📧 from ERB + reply
Logan ---
I'm not following your argument here... We originally published Shane's book in 2005, under the title Iraq Journal 2003. What you have seen is simply a new edition of that book.
My decision to not cover your book was not one of exclusion, but rather as you said editorial discretion. As our original publication of Shane's book indicates, we are and have always been very interested in topics related to the military, war, peace, etc. Indeed, we have reviewed two of your books on these topics. We certainly have military folks in our readership, and I'm grateful for that, but they are a fairly small percentage of our readership, and it didn't make sense to cover that particular book aimed at a narrow audience. I'm grateful for books aimed at narrow audiences (books for accountants or chefs or long-distance runners, etc etc), but we rarely cover such books in the ERB, not because of discrimination, or any devaluing of these identities/vocations/interests, but because they don't connect with the majority of our readers. Since at least 2020, a window of time that would include the publication of your book that you inquired about, we decline to review at least 95% of the books that we receive or are queried about. We just don't have the capacity to cover more than that, and so we have to pick books that are MOST relevant to large swaths of our readers.
Chris
@ 1500
Chris and Shane,
Chris, your reply contradicts your 2022 reasoning without acknowledging it. In 2022, you said military families "doesn't intersect well with our readership." Now you say they're "a small percentage" of your readership. These aren't the same claim - if they're in your readership at all, they intersect.
You also compared military families to "accountants or chefs or long-distance runners." That comparison reveals the problem: military service isn't a hobby or professional specialization. It's a federally protected class under 18 USC 1389, which you didn't address.
You didn't explain what made God is a Grunt narrower than the two previous military-related books of mine that ERB reviewed. You didn't explain how Claiborne's Iraq content serves "large swaths" of readers while mine doesn't. The only explanation you're avoiding: it's not the topic, it's the theological perspective.
I'm not expecting either of you to believe what you preach at this point. This correspondence is now part of the public record documenting civilian bias in Christian publishing. You can find it, along with supporting documentation, at:
- brother logan
