Lately I’ve come across people commenting on either social media or blog posts about reader expectations. They talk about the risks of buying a new author who might call her book Christian fiction, only to find out that . . . yeah, it isn’t! Or they talk about an author jumping genres or changing writing styles or something drastic that was a total turnoff.
This got me thinking. I know authors have lost me after toying with their writing style or changing topics. It’s a real issue. I’ve heard of publishing houses changing elements of a book during second printings due to readers voicing unhappiness over a book going farther than they expected that house to go.
What about what readers expect from me?
I hadn’t thought this through yet, but, since I’m still new here, I figured this might be a good time. What goes into a Sally Bradley book?
Well, first I’m a sucker for stories that deal with relationships. Male/female relationships. Married, dating, getting back together — anything that deals with the struggles and joys of love. I’m there!
Second, I crave reality-driven fiction. I want romantic stories that are rooted in what’s really going on around me. My readers should feel like everything in the book could happen in real life, and the books will deal with issues people can honestly relate to.
Third, I want fiction with a Christian worldview. Kept, my first book, is overtly fiction. I didn’t write it to have a message or a moral; story was definitely king. But I’m hearing repeatedly that the book made people think about particular aspects in their lives. Not every book of mine will be so blatantly Christian, but they all will have a Christian worldview at the center.
Fourth, my fiction won’t go too far. I won’t describe intimate moments between characters or be gratuitous with violence. I’ll do my best to be honest with the story, yet keep it clean. No rolling around in the gutter here!
And lastly, readers will laugh and probably even cry a little. I want to feel real emotion — and have you feel it too.
What about you? If you were to list items that made up your perfect fiction, what would that look like? What do your favorite writers do that you love? Please share!
Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, Sally has been fascinated by all things Chicago (except for crime, politics, and traffic) for almost as long. She now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they get back to Chicago for important things -- like good pizza and a White Sox game. A freelance-fiction editor and former president of her writing chapter, Sally has won a handful of awards for Kept and another work-in-progress. Visit her online at sallybradley.com or on Facebook.
I have Kept on my Kindle.. now I really need to get to reading it.. I like clean books, a romance doesn’t have to be graphic.
Sally, this was a GREAT post! I enjoy clean, Christian fiction. I want the story to have believable characters that are dealing with real life issues. I don’t want fluff. Thank you writing with a spirit of excellence. Blessings
Sally, thank you for keeping your books clean! That point jumped out at me. It’s what I love the most about Christian fiction. I can trust that I’m getting a nice, clean book that anyone could read over my shoulder. And I won’t be ashamed to pass them on to the next generation (whenever I have kids, that is). A few authors who write Christian fiction have lost me as a reader because they went too far with bedroom scenes or they added expletives into their work. Those were disappointing moments for me because I had really enjoyed their books prior to that. But I have God-given standards that I stick to. And in Christian fiction books, that means not reading or keeping books that have those things in them. And it means not writing them either.
Thanks for sharing what goes into a Sally Bradley book!
Blessings,
Andrea
Deanna, thank you so much! I certainly hope it meets your reader expectations. ;)
Caryl, I’m with you. Sure, fiction is fun and relaxing, but I love it when it makes me think too! Thank you for your kind words. :)
I appreciate that you took the time to share your writing boundaries for us as readers. One thing that makes me wary about reading indie books is that I don’t have the publishing house’s set-in-place boundaries to rely on. If a book has a Christian publishing house name I know at least some things won’t cross the moral line. Even if I enjoy an author’s work while they are under a publishing umbrella I cannot guarantee that the author will keep those boundaries in place when self-publishing. They personally may not agree with the lines their publisher has drawn and feel like their indie books have larger or hardly any boundaries at all. Some indie authors clearly let people know what to expect, so I know I can safely pick up any of their books and get a good story without filling my mind with smut.
One thing I hear a lot about from traditionally published authors is first readers, critique groups, prayer partners, and editors, Do you think most indie Christian fiction authors have all these avenues in their lives? Do you think having these would be a help to indie authors?
I have been hearing lots of good things about your book.
Those are my sentiments exactly Sally!! First & foremost for me as a reader, the book must be 100% Christian. That means it must NOT contain vulgar language of any kind, bedroom scenes, harsh treatment (physical/mental abuse) & the like. I like to imagine Jesus sitting next to me as I read & not be ashamed. Secondly, the characters have to seem real, who deal with real situations. We all have struggles, we all have trials & temptations, we all have our “off” moments. It’s how we deal with them that makes us human. Do we rely on God, do we pray when there is no other way, do we seek out Godly counsel…I want my characters to do the same. As a reader, I want to connect with them! Lastly, I want real romance. The kind that develops slowly over time, perhaps they were once friends who connect in some deeper way & discover they are falling in love. I want them to woo each other with sweet words, time spent together (coffee shop, walks, talks, etc). Who put God in the center of the developing relationship & don’t go too far in their affections. Tender romance always gets me :-) Where mutual respect is present!
Thank you for being the kind of author that has all of these aspects & more in your books. This is why I choose Christian fiction, for those authors who stand up for what is right & good in God’s eyes and write with that same passion in their books. If my faith is the center of my life, I want my choice of books to reflect that!
Blessings to you as you write for His glory and our reading pleasure!
Yes! I love a good story, and so much general market fiction includes all kinds of filth. I don’t want that. I want to know I’m getting a good read with nothing jumping up to surprise me. Glad we’re on the same page, Andrea. :)
Sylvia, those are all valid concerns and very understandable. We know what Bethany House fiction will be like, right?
