In a recent testimonial from Scientology’s UK headquarters, Saint Hill, Ulises Arias is celebrated as the country’s “top bookseller”, although a closer look at the numbers suggests he only sells an average of 2 books a day.
In Scientology, book sales are considered to be the “front line of dissemination” and one of the most important outreach activities to recruit new members. If you were to walk into any Church of Scientology in the world and ask any staff member, they will confirm their belief that “books make booms”, meaning explosive expansion. In ‘Book Income’, a policy letter written by founder L. Ron Hubbard he lays down a step-by-step process on how book sales result in new Scientologists and in a bulletin written on 16th September 1959 titled ‘Dissemination Tips’, he explains “Central Org boom occurs about two or three months after book sales go up.”
As a result, Scientology often hold international competitions called ