Christian-Themed Books Once Stumbled Into the Mainstream, Now Publishers Are Plotting

The Prayer of Jabez from Multnomah Publishers sold two million copies in Christian bookstores before mainstream retailers took the title seriously, and it wasn't until Tyndale's Left Behind series produced four Christian Booksellers Association bestsellers that secular stores caught up and recognized the books' potential.

Now, emboldened by the knowledge that the couches of Barnes & Noble and the aisles of Wal-Mart are filled with customers hungry for books with an evangelical message, Christian publishers are filling their lists with books aimed specifically at the mainstream market. The days of breaking a title in the CBA market and praying for crossover success are over, they say.

Broadman & Holman of Nashville, for example, will release a political novel by Oliver North next year -- said to be in the tradition of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy, except the hero is a born-again Christian -- hoping to capitalize on the widespread popularity of the genre and the Iran-Contra protagonist's name recognition. ''I will go after the ABA (American Booksellers Association) market in a huge way because I see the potential of that product being more ABA than CBA,'' said B&H vice president of marketing John Thompson.

Among those publishers seeking to compete with the Left Behind series' mainstream success, Warner Books' new Christian line has the advantage. In September, it will release the novel Hometown Legend, written by Left Behind co-author Jerry Jenkins.
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The size of the series' success -- as well as that of Jabez and its follow-up title, Secrets of the Vine, which seem to be immovable from the top two spots on the hardcover miscellaneous New York Times bestsellers list -- took everyone by surprise. Everyone but Christian publishers, that is. ''I think it confirms in our thinking the fact that you can't take it for granted that Christian readers never inhabit ABA stores,'' Thompson said.

Or, as Raab put it: ''CBA shoppers are now shopping in the chains like the rest of us.''

At Zondervan of Grand Rapids, Mich., the migration to mainstream sales has been going on for years. A decade ago, Zondervan got 80 percent of its sales from CBA stores and the rest from everywhere else. Now, Christian bookstores make up about half of Zondervan's sales, said Cris Doornbos, executive vice president of sales. Publishers are adjusting to the shift by changing their sales and marketing strategies.
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The decision to position a book for mainstream success determines promotional tactics, including which media to go after, and even which reviews they choose to tout. Catering to secular booksellers at BookExpo America this spring, Eerdmans Publishing Co, also based in Grand Rapids, included a review from the New York Times of C.S. Lewis's collection of essaysGod in the Dock in its promotional material, but left out praise for the book from the Christian media. When marketing the book to CBA buyers, the publisher uses those sources, however, knowing that the Times wouldn't carry as much clout, said vice president of sales and marketing Samuel Eerdmans.
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Praise the Lord: Christian-Themed Books Once Stumbled Into the Mainstream, Now Publishers Are Plotting

Behemoths like Warner Books are seeing the value in works with religious themes, while Christian publishers are tailoring their marketing to pursue crossover dreams. Plus: a guide to upcoming titles that should break through.