Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
As an agent in CBA, I frequently hear authors say things like, “I don’t want my book to be exclusively in CBA. I want it to cross over.” I think this comes from a desire to not only have a larger audience, but to reach more people for Christ.
Authors may wonder: What good is it for us to be writing just to other Christians? Shouldn’t we be reaching out to nonbelievers? Shouldn’t we be writing with the purpose of bringing more people into the Kingdom?
Are we preaching to the choir?
These questions reflect the perception that CBA seems to be a business based on “preaching to the choir.” Most of us, as believers, have a desire to reach nonbelievers with our writing (and hopefully, with our lives). While this is a big topic, I want to make a couple of points about it.
You might have a passion to bring people to Christ through your books, but I think it’s helpful to remember that coming to Christ is a process. One step in the process is making the decision, which is usually preceded by various instigating factors: conversations with a Christian, reading books, attending a church service. It can take months or years, or can be practically instantaneous.
But once the decision is made, it’s not a “done deal.” The second step is a lifetime of pursuing Christ, developing spiritual maturity, going deeper in our faith. This is becoming a disciple. We need others to help us on this path. And this is where I believe most of the CBA books come in.
Our books’ purpose is to disciple believers.
In my opinion, the importance of discipling believers is often underestimated. There are many people “making a decision for Christ” and then remaining shallow or weak in their faith for years or decades, with no one giving them direction in how to develop spiritual maturity. This is where we can have the most impact as Christian writers.
Whether we’re writing fiction or nonfiction, our books can take people deeper into what it means to be a person of faith in Jesus Christ, whether those believers are newbies or have been Christians all their lives. This is equally as important as creating believers in the first place. CBA disciples believers.
And we reach nonbelievers too.
Now here’s the amazing thing. If you write a book that disciples believers in some way, it’s likely to be read at some point by a nonbeliever and your book will be part of the process of creating a new Christian. That’s just the way it works.
The books that reach nonbelievers for Christ are not usually books that were planned that way. It just happens, because Christian books can be tools the Holy Spirit uses. And they’re tools in the hands of Christians who are personally leading others to Christ.
It even works with fiction.
As an example, years ago a nonbeliever friend of mine had another friend who was a devoted Christian. The turning point came when the Christian friend gave the nonbeliever Left Behind (a book many Christian writers love to disdain). The Holy Spirit worked profoundly and this nonbelieving man wanted to know more. He read Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ and then Where Is God When It Hurts by Philip Yancey. He was ready for some conversations with a pastor, and finally he made his decision and got baptized.
Your book can be fiction or nonfiction, it can be written toward the believer or nonbeliever, it can be about any aspect of Christianity… and if it expresses truth in a way that people can relate, the Holy Spirit can use it to bring people to Christ.
So that’s why I believe it can be wasted energy to worry that CBA “preaches to the choir.” Sure we do. The choir needs to be discipled too. At the same time, non-choir-members will occasionally find themselves in hearing distance of our “preaching.” And it can change their lives.
Write the best book you can. Make the most well-informed decisions you can about where to publish. Follow advice from trusted sources about marketing and promotion. Then trust God to get your words out there where He can use them to disciple or create believers—or both.
Have you ever worried that publishing in CBA is too limiting? Why? What are some advantages or disadvantages of CBA for a writer?
The End or the Beginning?
Great and insightful post, Rachelle.
* I see my work as a rock tossed into a pond; the target may be Christian, but the ripples, in the form of lives whose faith I have hopefully strengthened, will fan out and touch unbelievers through the personal example of my readers (I was about to say ‘pagans and heathens and heretics, oh my!’ Glad I didn’t.)
* One of the disadvantages I see in CBA – though this seems to be changing, albeit slowly – is that a Christian life is too closely allied with a decorous one. Drinking, smoking, and swearing are regarded askance, but most of the real-world-Christians I knew in another life, one in which life itself was a daily wager, did not hold themselves aloof from these practices. Thus, the Christian ‘bubble-world’ keeps out some of its staunchest defenders, in both verbal and literal fact. (I don’t intend ‘bubble-world’ as a slight; it’s a term I’ve seen used often in modern apologia, and if anyone is offended, I apologise.)
