Christian Booksellers’ Implosion

HarperCollins Headquarters in the UK

By Jim Fletcher
Free-lance writer for WND

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What was once a fine idea – the first five minutes someone had it 60 years ago – has become one of those classic scenes you want to look away from, but can’t.

I’m speaking of the slow destruction of the American Christian book industry.

From scandalous books offered in Christian bookstores, to the recent bankruptcy of Family Christian Stores, the whole affair reeks of mismanagement and greed.

I’m not talking, of course, of the many individuals and publishers who have contributed greatly to the education of Christians. And there are still very fine publishers doing quite well. Harvest House, for example, comes to mind. . . .

Engaging readers has long been the hallmark of the agenda behind the Christian Bookseller’s Association, which was founded in 1950. The association bears little resemblance to those halcyon days. Predictably, by the 1980s, corporate business models and corporate types were infiltrating CBA. In the ’90s, the first clear signs of the association being sidetracked were full blown. After that, New York houses gobbled up Christian publishers like Multnomah and Howard, and began staffing them with folks who probably wouldn’t identify as evangelical. Click here to continue reading.

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