Light Shines Best amid Darkness

Recently, I submitted a manuscript to a developmental editor. That novel, FOR MAGGIE, is a project I have been working on in various forms for over half a decade. I was puzzled when my editor returned with the question of what genre I was writing in. I thought it was clear. My story is a Christian romantic suspense. My editor informed me that because my manuscript contained Christian themes, mentioned Christ, and quoted scripture, secular publishers or audiences would not accept it. I was aware of this. What surprised me was when she told me that due to the “dark subject matter,” it wouldn’t be accepted by Christian publishers or audiences, either. I had to decide whether to eliminate the spiritual elements from my book to target a secular audience or to lighten the subject matter and remove certain sections to appeal to the Christian market. I felt frustrated that, as a writer, I couldn’t explore the dark nature of the human condition and still be considered “Christian.”