Leading Book Publishers' Behind-the-Scenes Views on the Publishing Industry

By Noelle Skodzinski

Insights from … Moe Girkins
President and CEO, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Mich., Zondervan.com

Zondervan is a Christian publishing company owned by HarperCollins. For more than 75 years, it has published general and academic resources, and been honored with more Christian Book Awards than any other publisher. It conducts events and publishes Bibles, books, audio, video, curriculum, software and digital products through its Zondervan, eZondervan, Zonderkidz, Youth Specialties and Editorial Vida brands. Zondervan resources are sold worldwide through retail stores, online and by Zondervan ChurchSource, and are translated into nearly 200 languages in more than 60 countries.

NS: Has the internal structure or culture of your company changed to adapt to a shifting marketplace?

Moe Girkins: We expect a great deal more creativity inside a book with the advent of "enhanced" e-book products like the iPad, so we are creating strategic partnerships with some successful creative agencies.

NS: What percentage of your total revenue is generated from e-books?

Girkins: E-books represent about 5 percent of our total book revenues at this moment and rising.

NS: What do you anticipate those percentages to be in two years?

Girkins: We expect e-book revenue to exceed 12 percent next year, and 15 percent to 20 percent the following.

NS: What is Zondervan's fastest-growing product segment or area?

Girkins: … The fastest growing segment is fiction.

NS: In which area of your business is your company investing most heavily?

Girkins: Zondervan is investing most heavily in all forms of digital publishing.

NS: What do you see as the biggest opportunity?

Girkins: The biggest opportunity is obviously in the "enhanced" e-book.

NS: What is the best decision you've made in the past year?

Girkins: Digitizing a great deal of content.