
On Friday's post, we mentioned novel genres and non-fiction possibilities for the readers of Christian literature. Endless choices.
Authors who write Christian Fiction face the inevitable marketing challenges for their work. May I just say especially in the genre I write?
Being an author of love stories, heavy on the romance, I need to stipulate and establish who my true audience is. Then I need to make them aware of my work. That "sounds" rather simple and definitely obvious. Obvious, yes. Simple? Not for me. I don't want to send people a bunch of emails about my novels, mentioning others' work in the genre, my favorite novels/authors/genres/etc. I. Don't. Want. To. Do. It. I do that here on this old blog. I do it on Facebook and X.
Book Types: mine: "Raw Romantic Redemptive" "Love stories with a passion" "Love stories, heavy on the romance"
Do you want to read about characters you can relate to or can recognize as real? Do you want to see the world portrayed realistically without judgment? Do you want to get an unmistakable redemption message within the story, presented organically? Do you want to see Christianity in honestly imperfect people?
My one murder mystery Race gives a clear portrait of horse racing and the diverse personalities of those who live it. The Famous One tells the life story of a lonely kid who grows up in a dysfunctional home but is "discovered" and gets thrust into a life of fame. Seeing . . . shows what happens when a young widower who has intimate visions of people he meets is directed to offer his home as a refuge for an abused waitress. You can meet an architectural designer and film reviewer in Sweet Release, an accountant who accidentally kills a man in Destination, a construction worker who falls for a woman who wants love and commitment before sex in the story . . . in a love song, the account of a bitter and divorced, otherwise successful, man who meets a lovely woman and falls hard even though their lifestyles have been polar opposites in Breath of Life, and my latest Then . . . you: He's a recluse. She's seeking refuge.
None of the above novels give graphic sexual descriptions, but sexual attraction is clear and evident. None of the novels above give graphic vulgar language, but that language is implied in certain situations. I do not label my Christian fiction as "clean," but I certainly don't classify it as "dirty." It is not. Redemption is clear and in every one of the stories. The people in the stories are not perfect, Christian and otherwise. So. That's my book type. If it's yours too, try one.
So much for marketing, eh?
Father, only you. That's it. Only YOU. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.