A traditional Bible with a stiff, dark, faux leather cover, retails at around $7, but publishers are not satisfied with the economic profits these units yield, nor with the limited audience they attract. Publishers are doing all they can, trying to stay within the lines of what the religious community finds respectful, to sell more – and it’s working. The industry sells $770 million worth of Bibles a year within American borders. That adds up to more than 25 million Bibles a year, while Harry Potter’s latest has only sold 14 million copies and The Secret has sold only 3 million copies, even with Oprah’s endorsement.
Zondervan, a division of Harper-Collins, and its executives attribute the company’s success to their marketing abilities. They make sure “God’s word looks hip, sounds relevant, and is advertised all over, including in Rolling Stone and Modern Bride, on MySpace, and on a jumbotron in New York City’s Times Square.”
Bible publishers can’t change the content of a book that millions already own, so they lure them back in for another purchase by marketing to any and every subculture, asthetic, and cultural interest: Holman Christian Standard offers The Golfer’s Bible; Thomas Nelson puts out BibleZines; and there’s even a waterproof Bible with pages that fold out, map-style.
Some supporters of the Bible support the marketing campaigns and repackaging, saying these efforts help make the Bible more accessible and desirable for a wider range of audiences and claiming that Christianity has always tried to adapt its methods of sharing without changing the message. “There are Bible studies just for Harley owners, evangelists who target only wrestling fans, ministries for skateboarders, rappers, and porn stars. So why not a glittery pink, totally tubular Soul Surfer Bible?”
Others have concerns, such as noted Christian Author Phyliss Tickle, who said, “the fine line between accessibility and desecration is not real clear sometimes,” and she finds “it really, really distressing to think young people may have their first impression of Christian Scripture presented to them in an almost pandering way.”
Some share her concerns and add that such marketing campaigns driven by misplaced bottom line serve as an example of the church being like the world, but not in it instead of being in the world, but not of it.
(LA Times 12/25)
How do you feel about the marketing strategies of publishing companies selling the Bible and other Christian-themed material? Do you feel these strategies are inconsistent with other messages about buying less and giving more?
