Talking points on some of today's big issues from industry insiders

From the growth of other retail channels selling inspirational products to the rise of digital publishing, the Christian products world continues to face major challenges and change.

We asked a selection of industry figures for their thoughts on and involvement with some of the big issues and trends:

• What do you believe to be the most important trend in Christian publishing?

• When were you last in a Christian retail store and why?

• What can Christian stores do to better differentiate themselves from other channels selling Christian products?

• Do you own an e-book reader, and if so, what kind and what are you currently reading on it?

• How have you been able to use social media effectively in your work?

ALLEN ARNOLD | Senior vice president and publisher-fiction, Thomas Nelson

Trend: An exciting trend in terms of what's selling is how compelling content outranks the selling power of marquee names. The days of customers buying every book from author x just because author x has written a zillion books and is a well-known personality are vanishing. Much of today's freshest, most exciting content is coming from new voices crying out from the wilderness.

Store visit: I frequent Christian bookstores about once a month. Last month I was in a local Christian bookstore to buy a family gift–and of course, to check out the growing Christian fiction section.

E-reader: Within our offices, we have access to the Kindle, iPad and Sony Reader.

DAN BALOW | Publisher, Oasis Audio

Store visit: Over a year ago. I regularly work in the large store in our church. There are no other Christian retailers within five miles.

Differentiation Focus on local preferences. Find out what people want in your area and give it to them. Don't retail in a vacuum.

E-reader: A Kindle. The Bible and various business titles.

STEVE BECKER | Executive vice president of marketing, Bridge-Logos Foundation

Trend: I believe the most important trend in Christian publishing surprisingly isn't the e-book but the trend to move to be stores of just best-sellers, gifts and music. I think it means tough choices for small publishers and will actually end up as bad for the stores that go that way.

Differentiation: Continue to sell a more comprehensive line up than Wal-Mart. I also feel that the gap between our stores and our churches has to be bridged. Our pastors need to see these stores as the ministries they are. We should make them the social centers of our communities with events, and counseling. Some drug stores now have a nurse that will tell you what medicine you should get if you are sick. What a great outreach for a pastor. Another area is homeschoolers—they are in every community and growing in number.

E-reader: Most of my work is done on a laptop. I would never read another book if I had to do it on an e-book reader. It's just not my thing.

MICHAEL COVINGTON | Information and education director, Evangelical Christian Publishers Association

Store visit: I last visited a Christian store in November to look for advent-specific books for my two boys. Phoenix is a sprawling valley with over 6 million people, and very few Christian retailers have survived near our home. We do our best to patronize the one store that is left when we have a need that they can meet.

Differentiation: What stores should really be seeking is to do something different that adds value for the shopper, something that will make them decide to go to a Christian store instead of somewhere else.

To do this they need to be intimately familiar with their community. Community could be defined as small as a church congregation or a neighborhood or as large as a metropolitan area. I believe this is evidenced best by looking at the store where I used to work. Tammy Garner has owned The Master's since 1986, and in those 24 years she has married the store to the community. Not only does she lead within the four walls of the Master's, but she is involved in civic government, non-profit board work, community business groups (i.e. Rotary), church and parachurch ministry work and more.

E-reader: I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and almost exclusively read my books on it now. I am hoping to soon have an iPad as well. I am just beginning to read Linchpin by Seth Godin.

Social media: I have been using Twitter since the very beginning and have enjoyed getting to know many people both personally and professionally that I might not have otherwise. I have also used both Facebook and LinkedIn quite prolifically. I see social media as a way of building community. I have found more than once that relationships established through these platforms have led to great friendships and partnerships.

PAMELA DAVIS | President, Davis Marketing

Store: Just the other day. I was reviewing their gift assortment.

Differentiation: Never forget the reason we are here and offer something for everyone. We tend to overlook that teen/college and career age shopper.

