I recently used my monthly post at Novel Rocket to blurb next year’s Realm Makers (RM) Conference. Here’s how I framed that post:
Realm Makers is a conference designed for “people of faith who love science fiction and fantasy.” The Christian fiction market is notoriously thin when it comes to the representation of speculative fiction (sci-fi, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, paranormal, steampunk, etc.). While spec-fic remains hugely popular in mainstream TV, film, and fiction, the Christian fiction market (for whatever reasons you choose to argue) vastly under-represents the genre. This has left many Christian spec fans on the margins of the industry. Rebecca Minor, founder of Realm Makers, chose to do something positive about this.
It’s probably not fair to suggest that the RM conference is entirely a reaction to the under-representation of speculative fiction. Spec-fic fans, like any other genre fans, inevitably find ways to cluster. ComicCon, DragonCon, Anime Expo, and the numerous sub-groups spawned therein are evidence of the healthy evolution of geekdom. So in the simplest sense, RM is the natural migration of a niche culture of readers and writers into a more organic fold.
Nevertheless, as someone who’s been involved in both Christian publishing and Speculative fiction for a decade now, it’s easy to also see groups like Realm Makers as a reaction to the lack of speculative fiction in mainstream Christian publishing. The disparity of spec-fic to Romance, Amish, Historical, and Women’s Lit in Christian publishing has been a topic of discussion (mainly by spec writers and often heated discussion) for the longest. Much of this discussion has been focused around the ACFW and its yearly conference.
ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) is the largest organization of Christian fiction writers. ACFW advertises itself as “The Voice of Christian Fiction” and, indeed, its yearly conference never fails to attract some of the biggest name agents, editors, and publishing houses in the industry. ACFW is undoubtedly representative of the contemporary Christian fiction market. Which is why spec-fic fans have always had an uneasy alliance with ACFW. With speculative fiction so wildly popular in mainstream culture, fans have often puzzled over ACFW’s (and the Christian industry’s in general) lack of representation of speculative fiction titles. How can ACFW claim to be THE voice of Christian fiction while giving such little voice to Christian fans of speculative lit?
Ben Wolf, one of the organizers of Realm Makers, recently posted on 6 Reasons I’m Attending Realm Makers in 2015. Ben’s post is a follow-up to a bristly convo on his Facebook page (more on that in a sec). Of the 6 Reasons Ben gives, most are in response to some perceived deficiency in relation to ACFW and their embrace (or lack thereof) of the Speculative Voice. For example, here’s a few of Ben’s headings (and reasons why a person of faith might consider RM over ACFW):
- ACFW has hosted almost no classes that place any sort of emphasis exclusively on speculative fiction.
- ACFW’s lineup of featured editors willing to look at speculative fiction has dwindled to almost nothing over the last five years.
- ACFW’s lineup of featured agents willing to look at speculative fiction has shrunk over the last five years.
I have gone on record suggesting that the problem with “Christian speculative fiction” is much larger than just the number of Christian houses acquiring spec titles. Demographics, theology, fictional parameters, and Christian market expectations all play a part in the current popularity (or unpopularity) of spec titles in Christian publishing. My sense is that hardcore spec fans aren’t that beholden to the typical contrivances of Christian fiction, speculative or not. Either way, while Ben is correct in his assessment of ACFW’s shrinking grip on spec writers, I think he’s missing the more positive angle to this.
After a lively discussion on his Facebook page comparing RM to ACFW, literary agent Amanda Luedke commented:
I wonder if a bigger problem here is that spec fiction authors are expecting ACFW to be something that it just isn’t. ACFW will always reflect the biggest trends in Christian fiction. If spec fiction becomes a trend, then ACFW will adapt. But until publishers publish more spec fiction and until more agents rep spec fiction, ACFW will not be wasting their time giving a chunk of their conference to spec authors. Because as you’ve pointed out, they’ll just lose those authors to RM or WorldCon or DragonCon, etc. And to be fair, spec fiction isn’t the only genre that faces this. Childrens books get almost zero stage time at ACFW. Military thrillers, legal thrillers (many times thrillers in general!), mysteries, literary fiction, african american romance…these are genres that you could argue are running into the same issues that the spec fiction genre runs into. So my point is that ACFW caters to what the industry is selling. That’s just smart business.
