"...we want to be a light, to be available to help people. But we have to run a business. The job is challenging." ~ Steve Sizemore, Lemstone Christian Bookstore owner
"In the same way that many denominations and religious groups used to live in their own subcultures, having little contact with those of other faiths, religion book publishers used to function within their own distinct worlds, with few of their titles breaking out into the general trade or crossing over into another group's market." ~ Lynn Garrett
"Only if Americans stop evolving spiritually will the the Bible market ever stop evolving."
"Books published by evangelical publishers, largely targeted to the conservative Christian retail market, have shown sales strength both in the major general-market chains and in such non-traditional outlets as Wal-Mart, Kmart, Costco, and even super-market and drugstore chains." ~ Nick Harrison
"...there appears to be no topic, from biblical studies and religious history to neo-paganism and ecotheology, that will not catch some reader's imagination." ~ Lynn Garett
"Americans seek a kind of spiritual comfort that will help them live their frantic lives better and more deeply."
"We need to be concerned with good writing. We need to make sure that the sizzle doesn't out pace the steak, that the content measures up to all the hoopla." ~ Kyle Duncan
"Christian fiction makes you feel good about God; inspirational fiction just makes you feel good." ~ Denise Stinson
"Religion is people who go to church; spirituality is people who go to workshops." ~ Heidi Schlumpf
"Buying a Bible is like shopping for a car: 'There are so many options: gold edges, silver edges, genuine or imitation leather, thumb indexing, hardcover, soft cover, study Bibles, devotional Bibles, one-year Bibles, gift Bibles....'" ~ Marci Blankenbaker
"When people thought of Christian fiction ten years ago, they thought of Janette Oke, prairie romances, and Biblical stories." ~ Donna Kehoe
"A large part of the population is seeking spiritual connections, and they have the whole world to choose from now." ~ Linda Rienecker
"The shrinking market [for academic religious publishing] cannot support either the number of publishers or the volume of books being published." ~ Henry Carrigan
Acqweb hosts a helpful website with an alphabetical directory of religious publishers and vendors with links.
About 85 percent of adults in the U.S. report that they are religious. Between 75 and 85 percent of these categorize themselves as Christian. At the same time, interest in personal religious experience and non-traditional spirituality is growing. In particular, there is interest in mind-body-spirit books with content that solves daily problems. Women remain the most visible and the most frequent believers.
Gold Medallions, now called the Christian Book Awards, 1978 -, Evangelical Christian Publishing Association.
Christy Awards, 1999 -, Christian fiction in six categories.
National Jewish Book Awards, 1949 - , Jewish Book Council.
Koret Jewish Book Awards, 1998 - , Koret Foundation
It is difficult to know how many religious publishers exist or how many religious titles are published each year. Part of the problem is that some firms publishing religious fiction and non-fiction are not considered to be book publishers because their primary focus is elsewhere. Another problem is the difficulty in using the term "religious." Historically, the religion category included Bibles, hymnals, and devotional works. Evangelical Christian publishers continue to prefer "religious." Trade publishers prefer alternatives in an attempt to reach a wider audience and avoid the negative associations (exclusive, doctrinal, judgmental) of "religion." Today, many publishers, especially trade ones, issue "spiritual" rather than "religious" books. Sometimes, books with considerable religious or spiritual content are issued under alternate category labels such as "inspirational," "metaphysical," or "self-help."
The CBA [now the Association for Christian Retail] found that book buyers at Christian book stores (evangelical to a considerable degree):
Christian publishing grew outside the major book publishing centers: Zondervan in Michigan, Thomas Nelson in Tennessee [now owned by a large investment house], Tyndale in Illinois, Multnomah in Oregon, and Llewellyn in Minnesota . In recent years, major trade houses have purchased religious houses as when Simon & Schuster bought Howard Publishing or created their own imprints as in Random's WaterBrook Press or Warner's Faith. In the process, the distinction between Christian and personal spirituality has become somewhat confused as both trade and religious publishers reach out to new audiences.
