Finding a non Christian, but good agent

willfs · May 21, 2010

My writing is not overtly Christian. However, are there those out there like me, who struggle with wanting to publish within the larger secular market (that includes Christians and non Christians) instead of the smaller Christian market; however, you don't know how comfortable you are publishing through agencies and companies that publish some things that you are uncomfortable with?

Maryn · May 21, 2010

I pay no attention unless an agent is selling material I believe is immoral--and that's a real short list.

willfs, it seems to me that you may be setting yourself up for making judgments which could negatively affect your writing career. If you find an agent who is enthusiastic about your work and can sell it to publishers who place books in stores where Christians--and Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, and atheists--shop, what does it matter who the agent's other clients are? It shouldn't affect you, nor your relationship with your agent.

Or are you going to insist the perfect agent who sells only work you approve of--you'd better get a spy in his/her office, because who knows what new material is being considered?--approach only those publishers whose entire catalogue you approve of? When you get that contract, will you insist they use a printer who doesn't go any material that makes you uncomfortable? Of course not, but you can see how ridiculous it gets in just a few steps. (Those loggers who produce the wood pulp from which the paper is made seem like good sorts, but some of those people at the paper mill are iffy.)

It's like refusing to be my friend (you would never, right?) because some of my other friends are people you don't approve of. If your path and theirs never cross, it should be a non-issue.

Maryn, ready to be friends

willfs · May 21, 2010

Maryn, that's the kind of feedback I am looking for. I may be too perfectionistic in my looking for an agent. I have just heard that finding an agent is like getting married so you have to be kinda picky. Well, I am sick of searching. I have found some agents who I think are good (and aren't connected to anything grossly immoral like porn or even adult books with extramarital sex in them). Maybe I should take a chill pill on this.

Maryn · May 21, 2010

willfs said:
Maryn, that's the kind of feedback I am looking for. I may be too perfectionistic in my looking for an agent. I have just heard that finding an agent is like getting married so you have to be kinda picky. Well, I am sick of searching. I have found some agents who I think are good (and aren't connected to anything grossly immoral like porn or even adult books with extramarital sex in them). Maybe I should take a chill pill on this.

Whoa, willfs. "Respect your fellow writer" is the law 'round these parts. Many of us, myself among them, write work you have just labeled grossly immoral. You are free to disapprove, but I and others expect you to keep those opinions to yourself.

Maryn

Smish · May 21, 2010

Maryn said:
Whoa, willfs. "Respect your fellow writer" is the law 'round these parts. Many of us, myself among them, write work you have just labeled grossly immoral. You are free to disapprove, but I and others expect you to keep those opinions to yourself.

Maryn

QFT.

And I think you're going to find it really hard to find an agent or publisher, Christian or otherwise, that doesn't have some connection with a book involving an extramarital affair.

scarletpeaches · May 21, 2010

As a writer of grossly immoral material myself, I plan to vet any prospective agents for signs of moral superiority, judgementalism or a tendency to sneer.

firedrake · May 21, 2010

willfs said:
Maryn, that's the kind of feedback I am looking for. I may be too perfectionistic in my looking for an agent. I have just heard that finding an agent is like getting married so you have to be kinda picky. Well, I am sick of searching. I have found some agents who I think are good (and aren't connected to anything grossly immoral like porn or even adult books with extramarital sex in them). Maybe I should take a chill pill on this.

Pardon me?

I wish you luck with your search.

Signed.

Writer of books that include extramarital sex in them.

Boston Steve · May 21, 2010

Maryn said:
Whoa, willfs. "Respect your fellow writer" is the law 'round these parts. Many of us, myself among them, write work you have just labeled grossly immoral. You are free to disapprove, but I and others expect you to keep those opinions to yourself.

Maryn

Smish said:
QFT.

And I think you're going to find it really hard to find an agent or publisher, Christian or otherwise, that doesn't have some connection with a book involving an extramarital affair.

scarletpeaches said:
As a writer of grossly immoral material myself, I plan to vet any prospective agents for signs of moral superiority, judgementalism or a tendency to sneer.

firedrake said:
Pardon me?

I wish you luck with your search.

Signed.

Writer of books that include extramarital sex in them.

What the ladies said.

scarletpeaches · May 21, 2010

Lady? Me? I resemble that remark!

I'm about to try to be diplomatic. I know - shocking.

I understand that all religions have a set of tenets, a code of honour, a rule book, call it what you will. Saying "This is right, this is wrong," is cool with me, because...well, that's how religions work. There's good/bad, right/wrong, moral/immoral and so on. Don't like the rules? Well no-one makes you be a member of that religion. If you disagree with the clubhouse rules...leave.

Natually there are Christians who would look upon extramarital smex0rz as grossly immoral.

I have no problem with that, either.

However...despite the fact we're in the Christian forum where certain standards apply which would not in, for instance, the bordello...there's an air of judgement to certain phrases used in earlier posts.

And yet, there's a part of me which is okay with that, too, because everyone's allowed their own opinion.

Even if we disagree with it.

MGraybosch · May 21, 2010

willfs said:
Maybe I should take a chill pill on this.

