Authors Avenue, Lifestyle Stories will be part of retail show; author Max Lucado to speak at worship service

CBA will launch several new initiatives this summer at the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS), including two major outreach efforts by best-selling author Max Lucado and renowned evangelist Billy Graham. ICRS will be held June 23-26 in St. Louis. 

Christian retailers are expected to have opportunities to participate in the two projects, which are “expected to include a massive outreach for faith and evangelism,” CBA said.

Lucado will be the main speaker of the Worship Him service at ICRS, and his newest book, You’ll Get Through This, will be released by Thomas Nelson in September. On Oct. 15, the new subsidiary of HarperCollins Christian Publishing will publish Graham’s The Reason for My Hope: Salvation, the centerpiece of a campaign by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to mobilize millions of Christians.

Another CBA initiative is the Authors Avenue area, where retailers can connect with established and new authors. Meanwhile, the ICRS Film Showcase will highlight new and forthcoming Christian films and DVD releases, while presenting information on the growth of Christian media.

“Christian media has a great opportunity and responsibility in reflecting the values of faith and the spiritual dimensions of people,” said CBA President Curtis Riskey. “We want to highlight film media as a critical tool in communicating what Christianity is really about.” 

Additionally, a special Lifestyle Stories exhibit will present five Christian customer types to highlight how lifestyle merchandising contributes to store environment and enhancing customer experience that cannot be duplicated via online shopping.

The Fair Trade in Action area will spotlight how fair trade and missional products contribute to economic development in countries where people can be victims of slavery, sex trafficking and addictions.

“Christian stores are all about mission and service, and these new approaches to ministry help impoverished people escape social ills, trafficking and slavery through economic development,” said Riskey. “As consumers increasingly make patronage decisions based on what the store is about and what it supports, Christian stores are expanding their ministry efforts in local communities and around the globe.” 

For more information on ICRS, visit www.christianretailshow.com.

Expolit ‘going to be bigger and better’ with wide variety of events in Miami as the industry reaches out to the Hispanic world

Organizers of the largest trade show in the U.S. for Spanish-language Christian products will launch several new initiatives this month, including a media summit, inspirational short film competition, photo contest, leadership seminars and more free products.

Running May 2-5 at the Doubletree Hotel & Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami, the 21st annual Expolit convention, which is open to the general public, is expected to draw more than 3,200 daily attendees.

“It’s going to be bigger and better,” Expolit spokesperson Marie Tamayo told Christian Retailing. “We’re starting up new things this year to show that Expolit is for everybody, not just well-known speakers or artists. It’s more of a fair than a trade show.”

But some big names will be there. General session speakers include Stormie Omartian, Tony Evans, Jonathan Cahn, Nicky Cruz and Lee Grady.

Capitalizing on the 350-plus Spanish media representatives who usually attend Expolit, the Hispanic Media Summit will be held May 1, a day before the event starts. The summit is being organized by ComunicadoresUSA, a National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) support group for Hispanic broadcasters. The keynote speaker for the summit will be veteran TV and film producer Phil Cooke. 

Hispanics are “bicultural and bilingual, and as skilled as anyone with the social media,” said Christian Broadcasting Network News Senior Producer and NRB board member Stan Jeter, who serves as ComunicadoresUSA’s president. “We want to give their pastors training tools, so they can turn their youth into a media-savvy force for evangelism and discipleship.”

Another Expolit initiative is the Christian Film Festival Miami, in which $10,000 will be awarded by the video production company Yes He Is on May 4.

“We’re encouraging churches to create and enter their short films, and use them to evangelize,” Tamayo said.

Meanwhile, the Expo Photo Contest, sponsored by Intentional Traveler, offers attendees the opportunity to submit online inspirational photos.

“The photos must be of the street where you live, and they must be beautiful, inspirational,” Tamayo said. “People can vote online on the photos on Expolit’s website.”

The show will also feature a follow-up to the Leadership of the American Congress’ Passing the Torch seminar at last year’s Expolit, which drew prominent Spanish Christian leaders. The Women’s Passing the Torch seminar is expected to draw Spanish Christian women leaders, said Tamayo, noting that a men’s Passing the Torch seminar will be offered.

In an effort to boost attendance from the general public, discounts and product giveaways will be offered to all attendees. 

