Bible sales increased 22 percent during year ending in October

Bible sales spiked by 22 percent during the 12-month period ending in October, according to the professional book-tracking agency Circana BookScan. It remains the best-selling book of all time, with an estimated five billion copies acquired over the years

“I’ve worked in Christian publishing and bookselling for 41 years, and I’ve seen ebbs and flows of sales of all kinds of products, including Bibles and then companies coming and going, advancing, declining,” Jeff Crosby, president and CEO of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, told K-LOVE this week. “But the sales reports for Bibles and the interest that’s generated from media in recent weeks and knowing why it’s happened did make me grateful and hopeful.”

Several factors have contributed to increased sales, he said.

“As a current general trade bestseller by Jonathan Haight suggests, we live in an anxious generation,” Crosby said. “And I believe that parents and grandparents like me are suggesting to the young people in our lives that the Bible is a source of guidance and comfort and reassurance in this anxious generation. Bibles are often given as gifts. That’s been true for as long as I’ve been in this work. I think special editions with features for young people, whether it’s teens or younger, things such as the Action Bible from David C. Cook Publishing, they’re having a tremendous season of growth.”

Many readers are seeking eternal truths.

“I think the past three election cycles and all of the polarization that we’ve seen there, people are looking for kind of an anchor,” he said. “I think scripture provides that. It’s a source of wisdom, of direction, of consolation. And then I also think Bible publishers have done a great job of offering special products that really meet readers where they are, things like Bibles that have journals built in.”

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Finally, even with the convenience of Bible apps, many people still like the feel of a physical Bible in their hands.

“People are buying vinyl again records, and they’re also buying print Bibles,” Crosby said. “I think many of the newer editions we’re seeing from ECPA member publishers are designed with great care, they’re designed with beauty in mind. I think of pictures that are inside that are works of art. That that all enhances the reading experience. So, I suspect there’s something about holding that print Bible in your hand.”

–Alan Goforth