Contact: Wes Harbour, Swanson Christian Products, 615-480-5031

MURFREESBORO, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Swanson Christian Products (SCP) has created a new ministry called Grace & Fire Media, which provides a non-traditional alternative for self-published authors to gain access to more than 3,500 retail stores in the traditional Christian retail market.

As a result of its mission to "reach the world through ministry, missions and products that honor God" SCP, a leader in the Christian retail market for more than 75 years, is using its long-standing relationships with Christian bookstore owners and its infrastructure to enter into an exciting opportunity to help authors/pastors and their ministries distribute self-published materials. It is a hybrid distributor /publisher model that no one currently has within the Christian marketplace.

"Swanson has identified a need to bridge the gap between an author's self-publishing and vying for a slot in traditional publishing houses," said Shawn A. Kuhn, vice president of P&K Bookstores. "The company's commitment to quality says to me that these will be great books that will make an impact in the lives of people and cause a stir in the publishing industry."

Christian publishing is a $4.2 billion-a-year industry. Books and Bibles account for more than half the revenues of the average Christian retail store. However, current distribution systems are still based on more traditional models that are integrated with established publishers who only release 10-30 titles a year.

As a result, many self-published authors and pastors who would like to get their books or most-popular messages to the public are unlikely to be able to publish or distribute them though traditional Christian marketing channels.

"Last year, for the first time ever, there were more self-published titles released than traditional publisher titles," said Adam Swanson, president of SCP. "We have set up a system to enable the self-published author to get his message out to the consumer through the Christian retail market. It's a win/win for everybody."

SCP is a not-for-profit ministry of Victory Christian Center. It is an importer, manufacturer and distributor of more than 4,000 Christian products in categories such as apparel, home/office décor, Bible accessories, entertainment and custom products.

For more information about Grace & Fire Media go to swansoninc.com and for a CBA store near you, click on Find A Store Near You. For a virtual link of Grace and Fire Media go to issuu.com/swanson/docs/gracefirecatalog211