Evangelist David Nasser self-published his first book out of necessity, and, according to the experts, he did everything wrong. The book was too long, he spent too much on the hardcover and expensive paper, and the title was depressing. But Nasser proved the naysayers wrong, selling 130,000 copies of A Call to Die (2000), mainly online and at his many speaking engagements.
Those impressive sales could have landed him a contract with a major publisher for his second book (A Call to Grace, 2005), but he once again chose to self-publish, in part to keep the cover price low for his young audience. That title sold 20,000 copies so far. Now, with the release of his third book, Glory Revealed, Nasser has founded his own company, Redemptive Art Publishing, and has teamed up with Word Distribution--which usually only handles CDs and videos--for distribution of his books, including an in-the-works novel.
"I think this is the new, new frontier—tailor-made partnerships," said Nasser, a 36-year-old Iranian-born Christian speaker, author, and minister. Glory Revealed is nothing if not tailor-made. Nasser teamed up with some of the hottest names in contemporary Christian music to produce a companion CD of the same title--he and Third Day front man Mac Powell are in the middle of a 15-city tour to hype the CD and book. He also brokered a deal to sell the book exclusively in the Family Christian Stores chain for 90 days before the national release in July.
The book and CD focus on 20 passages from the Bible that show how God is revealed in life situations. "So many people are looking for the voice of God in their everyday lives: What college should I go to? Whom should I marry? Why does my friend have cancer?" said Nasser. "They're looking for God's revelation in songs, sermons, even my books. But these only have the evidence or fingerprint of God. The true voice of God is in the word of God."
When it came time to arrange an exclusive deal for the new book, Nasser immediately thought of Family Christian Stores for a personal reason: His brother, who has Down Syndrome, works at the local outlet. "So I have a soft spot for Family Christian," he said. "But I love all Christian bookstores. I really believe these stores are a gateway to good ministry happening."