* The biggest advantage of CBA, for me, is that it’s fun. It’s fun to be able to let my hair down and write about a vibrant, living faith. It’s fun to talk about an immanent God, and about a worldview that’s coherent even in the face of the most horrific and savage of days. And maybe most of all, it’s fun to talk to a heretic/heathen/pagan and hear them say, slowly, wonderingly…”Hmmm…I never thought of it like THAT before…”
* Oh, dear. I just used an adverb…egad, TWO of them!
I like the visual of a rock tossed into a pond. Great way to think about it! I agree with you about the limitations of CBA. The bubble-world is a real thing, for real reasons, but not everyone likes it that way. However, the “fun” you mentioned kind of makes it worth it. And I have another blog post coming about that exact topic – how CBA actually offers freedom.
Concise and helpful. Thank you! Maybe too, when we examinine our spiritual gifts, we gain insight about how our writing is designed by God to fill a certain role for his glory.
So true, Kit. We each have our gifts.
There are lots of non-believers who don’t like the direction our culture is taking. Some of them (I have no idea how many) may choose Christian books knowing that they will reflect hope and joy.
*My non-fiction WIP is intended to guide Christians into greater intimacy with God. Sometimes I wonder if my words would interest non-believers. Would they be intrigued? Would they fling the book across the room? Would they want the relationship I describe? Everybody’s journey to God is different. The Spirit inspires my words and can use them in ways I cannot imagine.
Exactly, Shirlee. The Spirit can use your words in ways you’ll never know.
I think you’re right, Shirlee. I know non-believers (or at least nominal believers) who will pick up a clean romance. They just don’t yet care for the faith-based romances that are obviously intended to convert. Sometimes it helps to whisper instead of shout at people.
Every single bad review that states, “I wasn’t told this was a Christian work” or “God was mentioned on every page” … ought to bring a smile to the author. Maybe a seed was planted. And I love that even Christian fiction gets selected for Hallmark movies. Even if faith factors are left out of the film, maybe someone who sees the movie will eventually purchase the book. 🙂 And that would just be icing on the cake to writing the story of your heart.
You hit my nail squarely on the head, Rachelle. I’m writing fiction where people are placed in potentially lethal positions to ride an emotional rollercoaster where someone they come to love is a Christian and they must decide what to do with the faith. I’ve talked many times with nonbelievers about why I believe, and those real conversations guide what my characters think and speak. My prayer is that the novels can be used to share with friends who will love the story and have a chance to think about why the nonbelieving characters decided to follow Christ or not. My history website might get a person who is interested in the Roman Empire to read the books, whether they are already Christians or not. Who knows how planted seeds will grow? My non-history author website is focusing toward sharing why a logical person from a scientific background would decide to believe and follow. I want it to encourage believers in knowing why it is the most logical thing to believe and provide useful approaches for when they want to talk with their friends I think most CBA writers want to get people asking “Why follow Jesus?” and then faithfully answer the question.
I know people talk about how limiting CBA can be, because of what CBA publishers will/won’t accept in the books they publish. Writing a book that contains a lot of worldly elements can speak to unbelieving readers, especially if the characters in the book have a good character arc and change through the story. “Kept,” by Sally Bradley, did a good job of this, I think.
*I enjoy writing with a CBA focus because my faith is natural to me. I don’t have to hide it in the worlds of my characters. Not all my characters need to be Christians, but the freedom to have some who are makes storycrafting and writing FUN. It expresses a part of who I am.