The most popular categories are:
The first four categories are the most important ones. Hundreds of books are issued each year for these categories. "Religion made simple" is seen throughout religious publishing today and these books are popular with people overwhelmed by work and other responsibilities. However, there does seem to be a growing trend toward deeper and more substantial works. "Moving into the new millennium, the demographic realities of an aging population offer every indication that the subcategory of books about death and dying, grief and mourning...will continue to grow." Some titles seem curious, but indicate the breadth of the market, such as the Spiritual Aspects of Golf.
Many of these topics hope to integrate mind, spirit, and body. In fact, mind-body-spirit has become a major publisher category. Popular examples include meditation, yoga, and other disciplines that combine disciplined exercise and spirituality.
As the global village comes closer to the U.S., interest in non-Christian religions and religious topics increases. Immigration also plays a major role in shaping American religious interests. There are fairly large Muslin, Hindu, and Buddhist communities in the U.S. Non-Christian religions also appeal to many non-immigrants. For example, Buddhism is now part of many American's culture and is "beginning to evolve a distinctive American shape." Buddhist books by specialty and trade publishers sell well. Publishers are also growing their lists on other Asian religions, especially Taoism, and Hinduism.
Interestingly, there has also been a notable increase of interest in books on witchcraft with Llewellyn having an notable presence with such titles as Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft and Practical Candleburning Rituals.
Until fairly recently, popular religious books or books aimed at a general lay audience were published by religious publishers. As these books became increasingly popular, especially in the national chain trade bookstores, trade publishers began to develop or enhance their religious imprints. For example, Warner developed a successful evangelical Christian imprint. Simon & Schuster has increased its religious titles and recently purchased Howard Publishing with its notable presence in the evangelical market. Random acquired Multnomah Publishers, a well-regarded religious house whose Prayer of Jabez sold more than eight million copies. As religious, especially evangelical Christian, titles have become popular, trade publishers have expanded their lists. As always, when major trade publishers move into a new area, there is concern that there will be too many titles, more returns, and a flat or declining market results. At the moment, the market for religious books is flat, but still notable. Evangelical publishers have reduced the number of new titles issued each year.
The evangelical Christian publishers rely heavily on the CBA stores although many of their titles are now found in trade bookstores and discount stores.
Academic and professional publishers issue religious
books for the lay audience, but
usually to a more focused audience. For these publishers, the contacts
and
networking that occur in related academic and professional conferences
are
especially important. The
American Academy of Religion/Society of
Biblical
Literature (AAR/SBL) is the best example.
University presses in the past decade have become much more
interested in
publishing serious nonfiction and that includes religion. The goal is a
"scholarly trade book" that is valid, reliable, and accessible by the
college
graduate. These books might be issued by a university press, a
religious
publisher, or a trade publisher.
Given a niche audience, many of these publishers market via direct mail so mailing lists are especially important. Christian Book Distributors (CBD) also plays a major role with its several catalogs, some of which feature academic/professional titles. The CBD web site is also a popular way to sell these titles. Online sales from publisher web sites is also growing. Seminary and research libraries are a strong market, but are affected but variable funding.
The ideal for these publishers is the "superstar religious scholar" who is both authoritative and writes clearly and persuasively for a popular audience. Publishing for the general audience has become much more difficult and academic publishers are under increasing financial pressure. Print-on-demand which permits small press runs is the best solution.
In the beginning, religious book publishers sold nearly all of their books through religious bookstores, usually those of a similar religious persuasion. One estimate is that there are about 2,100 Christian stores. Most of these sell some books. Many of the larger stores were members of the Christian Bookseller's Association [CBA], established in 1951. CBA stores sold mostly to the professional Christian employee and the church market. In the 1970s, the CBA business grew substantially to meet growing demand for evangelical products, including music. At the end of the decade, there were at least 5000 stores contrasted with about 2100 today. It is notable that the CBA has dropped "books" and is now the Christian Retailing Association. In the 1980s, Christian retail grew at about 12 percent per year. Growth was especially strong in gifts and music.
As Christian authors became more visible and more popular, religious publishers sold books to the large national chains and a variety of discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Target, the CBA stores faced increased competition. CBA stores should be more knowledgeable about religious books and their extensive religious sidelines should also appeal. However, the new on-line Christian bookstores with their special features, extensive stock, and discounts created problems. The typical CBA store included about 22 to 25 percent books, 8 percent in Bibles, and the rest in gifts and music.