E-reader: I do not have an e-book reader, although I am considering purchasing one. I'm currently reading a Ted Dekker book; I love it, but it's a little eerie.

Social media: I love Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It keeps me apprised of trends; and keeps my company in the forefront of potential customers.

MARY DEMUTH | Author

Trend: The emergence of digital content, as it is rocking the entire publishing industry. The key will be to look at the trend as something truly beneficial to the Kingdom of God and to the industry. Just think about how digital content crosses borders with ease.

Store visit: Last month. My church has a bookstore, so it's convenient to go there if I need any resources.

Differentiation: Provide a unique experience, not necessarily limited to merchandising. Creating a haven, a destination, a party/concert venue will broaden the appeal and make the place a vital piece of the community.

ROB EAGAR | President, Wildfire Marketing

Trend: I believe that the changes in technology are actually usurped by the fact that authors must carry a larger marketing responsibility than ever before. To succeed in the current marketplace, authors have to be more than just good writers, they must be good marketers.

Store visit: I visited a Christian store last month just to browse their book selection.

Differentiation: Christian stores need to offer a wider selection of Christian books. Many times, it seems like the general market stores have just as many Christian book titles available along with all of their other product categories. This makes a general market store feel more like a one-stop shop, which appeals to consumers.

If a Christian store is going to maximize their segment, they have to be seen as experts on religious book subjects and offer a wider selection. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening in many stores today. Less floor space seems dedicated to books while more floor space is given to music, greeting cards, apparel, and Christian souvenirs. I know those other items may be more profitable, but that's one reason why the general stores are gaining market share in Christian books.

EVA MARIE EVERSON | Author

Store visit: A couple of months ago. I was there for a book signing; I stuck around to buy a book. But in all fairness, I rarely visit bookstores at all. As a Christian writer I have enough books to read to last me a lifetime.

Differentiation: I wish I could find a Christian bookstore with WiFi, a coffee shop set up for meetings or just reading, getting my work done... Maybe even a reference section that is made up of used books that folks share from their personal libraries. Would Jesus visit such a store? Sure He would. In His day, towns and villages had places where the men gathered to discuss the Scriptures or to debate the laws of God and women had a common courtyard for cooking, talking, maybe sharing a recipe or two.

ALTON GANSKY | Author

Trend: The most dramatic change has been in the “gender shift” among authors. A casual glance through almost any CBA catalog shows a preponderance of female authors. Nothing wrong in that. Women have always been significant contributors to the industry and should remain so. The concern comes in the loss of male writers writing for men. The trend makes sense since estimates show 80% of purchases made in a Christian bookstore are made by women. But what of Christian male readers? One wonders if they've been written off.

Store visit: It has been a while. In my case, I live in a semi-rural area and there are no Christian bookstores of size. What bookstores do exist in my area carry very few books, especially fiction. I often travel to San Diego and frequent a wonderful store there.

Differentiation: People want convenience and information. Compare the shopping experience of buying a book on Amazon to that of an in-store purchase. It takes a few days for the Amazon book to arrive. A bookstore can deliver it immediately. Would over-the-phone purchases work? Would delivering books like pizzas be worthwhile? I don't know.

E-reader: I own the first edition of the Kindle reader and I love it. I read books purchased from Amazon, but I can also send manuscripts I'm reviewing to it. I also read on my iPhone, something I expected to be tiresome and unfulfilling. I was wrong. It reads far better than I imagined.

JEFF GERKE | Publisher, Marcher Lord Press

Trend: We are in the age of the independent publisher and the niche market. As mainstream Christian publishers focus more and more on their bull's-eye target demographic, especially in fiction, they exclude more and more people. Not every Christian in America wants to read bonnet-and-buggy fiction, after all.

Store visit: It was last year sometime, when I wanted to buy a Christian music CD for my wife and needed it right then. I haven't found a reason to go into one myself in probably four years, and then it was just to buy a nonfiction book I had to have that day. I do my book and music buying online.

