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5 October 2009
A great and commendable initiative for Christian writers
Anyone who aspires to write books and present them to a public readership knows how very difficult it is to get a look-in with mainstream publishers. There are a number of reasons for the difficulty. Changes in the market, including competition with other media, have made the publishing exercise difficult and costly for publishers. Publishing companies are highly geared and often run by accountants, which means they have to look continually for the big seller by the known author. One is loathe to take too many risks with new authors and new writing ideas.
In the publisher's defence, they are awash with manuscripts most of which (they say) are not worth considering. No doubt there are some who churn out a book size piece of writing and without much idea of what publishers are looking for in writing and story, hawk it around making the life of the humble member of the editorial department truly miserable.
Even so, there are those of us who toil away week in week out, year in year out, trying to improve our writing while putting the fruit of our imagination on to paper. We do this compulsively whether a publisher is interested or not, whether we are told our stories are boring, unimaginative and (worst of all) badly written, and whether anybody other than ourselves gets to read it. At least we fiction writers are not alone. Each time we return to our writing, usually at a fixed time each day, we return to a group of intimate friends. But I digress.
If it is difficult for the average writer to get one's work published, then it is doubly so for the Christian writer. No doubt publishers will say that the market is too small to make even a well-written interesting story or non-fiction title viable. If there was a market, they would not hesitate to exploit it. Whatever the case - and there is little point in disputing that view here - the Christian writer has to face the reality of the prevailing circumstances and make the best of it. Self-publishing is mostly the only option, and then one has to deal with all those editorial, production, distribution and promotional issues. In short, one needs help and feedback. Where is it to come from?
For a long time I have thought that Christian writers should organise, not only to swap ideas and experiences and to have the encouragement of solidarity but, more importantly, to discuss the deeper issues of getting a book published that is worth publishing, one that mainstream publishers will never look at. There must be another way of doing things that is viable.
Apart from the 'cause' I set up on Faceback for Christian writers I have done next to nothing about it. Writing and working have kept me preoccupied, as they would do for most writers. One person who has done more than think and talk about it is Annie Hamilton. In fact, Annie has done an enormous amount to encourage and promote Christian writers and writing. In this she is to be thoroughly commended.
As a published author Annie knows what Christian writers face. Below are links to the activities that she has initiated and keeps going. These are worth browsing through. There are book fairs, literary conventions, writing competitions, newsletters, besides the advice and help she gives to the individual writers. She has given me indispensable advice in the finalising of my third novel.
Annie's latest promotion is 1111 free books. Read about it on the link below. Supporting Annie's initiatives is supporting Christian writers.
http://www.thewordwriters.com/index.html
http://www.singingsilence.com/contact.htm
http://www.buyaustralianbooks.com.au/newsletters/
http://members.iinet.net.au/~heartsease@powerup.com.au/A2O/
Comment: gerard@gerardcharleswilson.com
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