LDS Fiction: The Minor Leagues?

A few short decades ago, I was serving as a missionary in southern Illinois with three other elders. On one particular P-day (excuse me--PREPARATION day) we were cleaning our apartment and listening to some music.

Our mission rules allowed us to listen to "church music" on Sundays and P-days, and while some guys I knew interpreted that to mean "music by anyone rumored to have talked to a missionary," we stuck to the more traditional groups like Afterglow and the Tabernacle Choir.

I don't remember which contemporary (ca 1988) musician we were listening to that day, but the new elder in our group soon got a little irritated and said, "Can we please turn that garbage off?"

"What's wrong with it?" I asked.

"Oh, please. I can't stand any of those guys. It bothers me that they're just trying to make a buck off of the church, and the only reason they're singing LDS songs is they're not good enough to make it in the real music industry."

The rest of us didn't agree, but to preserve peace we switched to some classics by the Mormon Youth Symphony, since Beethoven's "real music industry" success is pretty much indisputable.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and my foray into LDS literature. While I have never agreed with this missionary's opinions, those thoughts were always in the back of my mind as I worked on the early drafts of "Bumpy Landings." Am I just trying to make a buck off of the church? Am I not good enough for the national market?

Lately, I've seen a similar discussion questioning whether or not the LDS literary market is some kind of "Minor League", which implies that those who write LDS fiction somehow aren't good enough to make it in the real literary industry.

I've thought about this question a lot: Is LDS fiction the minor leagues of writing? I've decided that the answer is no. And maybe.

The reason there are two answers to this question is that what we call the "LDS Market" is in fact two different markets, both closely related and serviced by the same few publishers.

The "traditional" LDS market--books where being (or becoming) LDS is central to the story--are very popular within the church but have no real interest in the broader market. LDS fiction is a niche, and as such fills a need ignored by the national market.

As for whether or not they are any good, LDS books, just like their national counterparts, fall along a broad spectrum of quality, with the best of LDS fiction easily in the top tier. And the books are getting better and better every year, thanks to an excellent LDS writing community that supports, educates, and motivates its members through conferences and awards for excellence.

In addition to traditional LDS-themed fiction, LDS publishers also sell works that have little or no connection to Mormon life. These titles are considered "regional," rather than "niche." Where a niche publisher focuses on an audience that has specific religious/cultural/recreational interests, a regional publisher focuses on an audience in a specific geographical region.

These regional publishers are often willing to take a chance on unknown writers. Combining this fact with their smaller size, limited marketing budget, and more modest sales numbers, it's easy to understand why regional publishers are often referred to as the Minor League of publishing.

All around the country, there are local authors writing and publishing books with local flavor through these regional publishers. The same is true for the Intermountain West, only here the regional publishers are the same companies that publish for the LDS niche.

This is why LDS publishing is sometimes seen as a stepping stone for authors looking to break in nationally. Recent years have seen a number of high-profile writers make this transition: Ally Condie, James Dashner, Rob Wells, and Jeff Savage, just to name a few. Even the LDS publishers are looking to grow nationally, with the Shadow Mountain imprint at Deseret Book, and CFI calling for more national-market submissions.

This is an exciting transition, and it's fun to see local friends and authors make good on the national scene.

But don't assume that since some authors have honed their skills by writing LDS fiction and then moved on nationally, that this is the purpose of the LDS market, or the goal of all LDS writers.

Many authors I know write LDS fiction because that is what they love. They would enjoy a national market-sized royalties check, and have the knowledge and skills they would need to break if that's what they wanted. But they love writing LDS fiction, and they are free to write the books they want in the way they want, because their values line up so well with those of their readers. They write LDS fiction because they can.

LDS fiction is kind to beginners, and provides a great place to learn and develop excellent writing skills. But it also provides a valuable product to hundreds of thousands of readers, and those who make LDS fiction their permanent career can be every bit as satisfied with their success as those who publish nationally.

Perhaps maybe even a little bit more.

Outside the Box

by Rebecca Talley

Sometimes, I think we box ourselves in when we determine that what we've written is just for the LDS market. We tend to think that only those who read LDS literature will enjoy our books. Perhaps, it's time to think outside that box.

It's true that sometimes what we write may be harder for others outside the LDS culture to understand, but that doesn't mean they won't enjoy it or learn from it.

One of the best ways to market outside our LDS market is through Goodreads. Goodreads now offers advertisements for a low cost but I've found that giveaways are even better. I've done two giveaways with over 2000 entries between the two. Since I do visit Goodreads, I saw a review pop up. This review was very positive so I thanked the reviewer. Turns out, she'd seen my book advertised for the giveaway and when she didn't win, she decided to buy it herself. She really enjoyed it even though she is baptist.

