STL UK for sale

Following the recent statement by Keith Danby announcing the sale of STL UK, Sovereign World have no option but to close with immediate effect the trading account held with them. Sovereign World books are now available in the UK from either Sovereign World direct or New Wine Ministries. Sovereign World is equipped to serve the needs of the trade or the direct consumer, having its own warehouse facility and Royal Mail/DHL shipping. During this critical trading season we will be able to supply bookshops efficiently and on good terms. Please call 01524 753805 to place your order. Our new 2010 catalogue will appear with your next issue of Christian Marketplace magazine to help keep you informed of our titles and provides contact details. (which incidentally still includes STL as the catalogues went to press before this announcement.)

I am of course very saddened by this latest development at STL, who have served the Christian trade extremely well. We wait to see the response to the sale of the company. Whilst there is still hope for its operation to continue under new ownership I am concerned for its future. I am sure many of you will join in our prayers for STL and most especially for the many good people who work there under uncertain circumstances. For those of us involved in the Christian retail trade in the UK, it is of course of great significance to us. It looks almost certain we will be left without the main hub of Christian retailing in this country, leaving many bookshops with a serious situation of how to resupply once inventory runs dry in the STL warehouses. There is also the issue of book profiling, something STL helped many bookshops with in highlighting corestock and recommended titles.

For publishers, especially smaller ones like ourselves, it means we lose a very important sales route to bookshops. We saw STL sales of our product half in October 2008 when STL first showed signs of weakness following the recession and the issues with its hugely complex implementation of its new data system SAP. Whilst it hit our growth hard, we have had time to look at our alternatives and review our spiritual goals.

As bleak a time as it seems, and as much as I feel for those falling victim to the current circumstances, we must look ahead. Sovereign World is not just a book publishing company. We are an organization led by a spiritual vision, to become a spearhead and to draw the lines from which we can all march forward to proclaim in unity Christ's sovereignty and His power to change lives. If you want to know more, or get involved in sharing with our vision, please see our new Christian social network site. Sovereign World has put it together, but it isn't about Sovereign World. It's emphasis is on Christian thinking aligned with the type of books we produce. If you like what we publish then you will be right at home there. Anyone can join. To find out more please visit:

Sovereign World Christian Social Network