Editorial Patmos, Spanish-language arm of Brazilian publisher CPAD, is marking its 25th anniversary this year. The company, which is headquartered in Miramar, Florida, and focuses exclusively on Christian titles, has seen significant growth in the U.S. market over the past quarter-century, with the U.S. now accounting for 52% of its total business, a testament to the growing Spanish-speaking population in the country.
"We started small, primarily focusing on Sunday School curriculum," Thomas Souza, business manager for Editorial Patmos, said. "From there, we grew to publishing trade books on other Christian topics and study Bibles. Now we publish all sorts of books, from Bibles and books for church leaders, to academic books, children's titles, or titles that are adaptable to the secular markets for a general audience. We just released a new curriculum."
Souza said the company’s growth has been fueled in part by immigration trends. "We have millions of Spanish-speaking churchgoers here in the U.S. who are gathering every week," he noted. "Every two or three months, they need new materials. They need new Bibles for the new people coming in. They need new materials for the kids."
The company has also observed significant expansion beyond traditional Hispanic population centers. "We have been seeing a lot of growth in other areas of the country, especially up north, such as in Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, Maryland. We've even seen bookstores—even some opening in remote areas like Alabama—which are now primarily Spanish speaking."
Among Editorial Patmos's most recent releases are Exegesis y Espiritualidad, a Spanish translation of essays by the late Pentecostal theologian Gordon Fee, and Impacto de la Santidad, a book on holiness by prominent Brazilian pastor Luciano Subirá.
While the company has traditionally published around 30 titles annually, it is now shifting strategy to prioritize fewer, more targeted releases, primarily focused on its Christian readership. "We're making some decisions to start publishing titles that are very Christian titles and not intended to cross over,” Souza explained. "We're gearing towards being a very niche publishing house."
Addressing the drastic decline in the number of traditional Christian bookstores in the U.S. Souza said he felt there was potential for market recovery, a feeling that surging religious book sales appear to support. "I feel like the market is going to ask for it again," Souza said, referring to physical Christian bookstores. "I don't think Amazon, especially talking about religious books, or is able to give the guidance and the support that is needed."
Nevertheless, Amazon remains a crucial sales channel for the company, Souza said. "I cannot complain about them," Souza noted. "We've seen a lot of updates that they have been doing lately, and it is clear are not going anywhere.”
The company is also exploring growth in e-books and audiobooks, particularly with an eye towards future demand in Latin American markets.
"We just started playing with audiobooks. It's been an interesting experience," Souza shared. "We haven't seen a lot of interest, especially from the Latin American countries, but we’re going in now so that when the market embraces audiobooks, we're already there."
