Widespread Acceptance Fuels Holman CSB’s Position as the Fastest-Growing Bible Translation in America
NASHVILLE—Translators, marketers, managers, and sales representatives at B&H Publishing Group are celebrating news just in from Bookscan and STATS. The retail tracking service reports of sales from 2002 to 2005 for Bibles over $5.00—the backbone price category of the Bible market—ranks the Holman Christian Standard Bible® as the fastest-growing translation in America, and by a stunning margin. The Holman CSB’s 255% sales growth during the period is nearly twice the rate of the next Bible on the market.
“At the risk of sounding presumptuous, other translations should be hearing the Doppler Effect as the Holman CSB whizzes by,” quips Tim Jordan, Marketing Manager, Bibles & Reference, for the B&H Publishing Group.
Ever since its first release of the New Testament in 2000, Holman has strategically expanded the Holman CSB product line to offer a market-sensitive selection of Bibles.
“Our intent from the beginning has been to make sure this new offering of God’s Word touches hearts and minds everywhere, so we’ve diligently searched for niches to serve and needs to meet,” explains David R. Shepherd, B&H Publisher and driver of the translation project. The result has been a striking array of text, reference, pew, and specialty Bibles. One of the most popular is a line targeted to public servants—military, police, firefighters, and teachers.
This fall the remarkable Holman Illustrated Study Bible™ joins the inspiring assembly of products. Brimming with more than 1,000 full-color images—photos, charts, reconstructions, and other renderings—worked into the text so readers have illustrative resources at hand as they study, Holman believes the new Scripture offering provides more graphic material than any Bible ever published. The concept is so sophisticated, in fact, that only a handful of presses are capable of producing such a lavish display of color on the book’s highly refined paper stock.
In addition to savvy product development, B&H Publishing Group President Ken Stephens credits the translation’s astounding growth of the past four years to its acceptance in Christian circles everywhere.
“We find open arms for the Holman Christian Standard Bible in denominations of all stripes. Its clarity and faithfulness is so apparent that pastors and laypeople alike take to the Holman CSB immediately.”
Given its astonishing early track record, one could wonder what’s ahead for the Holman CSB. “More of the same,” says Tim Jordan, “Which, of course, is anything but the ‘same old thing.’ We’ve got tremendous plans for new applications of the translation over the next five years, and I’ve got no doubt we’ll keep the pole position.”
For more information, visit hcsb.org or contact Tim Jordan (Tim.Jordan@BHPublishinggroup.com or 615-251-5730).