Several others who have reviewed my book, The Upside of Down, on Goodreads are not LDS but have still enjoyed it. Some have even changed their perspective about Down syndrome after reading my book--yay!! Two of the reviews came from winners of the giveaways. I probably would never have reached those readers if I had not done a giveaway.

I have also handed out bookmarks to people in my "circle" who are not LDS. My son's speech therapist bought my book on Kindle. She's not LDS and didn't understand a few of the references but really liked learning more about the LDS faith. And, she got a message from the book that surprised me. She said that she'd learned she should reach out and serve more. That wasn't an intentional theme, but I'm glad she got that from the book.

We write our books to reach out to others and share something that's important to us. It may be a message or it may be to lift up, entertain, or comfort. Heavenly Father has blessed us with the talent to write and I believe sometimes we shortchange ourselves, and others, by only seeing inside a box. We need to reach outside that box. As we write about LDS characters and the LDS life we can serve to breakdown barriers and educate others outside our faith about what we truly believe.

At a time when inaccurate, disrespectful, crude musicals bent on tearing down our faith flourish on Broadway, it's even more important that we reach beyond our box and share our LDS literature with the world around us.

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

by Rebecca Talley

Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

From the back cover:

It's only after her husband leaves that Meg finds out she's pregnant.

Now facing the prospect of single parenthood, she'll have to rely on the family she pushed away, the church she abandoned, and an unexpected friendship to see her through.

This touching story combines romance with real conflicts to remind you it's never too late to find love - if you know where to look.




I read this touching story a while back and I've been waiting until its release to review it. I loved this book. I thought Baldwin did an excellent job of portraying this young woman's reactions to her conflicts. Her husband was a loser and I wanted to slap him. What a jerk.

I thought the budding friendship was realistic and wasn't rushed and I loved the end. I also thought her reluctance to go back to church and the feelings she experienced were very real and I felt like Meg was a fully-developed character. I also thought Baldwin did a good job developing Matt and I felt like I was witnessing a real friendship in the making.

I shed tears while I read this book and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy romances with some meat to them. Great book. I expect to see much more from this new CFI author.

Meg's Melody is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and should be in LDS bookstores as well. Great idea for a Christmas gift!

Pre-Order Contest: The Upside of Down

by Rebecca Talley

My new book, The Upside of Down, went press last week. Woo hoo!! In celebration, I'm going holding a contest for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon. I've never done a pre-order contest before, but my goal is . . . 1000 copies pre-ordered in 10 days. That's 100 pre-orders each day. I'm so excited! With your help, I know we can do it!

In case you haven't seen the cover or read the blurb:

“Hmmm,” the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, “What does that mean?”
“You do know you’re pregnant, right?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Excuse me?”
“You’re pregnant.”
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. “I’m what?”

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise—she’s going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn’t what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

Here are the rules:

1. Pre-order my book at Amazon here.
2. Send me a copy or your receipt or other proof of purchase for the pre-order at rebecca(AT)rebeccatalley(DOT)com to be entered into the drawing. Each pre-order gets one entry into the contest--if you purchase two, or ten :), as gifts each one garners an entry

3. The contest runs from Monday November 8, 2010 until midnight on Thursday, November 18, 2010. You must send me proof of purchase during these dates to qualify.

4. The winner will be chosen at random and posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 on my blog http://www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com/.

5. The winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to Amazon--just in time to use for Christmas!

The books should be available for shipping in late December or early January.

You can read the prologue here.

I broke up the first chapter into segments, but you can now read the whole thing on my blog.

Tell all your friends! Thank you!!!!

The Upside of Down

I'm happy to announce that my new book, The Upside of Down, will go to press next week and will be officially released in January.

What do you think of the cover? Would you pick up the book based on the cover? Does the back cover blurb intrigue you?

From the back cover:

“Hmmm,” the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, “What does that mean?”
“You do know you’re pregnant, right?”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Excuse me?”
“You’re pregnant.”
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. “I’m what?”

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise—she’s going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn’t what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

New Blog Team Members and Whitney Awards

We'll have some new blog team members join us in the next few weeks. Woo hoo! See if you can figure out who they are (hint: look in the sidebars). Check back on Wednesday to meet our first new member and then you'll know why Don Carey is so excited about it :).

Don't forget, if you've read a great book by an LDS author that was published in 2010, especially a book by a Cedar Fort author, go to the Whitney Awards and nominate it. Nominating is simple and we'd love to have Cedar Fort represented in the the Whitney Awards. We have fantastic books by talented authors so be sure to nominate by December 31, 2010.  And, enjoy the new site while you're there.

