STL Distributors?

I find it highly intriguing that I've had more than a few hits from Johnson City, Tennessee, home of one of CBA's bigger distributors STL, on my post concerning the rights to Never Ceese the hardback being returned to me. Interesting because STL was who Journey Stone went with initially for distribution, paying STL big bucks until STL couldn't place ANY of JSC's books in "Christian" bookstores because they failed to mention that "Christian" bookstores would only ever consider a book that was published by member publishers or publishers who paid a fee and belonged to the Christian Booksellers Association an exclusive group under which denominationally targeted publishers operate.

You best be looking if you are the distributor working with Journey Stone now as the books are now mine and JSC can no longer legally sell them. Hallelujah and praise God! I tried to call you guys to find out but I'm not one to sit on hold for over ten minutes!!!!!


In all fairness, I wanted to post a blog response to this post here for fear that the comment might go unseen as well as my response. This is the first of two comments sent to two separate blogs I posted from Eric who claims to be from Eric Grimm of CBA. Not real sure why he seems to be speaking for STL or Ingram/Spring Arbor but whatever:

Hi Sue, I appreciate your frustration, but for the record Christian bookstores are independently owned and operated

I'm going to assume Mr. Grimm means all CBA member Christian bookstores as he couldn't possibly know about OTHER bookstores who aren't CBA member but do provide fiction non-offensive fiction to a WIDE-VARIETY of Christian readers.

and often purchase books that appeal to their core customers that aren't necessarily published by CBA-member publishers.


And as I've said in the past, yes, CBA member bookstores will let an occasional non-member book in but only after it undergoes heavy scrutiny to make sure it meets their denominationally restrictive standards.

Fees paid to wholesalers and distributors are part of private agreements between authors, publishers, and the distributor, and they have nothing to do with membership in a trade association.


Publishers, authors whoever pay a fee for CBA affiliation. I'm not sure what this comment even means. They pay the fee to belong to CBA. For publishers this means, depending on the level of membership, that they can show up in member bookstores. And believe it or not, even that isn't a guarantee.

Our member publishers are diverse and are not part of a single denominational entity or belief other than that Jesus Christ is Lord.


Fee paying member publishers serve a very distinct, targeted and out-lined denominational audience. One only need to visit www.cbaonline.org to read all about it. Initially it was simply the Baptist. Last time I checked CBA's audience now includes some Catholics. I know,right? Bee-zare.

However, several denominations do have publishing houses as part of their individual ministry outreaches and are denominationally driven.


Yep and those other denominationally driven publishing houses state their audience and market as just that so the readers aren't confused and don't accidentally pick up targeted work they'd rather not read.


Gee, I'm sure glad CBA has no vested interest whatsoever in privately owned Ingram/Spring Arbor. Fact is, if you want to find fiction that doesn't offend you as a Christian you find it the old fashioned way. You learn about the author. You read reviews. If you want to read fiction targeted for evangelicals and some Cahtolics, you can go to a CBA member "Christian" bookstore. Not really rocket science.