Ok, this is my favorite subject to discuss!! I agree with all of the above. I am one of those authors who have said “I want my books to crossover”. I think this comes from a desire to yes, reach a wider audience, but also to perhaps present something a little ‘purer’ if you will, to a world saturated with books, music and movies that are about as far from God as you can get. I don’t write with the goal of converting anyone and I’m quite specific in how I ‘preach’ – in fact I make it a point not to. My books are written from a Christian worldview but often the spiritual thread is woven through carefully enough to be ‘accepted’ by those who perhaps wouldn’t pick up a book in the “Christian” section. I’m not saying this is right or wrong, it’s just how I do it. Of course the majority of my readers are Christians and a couple have said my books are not “Christian enough”, so that’s fair, they probably won’t be ‘my readers’. My readers are the ones who won’t pick up the book solely for the ‘message’, but more for the story – but the ‘message’ is there anyway, some see it and some don’t. I leave that up to God. I love CBA and the community we have between our authors, readers, publishers and agents. I do believe there is room for all kinds of books in CBA, whether they are ‘preaching to the choir’ or hoping to reach beyond. I don’t think we are limited really, Good books will reach an audience, and for us as believers, we trust God to provide that audience, whether it be our brothers and sisters in Christ or those who have never darkened the door of a church. I know my book is being placed in Christian bookstores as well as secular ones, and nobody has burned it yet. That I know of. 🙂
I’ve pondered this topic many times. I so appreciate your insight, Rachelle. I think another reason authors resist being lumped into CBA is because they don’t want to be stereotyped and/or pigeon-holed. But really we should just write the best book we can and let God take it from there.
Thanks Rachelle. As always, you and your team makes learning the craft of writing more interesting.
In these times we are living in where chaos seem to be so prevalent, writing Christian Fiction that people of all ages and ethnicities can relate to, in my opinion, is very important. What good is a great story if it’s full of fuzzy feelings and dreams coming true? Better is of redemption. Even in fiction, triumph and be the final chapters over a tragic beginning. A hero in a story with a dark past. Or a heroine with the tendency to do the wrong thing, but does the right. Perhaps, a Christian version of Shades of Grey? Wait, can that be done? Absolutely!
What an encouraging message, Rachelle. I could not agree more. God can use our books in amazing ways–ways that have nothing to do with our intended audience. I’ve had readers tell me that they have given my books to friends who were either unbelievers or people who had fallen away from Christ, and seeds were planted for restoration. I often think of the loaves and fishes from the Bible. It’s my job to give my words to him. He will take care of multiplying the impact and feeding the masses.
The same thing happens if you work at a Christian Camp. When my husband and I visit churches or attend meetings with people who want to know how a summer of camping ministry went, they always ask how many children came to Christ. They don’t ask how many children who were just going through the motions of faith decided to be real with God. They don’t ask how many Christian teens had responsibility thrust upon them for the first time and realized that they were up to the task of leading a cabin. They don’t ask how many kids found friends they could trust for the first time or realized that there are adults who deeply care for them. They don’t ask how many kids learned how to read the Bible for themselves or how many young leaders learned how to teach the Bible for the first time. They don’t ask how many escaped a horrible home situation for a week or if there was a teen considering suicide who found the support he needed. Don’t get me wrong, kids come to Christ, every single year. But camp is about so much more it boggles my mind that this is all people ask about. Baby Christians need love and support. Old cynical Christians need honesty and hope. Mediocre Christians need to see excitement for God and the passion that can be found in serving Him. Christians need God, too! So yes, I relate to this. Christians need their faith bolstered by the written word as well. Keep those books coming.
Beautiful!!!
Wonderfully said, Kristen. When my kids were young I often volunteered as a church camp leader. Some of the teens most in need of ministering were those from faith based homes. Sometimes the kids with no Christian background offered the best shoulder to lean on.
LOVE your words, Kristen!
I can see that you guys have also seen the incredible value of coming alongside people whatever their place in their walk with God. You guys have such a gift for encouragement, I bet it shows in your writing, too!
