Though sales of patriotic products for Veterans Day are likely to lag behind the Fourth of July season, an increasing number of imprints and focus on the genre show this niche market is growing.

"We think Christian publishers should be focusing on this," said John Fallahee, sales and marketing director for AMG Publishers, which formed its God & Country Press imprint in 2006. "We've got to cross over and bring the gospel to the nation. Publishing is still a great vehicle for that."

Gary Terashita, executive editor of Fidelis Books, the B&H Publishing Group imprint that debuted last year, added: "If you look at best-seller lists, there's kind of a resurgence of that whole category of conservative politics and patriotism."

Terashita and Fallahee were part of a group of publishers, retailers and authors who spoke to Christian Retailing about the trend. Among them was novelist Andrew Klavan whose "The Homelanders" young adult series for Thomas Nelson follows the exploits of a patriotic teen.

"It's become unfashionable to say so, but the simple truth is that America is unique," he said. "For Americans, patriotism doesn't mean nationalism or racial pride. It's not just love of this particular piece of earth either. For us, patriotism is primarily love and loyalty to this precious idea of liberty."

Fallahee said his company had become "more sensitive" to patriotic titles a few years ago. "We've been steadily producing and marketing these titles, but the political landscape has changed the market conditions. Suddenly these titles are moving fast."

Read the full report in the October issue of Christian Retailing magazine.

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