Hello!
I am Family of 8’s sister, and a professional freelancer, columnist and novelist. I couldn’t help but offer my two cents on the realm of Catholic fiction. The reason for the lack of it is quite simple: there isn’t any. There are very few Catholic publishing houses, and those that exist concentrate on histories of the church and resource materials. No wonder – fiction sales are tough. Everyone and there brother will spend money on non-fiction, but far too many people rely on the library or borrowed books for fiction. Thus, fiction isn’t profitable for a house unless it’s bestseller material. Houses that carry midlist authors (those that sell only 5 to 10,000 books) rely on the bestsellers to foot the bill for the smaller books, allowing big houses to “take a chance” on a limited number of unknowns each year in hopes that they may by a fluke skyrocket to bestsellerdom.
On the bright side there are many Christian publishers of fiction, but few of these cater to the Catholic market. They concentrate on the evangelical prostestants that frequent the Christian book stores. This market is shifting as Christian fiction is now selling better in its own private niche in major stores such as Waldenbooks, B&N, and Booksamillion, while Christian book stores are tending toward gift items and biblical resources (per the above reasons. Few buy fiction). As this shift takes place, Christian fiction is becoming grittier and more real life than the sappy stories of the past, while still evoking Christian values.
My first book, (after 16 years of working at this, for those of you who are thinking of joining this game) will be published Spring 2006 by River Oak, a division of Cook Communications, and is titled A PIECE OF THE SKY. Is it Catholic? No. There are enough strikes against new authors trying to break into print without painting oneself into a niche. But it is based on my values as a Christian, written about a woman who holds a grudge against God at the beginning of the story, but through the course of events begins to understand her husbands growing Christian faith. She is not “saved,” she doesn’t come to some sudden change of heart, but rather a slow awakening to the love and power of God, which is in my mind much more realistic. The basis of the story is infertility, dishonesty between spouses, and the healing that must take place to mend their marriage.
If you want more Catholic fiction, you must do two things: Contact Catholic publishers (Ignatius, Sophia, Tan.) and tell them you want fiction, and then you have to BUY it. Buy lots of Christian fiction and support the market, or even that segment will disappear.
www.authorsden.com/MichellePBuckman
). Walker Percy, like O’ Connor, is serious good lit.