While Christian book retail sales continue to grow, independent stores face substantial challenges with many facing declining sales. While the number of CBA member store closings in the last year has slowed, attrition continues. As Wal-Mart, Costco, and other big box discounters have increased their selection of value priced Christian products, smaller stores lost market share. About 50 percent of the CBA member stores experienced reduced sales in the past two to three years.
Too, more churches are in the retail book business, and that creates more competition. Church bookstores might be considered independents or as an entirely separate category. A growing number of larger churches have their own bookstore, certainly a threat to the independent CBA store.
The power of sidelines is illustrated by the fact that the Christian Bookseller's Association changed its name to CBA and now calls itself "the international trade association of Christian product suppliers and retailers." Further, it says that these stores provide "Bibles, Christian books, curriculum, apparel, music, videos, gifts, greeting cards, children's resources, and other materials."
"You refer to these items as 'sideline, but to us they are not on the side [Jim Seybert]." Non-book items account for about 70 percent of the annual revenue of the retailers associated with the Parable Group. Non-book items have a notably higher profit margin than books and they are a more attractive impulse purchase. Evangelical Christians, in particular, are enthusiastic buyers. Publishers have been quick to add to their own sidelines. Thomas Nelson reports that non-book items account for about 40 percent of its annual sales. Sidelines for children are especially popular. Besides religious artifacts, popular sideline items include:
Since the average Christian bookstore makes 30 to 40 percent
of its sales
on books, Christian publishing houses are increasing their non book
items.
Most larger Christian book publishers now have gift divisions to create
such
items as videos, games, gift books, puppets, toys, calendars, audio
books,
plush toys, book covers, frames, and plaques. Sidelines have a much
higher
profit margin than books. Still, there is a tension between being a
religious
bookstore and a religious gift shop.
Sidelines are especially important in the children's market. Veggie Tales, the 3-2-1 Penguins, and Bibleman are example of branded series that sell well. Video is the most important non-book product, and usually does better than books in the Christian stores. VeggieTales ("Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun") videos have sold more than 23 million units. Praise songs and other song collections are also popular. Spoken-word audio seems to have little impact. Games such as Bibleopoly or Bible Challenge are strong sellers. Toys of branded characters also do well.
Chains have become increasingly important in Christian book selling, accounting for perhaps one-third of all CBA sales. One of the largest is Family Christian Stores [FCS] which has more than 355 retail outlets in 38 states. It purchased Joshua's Christian Stores from Tandycrafts which added about 30 stores. FCS continues to expand and intends to become the dominant Christian retailer. The FCS web site intends to be a destination for Christian shoppers seeking guidance as well as an on-line community.
LifeWay
Christian Stores, formerly Baptist Bookstores, is an
82 unit chain
with a strong web site. There is also a strong publishing presence in
materials for Baptist churches [Lifeway Christian Resources].
The key to the marketing group is the imprinted catalog. The group prepares attractive catalogs with appropriate contents and prints the name of the local store on that catalog. In addition, some groups also provide help with marketing, advertising, and websites. Thus, the independent store has some of the advantages of the chains.
The Parable Group is an association of 340 independent Christian stores created in the mid-1980s. If it was a chain instead of an co-operative, member store sales would make the group the third largest chain in the U.S. after Barnes and Noble and Borders. The group prepares customized catalogs for member stores and can create a web site for each member. About 30 million catalogs, newspaper inserts, and promotional postcards are distributed each year. Each store may customize its site. Centralized purchasing, selection, and distribution are also available. Packages are labeled with the local store's name. Currently, non book items account for 70 percent of the member store sales. Stores must have an automated inventory system, annual sales of at least $350,000 per year, and take a minimum of four catalogs each year.
Munce Marketing began in 1991 with an imprinted catalog focus. Besides the catalogs, postcards and fliers, the Christmas and Spring catalogs are especially important, Munce provides assistance with signage, radio advertising, voice mail add-ons,and other elements in an integrated marketing strategy for the Christian bookstore. Munce is also involved in an initiative to assist stores in reaching the African-American and Latino markets. There is no minimum sales amount to join the group.
The Covenant Group was established in the early 1990s by Christian Supply in Spartanburg, S.C. Members includes 60 outlets including the Berean Christian Stores, The Christian Supply Centers, Heaven & Earth Stores, Mardel, and some independents. Catalogs and newspaper inserts are available.
