The religion book market is among the fastest growing  book markets, and most misunderstood.  I've noticed that many of the people who post auctions or have religious books in their stores treat those books with a quiet kind of disdain, as if the books weren't real, or might only appeal to a half-wit. Religion and spirituality books are considered by some sellers to be secondary to "real" books.  Yet spirituality books are among the books that sell very well on the internet.

It's hard to get advice on selling to this market on eBay because there is so much misunderstanding about religious book publishing.  I have been an author, and worked for various religious book publishers, for much of my adult life.  My experience isn't just book selling but comes from a larger view of the industry. You'll find within religious book publishing the same realities as mainstream publishing.  There are very talented writers with long lines waiting for their next book, and there are some wondrous undiscovered authors, and there are the mediocre. When selling books religious books, it is the author you sell.

You'll have to know something about what book buyers are looking for in religious books if you're going to sell.  Let me establish my own meaning of religious books first.  I am speaking largely of Protestant, Evangelical and Catholic publishing.  Christian publishing.  However,  for the sake of discussion I mean more general spirituality as well.  There are authors such as Annie Dillard, Sue Monk Kidd, Frederick Buechner, Malcolum Muggeridge....who do not easily fit into the same category as Rick Warren or prolific Catholic author Bert Ghezzi.

Remember.  Millions of people say that faith is the most important aspect of their lives AND that they read books on spirituality and the Bible regularly.  The potential for book buyers is huge, but you can't just throw anything religious at them.  They are discerning and careful readers.  Unless you've read considerably within the genre it could be difficult to sell to the market.

The top-selling books on Evangelical lists will sell on eBay.  So will the top-selling Catholic books.  Do you know what they are?  Do you know where to find them?  Often though, you won't get much money for topsellers like the Left Behind Series or Joyce Meyer.  These are abundantly available new, at garage sales, and discounted in catalogs.  To sell such titles, you must be willing to sell very cheap.  You could try putting a lot of three or four books from a popular author, or do a lot on a topic, again selling the authors that readers most trust.  For me, the religious classic has done well.

Now, about Christian classics.  I am not referring to Augustine, Francis or Jerome (even though these do very well). What would you call a Christian classic?  Just a clue here.  Hal Lindsey's Late Great Late Planet Earth is not a classic.  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis or Practicing the Presence of God--these are classics.  Classics might well be older books but there are also contemporary classics.  Build a classics list and look to sell those books.  Authors you should be looking for:  Thomas Merton, Richard Foster, Philip Yancey, Walter Wangerin, Frederick Buechner, Kathleen Norris, Anne LaMott, Flannery O'Connor, Madelene L'Engle, C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen.  Don't forget the previously mentioned older classics either, someone is always looking for a clean copy of Augustine, Calvin, Luther...

Not into classics?  Well, you can also count on good steady sales for "hot" authors like Rick Warren, John Elderedge, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, Lee Strobel and the current crop of trendy Evangelical authors.  Make sure these books are in very good condition and sell them at  half the cover price for hardcovers.  Don't give the books away with .99 sales--you devalue all of eBay book selling when you do that.   There's certainly nothing wrong with these books, but they don't have a lot of staying power of the classics.  Other names you'll want to take note of:  Phillip Keller, Max Lucado, Kay Arthur, John Piper,  Phyllis Tickle, Tony Campolo,  Joseph Grizone,  Marva Dawn, Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Richard Rohr, G.K. Chesterton

Also, you can't go wrong with books by and about monks or franciscans.  Benedictine monks are particularly sought-after as are prayer books and "rules" written from a Benedictine point of view. There is a specific body of established and award-winning benedictine authors.  Look for de Waal, Norris, Chittister, Pratt, Homan, Vest and also Cyprian Smith, Timothy Fry, Columba Stewart and Michael Casey.  There are always new authors entering this field, but these are the leaders and most respected Benedictine voices.

The best way to learn which books are worth including in your inventory is to learn more about the religion book market and to keep updated.  Also expand your knowledge of religious books to include other religions and a more general spirituality.  These also sell quite well and meet a need.