“Exhibitors have teamed up with Expolit to give away books and gifts at the show,” Tamayo said. “In order to increase registration, we want to attract the local public. For the first time at Expolit, anyone who registers will receive free products and discounts on products by going to specific exhibitors’ booths.”

For more information on the event, visit www.Expolit.com.

Products build on strength of top-rated cable show as family aims to see ‘the gospel presented to all’

A clan of duck-hunting, beard-sporting, tea-drinking hillbillies may not seem like a huge magnet for Christian retailers, but that is all about to change. Books and products by the family that runs Duck Commander, a multimillion-dollar business made popular by the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty, are beginning their reach into Christian retail with a power nearly unprecedented in the industry.

“The Duck Commander products and books are critical to Christian retail because the whole family is Christ-oriented and wants the gospel presented to all,” said John Howard, contract administrator for Duck Commander.

Howard’s daughter Korie is married to Willie Robertson, CEO of the Duck Commander enterprise based in West Monroe, La., where Howard’s father, Alton Howard, started Howard Publishing. The publisher became Howard Books, which is now owned by Simon & Schuster and based in Nashville.

After several years in teaching and commercial fishing, Phil Robertson began making duck calls in 1972 in a small shed on his West Monroe property. He made them by hand: cutting the trees, using a lathe to make the round calls, whittling each one. He and his wife, Kay, fed their family of four boys a lot of fried bologna in those early years. Since then, the business has grown into an empire that includes duck calls, seasonings, T-shirts, mugs, caps, bandanas and even bobble heads.

Duck Dynasty, A&E’s most-watched series now in its third season, had 8.6 million viewers for the season premiere Feb. 27. This is up from 6.5 million viewers at the end of the last season. The program, which started in 2012, is cable’s top original show on Wednesday nights, according to the website TV by the Numbers. The first two seasons are available on DVD from Thomas Nelson through its partnership with Lionsgate.

For Jonathan Merkh, vice president and publisher of Howard Books, it all started with a visit to his office about a year ago from Senior Editor Philis Boultinghouse. Boultinghouse, who has been with the company since its beginnings in West Monroe, knew the Robertson family well. Phil Robertson had been her Sunday school teacher for 25 years. 

“Philis asked me if I’d heard about Duck Dynasty, then put the cover of a USA Today Life section down that featured the Robertsons. She thought she could do a book with them and I said go for it,” Merkh said.

That book, The Duck Commander Dynasty: How Faith, Family, and Ducks Built a Dynasty, released in October 2012. 

“The book has far exceeded our expectations,” said Chris Long, national accounts manager for the CBA market for Simon & Schuster. “It’s doing extremely well in our CBA stores. It started off slowly, I think because people who didn’t know the show were hesitant; we got some strange looks. But now there have been times we struggle to keep it in stock.”

Boultinghouse made the original contact with John Howard, who acted as agent for the Robertson family for the first two books. Co-author Mark Schlabach helped the Robertsons write the books. 

Howard Books will release Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander by Phil Robertson in May, followed by Si-Cology 1: Tales and Wisdom From Duck Dynasty’s Favorite Uncle by Si Robertson in October and Miss Kay’s Duck Commander’s Cookbook in November. Howard is exploring other books with the family including a devotional, children’s products and more.

“They are being wise and cautious about what they do,” said Merkh. “On one hand, they want to capitalize on these 15 minutes of fame, as well as be wise and deliberate with their message, especially when it comes to sharing their faith.”

Fans are flocking to all things Duck, and CBA retailers are poised to respond. Some are doing in-store displays, some are planning Duck Commander events. LifeWay stores are going to stock products from books to T-shirts to Si’s tea cup, thanks to New Day Christian Distributors. New Day offers 42 different SKUs with more to come, including mugs, key chains and duck calls.

“I’ve just never seen anything like this,” said Michael Turner, who acquires products for New Day. “We had independent stores placing orders when we began selling the products six weeks ago, who began calling and upping their orders because they’ve been preselling so much. One store has preordered 140 of Uncle Si’s tea cups.”

Turner has seen no difference in enthusiasm in stores whether in the East, West, North or South. The excitement of independent stores as well as chains and marketing groups such as LifeWay and Parable is palpable.

