A Frank Review of Our Recent Tour
After our Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy December tour, Rebecca Miller publicly accused the Guild of “segregating traditional from non-traditional” books. Becky has been around the Guild long enough to know more than one person has poured their soul into the community, but none more than Cynthia and I. The Guild consists of people, it's not a free-entity corporation.
Segregation of books is simply untrue. Almost two years ago, we (guild management), went through wherethemapends.com’s killer booklist, and invited every author there to join the Lost Genre Guild, and about 75% did. If one pan’s down the blog page they're reading, they'll see me promoting Donita Paul—the best selling Christian fantasy author since Lewis, and a wonderful lady. I told Eric Wilson I’d help him promote for Field of Blood in spite of his direct competition with novelist Sue Dent. (Sue’s Forever Richard is published by The Writer’s Café Press, same as my own Flashpoint.)
The 'LGG' does not go out of our way to promote inactive members, no matter who publishes them; there are simply not enough hours in a day to be a writer and do that too. In the cases of which I know, Guild authors passed their books to Guild reviewers to be considered for a Guild Review.
The Lost Genre Guild has laid the Web infrastructure for promotion, but it’s up to authors to use it. Who needs more free help promoting their Christian spec-fic; Ted Dekker, or Brandon Barr & Mike Lynch; Bryan Davis, or Adam & Andrea Graham? Guess which level of author submits books for review?
On a separate topic entirely, the Guild consists of many free-thinking artists, all of whom are entitled to their own decisions. If anyone has a problem with a guild member, please take it up with them personally—don’t come frontin’ the Guild publicly. I’d not do that to any moderator.
I’m not afraid of the truth. My own CBA stance (since that’s the elephant in the room), is that changes in the publishing industry have allowed the free market to circumnavigate the CBA, whose stonewalled our genre for decades. That’s reality. Marcher Lord Press is here. It happened for a reason and I’m glad for it. New imprints like MLP and Variance Publishing couldn’t exist without POD technology. These imprints have given spec-fic artists hope, and because of the CBA dam, there’s a lot of talent festering unpublished. Guess where the next CBA authors are coming from?
Our new artists are not looking for free rides by pasting Donita’s picture around our site; it’s our dream that our own fiction is good enough to compete as literature. Donita’s picture is on my blog because it was quite an experience spending private time with the woman.
The quality has to be in the fiction. Yes, a football analogy, but it’s brief. This reminds me of the AFC and NFC merging. The AFC’s teams were considered amateurs—that won Super-Bowl III and blew all the experts away.
When Becky and I first met and I wanted our organizations to merge, Becky said to wait. That was a very good idea. Since then, I’ve learned that all the separate spc-fic groups on the Web have their own purpose, for His glory. And we’re all pretty good at it. 8D
Frank Creed.com: the official site of Flashpoint: Book One of the UNDERGROUND
The Finishers.biz: Polishing Manuscripts until they Shine
7 comments:
Ah, and since you rattled my chain, LOL and thank-you for mentioning me, dog. :)
Isn't it interesting how Frank said, "despite Field of Blood being in direct competition with Sue Dent's Forever Richard."
I'd just like to clarify what he meant. *and I can only hope I get it right* It means a general market writer (who happens to be a Christian,) Sue Dent, writes novels that also appeal to the very specific market of Christians CBA and ECPA serve. Not many general market writers can do this. Awwww, you're welcome.
But how heeelarious to have someone, anyone accuse LGG of being exclusive simply because they don't give the floor to one specific market of Christian publishers. Pardon me while I laugh my butt off. Oh, HA!
As far as Donita goes, I believe she was the one that piped up on a blog on Shoutlife the other day and said she had some good friends who had some great fantasy MS's and why wasn't CBA doing anything with them.
Of course she's ECPA published so she wouldn't necessarily be privy to all the inticate workings of CBA. Pssst. Listen to Jeff Gerke Donita. Their market doesn't want to read fantasy.
LGG exclusive. I'm sorry. What a hoot!
Becky--
I did not mean for anything to be rude, just to help define the Guild's purpose as a group, mainly of artists, who try to live at the intersection of our passions and talent.
I'm thankful for the CSFF Blog Tour, and plan to continue promoting ya'll like I always have--all of us point upward where the glory belongs. As you and I both say, it is about teamwork. That's the Body of Christ.
Faith,
f
Frank Creed.com: the official site of Flashpoint: Book One of the UNDERGROUND
The Finishers.biz: Polishing Manuscripts until they Shine
Frank? Rude? You were defending a questionable comment, asking for clarification. I say ya done good, Frank! Not rude at all IMO.
CSFF's team is well defined. They tour books produced by CBA and ECPA affiliated publishers just like the blog tour that spawned them, CFBA. If a book wants to tour and the author isn't affiliated, that book, despite being traditionally published or award winning or anything else undergos undue scrutiny to see how it stacks up against niche market work. And that's even if you pay $500 as is the case with CFBA.
I'm amazed anyone who operates like this is bold enough to insinuate that another orginization is exclusive. And by the way, exclusive isn't bad if you make sure and say that's what you are. :)
If there's a question as to why more CBA/ECPA books haven't been reviewed yet on LGG's guild review, one need only look to the fact that the guild is new. One can also look to the fact that CBA according to affiliated publishers themselves (yes, I've corrosponded with name publishers from both industries and have many things in writing as early as a few months ago)and Jeff Gerke can verify this, say that their market doesn't want sci-fi/fantasy or horror and so affiliated publishers won't produce it. What they do produce is lacking in what the general market of Christian's want to see which is who the guild review was primarily set up to review.
Even at that, CBA manages to produce some work that comes close to appealing to the broader market and that work is reviewed.
CSFF has yet to review, without undue scrutiny, any book that wasn't CBA or ECPA affiliated save for a very select few. (Jeff Gerke I guess because, oh well, he was ONCE CBA affiliated.)
As I've stated before, both Forever Richard and Flashpoint were turned down to tour CSFF. Flashpoint I believe point blank and Forever Richard I wouldn't have let tour even if I'd been asked after hearing my book would be scrutinized against CBA and ECPA standards, more or less.
I'm all for supporting anyone who supports speculative fiction which is why I'm a guild member because they recognize and support all speculative fiction authors. I'm no longer a CSFF member because, as a rule, they don't.
And that's not rude. That's just the facts. I for one am sorry you had to be subjected to that Frank. You certainly didn't deserve it. At least all the positive reports could balance off all the narrowmindedness.
LGG rocks!
Frank, as I've said on two other blogs, I apologize for giving you the idea that I was accusing LGG of anything. My intent was to raise questions and hopefully bring more unity to what I see as a community headed for division.
As I said over at the LGG blog, I'm convinced nothing would please Satan more! Division is not what God has called us to.
Becky
Frank, do you plan on dividing? I'm not good with math. I keep coming up with odd numbers. Not that there's anything wrong with odd numbers. I are one. :)
Hey, I'm gonna bump you an e-mail shortly. Be on the lookout!
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