Moving the CBA Mountain: Out of many small voices, one large voice?

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This entry was posted on Friday, October 06. 2006 and is filed under Posts by Mirtika.


I was going to post on something altogether different. However, after commenting on Shannon’s post below this one,  I said to myself, “Hmmm…I should have made THAT comment my post.”

So, hey, I will. Sort of. This one’s way longer.

Here’s how it went: E. Stephen Burnett (aka Dr. Ransom) of FAITH FUSION   asked about a petition of  signators who want editors to supply mor Christian SF, and he asked:
 

How many signatures might be necessary to warrant publishers' or editors' increased attention?

 
I replied, basically, that I didn’t think petitions mean much. We can get friends, relatives, church-mates to sign something, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do the essential thing: BUY. 

Yeah, it’ s a business. Bottom line rules. Units sold  is  King. (Or Empress.)

And not just BUY, btw. Buy and read. Buy and read and enthusiastically promote via word of mouth. Buy and read and blog.

I peruse and/or buy a lot of SF magazines, online and in bookstores and on newsstands. I can’t say that I’ve seen Christian SF marketed in any way that makes me go….MMMmmmm, that's for me!

Not only are editors not wanting it, not only are the marketing folks not knowing what to do with it, not only is there a rabid and (imo) misguided contingent bad-mouthing speculative fiction within evangelical circles, but fandom seems to be scattershot.

And that last one, right there, is something we CAN do something about.

I can’t tell an editor which writers to sign and what manuscripts to buy.  I can’t go into a marketing meeting and say, “No, that wouldn’t get me to buy that book" or "Market this to romance readers and women, especially, cause the subplot is a kicking love story!" I do not want to spend my days debating the anti-wizard, anti-elf, anti-science, anti-magic, anti-XYZ crowd.

We can, however, keep yapping and marching to organize a vocal and cohesive Christian speculative fiction/poetry/comics/film fandom. And, hey, there is an organization called that: Christian Fandom. (See links in sidebar)

  So, it’s hardly a novel idea.

The internet makes this possible. I’ve seen connections formed in the past year. It’s exciting to see the linkages taking place, such as on this site, or Where the Map Ends, or the Christian Science Fiction and Fantsy Tour, etc. If we can link up in significant numbers, we can be the promotional and encouragement and prayer mechanism to help good Christian SF writers find the footpaths and widen those paths for the ones that follow.  Imagine if one of “our” folks could put in their proposal, in the section on their marketing platform, “I am connected to a network of several thousand Christians who love and purchase and support  speculative fiction, and a percentage of them are ready to buy and/or plug my book in their churches and online.” 

It’s not nothing. It's a nice beginning.

If people writing letters can keep a cancelled show on the air or get a movie made of a fave series, then thousands of people writing feedback to editors saying, "Dang, that book was great. Give me more stories of wonder!" will have an effect if the money goes where the wonder is.

THIS IS FEASIBLE, folks!

It doesn’t happen overnight, it takes work and a willingness to be part of larger, gradually-forming circles of readers and writers and artists... but it can happen.

Example: The Sword Review and Dragon, Knights & Angels. These are only two webzines that do Christian SF, but they get tens of thousands of hits a day. Not every hit is a dedicated fan of the stuff, no. But that’s a lot of hits. That tells me someone is browsing for this stuff, and coming back to read more. That's why I put my money where my mouth is and donate. That's why I sponsor contests. That's why I give away books. I'm hoping to make a friendly valley for the writers who will someday come into the CBA and knock my socks off, speculatively speaking.

Will you put your time, prayer, and money into this?

Example: Join the CSFF Blog Tour and promote sites, authors and books. Do it your way, but do it WITH us. It's coordinated to give maximum linkage to the featured subjects, and to give higher ratings to the involved sites. It's a "system". Join it.

Example: Drop five or ten bucks into a CSF webzine's kitty now and then. Even a few bucks helps, when budgets are tight. Go and comment on their forums. Tell the authors you really liked that YOU VALUE THEIR WORK.

Example: Link on your sidebar to CSF sites. Raise their technorati rankings that way.

Example: Make a point when you blog to use terms such as "Christian Fantasy" or "Christian Science Fiction" or "CSF".  Make those terms "web visible."

Example: Post reviews of books you loved at CBD and AMAZON.com and suggest OTHER books for those who may read your review.

Example: Ask CBA-related publicity folks if they have CSF clients whose books are available for review or giveaway or whose authors are available for inteview. Make your interviews snappy and strong. Post excepts of the books (if you like them).