Both religious publishers and booksellers need an opportunity to meet together to discuss common issues and to examine front and back list items. The BEA [BookExpo America] show is aimed at the general trade. Some religious publishers will exhibit here as they attempt to market their books to the trade independent booksellers.
The annual ALA conference is an opportunity for religious publishers to exhibit their books before a librarian audience. This seems to work especially well for Christian fiction titles and religious works likely to have a broader audience.
The two CBA shows [although
there is some question about the future of the winter show] are
especially
important for the more
conservative Protestant Christian booksellers. The CBA International
show is
the largest religion trade show in the U.S. with about 2100 buying
stores
represented and attendees from many countries. Trade publishers with
strong
religious lists normally attend and it is a must for evangelical
Christian publishers. These shows also include sidelines
such as
gifts and music. Declining participation in these two shows in the last
year
may lead CBA to reconsider two major trade shows each year. CBA book
stores
have lost market share, especially due to competition from the trade
super
stores, discount stores and the web.
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association [ECPA] also has shows, but usually regional ones. ECPA members have made a noted effort to enlarge their market beyond the religious bookstores. In cooperation with Bowker, ECPA has created Christian Books in Print Plus.
The Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit [RBTE] is also important and caters to a much broader spectrum of religious publishing and is especially strong in liturgical books. RBTE is more likely to appeal to Episcopal, mainline Protestant, and Catholic publishers and stores.
The Catholic Marketing Network [CMN] focuses the gift and sideline business, but also includes books. This appeals especially to conservative Roman Catholic publishing houses. At a typical show, there might be 279 buying stores and 167 vendors (including 28 publishers). Pauline Books and Media are a group of Catholic bookstores.
Episcopal Booksellers Association [EPA]began in 1991 as "no-frills" marketing group. The group now has more than 540 stores as members. A variety of services are available. Imprinted catalogs are the mainstay, along with postcards and fliers to reach particular audiences. Assistance with signage and radio advertising services is available. Munce is also creating initiatives to reach out to the African-American and the Latino consumer. consists of about 70 Episcopal bookstores in the U.S. The Episcopal Publishing Ministries [EPM] consists of four publishers.
The INATS [International New Age Trade Show] is the show for a wide variety of non-traditional religious and spiritual publishers and stores.
The Society of Biblical Literature [AAAR/SBL] is a scholarly association that also includes a small but notable professional book exhibit at its annual meeting.
Ingram purchased Spring
Arbor, the large Christian book
distributor, in 1997
and is now the largest distributor of religious titles in the U.S. Not
all
publishers have been happy with this change, especially in having to
pay a
small fee each quarter to have their books listed in the Ingram
database.
Ingram can now make available about 100,000 religious products to
retailers.
Since 91 percent of American households already contain a Christian Bible, this is a mature market. In addition, buying a Bible is often a very personal decision. Ingram/Spring Arbor, which distributes about 90 percent of the Bibles in print lists 3000+ different Bibles. The number of Bible editions and their distinct differences represent a notable problem for stores and their staff. Estimates vary, but this is a considerable sales opportunity. Perhaps as much as $600 million per year. Some survey research suggests that Bible reading is increasing over time.
As David Klinghoffer says, Bibles are bound by four qualities or attributes:
The New
International Version (NIV) seems to be most popular. A CBA study found
that
their typical Bible consumer owned nine Bibles and is interested in a
new one.
Another study found that the average Christian bookstore customer owns
seven
Bibles and buys Bibles as gifts. Bible buyers are most likely to be
female
and evangelical or Roman Catholic. Bible publishers increasingly aim at
narrow targeted audiences such as meditation, study, teen and
Confirmation
Bibles. There is a trend to break the scriptures "into small, easily
digestible bites" for "today's time-pressed readers." Nelson created
the BibleZine in 2003. For example, the
100-Minute Bible.
Another approach
is to
package the content and appearance to a particular audience. Thus, we
have
the Lion Graphic Bible
[graphic novel], "Nelson's Bible-zines," and youth Bibles
for boys with another edition for girls.
Study Bibles are especially popular today. Audio Bibles have also grown in popularity and some are quite elaborate productions.
