NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2007--The explosion
of the Christian book market has given a major boost to niche
self-publishing companies such as Xulon Press. Xulon, the premier
on-demand publisher for Christian writers, and a subsidiary of Salem
Publishing, has just printed and sold its 1,000,000th book since its
founding in 2000.
"One million books is an exciting milestone," said Tom Freiling,
founder and general manager for Xulon Press. "But we are even more
excited about what the future holds. With the explosive growth we are
experiencing, it wouldn't surprise me if someday we distribute a
million books per year."
The landmark 1,000,000th Xulon title is David Harrell's Out of the
Depths: A Survivor's Story of the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis,
with a foreword by Oliver North. A terrifying first hand account of
the sinking of the Navy vessel torpedoed just weeks before the end of
World War II by a Japanese submarine, the story portrays the harrowing
struggle for survival of the writer's father, Edgar Harrell, a young
Marine left stranded for five days before his final rescue.
The advent of print-on-demand (POD) technology is revolutionizing
the book industry and providing new Christian writers with an
attractive alternative to traditional publishers, giving them control
over design, editing and publicity as well as flexible publishing
options for their books. Writers with a modest success in
self-publishing often attract the attention of traditional publishing
houses, leveraging their self-published work into lucrative book
contracts.
Such was the case for Xulon author and home-school mother of nine,
Melanie Jeschke, whose first book Inklings was inspired by her study
of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their Oxford writers group.
Jeschke's success with the Xulon title led to a three-book deal with
Harvest House, a mainstream publisher of Christian literature.
Patrick Heron's Xulon title, The Nephilim and the Pyramid of the
Apocalypse, was initially rejected by mainline publishers before the
author turned to Xulon Press to publish the work that investigates
end-time Bible prophecies and relates them to current events. Nephilim
has sold 20,000 copies since its release in November 2004, climbing to
the #3 spot in Amazon's 'religion and spirituality' sales. The book
has also been the subject of a television documentary and numerous
media interviews.
Xulon is the largest on-demand Christian publisher, representing
more than 3,200 titles from approximately 1,700 authors around the
world. More information about Xulon Press is available at
www.xulonpress.com.
Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications
(NASDAQ:SALM), publishes CCM Magazine(R), Homecoming(R) The Magazine,
YouthWorker Journal(TM), Singing News(R) Magazine, Preaching,
FaithTalk(TM) and crosswalk.com The Magazine. Salem is a leading U.S.
radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and magazine and book
publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and
family-themed content and conservative values. In addition to its
radio properties, Salem owns Salem Radio Network(R), which syndicates
talk, news and music programming to approximately 2,000 affiliates;
Salem Radio Representatives(TM), a national radio advertising sales
force; and Salem Web Network(TM), an Internet provider of Christian
content and online streaming. Upon the close of all announced
transactions, the company will own 97 radio stations, including 61
stations in 23 of the top 25 markets. Additional information about
Salem may be accessed at the company's website, www.salem.cc.
CONTACT: Salem Communications Corporation
Dana Tibbitts, 805-987-0400, x1092
dana.tibbitts@salem.cc
or
Xulon Press
Leah Zapata, 703-279-6511
lzapata@xulonpress.com
SOURCE: Salem Communications Corporation
