Just when you think you’ve seen everything there is to see in Christian publishing, comes Max Lucado’s Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God; a great compendium on some key Bible personalities, but also, the closest the book industry gets to a “Greatest Hits” album. Everything in this has been previously published, which is going to really irk the people who always buy the new Lucado titles either for themselves or as Christmas gifts. Can book buyers anticipate this sort of thing the way music buyers do? It’s 226 previously released pages.
Mind you, in the record industry, a “Greatest Hits” album is usually released when an artist has jumped ship to join another label. But that wouldn’t be happening here. Would it?
I worked for Multnomah Publishers back when The Prayer of Jabez was in its heyday. It’s really no different anymore. If you can market it and sell it…go for it. I mean when their selling “testaMINTS” breath savers at the christian bookstore counter…come on! I’m not surprised. We just need to keep the focus on Jesus. Period.
Steve
Comment by steve coats — November 20, 2008 @ 1:16 am