“We placed our first order with Duck Commander in early March and will probably have to place another in three weeks. Every time we get a number to preorder, we have to add more and the numbers keep going up,” Turner said.

He calls the buy dollars per store “outrageous,” saying the average order per store for Duck Commander products is $375.

Randy Maricle, vice president of marketing for Parable Group, plans a full page dedicated to Duck Commander products in Parable’s June/July mailer. 

“This is the biggest brand in the marketplace and there is an overt faith message; this is one of those times the CBA brick-and-mortar stores will be competitive on the front end,” Maricle said.

Parable stores stocked The Duck Commander Family when it released, averaging 15 units sold per store in November and December, which is about 1,000 units in two months. Those numbers put it in the top 5% of sales during that time.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a mainstream brand come on strong in the CBA stores,” said Maricle. “We’ve tried similar things in CBA stores, but they’ve only done well in pockets. This is the first time I’ve seen a mainstream brand do well everywhere. The key is going to be the ancillary products, the gift products around the books. Gifts are critical to stores’ success, and these gift products will keep stores viable in the marketplace.”

John Howard said that Duck Commander plans to release new products each year, including new duck calls and T-shirt designs. Duck Dynasty products come from A&E, though Duck Commander approves them. Before the show, the most popular products were duck calls and DVDs, sold primarily through hunting stores. 

“Never in a lifetime would I have ever guessed Duck Commander would do this, though I certainly knew they had it in them,” Howard said.

Maricle is quick to say Parable Group is in for the long haul. 

“This is not a one-and-done thing for us,” he said. “Right now the plan is that the show will be on for a long time. As long as they’re under contract, we’re going to be on the product.”

Merkh of Howard Books sees only benefit for Christian retail stores. 

“We hope it will energize Christian bookstores, perhaps bringing new customers to them that they wouldn’t have had,” he said. “If Christian retailers embrace this, they’ll be pleasantly surprised at the volume Duck Commander will bring in the store.”

Dallas Theological seminarian leaves behind a strong spiritual legacy

Howard Hendricks, a longtime faculty member at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and prolific author, died Feb. 20 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 88.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Christian Education and Leadership at DTS, where he taught for 60 years, Hendricks was known to his students as “Prof,” and he mentored numerous well-known pastors, including Tony Evans, Robert Jeffress, David Jeremiah, Erwin Lutzer, Joseph Stowell and Chuck Swindoll. He also influenced authors such as Bruce Wilkinson, best-selling author of The Prayer of Jabez.

“Professor Hendricks will always be remembered as a legend and great leader at DTS, who has impacted countless lives for the kingdom,” Evans wrote on DTS’ Facebook page.

Hendricks wrote 23 books, including As Iron Sharpens Iron and Living by the Book (both Moody Publishers); A Life of Integrity and Teaching to Change Lives (both Multnomah Publishers); The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Teaching (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group); and Color Outside the Lines (Thomas Nelson). His 1991 best-seller Living by the Book taught students of the Bible the inductive method of studying the Scriptures.

“Moody Publishers, along with the family and friends of Howard Hendricks, are saddened by the news of his passing,” said Greg Thornton, senior vice president of media. “We will greatly miss him, his humor, and especially his tremendous ability to communicate truth through his speaking, teaching, and writing.  We mourn his loss but rejoice in knowing he’s with our Savior.”

Hendricks earned a master’s degree from DTS in 1950, as well as bachelor’s (1946) and doctoral (1967) degrees from Wheaton College. He was on the DTS faculty from 1951 until 2011, when, at age 86, Hendricks said his body would no longer work with his mind.

He served as chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys from 1976 to 1984, and he was a frequent speaker at Promise Keepers events during the 1990s. He also preached in more than 80 countries. 

Additionally, Hendricks played an important role in the development of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C., where he was a frequent speaker. 

In a 2009 interview with Billy Graham’s Decision magazine, Hendricks said: “I’m not what everybody in the world says is great. I’m just a servant of Christ, that’s all. Once a believer really gets to see what the Lord can do through him or her, at whatever stage in life, they’re going to get excited about getting out there in the battle. It’s all about being a servant of Christ.”

Hendricks is survived by his wife of more than 66 years, Jeanne, four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled for March 2 at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.

