Cross-promotion is an essential tool for stores wanting to make the most of the ever-changing children's market, says category publisher Laura Minchew.

Retailers are missing out if they don't take on the role of trusted adviser and think to connect parents with kid titles by authors whose other books they enjoy, cautions the vice president and publisher of children's books and gift books at Thomas Nelson.

"With crammed schedules and little time to shop, parents are relieved to discover products from authors they know and trust," Minchew writes in an Industry Forum guest column for the March issue of Christian Retailing. "Christian bookstores have a unique ability to make this cross-promotion easy and to increase the total sale by merchandising various product genres together."

If adult and children's editions of the same book are displayed alongside each other, "you've just doubled the purchase. But if the children's book is in the kid's section and the adult book is on an endcap or in the trade book section, then your shopper may not even notice. ...

"Instead of relying on customers to do the legwork to know these books exist, cross-promotion via merchandising and placement impacts sales."

Minchew also recommends stores keep an eye on the "critical balance between frontlist and backlist titles for children. ... The breadth of backlist gives Christian bookstores the competitive edge, and the new releases featured make it feel fresh and fun."

Read the complete column in the March issue of Christian Retailing.

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