Last week, we featured what Allen Arnold said about Christian Fiction. Here’s what Karen Ball, acquisitions editor of fiction for B&H said:
NJ: How do you define Christian Fiction?
KB: Fiction written from an Evangelical Christian worldview.
Doesn’t mean it’s preachy but that it’s written from the belief that Jesus Christ is who He said He is and that the Bible is both God’s inerrant Word and His love letter to mankind. It’s interesting, for a long time in the general market, Christian fiction was called “inspirational fiction.”
I used to get a lot of grief from ABA authors about that, because they felt all kinds of fiction can be “inspirational” whether it’s Christian or not.
Know what? I agree with them.
But that’s the label the general market gave us. My stand is that we at B&H publish Christian fiction, not inspirational fiction. Sure, you can write a powerful, moving story without ever speaking the name of Jesus, but that’s not what we’re about. There are a lot of houses out there who focus on publishing quality fiction. But I think the CBA needs to take it a step further and publish quality fiction that presents God’s truth. And hope. There are so many beautifully written novels out there that are utterly depressing and hopeless. When you write from a foundation of faith in Christ, your readers will walk away from the story with the sure awareness of hope. And that’s what we’re about.
Karen Ball is the acquisitions editor in charge of the fiction publishing program for the B&H Publishing Group. She has been both a full-time freelance editor and author, and has worked in the Christian publishing industry for more than twenty years. After nearly 12 years with Tyndale House Publishers as senior editor of books, she served as senior editor of fiction for Multnomah Publishers, and for three years was the executive editor of fiction for Zondervan. She has worked with a number of popular authors including Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Terri Blackstock, Robin Lee Hatcher and James Scott Bell.
Karen Ball is the acquisitions editor in charge of the fiction publishing program for the B&H Publishing Group. She has been both a full-time freelance editor and author, and has worked in the Christian publishing industry for more than twenty years. After nearly 12 years with Tyndale House Publishers as senior editor of books, she served as senior editor of fiction for Multnomah Publishers, and for three years was the executive editor of fiction for Zondervan. She has worked with a number of popular authors including Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Terri Blackstock, Robin Lee Hatcher and James Scott Bell.
I really appreciated Karen Ball's comments and her distinction between inspirational fiction and Christian fiction.
ReplyDeleteIt helped, once again, to clarify in my mind that I write Christian fiction. My message is overt, although not preachy. Hmm...I may have to rethink that statement if I cross that threshold in this email.
There's room for both inspirational and Christian fiction in the marketplace. We need to appeal to reader needs in varying ways.
I also appreciated the interview with Allen Arnold on this subject. I see the logic of his C.S. Lewis quote, "...books...with their Christianity latent." I just happen to prefer writing my Christian message as overtly as the murder and mayhem I portray.
Thank you for these interviews and allowing me to comment.
Thank you, Karen, for encouraging novels of hope. I was disappointed you were unable to come to the Florida Christian Writers Conference, but Mark Mynheir did a great job presenting the fiction-writing course.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
Johnnie