‘The Father of the Gospel’ wrote ‘Healing the Sick,’ of which more than 1 million copies were printed in English

Pentecostal evangelist and best-selling author T.L. (Tommy Lee) Osborn died Feb. 14 at his Tulsa, Okla., home surrounded by four generations of his family. He was 89.

According to a message posted on Twitter by his daughter, LaDonna Osborn, her father, known around the world as “the Father of the Gospel,” was in “no pain and had no sickness.” 

“The Lord simply took away his breath,” she wrote. “My father was wrapped in love, his family surrounding him as he stepped through the veil into eternity. He is now in the presence of Jesus, whom he had served faithfully for 77 years. We can only imagine the sweet reunion between him and his beloved Daisy, three of his children, a granddaughter and a celebrating host of believers who are among the redeemed because of my father’s ministry during more than 65 years to every corner of the earth.”

His books include Healing the Sick; Legacy of Faith Collection; The Power of Positive Desire; Miracles: Proof of God’s Love; and The Best of Life (all published by Harrison House). More than 1 million copies of Healing the Sick were sold and it has been printed nearly 70 times.

Osborn “was a pioneer in mass-miracle evangelism,” said officials for Harrison House, which has published Osborn’s books since the 1980s. “He has been one of the most influential evangelists of the 20th century and very likely preached the gospel to more people face-to-face than any other man in history.”

In 2011, Harrison House released A Legacy of Faith: T.L. Osborn, a book highlighting his life and ministry. 

Osborn, who established Osborn Ministries International with his wife, Daisy, in 1949 in Tulsa, took to the gospel to tens of millions in more than 100 nations. 

Osborn also launched Osborn DocuMiracle films and videos and the Osborn National Missionary Assistance Program. DocuMiracle films are offered in 70 languages in 115 nations, and the assistance program has helped establish more than 150,000 new churches.

An Oklahoma native, Osborn was longtime friends with Oral Roberts, whom he attributes to inspiring his ministry. He is survived by his daughter, LaDonna; five grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; and three great great grandchildren. A memorial service was scheduled for March 6 at Oral Roberts University’s Christ’s Chapel in Tulsa.

Pope Benedict’s writings helped many ‘relate’ to Christ

Pope Benedict XVI announced in mid-February that he planned to resign Feb. 28 after eight years leading the Roman Catholic Church.

“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” the pope told cardinals gathered for a meeting to approve the canonization of new saints.

Elected in April 2005, Pope Benedict is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII did so in 1415. 
Pope Benedict said he was making his decision “with full freedom.” 

The dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, is responsible to make preparations for a conclave to elect a new pope.

Born as Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict will dedicate his time to prayer and reflection upon his resignation, and will likely continue his writing, a Vatican spokesman said.

Daniel Kroger, Franciscan Media CEO and publisher, didn’t expect the pope’s resignation to have a major impact on what Catholic publishers publish.

“The obvious thing is that the resignation will create a window of opportunity for the Catholic press to explain that any pope may resign,” Kroger said. “In Benedict’s case, he seems to be following his own realization that he cannot function adequately to handle the Petrine ministry due to his failing health.”

Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press, one of Pope Benedict’s publishers, said: “If anything, people will continue to be interested in Pope Benedict’s writings, as they are John Paul II’s. But we’ll have a new pope, with writings of his own. That will increase interest in Catholic publishing.”

“Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessor Blessed John Paul II, is a gifted, thoughtful pastoral and academic thinker,” said Therese Brown, executive director of the Association of Catholic Publishers. “His writing has influenced the way many people understand and relate to Jesus Christ through his powerful, multi-volume work on our Lord. His pastoral writings as the shepherd of the Catholic church have drawn the attention of many who might otherwise not have listened or heard the good news. 

“The work that the Holy Father began long before he was elevated to the papacy has continued through these years, and we would expect him to keep on writing and publishing as long as he is able,” she added. 

Gregory Erlandson, president of Our Sunday Visitor, publisher of many of the pope’s books and exclusive North America distributor of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, called Pope Benedict a “great gift” for the church.

“He continued and made a centerpiece of his pontificate the New Evangelization first proclaimed by John Paul II,” Erlandson said. “He saw clearly that the church itself needed to be reinvigorated and renewed, and it was in this spirit that he assembled the recent synod of bishops in October. At the same time, he has been a great theologian pope, and he had his own agenda.” 

