Features

June Roundtable

Written by Felicia Abraham
Thursday, 03 June 2010 02:32 PM America/New_York
The Audio Publishers Association's Audie Awards, personal product picks and World Cup Christian literature distribution—listen in as the Christian Retailing editorial team looks to the month ahead. {mp3}crjuneedited{/mp3} Click here to download the file.

Industry Roundtable: Fiction II

Written by Staff

Tuesday, 18 May 2010 03:00 PM America/New_York

Inspirational fiction remains a bright spot in Christian publishing, with new writers and sub-genres pushing the traditional boundaries of the category. Christian Retailing talked with five leading authors about the trends, their work and how Christian retailers can maximize their impact with faith-based novels.

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Taking part in the discussion were:


Terri Blackstock	Colleen Coble	Jerry Jenkins	Lisa Samson	Lisa Wingate

May Roundtable

Written by Felicia Abraham
Monday, 10 May 2010 11:27 AM America/New_York
ECPA’s Christian Book Awards, personal product picks and Mother's Day spending—listen in as the Christian Retailing editorial team looks to the month ahead. {mp3}mayroundtableedited{/mp3} Click here to download the file.

Making the most of the backlist

Written by Production
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 04:21 PM America/New_York
Backlist titles remain an important focus for Christian publishers and retailers alike. Christian Retailing News Editor Eric Tiansay spoke with representatives of three leading suppliers about the challenges and opportunities: David Horton Vice President-Editorial Bethany House Publishers a division of Baker Publishing Group John Johnson National Sales Director Tyndale House Publishers Ken Petersen Vice President Multnomah Books Read excerpts of their conversation here, and listen in on the complete discussion atwww.christianretailing.com/index.php/features/retailers-roundtable. Fresh faces for classics can reach a new audience With brand-new titles being sold in diverse channels, including airport bookstores, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and digital downloads on Kindle and iPad, backlist has become a bigger focus for Christian retail. Stores and suppliers say they are giving more marketing and promotional emphasis to their backlist titles, blogging about them, pairing an author’s new and older titles on displays, and watching news and cultural trends closely in order to promote books on popular topics. Christian Retailing: How do you decide which backlist titles to revisit? Johnson: They are obviously books that have stood the test of time, and in most cases what we have seen as we look at a backlist title that is still in the marketplace, generally the biggest opportunity is regaining distribution. We have lost distribution over time. It has fallen off for whatever reason, and generally repackaging from a sales perspective has given us another opportunity to reintroduce that product into the market, tied into an existing backlist or a frontlist release if that’s the case. But it gives it new life, not only from the standpoint of a new face on the shelf and new consumer appeal, but also it gives us a second opportunity to go back and regain distribution that may have declined over the years. Horton: It is just about keeping things looking more current. A lot of times the content of a book is perfectly suitable for years and years, but occasionally books begin to look tired because tastes change and trends change, and people are interested in looking at new kinds of things. Petersen: Also, quite frankly, it gives us a chance to fix our mistakes. Sometimes we come out with a cover, and after the fact we say, “Oh well, this didn’t quite get that right,” or we wish we had done this or we wish we had done that. So when we repackage something and reissue it as new backlist, it gives us a chance to re-address those things and re-strategize a particular book and a message for the marketplace. Johnson: We took a series of Francine Rivers, a best-selling author—a series of novellas—and put them all together in one single book, and it have been a phenomenal success (last) fall. In another case, we took an older book that was a great missionary story, In the Presence of My Enemies, and there has been some new things happening in the past four or five years since the book first released. (The author) was able to go back and write another chapter that really updates the book. Horton: It’s encouraging to authors to realize that the work, that all of the hours and days and weeks and sometimes years, they have put into writing a book is not exhausted after the initial sales. In some cases, you have books that sell pretty well coming out of the gate, but later on there are things that happen in the author’s ministry or the author’s promotion or the opportunities that the author has for speaking that weren’t in existence when the book was first published. So re-doing a book and refreshing it as new backlist offers an opportunity to pick up on later successes that an author might have (had). Johnson: This is an area where getting retailers feedback can be very helpful to what’s working for them, what is not working for them, what are they hearing from their customers about how the book looks. Does the book look like what it is? We try to get retailers to give us feedback on things like covers or the format. CR: What can retailers do to capitalize when publishers put new faces on old titles? Horton: The first thing is, let’s get distribution back and optimally give it a face-out or a display … or if (there are) other author books around it, promote them on an endcap. A table placement is a great opportunity. The beauty of some of the key backlists—especially some of the older titles, the classics— is that there is a whole new generational opportunity when we revitalize these packages. Most of the backlist that we have repackaged over the last three or four years have actually, at the end of the year, been in our top third of book sales. So they are really encouraging, not just for the publisher, but I think it is a retailer opportunity. Petersen: Sometimes, on the publisher side and on the retailer side, we become a little jaded because we assume that our consumers and book buyers are just like us—they are well aware of all of the authors and all of the books that the author published before. The fact is there are always new faces and new readers coming into the marketplace, especially in the Christian marketplace, as so many book buyers are really new church members, people coming into churches for the first time. They are discovering authors for the very first time, and so an author could be publishing out there for a decade or more and have a number of books on backlist that some readers—and maybe many readers—have never discovered before. So a freshened backlist title might, if properly displayed, really attract a new readership. Horton: This is at the core of what CBA is in the marketplace. If we have new readers coming into the marketplace, why not get them into a CBA store? What better way to do it than with some of these classic backlist titles? Johnson: It is great to be able to show somebody a book that looks like it belongs in the current era, that it’s not just a tired old book. Of our best-selling books, some are classics that we have repackaged that had slipped off our best-seller list. Putting them together in a new package has given this book a new presence and really boosted the sales. CR: What about pricing for backlist titles? Petersen: As a rule of thumb, costs of publishing never really seem to go down, and so when we are redoing a backlist title, we are looking at increased costs across the board. The other challenge there is that although we are optimistic about what a backlist title will do, we’re not likely to be estimating the same initial sales that it would have gotten when it was first released, so we are looking at shorter print runs up front, and those shorter print runs end up costing us more per unit. So there are some significant issues that way, to some degree. We have to price things accordingly. Johnson: We also need to look at the marketplace, what similar titles (there are). If this is part of an author’s backlist and there are similar titles that he/she has also written, we may choose to line-price to make sure there is a continuity in the price for promotion’s sake. Pricing is probably born out as much by the market as anything else. Horton: John mentioned a series of books that were all collected into one volume, and you can do different things with pricing there, where people are being presented with a value package. … There, you may get some kind of consumer value that they wouldn’t get otherwise. You can see a real price advantage for the retailer. But very often, we are really talking about significantly increased costs. You invest a fair amount of money in a new cover and print costs are not going down. As Ken said, you typically print fewer of a backlist book than you do of a brand-new book. Petersen: One thing we do a lot of at WaterBrook Multnomah falls under the category of added value. When we repackage a book, we are looking for other material that may have been produced separately from the main book since it was first published. It might be some online material, it might be a study guide. Hopefully what we land on is a package that gives added value at a reasonable price for the buyer. CR: What current repackaging plans do you have? Johnson: Our “Left Behind” series is a short-term repackaging. It’s not meant to be a permanent repackage. There are 12 books in the original series, and in January, March, June and September, we will have omnibus versions, hoping to have all four books out by Christmas. That is an opportunity to combine three books into a large volume and give a significant price point of $19.99 on a softcover version. Petersen: With Bruce Wilkinson, we have a big new book, You Were Born for This, out in the marketplace right now, and we have repackaged a number of his backlist titles. Of course, the classic, The Prayer of Jabez, but also The Secrets of the Vine, A Life God Rewards and The Dream Giver. Those are just out and in stores now. We are constantly thinking of doing that on our top authors, and we will be looking at that in 2010 as well. Horton: We try to be sensitive to the fact that retailers can only handle so much new stuff. It is possible to overdo the repackaging thing, and I know I have heard from retailers in the past who get concerned when people are just sort of willy-nilly slapping new covers on old products and bringing them out again. But there are some things that I think they really welcome being dressed up a bit. We are bringing out this year a classic series of Janet Oke, “Seasons of the Heart,” one of her all-time favorite series with really dressed-up covers, and I think those will be welcomed in the CBA market.

Summer sounds

Written by Staff

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 04:16 PM America/New_York

Your guide to the season’s major music events

Live music events continue to offer significant promotional support for Christian retailers who remain committed to the category.

music-fest-lead-art NewSong’s Winter Jam 2010 tour—featuring Third Day, Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North, Fireflight and a guest speaker—drew a record, total attendance of more than 403,000 to its 44 January-March dates.

Meanwhile organizers have been putting the finishing touches on more than 30 summer events expected to draw large crowds from coast to coast.

Here is a guide to help stores know which artists will be in their area:

June 11-12

CROSSOVER FESTIVAL

Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.

Artists/speakers include: Abandon, Gracia Burnham, DecemberRadio, Fireflight.

June 12

SONFEST

Carowinds, Charlotte, N.C.

Artists include: Family Force 5, Fee, Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North.

June 16-19

ATLANTA FEST

Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta

Artists/speakers include: Brandon Heath, Shawn McDonald, Joseph Rojas, Newsboys, Matthew West, Tenth Avenue North.