Yes, I have been concerned that the CBA is too oriented to discipling Christians than to reaching non-Christians. I think CBA non-fiction and fiction do a good job of encouraging and building up Christians. However, a handful of anecdotes excepted, I doubt many non-Christians are impacted favorably or drawn closer to the kingdom of God by CBA books, mainly because so few non-Christians will read a CBA book. As I said, we will always have a few exceptions to that.
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For myself, I’m trying to write books that will reach non-Christians. I under-pin them with a Christian world view, but make no attempt to convert. Hopefully they will be a nudge toward repentance and redemption.
Thank you for this, Rachelle! My primary spiritual gift is teaching, and as a women’s Bible study teacher I KNOW the choir needs preaching to – and I include myself in this choir even though I sing like a sick cow 🙂
In my fiction, I show Christian characters dealing with lingering sins, issues from the past, or faulty attitudes – because we all have them. I love to show my characters maturing in their faith, and I love to hear from readers that my characters’ journeys inspired them to grow in their faith too.
And I firmly believe that preaching to the choir does lead to evangelism. As believers become stronger in their faith, they feel more comfortable sharing it and more convicted to do so. So preach away!!
I so agree, Sarah! If we Christians aren’t continuing to mature in our faith and obedience, how well does that witness to our non-believing communities? I sure value books like yours that both entertain and edify 🙂
This is exactly what I was thinking, Sarah! We reach nonbelievers when we’re growing closer to God. We grow closer to Him when we’re surrounding ourselves with things of Him. This totally includes Christian books, in my mind, fiction and nonfiction alike.
There’s a lot of anti-Christian prejudice in our society. Many people assume We’ll all try to cram Jesus down their throats with a broomstick. While those people aren’t likely to buy or knowingly choose a Christian book to read, if we can get them to read things that subtly communicate what we’re like, that can make a huge difference. Getting the message into secular books and getting Christian books not to look preachy can both work.
Rachelle,
I always appreciate your perspective. It’s probably why we’ve been friends so long.
You make an excellent point that Christian books have valuable ministry beyond CBA. I confess I still struggle with whether they might go further if every Christian writer realized they’re also called to seek nonChristian readers. The Christian book market necessarily restricts that, and while I no longer rail against “the system,” I do think we must realize there’s a market divide for some very clear reasons, which we could name (see Mark Noll, Bret Lott, Eugene Peterson, et al.). But the point is most general readers will not read Christian books. And I believe too many Christian writers have been encouraged to accept discipleship as their chief mission.
You’re right about the high call of building up the saints (and I truly need that reminder, as everyone does). But the shortcomings of Christian books and their limited reach can’t be so easily dismissed. The investment of our talents is too important. I believe every Christian writer needs to “be the body to the body,” but aren’t we also all called to be the body to the world as well?
Maybe it’s a decision each writer must make for themselves. But the challenge Christian books face in reaching general readers is real, and a writer should recognize that’s a barrier when following the call to disciple in CBA. It’s unfortunately we can’t care for the 99 and also go out and seek the one. But I think Jesus recognized that sometimes you have to leave the 99 and make that decision of who you will write for. And for a writer, that’s more a decision of which market’s demands you’ll need to cater to.
Thank you for your consistently excellent analysis, my friend. Your words shape lives more than you know.
Mick
I appreciate your comment. Well said. I recently read “God is Not Great” for the purpose of understanding his atheistic arguments and as a way to challenge my own thinking–could I defend my opposite viewpoint like we do in apologetics?. I think we can craft an argument in such a way that is designed to be read and contemplated by the nonChristian (without the put-downs, however). In my opinion, we have to let the churchy edginess go and then incorporate the weight of wisdom-speak. Tone matters.
From the moment I put pen to paper, my prayer for my YA, WIP is that teens in both CBA and secular markets will love the characters, find the story engaging and be inspired enough to recommend it to their friends. God, in his infinite wisdom can handle things from there on.
