October 22, 2011

Making the Leap: Abidemi Sanusi reflects on what it means to be a ‘Christian’ writer

Posted by Phil Groom under Author Profile, Guest Posts | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Abidemi Sanusi

Abidemi Sanusi

IT’S A GREAT PLEASURE AND A PRIVILEGE TODAY to welcome Abidemi Sanusi for this weekend’s guest post and latest contribution to the growing Meet the Author series. Abidemi is a writer and former human rights worker who first came to prominence in the Christian book trade with her book ‘Kemi’s Journal of Life, Love & Everything’ (Scripture Union, 2005). Her last book, ‘Eyo’, was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and she is now working on her next book. You can catch up with her on facebook or twitter:

Abidemi writes:

THE VERY FIRST CHRISTIAN NOVEL given to me was by a non-Christian. I have no idea how she got hold of the book, but I have her to thank for opening up my eyes to this genre of publishing that I wasn’t even aware existed. All I knew was that I wanted to write fiction that was inspired by biblical themes. The book she gave me reassured me that it could be done.

Kemi's Journal

Kemi's Journal

My first book, Kemi’s Journal of Life, Love & Everything, was published by Scripture Union and nicknamed the ‘Christian Bridget Jones’ by the Independent on Sunday newspaper. Two more books and more than a few contributions to devotional publications later, I was firmly put in that creative box known as a ‘Christian writer’.

At first, the label did not bother me, after all, I was a Christian, and I did write for the Christian market. But then, after a while, it began to grate — round about the time I started thinking about doing something new, something that wouldn’t necessarily fit the guiding principles of Christian publishing. Yes, dear readers, I wanted to leap — straight into the arms of an adoring secular reading audience. I also started thinking about my label as a ‘Christian writer’ and found that I didn’t like it – at all.

Christian writer, or a Christian who writes? Who cares anyway?

For one thing, creatively, I found it too restrictive. Yes, I was a Christian, and yes, I was a writer, and yes, there was a time when I did write specifically for the Christian market, but now, with the kind of books I wanted to write, ones, I might add again, that did not fit the mould of Christian publishing, how representative was the label in terms of where I was creatively and professionally, as a writer? My answer to that was ‘Not all representative’.

I came to the conclusion that I was a Christian who wrote. We don’t call someone a ‘Christian plumber’ or a ‘Christian stockbroker’, but it seems that when it comes to writing, the same rules do not apply. I understand that it works for marketing purposes, but at that time, I found it too restricting.

Eyo

Eyo

I started working on my literary ‘masterpiece’, and when I finished, my agent duly sent it round all the publishing houses (Christian and secular, I might add) – and they all came back with a resounding ‘No.’ Finally, it ended up with an African publisher keen to start a new line of fiction by up-and-coming African writers. Unbeknownst to me, they also entered the book for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.

And so it was that I found myself competing with an Orange Prize winner for a literary prize. I didn’t win (and neither did the Orange Prize winner), but I did get a fascinating insight into the world of general publishing.

So, where does that leave me today? I always thought I had to make the choice between writing for the Christian or the general market, and now, I know I don’t. I like writing for both, and there is no reason why I can’t or shouldn’t do both. I’m a writer, and writers write — and that is all there is to it.

Update, 30/11/2011: If you’re a Christian writer — or a writer who is a Christian — don’t miss the parallel discussion in the ACW facebook group. Clare C M Weiner asks,

‎”Christian Writer” or “Writer who is a Christian” – is there a difference? If so, what is it? And how would you identify yourself? (Eg do all Christian writers publish with Christian publishers, and the others not??? Do the others keep their faith in the background, or even, a secret?)

