‘Jeremiah Study Bible,’ John Hagee lead with strong sales

Worthy Publishing Group (WPG) grew 84% in 2013 versus its already strong start of 64% growth from 2011 to 2012. In the company’s first full year of business, its list of trade books, along with new releases from imprints Ellie Claire, WorthyKids and Inspired, helped WPG establish an aggressive growth profile for the young publishing house.

WPG released The Jeremiah Study Bible right before Thanksgiving, shipping more than 140,000 copies at launch. The release was celebrated by a sell-out crowd at an event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring David Jeremiah, MercyMe, Kari Jobe and The Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers. This month, Dr. Jeremiah and the Worthy team celebrated a milestone achievement as The Jeremiah Study Bible hit No. 1 on the CBA best-seller chart.

“The enthusiastic support from LifeWay, Family Christian, Barnes & Noble, CBD [Christian Book Distributors], Walmart and so many others is deeply appreciated,” said Worthy President and Publisher Byron Williamson in a Feb. 3 statement. “At the current rate of sale, Dr. Jeremiah’s study Bible will soon surpass 300,000 in print.”

John Hagee’s Four Blood Moons, which had more than 375,000 copies in print by early February, became a New York Times best-seller shortly after its October release.

“Pastor Hagee’s book has captured readers’ imaginations with its message that ‘something is about to change’ on this earth,” Williamson said.

The coming series of four lunar eclipses predicted by NASA are signs from the heavens of things to come, according to Hagee.

Worthy titles slated for release in 2014 include books from authors including Jeremiah, Ted Dekker, Ralph Reed, Bob Coy, Les and Leslie Parrott, Bob Buford, Rudy Rasmus and Stephen Mansfield.

WorthyKids, a new division of WPG, recently signed an expanded publishing deal with DreamWorks Animation for additional rights to VeggieTales. New titles will be releasing throughout the year.

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