Blogger: Mary Keeley
The 2015 International Christian Retail Show, ICRS, held in Orlando, came to a close yesterday. This annual trade show is a switch in gears for agents from the writers conferences we attend during the year. Instead of teaching workshops and meeting with writers who pitch their projects to us, we are the ones pitching our clients’ projects to editors. All five Books & Such agents were there this year. Living in different parts of the country, we so enjoy our in-person time together, and our combined cognitive wheels were turning in high gear. I thought you might like to have a glimpse into our activity and a trade show overview.
We covered a lot of ground, literally, as we navigated 18 scheduled meetings, multiple events, and ad hoc meetings in two and a half days. We attend primarily because ICRS is a time- and cost-efficient way to meet with editors from numerous publishing houses in one trip. This year we especially wanted to get an update on each publisher’s assessment of the industry in response to the ongoing Family Christian Stores sale or bankruptcy saga. Another priority was learning what editors seek to acquire in the months ahead. This informed us about which of our clients’ projects to present to them then and to send to them in the months ahead. I’ll talk about that more in a bit.
After our individual versions of devotional time and cereal-bar breakfast, we headed to back-to-back meetings for two days. Some were in our hotel lobby or publisher’s meeting suite, some at publishers’ exhibit spaces on the convention floor, and others at different hotels.
Sharing perspectives on publishing trends is always an illuminating discussion because we want to hear what publishers’ perceptions are as well as communicate what we observe about readers. Some publishers continue to be stuck, waiting to react after the next big thing appears, while a few editors are beginning to sense it’s time to go with their gut and risk something new, possibly creating the next big trend in CBA. We didn’t hear this last year, and it was encouraging news.
The problems slowing the process are that Christian publishers have to find ways to adjust their sales, marketing, and distribution systems to have success with new genres that are popular in the general market, not to mention the blurring of traditional genres. For example, questions arise about what BISAC code to assign to a split story, an important issue because it determines were books are shelved in stores and affects how to search for a book online. We need to be praying that these publishers figure it out soon.
The Golden Scroll Awards Banquet always coincides with ICRS, usually occurring on Sunday, the day before ICRS officially begins. View the list of winners here. The Christy Awards banquet was on Monday night. View all the winners here. I’m happy to report that Books & Such clients were winners at both events.
Does this trade show overview describe what you thought goes on at ICRS? If you’ve been to the trade show, what was your reaction the first time you were there? Do you agree with me that nonfiction writers deserve their version of the Christy Awards?
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Find out what agents do at ICRS with this trade show overview. Click to Tweet.
ICRS provides an efficient means for agents to meet with editors from multiple publishing houses in one location. Click to Tweet.
The Writing Life Ain’t Easy
I’m tired just reading this. Thank all you wonderful Books & Such women for your hard work, and have a well-deserved restful 4th of July weekend.
Thank you so much, Mary. This is the kind of post I love. I enjoy a glimpse behind the scenes to something that I would not otherwise experience myself. Thank you. And yes, I think Non-fic writer’s should have awards as well. Oh, were there any publishers willing to give middle grade an attempt? I keep hoping. . .
You’re welcome, Kristen. I think it’s always helpful for writers to have background knowledge of the business arena of publishing. Yes, we were encouraged to hear a couple of editors say they are interested in seeing middle grade proposals. Great news.
Yay!
“Another priority was learning what editors seek to acquire in the months ahead. This informed us about which of our clients’ projects to present to them then and to send to them in the months ahead.”
This is impressive … only learning in that moment what they were seeking, you had to be ready with probably several projects THEN … and such a sweet reminder that you know exactly what the writer is going through when they pitch. It’s a reminder that we are always capable of more than we think we are. I’m encouraged, and it sounds like you all were encouraged at ICRS.
Yes Shelli, we did come away from ICRS encouraged this year. We heard from some editors that which we’ve been hoping to hear for several years, and I am eager to pass this encouragement along to our blog community.