Interestingly enough, Amanda is one of several agents who will be attending the RM conference and the ACFW. As a spec fan and an industry insider, her take is valuable. “[S]pec fiction authors are expecting ACFW to be something that it just isn’t.” The under-representation of speculative fiction in both the ACFW and the mainstream Christian market is neither the result of a conspiracy or managerial incompetence — ACFW is simply catering to what the industry is selling. Sure, we can rage against “the industry” all we want. We can argue what comes first, the product or the demand. We can dig our heels in and call for a place at the table. But despite the negatives, this reality is forcing a creative, vocal community to… evolve.
- It is forcing Christian spec writers to “leave the nest.”
- It is forcing Christian spec writers to stretch their entrepreneurial legs.
- It is forcing Christian spec writers to seek out new opportunities, new models, and unreached audiences.
- It is forcing Christian spec writers to put their money where their mouth is.
The under-representation of speculative fiction in both the ACFW and the mainstream Christian market is leading to the much-needed democratization of an industry that has calcified. This isn’t to say that the Christian fiction industry is not providing good product to its fan base. This isn’t to say the Christian fiction industry can’t morph or diversify.
Rather, the indie revolution has caught up to it.
Keith Ogoreck, senior VP for marketing at Author Solutions, in his article The Democratization of Publishing writes,
Since its inception the publishing industry has operated like an aristocracy. An elite few held the power to essentially determine if an author’s work would be allowed in the public square. It was publication without self-determination for authors. For no matter how passionate or motivated an author was about his or her work, the fate of the book rested entirely with a few publishing houses. Those days, however, are over. Everything has changed.
In one sense, the ACFW and the industry it represents acts like “an aristocracy,” determining what titles will “be allowed in the public square.” But thanks to the availability of new publishing technology and social media, authors have an ability to change the industry landscape. The same shift that has transformed other arts industries — like music, film, art, and publishing — is finally catching up with the Christian book industry. (Which seems fitting because Christians are always behind the trends!)
Christian spec-fic authors and fans now have an unprecedented ability for “self-determination.”
Realm Makers is evidence of this.
With only two conferences under its belt, RM has a long way to go. Indeed, other indie presses and spec authors have been stretching their entrepreneurial legs for a while. But whatever you attribute the existence of these groups to, whether a rejection of aristocratic power-brokering or commercial pandering, pitting RM against ACFW (or the Christian fiction industry as a whole) is the wrong thing to do. It’s much healthier, and maybe even more realistic, to see the continued growth of a Christian spec-fic fan base as a necessary step in the genre’s evolution.
Sure, there will be growing pains. And an “us against them” mentality is inevitable. The undeniable reality is that we are in the middle of a publishing shift. While the mainstream Christian fiction industry is pulling in its horns and consolidating power, indies are surveying the landscape and calculating the cost of leaving the nest. Either way, the ACFW is simply undergoing the same type of democratization as have many other art industries. And while it may represent A voice of Christian Fiction, it can no longer be said to be THE only voice.
Thabks for the great post, Mike. I agree with –almost– everything you said. The part about me missing the more positive angle of this, in fact, is my issue. I’m definitely aware that this has potential to be positive for all the groups involved, including RM, ACFW, and our shared conferees and other spec authors.
1. RM will get ACFW’s castoffs (whether they’re cast off intentionally or not), and all of RM’s conferees stand to gain from RM growing and offering better and better content and resources each year.
2. ACFW remains a great place where authors of all genres can grow in their craft and find community, and by losing the spec crowd they can better focus their content on the genres that remain (which is what they have kind of been doing anyway). What’s more, they don’t have to worry about clubs weirdos running around in costume at their conference.