 

October 5, 2011

The Truth Behind ‘A Darkly Hidden Truth’ – Introducing Donna Fletcher Crow and the Monastery Murders

Posted by Phil Groom under Author Profile, Book News, Guest Posts | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Researcher at work: Donna Fletcher Crow amongst the tombstones

Researcher at work: Donna Fletcher Crow amongst the tombstones

CONGRATULATIONS to Donna Fletcher Crow on the publication of A Darkly Hidden Truth, the second book in her ‘Monastery Murders’ series with Monarch Books. Donna is another writer I met in the ACW (Association of Christian Writers) facebook group: she is the author of 36 books, mostly novels dealing with British history, her best known work being the award-winning Glastonbury, an Arthurian grail-search epic that covers 15 centuries of English history. Book 1 in the ‘Monastery Murders’ series, A Very Private Grave, was her re-entry into publishing after a 10 year hiatus, and she is now at work on book 3, An Unholy Communion, scheduled for 2012.

Without further ado, then, over to Donna to whet your appetite for adventure:

The Truth Behind ‘A Darkly Hidden Truth’

Wednesday 28 September was the big day! It was circled on my calendar. Was it on yours? Well, probably not — or if it was, probably not for the same reason: 28 September was the official release date for A Darkly Hidden Truth: The Monastery Murders 2, from Monarch Books. Book 1 in the series, A Very Private Grave, has been out for just a year and many readers have been kind enough to ask, “When will the next one be out?” So I’m hoping a few others will have the date marked as well.

Those who have read A Very Private Grave will know that Felicity Howard, my set-the-world-on-fire, headstrong American heroine learns something even more important than the identity of the murderer of her beloved Father Dominic (and just in the nick of time to save her own life) — she learns that she doesn’t know everything.

And she also learns, in keeping with the theme of the book, that Christianity is valid, that personal holiness can be a reality. So now, Felicity — who never did anything by halves — is off to become a nun. Which means she can’t possibly help Father Antony find the valuable missing icon. And then her overwhelming mother turns up unexpectedly. And a good friend turns up murdered…

Although this is a contemporary mystery series the historical backgrounds are of great importance to me. As a matter of fact, with each book I started with the historical story I wanted to tell and wove my modern plot around that.

In A Very Private Grave I tell the marvellous story of St Cuthbert and the Christianisation of the north of England as Antony and Felicity flee from The Holy Isle of Lindisfarne to Jarrow, Whitby, Whithorn and Durham, chasing and being chased by murderers.

A Darkly Hidden Truth, in keeping with the theme of motherhood, tells the story of two of the most remarkable women writers of the middle ages: Julian of Norwich, whose Revelations of Divine Love was the first published book in English to be written by a woman, and Margery Kempe, who wrote The Book of Margery Kempe, the first autobiography in the English language, even though she was illiterate.

And once again, Felicity’s journey of discernment that takes her from the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham to the inner sanctums of the Knights Hospitaller in London and on through the most sodden parts of the Norfolk Broads reveals even greater truths about herself than about the murderer she seeks.

Look for it in fine bookstores now!

Book Cover: A Very Private Grave

A Very Private Grave

Book Cover: A Darkly Hidden Truth

A Darkly Hidden Truth

To whet your appetite further, a brief review by Mike Orenduff, 2011 Lefty Award Winner, The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein:

Readers who enjoyed ‘A Very Private Grave’, the first in Donna Fletcher Crow’s Monastery Murders, will be delighted with the second in the series. ‘A Darkly Hidden Truth’ finds Felicity Howard tangled again in a mystery with roots in ancient church history, in this case all the way back to the founding of the Knights Hospitaller in 1061. With this book, Crow establishes herself as the leading practitioner of modern mystery entwined with historical fiction. The historical sections are much superior to The Da Vinci Code because she doesn’t merely recite the facts; she makes the events come alive by telling them through the eyes of participants. The contemporary story is skillfully character-driven, suspended between the deliberate and reflective life of religious orders in the UK and Felicity’s “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead” American impetuousness. Her descriptions of the English characters read like an updated and edgy version of Barbara Pym. A Darkly Hidden Truth weaves ancient puzzles and modern murder with a savvy but sometimes unwary protagonist into a seamless story. You won’t need a bookmark — you’ll read it in a single sitting despite other plans.

