Question on Christian Novels

You'll probably find it easier getting a secular house to take a look at it (a la Dean Koontz's later works), rather than a Christian house.

I agree with the secular house, or can you revise so that the reader knows these things are going on without being graphic about them?

You will want to go with main stream or regular publishers....as the Christian market will not want this. IMHO

wilhem spihntingle said:

Here is what I found:

"A quick side note: “secular” fiction is the term associated with the ‘no holds barred’ guidelines"

Is this accurate? So esentially, I could describe and pithc my novel as a "crime thriller with a secular theme"?

Click to expand...

In the context of this board, I'd take "secular" to mean non-Christian publishers. You can still publish books with religious themes with "secular" publishers. Another publisher mentioned Dean Koontz, and I think his novels are a great example -- especially his more recent books (such as Relentless).

There are a lot of writers who are known for writing stories influenced by their Christian faith who are not published by Christian publishers -- for example, fantasy writers Gene Wolfe and Robert Jordan. I'm sure there are other thriller and horror writers who writer faith-based fiction that is published by secular houses.

There are publishing houses that identify specifically as Christian and that's what they produce - Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Revell, come to mind right off the top of my head. They have finely tuned expectation for their publications. They are the only ones who would care about you saying you have "secular" themes - but then to them that would be a deal killer.

There are other publishers who have Christian lines (in fact most of them do) including Harlequin (Steeple Hill), HarperCollins, Random House. (I actually think Zondervan is owned by a bigger house now that I think of it)

The distinction came from years ago when the main if not only way that certain publishers sold their books were through the Christian book distribution network, formerly known as the CBA (counterpart to the ABA - American Booksellers Assoc) and Christian bookstores.

In the big stage, ALL publishers have expectations for the books they publish and you are wasting yours and their time by submitting anything that will never fit. SO the thing to do in this market is get yourself into bookstores and find books that seem the most like yours then research those authors and houses.

There are a lot of Christian authors pushing the envelopes but many of them have earned that by having a readership - iow it's a tough, tough market and publishers are less likely to take risks on a new author doing that envelope pushing. It is unlikely that you will find a Christian publisher who will allow swearing (though I think they are less squeamish about violence - not sure) so when you do your research, keep that in mind.

annie jones

Coming in on the tail-end here.
When people spoke of "secular" publishers they were referring to what is popularly known as the trade publishers. That is, the general publishing companies like Random House, HarperCollins, Grand Central, etc., etc.
You would not want to include secular in a description of your genre. Everything except Christian fiction is, by definition, secular. There are many sites that have lists of the various genre's. Check and I'm sure you'll find one that fits.

A final thought. If you intended this as a Christian novel where everyone gets saved at the end of the book, the trade publishers will reject this just as the Christian publishers reject sex and violence.

If you have a moral lesson to transmit, it is best done overtly. Think of something like To Kill a Mockingbird.