Your days are numbered--18 to be exact!--to enter the Audience-with-an-Agent Contest. Yep, July 31st is the submission deadline for your novel manuscript. Click on the "Promotions" link to see guidelines and rules. If you're the winner, one of our fabulous agents from the Books & Such Literary Agency will review your manuscript, and if your manuscript is stellar, you may be offered representation. Don't pass up this fabulous opportunity!Letters from readers are the payoff. Nothing offers a pat on the back like hearing that a story has refreshed someone's faith or introduced someone to the Savior.
Some letters do tender interesting objections, however. For instance, an author friend of mine received an e-mail from a reader upset with the Christian content in her novel. The reader wanted the publishing industry to label Christian fiction as such so unsuspecting readers wouldn't be subjected to proselytizing.
Hmm.
My friend was incredibly gracious to her reader, and as a result, the reader no longer seemed offended by the content of the novel. I hope to grow up to be as nice as my friend.
This isn't an isolated issue for writers of Christian fiction. I have a review for The Queen of Sleepy Eye on amazon.com that complains about the heavy-handed Christian content. True, the main character is a judgmental 17-year-old, but she learns grace the hard way.
Is this the thought police coming to call?
Are novels next on the list for warning labels?
Caution: Reading this book may expose you to ideas, beliefs, or ideologies you may not agree with. To avoid discomfort, locate the thought categorization label on the cover before purchasing. For those with a hypersensitivity to new ideas, watch television.
Forgive my sarcasm.
Here are the questions I would like to discuss with you today: Should Christian fiction be labeled as such? Is it harmful for the cause of Christ to chance drawing readers into a Christian novel unaware and having them resent it? Is presenting a picture of faith to a reader worth the chance that someone might be offended, no label needed?