June 16-19

ICHTHUS

Wilmore, Ky.

Artists include: Casting Crowns, Relient K, Switchfoot, Toby Mac.

June 19

JOYFEST

King’s Island, Mason, Ohio

Artists/speakers include: Fred Hammond, Bone Hampton, Martha Munizzi.

June 19

McDONALD’S GOSPELFEST

Newark, N.J.

Artists/speakers include: Kurt Carr, Roberta Flack, T.D. Jakes, Hezekiah Walker, Dionne Warwick, Vickie Winans.

June 23-26

ALIVE FESTIVAL

Mineral City, Ohio

Artists include: Steven Curtis Chapman, Leeland, Chris Tomlin.

June 24-26

BIG TICKET FESTIVAL

Gaylord, Mich.

Artists/speakers include: Casting Crowns, Jeffrey Dean, Brandon Heath, Newsboys, Parachute Band, James Scheer.

June 28-July 3

CORNERSTONE

Bushnell, Ill.

Artists include: David Crowder Band, Red, Skillet, Switchfoot, Toby Mac.

June 30-July 3

CREATION NORTHEAST

Mt. Union, Pa.

Artists/speakers include: David Crowder Band, Kari Jobe, Ron Luce.

July 1-3

SPIRIT WEST COAST

Monterey, Calif.

Artists include: BarlowGirl, Jeremy Camp, Shaun Groves, Jars of Clay, Phil Joel, Philmont, Third Day.

July 3

WONDER JAM

Toronto

Artists/speakers include: KJ-52, Hawk Nelson, David Nasser, Switchfoot.

July 7-11

LIFEST

Oshkosh, Wis.

Artists/speakers include: Shane Claiborne, Casting Crowns, Point of Grace.

July 8-10

SPIRIT FEST

Kings Island, Mason, Ohio

Artists include: Abandon, The Afters, Toby Mac, Third Day, Chris Tomlin.

July 8-10

KING’S FEST

Doswell, Va.

Artists include: Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Tenth Avenue North.

July 8-10

SPIRITSONG

Kings Island, Mason, Ohio

Artists include: David Crowder Band, Fireflight, Third Day, Chris Tomlin.

July 9-10

NIGHTVISION

Olathe, Colo.

Artists/speakers include: Francesca Battistelli, Kutless, Leeland, Third Day, Michael W. Smith, Third Day, Nick Vujicic.

July 14-17

SONSHINE FEST

Wilmar, Minn.

Artists include: David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns, Israel Houghton, Newsboys, Skillet, Superchick.

July 16-18

HILLS ALIVE

Rapid City, S.D.

Artists include: Desperation Band, Jars of Clay, NeedtoBreathe, Petra.

July 17

JOYFEST

Doswell, Va.

Artists/speakers include: Fred Hammond, Bone Hampton, Donald Lawrence, Sinbad.

July 17

HEARTFEST

Kansas City, Mo.

Artists/speakers include: Abandon, The Afters, KJ-52, MercyMe, Tom Richter.

July 21-24

CREATION NORTHWEST

Enumclaw, Wash.

Artists/speakers include: Zane Black, Kari Jobe, Ron Luce, Reilly, Matthew West.

July 24

JOYFEST

Kansas City, Mo.

Artists/speakers include: Fred Hammond, Bone Hampton, Donald Lawrence, J Moss.

Aug. 1-4

KINGDOM BOUND

Buffalo, N.Y.

Artists/speakers include: BarlowGirl, Fireflight, MercyMe, Jason Upton, Bill Wilson.

Aug. 4-7

SOULFEST

Gilford, N.H.

Artists include: Paul Colman, Israel Houghton, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot.

Aug. 5-7

ROCK THE DESERT

Midland, Texas

Artists/speakers include: Casting Crowns, Hawk Nelson, Matt Pitt, Seabird, Skillet.

Aug. 12-14

UNITY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL

Heritage Landing Park, Muskegon, Mich.

Artists include: Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, Third Day.

Aug. 13-14

PURPLE DOOR FESTIVAL

Lewisberry, Pa.

Artists/speakers include: LeCrae, Project 86, Thousand Foot Krutch, Renee Yohe.

Sept. 3-4

ROCK THE LIGHT

Kansas City, Mo.

Artists/speakers: TBD.

Sept. 3-5

LIFELIGHT FESTIVAL

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Artists include: The Almost, Lincoln Brewster, David Crowder Band.

Sept. 10-11

ROCK THE UNIVERSE

Orlando, Fla.

Artists include: Fireflight, Jeremy Camp, Jars of Clay, NeedtoBreathe, Newsboys, Relient K, Skillet.

Sept. 10-11

NIGHT OF JOY

Orlando, Fla.

Artists include: BarlowGirl, David Crowder Band, MercyMe, Tenth Avenue North, Chris Tomlin.

Sept. 18

POINTFEST

Sandusky, Ohio

Artists/speakers include: Casting Crowns, David Nasser, Family Force 5, Remedy Drive, The Skit Guys.