Example: Be willing to give critical reviews with courtesy and respect. You don't have to whitewash your reviews. If you don't love it, don't plug it. But maybe say what could have made for a stronger story, and maybe that will help someone writing a similar type of story.

Example:  Pay attention to movers and shakers who can help the cause—Jeff Gerke, former editor and author, plans to have a forum at his WHERE THE MAP ENDS site. This is a perfect place for the kind of solidarity we need to be nurtured.  Forums allow for more rapid interaction than the comments sections of our respective (or this team) blog.

Example:  Visit your Christian and secular book stores and make the CSF books more noticeable. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of not-too-intrusive fiddling, such as putting the book cover facing out to catch someone's eye. Ask your Family  Bookstore manager to stock CSF. Suggest titles. Or get some pretty Post-Its (nice colors) and if there’s a book you love, tuck a post it to the inside cover saying, ‘I read this and it’s a terrific story. Please try it.”  Make your handwriting attractive and LEGIBLE.  Consider it an anonymous random act of literary kindness.

Example: Visit Christian speculative artists online (Jeff Gerke offers links at his WTMapEnds; check them out at DeviantART, too), and maybe see if they'll let you feature their art on your blog banner or masthead. Buy their prints or t-shirts. Get the word out on their book covers or posters or graphic novels. One day, one of them might create YOUR book cover or, if you're a reader,  the cover art of your favorite new novel, or the special effects in a kicking SF film.

Example: Support Hollywood SF films put out by Christians. (Narnia and its sequels, for example, was one. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, while based on truth, will seem speculative to a non-Christian audience. Support such films!  Keep an eye on Christians in cinema and television.)

What other ways can we throw pebbles in to make the ripples wider and and wider?

Ya know, I wish I had stats to offer , but I don’t. Stats on what? Well...How many Christians buy and read speculative fiction? CBA or ABA. Anyone? I haven’t a clue.

But be assured. If we can get behind the good writers and good books, if we can commit to buy them, share them, chat them up online and off, then we may, MAY, be able to start something significant. I’m not a PollyAnna. I’m not an optimist, like Becky or Beth. I do tend toward the melancholic and cynical. But my mind tells me this is doable.

Someone like Jeff or John Olson or Randy Ingermanson or Kathy Tyers or Karen Hancock or Steve Laube or Kathryn Mackel (or their editors)  are better suited to answer the question of “How many books sold constitute an eye-opener?”

I don’t know. But I figure if we can get some forthcoming CBA SF novel to sell  50K over brief period of time (brief enough to make it count on some bestseller list), it’s a start. And if some exceptional story, one that can excite a broad segment of fandom, if buzz can get that one really moving—what would that be, 100K units?— that may be the “breakout” that some folks have said is needed to get editorial interest.

Those of you with more industry knowledge than I’m displaying here (which may be most of you!)  please tell us: What are the crucial numbers to categorize a novel as a hit? What would be a break-out hit’s numbers? How many novels would have to sell how many units to justify a wide call for CSF submissions?

Do theorize.

So…Am I being whack? Do you think this is doable or pie in the sky?


Next Week: Who knows? I’m in winging-it mode for now.

Note: Apologies for not being able to link to relevant sites mentioned. I tried four times, and Ritersbloc was just not letting me do it on Mozilla or AOL. Maybe later.
Mir

 
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    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Daniel I Weaver wrote:
      This is definitely doable, Mir. I continue to see the interest growing and blogs like this one and review sites become more prevalent. I love what you guys are doing here, so keep it up.
      God Bless,
      Dan
      www.danieliweaver.com
      Reply to this
      1. Sunday, October 08. 2006 Frank Creed wrote:
        Mir--
        Great strategy.
        Two things you've mentioned stand out.
        Support Christian films. Lewis on film seems to have put fantasy cracks
        in the CBA's Bib-spec-fic dam. Donita K. Paul, and your own Karen
        Hancock seem to have slipped through.
        Blog-buzz power. There have been a few recent success stories that slip
        my fragile memory. As you've noted, if the industry sees money, movers
        make changes. This is opportunities newest open window.
        Anyone know a good Bib-spec-fic blog?
        8D
        Faith,
        Frank Creed
        Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Stuart wrote:
      True, it is doable.

      On the numbers issue, I would say something around 50k in the first six months (or year) would be a solid book, and 100k in the first six months (or year) would make an impact on the industry. (This is going off things heard and such as an industry insider on the prehiphery of the marketing dept., so take with a grain of salt, could be high or low.)

      One thing I think it will also take is having a publisher that can put out a SFF book and have it not "Look" like a CBA novel. (Not going to get around the trade size, but hopefully can get the cover art more competetive, or maybe even get done as a hard-cover first.)