3. Christian publishing, as you said, may finally catch up to the rest of the world. I teach at several conferences per year, and almost all the young Christian authors write spec–not romance or anything else. I’m serious–in the last three years of teaching at cons, I have met about three or four young Christian authors who write romance or thrillers or something other than spec. And that’s out of at least 100 of them. In other words, the tide is turning and will continue to turn in favor of spec as the old way continues to fizzle out and the new trend of awesome spec fic continues to grow in Christian publishing (and publishing/entertainment in general).
4. The biggest beneficiaries are, of course, the spec authors. When I judged several stories for the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest, I noticed something sad and terrible: the spec entries were pitiful (except for one) and the YA stories were pretty good on the whole. It confirmed what I already suspected: spec authors are more concerned about getting their work out there than making sure it’s good. (I have other examples to support this claim as well, but this comment is already getting too long.)
Our “rebellious” streak is getting in the way of us taking the time to learn the craft, which, in part, is hindering us from attaining success en masse. Because of the increased competition (and I use that in a business sense only, as RM certainly harbors no ill will toward other conferences) between ACFW and RM will make for better teaching, more affordable rates, more opportunities to network with agents and editors, and better ancillary offerings like food, atmosphere, lodging, etc. at conferences. Hopefully that competition will inspire spec authors to take more pride and devote more time to actually developing our craft so we can compete (there’s that word again) with everything else that’s out there as well. So the conferees/authors really stand to gain the most from all of this–them and the readers.
Thanks for starting the conversation, Ben! While “RM [may] get ACFW’s castoffs,” my concern, as I’ve shared before, is that the conference simply becomes the spec version of “ACFW.” One of the things us Christian spec-fic writers must grapple honestly with is whether or not the under-representation of spec in the CBA is reflective of a very real lack of market interest. As Amanda writes below, perhaps “we have more people writing Christian spec fic than we have people reading it.” Which is one of the reasons I’ve suggested Christian spec writers might be better off marketing outside mainstream CBA circles. Clearly, speculative fiction is popular in mainstream culture. So the question is, What about the Christian market, the Christian industry, or the stories we write, is keeping a lid on things?
This is really well put, Mike. I especially like your point that all of this is “forcing Christian spec writers to put their money where their mouth is.” I could read that a million times.
I’ve heard over and over “spec fiction is taking over the world” and “if spec is popular in the general market, then by golly it would go wild in the Christian market if publishers only gave it a chance!”
But the truth of the matter is that Christian spec fiction on the whole has bad sales numbers. It struggles to be smart business. This is for a number of reasons and the problem isn’t wholly the author’s fault nor is it wholly the publisher’s fault. But it’s the current state of the industry. I honestly feel we have more people writing Christian spec fic than we have people reading it (a HUGE problem). I also think it’s hard to gain traction in a genre in which the readers are oh so very satisfied staying on the general market side and reading general market books. But my point here is that when you can get a grassroots movement going of people who believe in the genre and feel a sense of ownership to make it succeed…that’s when I think change can truly take place. And I would love to see it happen.
Thanks for commenting, Amanda! I think this point is the most provocative: “it’s hard to gain traction in a genre in which the readers are oh so very satisfied staying on the general market side and reading general market books. ” So totally agree! Not only are there many biblical themes already in mainstream spec culture, there’s a more culturally savvy Christian fandom who doesn’t require the narrow conventions of typical CBA fiction. Which is why I think part of our evolution as writers should be to aim at that larger group of folks who are not averse to biblical themes but are happy “reading general market books.”
Agreed, Mike! 100%. To expand on this…
Most general market spec fiction explores religion, and while yes, many spec writers have adopted a new age philosophy, I believe that you can still find many traces of Christianity within these created religions and worlds (or at least you can many times reframe what is presented to view it in more of a Christian light…I do this with Martin all the time). This is because America is essentially a Christian state in comparison to others. And even those who do not identify as Christian end up drawing from that base because that’s what they know. So this makes it rather easy for a Christian to settle in and be happy reading those gen market books, in my opinion.
And to your point of targeting the group of gen market readers who are not averse to Biblical themes, let me ask this: do we even need Christian publishers in order to do this? Or is the answer better found in us writing kick-butt spec fiction for the general market? If this is the case, then our anger and frustration with Christian publishers is a complete waste of time. Instead, we should be finding ways to infiltrate.
