Contact: Brian Burch, 616-233-0500

 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ebooks are among the fastest-growing segments in the publishing industry, and eBibles are no different. Today Zondervan reported that its NIV Bible and Zondervan NIV Study Bible have been among the Top Five eBooks in the Religion & Spirituality Category of Apple's iBookstore and Amazon's Kindle Store since the beginning of 2010.

 

"A growing number of consumers are adopting the e-reader format, whether it's the Amazon KindleTM, the Apple iPadTM, Barnes & Noble NookTM or Sony ReaderTM. Many of these consumers are purchasing an eBible so they can have the Word of God in an easy to use digital format," said Chip Brown, senior vice president and publisher of Bibles at Zondervan. "We're encouraged by the success of our eBibles to date and remain committed to offering consumers the content and features they want in the format they desire."

 

Zondervan's eBibles now represent more than 40 percent of the company's eBook revenues, and in several instances they also outsell some traditional hardcover Bible products. From mid-May to mid-June, the Zondervan NIV Study Bible eBook for Kindle sold more units on Amazon.com than the hardcover edition.

 

Zondervan was the first publisher to have Bibles available in Apple's iBookstore at the launch of the iPad. In total, Zondervan has published more than 15 Bible titles for eBook readers, including the iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, etc. The NIV Study Bible is #57 overall currently in iBooks. At $19.99, it is the only eBook more than $14.99 in the top 60 and the only $19.99 eBook in the top 100.

 

Zondervan currently has 1,450 books and Bibles available in the eBook format across the various platforms. The publisher is currently working on bringing more titles to market in the eBook format, as well as exploring new functionality and features in all departments including trade, kids, academic and Bibles.

 

"Based on current performance and continued growth of the eBook category, we believe consumer demand for eBooks will continue to increase," added Brown. "Many of our study Bibles are perfectly suited for the unique, interactive features enhanced eBooks can offer, and we will continue to bring new and innovative digital products to market."

 

At the end of May, the Association of American Publishers reported that in the first quarter of 2010, overall eBook sales showed a year-over-year increase of more than 250%. Sales of religious eBooks were up 7.0 percent for the month of March, with sales totaling $49.5 million.

 

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