Religious reference books, of course, includes bibles.  Bible is one of the most popular key words on eBay.  Try to keep a bible for sale most of the time. It should be either collectible or a hot study bible.   Leather bound do the best but I've sold lots of other bibles.  Bible buyers are a picky kind of bunch though.  Be sure you've described the bible you're selling very carefully.  Include publisher, age, size, the kinds of helps it contains, translation, condition, marks or notations, is it a specialty bible?  Provide a lot of information.  Keep a look out for the specialty bibles.  Catholic Youth Bible.  Max Lucado Bible.  Archaeological Bible.  Spiritual formation Bible and also look for newer translations as well as the standards.  You may find old bibles at estate sales and be tempted to grab as many as possible.  Before you do so, take a look at what kinds of older bibles are selling.  The market for old bibles, without distinction, is slight.  Scofield and Thompson Chain Bibles sell very well.

Besides bibles, offer bible references, dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopedias, surveys, various translations.  And don't forget bible studies and prayer books. Prayer books are among the fastest moving of all books up for auction or listed in my store.  Catholic prayer books and volumes of Liturgy of the Hours are especially popular.  Look for one volume editions with sturdy covers and ribbon markers.  The Common Book of Prayer is also a good seller, both old and new.  There are older versions that have a highly specialized market, research eBay to learn more.

Other ideas:  old and new hymnals, art books, psalters, liturgical items, boxed sets, pastor's resources, books for  youth ministers and christian education.  Christian counseling.--books that address hot current issues. All things Narnia, but don't overlook the Space Trilogy by Lewis either.  Expand your thinking on what constitutes religious or spirituality publishing.   Remember that many, many book buyers in this market are not after the latest Evangelical offering.

Take a look at your inventory.  Are the authors and types of books discussed here in your inventory or do you just throw together "religious" or "christian" lots?  If these books are worth selling, they are worth selling correctly and professionally.  A good place to start would be to peruse Christian Book Distributors and Publisher's Weekly.  Both have on-line formats that you allow to take a look and become more familiar.  The religion section of the library would also be useful. 

I've noticed that newer sellers so often make the same mistakes in trying to sell religion.  Two of these mistakes are easy to avoid.  First, if you sell  lots, make sure the books are related by some similarity other than "religion."  Perhaps books on prayer, parenting, work, bible study.  Luther might have a market out there but if you toss his book in with a Catholic lot it probably won't have a market. Religious buyers have a belief system and tradition that are distinctive.  While some of what all Christians believe is shared, much isn't.  To sell across the board you'll need to understand the distinctions.

Second, don't assume that beause  a religious book is older it has more or even any value.  Older, in religion publishing, is often just older.  What was hot in yesterday's religious publishing is mostly just junk now.  Older books on prayer, unless a classic, are without value because there are so many new, good books on prayer.  This is true of many topics within religious publishing--so avoid books that are narrowly topic related, books about marriage, books about friendship, books about how to invite your friends to church. With these more narrow topics, look for new authors with fresh ideas.

To sell consistently you must remember to look for the classics, and to sell the authors who are most trusted.  A few other suggesteions:

• Deluxe and leather bindings are fairly common among religion titles, always snatch these up if they are clean with tight bindings and the leather is still in good condition.
• Avoid ex-library copies unless the book is rare and in otherwise excellent condiition.
• Children's religion books should be newer, hardcover with dustjacket and very clean. Look for books by the top publishers, authors, and illustrators such as Eerdmans publishers.
• When selling a book within the Catholic market, be sure to indicate that it is Catholic.
• Christmas and Easter are important times for selling books to this market. You can usually buy very lower during summer and fall, then sell much higher. Think Christmas in October and Easter in February.
• If you have an eBay store be sure to keep books with wide price range and offer shipping discounts.
• Create a list of books you want to find, carry it with you.
• Church book sales will often have the kinds of books you are looking for, also call religious institutions such as churches, schools, colleges and find out what they do with books when they discard.

Books on religion can do very well on eBay if you approach it with intelligence and determination.   You'll succeed if you do research, sell the right books and maintain a very high level of integrity.