… and for those who want still more: visit www.donnafletchercrow.com for donna’s blog, a video for A Very Private Grave and pictures from Donna’s garden and research trips.

My thanks to Donna for providing this guest post.

 

September 14, 2011

So you want to be published? First, you need to be able to write: Ali Hull explains how not to be rejected…

Posted by Phil Groom under Guest Posts | Tags: , , , , , , |
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Ali Hull

Ali Hull

IF YOU’VE BEEN in the Christian book trade for any length of time, odds are you’ve heard of Ali Hull; you may even know her. But if not, that’s not surprising: she’s one of those remarkable people who work away in the background, helping authors turn their ideas into books, one of the unsung heroes without whom the book trade as we know it today simply wouldn’t exist.

Ali is a Commissioning Editor who has been commissioning books since 1999, and is currently working for Lion Hudson. She has edited over one hundred titles, and worked with most of the leading UK Christian authors, including Jeff Lucas, Nick Page and Adrian Plass. She has also been running (and speaking on) writers’ courses since 2003 and is an active member of the ACW (Association of Christian Writers) facebook group. In this post she explains to would-be authors…

How not to be rejected

One of my favourite jobs, as a Commissioning Editor, is going through the slush pile. There are two reasons for this – the first is the hope of striking gold, in the form of an excellent manuscript or idea: well presented, clearly written, properly thought through, and ideal for our market.

A girl can dream …

And the other reason? Sheer amusement.

I have a file on my laptop labelled ‘Insane proposals’. And while it is not full, it should be, and would be, if more of these arrived by email, rather than by post.

Most of those that do come by post come without that simplest of accompaniment – the SAE. Our website specifies that we need one, and won’t respond without one: people do not send them. Having ignored the guidelines – and most publishers do put these onto their websites – what else do writers do that ensures their work hits the bin in a matter of seconds?

They don’t look at what we publish: they don’t look at what anyone publishes. They send novels that are 200,000 words long. They send the Bible, in rhyming couplets. They send short stories. None of these fit our list.

No matter how often you tell me, I do not believe that God dictated your book to you.

Their writing is poor. Their stories have no shape (I don’t deal with fiction, but see memoir and autobiography – and this needs to be as well structured as a good novel). Their characters are two-dimensional at best: their dialogue lacks credibility. Most of us hate being bored, but we are quick to bore others. Their descriptions rely heavily on adjectives and adverbs; they don’t know when to show, when to tell, or what I mean by showing not telling. They wouldn’t go near a GP who hadn’t studied, yet want to let their writing loose on the world without ever having thought about honing their writing skills. They don’t understand how language works. They often don’t want to write – they want to be published. You have to love writing for its own sake.

They have no idea why their books should be picked up and bought, or read. They have a completely misguided belief – make that a delusion – that, as soon as their books hit the shelves, the bookshop will be surrounded and the shop assistants crushed in the rush to seize their precious title.

Finally, no matter how often you tell me, I do not believe that God dictated your book to you. What I do find interesting is the good writers – who could perhaps be forgiven for thinking that He had a hand in their work – never claim it. The poorer the writing, the more likely it that God is apparently responsible for every inappropriate word and misplaced comma.

Whatever you do, take your writing seriously, and make it the best writing it can possibly be.

What remedy? Waterstone’s stocks quite a few books on writing and being published: and my three current favourites are Write to be published by Nicola Morgan: Creative Writing, edited by Linda Anderson, and How to Write, edited by Philip Oltermann. Join the Association of Christian Writers. Read, read, analyse and read. And there are courses out there, and if you want one that will give you access to a commissioning editor, as well as the former Publishing Director at Authentic media, check out www.lakesSchool.com

But whatever you do, take your writing seriously, and make it the best writing it can possibly be.

