Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is

Last night I spent the most amazing, crazy, manic two hours (which turned into four) on a Bethany House Book Banter with current and potential fans. It was awesome! Perhaps the most surprising and exciting part was the love poured out to the YA genre. So many people thanked me and Bethany for bringing Christian YA to the public, saying that there is not nearly enough of it.

(Pulling out soapbox now)

But here's the big question...why isn't there enough of it? The answer is very simple. Not enough people buy it. There are tons of Christian writers who want to write YA. They get it. Publishers understand that teens need good books and that this is a great mission field. They get it. But at the end of the day publishing is a business and publishing houses have many employees and families to support. They choose genres that they know will sell and be profitable so that they can stay in business.

The good news is that in recent years Christian YA sales have improved, and more companies are cracking open the door to YA. But if you still think there's not enough, that means there's still not enough demand. If you want more Christian YA, then the simple fact is, you as a reading public need to spend more money on it. Like, I'm not a big movie goer, but when a good Christian movie comes out, I go and see it in the theater. I want Hollywood to know that I will spend my money to see these movies, therefore they should make more.

In fact, when I find a book I truly love, I try to buy multiple copies and give some away as gifts. Another way to help is by asking your public library system to carry the book, because libraries buy books too.

So in summary, if you like my book, if you want more Christian YA, if you want my series to continue and you want me to stay in the YA genre--buy YA books!

I know this might sound self-serving, but really in the end, it's for all of our good and for the good of the teens whose lives might be transformed through Christian fiction.

(Stepping off soap box now)