon, they’ll pay me a commission of around 4% for referring you as a customer. I don’t earn a lot in affiliate income, but what I do earn is paid out as Amazon US gift vouchers. I could get paid direct to my bank account, but the minimum payment is higher and much of it would be taken as fees.

I’ve also signed up for the Amazon Australia affiliate scheme. It only pays out to Australian bank accounts … which I don’t have, because I’m not Australian. Because Australia and New Zealand are different countries. Like the United States of America and Canada are different countries. It seems Amazon doesn’t understand this relatively simple fact of geography.

Embed Codes

Amazon offers embed codes so bloggers can embed a sample of a book on their blog post, like this:

This embed code was copied from the Australian website, but leads back to the US site. That’s great for US customers, but means there is no incentive to switch to Amazon Australia.

Kindle Family

I don’t use Kindle Family, but it is a scheme which allows family members to effectively share a Kindle account. There is a catch: the family has to live together and shop at the same store. So if one family member tries to tell Amazon he or she lives in the US (to be able to access the US store), then the Family is broken and they can no longer share the account.

Audible Subscriptions

Audible (Amazon audiobook) subscriptions are still on Amazon US. Yes, customers can transfer them, but that’s an added hassle, and one more place for things to go wrong.

Other Subscriptions

Some Amazon users subscribe to newspapers or magazines through Amazon US. I saw one person complain that when they tried to switch to Amazon Australia, they were warned their subscription would no longer be available.

So there you have it.

13 reasons why Amazon.com’s international customers will be reluctant to shift to their local store. I’m sure most international customers will be affected by at least one reason—and that’s only the impact of shifting as a reader.

Of course, there is always the possibility that this geoblocking is a temporary accident, an unintended side-effect of Amazon’s database upgrades. I hope so. Because there are at least 13 reasons why geoblocking is a bad idea for international customers.

Are you affected by Amazon’s new geoblocking? Are you planning to shift or stay? Why?

15 August 2018

#AuthorToolBoxBlogHop | Copyright for Writers—Understanding Copyright

This post is part of the monthly Author ToolBox Blog Hop, organised by Raimey Gallant. We now have over 40 blogs participating. To find more Blog Hop posts:

What is Copyright?

All writers need to understand the basics of copyright for two reasons:

- - So they know their rights in regard to the work they write and publish
  - So they do not infringe the rights of other creatives

So what is copyright?

In essence, copyright is the right to copy. (Sounds obvious, right?)

Copyright includes the right to reproduce, distribute, and display copyrighted works. It is a form of intellectual property, an asset that has monetary value. Copyright law is designed to protect the rights of those who create content.

What Does Copyright Cover?

- - Books
  - Blog posts
  - Music
  - Lyrics
  - Movies
  - TV shows
  - Scripts
  - Plays
  - Speeches
  - Poems

Yes, copyright broad. Basically, copyright covers the creation of any original work, in any form.

There are a few things copyright doesn’t cover, such as:

- - Ideas
  - Book titles
  - Words

I’ll deal with these in a later post.

Who Owns the Copyright to a Published Book?

The author (well, they should). The author signs a contract with a publisher which licences specific rights. This licence gives the publisher the temporary right to reproduce, distribute, and display copyrighted works (i.e. to print and sell the book).

A good contract will specify what rights are included, e.g. the format of the book, the language, and the countries the book can be sold. It will also include how the author can get those rights back (e.g. so the author can self-publish the work). Never sign a contract that’s for life of copyright. That basically means the publisher owns the book, not you.

If you want to know more about the ins and outs of publishing contracts, I recommend Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s blog.

Copyright is Automatic

Copyright is automatic for work first published after 1 March 1989. Works do not have to have a © symbol or notice of copyright to be covered. The law is more complex for earlier work, so it’s best to assume a work is covered by copyright unless you have evidence to the contrary.

Copyright is International

All countries have laws relating to copyright. While there are minor differences (e.g. the length of copyright, whether you need to register copyright), the principles are the same, thanks to the Berne Convention.

There is a legal concept known as the long arm of the law. I thought this a cliché used in Western movies, but it apparently is a real thing. Author and lawyer Courtney Milan says:

you can be prosecuted by a state so long as you have “minimum contacts” with that state.

Milan was talking about online giveaways, not copyright law, but my unlegal interpretation* of long-arm jurisdiction is that anything you publish needs to abide by:

- - The copyright laws where you live.
  - The copyright laws where you publish.
  - The copyright laws where your readers live.

So a blog post (like this one) that attracts readers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the US needs to comply with US copyright law. And Australian copyright law. And Canadian copyright law. And New Zealand copyright law. And … you get the picture.

Copyright is Universal

Fortunately, most of the principles are universal, thanks to the Berne Convention. Where things differ by country, my suggestion is to abide by the most conservative. So if a work under copyright in country A but not in country B, I suggest you treat the work as if it was still under copyright.

Here are two well-known examples:

- - The King James Bible
  - Peter Pan

The King James Bible

Most American Christians will tell you the King James Bible is out of copyright. However, it is still under copyright in the United Kingdom—copyright is held by the Crown i.e. HM Queen Elizabeth II. King James Bibles are published in the UK by the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

So if it’s reasonable to assume your book might be purchased in the UK, it would be appropriate to include the appropriate copyright statement. (Not that I’ve ever heard of the Queen suing anyone for copyright infringement over the King James Bible. But it could happen.)

Note that it’s not the original text of the Bible which is subject to copyright, but the translation.

So all more modern versions of the Bible, including the New King James Version, are under copyright, because they are translations. Most modern translations allow authors to quote up to a specific number of verses without written permission as long as the follow specific guidelines. You can find up-to-date copyright and permission information by clicking on the relevant version at Bible Gateway.

Peter Pan

JM Barrie gifted the copyright to Peter Pan (the play and the later novelisation) to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in 1929. That copyright originally expired in 1987, but the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 includes a clause that specifically states GOSH has a right to royalty in perpetuity in the UK for stage productions, broadcasting, or publication.

But that doesn’t apply internationally. The novel is considered to be in the public domain in most countries, although the play version is still in copyright in the US until 2023 (so if Hollywood wish to produce a Peter Pan movie, the producers must licence the rights from GOSH).

Copyright Infringement

Plagiarism is quoting other people’s work without appropriate attribution.

Author Rachel Ann Nunes found her Christian romantic suspense novel, A Bid for Love, had been plagiarised by “Sam Taylor Mullens”. Mullens was later discovered to be Tiffanie Rushton, a teacher from Utah. She also indulged in identity theft, using the real names of her third-grade students to create fake accounts to review her own books. Yes, a real sweetie.

Rushton changed the point of view in A Big for Love from third person to first person, and added some sex scenes. Nunes started a GoFundMe page to fund her legal defence. It’s taken four years, but she’s finally been awarded the maximum statutory penalty, $150,000 (which doesn’t sound nearly enough for a case that’s taken four years).

Does This Mean I Can’t Use Copyrighted Material?

You can still use copyrighted material if you have written permission from the copyright holder (note that this may not be the original creator—Paul McCartney doesn’t own the rights to most of the 250+ songs he created with John Lennon).

You can also use copyrighted material without permission in certain specific circumstances, as outlined in the US doctrine of Fair Use.

I’ll be back next week to discuss Fair Use, and give some tips for using copyrighted material without getting into trouble.

Please note that I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. There is a lot of great information about copyright on the internet, but none of it is legal advice. To get legal advice, you pay a lawyer licensed to practice in your state or country.