MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
May 29 – June 5, 2008 Edition
Christian Publisher
Baker Reports
Solid Sales Gain
GRAND RAPIDS, MI/5/23/08–Baker Publishing Group, which publishes Evangelical Christian titles, earlier this week reported a 16% increase in sales to $57.9 milling for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2008. President Dwight Baker reported “comprehensive” sales growth in all divisions. Revell sales increased 26%; Chosen, 25%: Baker Books; 15%; Baker Academic, 13%; Brazos, 10%, and Bethany House, 9%.
Growth was also helped by the bestselling 90 Minutes in Heaven.
Despite a tough economy, the outlook for 2008 should enable the company to “hold ground,” Baker said. He also added that increasing costs of transportation and packaging “will eat into the margin for everyone.”
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker is the publisher of the highly successful The Purpose-Driven Life. The company publishes about 300 new titles annually and employs 200 people.
In 2008 the company expanded into the Bible market in a new and much bolder way. While the company had distributed Cambridge Bibles since 1990, it had never before had a Bible line to call its own. In March, the company acquired exclusive publishing rights for the GODS WORD translation.
