What does it take to become a published IVP Christian author?

Our special guest is Jeff Crosby, the publisher of InterVarsity Press (IVP). InterVarsity Press began right before World War II as a small service branch of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) campus ministry. Today, after years of development and growth, IVP has nearly one hundred staff, working together to publish books, Bible studies, and booklets every year that equip, edify, and challenge people in every generation.

Crosby got his start in the Christian book industry as the owner with his wife, Cindy, of a Logos bookstore in Bloomington, Indiana, from 1983 to 1993. He went on to become the executive director of the Association of Logos Bookstores from 1993 to 1996 and was in executive sales and marketing roles with the Christian divisions of Ingram Book Company for two years before he started at IVP. “InterVarsity Press books challenged, stimulated and nourished my faith in Christ and my understanding of Christian theology and spirituality long before I came to work with its people in Downers Grove,” Crosby said. “It’s been a privilege to serve alongside incredibly visionary and committed colleagues for the past eighteen years as we’ve published resources for the university, the church and the world in response to God’s call on us. I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into the twin roles of IVP publisher and IVCF vice president and be a part of leading us into the next chapters of our work together.”

Crosby received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University in 1983 and his master’s in Leadership Studies from North Central College in 2009. As IVP’s director of sales and marketing Crosby managed sales to domestic retail accounts and the international distribution partnerships in England, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and other countries. He was instrumental in launching the direct marketing program for IVP Academic’s award-winning Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture reference series, and was a primary drafter of IVP’s digital publishing strategy in 2008. Throughout his career Crosby has led numerous workshops and spoken at conferences on the topics of publishing, marketing and management. In both 2015 and again this year, he has served the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) as the content creation leader for the sessions of its ECPA PUBu events.

Located in Westmont, Illinois, InterVarsity Press has been publishing thoughtful Christian books for more than 70 years. An extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, IVP is a leading Christian publisher with a respected history providing resources that strengthen the church, encourage individuals, and shape the academy. As an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church, and the world by publishing resources that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life.