CBA and ABA stand for
Christian Booksellers Association and American Booksellers Association. What they're saying is that unless your book adheres to these guidelines, it can't be sold in a CBA bookstore.
Basically, they're saying "We're targeting an evangelical Christian market, and therefore your book must not contain anything that would offend any Evangelical Christian." Some of whom believe that only their church's members are truly saved, and who would immediately stop reading when Millie turns out to be a Methodist.
Jilli, many Evangelicals believe that Halloween is the Devil's holiday. It was a big deal in Charlotte -- half the kids on our street stopped trick-or-treating between one year and the next because of it.
Afternoon. My boss has been out all afternoon, so I'm all caught up.
Also,
Who can write a novel without raffles?!?
Who can write a church novel without raffles? (You can tell I live in the Land of the Lutherans.)
The thing that really frosts me is that the most bigoted Christians are being allowed to set the standards for everybody else.
"The Friendly Persuasion" isn't a Christian book by these standards.
The thing that really frosts me is that the most bigoted Christians are being allowed to set the standards for everybody else.
Really? It seems to me that they are only being allowed to set the standards for people who want to write Christian romance novels that can be sold in CBA bookstores.
Is this publishing house dominating the romance publishing world?
Wow. Johnnie Cochran died. (I found this out by clicking Tommyrot's M & Ms link, btw.)
and Falwell is in critial condition. wow.
Really? It seems to me that they are only being allowed to set the standards for people who want to write Christian romance novels that can be sold in CBA bookstores.
Right. Which is the primary location in which Christian romance novels are sold.
Is this publishing house dominating the romance publishing world?
Yup. Those guidelines I published are from Harlequin's Christian line. I've seen the guidelines for the other Christian lines, and they're similar.