tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9945723.post111911090054121423..comments2023-11-11T08:30:33.082-05:00Comments on Christian Fiction: Writing Black, Writing Christian: Book PromotionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07932082084523211319noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9945723.post-1119207241325660902005-06-19T14:54:00.000-04:002005-06-19T14:54:00.000-04:00From Nancy's email:Dear Dee,Hey! Thanks for the d...From Nancy's email:<BR/><BR/>Dear Dee,<BR/><BR/>Hey! Thanks for the direction. I enjoy your posts. I just recently <BR/>found Mariyln Griffith's blog myself -- she seems cool!<BR/><BR/>I honestly do not know the answer about how to make these books sell. <BR/>There is so much that the author is up against. Placement is a big <BR/>one. I mean, it's all so hard. I hear all the authors I know <BR/>complaining about this, though, not just black authors. But do you <BR/>think there is an element of racism in it?<BR/><BR/>Enjoyed your blog!<BR/><BR/>My answer:<BR/>Up until now I thought it was a race issue. What you are implying is a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing-hopefully race isn't the issue. I think I need to poll my black author community on that issue. Bad thing-if it isn't race, then its even worse...something beyond schmoozing and finding a good publicist, its our distributors notion of what christian fiction is and even worse there value of our product.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07932082084523211319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9945723.post-1119151046177195172005-06-18T23:17:00.000-04:002005-06-18T23:17:00.000-04:00Dee,Okay, I keep getting sucked into all your old ...Dee,<BR/><BR/>Okay, I keep getting sucked into all your old posts -- they are so tempting..! But I can't find the Lifeway responses. I'm interested in this because I published a novel with Broadman & Holman (in 1999). I sold approximately eleven copies of the book -- and those were the ones I bought my family members! Well, perhaps it wasn't THAT bad... But the promotion and shelf placement was terrible. Can you show me the links to the Lifeway letters?<BR/><BR/>Thanks!Nancy Frenchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14415827393969690168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9945723.post-1119147385742388892005-06-18T22:16:00.000-04:002005-06-18T22:16:00.000-04:00Nancy, than;s for responding. Sometimes I get so c...Nancy, than;s for responding. Sometimes I get so caught up in my hot bed issues that alienate my writing friends. But this challenge does bother me. <BR/>My answer:<BR/>I'm concerned that they aren't placing the books on the shelves and in the areas the high traffic zones in a bookstore, and they don't promote them on their promotional flyers or on their websites, although you can purchase the book online through them, if you know the author's name. Many of these novelists are debut authors, so how can an interested reader know that there are new offerings? I've spoken to some bookstore chains and bookstore owners about it and the reasoning doesn't make sense. Check earlier entries in my blog to see what Lifeway had to say when I asked them about it.<BR/>Thanks for responding.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07932082084523211319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9945723.post-1119142503983591682005-06-18T20:55:00.000-04:002005-06-18T20:55:00.000-04:00Interesting blog -- are you upset that stores aren...Interesting blog -- are you upset that stores aren't stocking black authors or that they're grouping them all together, as if only black customers will want to read black authors...?Nancy Frenchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14415827393969690168noreply@blogger.com