Winning the ‘newsmaker’ gamble

Written by Ken Walker
Tuesday, 04 May 2010 03:36 PM America/New_York
Finding redemptive stories in the headlines can be risky—and rewarding The story grabbed national headlines last September: A couple from suburban Detroit learned the last of their frozen embryos had been mistakenly transferred into another woman’s womb. Last month—in less time than a typical pregnancy—Howard Books released Misconception, a chronicle of Paul and Shannon Morell’s fertility clinic experience. That week the couple was due to appear on the Today show and Larry King Live, with a Dateline episode and other national TV spots to follow. The spotlight on the couple—whose Christian faith bolstered them through a personal crisis—may help boost sales for one of the latest “newsmaker” books, a label for titles arising from prominent events. “It was a newsworthy story that had a very redemptive ending and brought to light an important topic,” Howard Editor in Chief Rebekah Nesbitt said of the decision to publish. “The Morell family had so much to be thankful for, starting with God and including the surrogate family, that we felt it was something we could explore in depth, and readers would be encouraged by it.” Christian retailers are waiting to see whether Misconception will mirror the results of Mistaken Identity—another Howard release nearing 500,000 copies sold two years after publication. Curiously, the families involved in the tragic misidentification of two accident victims also live in Michigan. Publishers and retailers say that this “ripped from the headlines” genre is high-risk, high-reward. Such factors as fickle public tastes, the possibility of media overexposure and a failure to create reader buzz mean there is no such thing as a can’t-miss title. With Misconception, the participation of prolific writer Angela Hunt—who also collaborated with Gayle Haggard on Why I Stayed (Tyndale House Publishers, January)—gave Howard a level of comfort. Still, to make a spring release, the book had to be written in two months. Despite this intense timetable, no one knows whether the public’s interest in the Morells will last past their son’s first birthday in September. Mistaken Identity, meanwhile, seems to have developed legs because people give it to friends who have lost loved ones or buy it because they are touched by the story’s redemptive quality, Nesbitt said. “It can be hard to tell,” the editor said. “Generally these newsmaker books have a shorter shelf life. It ties in to what’s happening that day in the news or that year on television. They are successful largely based on people’s curiosity about what they’ve seen in the news.” Redemptive messages “If you miss the news cycle you’re shot down for sure,” said Joel Miller, vice president of editorial and acquisitions at Thomas Nelson. “Printing to demand is always uncertain. It’s a gamble every time. The risks are huge; it’s one reason we don’t do a lot of them anymore.” Still, the company hasn’t entirely avoided high-profile incidents. A Rush to Injustice (2007) reviewed the Duke University lacrosse team rape case, while Aruba (2006) delved into the story of missing Alabama woman Natalee Holloway. Despite the non-stop headlines that followed Holloway’s disappearance, Miller called much of the coverage “surface.”Not only did the book include unique details, but the publisher also hopes it will eventually help lead to the teen’s discovery. “We felt like we were able to offer something more to people interested in following the story,” said Nelson’s vice president. “The other thing was with any project we do, there’s some redemptive aspect. … Christians can feel that evil is real and needs to be confronted. Sometimes stepping into that space is a very worthwhile thing to do.” Newsmaker titles don’t necessarily emerge from a single event, as demonstrated by two other Nelson releases—Lynne Spears’ (mother of singer Britney Spears) memoir, Through the Storm (2008), and The Faith of Barack Obama. Released the summer before the 2008 election, the latter explored the president’s religious background. Other titles in the genre cross lines between memoir and headline news. After their kidnapping and her husband’s murder by terrorists in the Philippines in 2001, missionary Gracia Burnham wrote In the Presence of My Enemies (Tyndale, 2003). The book reached the New York Times best-seller list, won a Gold Medallion Book Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and released in paperback this past January. Nancy Clausen, Tyndale’s director of marketing and product development for books, attributed the book’s long-lasting nature to the story’s extraordinary quality and what has happened in Burnham’s life since the tragedy. The new edition reviews Burnham’s subsequent role in bringing the terrorists to justice. Burnham also ministers to people through frequent speaking engagements and operating a foundation that supports ongoing missionary efforts, Clausen said. Among Tyndale’s other newsmaker titles are Let’s Roll!, Lisa Beamer’s 2002 story of her late husband’s 9/11 heroics; Gayle Haggard’s memoir, tied to the headlines through her husband’s fall from grace in 2006; and Gone in a Heartbeat(Focus on the Family/Tyndale, 2009), David and Marie Works’ story of their daughters’ slaying at New Life Church in Colorado Springs in 2007. Such books’ shorter lifespan creates certain pressures, Clausen said. Though it would be nice to have a year to get a book on the shelf, if the target audience’s attention won’t hold up that long, the publisher has to move faster, she said. The Chicago-area company evaluates newsmaker books’ potential the same way it does any other title, Clausen added. “We will only publish a book that has substance and the ability to meet a spiritual need, no matter what publicity the story behind it has received,” she said. “The ability for it to gain the attention of the public is the only difference. “Though we know a lot of attention can lead to book sales, we’ve also learned that just because an author or book can get a lot of media, it doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of sales.” A double-edged sword The literary agent who represented Beamer echoed Clausen’s statement. In a recent blog, Chip MacGregor recalled how Let’s Roll! hit No. 1 on the New York Times list after a plethora of 9/11-related media coverage. Todd Beamer’s widow appeared on Larry King’s CNN show more than a dozen times in the following year. So, her story resonated with a public eager to learn more about what enabled her to be so poised in the face of tragedy, MacGregor said. On the other hand, he helped Nancy Mankins tell her story after her missionary husband was taken captive and killed by Columbian terrorists. Despite a well-told tale that received tremendous media attention, Hostage (Nelson, 2001) languished in stores. “Even a huge story with lots of media attention behind it can fail to capture an audience,” MacGregor said. “You can bet a personal story without that sort of attention has almost no chance.” Such experiences line up with Wes Yoder’s theory that nobody knows the secret behind a best-seller. While authors appearing on the Today show will stimulate awareness, that doesn’t guarantee word-of-mouth advertising, said the president of Nashville’s Ambassador Agency. “It’s a silly thing to say, but it really comes down to doing promotional things that create chatter among readers,” said the literary agent, who has worked on such projects as Mistaken Identity, Prisoners of Hope (WaterBrook Press, 2003) and Rachel’s Tears (Nelson, 10th anniversary edition, 2009). “If that person tells her friends about the book, all of a sudden you have the chatter factor. What we always watch for is we have this wave of publicity that we’ve done, (but) does anybody care? Is anybody picking up the book and liking what’s inside? If they do, maybe we have a best-seller. If they don’t, it’s over very quickly.” Ironically, though today’s 24-7 news cycle may be seen as primary fuel for newsmaker books, Yoder thinks it detracts from them. He said a glut of media interviews can kill the market and turn a potential book into a magazine story. Nor does he think the cable/Internet/Twitter world is the real reason newsmaker books have come to the forefront in the past decade. “I think there’s been a pattern of God taking people who are not looking for a platform, who are minding their own business,” said Yoder, who represented septuplet parents Kenny and Bobbi McCaughey (Seven From Heaven, Thomas Nelson, 1998). “All they care about is living a faithful life for the Lord, and He taps them and says, ‘It’s your turn to speak,’ ” he added. Retail promotion Because Don and Susie Van Ryn live in Western Michigan, the East Beltline location of Kregel Parable Christian Stores in Grand Rapids hosted one of the few 2008 bookstore appearances by the Mistaken Identity co-authors. The store placed promotional flyers on college campuses and in area churches, coupled with a special mailing and e-mailing. In addition, local media coverage helped attract more than 200 people to the two-hour signing. The store sold more than 100 books that day and promoted additional sales through a continuous video loop on store monitors. The title—which is still in stock—has sold approximately 1,000 copies. That puts it second in newsmakers only to Let’s Roll!, said Jim Kregel, the bookstore group’s president. “It probably depends on the book,” Kregel said of the sales window. “Given the amount of national advertising and local coverage on (Mistaken Identity), it had a long life locally.”Despite that success, many in this genre have an unknown quality. Kregel pointed to I Just Want You to Know by Kate Gosselin, which recently followed the best-sellers Multiple Bles8ings (2008) and Eight Little Faces, a spring 2009 picture book. Although Zondervan ran a 400,000-copy first printing of the April release, Kregel said he was not sure how customers would react to the TLC star’s latest effort after her messy divorce last year. He was not alone. Family Christian Stores surveyed shoppers by e-mail to see what they felt about the title and whether it should be promoted. Just as personal peccadillos can affect sales, so does the Christian content, said Kirk Blank, president of the Munce Group. He said the success of these titles is directly linked to that factor. “If the author throws in a ‘God’ reference now and then, it doesn’t do well,” Blank said. “We need to have a strong Christian message. Most stores want to know that if a book is going to get a lot of national publicity, they’re going to (get) great promotion and great incentives to be competitively priced.” Identifying their Christian ties as the reason such books as Let’s Roll, Mistaken Identity and Son of Hamas (Tyndale, March) have done so well, Munce’s COO said that is one reason so many affiliates filed advance orders for Gosselin’s latest book. Though her divorce demonstrates the risky nature on sales of a public figure’s setbacks, Blank was surprised by Gosselin’s generous use of scripture and emphasis on the gospel message in the new book. However, I Just Want You to Know remains a question mark for Chuck Broderick, owner of Living Word Christian Store in Sarasota, Fla. One reason: Few newsmaker books have sold well there. Some exceptions are Unlikely Angel (Zondervan, 2005), about an Atlanta woman who persuaded an escaped convict to give himself up; Mistaken Identity; and Going Rogue (Zondervan/HarperCollins, 2009), the memoir of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. “We put it on an endcap and try to present it as something in the news,” Broderick said. “Other than that, there’s not much else you can do. How much we bring in and promote these depends on the reps dealing with us and how enthusiastic they are about a book of that nature.” Mardel Christian & Education decided not to stock the latest Gosselin book at its 34 outlets, citing anticipated small demand, though the chain will special-order it on request. Aside from that decision, Senior Book Buyer Kevin McDonell said the newsmaker books Mardel has stocked haven’t performed that well. “It seems like these type of titles perform better in the ABA (market) than in the Christian marketplace,” said McDonell, who calls a Christian message a key for this industry. “One challenge is getting the message out to potential customers of what the book is about and creating interest in the message.” Parable Christian Stores reported success with certain titles, though—which has prompted it to offer downloadable endcaps for current-events titles for its 51 franchises and 87 affiliates. That option proved especially helpful with Mistaken Identity, according to Melanie Strouss, marketing and merchandising specialist. The marketing group used the same approach with Going Rogue and Murder by Family (Howard, 2008). Kent Whitaker’s saga of the murder of two family members by his son has sold more than 100,000 copies. “It depends on what our stores are already promoting that month and if the new title is something that would benefit our stores,” Strouss said. “If it’s getting huge media attention in mainstream outlets, then we’ll do something like provide a downloadable endcap. It really depends on the timing and the media.” While there are newsmaker books that prove to have a long shelf life, most retailers agree with publishers that the window of opportunity is short-lived. Blank placed it at four to six weeks, while Strouss said it depends on the individual store. “We generally tell them to leave it up for a month, but that’s because we recommend our stores change out their merchandise every three to four weeks in general,” Strouss said. “So that timing has nothing to do with the book; it has to do with our in-store merchandising plan.” No matter how long retailers promote a book, Blank said they could do better with more cooperation. “Typically these types of authors have publicists who don’t see the vision for working with the Christian market,” said Munce’s COO. “The Munce Group stores do a fantastic job with in-store appearances when given the opportunity.” Regardless of how newsmaker books perform at the checkout counter, Nesbitt said publishers find them exciting. They offer a chance to move beyond the snippets of information that appear in news accounts, she explained. “There’s so much more to the story,” the Howard editor said. “It gives not only the author, but the readers a chance to see what God has done in these people’s lives. The exciting part about publishing these books is that you get to tell the redemption story. We never grow tired of hearing it or telling it.” If you miss the news cycle, you’re shot down for sure.” —Joel Miller, vice president of editorial and acquisitions, Thomas Nelson The exciting part about publishing these books is that you get to tell the redemption story.” —Rebekah Nesbitt, editor in chief, Howard Books

Tools and training for retailers

Written by Eric Tiansay

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 03:24 PM America/New_York

Your guide to the educational opportunities at CBA’s summer show

Marking its 61st anniversary in a Midwest location for the first time in years, CBA’s international convention will be held in St. Louis, June 27-30. The International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), at America’s Center, has the theme “Real tools People, Real Impact: It’s Why We Do What We Do.”

CBA Chairman-elect George Thomsen told Christian Retailing that this year’s theme is “about coming together as an industry.”

“No matter how our businesses are doing, where we’re located, what country we’re from or what competitors we might be facing, our business is about ministry,” he said. “And it’s about making a real impact in the lives of the people we serve.”

Like last year, the 2010 show runs from Sunday morning to Wednesday lunchtime. CBA has nearly tripled the number of workshops and educational offerings—available for free to members. The 13 training workshops include the annual Prospective Retailer Seminar as well as topics such as bargain book strategies and using social media.

“I don’t know what our past workshop fees were, but (they were) not expensive—particularly if the retailer purchased a workshop bundle,” Thomsen said. “CBA recognizes that retailers’ budgets are much tighter this year, yet the need for training remains. That is why we have made the adjustment.”