Links Revisited (and more)

Last but not least: all of the books Ali mentions should be available to order from most bookshops, not just Waterstone’s, including any Christian bookshop with a mainstream wholesaler’s account such as those signed up to Gardners’ Hive. Any Christian booksellers reading, please feel free to shout out for your shop if you can supply these books…
 

August 26, 2011

Introducing Fiona Veitch Smith and Crafty Publishing: David and the Hairy Beast claws its way to market

Posted by Phil Groom under Author Profile, Christian Publishers, Guest Posts, People News, Publisher Profiles | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
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Fiona Veitch Smith

Fiona Veitch Smith

I MET FIONA VEITCH SMITH online via the Association of Christian Writers facebook group, where she was telling us a bit about her experiences of trying to persuade Christian bookshops to stock her new children’s book, David and the Hairy Beast.

Curious to know more, I checked out her website where I found, to my delight, an excerpt — and loved it. Hopefully, you will too — and you might even find your customers like it as well, but there’s only one way to find out about that…

I invited Fiona to tell us all about it. She writes:

David and the Hairy Beast claws its way to market

When we read of bookshop chains shutting down, publishing contracts becoming scarcer than a footballer without a super injunction and the bogey man of the e-book market changing the way we consume books, then you would be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at a new company launching its pilot title – in hard copy. Add to that the fact that the pilot is ‘self-published’ and the more business savvy among you may well be tutting in disdain. And yet, that’s what Crafty Publishing is doing. My husband Rod and I felt called to start Crafty Publishing using some of the redundancy money he received after being ‘released’ from the NHS. Our vision is to test out the market and distribution chains with a series of children’s picture books that I’ve written and then, if all goes well, start taking on other titles.

But we’re not going into this blindly. I am not a wannabe author who is so desperate to see her name in print that I’d sell the family silver to see it happen. I am already published and produced in a variety of genre including theatre, film and books. I’m currently working on a non-fiction book contract with Lion Hudson and a devotional booklet contract with CWR as well as continuing to work on a series of ghost-written children’s books for the secular market. In addition, I have worked as a freelance editor for Tafelberg Publishing in South Africa as well as for a number of magazines (in the UK and SA).

So why am I publishing my own work? I got a taste for the business side of self-publishing about eight years ago. My first book, Donovon’s Rainbow, was published in South Africa by Vineyard International Publishing (who have subsequently discontinued their children’s line). The book was not distributed beyond Vineyard bookshops in the UK, so when I moved back here in 2002 I asked permission from the publisher to distribute it. Effectively then I took on the job of a self-publisher. I entered the book for the Writers’ News best self-published / independently published children’s book of the year award in 2002 and won. The award gave me confidence to tackle the market and I was able to distribute the book to around 20 bookshops in the UK (secular and Christian).

It was a steep curve and I quickly had to learn about things like wholesale discounts the pros and cons of sale or return, the horrors of cold calling and the shaky financial footing of independent booksellers. I also realised that the title I was trying to sell did not fit easily into existing age categories and that the cover made it look as if it was for a younger readership than it actually was. Despite that, the book went into profit, but we would not do it the same way again.

So when my husband and I decided to launch our own title this year, we had some background to draw on. In addition, since 2002, the internet has become a much more effective marketing tool and as he is a professional software developer, he has been able to tackle that side of things.

But it’s still a scary world out there for a new publisher, not least when dealing with some bookshop managers who consider any ‘retelling’ of a bible story with the same abhorrence they normally reserve for Satan (or Rob Bell). However, there are some great folk too and in the month since the title’s been launched, five bookshops have agreed to stock us and our online sales are ticking over very nicely.

David and the Hairy Beast

David and the Hairy Beast

Our pilot title is called David and the Hairy Beast (retailing at £5.99) and is the first in a series of six books about the childhood of King David. The illustrations are by my design partner, Amy Barnes. We’re working on the next book, David and the Kingmaker, now. It will be ready for distribution in October, in time for the Christmas market. We’ll see how sales go in the New Year before launching the third in the series David and the Giant.