His pontificate will “be remembered for his writings, particularly his books on Jesus of Nazareth. He wrote with great intellectual and stylistic clarity, which made him one of the most accessible and widely read popes of the last century.”

The final volume in his international best-selling “Jesus of Nazareth” series is an exploration of the infancy and early life of Jesus. It was released in December by Image Books, the Catholic imprint of Crown Publishing Group at Random House.

Chris Weickert, director of the Catholic Retailers Association, expects some top sellers because of the transition.

“In the near term, it will likely promote greater interest in the writings of Pope Benedict, but as the conclave meets and selects a new pope, the attention will immediately turn toward that individual and any writings of his,” Weickert said. “Catholic retailers experienced this when Pope Benedict, who had written many books became pope. Those books immediately became top sellers as people sought to know his thinking and theology better.”

Christian retailers receive ‘no strings attached’ 42% break on books and Bibles from Tennessee distributor

Send The Light Distribution has launched a new discount program for Christian retailers called Simply 42, which replaces the $5k Advantage Program.

Instead of having to qualify for different discount levels based on purchases, all customers of the Elizabethton, Tenn.-based wholesaler who were formerly part of $5k Advantage will now receive a 42% discount on all books and Bibles, except “short discount” products such as homeschool and music, company officials said.

Mark Phillips, the distributor’s vice president of sales and marketing, said that customers have been waiting for such a program, which began  Feb. 11.

“Our Simply 42 is not an elaborate program, complicated discount structure or volume-driven incentive scheme that no one understands,” he said. “It simply gives our retail partners access to over 58,000 Christian books and Bibles at a 42% discount—no strings attached. The retailer doesn’t have to worry about what discount level they currently are at, it is simply 42%.”

He added that preliminary talks with customers indicated the program is “long-anticipated and will be very well received.”

“We believe with our East and West Coast distribution centers giving our customers one- to two-day service, free shipping on orders of 15 units or more and a straight 42% discount on a very broad range of Christian books and Bibles … allows Send The Light Distribution to serve the needs of our customers and enable them to maximize the benefits of using a distributor,” Phillips said. 

Send The Light President and CEO Glenn Bailey added: “Simply 42 will make it easier for our customers to qualify for our best discounts and know what they are getting in advance.”

Refreshed brand identity features the tag line ‘Delivering Your Story’

The Parable Group has announced the launch of its new corporate identity with the rollout of a new logo and tag line. 

The refreshed brand identity is the first in 28 years for the San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based marketing firm and presents the tag line, “Delivering Your Story.” The refresh correlates to several recent corporate shifts, including the merging of the company’s online display marketing division, Parable Agency—which offers digital marketing services to faith-based organizations—with the flagship side of the business. The Parable Group has also experienced increased interest in its data services, which has become a significant part of its business. In addition, the company has moved into digital products that include apps, electronic books and email services through SnapRetail. 

“Our new brand identity is the next step in communicating to both current and potential business-to-business (B2B) clients and stores that The Parable Group provides marketing solutions and services that are forward-thinking and effective,” said Steve Potratz, founder and CEO. “We want to illustrate to the industry that we are a kingdom-focused company with a strong commitment to helping retail stores and other Christian organizations tell their stories.”

In developing Parable Group’s new look, tone and direction, management and staff worked with customers and clients to build a brand that reflected their needs and expectations by identifying success stories, day-to-day experiences and areas where the brand could improve and better serve their needs.

Parable Group’s new identity aims to demonstrate its commitment to deliver innovative, industry-leading marketing solutions connecting products and services to Christian consumers. Along with a redesign of its logo, Parable Group plans to relaunch its corporate website in the months ahead, and a new sign will be erected in front of the company’s new headquarters at 102 Cross St., Suite 210 in San Luis Obispo. The company moved into its new building last November.

No change is planned for the branding of Parable Christian Stores and other business-to-consumer brands.

‘Every Word Matters’ Bible-centered tag line focuses company on publishing ‘more intentional’ content

B&H Publishing Group has launched an “overarching brand identity” with its Bible-centered theme, “Every Word Matters.”

First used in association with the company’s HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) translation and its emphasis on biblical inerrancy, the tag line has influenced every facet of B&H since the company began to grow under President Selma Wilson, who arrived in 2010. 

