What Barbour Publishing does

Barbour Publishing, Inc. is a privately held, Ohio-based Christian book publisher founded in 1981, operating from Uhrichsville with fulfillment out of its Ohio distribution center and selling predominantly through its proprietary e-commerce site, barbourbooks.com. The company produces and distributes a broad Christian catalog spanning Bibles (KJV, NASB, New Life, Reina-Valera, simplified and large-print editions), devotionals, fiction (with a notable Amish fiction franchise anchored by author Wanda E. Brunstetter), children's and teen resources, Bible reference/study materials, and lifestyle/gift products under sub-brands including Barbour Bibles, Barbour Fiction, Barbour Kidz, Barbour Young Adult, Barbour Reference, DayMaker, and Barbour Español. Its flagship 3-Minute Devotions series has surpassed 6 million units sold, validating the devotional franchise as its strongest commercial asset.

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than differentiated: a BigCommerce storefront, traditional ISBN-tracked print publishing and wholesale distribution, and an Amazon Services LLC Associates Program affiliate integration. There is no disclosed proprietary technology platform, app, API, or AI pipeline. Customer segmentation is horizontal across Christian Women, Christian Men, Children/Pre-teens, Teenagers, Spanish-Speaking Christians (via Barbour Español), and readers requiring large print, indicating a wide persona-based rather than account-based GTM.

Revenue mechanics come from three streams: direct-to-consumer book sales through barbourbooks.com (one-time unit purchases at $1.50–$16.99, mostly $4–$12), wholesale distribution to traditional and Christian bookstores, and affiliate referral fees from Amazon. Bulk-volume discounts (e.g., 48 units at $3.59 each, 40% off) and seasonal sales with up to 80% off on scratch-and-dent inventory sit alongside a newsletter-driven 15% first-order acquisition offer and a customer rewards program. Operating with 51–100 employees and no disclosed funding, M&A, or institutional ownership, Barbour runs as an independent, family-scale niche publisher.

Name

Barbour Publishing

Legal name

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Website

https://barbourbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Barbour Publishing is a privately held, Ohio-based Christian book publisher (founded 1981) selling Bibles, devotionals, fiction, and children's titles through its DTC e-commerce site, wholesale to Christian bookstores, and Amazon, serving Christian consumers across age groups and Spanish-language segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF), Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL), Children’s Religious & Values-Based Publishing (MPAJAFAL), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Christian book publishing
• Bibles and devotionals
• Inspirational fiction
• Religious literature
• Children's christian books

Headquarters

HQ city

Uhrichsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Book Sales - Direct Consumer: Direct retail sales of Christian books, Bibles, and devotionals through the barbourbooks.com e-commerce platform to individual consumers.
2. Wholesale/Retail Distribution: Distribution of physical books through traditional retail bookstore channels and wholesale relationships.
3. Affiliate Marketing: Revenue earned through the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Barbour Publishing publishes and distributes Christian literature including Bibles (KJV, NASB, NLV, Reina-Valera), devotionals for men, women, kids, and teens, Amish and historical fiction, nonfiction Bible study materials, children's books, and Spanish-language faith content. Products are sold directly through their proprietary barbourbooks.com e-commerce site and distributed wholesale to retail bookstores and Amazon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barbour Bibles: Bibles and Bible-related publications including King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Life Version, Reina-Valera, and Large Print editions
• Barbour Fiction
• Barbour Kidz
• Barbour Español
• Barbour Young Adult
• Barbour Reference
• DayMaker

Products and services

• Bibles Bible publications in multiple translations including King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Life Version, Reina-Valera, Simplified KJV, and Large Print editions, plus kids' Bibles, teen Bibles, and Bible promise books. For Christian readers seeking scriptural text.
• Devotionals Daily devotional books for men, women, kids, and teens, including Prayer Jar Devotionals, Come Away My Beloved series, Daily Wisdom Collections, and Emotional Health devotionals. For Christians seeking daily spiritual encouragement and prayer support.
• Christian Fiction Inspirational fiction including Amish Fiction (notably Wanda E. Brunstetter and Heart of the Amish), Contemporary, Historical, Mystery and Suspense, Multi-Story Collections, and Christmas Fiction. For readers of faith-based entertainment.
• Christian Nonfiction Nonfiction titles including Bible Promise Books, Bible Reference, Bible Study guides, Biography, Christian Classics, Christian Living, Prayer, Entertainment and Puzzle Books (cookbooks, facts/trivia, sudoku, word games), Journals, and Planners. For Christians seeking study aids and faith-based lifestyle content.
• Children's Books (Barbour Kidz) Children's Bibles, Bible Reference materials, Courageous Girls and Brave Boys series, devotionals, puzzle and activity books (including joke books), and storybooks. For children and pre-teens seeking age-appropriate faith formation.
• Teen Books (Barbour Young Adult) Teen-focused Bibles, devotionals, and nonfiction materials. For teenagers seeking age-appropriate faith-based content.
• Spanish-Language Christian Publications (Barbour Español) Spanish-language Bibles, devotions and prayers, kids and teen materials, and nonfiction. For Spanish-speaking Christians seeking faith-based content in their native language.
• Journals and Planners (DayMaker) Lifestyle and gift products including journals (Faith Maps series) and planners. For consumers seeking faith-based organizational and journaling tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6 million units sold for the 3-Minute Devotions series

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon Services LLC Associates ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffiliate marketing partnership where Barbour earns advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites from barbourbooks.com. The site displays an affiliate disclosure noting participation in the program.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• B&H Publishing Group: Christian publishing arm of LifeWay Christian Resources, producing Bibles, books, and ministry resources; comparable in mission and audience to Barbour's Bible and nonfiction lines.
• David C Cook: Christian publisher producing curriculum, Bibles, and books for children and families; closely comparable to Barbour Kidz and Barbour Young Adult lines and to the Bible study offerings.
• Our Daily Bread Ministries (Discovery Series): Publishes the widely circulated Our Daily Bread devotional booklet and related books; directly competes with Barbour's devotional franchise for daily devotional reader attention and gifting.
• Harvest House Publishers: Independent Christian publisher with strong devotional and Bible study lines serving similar faith-based readers; comparable in scale and product mix to Barbour.
• Guideposts: Faith-based media publisher producing devotionals, inspirational books, and magazines; comparable audience and devotional/inspirational product mix to Barbour.
• Tyndale House Publishers: Independent Christian publisher of Bibles, devotionals, and fiction (including the New Living Translation); closely overlaps Barbour's Bible, devotional, and fiction catalog and competes for the same retail shelf space.

Others

• Baker Publishing Group (Bethany House, Revell, Baker Books):

Broad incumbents

• HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson & Zondervan): The largest US Christian publisher operating the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan imprints; directly comparable in Bibles, devotionals, and Christian fiction, but at materially larger scale and as part of a global trade publisher.
• WaterBrook & Multnomah (Penguin Random House): Christian imprint under Penguin Random House publishing Christian fiction, devotionals, and nonfiction; directly comparable product categories but with the backing of a major trade publisher.

Regional players

• Christianbook.com (CBD): Largest US online retailer of Christian products, carrying Barbour titles among many others; while primarily a retailer rather than publisher, it is the dominant commerce destination competing with Barbour's own DTC site for the same Bible/devotional reader.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barbourbuzz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barbour-publishing-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barbour Publishing