It appears that as long as people are busy, audiobooks and audio Bibles will be a good bet for Christian retailers.

Audiobook sales were estimated at $923 million in 2006, up 6% from the previous year, according to the 2007 Audio Publishers Association Sales Survey. Listeners who commute or who are otherwise engaged drive audio sales, said Michele Lee Cobb, Audio Publishers Association (APA) president.

"People are looking for ways to maximize their time. ... Now it's going beyond just listening to audiobooks in cars. People listen while they're gardening, folding laundry, data entry, you name it," Cobb said.

Among Christian suppliers who have tuned in to the market is Zondervan, whose Inspired By... The Bible Experience audio Old Testament won two Audies awards this year from the APA and is the company's single fastest-selling Bible.

Meanwhile, Recorded Books, a division of library and educational publisher Haights Cross Communications, also saw success at this year's Audies. Its River Rising by Athol Dickson (Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group) and read by Dion Graham won in the Inspirational/Faith-Based Fiction category.

Dan Balow, publisher with Oasis Audio based in Carol Stream, Ill., said: "My advice to a retailer: If you want to get into audio, look at what your top 25-selling print titles are, and bring in the audio version. Print best-sellers make for audio best-sellers."

Read the full report in the July 7 issue of Christian Retailing International.

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