To find out more, please visit www.craftypublishing.com

Fiona Veitch Smith
e: Fiona AT thecraftywriter.com
www.thecraftywriter.com
www.craftypublishing.com
facebook.com/pages/Crafty-Publishing/229271997105270

 

November 7, 2009

Ready to leave the garret? Introducing the Association of Christian Writers

Posted by Phil Groom under Guest Posts | Tags: , , , , |
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I’ve known about the Association of Christian Writers (ACW) for some time, although I can’t remember where I first came across them. Was it through a flyer in magazine, or perhaps an encounter at CRE?
Whatever the case, we as booksellers and the authors who write the books we sell — as well as those who write about them — are all intimately connected. So I was delighted when Lin Ball, Chairman of the Association, dropped in on our Day of Prayer thread, assuring us of their support. I invited her to tell us what it’s all about…
Lin Ball

Lin Ball

Ready to leave the garret?

OK… the vision of the impoverished writer scribbling away in a rat-infested garret is an out-of-date stereotype. But what remains true when you’ve dismissed the caricature is that the calling to write can mean lots of lonely hours. Yes, you can play your favourite tracks or have John Humphrys burbling in the background. You can stroke the cat, install a cappuccino machine, make sure you’ve got an endless supply of Everton mints, flirt on Facebook or make frequent and not always necessary visits to the post office. But when push comes to shove, it’s just you, the keyboard, the deadline and your untamed thoughts. Writing can be a solitary business.

It’s nearly 40 years since I started work as a trainee reporter on the Bristol Evening Post group, fresh out of school. Since then, I’ve accumulated a CV rich in writing and publishing experiences. I’ve ghost written several books, had some of my titles translated into Chinese and one into Japanese. I’ve had a novel published and countless articles in magazines and newspapers. I’ve been the editor of a mission magazine and several charity newsletters. I’ve birthed a Bible reading magazine and wept when it folded after 14 issues. I spent over 11 years as a commissioning editor with a major Christian publisher and launched at least a dozen first-time writers into print.

And I know that being a writer can be lonely to the point of desolation. Which is why for over 35 years I’ve been a member of the Association of Christian Writers and why I said ‘yes’ when I was asked to become chairman just over a year ago.

The fellowship of like-minded people is a wonderful thing. When I walk into a hall packed with writers at the start of a writers’ day, the buzz is amazing. We are all ages, all shapes and sizes, and have all kinds of writing experience or maybe none except the burning desire to put pen to paper. We are budding or actual crime writers, romantic novelists, poets, children’s writers. Mingling with us are editors or real live publishers – those magical people who can sometimes make dreams come true for some of the writers.

The Association of Christian Writers exists to offer fellowship, encouragement, training and inspiration to all kinds of writers or wannabe writers. You may write material that is gloriously Christian in content. Or you may write geography textbooks or science fiction or cookery books in which you’d be hard pushed to include anything about the gospel of Jesus Christ. But if you write and you are a Christian, then you are welcome in ACW. We know that even if your writing is not explicitly Christian, then it will implicitly bear the marks of the Master who is the Living Word, for you will want to do it to a standard of excellence that will honour him.

ACW runs two writers’ days in London every year in March and October and a weekend residential conference every other year in the summer as well as a growing number of regional events. ACW also coordinates about 35 area groups across the UK, groups of between half a dozen and 20 members who meet – some weekly, some monthly, some quarterly – to encourage one another, sharing their writing journeys. ACW sends members a quarterly magazine packed with fascinating and helpful articles and a monthly email newsletter of competition and publishing industry news, market opportunities and other ‘writerly’ snippets. Also on offer is prayer and manuscript criticism. But at the heart of all that ACW does is that buzz of sharing with others who love words. So get ready to leave the garret…

To find out more, go to www.christianwriters.org.uk

Lin Ball,
Chairman,
Association of Christian Writers

 

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