SPEND TIME IN BOOKSTORES

If you are interested in writing books for the Christian market, then I'd like to advise you to spend some quality time perusing the various sections and books in a Christian bookstore. I know most of us whip in and out of those stores when we need a particular title or a gift for someone, but we rarely take the time to really see what's happening in our important marketplace. I realized this a few years ago when I was chauffeuring a visiting writer around to various bookstores for some autographed parties he was scheduled to do. Since each event lasted an hour or more, I had lots of free time to just look around each store. I was amazed at how much I was able to learn about categories I was interested in writing for--or just about the current industry as a whole. Look for what books/topics seem to be getting the places of prominence. If you happen to get an opportunity to speak with the book buyer, find out what topics people seem to be interested in--especially those that aren't being filled. A bookstore is also a great place to see who is publishing books in an unusual topic area or in unusual formats. I would recommend that those who are writing books spend at least an hour a month in a local store.