As for those avenues you mentioned, I know some of us definitely do. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve used beta readers and editors. But each author is different, and we all have our own convictions on where we will and won’t go. So I understand how it can be a risk.
One of the nice things for us indies is that CBA book bloggers are starting to be more accepting of us. Rel Mollet of Relz Reviews gave Kept a wonderful review when it came out, and I know that removed a lot of risk for buyers. So as time goes by, I think you’ll start seeing those book bloggers recommending more and more indie books. That might take the place as the publisher’s boundaries.
Great comments. Thank you!
Wow, Trixi! Great comments there. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I was an avid reader as a kid–a dozen books in less than two weeks–and while my parents tried very hard to make sure I was reading good stuff, sometimes bad stuff slipped in. So I love that I now get to write fiction that, hopefully, uplifts and points people back to God, fiction that is clean yet entertaining. It’s so nice as a reader to have options like that, isn’t it?
Sally,
Those points you made are exactly how I feel and that is why I loved Kept so much! You are very talented and I was thrilled to have found your book and now I am a huge fan. Keep up the great work and I look ever so much to reading more from you in the future. GOD BLESS!
Mental or physical abuse happens in Christian homes though. While it is wrong, and I don’t want long lengthy descriptions of it, I do want fiction that contains it, so we know how to biblically deal with it.
Kept is the perfect balance of those things. You addressed some very real, very hard topics and yet, kept it clean. You discussed physical abuse without being too much in the wrong place. This is a book I could hand someone that is going through tough times similar to Miska and know that they will want to seek God through the experience. I read a “christian” indie published fiction book last year that had some very good points for pro-life and being anti-abortion, support of teen moms, anti-suicide. However, the romantic thread crossed some huge lines with majorly graphic lust scenes that went a bit beyond just thoughts. I was sick to my stomach. I expect that in a non-christian book and am prepared for it. It was like finding a pit in my cherry pie. I know cherries have pits when I am eating them fresh, but in a pie, I expect them to be gone. It does not mean I don’t believe that cherries have pits. It means it was not the place for it. (I wish that all cherries were without pits and books were without scenes like that, but that is besides the point)
I love it when the story is realistic. As you said it’s better when you feel like it could happen.
There has to be some tension at some point or something that the characters have to overcome in order for the book to catch my attention.
I absolutely love Christian fiction, although I also read secular fiction as long as it’s clean. I love when characters share their faith in Christian fiction, I find it beautiful :)
Also, I love it when book touch tough issues, such as abortion, infidelity, diseases, suicide, conjugal violence…
Anyway, I appreciate when an author make the effort of keeping a book clean, it’s always appreciated. I have your book, although I haven’t gotten around reading it yet. I’ll make sure to leave a review as soon as I do :)
Marty (hope I got your name right), you’re right. That does happen, and I think it’s all in how it’s handled–if it’s too graphic, sensationalized, glamorized, or treated as normal behavior. Hopefully, Christian fiction depicts it as wrong and shows how to overcome that or get away from it.
Thanks for your thoughts on that particular issue.
Thank you, Dana. You always make me smile. Blessing to you too. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Marty, thank you so much! Phew. It’s such a relief and encouragement to hear that. I know Kept isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m glad to hear you felt it didn’t go too far. I really, really, really didn’t want to do that. It’s a fine line sometimes. And, yes, it’s so disappointing when a book goes farther (or not far enough?) than you thought it should.
As for me, I wish all raspberries and blackberries were without seeds! Then I’d eat them outside of pies. :D
So many books, so little time, right, Samantha? :) Thank you for buying it. I hope it matches all your expectations for a good read.
I don’t know exactly why, but I just don’t care for non-fiction. Maybe that’s why I like my fiction to have some meat to it–so I can think and wrestle with things. I love fiction that challenges me to look at things and examine them, biblically of course!
Thanks for the comment. Have a great night.
I love realistic situations I can relate to, that seem believable. I’m definitely drawn to women’s fiction that focuses more on depth of character than racing plot…I love being pulled into character’s worlds and feeling like I know them or someone like them. I especially love tales of families and how they interact, be it husband/wife, in-laws, etc.
I loved that Kept had believable characters and presented real-world issues. But you already know I love it. :) As an author, I think you have to think about what you’re bringing to readers and even if you’re jumping genres, making sure you’re keeping something consistent. For me as author, that means clean fiction with depth of character and a Christian worldview. And hopefully it’s unpredictable, which I also love in a read.
Yes, keeping something consistent is huge, I think. Your voice will definitely be in all your books, whether it’s Viking historicals or modern-day mysteries. For me, your voice is a draw. ;)
Sally, I just finished Kept and have to say I loved it. You hit a hard topic as well as touching on abuse all with love and God’s tender calling. Your characters are very easy to relate to as you deal with real life issues and struggles. You put the reader into the story without crossing any boundaries, but still relating the story without leaving gaps.
I pretty much only read Christian Fiction because I don’t want books that are too graphic (sexual, violence, swearing). I know that details need to be there to some extent but the intimate details (ie bedroom scenes) aren’t necessary, and Sally, you balance that out perfectly. Same with suspense books, you need some details but don’t need to drag out the evil person’s thoughts and the gore.
I look forward to your next book and thank you for being willing to deal with real life topics and doing so with grace and love.
Thank you, Andrea. It’s so good to hear from readers what they thought about the book, if those elements were handled well or not. It’s definitely a balance, and we don’t always get it right.
And thank you for being willing to read about real-life topics! :)