Now as a sidenote: I want to be careful here because I don’t want anything I say to be misconstrued…I represent a handful of Christian spec authors and I LOVE working with them (for the record, I also represent some Christians who are publishing or who have published on the general market side). I believe in their words and their stories. And when I find them a deal or publishing home, I do so believing 100% that it is the right move for them at that time. But I also have to see the big picture. I know that either the industry will change and Christian houses will figure out how to tap into that Christian general market readership, or the Christian spec writers will have to adapt. It’s something that I think about a lot. But as always, it’s step by step.
I think it’s a vicious circle, really: the dwindling of quality, original SFF in the Christian market drove many Christian readers who love SFF to the general market, where they found the fresh, well-written stories they’d been craving — albeit with very little sympathy to Christian moral and philosophical views, which could make finding good books a bit of a minefield. Still, it is possible to successfully navigate that minefield, and once Christian readers had learned to do so, it was very difficult to get them to go back to reading exclusively (or even mostly) Christian SFF.
That dilution of the market, so to speak, in turn has made it even more unlikely that SFF published for the Christian market and sold chiefly in Christian bookstores will find the dedicated and zealous audience that it needs to succeed. After all, to win readers a Christian SFF book has to compete not only with the other Christian fiction genres, but with general market SFF and genre — and that means it has to be really outstanding in order to get Christian readers’ attention.
I think this circle can be broken, and perhaps even is starting to be broken, by the appearance of SFF-dedicated Christian publishing houses and conferences which make it easier for Christian readers to find the stuff they like best (and/or feel is appropriate for their SFF-loving kids, who might not yet have the discernment to navigate the general fiction market). But I don’t think we can expect the big Christian publishing houses to pick up the SFF ball and run with it, because the damage to that part of their market has been done a long time ago and it’s not going to recover soon.
(Which I now realize is pretty much a long-winded “What you said” to both Amanda and Mike. Forgive me, it’s been a very busy Christmas.)
Yup. I was one of the ones that did that.
It is not easy to find well written Science Fantasy or Science Fiction that holds morals and values that dovetail with my Christian worldview. But, I have found a few, and I’ve also stopped reading as much Spec Fic as I had before. Speculative Fiction of any breed has one major juggernaut that I’ve not seen anyone really talk about: theology.
For me personally, I’m finding I agree more with the non-Christian Fantasy writers than I do the Christian fantasy writers. Mainly because the non-Christian Fantasy writers don’t keep remaking God. He might be totally and completely absent, but good triumphing over evil, sacrifice for the sake of love, noble last stands and loyalty until death are there. I’m not being bombarded with heretical* ideas about Christ, or angels, or what comes after death or how we were created.
C.S. Lewis was spot on when he said you can get a great deal of theology into the mind of a man without him really knowing it, through fiction.
Speculative Fiction in the Christian realm seems to be overwhelmingly aware of this and using it as a bully pulpit, and while half-human angelic kids might seem like a great answer to Rick Riordan’s Olympian series, in my opinion it’s more dangerous than gods and monsters. It’s also a heresy.*
I would LOVE to see conferences like RM have a class taught by a reputable individual on theology and literature. And theology and Christian heresies, past, present, and what might morph in the future. After all, Spec Fic writers are going to be wading around in theology, they really need to know what monsters are under the waves.
I had no idea what the Satan Seed Doctrine was, until a year ago and I had to refute it with a coworker. That led to my finding out about all the major heresies about Nephilium, and quite a lot of little weird quirks and distortions that have been running around in Christendom for the last 400 years. I had no idea. Now I do, and the more I know, the more I’m picking up on the ideas in Christian Speculative Fiction as being based off those ideas. Which is why I’m reading less and less Christian Spec Fiction.
Heresies of any kind, do not good theology make. Especially when they are being slipped into a mind through the cover of fiction.