LDS Fiction

I read an article by Jennie Hansen titled  Where is LDS Fiction Going? It's an excellent article on how far LDS fiction has come over the last two decades. I recommend reading it.

What do you think about LDS fiction? Is is too sappy? Unrealistic? Has it improved over the years?

How does it comapre to national releases?

When you choose a book is it:
exclusively LDS fiction?
exclusively national releases?
a mixture of both?

Do you have any favorite LDS authors?

I'd love to have comments and see what you all think about LDS fiction.

Coming Clean

I have a confession to make. Aside from being an author, I am an avid reader. In fact, avid may not aptly describe my habit. I lose sleep to read. I forget to eat while reading. I can read for hours and never grow tired or bored.

A little over a year ago, I discovered the wonderful world of LDS fiction. Up to that point, I read the same books over and over because I liked the stories and also because I knew there would be no hidden surprises such as gratuitous sex, violence or language. But now I'm like a kid in a candy store with a credit card.

Except I do have to rein in my spending once in a while.

Without counting, I know I have purchased more than 50 books over the last year. I want to support my fellow authors, so I go to book signings when I can. And I buy the book. Some of the books in my shelves have been free because I did reviews. Some I've even won from blog contests and other contests.

Unlike the kid in the candy store analogy, these books aren't going to give me a stomach ache the more I read them. In fact, I often feel uplifted, edified and educated. And all while losing myself in complex plots, difficult character challenges and tons of excitement.

But, seriously, I'm running out of room in my house. Some of my bookshelves are already two books deep.

I know I could find the books used, or at a library, but that rational thought doesn't hit me when one of my author friends has a new book out. I'm so excited for them and I want to share in that. These last few months, due to severe budget restrictions, I've had to turn down several book signings because I couldn't justify the expense of driving from Tooele to UT county three times in a month. It's been really hard for me, but I know my friends understand.

Maybe some of that is selfish. If I support as many authors as I can, maybe they will in exchange support me when my book comes out. That sounds rational, right? It's what we all want: to sell our books.

But I tend to forget that when I'm having so much fun reading great, quality literature.

Bye for now. I'm going to go read something. :)

Finding the Time

Many people ask authors how they find the time to write. The truth is, most authors don't have time to write. They have to make time. There is always something that is sacrificed. For me this has been sleep. I used to get up at 4am and write for an hour or two before the kids got up. After a couple of weeks though, I cracked and started yelling at everybody in sight and so my husband said I couldn't do that any more. Then I discovered a secret. If you put first things first, such as family and the gospel, the Lord actually gives you extra time to write.

This has happened to me so many times. I will do everything I am supposed to for my family and my calling, and though it should be impossible, the Lord gives me some extra time in my day to write. And not only that...I write better than I do when I'm trying to force writing time into my day at the expense of what's important. I love this! It just goes to show how miracles and faith really work. And my quality of life is so much better when I enjoy what's most important in life. To me it is a personal miracle that shows how much the Lord loves us all.

Kersten Campbell
"Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother"
www.kerstencampbell.com

The Best Writing Gift

One thing I have always loved to write is church talks. I don't even give them in church. I just write them. Richard G. Scott once called this type of thing..storing up treasures of knowledge. Writing down the sacred things I've learned helps me to organize the thoughts and principles of the gospel in a way that is more concrete than just thinking about them in my head. I like to keep them in a special journal, saving them for a future date to give to my children. They're my own little "Plates of Brass". I write those sacred things in the hopes that someday they will be of value to my children. I believe it helps me in my secular writing endeavors as well. Being able to record things in a meaningful way helps me to put more heart into my other writing, and it helps me learn to touch and inspire others with my writing at a deeper level.

Someday I will pass these treasures of knowledge on to my children. And I believe it will be the most important writing I've ever done.

Kersten Campbell
"Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother"
www.kerstencampbell.com

Win a Copy of Altared Plans

The perfect day. The perfect marriage. The perfect groom.

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"Rebecca Talley's new novel, Altared Plans is LDS chic lit at it's best. If you are looking for a good light-hearted romance, with many twists and turns along the way, this book is the one." Sheila Staley, Book Reviewer

"Talley's magic is in her dialogue." Tristi Pinkston, LDS author

"It was a quick and easy read and it was so hard to put down and do other things that needed to be done. Out of 5 stars, I give this book a 6!" Marie Lundeen, Reader

Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win your very own copy and find out exactly what could go wrong with "perfect" plans. Come back in two weeks to see if you're the winner.

Good luck!