Churches have been publishers for centuries — long before Amazon existed. From Gutenberg's Bible to Sunday school curricula, faith communities understand that the written word extends ministry beyond the building walls.
What's changed is how simple the mechanics have become. Print-on-demand means no warehouse of unsold books. Digital storefronts mean no distributor negotiations. And platforms like Books.by mean your church keeps the revenue instead of losing 40-60% to middlemen.
This guide covers what churches specifically need to know: the types of books that serve congregations best, how to handle Scripture permissions, bulk ordering for your church bookstore, and turning book sales into meaningful fundraising.
What Churches Actually Publish
Forget generic "Christian books." Churches publish materials their congregation can't get anywhere else — resources tailored to their community, their teaching, their specific mission.
Devotionals and Prayer Resources
A 40-day Lenten devotional. A year-long daily reader. Prayer prompts for specific life situations. These don't need to compete with YouVersion — they need to serve your people with your pastoral voice.
The best church devotionals aren't generic. First Baptist Lexington published a Lenten devotional with daily readings written by different congregation members — 40 voices from their own community. It sold 600 copies in six weeks, all to their own members. The content was hyperlocal, the connection was personal, and the margin funded their Easter outreach.
Sermon Series Compilations
Your pastor preaches 40+ Sundays a year. That's a book every year, already written. A sermon series on Philippians. A topical deep-dive on anxiety, marriage, or stewardship. Take the transcripts, edit for readability, and you have a resource members can revisit and share.
Caveat: Spoken sermons need editing for print. The verbal cadence, repetition, and callbacks that work from the pulpit can feel clunky on the page. Budget for a good copyedit, or have a strong writer on staff adapt the content.
Church History and Anniversary Books
For 50th, 75th, or 100th anniversaries, a church history book is both a celebration and an archive. Historical photos, founding stories, pastor profiles, milestone moments. These become treasured keepsakes and valuable records for future generations.
Color printing matters here. Books.by offers color printing at $1.379 + $0.036/page — a 100-page anniversary book with photos costs about $5 to print, selling at $25 generates $20 for ministry per copy.
Ministry Workbooks and Training Materials
Small group study guides. New member orientation books. Leadership development curricula. Volunteer training manuals. These are the materials that actually run your church's ministries — and they're worth publishing properly.
Workbooks benefit from space to write. Consider larger trim sizes (8.5"×11") and leave generous margins. Print-on-demand means you can update content annually without being stuck with outdated inventory.
Children's Ministry Resources
Bible story books for specific age groups. Vacation Bible School materials. Children's worship resources. These often need color interiors and may require different paper stock than adult books.
Scripture Quotations: What You Actually Need to Know
The single biggest question churches ask about publishing: "Can we quote the Bible?"
Short answer: Yes, but check the specific translation's guidelines.
Major Translation Guidelines
| Translation | Free Usage Limit | Permission Needed |
|---|---|---|
| KJV / ASV / WEB | Unlimited (public domain) | None required |
| NIV | 500 verses max, no complete book | Zondervan for larger use |
| ESV | 500 verses max, under 50% of total work | Crossway for larger use |
| NASB | 500 verses, no complete book | Lockman Foundation |
| NKJV | 500 verses | Thomas Nelson |
| NLT | 500 verses, max 25% of work | Tyndale House |
What counts as a verse: Partial quotes of a verse count as a full verse in most guidelines. A 10-word phrase from Romans 8:28 uses one verse of your quota.
Required attribution: All translations require copyright acknowledgment. Check the translation's copyright page for exact wording — it typically goes on your book's copyright page.
When in doubt: Use KJV (public domain) or contact the translation's permissions department. Most publishers grant permission for legitimate church use.
Bulk Ordering for Your Church
This is where self-publishing math gets interesting for churches.
With Books.by, you can order "author copies" at printing cost only — no retail markup, no platform commission. For a 150-page black-and-white devotional:
- Printing cost: $1.26 base + ($0.016 × 150 pages) = $3.66 per book
- Order 100 copies: $366 total
- Sell at $12 each: $1,200 revenue, $834 profit
Compare that to buying wholesale from a traditional publisher — you'd pay $6-8 per copy and make half the margin.
Practical Applications
- Small group leader kits: Order 20 copies for each small group at cost
- Church bookstore inventory: Keep 50 copies on hand, reorder when low
- Conference giveaways: Order 200 copies for your annual conference
- Pastoral care: Gift copies to new members, hospital visits, or counseling sessions
Because it's print-on-demand, you're never stuck with boxes of outdated materials. Order what you need, when you need it.
Book Sales as Church Fundraising
Here's the real opportunity for churches: every book sold can directly fund ministry.