*I’m sure most of you know this, but in case someone doesn’t, a heresy is NOT a blasphemy. I could link you to Merriam Webster for a definition, but you can go there on your own. Here’s the definition in my own words. Heresy gets used as an equal in most cases to blasphemy and it can become one but it’s not necessarily one. Heresy is something which the majority of the Christian world holds as being not Scriptural, it’s never been a creed or a core belief, it’s towards the fringes of Christendom. The Satan Seed Doctrine and a lot of Doctrines of the Nephilium fall into that category (though the Satan Seed Doctrine in my mind is Blasphemy).
You can look up the Satan Seed Doctrine and the Nephilium on the wikipedia or through Answers In Genesis—or anywhere you like. Just, careful where you click for here there be monsters.
Michelle, I’ve actually written a lot about the subject of Christian speculative fiction and theology. In my article Can Christian Theology and Speculative Fiction Coexist? I argue that many Christian readers impose an overly strict expectation of theology on their fiction. For example, one author suggested that Christians should not write about zombies because a biblical worldview does not allow for zombies. In this TWO–PART post, I argue that while some allow allow the imposition of strict theology upon our fiction to lead to the nitpicking of tropes, symbols, and story elements, theology should spark our imagination. As apologist Francis Schaeffer put it, “The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.”
Let me suggest that you’re doing this with the “Satan Seed Doctrine.” From my understanding, there are many interpretations of the Nephilim, some of which adhere closer to biblical doctrine than others. The Serpent Seed Doctrine and the Nephilim are not necessarily the same thing. Even IF they are borderline heretical, on what grounds should authors not explore them in a FICTIONAL work? C.S. Lewis, whom you reference, evoked many mythical characters (like fauns, witches, minotaurs, mountain gods, etc.). In That Hideous Strength, Lewis casts Ransom as the heir of King Arthur who is in communication with the “Oyarsa,” angelic beings who guide the planets of the Solar System and thus correspond to the Greek gods and goddesses. Furthermore, Merlin is resurrected in the story and becomes possessed by and Oyarsa. I could go on. The point being if we apply too fine a comb to fictional stories, myths, and fairy tales, we inevitably miss the forest (the story and its theme) for the trees (zombies, half human/angels, Merlin, etc.).
As an author of historical mysteries, I can’t necessarily speak to the way spec writers are treated within ACFW. I *do* however, have an adult son who loves speculative fiction. He primarily reads general market. Why? Because every time he tries a Christian spec fiction author, he is hugely disappointed. The quality just isn’t as high. Somehow Christian authors of spec fiction seem to be missing the mark.
Perhaps a dedicated conference will be able to help these authors grow in their craft so they’re able to give the general market a run for its money. I hope so.
Very true. As a child and young teen, I have to confess that the lack of quality and originality in Christian fiction, not merely the small selection to choose from, was what drove me to the general market as both a reader and a writer. And since then I’ve been largely shy of picking up Christian SFF novels lest I regret the purchase (especially since they’re often more expensive than their general-market equivalents). This is changing with the advent of e-books, and I’m starting to dip my toe in the Christian SFF waters again. But the trick is getting enough quality Christian SFF books out there, at an affordable price point, to turn the tide.
Perhaps “quality” is subjective to taste. I have so many quality spec fic books by Christian authors on my Kindle that I don’t have time to read it all.
Mike, the question I have for you is: What do you think ACFW has the power to do here?
ACFW doesn’t publish any books. It isn’t the gatekeeper that determines which titles get produced. Its goal is to train writers who write from a Christian worldview. That training is partly on craft and partly on marketing. ACFW also provides a convenient way to meet industry professionals, and the problem is that almost none of those in Christian publishing care about speculative fiction.
So the following two points you make are true:
* ACFW’s lineup of featured editors willing to look at speculative fiction has dwindled to almost nothing over the last five years.
* ACFW’s lineup of featured agents willing to look at speculative fiction has shrunk over the last five years.
But the question is which additional editors or agents could ACFW invite who would be willing to look at speculative fiction? ACFW invites a ton of agents and editors. But the brute fact is that most agents and editors who work in Christian publishing just AREN’T INTERESTED in speculative fiction.
What can ACFW or anybody else possibly do about that?