Differentiation: Realize that the old way is gone and isn't coming back. See it as an opportunity to reinvent yourself and embrace innovations. I like Christian novelist Stephanie Grace Whitson's idea to have a bookstore with a print-on-demand machine in the back. Shoppers browse a computer catalog to select the books they want, then sit in overstuffed chairs sipping lattes and listening to music while their books are printed in the back. The store doesn't have to worry about inventory on the shelves or returns or not having what the customer wants. It's all there in the catalog and can be printed up in minutes.

ROBBIE HALSTEAD | President, Kingdom Retail Solutions

Trend: I believe the most important trend in publishing currently is e-book technology. Like anything new, it may take a while for others to grasp on to it and to accept it. As the prices of the readers continue to drop, sales will improve. But I believe it will revolutionize not only the publishing of books, but the selling thereof. I believe publishers, if they have not already, should be mindful of how this technology could affect the standalone stores and work to partner with them in making sure this technology drives more business to their local store and not away.

Differentiation: Service and selection. Christian bookstores should stand out from all businesses as a example of excellent service. We should be demonstrating the love of God in our stores, and as a result there should be nothing but great service. Part of great service is being able to have the selection of products that customers want in their stores so as to not drive them to those other channels.

Social media: I have found great success in using social media, particularly through the use of Facebook and LinkedIn. Not only have I been able to pick up additional business that I know I otherwise would not have had, I also been able to connect with the larger Christian retail industry.

KAREN KINGSBURY | Author

Store visit: A month ago for a book signing. I love visiting Christian bookstores, meeting with readers and then praying with the staff before I leave. I always wish I had longer to shop.

Differentiation: It must feel to the reader like they are walking into a church setting, almost. The music and frontliners and merch displays must be pleasing, the atmosphere warm and friendly. I sometimes see Christian bookstores as today's malt shops. Stores should be a destination-driven location—meaning involve your readers in weekly events . . . scrapbooking nights, mom's night out (with goodie bags). Celebrate! Make the customers look forward to hanging out together at your store!

E-reader: I don't own one—but I'm getting an iPad.

Social media: Social media is everything to me. I love my readers, and I'm on Facebook every day. For me, the readers are my friends, and I know many of them by name. I pray for them all daily. Facebook gives me a virtual living room where I can meet with my readers whenever I'd like . . . it feels like having 50,000 friends over.

STEVE LAUBE | President, The Steve Laube Agency

Trend: In fiction I have been encouraged by the continued diversity in publisher's acquisitions. While “romance” is king, a great story can still get a chance. In non-fiction there has been a concerted push by publishers to acquire only those authors with a built-in audience of some sort. This is especially hard for the debut writers who have enormous talent and insight but have yet to construct a personal following.

Store visit: A month or so back, while traveling on business, I visited a local Christian store to observe their layout, featured products and whether our client's books were in stock. The results were mixed. A front-of-store cardboard display was empty of product which was good for store sales, but signaled a buyer that was much too conservative (“stack ‘em high and watch ‘em fly” vs. “keep it low and they won't go”). Since I did not own that item they missed out on selling one to me.

Differentiation: Personal service and community building. The competition isn't always the online channels. Sometimes it is simply those outlets that choose the top 10 titles to display. Thus product knowledge and personal relationships are the key to customer retention.

AARON LINNE | Executive producer and digital marketing manager, B&H Publishing Group

Trend: The acceptance of technological advancements. Now, more than ever before, Christian publishers and retailers have multiple, dynamic opportunities to listen to the needs of readers and book-buyers. Instead of just creating content and hoping it meets a need, we're able to listen directly to the needs, experiences, and excitement of real, actual people.

Differentiation: Over time, a customer should become like a trusted friend and the store a safe haven to share their burdens. Why couldn't a store manager also lead a Bible study—open to anyone—in the store itself? Why couldn't there be a table and chairs for customers and employees to share and disciple one another? In essence, if I had to say what is the one, most important thing that a Christian store can do to better differentiate themselves from other channels selling Christian products it would be one thing: the opportunity to prayer with your customers.