With Books.by's 100% royalty model (only payment processing of ~2.9% + $0.30 applies), the math is simple:
Example: 150-page devotional at $15
- Retail price: $15.00
- Print cost: $3.66
- Processing (~2.9% + $0.30): $0.74
- Church keeps: $10.60
Sell 200 copies to your congregation and that's $2,120 for missions, building fund, or benevolence ministry. Sell 500 copies and you've funded a youth summer camp.
On Amazon, that same $15 book would net you about $5.50 after their 40% cut and printing costs. Nearly half the fundraising potential.
Calculate Your Royalties
See how much more you could earn selling church books directly through Books.by compared to Amazon KDP.
Setting Up Your Church's Storefront
With Books.by, your church gets a branded storefront at books.by/yourchurchname. This is where members (and anyone else) can purchase your books directly.
What You Control
- Branding: Your church logo, colors, and messaging
- Pricing: Set any price you want — no restrictions
- Customer data: You get buyer email addresses (unlike Amazon)
- Bundles: Offer small group packs, family devotional sets, etc.
Promotion Within Your Congregation
Your distribution channel is built-in: your congregation. The weekly bulletin. Announcement slides. Pastor's email. Church website. Social media. Small group leader communications.
Unlike commercial authors hunting for readers, you're serving an existing community. The challenge isn't finding an audience — it's making sure your audience knows the resource exists.
ISBNs for Church Publishing
For books only sold within your church, you technically don't need an ISBN. But for $99/year with Books.by, you get unlimited free ISBNs — so there's no reason not to use them.
Benefits of having an ISBN:
- Your church appears as the official publisher in industry databases
- Libraries can catalog and order your books
- Christian bookstores can stock your titles
- It looks more professional to readers outside your congregation
The ISBN lists your church name as publisher. You own it. It's yours for that book forever.
Multi-Contributor Books
Many church books involve multiple authors — different pastors contributing sermons, congregation members writing devotional entries, or staff collaborating on curriculum.
Coordination Tips
- Assign one editor: Someone needs to maintain consistency in voice, formatting, and style
- Set clear deadlines: Church volunteers are busy — build in buffer time
- Use shared documents: Google Docs or similar for collaborative editing
- Establish style guidelines: Scripture translation, capitalization of "He/him" for God, formatting conventions
Attribution Options
- List the church as author: "By First Presbyterian Church"
- Name multiple authors: "By Pastor Smith and Pastor Johnson"
- Editor credit: "Compiled by Jane Williams"
- Attribution within: Name each contributor at their section
Common Church Publishing Mistakes
Mistake 1: Waiting for perfection. Your congregation doesn't need a Pulitzer winner. They need useful content from voices they trust. Good enough is good enough.
Mistake 2: Overprinting. Don't order 500 copies "just in case." Order 50, see how they sell, and reorder as needed. Print-on-demand means no warehousing risk.
Mistake 3: Underpricing. A $15 devotional feels reasonable. A $5 devotional signals low quality. Price to reflect value, not just cost.
Mistake 4: No clear purpose. "We should write a book" isn't a plan. What specific need does this serve? Who will read it? How will it be used?
Mistake 5: Forgetting ebooks. Younger congregation members, travelers, and those with accessibility needs appreciate digital options. Books.by lets you offer both formats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Churches can publish directly under their church name as the publisher. With Books.by, you get free ISBNs with your church listed as the publisher of record. No need to create a separate legal entity for publishing.
With Books.by, churches keep 100% of royalties from book sales (only standard payment processing of ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). For a $15 devotional that costs $4 to print, your church keeps approximately $10.50 per sale. Sell 200 copies and that's over $2,000 for ministry programs.
Common church publications include: daily devotionals, sermon series compilations, church anniversary histories, Bible study guides, ministry training workbooks, prayer journals, children's ministry materials, worship songbooks, and memorial tribute books.
Most Bible translations allow free quotation up to a certain limit (typically 500 verses for NIV, ESV, NASB). Check the copyright page of your preferred translation for specific guidelines. Public domain translations like KJV have no restrictions. Always include proper attribution.
Books.by lets you order author copies at printing cost only — no markup. For a 150-page B&W devotional, that's approximately $3.66 per copy. Order 100 copies for your church bookstore or small group leaders without paying retail prices.
Absolutely. Multi-author books are common for churches — sermon compilations from different pastors, devotionals written by staff and congregation members, or anniversary books with contributions from church history. Just designate one person to manage the Books.by account and coordinate submissions.
For internal distribution only (selling in your church bookstore, giving to members), an ISBN isn't strictly necessary. But for broader distribution, online sales, or library placement, you'll want one. Books.by includes free ISBNs, so there's no cost barrier.