I feel your pain, Mike. In fact, I felt it long before you did, because I started publishing long before you did. Every one of my six novels published by traditional publishers has some sort of speculative element–either space travel or time travel or quantum computing. But this kind of fiction hasn’t ever done well in the Christian publishing industry. I figured that out a long time ago and I moved on.
That hasn’t prevented me from enjoying the ACFW conference. As is well known, I serve on the ACFW Executive Board. I just don’t expect to make connections at the ACFW conference to sell my work. That would be a long shot, and smart people don’t waste their time on long shots when there are much better opportunities.
I don’t think the solution is to complain. Complaining is a waste of energy and it makes you look like you’re dependent on others, rather than being a proactive author in charge of your own destiny.
If Christian publishing doesn’t want this sort of thing, then novelists can just go elsewhere. The fact is that any Christian speculative fiction author has wide open opportunities as an indie author, publishing in one of the many SF&F categories.
(But I don’t think you need to look to the vanity publishers, such as Author Solutions, for your salvation. That looks to me to be an even worse option than traditional publishing.)
You can do well as an indie in the general market. Just write a product description that makes clear that the story has faith elements (if it does). Sure, it would be nice if there was a major traditional publishing company somewhere that would welcome Christian speculative fiction and would do a good job marketing it.
But there isn’t.
You have to play the hand you’re dealt, not the hand that you wish you were dealt.
Thanks for commenting, Randy! Not sure if you were able to read this entire post. I’m not really suggesting that ACFW does anything here. You might remember meeting me at the 2012 ACFW conference in Dallas. We sat at the same table for one meal. Like you, I attended knowing full well that the conference had little to offer… other than seeing friends, meeting agents, seeing my agent, and basically networking. I had a great time. But as a spec author, I knew the ACFW conference is not geared to my genre. This post is not so much a complaint about what ACFW isn’t doing as it is an acknowledgement that this is a great chance for Christian spec authors to stop complaining and evolve.
This post seemed to be the opposite of complaining to me, but I’ve always found it fascinating that two people can read the same words and come up with completely different conclusions.
The statement I think Randy is reacting to is when you say:
‘ In one sense, the ACFW and the industry it represents acts like “an aristocracy,” determining what titles will “be allowed in the public square.” ‘
The ACFW does not determine which books are published. So if you rewrite the sentence to be what I think it was intended to say, you end up with nothing more than “Publishers determine which books get published,” and that basically says nothing new.
Mike … I think the reason you bring ACFW up so much in this post is to compare it to Realm Makers … conference vs. conference … and I think that is a valid comparison.
I taught at the first RM conference (and hope to hold a pre-conference workshop in 2015) and I’ve also attended ACFW’s conference twice. In short … RM wins hands down for catering to the needs of spec-fic writers and fans.
Folks … attend this conference! It is definitely worth it!
Thanks, Robert! I think you’re right about me needing to rephrase the “ACFW as aristocracy” statement because I do mean the “industry” more than the writers association (although I will admit wondering how much power ACFW really holds in the industry, especially being it’s the premiere CF conference and group). Hey, hopefully we’ll be able to hook up at RM 2015.
The ACFW does have power, though, just not the one of determining which books are in the public square. For instance, they choose the rules by which books are allowed to be showcased on their website and which books are eligible for the Carol Award, the authors they promote, and the classes they approve for the conference, etc… John Otte’s class at the last conference was one specifically geared toward Spec-Fic authors, so that was something at least.
Also, Randy has worked hard (thanks, Randy!) to open them up to successful indie authors, and I think with the current trends that shift will become more and more important over time.
It’ll be good to meet you in person, Mike!
I don’t know if its forcing anything except Christians not writing Christian spec fic any more. If you have to do GM, you’re simply not going to be able to insert any faith elements that matter anyways. If you do indie, you’ll do it essentially as a charity-there’s not an audience big enough to make it worthwhile to do it seems. If we’re going to be all “good business” inserting anything Christian at all except for the romance-loving soccer moms doesn’t seem to be good business, so why not give people what they want then?
Just wanted to leave a comment that I agree and this is a great post. It all needed to be said. On the whole, I think the future is bright for Christian lovers of sci fi and fantasy.