New translations continue to be issued to appeal to
contemporary audiences
with appropriate language. The new translations offer the opportunity
for new
sales, but the many translations confuses many potential buyers. The
paraphrase-as-Bible-translation is popular. A recent example is The Message. Smaller book stores are
running out of space
for Bible so that the translations, paraphrases, or new packages are a
real
problem..
Many Bibles are purchased as gifts so Christmas, holidays, and graduation spur many sales. Bibles for children and teens continue to sell well. Many children's Bibles are really story books which retell Biblical stories. One of the first children's Bibles was the Children's Bible in 365 Stories issued by Lion and it began a notable trend. Stories about Jesus, the creation and Noah are especially popular.
Each of the major religions has sacred canonical works and publishers are preparing new and more attractive editions of these works.
More recently, among considerable concern about Christian retail, Thomas Nelson has identified what it sees as positives for the future:
While some trade publishers have had a strong religious line for some time, Doubleday for example, the increasing popularity of religious and spiritual books has caused many trade publishers to issue more books that compete in the trade and religion market with the religion only publishers. Some of these books sell well in religious bookstores. However, CBA bookstores tend to be suspicious of trade books for fear that they might be "watered down" or not religious enough.
An advantage for the trade publisher is that they are not required to observe rigid doctrinal guidelines in what they publish and have access to many more retail outlets.
Some estimates suggest that from 60 to 80 percent of the sales in this category are backlist items. Publishers acquire new titles for their backlist potential although trade houses place more emphasis on the front list than the smaller, specialized houses. Older titles need to be kept fresh with new cover design and are often revised and enlarged with some value-added features. Author development via speaking engagements and workshops also helps to grow the market for a title and keep that market alive.
In earlier days, religious books were typically focused on more narrowly defined religious concerns, often reflecting the views and tenets of a particular church. Today, the religious element is present, but is often less obtrusive. More titles focus on using religious resources to solve everyday problems. For example, consider these weight loss titles: A Grace-Oriented Approach to Lasting Weight Loss, What Would Jesus Eat: the Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great, and Living Longer or The Prayer Diet: The Unique Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Approach to Healthy Weight Loss. In fact, the border between self-help and religious is much less visible than before. Some label these books "spiritual living." They focus on incorporating faith into daily life. This appears to be a category with considerable growth potential. The Christian health and wellness as well as the Christian wealth books are good examples of a new, popular approach to self-help within the evangelical Christian context.
ECPA has eight major book categories:
Spirituality may be the most
popular category in religious
publishing. As Marcia Nelson says, "publishers today seem to agree that
spirituality books should apply spiritual teachings to real life, lived
by
ordinary people doing ordinary things like gardening, driving and
shopping at
bookstores for wise answers to life's questions." In the past, general
spirituality books were aimed at people "who said that they were
spiritual
but not religious or were religious but did not belong to or attend a
church.
This generalization is less valid today. The growth in the large number
of
"baby boomers" approaching aging and death suggests a growing market.
"Spirituality" is defined quite differently by different people and
deciding
where to shelf such a book is a problem for the store and for the book
seeker. The same is true of another popular label "inspirational." One
could
argue that virtually all religious books are spiritual and
inspirational. The
boundary between spirituality and self-help or Christian living is
fuzzy.
Inspirational books provide a
rationale for a change in life style
or belief. Christian living books provide the step-by-step details of
how-to-do it. Spiritual memoirs and inspirational biographies are
also popular.
"Memoirs of formation describe the perils and humiliation of growing
up,
growing babies, or growing old. Spiritual journey memoirs relate
painful
transitions and misunderstandings [LaVonne Neff]. According to Mark
Kerr,
"memoir makes the divine real and personal in a way that other genres
can't,
by getting to the heart of how faith is actually lived."