And since retailers often learn best from one another, a Retailer Idea Exchange Breakfast—a favorite of retailers—is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Additional registration for the workshops is required for non-CBA members.

Sunday, June 27

International attendees are invited to the International Vision Celebration & Luncheon, which runs 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Additional registration is required for the event sponsored by ChristianTrade International and featuring Remi Morgan, a pastor at The Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria and operator of the largest Nigerian Christian products Show-floor-crowd-2 distributorship. The event will include lunch and reports from the Christian trade worldwide.

From 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., General Session: Digital/Mortar: Store Value in a Digital Age will examine the digital e-books trend.

The Worship Him service, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., will feature best-selling author Randy Alcorn (Tyndale House Publishers) speaking, while Jeremy Camp (EMI CMG) and The Museum (EMI CMG) will lead in a time of worship.

The Pacesetter event follows at 7:30 p.m., with Phil Vischer (Tyndale House Publishers) and Stephen Kendrick (B&H Publishing Group) as well as Blackwood Brothers (New Day), Sisters (New Day Christian Distributors), and Gold City (Provident-Integrity Distribution) celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Southern gospel music. The CBA Spirit of Excellence Awards also will be presented at the Pacesetter event.

Monday, June 28

The Prospective Retailer Seminar, running 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., shows ICRS attendees who are thinking about opening a store how to start a successful business, creating business plans, understand customers, have adequate capital and offer customers the best inventory assortment possible. When the two-day seminar ends, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with sponsoring suppliers to discuss their retail business.

Merchandising Workshop, running 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., offers eight free merchandising demonstrations in product categories such as apparel, fiction, fine art, gifts, jewelry, study Bibles, family entertainment and CBA channel exclusives. As with last year, the 30-minute demonstrations will be led by suppliers as they engage attendees in hands-on exercises for effective showcasing of the products. At press time, the schedule for the demonstrations was not finalized.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m, New Marketing: Using Social Media to Market Your Store will offer marketing tips for retailers to build an online community.

Drill Down: Digital Solutions, running 3-4:30 p.m., will feature a panel of industry leaders and digital experts to discuss the future of the Christian retail store in terms of today’s increasingly digital environment.

The popular Children’s Product Trends session, to be held 3-4:30 p.m. and again led by children’s author and expert Mary Manz Simon, will help retailers understand the latest trends and research in children’s products in order to improve and grow this category in their store. Select product samples will be provided, and retailers must be in attendance to receive them.

Simon has conducted a survey, available online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JYJTXG5, about children’s resources. Retailers who complete the survey will receive a free copy of the results during the children’s workshop.

“Digi-kids are immersed in technology, media and entertainment,” she said. “Pop culture is a strong influencer. Yet against this glitzy mindscape, researchers consistently emphasize the importance of reaching children for Christ during their early years.

“Each of us—whether retailer, vendor or publisher—faces challenges as we seek to carry out the words of Jesus ‘to let the children come.’ ”

Tuesday, June 29

The Retail Idea Exchange Breakfast for Christian stores of all types and sizes runs 7-8:30 a.m.

The Future of Christian Retail as Told by Your Customers, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., will present the latest consumer Mary-Manz-SimonICRS data and research regarding shoppers’ purchasing behavior.

Also running 8:30-9:30 a.m., Church Store Specific: Using Social Media to Market Your Church Store will help church retailers to utilize social media to build a stronger community around their stores.

An additional Merchandising Workshop runs 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Church Store Specific: Aligning Church Leadership with Your Ministry, to be held 10-11 a.m., will offer church retailers tips on how they can bring church leadership on board with their stores.

Also running 10-11 a.m., Differentiate Your Store with Knowledgeable Frontliners will help retailers train their staff in customer-service disciplines as well as provide the latest product information from leading suppliers.

The Prospective Retailer Seminar continues Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wednesday, June 30

The show wraps up Wednesday, ending with several workshops. New Marketing: How to Reach Your Customers on a Shoestring Budget, running 8:30-9:30 a.m., will show retailers how to implement low-budget techniques into their marketing plan.

Also in the 8:30 a.m. hour, Christian Store Day: It’s Coming, Are You Prepared? promises to help draw more customers into stores and strengthen retailers’ presence in the community.

More Merchandising Workshop sessions run 9-10:30 a.m., on niche areas.

From 10 to 11 a.m., Surviving Tough Times: Bargain Book Strategies for Success will help retailers tap into bargain books to help drive traffic and sales.

Also in the 10:00 hour, Increasing Traffic & Sales Through Book Clubs
will focus on increasing foot traffic and sales by offering retailers pointers on how to open their stores as meeting places for church and community groups.

ICRS highlights

In addition to workshops on using social media and navigating through today’s increasingly digital environment, CBA will open ICRS on Sunday with Digital/Mortar: Store Value in a Digital Age.

The General Session will feature a panel—including EMI CMG Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President David Crace; Mardel Christian & Education President Jason Green; Evangelical Christian Publishers Association President and CEO Mark Kuyper; Powell’s Books Director of Web Stuff Darin Sennett; and Google Director of Strategic Partnerships Amanda Edmonds—discussing the role that stores will play as e-books and e-readers continue to gain popularity.

Meanwhile, bargain product suppliers will be spotlighted in the new Bargain Boulevard section of the exhibit floor.

“Bargain product has been an area of growth in the past year for many retailers finding new avenues of profitability in the recession,” Thomsen said. “By perusing bargain booths conveniently clustered together in the same area, retailers will be able to see all the bargain product available to help them sell more to budget-conscious customers.”

Also new this year is the Family Entertainment Theatre, which will offer attendees a convenient location where they can view movie screenings and learn about upcoming film projects. Elsewhere, the Debut Avenue section of the exhibit floor will feature new products by suppliers exhibiting at the show for the first time.

Meanwhile, the Marketsquare area of the exhibit floor will again be the central meeting place to conduct international business and rights negotiations at the convention.

VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer will be featured during Sunday evening’s Pacesetter, while popular speaker and best-selling author Josh McDowell will lead the Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony that opens the exhibit floor Monday.

Scheduled for the last day of the event, the Heart of the Author Breakfast will feature several authors, including Tosca Lee, Robin Caroll and James Rubart (B&H Publishing Group); Lynn DeShazo, Eleanor Clark and Janet Ruth (WinePress Publishing); Frank Pastore (Tyndale House Publishers); and Brian Zahnd (Charisma House/Strang Book Group).

The best of the year!

Written by Production

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 02:54 PM America/New_York

Christian retailers choose their favorite new products

The votes are in and Christian retailers across the country have chosen their favorite new products of the year.

Thirty-three winners of Christian Retailing’s 2010 Retailers Choice Awards were announced last month as the annual RCA-Award-statue-frontal honors marked their 10th year.

Filmmaker brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick were the big personal winners, sharing three awards for Best DVD/Video: Movie with Fireproof (Provident Films), Best Book: Audio, The Love Dare (Brilliance Audio) and Best Book: Relationships, The Love Dare Day by Day (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group).

California pastor Francis Chan also featured, taking Best DVD/Video: Book/Bible Study for Crazy Love (David C. Cook), based on his 2008 title of the same name, while his 2009 follow-up, Forgotten God (Cook) took one of two prizes for Best Book: Christian Living.

The largest of 32 categories in this year’s awards, Christian Living saw two winners this year, the other being David Jeremiah’s Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson).

Leading the winning suppliers was Zondervan with six trophies—four of them for Bibles. The publisher’s new faith-based Berenstain Bears series took Best Children’s Fiction with Jan & Mike Berenstain’s The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks.

Nelson won five awards, including Best Catholic/Liturgical for Joan Chittister’s The Liturgical Year and Best Backlist for Emerson Eggerich’s 2004 Love & Respect. Tyndale House Publishers earned four trophies, while Baker Publishing Group and Harvest House Publishers joined Cook with two each.

Since they were launched in 2001, the Retailers Choice Awards have been increasingly acknowledged as an important way of recognizing some of the most significant new life-changing products in the Christian retail industry.

Products nominated in the competition were judged on the impact they have had on staff and customers. Owners, managers, staff and volunteers at Christian retail stores were asked to judge the 277 nominations—products released during 2009—on the impact they had on staff and customers, including their ability to speak to hearts and evoke emotion, open minds to new ways of thinking and encourage and affirm Christlike living.

Finalists were announced in early April, prior to winners’ presentations at The Gathering 2010 at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky. The results were independently verified.

