I'll be a monkey's uncle

[John Robinson]

Yesterday I found out from a very creditable, highly-placed little bird that two CBA houses have asked that no more manuscripts either written by men, or featuring male protaganists, be sent to them. They simply aren't interested "at this time." Thoughts?

[Michelle Sutton]

There have been a flood of books written by men and starring men this past year that have been released. Maybe they think the market is flooded right now in this area?

[John Robinson]

"Flood" is a flexible term, though. At any given time the absolute best one can find at a CBA store is one male fiction title to every nine by the distaff side. Plus my source said more houses should be following suit shortly. At any rate, it's one hell of a time to be the wrong gender.

Ah well. I'd been praying about possibly moving over to the dark side; maybe this is the answer. Not the answer I'd hoped for, granted, but...an answer.

[Michelle Sutton]

Look in a CBD catalog and you'll see there are a lot of titles by men right now.

[John Robinson]

Fiction, though? Not so much. And that's my point. Because that's what I've been called to write, God help me. 'Tis a puzzlement, as the King said to Anna.

[Michelle Sutton]

Yes, fiction. I only get the CBD fiction catalog. I don't pay attention to non-fiction.

[John Robinson]

Okay, I checked out the CBD online catalog. You're right, Michelle. I apologize. Your take that the CBA has a full complement of male writers right now seems to be correct. But the problem still remains, only restated: slots for new male Christian writers are filled. That means we men either wait a few years until one opens up, or head to the ABA, which has always been more accomodating to us (and let's face it, doesn't agonize over a bad guy yelling "shit" when he's shot).

[Michelle Sutton]

Thanks for checking that out. You could write romance as a guy. That would sell to women if you called yourself Joni Robinson. :) LOL! But then you couldn't sell shit. :P

[Charles Funderburg]

But then you couldn't sell 'shit'. :P
ROTFLMAO!!

-- Mock Horror --

My, but we are getting scatological, aren't we?

It's amazing what Christians get hung up on, isn't it? Oh, well, life -- somehow -- goes on, I'm sure. I'm beginning to think I should re-write my tomes for the secular market, too.

[Michelle Sutton]

Hehehe. I told you it was a free place to talk here. We say what we want to say. :)

[Charles Funderburg]

Hmmm ... uncensored, free speech. Sounds almost constitutional. But then, I guess we are all adults who've been around the block a few times, so we don't get that hung up on the small stuff. It's the dark intentions of the heart that are what is truly shocking/horrible

[Donald James Parker]

I read the requirements of one publisher and they claimed they did not even publish euphemisms. Which means that your bad guy couldn't even yell shoot or darn or heck when he was shot. If this wasn't so tragic, it would be funny.

[John Robinson]

Well, maybe I could. Sultry Amish Summer, by Johnelle Robinson. A passage:

She shook her long, golden tresses. Off in the distance, a cow mooed. "Oh, Lem. Hold me, Lem. Hold me in your large Amish arms."

He blinked his piercing blue eyes, wishing his lover's tresses were as long and golden as his. "Ya sure, Becky, I do that t'ing. Soon as I clean this pig shit off my boots, you betcha."