E-reader: I currently own three e-readers. On my Kindle DX, I just finished ReWork by the guys who run 37signals.com. On my Barnes & Noble Nook I am reading through Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana. And on my Apple iPad I've been reading the HCSB Bible through Olive Tree's Bible Reader app.

Social media: Social media is of the utmost importance for B&H Publishing Group. It has enabled us to deepen relationships with our readers, retail partners, and authors. It's a great synergy to know that our readers are wanting to know what we have planned, what contests are going on and—most importantly—how our books have helped change their lives.

ELDON MEYER | District manager, Concordia Publishing House

Trend: Electronic books, iPad. ... Buying a new title is almost instantaneous and without travel and in-store hassle.

Store visit: Three weeks ago, making sales calls.

Differentiation: Personal service and product knowledge. The local store must know the church market they serve: Which translation each church uses, details that assist the walk-in consumer.

KIN MILLEN | Sales manager, Noble Marketing

Differentiation: Observe retailers in other sectors to get ideas for merchandising, pricing, and frontliner practices. Managers should be watching national brands like Nordstrom, The Gap, Kohls, Apple Stores, Office Depot and others. Next, observe Barnes & Noble for display ideas to apply to store entry area, checkout area, back-of- the-store, audio book area, greeting cards, fiction, children's books and seating. Make sure your store is as appealing to men as well as women, and to young people from 18-30 and teens.

E-reader: Owned a Kindle for 12 months. Plan on buying an iPad.

KIM PETTIT | Director, Christian Trade Association International

Store visit: Today, I visited Challenge Bookshop in Accra, Ghana. It was a humbling experience to see how dedicated our brothers and sisters are to getting God's word out in difficult circumstances. One place we visited had no power this morning. Try doing business with limited internet access, intermittent electricity, a 10,000-mile supply chain and books that are out of reach for a majority of the population. We need to be more diligent in praying for one another in this ministry.

Differentiation: Offer what other channels cannot: excellent service that highlights our commitment to a mutual faith. As the Spirit leads, offer to pray for customers then and there.

NELSON SABA | Founder and CEO, Immersion Digital (Glo Bible)

Trend: I believe digital publishing platforms, like the iPad and other tablet readers, are the most important trend in Christian publishing and the industry as a whole. They represent the next wave of technology and are one of the most dynamic opportunities for publishers to expand the reach of their content.

Store visit: My last visit to a Christian store was about a month ago to check out the latest in Christian music and to shop for biblical reference materials.

E-reader: Yes, I just recently received my iPad and I love using it to read periodicals. Newspapers, and especially magazines, are so crisp and colorful on the display.

Social media: The key is to identify what you have to offer your customers and then interact with them in a way that is transparent and helpful. Social media provides an invaluable opportunity to dialogue with your customers.

SHERRY M. WHITE | Senior buyer, American Wholesale Book Co.

Store visit: I was in Mardel's in mid-April and, of course, in the Faith sections of Books-A-Million every week.

Differentiation: Be creative with pricing—the customer is looking for value—find ways of offering items that really share value with the customer.

E-reader: I have a Sony Reader, but nothing is on it—I have not moved into that world yet. I still like the feel and experience of a book in hand.

Social media: To some degree. On the Internet daily and, of course, e-mails.

ADRIANNA WRIGHT | Publicity manager, InterVarsity Press

Store visit: I think I was in a Christian store attempting to find non-sappy-religiously-appropriate Christmas cards last year.

Differentiation: Really, really know their products and be able to help customers find what they are looking for (or possibly something comparable).

Social media: I use Facebook and Twitter personally and for work. It's a great way to stay connected and make new connections.

MORE: To read an extended version of this article, click here.