BOOKS/BIBLES

Audio

The Love Dare, Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick (Brilliance Audio)

Finalists:

C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape
Letters, Focus on the Family Radio Theatre (Tyndale House Publishers)

The Word of Promise Audio Bible, NKJV (Thomas Nelson)

Auto/Biography

Paul Harvey’s America, Stephen Mansfield and David A. Holland (Tyndale House Publishers)

Finalists:

Jumping Through Fires, David Nasser (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group)

Role of a Lifetime, James Brown (FaithWords)

Bible (Reference/Study)

The Names of God, Ann Spangler (Zondervan)

Finalists:

The Complete Bible Answer Book, Hank Hanegraaff (Thomas Nelson)

The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, Merrill C. Tenney and Moises Silva (Zondervan)

Bible (Devotional & Study)

Couples’ Devotional Bible, NIV (Zondervan)

Finalists:

The American’s Patriot’s Bible, NKJV, Dr. Richard G. Lee, general editor (Thomas Nelson)

Glo, Immersion Digital (Zondervan)

Bible (General)

”Bloom Collection” (Zondervan)

Finalists:

KJV Personal Size Giant Print Reference Bible: “Designer Series”

(Thomas Nelson)

KJV Thinline Italian Duo-Tone Bibles (Zondervan)

Catholic/Liturgical

The Liturgical Year, Joan Chittister (Thomas Nelson)

Finalists:

The Future Church, John L. Allen Jr. (Doubleday Religion)

Secular Sabotage, Bill Donohue (FaithWords)

Signs of Life, Scott Hahn (Doubleday Religion)

Children’s Fiction

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks, Jan & Mike Berenstain (Zonderkidz)

Finalists:

The Princess and the Three Knights, Karen Kingsbury (Zonderkidz)

The Tallest of Smalls, Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

Children’s Nonfiction

The VeggieTales Bible, NIV (Zonderkidz)

Finalists:

Big Thoughts for Little People, Kenneth N. Taylor (Tyndale House Publishers)

God and Me! Volume 3, Ages 6-9, Kathy Widenhouse (Legacy Press)

Christian Education

Christian History Made Easy,
Timothy Paul Jones, Ph.D.
(Rose Publishing)

Finalist:

Living Fossils, Dr. Carl Werner (New Leaf Publishing Group)

Christian Living

Forgotten God, Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C. Cook)

Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, Dr. David Jeremiah (Thomas Nelson)

Finalists:

If God Is Good, Randy Alcorn (WaterBrook Multnomah)

Magnificent Obsession, Anne
Graham Lotz (Zondervan)

Church & Culture

2012, the Bible and the End of the World, Mark Hitchcock (Harvest House Publishers)

Finalists:

Just Do Something, Kevin DeYoung (Moody Publishers)

Vintage Church, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears (Crossway)

Evangelism

Evidence for the Resurrection, Josh and Sean McDowell (Regal Books)

Finalists:

Conquer Your Fear, Share Your Faith, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort (Regal Books)

The Unexpected Adventure, Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg (Zondervan)

Fiction (General)

The Missing, Beverly Lewis (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group)

Finalists:

The Centurion’s Wife, Davis Bunn and Janette Oke (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group)

Fireflies in December, Jennifer Erin Valent (Tyndale House Publishers)

Fiction (Mystery & Suspense)

Green, Ted Dekker (Thomas Nelson)

Finalists:

Boneman’s Daughters, Ted Dekker (Center Street)

Intervention, Terri Blackstock (Zondervan)

Fiction (Women’s)

A Lineage of Grace, Francine Rivers (Tyndale House Publishers)

Finalists:

Shades of Blue, Karen Kingsbury (Zondervan)

Take One, Karen Kingsbury
(Zondervan)

Health and Fitness

Eat This and Live!, Don Colbert, M.D. (Siloam/Strang Book Group)

Finalists:

Healthy Summer Living, First Place 4 Health (Gospel Light)

My True Reflection, Leigh-Ann
Brisbin (Bridge-Logos Foundation)

Personal Growth/Prayer

Uncommon, Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker (Tyndale House Publishers)

Finalists:

The Noticer, Andy Andrews (Thomas Nelson)

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, Stormie Omartian (Harvest House Publishers)

Relationships

The Love Dare Day by Day, Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick (B&H Books/B&H Publishing Group)

Finalists:

Have a New Husband by Friday, Dr. Kevin Leman (Revell/Baker Publishing Group)

This Momentary Marriage, John Piper (Crossway)

Social Issues

Inside the Revolution, Joel C.
Rosenberg (Tyndale House
Publishers)

Finalists:

The Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns (Thomas Nelson)

What Difference Do It Make?, Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

Women’s Nonfiction

His Princess Bride, Sheri Rose
Shepherd (Revell/Baker
Publishing Group)

Finalists:

Breaking the Worry Habit…Forever, Elizabeth George (Harvest House
Publishers)

“I’m Not Good Enough”…and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves, Sharon Jaynes (Harvest House Publishers)

Youth/Teen

A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices, Elizabeth George
(Harvest House Publishers)

Finalists:

Redefining Beautiful, Jenna Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

To Save a Life Novel, Jim and Rachel Britts (Outreach)

GIFTS

General Gift Product

Willow Tree: Close to Me, Susan Lordi (Demdaco)

Finalists:

Journal Line (DaySpring)

Moments of Faith Sculpture: Word of God #20121 (Lighthouse Christian Products)

Gift Book

Jesus Lives, Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson)

Finalists:

God’s Wisdom for Your Every Need: Deluxe Version, Jack Countryman (Thomas Nelson)

His Name Is Jesus, Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

Wall Décor

Moments of Faith Sculpture Plaque Eagle #11700 (Lighthouse Christian Products)

Finalists:

Faithful Servant #12462
(Carpentree)

Wedding Canvas #13118
(Glory Haus)

OTHER

Backlist

Love & Respect, Dr. Emerson
Eggerichs (Thomas Nelson)

Finalists:

Jesus Calling, Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson)

Same Kind of Different As Me, Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson)

Children’s Media

Saint Nicholas—A Story of Joyful

Giving DVD, VeggieTales (Big Idea)

Finalists:

Hermie & Friends: The Flo Show Creates a Buzz DVD, Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

Really Woolly Kids!: God’s Green Earth DVD (DaySpring)

DVD/Video:
Book/Bible Study

Crazy Love, Francis Chan
(David C. Cook)

Finalists:

Fearless DVD-based Study, Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson)

Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World DVD-based Study, Dr. David
Jeremiah (Thomas Nelson)

DVD/Video:
Movie

Fireproof (Provident Films)

Finalist:

The Perfect Gift (Balsiger
Enterprises)

Marketing/Promotion
Campaign

Share the Good News of Christmas (Crossway)

Finalists:

Sales Rescue Package
(Barbour Publishing)

The Word of Promise
Audio Bible, NKJV campaign
(Thomas Nelson)

Music

Come Alive, Mark Schultz
(Word Entertainment)

Finalists:

Love & War, BarlowGirl
(Word Entertainment)

The Outsiders, Needtobreathe
(Word Entertainment)

Spanish

Santa Biblia de studio
arquelogica, NVI (Zondervan)

Finalists:

En Armonia con Dios,
Charles F. Stanley (In Touch Ministries)

Pacto Matrimonial, John Piper
(Tyndale Español)

Vacation Bible School

High Seas Expedition
(Group Publishing)

Finalists:

Egypt: Joseph’s Journey
From Prison to Palace
(Group Publishing)

SonRock Kids Camp
(Gospel Light)

Promoting the prize winners

Retailers, help generate sales for your store by making customers aware of the Retailers Choice Award Winners 2010. To print copies of the winners’ list, go to
www.retailerschoiceawards.com.

Winning retailers

Retailers who voted in the Retailers Choice Awards 2010 poll were entered into a
random drawing to win a free selection of the nominated products. Winners are:

Tiffany Baird

Wellspring Parable Christian Store

Des Moines, Iowa

Jason Harden

IFL Publishing House

Plano, Texas

Teresia Osborne

The Salt Cellar

Lawton, Okla.

Janelle Pickering

Parable/Lemstone Christian Stores

of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Iowa

Georgia Rakestraw

Judy B & Company

Hiram, Ga.

Dan Shupe

Solid Rock Church Fireside Café & Bookstore

Monroe, Ohio

Examining exclusives

Written by Jim Seybert

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 01:31 PM America/New_York

Looking at the benefits of us-only products

An industry survey by Christian Retailing

Exclusive items are broadly popular among Christian retailers—as many as seven in 10 carry them—but not everyone agrees on their value or place in the Christian products market.

Shopper-prefs Our latest Vital Signs survey focused on items “available in one form or another at a particular store or group of stores and not available everywhere.” We discovered that three-fourths of stores affiliated with a chain, franchise or marketing group (76%) stock such items, as do 63% of non-affiliated stores.

We also learned about:

PURPOSE

Most retailers placed a higher value on the competitive benefits of exclusives than on the wider margins the items often provide. Almost two in three (60%) said that “making my store unique” was the number one reason they carried exclusives. Attracting shoppers who might otherwise shop elsewhere was the reason given by 30%, while just over one in four (27%) stocked exclusives because they provide “higher margins.”

Only a small number of stores (20%) told us that they used exclusives to boost average ticket totals. The vast majority of our respondents (78%) said they did not provide incentives or goals to encourage staff to sell exclusives.

PRODUCTS

There is a strong appetite for exclusive product. Slightly more than three-quarters of all retailers wanted “more,” and another 16% said the industry needed “many more” exclusives. Only one in seven wanted to see fewer.

store-scores The types of exclusives wanted varied between affiliated and non-affiliated stores. Those not part of any group, franchise or chain favored items “offered everywhere, but at a unique low price” (30%). Products created specifically for their group were preferred by 46% of affiliated retailers.

Non-affiliated outlets—many of them church stores—were twice as likely than affiliated stores to carry general market products with extra content added or offensive content removed. Almost one in five (19%) of non-affiliated stores would carry such items, while only one in 10 affiliated stores would carry extra-content items, and less than 1% wanted general market items with content removed.