Many publishers and booksellers found "New Age" outmoded and inappropriate, Although sometimes still used as a label for a liberal collection of spiritual and personal growth books, "mind - body - spirit" is now more popular. This category label is more inclusive than new age since it includes personal health and other popular personal concerns. Substitutes such as "Alternative Spirituality" and "Conscious Living" didn't catch on. However, mind-body-spirit is more likely to work. A serious problem was that the label "new age" was so fuzzy and broad that it was difficult to know exactly what it included. Too, the large number of categories and titles can be confusing for the buyer. Most buyers are younger females seeking enlightenment and guidance. As Tim Miller concluded, "new Age has grown into middle age. New Age has got its tentacles into health, spirituality and science." As Shaye Areheart says, "readers of this category of book, .... are unafraid to try new ways of thinking about the world and themselves, unafraid to try alternative methods -- from new ways of getting and staying healthy to overcoming sleep disorders and from using positive energy to expand the quality of a life, to asking four questions that promise to turn that life around." "I'm spiritual, but not religious" is a phrase that covers much of the new age content. Popular acceptance of meditation, alternative medicine, yoga, affirmations and the like has become much more widespread. Still, bookstores find this a difficult product since there are a growing number of titles and it's difficult to know which ones will sell well. As is true of other categories, the small publishers who began to develop this market face growing competition from the large trade houses. Audio and digital formats are also of increasing interest.
Promotion/marketing initiatives include sharing information
about new titles with the mass media, using house generated
newsletters, and cultivating notable bloggers as reviewers to spread
the good news. Posting part of new books on websites seems to work well.
This category includes spirituality, the sacred [especially in
older,
pre-Christian societies], alternative health, addiction and recovery
among other topics. Tarot, astrology, and runes continue to be
popular with a
varied
audience. Examples might include The
Book of Secrets; unlocking
the hidden dimensions of your life or Messiah's Handbook, reminders for
the advanced soul.
Mind-body, meditation, inspirational narrative and general
spirituality
books continue to do well. Earth and nature-based religions and belief
systems are growing in importance. "Wicca" or witchcraft based on
European
pre-Christian practice does well. Titles for teens and
older
children have considerable potential. Example titles might include Teen Tarot, Goddesses:
A World Of Myth and
Magic, and Teen Goddess:
How to Look, Love and Live
Like a Goddess.
My favorite new title in this category is What
to Do When You Are
Dead: Living Better in the Afterlife.
Charismatics emphasize the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues. Earlier, there was considerable focus on spiritual warfare. Today, there is more emphasis on solving the problems of daily life through prayer. Charismatic authors and titles have become much more popular, especially with evangelicals. These authors are more experiential, and the emphasis on healing appeals to aging readers
However, there can be problems. As Regina Sara Ryan said, "What can happen is that the psychological approach can water down the spiritual and make it a feel-good soup, or religious people can downplay psychology."
Not only has there been a substantial increase in the number of novels published [more than 500 per year], especially evangelical Christian ones, but the quality has also improved. Still, there is some agreement that character development is sometimes poorly done and not convincing. Good fiction with a strong faith element can be difficult to write. Today, Christian fiction can be found in nearly all of the popular genres. Much of the growth in the sales of religious fiction has come from trade sales. There is a considerable market for "wholesome, compelling entertainment." As stories become somewhat less evangelical, they appeal to a broader audience. "Romance remains a bread-and-butter genre of the mostly female-driven Christian market. Janette Oke's Love Comes Softly is the classic example. At the same time, there has been considerable growth in faith fiction in a wide variety of genres. New sub-categories emerge from time-to-time such as "funny faith fiction" which tends to be lighthearted. The Harmony series by Philip Gulley is a good example. Another fairly recent trend is to more edgy fiction such as those written by Melogy Carlson.
Male readership was a problem in the beginning since most Christian fiction was aimed at the female reader. With more thrillers of various types, Christian fiction appeals more to a male audience.
Category can again be a problem. Religious fiction is often lost in the bookstore. There is a category for it, "visionary fiction," but that is not widely adopted and may not make sense to prospective buyers. Some Christian fiction would appeal to genre fiction readers, but they are unlikely to look in an inspirational fiction category. Some publishers make a distinction between "Christian fiction" and spiritually based novels that are literary and more general in appeal to readers.
CBA recommends seven faith fiction categories:
Of the several Eastern religions, Buddhist books seem to be the most popular. In fact, some argue that the market is "flooded" with new titles. Still, introductory works as well as canonical and advanced works continue to be issue. Buddhism for Dummies is an example of the many new Buddhism 101 titles.