      But yes, getting the community linked and galvanized, and getting those who have given up on CBA to try the best of CBA SFF that is out there and be willing to continue trying it, will be key.
      Reply to this
      1. Friday, October 06. 2006 Mir wrote:
        I deleted a comment in this post I'd made to some seriously awful cover art. hahah. But, since you brought it up...

        Here you have a multiple-award winning writer in "visionary" or CSF, call it what you will: Karen Hancock. And her lauded by the CBA itself series, starting with LIGHT OF EIDON.

        I almost didn't buy it caues of that truly heinous cover. It looks cheesy. It looks like POD romance novel covers.

        Karen Hancock deserves top-notch SF art covers, in my opinion. When you've got as many Christys as she does, the cover should reflect the respect her prose gets.

        Look at Donita Paul's dragon books. The covers aren't complex, but they are aimed toward her young adult audience, and they work. The first one actually caught my eyes. Very nice. The colors and creatures in the next two are also eye-catching, if not as technically interesting as number one. It may not have been Richard Powers or Michael Whelan or Jim Burns, but they were nice.

        Hancock's covers made me feel bad for the books. As in "cringe"...

        Yeah. Covers deserve the investment, especially for SF fans who are spoiled. We are. We've had decades of killer covers by amazing artists, and we expect wonder in the covers as well as in the story.

        And, hey, sorry to be so blunt. I'm sure I stepped on some toes. But I want Hancock to get the BEST next time. I want the art to take my breath away, not make me wanna cover it up with wrapping paper. :D

        Well, I did mention the "Let's support Christian speculative artists..."

        Mir
        Reply to this
        1. Friday, October 06. 2006 Stuart wrote:
          Hehehe, makes me think of my "backup" idea in the event I ever get published with a horrid cover.

          Offer printable "Cover covers" that can be placed OVER the terrible cover so people won't feel ashamed. ;)

          Plus it would let them customize the book with their fave character or something. :D
          Reply to this
          1. Saturday, October 07. 2006 Mir wrote:
            Hey, I'd buy those. Would that be cool if you could--like burning cds--customize books to your liking?

            I wish I could get a Remedios Varo artwork cover on one of mine. Or bring back Richard Powers from the dead so he could do me up something surrealistic. Me love me some dat Powers mojo. Or Kinuko Craft (for my I-wanna-write-it-someday B&B Victorian fantasy). Dave McKean...he's got some visual magic dust he keeps in his studio!

            Ah...one can dream.

            Mir
            Reply to this
        2. Sunday, October 08. 2006 Jaymie wrote:
          I have to agree that the LOE cover art was a poor choice. Not that it wasn't good art (though I wouldn't buy a print--there is talent there, however) but it didn't represent the book at all, at least in any good way. Basic mistakes such as how Karen says in the book that Abram's eyes are blue and that's how you tell people are from Kiriath--and then on the cover, they're brown/black!
          I've passed my books on to friends and I always pass on the warning that the covers are cheesy (like 70's romance novel cheesy) but the books are amazing. It was a total God thing that I picked up this book in the first place. I admit I judge books by their covers. I'm glad God's desires overcame my own predjudice. He's taught me a lot from these 3 books and I've become a lifelong Hancock fan. When I read the books in public (b/c I couldn't leave them at home!!), I put a notebook in front of the cover. Shameful I know, but I couldn't help it.
          I agree that amazing authors like Karen Hancock deserve amazing cover art.
          Sidenote: Thanks, Karen, for listening to God's leading while you write. It's so obvious in your books.
          Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Stuart wrote:
      Also noticed a few weeks back how people commented it would be great if Dekker wrote a great Sci-fi story that bust out.

      I agree, it could be fun, but publishers would attribute the sales to the name, not the genre.

      After all I don't remember a huge rush of SFF after Lawhead wrote "Dream Theif" or "Empyrion".

      I think if we really want the CBA to take notice of the genre and start playing the "Me Too" game, it will have to be a relatively new author that breaks out. And have that novel be their first big success.

      Just a thought.
      Reply to this
      1. Friday, October 06. 2006 Mir wrote:
        I partially agree with this. I think what a Dekker would do of value would be to bring readers INTO the genre and say, "Hey, that's pretty good. Where is there mroe of THAT." He did do fantasy in the Circle trilogy, which I haven't read yet, but as you say, editors tag it to "name". They're likely quite right on that, btw.

        People who buy name can be turned on to genre with the right name + right book, I suspect. I know that I was highly dismissive of Chick Lit, but then someone I knew wrote one so I tried it. And bam...suddenly I was buying a LOT of Chick Lit. It just took one person to get me over my initial prejudice.

