Publishing Christian fiction can pay, and pay big, but it's harder than ever to succeed in the category, publishers say. Many companies have abandoned Christian fiction in recent years and others have cut title output, which can make it seem as though the market is contracting.
But industry statistics tell a different story. Steve Oates, v-p of marketing for Baker Publishing Group's Bethany House and Chosen imprints, estimates annual sales for Christian fiction at about $20 million and says that has even trended up in the past two years. The growth is from the mass market format, which is gaining market share in Christian fiction though it has generally been in decline (see “Is Mass Market Dying, or Just Evolving—Again?").
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