I always love hearing the “behind-the-scenes” happenings in the publishing world. It’s also great to hear how the five of you work so well together. I believe that’s part of what makes you such a great agency!
I’ve not been to ICRS, but I’ve heard it’s pretty big. Is it overwhelming to a newbie? Do I remember correctly that authors only attend if they are invited? Not sure I have that fact straight.
Reading about how some editors are more becoming more gutsy in what they’ll acquire was encouraging to me. Did you find that some publishers are beginning to shift their paradigms? Sorry, I have more questions than answers today. 🙂
Jeanne, yes, ICRS is big. It’s the Christian equivalent of the general market’s Book Expo America (BEA), which is held in New York City every year. It definitely can be overwhelming for a newbie author. Retailers, publishing house employees, vendors, authors, and agents can register and purchase passes to gain entrance to the exhibit floor. In bygone years, publishers would purchase passes for many of their authors to have book signings and radio and TV interviews, but they have greatly reduced their budgets for ICRS in the past six or seven years.
Yes, we did see a few forward-thinking editors, who were talking about going with their gut more in the future, shifting their paradigm as you said. This was music to our ears.
Sounds like fun! I have two questions, if I may –
* To what degree is the evangelistic mission displayed in the way the industry participants present themselves? Granted, genre prediction and the like have to be seen through the lens of profit, otherwise there won’t BE Christian retailers. But how much of that self-identification and participation is devoted to the “mission” issues that Christian business can touch, such as how the selection, placement and marketing of products might help reverse declining church attendance in some areas?
* How much of the show is truly international, and what is the mix of import-related issues to the amount of work put into the selection, placement, and marketing of products overseas?
Good question, Andrew. Taking products that could help to reverse declining church attendance as an example, it was an important topic of conversation, usually in the context of books that reach millennials because they are the largest demographic abandoning the traditional church. For the past 6 or 7 years making the numbers work is a top priority if editors are going to consider a book seriously, and the potential ministry value is second to that.
International publishers are present and rent space on the exhibit floor just as American publishers do. They display their products, and their editors meet with editors and sales people from US publishers. I’ve never been involved in that arm in a publishing house so I can’t speak specifics about how they negotiate deals and translation rights.
Thank you, Mary, for sharing the details. I followed different author’s photos and FB updates, and that provided a glimpse as well. Sounds like great industry news, especially the risk of something new, both as a reader and a writer.
Thanks for that tip, Meghan. I have yet to catch up with the news and photos posted on Facebook.
Thankfully, some publishers are beginning to embrace forward-thinking possibilities, recognizing that Christian publishers need to stop the bleeding as CBA readers abandon safe, tried-and-true for fresh-and-different new genres in the general market.
Great overview, Mary. Thanks. It’s clearer to me now than ever before.
I’m glad it helped, Davalynn. My hope was that it would fill a gap in the business picture.
All of you were in my thoughts and prayers this past weekend. I enjoyed seeing updates from numerous friends who were in attendance. It always looks like a fun, intense experience! I’m sure everyone who attends feels both exhausted and energized at the same time. Thank you for all that you do on our behalf, Mary. I’m honored to be represented by Books & Such and to cheer on my fellow Bookies who won awards (and those who were nominated)!
Thank you, Gabrielle. Prayers are welcome and appreciated as we follow through with proposal requests and communications now. A “fun, intense experience” is exactly it. We care very much for our clients.
I’ve followed ICRS stories for the last few years and it amazes me that so much is packed into a few days. I enjoyed watching Jeanne Wynn’s Periscope feed of interviews of the Christy Awards banquet. It was so cool to see and hear the thoughts of writers and editors and industry people. And to see people I love and respect all dolled up and having fun after a very busy week.
I took comfort in these words, “while a few editors are beginning to sense it’s time to go with their gut and risk something new, possibly creating the next big trend in CBA. We didn’t hear this last year, and it was encouraging news.”
