The year 2009 is blessedly over for Christian publishing houses. But this market does hope well, and 2010 brings glimmers of hope, along with hard-won wisdom. RBL talked to Mark Kuyper, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, about the recession, the volatile digital landscape, and where Christian readers are shopping now.

Religion BookLine: Let’s talk about 2009.

Mark Kuyper: It’s been a very bad year. According to our ECPA members who provide data to the Association of American Publishers, net sales were down about 11.4%, although 40% reported calendar year-to-date increases. These are numbers through November—and preliminary numbers indicate that the number will improve when December is added. There are some glimpses of a turnaround. But it will be a slow process.

RBL: Beyond Bibles, how strong is the Christian market right now?

MK: It’s not very strong right now. Bibles are good. When life gets tough, people buy Bibles. Fiction fared better than other book categories. Novels are an escape, and people wanted to escape from fear. Outside of those two categories it was a down year.

RBL: Do Christian readers care anymore what channel they purchase their books from?

MK: Readers are shopping everywhere. Where they buy depends on what they need. They need a book today? They’ll run to the nearest store. They want the best price and have plenty of time? They’ll choose an online option. If they want to browse Christian books, they’ll choose a Christian retail store. In our 2009 report (based on 2008), sales in Christian retail and general trade were essentially flat in market share. We saw increases in sales with Internet retailers, churches, and direct—to-consumer of 0.5% to 5%.

RBL: What about small publishing houses? Is there a place for them in this tough business climate?

MK: You bet! Look at Abingdon Press—they just launched a new fiction line that has performed way beyond their expectations. The publishers that did better in 2009 than in the year before tended to be small publishers.

RBL: What’s happening with digital publishing in ECPA circles?

MK: Publishers are holding back—although not all of them—on innovation and experimentation with digital publishing. There is a lot of uncertainty about platforms and costs. How far down the digital road do you go? Some publishers are being safe and steady about their core issues. They can’t afford to experiment too much. If you can experiment, though, you’ll be ahead of the game.

RBL: There are a lot of e-reading devices out there....

MK: Publishers are still trying to replicate the book. We’ve got all of these e-readers—maybe 50 different kinds—but we’re repurposing the content we already have. I don’t think that is where the boom will be. I think the boom will come when we create content that is original to the digital space.

RBL: How is ECPA doing after the financial difficulties incurred by Christian Book Expo last March? [The consumer-oriented CBE had a $250,000 deficit.]

MK: Members of ECPA stepped up in an incredible way to make sure we remained viable. I hesitate to say we are in good shape, but we are in a position where the remaining financials are manageable.

RBL: Any exciting plans for 2010?

MK: We are continuing to pursue new areas in collecting and reporting data so publishers have good intelligence to use in their publishing programs. We’re also continuing to experiment with connecting publishers with consumers in less risky ways. Our goal is to raise awareness of Christian authors and Christian books.

RBL: With a tough year behind them, what qualities will best position publishers to thrive in 2010? What do you want to tell publishers?

MK: Focus on your core. Get good at marketing, marketing in new and creative ways. Think viral marketing and social media. If you master these things, you will fare better. It’s going to be a while before we get out of this recession and the impact of unemployment.