        Mir
        Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Shannon McNear wrote:
      Okay ... I've assembled some very hasty and unofficial numbers from a "real" author. :-) Donita says that DragonSpell sold 10k copies its first year, and that her publisher was pleased. All three books have now totalled out together at 110k. This has been good enough for them to offer her contracts not only on another series, but on one more DragonKeeper book past #4 (which is in process; and keep praying for her, please, for speedy healing and swift writing).

      She's also emailing her agent to get more specific figures--what's considered "good" on the first year across the board in CBA, and specifically how her DragonKeeper books have done.
      Reply to this
      1. Friday, October 06. 2006 Mir wrote:
        Wow. Thanks, Shannon, and thanks to Donita!

        Yes, I had kept track for a while on Donita's amazon rankings, and they were very good. Now, that doesn't mean all THAT much I'm told, but when a CBA SF book has good rankings, I take notice.

        So, if her publisher was pleased with, what 30+ K per book, then if we can see a couple authors go to 50K or, hey, double that, on a new book, we might really see some lean-over-and-pay-attention responses.

        Mir
        Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Pixy wrote:
      I love your idea Stuart! Very inventive. And each cover being different with choices of characters. He-he-he, it's great!

      And Mir, I'm afraid I have to agree with you about the LOE cover. I LOVED the book but it took me two years to break down and buy it because the cover turned me off. It does that book NO justice.

      Everything you said was brilliant, and on the money. You are exactly right and I can't wait to use some of your ideas, and think up some of my own. I really feel like this is up to us as readers of the genre. We need to cause a bit of a ruckus and let them know what we want. We should be owning this genre, not ABA. Aren't we the children of the King? I mean the book we follow above all others could be seen as fantasy by some(especially Revelation). ;)

      Just seems like a no-brainer to me. :)
      Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 Sharon Hinck wrote:
      Super discussion! And Mir, I love all the practical steps you suggested for grass-roots support.

      I spoke with Ted Dekker before the Circle trilogy came out, and he was really hoping it would break open the door for Christian fantasy. I'm not sure how the sales compared with his other books, but if the books did well, my guess is that it was thought to do well "in spite of" being fantasy (and because of his name recognition), so it hasn't started a coat-tail rush from publishers for more fantasy in CBA. But each example of strong CSFF is another step.

      I'm a bit of a melancholy, too, Mir, but I also know God sometimes chooses to do surprising and delightful and mind-boggling things. I continue to pray (and work) for more and more amazing CSFF. :-)
      Reply to this
      1. Saturday, October 07. 2006 Mir wrote:
        I think Ted has a nice speculative streak, although he's categorized differently in the minds of editors and readers.

        Seems to me a natural extension of "If you like Ted or Perretti's stuff, you should like....CSF!"

        Well, at least fantasy, if not hard science fiction, ya know?

        Funny thing was that I had an idea for a BLACK, RED, WHITE novel (not series) before Dekker's trilogy came out. I think it's a natural progression of thought for Christians--those colors as metaphors--and it's also very alchemical (Tanith Lee used it in one of her secular fantasies). Alchemy alters the order (black, white, red). In fact, think of Harry Potter. Sirius BLACK dies. Albus (White) Dumbledore dies. There is speculation Hagrid will die as he's the "red"--RUBEUS.

        So, these are powerful colors. I may still write something--a shorter work, novelette, perhaps--on it, as I really like color metaphors.

        Maybe Ted can drop by and tell us about the Circle Trilogy's results in the market. (Wishful thinking.)

        Mir
        Reply to this
    • Friday, October 06. 2006 David Meigs wrote:
      You've got some great ideas!
      Reply to this
      1. Saturday, October 07. 2006 Mir wrote:
        Thanks for dropping by Davey-Dear. Muah.

        Mir
        Reply to this
    • Saturday, October 07. 2006 Mir wrote:
      The discussion here on book covers inspired a blog contest over at Mirathon(http://mirathon.blogspot.com/2006/10/new-mir-contest-ideal-artist-for.html, or go to http://mirathon.blogspot.com and scroll down to the October 7 entry on it).

      Drop by. Make an "ideal artist to do the Hancock novel covers" suggestion. Win any Hancock novel (or an equivalently priced other one if you have all hers already).

      Can't wait to see who you think would be the ideal choice.

      Mir
      Reply to this
      1. Saturday, October 07. 2006 Rebecca LuElla Miller wrote:

        Another practical thing we can do is to connect with every other CSFF fant and/or writer we know and urge them to click over here and read Mir's post. This is OUTSTANDING, and we need to take it to heart if we are serious about wanting to see a change in the industry that favors speculative fiction (and mirrors what's going on in the culture at large).