I’m never sure where I fit in this discussion. I think of myself as a Christian writer and my fiction as Christian fiction, but I don’t fit the traditional mold. I don’t write redemption or everyone lives happily ever after stories. I don’t mean that as derogatory. I read those stories, too, and enjoy them. But I’ve never felt led to write those stories. My “leading” has always been to write what some people call “flinch-free” traditional mysteries that anyone could read without embarrassment, including my mother. (And I have no leading to change that focus.) So because I don’t emphasize the redemption message, I don’t fit in Christian fiction; some people would even say (and have) I’m not doing my Christian duty. And because some of my characters are Christian and go to church and say “God” with reverence and some of my characters experience justice, I don’t fit well in secular fiction. It makes marketing very difficult. And when my stories have a message of any kind, which they usually do, I think it makes it difficult for potential readers to see that the message can be both Christian and secular. Maybe instead of crossover, we need a category called “Other.” Joking. I just want to be read, and I want readers to both enjoy a good mystery, see Christianity as a lifestyle, and gain new understanding about some issue that touches everyone (like the medical negligence spotlighted in my latest release, for example). I guess I’m saying that I don’t necessarily think CBA is too limiting but rather that marketing is even more difficult, at least for some of us, if we don’t toe that line. I guess I sound like I’m grousing. I’m not. I’m just frustrated and don’t know what else to try. I think I would have the same problem–if not more so–if I were approaching agents or publishers. I would love to hear suggestions from someone who has overcome this particular problem.
I love this post, Rachelle. Thank you for sharing your insights. I never thought of what I do as helping to disciple other believers, but that’s exactly what I hope my words will do. I love that what God is teaching me always ends up in my books. And I love how He often uses the process of writing to do some of that teaching in my life. I like Andrew’s analogy of the rock’s ripples too. I think often of men like Dwight L. Moody, who were influenced by one faithful Christ follower, and went on to reach the world in amazing ways with the love of God. Grateful to have a little stone to throw in that pond.
Well-said, Rachelle. Your last two paragraphs summarize it best. Thanks for sharing.
(And I appreciate it that one of my titles is included in the stack pictured).
Forgot to add this. An endorsement of one of my novels from a Jewish doctor, a NYT best-selling author: “I found the Christian message engaging and fascinating.”
My Non-Fiction Book “Pearls of Creation A-Z of Pearls” Is about God’s Creation of the waters of the World and the life therein: Oysters, Mussels, Clams, Abalone, etc. and the Natural and Cultivated Pearls.
It was Published in 2012 and received a Bronze Award in 2014 from The Jenkins Group, in the Category of “Green Living” Nature Conservation” as pearl farms are good for the Ecology. It includes 7 pearl farms and a Cross-referenced A-Z of Pearls. I do talks to promote my Self-Published Book and am never ashamed to tell all the same as I have told you. Please look at my URL and decide whether you would like to include it or not. I would be honored to be included please, I am 82 now and God is good to me. It has 7 Pearl Farms cultivating beautiful pearls and the A-Z is Cross-referenced with many interesting color pictures throughout the 330 pages.
Marge, I wish I’d known about your book last summer when five churches of three denominations in our two towns came together to hold day camp (We didn’t call it VBS because kids don’t want to go to school in the summer.) about the wonders of creation with a focus on water.
Thanks for sharing this blog. I write Christian Fantasy fiction. As such, my books are read by the Christian fiction market as well as the Fantasy fiction market. I think most Christian fiction writers have this crossover potential which allows the Holy Spirit to help mature believing readers in their faith as well as plant seeds for those yet to believe. – thanks again – God bless!!!
I actually came back to the church, in part, because of a romance novel. It wasn’t THE reason, but it was one of the “ripples in the pond.”
On a side note, I belong to a small group Bible Study/Book Club. When we’re reading fiction, we often focus on classics, but not necessarily Christian. We’ve read everything from Paradise Lost to A Man Called Ove. I keep suggesting we add a inspirational romance to the list so they can see what one is like, but let’s just say the suggestion is not well received.