For those of us who write slightly outside the box, that IS encouraging news!!
And yes, non-fiction writers do need their version of those awards. It’s not fair that they don’t receive that same level of recognition.
Here, here, Jennifer. Publishers need to be reminded that, to a large degree, going with their gut and taking qualified risks is how their business launched and grew in the early years. Taking risks is not new. It’s entrepreneurial, and we need to see more of it from publishers if they’re going to break away from being stuck.
I also attended ICRS and met personally with 4 editors plus had an impromptu meeting with another. Each wanted to see some proposals and it started a few conversations about possible projects that will continue via email. It is a busy time but I find it very productive.
Karen, being a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA), you got your pass through that group, not through your publishers. An award-winning author, yet you don’t rest on past successes but continue to create and make use of every opportunity with editors, sales, marketing, and distribution people. That’s a prescription for long-term success.
Thank you for the update. I see how it would be advantageous to meet with so many editors in one venue, especially in light of the recent market upheaval when you need to stay on top of it all.
Yes, non-fiction writers should be awarded for their efforts. I recently attended the Write Canada conference and the Word Awards are given for inspirational writing for fiction and non-fiction in categories such as devotional, article, poetry, short story, and so many other inspirational writing styles.
Anita, thanks for mentioning Write Canada’s Word Awards. Congratulations to you for being a finalist for a Word Award this year.
Thanks, Mary.
The phrase that gives me hope is, “a few editors are beginning to sense it’s time to go with their gut and risk something new, possibly creating the next big trend in CBA.” I love the idea that some of the publishers are willing to try new authors and ideas. Thank you for sharing this, Mary. You made my day!
You’re welcome, Heidi. We didn’t waste a minute reminding editors that we have wonderful debut clients with fresh books waiting in the wings for publishers to be willing to take a risk on them.
Thanks for the update and overview; it is most informative. I’m glad you were there and I was home writing!
So funny, Peter. To be perfectly transparent, all of us are introverts or borderline extroverts at best. But when we arrive on the scene, we summon our united agent power. 🙂
Mary, I don’t see the problem with searching books on line that may have blurring genres. I know on Amazon and even some publisher’s sites I can click on more than one genre and get the same book. So, in essence, they are being virtually shelved in two or more places. On Amazon, most of my novels are listed under Romance, Suspense and Women’s Fiction. One is also listed under Fairy Tales. This is more of a problem in brick and mortar stores because they do not have the same amount of “shelf space” and aren’t likely to shelve one book in two spots. However, they could get creative about how the customer searches by genre. Maybe they could set up search stations (with computers or tablets) where customers can do a digital search that points them to a particular shelf to find a book—like the libraries have.
It’s actually not an issue at all for the Christian market where I live. I don’t know if the Christian bookstores or the Christian section of the mainstream store are larger in other regions of the country, but here (Balt-Wash) the fiction is not separated by genre at all. In the mainstream store, Christian fiction is on a shelf in the “inspirational/religious” section, sometimes separate from various faiths and nonfic, and sometimes not. In the Christian stores, the shelf categories are Bibles, non-fiction, children, youth (maybe), and fiction—no genres!
Either way, stores giving customers multiple ways to find the right book can only increase sales!
I saw ICRS from a different viewpoint because I was on the floor reconnecting with other authors. What I felt was a real lack of excitement or energy on the floor. No long lines of retailers excitedly waiting for a top author’s new release. No musicians performing on the floor. No dress up characters for the kids (remember the days of the character parades?), in fact, not really many kids there at all whereas there used to be kids’ areas set up. I miss the way it was a few years ago. I mean really, where were Bob & Larry this year???
Mary, the world of publishing is overwhelming! I admire your ability to gather all this information and share it with others. A few years ago I was in your non-fiction class at CCWC and learned so much from you. The class helped me go back and put my book together successfully. The book is now under contract with a screenwriter, and a Christian filmmaker wants to turn it into a movie. Thank you for all your help!!