A growing number of publishers issue audio editions of their work. Still, religious abooks represent a small percentage of the audio book market. Most sales come from price clubs and discount stores as well as independent bookstores. The major problem for publishers is that few book or religious stores have good selections and the abooks are often not visible and well marketed.
Virtual book clubs are relatively new, but have considerable potential to increase interest in religious books. Examples include: the Mazornet Jewish Book Club, the Islamic Book club, Faithful Reader, and the Good Girl Book Club.
Religious publishers, as trade publishers have done for some
time, are
trying to achieve brand-name status for some authors to ensure shelf
space
and increase sales. Perhaps the best example is the Prayer
of
Jabez. Here are just a few of the derivative works: The
Prayer of Jabez for Kids, The Prayer of Jabez for Little Ones, The
Prayer of
Jabez for Teens, and The Prayer of Jabez for Women. An
author's
willingness to self-promote can make a substantial difference. Deepak
Chopra
promotes, promotes, and promotes to create and extend his brand.
"Chicken
Soup for the Soul" is an example of a concept that has become a brand
and
resulted in more than 26 titles with sales of more than 40 million
copies.
"Tried and true solutions, and their authors are likely to be heard in
a
crowded field." Authors with a "platform" such as a large, well-known
church
or a newspaper column are more likely to become brand name authors and
receive the media attention that drives sales, including adoptions by
church
study or reading groups. The increased focus on brand name authors is a
familiar trend elsewhere. The author becomes the asset and not the
book.
Branding does seem to make it more difficult for new authors to be
heard.
Bethany House's [now part of Baker Book House] Janette Oke is
an author of
Christian fiction [Love Comes Softly]
with more than
17 million books in print. Authors who "deliver the goods two or three
times
consistently" qualify for brand-name status. Books by branded authors
usually
have a unified package. "Untrained staff and higher turnover at
bookstores
makes brands even more important" says Carol Johnson of Bethany House.
As was the case with trade
publishing, religious publishers were
not at all enthusiastic about agents representing authors. However, as
religious publishers became larger and the market grew, as well as the
establishment of religious book lines by larger trade publishers, more
authors chose to be represented by authors. Agents here have the same
challenges as those in trade publishing, especially an increase in
marketing
planning with a clear indication of how the author will make the book
more
visible and interesting. Larger religious publishers, are less likely
to
evaluate unsolicited MSS and that makes the role of agents more
important.
Some agents limit themselves to religious publishers, but others also
work
with trade publishers interested in religious books.
Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Borders with their super stores typically need more than 100,000 plus titles to fill the space. This has created an opportunity to sell many more religious/spiritual/inspirational titles than the smaller chain store or the independent. The super stores typically have a large selection of inspirational and spiritual books as well as some religious works. Many of these titles come from smaller publishers.
While the more serious buyer of religious books, especially the Evangelicals, will likely continue to frequent the Christian (book) store, others will find the broad selection and ambiance of the super store to be much more attractive.
Religion/spirituality books may be bought at the local price club [Sam's and Costco], and in the discount department store [Target, Kmart, Wal-Mart]. While these stores stock few titles, they account for a very substantial volume and provide publishers with access to an audience who may never go to a Christian store or to a super store. Thomas Nelson reports that mass merchants have been responsible for their largest growth with Wal-Mart their biggest outlet with 60 - 80 titles in every store.
While the religious book clubs are successful enough to stay
in business,
their membership is not expanded but stays about the same. Keeping
members
and attracting new ones is a continuing challenge. Each of the first
three
clubs briefly mentioned below is part of the Bookspan group that
includes the
former Doubleday and Time-Warner book clubs. The typical member stays
about
two years. Each club has a website as well as a print
newsletter/catalog
mailed about every three weeks.
Religious publishers have long relied on direct mail to reach buyers and some vendors, such as Christian Book Distributors have been most successful.
Amazon.com has been the largest seller of Christian books, music, and videos on the Internet. Large religious and Christian bookstores are still beginning to make their presence felt. One survey claims that 50 million Christians are Internet users. Another found that 35 million evangelical Christians were on-line. As is true of the bricks and mortar stores, web stores include substantial sidelines besides books. These stores hope to create a web-based community with such features as author interviews, book annotations, music samples, discussion lists, and chat rooms. Some items are sold at discount.