PROGRESS

There was no consensus among retailers on the question of improving the value of exclusives, though “more help from suppliers” in the way of marketing material and product design was a common answer. Holding products from the Which-categories general market for a period of time was another.

A small number of retailers saw inequities in the way specific groups of affiliated stores and chains promoted their own branded items.

Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers received the highest praise for their exclusives—Nelson for its consistently aggressive pricing and Tyndale for its providing a constant supply of “CBA only” releases.

PROCESS

The purpose of Vital Signs is to explore some of the critical issues faced by the industry and to generate meaningful dialogue. When you speak with colleagues, here are some starter questions you might ask:

Would the value of exclusives increase if retailers would set sales goals and incentives for staff?

Are exclusives unfair to some—and if so, is that OK?

How do you let your shoppers know about exclusives in your store?

Jim Seybert is an author and consultant living in Arroyo Grande, Calif. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

WDYT

Soft hearts and sharp minds

Written by Production

Tuesday, 04 May 2010 01:07 PM America/New_York

You don’t find the title “Journalist” in the list of His names that includes Counselor and Prince of Peace, but Jesus would have made a great one.

andy-butcher-2010 He knew that the real heart of an issue couldn’t always be caught in stats and graphs, no matter how pretty they were made to look. That’s why He didn’t talk about world evangelism but told a story about the lost sheep.

Elsewhere in this issue we report on trends and studies that offer some encouragement to the Christian retail world, hinting at some bright prospects for the future. I’m jazzed by them, but what really has me pumped up on returning from The Gathering 2010, our own industry event, is not the numbers but the stories.

It’s the likes of Steve, Cathy, Joseph, Beverly, George and Bruce.

Steve is a longtime independent who has been around the block a few times, but is still enthusiastic about making Christian products available. At a time when other small business owners might be thinking about planning for retirement, he was at our event in Louisville, Ky., looking for new ways to differentiate his store and open to kicking around new ideas—like taking on the running of stores for local churches.

Cathy’s infectious, bouncing delight at being at an industry event for the first time could have been attributed to too much caffeine, but for the fact that she doesn’t touch the stuff—though she loves to serve it at the church café she oversees along with a bookstore, with her husband and son, making it a remarkable family ministry.

Joseph is a successful, savvy businessman who visibly choked up when he told how God led him and his wife out of a prosperous winery “into the Lord’s vineyard,” breathing new life into an historic branch of the Christian retail tree.

Then there was Beverly, who runs a church-based store founded to raise money that can be poured back into local missions efforts. She spoke about how she declined to operate a book table at a local event because she didn’t want to be seen to be in competition with the local independent who had been invited to be there, too.

George talked passionately about the need for retailers and suppliers to work together more closely—not ignoring the business realities that make different ones competitors in some regards, but acknowledging the greater truth, by which they are brothers and sisters, too.

It wasn’t just retailers, either. Bruce was there as a first-time author, less concerned about making a name for himself or big bucks than he was passionate about challenging accepted wisdom on truth and science—ready to give away copies of the book he had self-published (with high, full-color quality) to anyone who could help get it into other people’s hands.

I’m not telling you about these folks in the kind of mushy, after-conference glow that thinks everything is going to be just peachy from now on because we have spent a little time together away from the day-to-day grind. I have been around enough to know that mountaintop holy moments soon get tempered by encounters with grumblers, doubters and dissenters back in the valley.

We continue to face some big issues as an industry. And we certainly need to look at the hard facts. We need to apply our best, sharp minds to the challenges.

But we also need to be encouraged that, through the likes of these people and many more, our industry is in good hands—hands which are guided by soft hearts.

So while you are conducting business—in your store, at your office, at the International Christian Retail Show later this month, pay attention to the stats. But look and listen for the stories, too. And share yours, it might encourage someone else.

Harvest House founder: ‘An early champion of CBA’

Written by Production

Tuesday, 06 April 2010 09:23 AM America/New_York

R.H. “Bob” Hawkins Sr., the founder of Harvest House Publishers, who died Feb. 9, aged 87, was my closest and dearest friend over 40-plus years. I worked for him and with him. He was a client. But most of all he was a friend.

As a publisher, Bob had an incredible instinct for what would sell, what the title should be and who the author should be for a particular subject. And in seconds he could calculate the cost. He was an early champion of CBA. He contributed to the industry through the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) as a board member, chairman and one of the creators of the Gold Medallion Book Awards.

He and I would talk about our inadequacies—yet many others thought (that) we thought we had none, I guess. Well, we didn’t let those thoughts out in public, but in private—many late-night conversations—we would share them. Sometimes his wife, Shirley, would get so upset when Bob and I would argue back and forth over the industry, politics, a Bible passage or whatever. But good friends, who love each other, know how to disagree—agreeably.

Bob turned Harvest House over to his son, Bob Jr., early on, giving him plenty of time to get firmly in the saddle. No one at the time knew that Parkinson’s would take control of him, making this decision all the more important. The company has thrived under Bob Jr.’s leadership, and his father was proud of that.

I was honored to speak at Bob’s memorial service. Lloyd Ogilvie brought a heartwarming message, and many others spoke, including children and grandchildren.

Doug Ross

President emeritus, ECPA

Tempe, Ariz.

Thank you for the great article on Francis Chan in the March issue of Christian Retailing. I appreciated your thoughtful reporting on how David C. Cook is marketing and developing him.

Though you did not mention it in the article, I think it is interesting to note that Francis is not accepting any of the author royalties for the sales of Crazy Love—something he talks about on page 164 of Forgotten God. Instead, he has designated all the money to go to The Isaiah 58 Fund. It is stunning to think of the money he is gladly handing over to help the poor worldwide. Talk about someone who is joyfully living a “crazy” life for God.

Jana Muntsinger

McClure Muntsinger
Public Relations

Houston

Industry Roundtable: Music Sales

Written by Felicia Abraham

Monday, 05 April 2010 02:04 PM America/New_York

Are music sales still a viable category for Christian retailers, despite changes in the industry?

Listen in as Christian Retailing News Editor Eric Tiansay discusses music sales with independent Christian retailers:


Jeff Williams, co-owner of Bible Book Store in Victoria, Texas	Brenda Harrison, co-owner of Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Bedford	Charlotte Myrick, owner and manager of Baptist Bible & Book House in Laurel, Miss.

{mp3}Musicsalesedited{/mp3}

Riskey business

Written by Staff

Monday, 05 April 2010 11:55 AM America/New_York

I cheered when I learned of Curtis Riskey’s appointment as the new executive director of CBA, because the last thing that we need right now is someone who thinks they have all the answers.

This is not intended as a back-handed compliment. Fact is, if anyone stepped forward claiming that they had all the solutions to the challenges that our industry is facing, I would also expect them to be able to turn base metal into gold and leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Take social media, for instance. Everyone’s excited about the potential and talking about how it upends traditional marketing practices and there are all sorts of “experts” out there hawking their advice. Sure there are some great ideas, but does anyone really have it all figured out? I think not.

So, for me, Riskey’s main qualification for the new role is not that he knows all the answers, but that, more importantly, he knows about asking the right questions. It is something he has been recognized for from his earliest days in the Christian products world.

One colleague recalls being impressed by the insightful questions Riskey asked at the prospective retailers course he attended before opening his store in Oshkosh, Wis. I appreciated the same thing during the time Riskey spent as a member of Christian Retailing’s editorial advisory board.

Perhaps it’s because he came to Christian retailing towards the end of its fat-cow years, but he has always seemed open to re-evaluating the ways things are done and not afraid to review accepted wisdom.

And, my, do we ever need to be asking some hard questions—about the church’s place in a changing culture, about the long-term impact of the economic downturn, about what makes Christian retail distinctive, about the relationship between suppliers and retailers, about what the digital revolution is going to do to traditional business models and practices. How’s that for starters?

This is not to say that Riskey and CBA have no clue, of course. He arrived at the organization as strategic solutions executive and has been a part of recent initiatives that have shown CBA to be responding to needs.

But I am encouraged beyond the specifics of Riskey’s new role, too. I believe that it is part of the emergence of what is, for me, a more open-handed, more collaborative and, yes, even more humble, trade association.

It’s not uncommon for member organizations to grow to a point where they become central, rather than the members, and you seem to end up with the tail wagging the dog. Some CBA members felt that was what happened somewhat with the association during Christian retail’s boom season, as the association’s coffers and staff swelled.

We’re now in the thin-cow days, as CBA’s shrinking staff and recent decision to sell off its building underscore. CBA can no longer afford to be high and mighty, or to be seen that way.

Naming Riskey as executive director and dispensing with the president/CEO position addresses this perception, and the shift in management style also gives more of an important role to the chairman—at least publicly. Former chairmen may have done a lot behind the scenes, but they were best known out front for using a big pair of scissors to cut the ribbon at the CBA shows.

Chair-elect George Thomsen is just the right person for this new season. He is widely recognized for his business acumen, his integrity, his ministry focus. That he is a church bookstore manager respected by independents, some of whom still find the whole church bookstore scene a little irritating, is a plus, too.

I am hopeful that this new-look CBA will also help foster some greater cooperation and collaboration with other groups in the industry. There has been talk about the need for this in the past, of course, but this new alignment might help it actually go somewhere.

