RBTE: The Traditionalists
FROM PUBLISHING TRENDS (MAY 2005)
New York isn’t the only city getting a little expo action this June. In Chicago, the Religious Book Trade Exhibit (RBTE) is hitting the floor the same weekend as BEA, running from May 31 to June 3. Bob Byrns, who coordinates the event (which has sold out every year for the past 13), expects nearly 1,000 to attend, with 927 exhibitors and buyers – a “steady, mild increase” from years past. “We reach out mainly to Catholic, Episcopal, and liturgical shops,” Byrnes said. “We do not promote any membership of CBA – although we do have evangelical stores attending, usually chains.”
Religion buyers at Barnes & Noble, Borders and Amazon are (and have been) on the RBTE’s key lists, highlighting the importance such outlets play in selling traditional religious products – although it is less likely that they will attend due to the BEA/RBTE scheduling conflict.
Trace Murphy, Executive Editor Religious Publishing Doubleday (who will be attending both BEA and RBTE) noted that even though there has been a surge in “crossover” exposure to religious books (particularly CBA affiliated) over the past five years due to increased distribution at WalMart and the price clubs, “The Catholic market seems always to be steady.”
“It’s not as meaningful to speak of crossover within the Catholic market,” Murphy explained, “because [the Catholic market] wasn’t so thoroughly a world into itself as the CBA was…and there has always been a fairly good representation in general stores.” He continued, that since the CBA didn’t have such similar representation before, “the issue of crossover now, is dramatic.”
Byrns mentioned the trend, especially in Catholic Publishing, toward a merging of genres like Psychology and Religion as people take a more secular approach to religious and spiritual exploration. He also noted that the tendency toward alternative spiritual trends has gone away.
The traditional religious market does see “the occasional flourish” and spike, however, following events like the recent death of Pope John Paul II which has catapulted books by the former Pope and his successor to the forefront.
“In the aftermath of world-wide, wall-to-wall coverage of John Paul II and his successor, many of us are pooped – but not poped – out,” said Greg Tobin, author of Holy Father:Benedict XVI, Pontiff for a New Era (B&N Books), which will be the first instant book into the market in early May, “There seems to be a nearly bottomless public interest in this subject.”
In other growth, the “market overseas is strong” according to Murphy, and there is a “steady interest” abroad for religious books, although Doubleday’s relationship with foreign publishers has “long been healthy.”
In relation to RBTE, Byrns said, “Certainly we’ve seen an increased interest from a variety of international publishers,” especially in terms of Spanish language publishing, along with English language in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand.
As to what one can expect on the RBTE floor – although there will be some “holy hardware” (with an emphasis on John Paul II and Benedict XVI extras and the ever ubiquitous cross) in the gift and religious articles aisles at RBTE, sources tell us that if you want scripture candy or Jesus mints, you’re coming to the wrong place.
