CONTACT: 

Michael Covington, Information & Education Director, ECPA
480-966-3998 ext. 209, mcovington@ecpa.org

Phoenix, Arizona—Christian publishers have reported increased sales for the month of March over the same month last year and are also showing an increase in net sales (Sales-Returns) for the first three months of 2010.  The month of March saw a gross sales increase of just over 1% and a net sales increase of 8% for March and 2% for the quarter.  This is the first time the group has seen a positive change in net sales in over a year.

Of the reported increase, ECPA President Mark Kuyper says "this news is a welcome sign that we may be seeing the end of a very difficult economic climate that has had a major impact on Christian publishing.  While publishers will need to continue to work toward changes necessary in a new media world, an upward trend in traditional book sales shows the continuing demand from consumers for Christian content."

Fifteen ECPA member publishers reported sales in the month of January.  The reporting program, open exclusively to ECPA members, is a free service for participating publishers.  Each month’s aggregate sales and returns totals are forwarded for inclusion in the monthly AAP report and tracked under the "Religious Books" category.  "By collecting and then forwarding our members’ data in partnership with the AAP, we are able to get a more accurate read on the sales trends of publishers engaged in selling Christian books exclusively." says Michael Covington, ECPA’s Information & Education Director.

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization, comprised of nearly 200 member companies worldwide, representing a combined revenue of nearly $2 billion. Founded in 1974, ECPA is dedicated to serving the Christian publishing industry through equipping its members through cutting-edge technology, meaningful data, dynamic educational opportunity and unprecedented access to markets.

For more information about ECPA, contact us at 480-966-3998 or info@ecpa.org or visit our website at www.ecpa.org.

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The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization, comprised of over 150 member companies worldwide, representing a combined revenue of nearly $2 billion. Founded in 1974, ECPA is dedicated to serving the Christian publishing industry through equipping its members through cutting-edge technology, meaningful data, dynamic educational opportunity and unprecedented access to markets. For more information about ECPA: 480-966-3998 phone, 480-966-1944 fax, 9633 South 48th Street, Suite 140, Phoenix, Arizona 85044, info@ecpa.org www.ecpa.org.