        As to break outs, I think it was Karen Ball, then editor at Zondervan, who said they can tell within 6 weeks whether or not a book would sell well.

        As I remember it, the conversation came up over Realms. I was bemoaning the dirges being played when they had not had a full year and yet people were calling it a failure.

        I don't see how this is possible for new authors to break out if they need to build by word of mouth.

        But as I write this, I realize that I don't think it is actually word of mouth that causes the huge breakouts. Somehow news of the book hits the media, then the books take off.

        Think Left Behind. Passion of the Christ. Harry Potter. The Da Vinci Code. Something captured media attention.

        With LB it was big sales of the first few books that made the media ask, What's got people buying these books? I don't think it was until maybe the 5th book or so (someone who knows can correct this) that it broke out into the secular market as it did.

        With Passion, HP, and Da Vinci Code, it was controversy. The media seized on Jewish complaints that Gibson's movie was a piece of prejudiced bigotry that was bound to start up more hate crimes. That's news!

        The media also jumped on Christians wanting to ban Harry Potter . Book banning is news!

        Same with DC. Anti-catholic, critics cried. Get it off the shelves. And people flocked to see what the shouting was all about. Did they agree with this side or that side. What was true, what wasn't.

        The question is, are we writing anything that would stir people's passions in this way? Or will readers finish, put the book down, and forget to mention it to their friends because, after all, it was nothing special, just a nice read.

        Wow, having said that, I want to write a whole different way.

        But I digress. Most like what we're trying to do, I think, is Left Behind. Generate sales to the point that people HAVE to notice.

        I mentioned Landon Snow in my comment to Shannon's post. The problem with that is that it is a children's book. Slowly CSFF is being accepted as OK for YA or children. We need an adult book to break out.

        I don't see one that is in the middle (Mackel) or end (Hancock) of a series doing that, though Donita has certainly raised her sales with each book. For the most part, I think people believing they can't "catch up" will stay away all together.

        Regardless of looking for a breakout author, I think we need to throw the pebbles in the pond, as Mir said. Each ripple contributes to making waves.

        Becky
        Reply to this

        1. Monday, October 09. 2006 Mir wrote:
          Six weeks???? Yowza. That doesn't seem to allow for word of mouth!

          Mir
          Reply to this
    • Sunday, October 08. 2006 Jaymie wrote:
      I have to agree that the LOE cover art was a poor choice. Not that it wasn't good art (though I wouldn't buy a print--there is talent there, however) but it didn't represent the book at all, at least in any good way. Basic mistakes such as how Karen says in the book that Abram's eyes are blue and that's how you tell people are from Kiriath--and then on the cover, they're brown/black!
      I've passed my books on to friends and I always pass on the warning that the covers are cheesy (like 70's romance novel cheesy) but the books are amazing. It was a total God thing that I picked up this book in the first place. I admit I judge books by their covers. I'm glad God's desires overcame my own predjudice. He's taught me a lot from these 3 books and I've become a lifelong Hancock fan. When I read the books in public (b/c I couldn't leave them at home!!), I put a notebook in front of the cover. Shameful I know, but I couldn't help it.
      I agree that amazing authors like Karen Hancock deserve amazing cover art. Sidenote: Thanks, Karen, for listening to God's leading while you write. It's so obvious in your books.
      Reply to this
      1. Monday, October 09. 2006 Mir wrote:
        This is why I buy on various factors--the cover or title or author will catch my eye, leading me to read the blurb, which, if it's my "thang", I then read the first page. That's how I decide. If the first page leaves me undecided, but still interested, I read page two or something smack in the middle that's dialogue. This is where endorsements (neutral sources, not fellow authors) will sway me. If after all that, I'm not totally hooked, then having a killer couple or series of reviews from periodicals will do it.

        That's why I love the internet. It's so easy to get reviews LIKE THAT on just about any book, and often read excerpts.

        Which is why any CSF book needs to get the publishers to put excerpts up there online (at amazon, at CBD, at author websites). It makes a difference to a percentage of readers.

        Thanks for dropping in!

        Mir
        Reply to this
    • Monday, October 09. 2006 valerie wrote:
      Lots to think about in here, Mir. A very good post, very practical. Must contemplate it some more...
      Reply to this
    • Saturday, October 21. 2006 Chris D wrote:
      Great job with this post, Mir! There are stories that people have recommended in the past but the covers are 10x worse than LOE. Embarassingly so. (-ly word, hee hee).

      I thought I was the only who was picky about covers--it's one of the things that draws me to a secular book, I'm afraid.
      Reply to this

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