“Words really do matter,” Wilson said. “It is a huge responsibility to pay attention to our words as we use them to point toward God’s Word. Last year there were more than a million books published—a lot of noise. In response to that and to the reader’s benefit, B&H is now more intentional than ever in the content that we produce. We have a vision for reaching the world with purposeful words that will give people hope and encouragement, transform their lives and help them to be all that God has created them to be.” 

Beginning with titles published in April, Every Word Matters will become part of the B&H Books logo, appearing on all products in the Christian Living, Fiction, Leadership and Women categories. The essence of the phrase is also tied to tag lines for B&H Academic (“Because Truth Matters”), B&H Kids (“Every little Word Matters”) and B&H Español (“Porque cada Palabra importa”). 

Other B&H brands—Broadman Church Supplies, Holman Bible Publishers, Holman Reference, HCSB, CrossBooks, MyStudyBible.com and WORDsearch—will maintain their current identities while adhering to the spirit of the initiative. 

New and forthcoming titles from B&H include Brothers, We Are Not Professionals by John Piper; Experiencing God at Home by Tom and Richard Blackaby (May 1); Ever After by Vicki Courtney (June 1); The Love Dare for Parents by Stephen and Alex Kendrick (July 1); Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in Matthew by David Platt (Sept. 1); Whispers of Hope by Beth Moore (Oct. 1); and Operation Christmas Child by Franklin Graham (Oct. 1).

Veteran author’s self-publishing venture draws mixed reaction from literary agents, authors and retailers

Jerry B. Jenkins, co-author of the “Left Behind” series, which has sold more than 63 million copies, has launched a custom publishing house called Christian Writers Guild Publishing (CWGP). 

Owner of the Christian Writers Guild, Jenkins has been against self-publishing in general, but he recently had a change of heart. 

He said CWGP, launched in January, will be different from other custom publishing houses in that it features “Published,” a six-month course whereby the new author is mentored by an experienced author. 

When students with works-in-progress complete the course, CWGP will publish their books, providing a copy editor, proofreader, cover and type designer, e-book formatter, printer, a package of promotion, and marketing and social media materials.

“This is different from self-publishing,” said Jenkins, who has written more than 180 books. “It’s mentored, coached and educated publishing. We come alongside through this course and surround them with seasoned industry professionals.”

“I’ve criticized self-publishing because so many end up with schlocky covers, typos and poor production quality,” he added. “CWGP is committed to providing writers with a valuable education and a great publishing experience.”

CWGP, though, drew mixed reaction from industry observers.

“This is a logical next step for the training and editorial services that the guild provides,” literary agent Steve Laube told Christian Retailing. “Writers are already spending a lot of time and resources taking guild courses and working with a guild mentor. Why not give that writer an option within an organization they already know and trust?”

However, author C.S. Lakin said she was leery of the new publishing venture.

“Since I make my living as a full-time professional writing coach, critiquer and editor, it seems to me and other editors that it’s way too expensive,” she said. “I help authors get published or self-publish for way less. I am wondering, too, how much say the author has in selecting a person to work with them and critique their work. So far that’s been the reaction across the board—good idea, but way too pricey.”

Karen Grosse, owner of Lighthouse Christian Books in Green Bay, Wis., said CWGP is a good idea.

“From past experience, I know we have quite a few local authors in our area and we have had book signings with them,” she said. “Their books sell, but they need a platform, and it sometimes helps knowing where and how to publish. It would be helpful for the authors and the stores if Jerry can work with both. 

“It would also be good if he could have a brochure available at stores about the service, and be up front about the costs,” she added. “Some of our local authors have paid more than they can afford to get a book published.”

Lorraine Valk, co-owner of Parable Christian Store of St. Joseph in St. Joseph, Mich., agreed.

“I have seen too many local authors self-publish and use their life savings to print books that are not ready to be published,” she said. “They need the fine-tuning, proofreading and cover art that will really make their works shine. Unknown authors have a better chance at being discovered by mainstream publishers if their books are edited and proofread first. If there were generous return privileges from Christian Writers Guild Publishing, I would stock some of these selections. If they are not returnable, I might not invest too deeply because of the risk in today’s tenuous market.”

Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., the guild has trained aspiring writers for more than 40 years by offering writing courses, with each student mentored by a published author.