We’ve been having a challenging discussion on our listserv by members of The Word Guild (a national association with more than 350 members) about the current situation in the Canadian Christian writing, editing, publishing and retailing community. The timing comes shortly after our annual Write! Canada conference, in which a number of classes focused on the current flux in the publishing industry.
Our discussions might be of interest to wider members of the community, so watch for a series of commentaries on this blog from N. J. Lindquist and Wendy Elaine Nelles, the founders of The Word Guild.
This first post from N. J. Lindquist sets the stage for further commentary.
The Realities of Being a Canadian Christian Author
N. J. Lindquist
I have a few things to say about being Canadian in a publishing industry that doesn’t really appreciate books set in Canada or recognize the differences in our culture.
I used to assume there simply weren’t many Canadian writers who were Christian. But early in May 1992, just after my first novel was released by Moody Press, my paradigm changed. It began when the manager of my local Christian bookstore told me they’d carry my book only “if it becomes a best seller or goes on sale.” And here I was expecting a huge display with a sign that read CANADIAN AUTHOR.
I investigated the Christian publishing industry and discovered that 98 to 99.9 percent of the books sold in Canadian Christian bookstores were brought in by Canadian distributors whose sole purpose is to import books from the United States. One distributor told me that the hardest thing for a Canadian Christian publisher is getting its titles distributed in Canada. I also learned that few Christians—including those working in bookstores—could name more than a couple of Canadian authors who were Christian (and those they knew were all published in the U.S.)….
Our three choices:
- Find a U.S. Christian publisher. This often meant setting your book in the United States. Or, if you set your books in Canada, using American spelling and terminology and concepts. This means there are few books in existence showing the Canadian Christian culture.
- Find a mainstream Canadian publisher. This meant writing historical fiction or fiction with little Christian content. Few people have managed to do this successfully, and those who have aren’t often carried in Christian bookstores.
- Self-publish. While moderately popular, this hasn’t been a good option for most people because of their lack of marketing know-how, distribution, and publishing experience.
Along with the majority, I looked for an American Christian publisher, and five of my books were successfully published in the U.S. I’ve appreciated support and encouragement from American Christian and mainstream editors, writers, reviewers, readers. I’ve been to ICRS (the International Christian Retailing Show, a large tradeshow for American Christian publishers) a number of times, taught workshops on writing, been on panels at mystery conventions, signed books, and done interviews.
But, ultimately, that didn’t satisfy me. I felt like someone without a country. But what really got my attention was the thought that if our best books are being published by American publishers, we’ll never have a Canadian publishing industry. And, more to the point, future generations of Canadians are being robbed of their heritage because there will be so few books written from a Canadian Christian worldview.
Watch for further commentary on upcoming posts.
N. J. Lindquist, Founder, The Word Guild
http://bluecollarwriter.com/njlindquist/
3 Comments
July 9, 2009 at 6:51 am
It’s such a catch 22. As writers, we need to look for the best publisher for our books, one that particularly markets and distributes well. I haven’t even entertained looking into a Canadian publisher for my book because I already know it will have limited distribution. But, as N.J. mentions, we will never forge a road for future Canadian Christian authors if great books aren’t coming out of Canadian houses………so, what’s the solution for our own careers and the future of the industry in Canada?
July 19, 2009 at 2:10 pm
My suggestions:
1. We need to work together – there’s much more strength in a group than there is in an individual
2. We need to pray and ask God to show us what to do.
3. We need to believe that we can produce just as good a product as anyone else
4. We need to learn everything we can about all aspects of the publishing business.
5. We need to step out in faith as opportunities arise
6. When we fail or mess up, we need to learn from our mistakes and keep trying – it’s way too easy to give up when something goes wrong.
7. We need to make sure everything we do is done as well as it can be done
8. We need to work together – we’re not in competition. Each one needs to bring at least one other along with us.
September 13, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I write Christian books for youth and I’ve run into every problem you mentioned in your article. Canadian publishers just won’t publish my books and American publishers want the books to their standards. So what did I do? I self publish with Lulu.com