CBA needs support like never before, so let me encourage you to join if you are not a member—because you need CBA like never before. If your membership has lapsed, it’s a good time to give the organization another chance. Get behind CBA and it will be able to come alongside you. Or, maybe better yet, come alongside CBA and it will be able to get behind you.

Show Guide: Expolit 2010

Written by Christine D. Johnson

Monday, 05 April 2010 11:36 AM America/New_York

Trade show celebrates Spanish-language products

Participants from around the world will converge on Miami, May 13-18, for Expolit 2010, where convention-goers will participate in the largest trade show in the U.S. for Spanish-language Christian products.

Retailers, publishers, distributors and music label representatives active in the Christian products industry attend the convention, which draws about 3,500 people a day and is open to the public. Held at the Doubletree Miami Mart, the show has a wide international reach, drawing an average of 140 exhibitors from Latin America, Spain, England and Japan.

Marie-Tamayo2010 Encouraging retailers to attend even if they don’t speak Spanish, Marie Tamayo, vice president and director of Expolit, said the show is “the only place to know what’s happening in the Spanish Christian industry.”

For those who don’t speak Spanish, all of the show guides are bilingual, and many events, including the booksellers’ workshops, will be translated.

The $125 registration fee for the convention includes admission to all workshops, general sessions, the gala banquet and concerts. For accommodation, attendees can take advantage of a special rate at the Doubletree Miami Mart Airport Hotel and other select hotels. For more information, go to www.expolit.com.

ON THE SCHEDULE

The School for Booksellers, sponsored by the Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA), takes place Thursday. Workshops are geared to bookstore owners and managers and distributors.

The keynote speakers at the General Sessions are: Marco Barrientos (Aliento Producciones) and Alberto Delgado (Alpha and Omega); author and actor Kirk Cameron (Living Waters), speaking at Friday’s Opening Celebration; author and evangelist Luis Palau (Tyndale Español), speaking Saturday; Fernando Arau, offering a comedy show, “Marriage, A History of Science and Friction,” Sunday; Priscilla Shirer (B&H International), Monday; and pastor and author Cash Luna (Editorial Vida), speaking at Tuesday’s Closing.

Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Editorial Unilit and Focus on the Family Mundo Hispano will host a mini conference on the family with speakers including Jim Daly, Focus president; Sixto Porras, co-author of Focus on the Family’s Traigamos a los pródigos de regreso al hogar (Bringing Home the Prodigals); and Norma Pantojas, author of the Editorial Unilit titles Los 30 horrores que cometen las mujeres y cómo evitarlos (30 horrible mistakes women make and how to avoid them) and Los 30 horrores que cometen los hombres y que toda mujer debe saber (30 horrible mistakes men make and how to avoid them).

SEPA’s Gala Dinner and Awards will top off Sunday evening. Jentezen Franklin, pastor, best-selling author of El ayuno (Fasting, Casa Creación/Strang Book Group) and Bible teacher on his Kingdom Connection TV program, will be the featured speaker for the annual banquet.

WHAT’S NEW

Among several new events this year is Saturday’s One World Youth Challenge 2010, “an entire day dedicated to youth,” Tamayo said. “We’re bringing different speakers that will be a part of workshops only for youth, and we’ll close the day with a big concert at 10 p.m.” Some of the topics to be addressed are eating disorders, sexuality and campus evangelism, and the late-night concert will feature artists including Funky, Vertical, Julissa, D.C. Reto and La Tribu de Benjamín.

A three-hour conference on Christian coaching is scheduled for Saturday. Based on a system used in more than 10 countries, the conference, led by Héctor and Laura Teme, will provide tools for leadership training and personal development.

For three days, Oikos Latino will be on the schedule for the first time. A seminar dedicated to the cell church in Latin America, Oikos (Greek for “household”) sessions will take place Saturday, Monday and Tuesday with cell-church movement leaders participating: William Beckham, president of TOUCH Global Ministries; Ralph Neighbour, founder of TOUCH Outreach Ministries; Joel Comiskey, president and founder of Joel Comiskey Group, a resource ministry for the cell church movement; Roberto Lay, director of TOUCH Brazil; and Mario Vega, senior pastor of Elim Church in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Visit www.expolit.com for complete show schedule and exhibitors’ list.

Show highlights

Thursday, May 13

7:30-11:30 a.m. Sales Conference for Booksellers, sponsored by Alpha and Harvest/B&H International, North Ballroom

11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch and SEPA board meeting, Jacaranda

2:45-6:15 p.m. School for Booksellers, Hibiscus Ballroom

7-9:30 p.m. Trasmisión en Vivo, speaker Alberto Delgado with music by Marco Barrientos; sponsored by Enlace y Sus Amigos: Milton Valle Sonnus, East Hall

Friday, May 14

7:45-11:45 a.m. Sales Conference for Booksellers (by invitation only), Editorial Unilit, East Hall

12-2 p.m. Sales Conference for Booksellers (by invitation only), Editorial Patmos, North Ballroom

3-7 p.m. Exhibition hall open

7-9 p.m. Opening celebration, speaker Kirk Cameron (Living Waters), various sponsors, East Hall

9-11 p.m. Exhibition hall open

Saturday, May 15

7:45-9:45 a.m. Sponsored breakfast, Tyndale Español, North Ballroom

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Retornando el corazón al hogar (Turn Your Heart Toward Home), sponsored by Editorial Unilit and Focus on the Family Mundo Hispano, East Hall

10-11 a.m. Youth Challenge with Felix Parra, sponsored by One World 2010, Fashion 3 East

11 a.m.-noon Youth Challenge mini plenary, Junior Zapata and Miriam Bloise, sponsored by One World 2010, Fashion 3 East

3-7 p.m. Exhibition hall open

3:30-5 p.m. Sponsored reception (by invitation only), Editorial Vida, Fashion 3 East S1

7-10 p.m. General Session and Concert, speaker Luis Palau, East Hall

9-11 p.m. Exhibition hall open

10:30 p.m.-midnight Late-night concert for youth, East Hall

Sunday, May 16

8:30-noon Sponsored breakfast (by invitation only), Casa Creación, North Ballroom

Noon-5 p.m. Exhibition hall open

2-4 p.m. Family afternoon: “Marriage, A Story of Science and Friction,” Fernando Arau, East Hall

7-10 p.m. Gala Banquet and Awards, speaker Jentezen Franklin, Casa Creación, East Hall

Monday, May 17

8-10 a.m. Sponsored breakfast for pastors (by invitation only), Sociedad Bíblica Americana, South Ballroom

8-10 a.m. Sponsored breakfast (by invitation only), Mundo Hispano, North Ballroom

10 a.m.-1 p.m. Special music ministry event (by invitation only), East Hall

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Exhibition hall open

1-3 p.m. Sponsored luncheon (by invitation only), B&H International, North Ballroom

3:30-5 p.m. Sponsored reception (by invitation only), Editorial Vida, Fashion 3 East S1

5:30 p.m. Short Film: 22 Weeks

7-10 p.m. General Session, speaker Priscilla Shirer (B&H International), East Hall

9-11 p.m. Exhibition hall open

Tuesday, May 18

8-10 a.m. Annual membership breakfast, SEPA, Hibiscus

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Exhibition hall open

7-9 p.m. Closing General Session, speaker Cash Luna (Editorial Vida), East Hall

9-11 p.m. Exhibition hall open

Charismatic Publishing May 2010: A maturing market

Written by Staff

Monday, 05 April 2010 11:05 AM America/New_York

Opportunities broaden for charismatic book sales

Four years after celebrations to mark the centennial of the modern Pentecostal movement that has profoundly reshaped the church, its leaders are more concerned about looking forward than back.

While 2006 saw a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, international gatherings in the U.S. and Sweden this year look ahead to the challenges and opportunities facing the Spirit-filled community.

NineOclockMorning At the same time publishers serving the movement—which marks its own ruby anniversary this year—have been assessing their changing part and place, in conversation with Christian Retailing.

Several thousand attendees were expected April 8-10 at Empowered 21: Global Congress on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21st Century.

Central to the gathering were to be discussions on finding ways for “engaging new generations in Spirit-empowered living,” organizers said.

The event was to take place at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla., whose founder died last December, aged 91. One of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century, Roberts had a significant role in charismatic publishing, writing more than 130 books.

Participation in Empowered 21 reads like a who’s who of the contemporary Christian products world. The event’s leadership cabinet included authors such as Lisa Bevere, Jack Hayford, Mark Rutland, Vinson Synan and Samuel Rodriguez. Other members included worship music pioneer Michael Coleman, president of Integrity Media, and Mart Green, founder and president of the Mardel Christian and Education retail chain.

Among the keynote speakers and presenters were authors Kim Daniels, Dick Eastman, Lou Engle, Cindy Jacobs, Jentezen Franklin, David Shibley, artist Ron DiCianni and musicians Paul Baloche and Marcos Witt.

Meanwhile, Australian pastor and author Brian Houston—whose Hillsong Church in Sydney is home to the hugely influential Hillsong worship sound—is due to be one of the keynote speakers at the 22nd Pentecostal World Conference to be held in Stockholm, Sweden, Aug. 24-27.

