Customer Reviews

Complete Guide to Writing and Selling the Christian Novel

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4 star:		(3)
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2 star:		(1)
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As a first-time African-American novelist, reading "The Complete Guide to Writing & Selling the Christian Novel" gave me valuable insight and many "ah-hahs" when approaching my writing. It provided me valuable information on how to approach publishers, agents (if necessary), and insight about decision-making during the writing process. Other Christian books I would recommend are: 1999 Christian Writers' Market Guide by Sally E. Stuart, Sally Stuart's Guide to Getting Published, by Sally E. Stuart & How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters by John Wood,

'The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling The Christian Novel' will change not only how you write, but how you live! Penelope speaks directly to the heart of the writer, emphasizing the ultimate importance of everything (including writing) he/she does flowing out from his/her intimate & integral relationship with Christ. Many books and articles I have read on writing have given much thought into plot development, but Penelope takes great pains to teach her readers how to develop living, breathing characters with dialogue that sparkles. She also gives some bare-bones advice about approaching markets, making suggestions such as using business cards and fine-quality paper for query letters, and how to put together a winning book proposal. I am only halfway through this book and already I am a better writer with a stronger sense of my calling as a 'Christian writer'. IMO, if all serious Christian writers would read and take to heart 'The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling The Christian Novel', we would see a great rise in the quality and integrity of Christian literature today. A must-have for every Christian fiction writer!

This is a terrific work. Ms. Stokes is an excellent writer and lucidly instructs the Christian on several relevant aspects of the CBA market. She presents the realities of being a Christian author and what the industry is like. She talks about very important issues the writer will have to face, but gives Christ-centered wisdom to help deal with them.

Of course you'll also find practical writing dealing with the craft itself - and I might add that whether you plan to write Christian fiction or not you will benefit from her teaching on these topics.

But what I found most enlightening was her insight into the Christian market... Genre definitions, what is popular now, writing proposals, etc.

A great book for the Christian novelist!

Ms. Stokes offers honest, helpful advice and instruction for aspiring writers of Christian fiction. She cites statistics and knowledge regarding the Christian fiction market that writers need to know. She seems to have a good grasp on what the publishers and booksellers are also wanting, and this is what it comes down to knowing when trying to sell a Christian novel to a publisher.

In addition to sharing her knowledge of the industry, Ms. Stokes writes about some of the common errors Christian fiction writers make. She provides solid instruction about several things the writer needs to check before submitting a book for review.

Overall, I found this to be a wise, general teaching tool for me. It also gave me some other resources to read.

I agree with a previous reviewer that there are peculiarities in the Christian fiction market that are frustrating, such as what I would consider the lack of realistic stories. Ms. Stokes discusses the type of Christian novel that is published and it is a conservative, evangelical book for the most part. Christian publishers may avoid a book that presents a different view of Christians from what they think is congruent with readers' values. Essentially, Ms. Stokes lets us know that there is a precise type of Christian fiction that most of the Christian publishers are looking for.

If you are trying to write and publish Christian fiction, this is a good learning tool for you. It was for me.

My copy of this book is rapidly becoming dog-eared, as my favorite reference books always do. It includes information aimed specifically toward writers of Christian novels, but any novelist could benefit from its detailed and clear instruction on basics such as point-of-view, dialogue, and intelligent marketing. If every Christian novelist took this book seriously, the shelves at Christian bookstores might be filled with novels of high literary quality instead of the mediocre, preachy pap that, unfortunately, gives inspirational fiction a bad name. Reading this book might raise your personal standards for writing. It's a worthwhile investment for any aspiring novelist.

It seems like almost everyone I meet is trying to write a novel these days. Maybe that's because I acquire fiction for a Christian publishing house and end up rejecting hundreds of submissions. Each of those would-be fiction writers should get a copy of this book, devour it, read and re-read it. Then these writers can recraft their submissions and get them on track.

Penelope J. Stokes writes with authority. She's a best-selling novelist yet also a long-time editor of many Christian novels. She writes with clear understandable instruction. From start to finish, this book helps writers develop a clear plan for creating excellent prose for the Christian marketplace.

"The Complete Guide to Writing & Selling the Christian Novel" is an excellent piece of expression. Dr. Penelope Stokes reveals the essence of spiritual and practical wisdom. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because she vividly painted a beautiful portrait of how "real" life is and how our characters should portray "real" people with "real" issues. Fiction is story-telling, not sermonizing. Dr. Stokes does an exceptional job in helping the aspiring author to disclose the loving nature and character of God without promoting "religious" prejudice. This instructional guide supports the idea that the attributes of God can be communicated through the lives of these true to life characters displayed in our novels. The wisdom displayed in Writing & Selling the Christian Novel is closely related to the wisdom of God revealed in the book of Esther. The texture of God's presence is imparted through this Bible book without any mention of His name. Dr. Stokes' writing teaches us that this precept can also be fundamentally accomplished through wonderful fiction. I highly recommend this piece to all aspiring Christian novelists who would focus on relationship instead of religion. Kudos!

Loads of wise advice fills this book, but on page eight, I found the definition of the Christian novel I feared: "a work of fiction that derives from a conservative evangelical perspective." It is responsible of Stokes to acknowledge this immediately, and she adds that several great otherwise Christian novels of the 20th century would not be included in this definition. This is sad and frightening, but it is the reality. I wonder if Jesus himself could publish his stories within the narrow confines of the Christian publishing perspective.

For the beginner and the more advanced, a great resource.

I bought this book because I was new to novel writing and had just started writing my first Christian novel. I wish I had bought this book before I started writing my novel. At first I was afraid of getting another handbook that was filled with outlines detailing how my book should be structured, thus leaving me with no room to be creative on my own. This book does not hinder your creativity as an author, it enhances it. It is what it says it is, a guide, and an excellent one at that. Dr. Stokes shares with authors what makes a novel great, and she does it in an entertaining and enjoyable way. I didn't feel like I was reading a textbook about writing a novel. I felt like I was talking with an engaging and encouraging coach who's not afraid of being honest about what works and what doesn't. The way I like to put it, she steers you in the right direction, and gives you wings to fly in that direction. A rare treasure indeed!