Where to Buy Christian Books

Choice Books locations in Nashville alone

A lot of people ask, "Where do I find your books?" And ten years ago, the best answer would have been: in a Christian bookstore. But with the closing of most of our major Christian bookstore chains, where does one find Christian books these days? 

The good news is: these books haven't disappeared--not by any stretch. But where you'll find them has. Most of us still like to hold books in our hands when deliberating a purchase, so let's start with brick-and-mortars. 

1. Independent Christian bookstores. Y'all, these are the heroes of this industry. Every year, I sign books at a conference just for independent bookstore owners, and these are the people, if possible, you want to buy Christian books from. They know their products and care deeply about the people they sell them to. Here's a locator for a lot of them (members of the Parable Group). If you don't see one near you here, there may still be one near you that's not part of this organization. So, just search for one in your area (Christian Publishers Outlet is the best here--and in Jackson). Then GO, visit the store as often as possible, and let them know that you still care about what they do. And say it with your $$$ too. 

2. At a spinner rack near you. :) No, seriously. Have you ever heard of Choice Books? Maybe not. But I bet you've seen their spinner racks and shelves--they are at airports and gas stations and everywhere in between. And, AND they have this handy-dandy locator where you can easily find one near you! Even if there's no official bookstore near you, you can still go shop through a curated selection of Christian books. I've met the staff and toured their distribution center, and these people are salt and light and serious about making the best Christian products conveniently accessible to everyone. 

3. The Religion section at your regular bookstores. The Religion section has always been there, but as the Christian bookstore landscape changes, so will the interior of your regular bookstores. Barnes & Noble, for instance, has moved their children's Christian books out of the Children's section and into the large Religion section closer to the front of the store. I have mixed feelings about this. (The children's section is way more fun!) But I'm happy to see them trying new positioning as it relates to my books. When I asked about it, the B&N employee did say that it was a trial. But for now, spend some time browsing the (growing) Religion section at your bookstore chains.

Okay, so most of you know your way around the interwebs, so the general bookstores--Amazon, Barnes & Noble, BAM!--go without saying.  Here are a few lesser-known avenues in the World Wide Web for buying Christian books. 

1. LifeWay. Yep, they're still here. They're just focusing all of their efforts on their internet storefront. You can still find the same great products--and more--through their internet store.

2. Author websites. Do you have a favorite Christian author? (Ahem.) Seriously, they're all out there, so why not start with them directly? At author websites, you can usually find more background about the products you're already interested in, free resources like their blogs and giveaways, ways to connect with them on socials, and fun things like reader guides and printables. (Ahem. :)

3. Publisher websites. There are lots of Christian publishers out there, and most of them have online storefronts to sell their books directly to you. They sometimes offer great discounts, and some of them even offer review programs where they offer you FREE books in exchange for honest reviews. HarperCollins Christian, Tyndale, and B&H are just a few to get you started. 

4. Christianbook.com is definitely worth a mention. Besides having (often) the best prices on Christian books, they offer a vast array of other Christian products like toys, church supplies, music, and lots more. 

I hope that helps to make it easier to find quality Christian products for your family. Wherever you find them, never underestimate the importance of instilling these biblical values in your family. 

As a little added bonus, Brentwood Studios (who serves as my literary agency) is producing a podcast hosted by Mike Nawrocki (Larry the Cucumber!) and yours truly to give you background information and really just honest conversations about biblical resources available for our kids. Listen in at The Bible for Kids (or wherever you listen to podcasts). 

Where else do you find your favorite Christian products?