The event is set to echo a concern of the Tulsa congress. “My passion for the Pentecostal movement is that we are prepared and ready to empower future generations,” said Houston. “While we honor the past, we want to live for today and build for tomorrow.”

Joining him in Stockholm will be other well-known authors including Hayford and evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.

BEYOND ‘SPECIAL INTEREST’

But as church leaders pray and plan, anyone setting out to assess the significance and impact of the Pentecostal movement and its charismatic offspring on Christian publishing would miss the point if they scanned only the special-interest category shelves where such titles have traditionally been placed in bookstores.

For while the space and prominence given to the section has expanded in most stores since Dennis Bennett’s groundbreaking Nine O’Clock in the Morning was first published in 1970 by Bridge-Logos, authors from the movement are increasingly found in other categories, too, as Spirit-focused publishers have also enlarged their territories.

BattlefieldOTM_2-mil Leading charismatic and Pentecostal authors like T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer and John Hagee regularly write on topics beyond core issues of the Spirit-filled life. Bridge-Logos Foundation and Whitaker House publish classics on holiness, while Strang Book Group’s Siloam dominates the Christian health and wellness area.

The three publishing houses were born out of the charismatic movement of the 1960s and 1970s which they and others agree has been largely mainstreamed since the early days when books about the Spirit-filled life were rejected by some stores.

“There seems to have been a blending of certain aspects of the charismatic movement into other denominations or parts of the church,” observed Rolf Zettersten, vice president and publisher at Hachette Group USA’s Christian imprint, FaithWords.

That view is born out by a 2008 report by the Barna Group that found significant Pentecostal and charismatic growth in the previous decade. Americans who identified themselves as such had increased in 10 years from 30% to 36%—or around 80 million adults—according to the study, while one in four Protestant churches was charismatic.

Charismatic- and Pentecostal-style congregations feature heavily in the annual list of largest American churches compiled by Outreach magazine, with Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, ranking No. 1 for 2009.

The growth is not limited to independent churches like Osteen’s. The U.S. Assemblies of God (AG) reported membership gains for the ninth successive year in 2009, overtaking the Presbyterian Church (USA) to become the ninth largest denomination in the country.

The AG’s rise was reported in the National Council of Churches’ 2010 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, whose editor, Eileen W. Lindner, noted: “American church membership trends have defied gravity, particularly when the Pentecostal experience is included.”

That greater openness to charismatic belief and practice has meant that “the lines have continued to blur” in publishing, said Zettersten. These days, “a lot of charismatic authors don’t want to be identified as being ‘charismatic’ authors because they say that is restricting them to a smaller audience,” he added.

At retail, Zettersten observed, “charismatic books aren’t considered special interest any more, they are part of the Christian Living category. They really have gone mainstream as far as the booksellers are concerned.”

As a result, sales data does not tell the whole story. “Many authors who historically might have been categorized in ‘Charismatic’ are now finding their titles in ‘Christian Life,’ ‘Inspirational’,” said said Michael Covington, information and education director for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).

A BROADER AUDIENCE

The mainstreaming has meant some adapting. At Regal Books, “we work with the author to state things in a way that would be broadly acceptable to the reading audience,” said President Bill Greig III. “We work with them to use language that is more widely acceptable; we would use biblical language, quite frankly.”

As the trade book division of historic curriculum publisher Gospel Light, Regal took some heat when it “kind of fell into” publishing books by the likes of C. Peter Wagner and Neil T. Anderson in the 1990s. “We had retailers and distributors saying, ‘Are you turning charismatic?’ and my answer was always, ‘No, we are are for the whole church; we want to publish great books,’” Greig said.

Despite the mainstreaming, publishers agreed that there is still a place for a specific category for some charismatic titles. “There are ways to communicate certain subjects in a broader, less ghetto-izing or arcane way,” said Jane Campbell, editorial director at Baker Publishing Group’s Chosen Books.

“Other subjects, however, are still more sensitive or a little harder hitting.”

Jonathan Nori, COO at Destiny Image Publishers, noted that “many of today’s ‘charismatics’ were not even around when the movement began and don’t identify themselves as such.” However, that did not mean moving away from issues core to the movement, he added.

“Those ‘core issues’ are where we have found the most success,” he said. “If someone isn’t interested in a book about speaking in tongues, they won’t buy it. But someone interested in that subject? They don’t want a message that’s been watered down to try and make it more ‘palatable’ to those who disagree.”

Wrestling-with-Alligators Some core charismatic titles have found acceptance beyond their expected constituency. John Eckhardt’s 2008 Prayers That Rout Demons has been “embraced across the board,” said Tessie DeVore, vice president of Strang Communications’ Strang Book Group. Along with Prayers that Break Curses, released in January, it has been successful “even in surprising markets like the Catholic one.”

Strang Communications founder and CEO Steve Strang underscored that the charismatic movement—for which he launched Charisma magazine in 1975—has produced a market hungry for more than just “real narrow, special-interest books.”

Strang, whose company also publishes Christian Retailing magazine, said: “The Spirit-filled community has affected the church in lots of ways. It has encouraged Christians to pursue greater intimacy with Jesus, closer study of the Word and believing it, quite literally. There has been standing for biblical values, worship and prayer and the presence of God—all these areas have been heavily influenced by the charismatic movement.”

Whitaker House Vice President Bob Whitaker Jr. also noted how the charismatic movement has had an indirect spillover impact in publishing.

PrayersThatBreakCurses “What I find interesting in the bookselling world is that charismatic readers are much more apt to pick up another author, even knowing that they might have a bias against the gifts of the Spirit,” he said, “whereas a more fundamentalist reader wouldn’t even think about picking up a book by a known charismatic, even if it is not on that subject.”

With a new generation of charismatics and Pentecostals emerging, backlist titles that address foundational truths of the movement remain strong. Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind, first published in 1995, was the top-selling charismatic title of 2009 according to the ECPA’s PubTrack Christian sales charts. A sequel, Power Thoughts, is due from FaithWords later this year.

Meyer was also last year’s top-selling charismatic PubTrack Christian author, just ahead of Joel Osteen. But in third place was Smith Wigglesworth, the British Pentecostal pioneer who died in 1947, while at No. 8 on the list was Kenneth E. Hagin, who died in 2003.

Faith Library Publications (FLP), which Hagin founded, is different from most other charismatic publishers in not having diversified beyond its core audience. “We believe that there are still people out there in all markets that need to hear the word of faith taught, so our goal is to get it out to as many people as possible,” said Brian Cumberland, FLP manager.

In the final quarter of 2009, for the first time “after years of trying,” the publisher had four titles accepted by Barnes & Noble. A book signing in Tulsa—FLP’s home—for a title by Hagin’s son, Kenneth W. Hagin, saw more than 400 sales.

CHANGING EMPHASES

Topics and trends have changed through the years. In the early days there was an emphasis on first-person narratives like Bennett’s Nine O’Clock in the Morning (Bridge-Logos), Pat Boone’s A New Song (Creation House) and Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place (Chosen).

As the market became “glutted” with such accounts, the company and others “found a much more receptive market for expositional ‘teaching’ books,” Chosen’s Campbell noted. Prayer and spiritual warfare were a major focus, followed by prophecy and dreams.

More recently, Chosen has returned to releasing two or three first-person “memoir” books a year, “having a great time with them and enjoying hearing how they are connecting with readers,” Campbell said.

Early works are finding a new audience, too; Bridge-Logos sold 18,000 copies of Nine O’Clock in the Morning last year.

ItsYourTime In addition to the greater openness of stores to Pentecostal and charismatic belief, Zettersten said that he saw another factor at play in stores’ embracing the movement and its authors. “There is an economic reality that if you are going to sell Christian books, you can’t ignore one of the largest categories in that market,” he said.

“Given how hard it is for booksellers these days, particularly the independents, I think they take a look at these authors and realize there’s nothing in there that’s offensive and they won’t jeopardize anyone’s faith because they sell those books.”

At Destiny Image, Nori observed that “most bookstores have recognized that those who are ‘hungry’ and identify with the ‘charismatic movement’ make excellent repeat customers.”

Pentecostal and charismatic authors are driving a significant part of many publishers’ international growth. Destiny Image and Whitaker House had two of the largest display booths at Marketsquare International, the winter event for overseas buyers held in Atlanta in January.

“Our sales have remained strong, particularly internationally—that’s where the church growth is,” Whitaker said. Destiny Image also saw “a growing demand for charismatic titles internationally, both in English and translations, Nori said.

FLP’s Cumberland predicted continued growth across all markets. “I have always thought that the charismatic movement was just a return to things that were certainly occurring in the book of Acts,” he said. “I don’t see that is supposed to stop or it has.”

Whitaker agreed: “The truth continues to sell. You really can’t change God’s Word, but you can try to present it in a fresh way.”

pie-chart

Top 10 publishers’ Pentecostal and charismatic market share, 2009

Strang Book

Group 22%

Destiny Image Publishers 16%

Whitaker House 16%

Harrison House Pu

blishers 10%

FaithWords 9%

Simon & Schuster 8%

Baker Publishing Group 5%

Faith Library Publications

Gospel Light Publications 2%

Thomas Nelson 2%

Based on ECPA PubTrack Christian data for 2009

Subcategories

Page 20 of 27

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Subcategories