Perhaps because of unsettled times, there has been a dramatic increase in religious books for children by both the trade and the religious publishers. Many books are value-driven and less overtly denominational, but still with a Biblical world view. More attractive books with quality illustrations and excellent writing have made a difference. Stories are better written and deal with a greater variety of topics. These books are often popular as gifts. These books are available in a wide variety of settings, including the warehouse clubs and discount stores.
As religious publishers seek a wider audience, they encounter problems. Trade and other retail outlets expect children's books to have quality illustrations and production qualities. Too, "doctrinal narrowness and preachy tone" can be a problem. Improving artistic integrity and literary merit is a challenge for publishers and authors who need to retain religious integrity while improving content quality
As characters in a series become more popular, branding becomes possible and that results in a variety of sidelines. Moving bestselling adult authors into the teen market worked well as in the Prayer of Jabez for Teens or Left Behind: the Kids.
Series such as the "Apple Valley Mysteries," "the Hidden Diary
series,"
and the "Three Cousins Detective Club" sell well.
The home-schooling market, although some home-schoolers are
not receiving
religious education at home, is a large and growing market perhaps
worth one
billion dollars. Especially for evangelicals, there is a need for a
variety
of books with family centered values and solid academic credentials.
With more than two million home schooled children in the U.S., this is
a growing market. Broadman
& Holman [Nashville] is a good example of a Christian
publisher with a focus on this market. The distributor Appalachian
has 250 Home school Headquarters stores with access to a variety of
products from more than 150 publishers.
Women continue to purchase most books in all categories, both for themselves and for their families. This is also true for religious books. Too, women are often more religiously oriented than many men. Women's issues and topics of special interest to women receive more publisher attention. Books by and about women of color are particularly needed.
More traditional books about women of faith, both historical
and
contemporary, are also popular, even the Bad Girls of
the
Bible.
Often neglected in the past, there are a growing number of
titles in the
various categories aimed particularly at this audience. However, much
remains
to be done and there are not enough good titles to meet the
demand. It has
taken many years for the publishers to add cookbooks, novels, and
titles
dealing with relationship issues to the more available collections of
sermons
and devotionals.
The Hispanic (Latino) market has been largely ignored. There are few retail bookstores in these communities, but there are stores (bodegas) that sell a wide variety of goods including some books and some religious items. Some estimate that Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the U.S. There is a particular need for religious books for Latino children and teens. Protestant evangelicals and charismatic Pentecostals are the fasting growing segment. Topics popular with the Anglo market are also popular with Latinos. Mind-body-spirit books, if popularly written, are popular because "many Latino cultures have a connection with magic and the supernatural."
The CBA stores are more likely to exploit the Latino market than the national trade chains or independent bookstores.
Co-publishing is an arrangement between publishers, usually with publishers in different countries to share intellectual content or the finished book which will be issued in two or more editions. The British religious publisher Lion Hudson has had its books issued in more than 130 languages. Lion has arrangements with several U.S. publishers. British titles are "Americanized" as needed.
Tennessee, Nashville in particular, is a national center for religious publishing. Thomas Nelson located in Nashville is the second largest publisher of Bibles and inspirational books in the English language. It is the largest religious publisher in the U.S. It's also the ninth largest publishing house in the U.S.
Without revealing your particular religious/spiritual feelings, what type of religious books would you be most likely to purchase? Would you purchase them at a religious bookstore, an independent book store, or a national chain bookstore?
One of the challenges of the religious bookstore and publishing business is that many participants are primarily concerned with sharing the "good news." To what degree should religious book selling and publishing be different than general trade book selling and publishing?
One of the claims of the new religious bookstore destinations on the WWW is that they will be able to create a community. Discuss how a WWW store might create a community? How difficult will it be to create such a community? Will this sense of community lead to the sale of more religious books and gifts?
You are the publisher of a religious publishing house, say Protestant Christian, attempting to reach the large and growing Latino audience. Given that many Latino communities lack an independent or religious bookstore, how would you reach this audience?
Sidelines are important in keeping many religious bookstores in business. When do sidelines become so important that the bookstore is no longer a "bookstore." What is the proper role of sidelines in a religious bookstore? Should books be a sideline in the religious gift store?
ℜLast Major Revision June 2007.
