If something is 80% ready, I’ll probably reject it. I’m looking for unique story lines with a well-refined craft. I represent authors who write in the following genres: women’s fiction, romance, thriller, suspense, romantic suspense, Amish, literary, military, historical (all eras), contemporary, science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, YA–in other words, every genre published in the industry. I am an eclectic reader, which reflects my work as an agent. We need something more.” Obviously, these authors had not done their homework regarding our agency. Another claimed that Moses was “the greatest serial killer of all time.” Another had this sentence: “Jesus is not enough. I once received a proposal claiming the novel included “vivid sex, graphic torture, romance, comedy.” Another writer proposed a nonfiction book that redefined sin as something that was actually unbiblical and should not be taught. We won’t represent books that are contrary to a Christian worldview. But we can sell books to the general market-if that publisher is interested in the content of the book our client has created. Usually, those are Christian publishing companies. That means we sell books wherever publishers are receptive to books from that perspective. We make no apology for specializing in books written from a Christian worldview. It would astound you how many fail that simple request. My only request is that each person tries their best to follow our guidelines on our website. We sift through a couple thousand inquiries every year. Unsolicited proposals are always welcome. So, to answer the question “What are you looking for?” I will attempt to clarify a few things. Meanwhile, I am still searching for the next great story, the next great concept, and the next great writer. It is truly a wonderful and remarkable thing to be part of. Millions of words, untold numbers of lives touched. Literally hundreds of amazing books by amazing authors. And yet another section is every book I’ve overseen as publisher for Enclave Publishing. Another section of the office holds every book I edited for Bethany House Publishers ( click here to find a complete list at the end of the page). In the front part of my office, I have six large bookcases holding a copy of every book our agency has represented. I’ve had and continue to have the honor and privilege of working with some of the finest minds and talented writers in our industry. That personal allure and fascination remain unabated. (My wife and I own somewhere close to 10,000 books.) It is what drew me to the book industry in the first place, having been a lifelong reader and an insatiable collector of my own burgeoning library. Yet there is an allure to the stories of great novelists and a fascination with the brilliance of deep thinkers. And if we read the statistics, he wasn’t kidding: 300,000+ books are published in the United States alone each year. What books did the Apostle Paul want to read while waiting for trial? Theology? History? How-to? (Maybe a little escape reading? Pun intended.)Īnother writer chimed in a while ago by saying, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). “Bring the books, especially the parchments,” is a sentence in 2 Timothy 4:13 that has teased readers for 2,000 years.
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