Take two, and wash them down with a martini. I resent your remark, because I see nothing wrong with nonmarital sex between consenting adults. As far as I am concerned, "grossly immoral" includes child pornography and the Federal Tax Code.

mccardey · May 21, 2010

which would not in, for instance, the bordello

Wait - there's a bordello here??

Synonym · May 21, 2010

willfs said:
I may be too perfectionistic in my looking for an agent. I have just heard that finding an agent is like getting married so you have to be kinda picky.

Finding an agent is probably the most difficult thing you'll do, much more frustrating than writing a book. However, I'm not sure you have to put this much worry and fretting into it. You'll quickly remove yourself from the market at this rate, looking for perfection.

You need someone who likes your work well enough to try to sell it for you. Who or what else they may or may not work with will not taint you. This is a business relationship, much less formal than a marriage and not nearly so intimate. The first one you find might not work, or even the third. Something else to keep in mind.

Finally, you are entitled to your opinion and who you wish to associate with. But, I think you've learned another valuable lesson here also. Writers are passionate about their work and come from all walks of life...and they aren't afraid to tell you so.

willfs · May 21, 2010

I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I wasn't trying to be judgemental. I should probably have gotten a better sense of what everyone's views are in this part of the forum. I thought I might find more who shared similiar views (on this topic) and could help me work out how picky I am being and help me find any agencies that I might be more comfortable with. Although, even if you don't quite share my views you could probably add some info to the discussion.

firedrake · May 21, 2010

No worries.

have you thought about researching Christian Publishing houses directly? I know it wouldn't put your book in the 'mainstream', as it were, but it might be a start.

I've certainly seen one or two agents who take a 'Christian World View" but I think they also rep other books as well. The one who springs to mind is Rachelle Gardner who seems like a very nice person too.

willfs · May 21, 2010

firedrake said:
No worries.

I've certainly seen one or two agents who take a 'Christian World View" but I think they also rep other books as well. The one who springs to mind is Rachelle Gardner who seems like a very nice person too.

Yeah, that's what I am looking for. Thanks

firedrake · May 21, 2010

willfs said:
Yeah, that's what I am looking for. Thanks

I think you'll find she has links on her blog to other agents with the same philosophy

Wayne K · May 21, 2010

I think extramarital sex is immoral, but only in real life.

Try this site to find an agent. They have a search thingy that I used to find mine

Calla Lily · May 21, 2010

Sheesh, I go away for ONE night--to a Christian concert, no less--and things finally start hopping around here!

*puts on Christian forum mod hat*

*peeks at books I have written*

willfs, the rule at AW is indeed Respect Your Fellow Writer.

I suggest you look up Sally Stuart's Christian Writers Market. It's not infallible, because vanity presses (who don't come out and say so) get in there along with lcommercial, royalty-paying publishers. However, it's a comprehensive gathering of Christian-only places to sub your work.

If you're aiming at the CBA market, I'm afraid that the big houses are all closed to unagented submissions. Don't be fooled by WaterBrook--it was commercial, but it's now Thomas Nelson's vanity arm.

As firedrake said, Rachelle Gardner's blog is a good place to start. Good luck with your agent search, and as synonym said, the writer-agent relationship is a business one, not a marriage.

*the ever-watchful Mod keeps her eyes open*

colealpaugh · May 21, 2010

MGraybosch said:
Take two, and wash them down with a martini. I resent your remark, because I see nothing wrong with nonmarital sex between consenting adults. As far as I am concerned, "grossly immoral" includes child pornography and the Federal Tax Code.

Just for the sake of clarification, I believe he wrote "extramarital sex". Even a semi-degenerate such as myself can see something wrong when there are spouse and child victims involved.

Maryn · May 22, 2010

will, I hope you won't think less of AW because of this. I do suspect that an agent who doesn't trade in anything which offends you in a moral sense is fairly likely to specialize in Christian publication--but that doesn't mean s/he has no connections to publishers far and wide. Sounds like you've had suggestions worth checking out further.

I do have to wonder, though, how your work intended for both the Christian and non-Christian market generates sufficient conflict without incorporating anything which doesn't break one commandment or another and/or violate your own moral code. Pretty hard to write a murder mystery or a horror story without it.

Maryn, with a wink

Gravity · May 22, 2010

callalily61 said:
Don't be fooled by WaterBrook--it was commercial, but it's now Thomas Nelson's vanity arm.

Westbow. WaterBrook is a commercial house.

'Course with this one buying up that one, and that one buying up this one, I might be wrong!

willfs · May 23, 2010

Thanks everyone for all the input.

Synonym · May 23, 2010

Confusing, isn't it? Good luck with your search Will.

Calla Lily · May 23, 2010

Gravity said:
Westbow. WaterBrook is a commercial house.

'Course with this one buying up that one, and that one buying up this one, I might be wrong!

You're right. Thanks.

*brews more coffee*

Finding a non Christian, but good agent

willfs

Maryn

I Tried

willfs

Maryn

I Tried

Smish

Reads more than she writes.

scarletpeaches

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

Boston Steve

scarletpeaches

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

mccardey

Synonym

willfs

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

willfs

firedrake

practical experience, FTW

Wayne K

Calla Lily

On hiatus

colealpaugh

"Bear trumps Elephants!"

Maryn

I Tried

Gravity

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go

willfs

Synonym

Calla Lily

On hiatus