After a decline of 11% last year, fiction fans are rejoicing to see sales up 12% year-to- date for 2004, according to STATS data announced by the ECPA's Kelly Gallagher at yesterday's New Fiction, New Frontiers workshop.

Fiction is the "No. 2 revenue generator for the average Christian retail store," Gallagher offered in his opening remarks before Jana Riess of Publishers Weekly moderated a panel of fiction experts and authors who gave their opinions on such topics as the power of story and the value of realism in Christian novels.

Significantly, Gallagher also pointed out that retailers would do well to promote their fiction backlist and classics list, as titles such as Screwtape Letters and Pilgrim's Progress continue to draw readers. Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness, a Christian novel that helped boost fiction's popularity in the CBA market, outperformed a majority of new titles last year, Gallagher said.

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