Christian Fiction Sheds Preachy Tone for Sales

I don't know if George Bush had an impact on this, but something to think about. Click on title for full article.

-Dee


China Daily, Updated: 2005-06-23 10:58

Christian books test boundaries as sales surge

According to the Book Industry Study Group, which uses data from all sectors of the industry, total U.S. book sales rose 2.8 percent in 2004 to $28.6 billion, while religious books saw 11 percent growth to nearly $2 billion...Christian fiction too, long belittled as either low-quality dross or frivolous and a waste of time is enjoying a boom that has been linked by some to George W. Bush's presidency.

Joan Marlow Golan, executive editor of Steeple Hill, an imprint of romance publisher Harlequin dedicated to "faith-based" fiction, said the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were "very important in terms of the growth of Christian fiction."

Last year, Steeple Hill launched an imprint of "hip, fun and smart fiction for modern and savvy women of faith." Golan said. "My first thought was Christian girls just want to have fun too, so why not do a variant of chick lit."

Another publisher offering Christian chick lit is privately held Random House whose Broadway imprint will release "Emily Ever After" in July, the story of a country girl coming to New York. Doubleday-Broadway recently announced plans to more than double the sales of its religion unit.

Golan said Steeple Hill was also trying to shed the preachy tone of some Christian fiction. "It's rather tedious if characters talk like pastors giving a sermon."

(Agencies)


Related article link
Reuters: Same articl, but includes Dekker and Kingsbury. 3 pages long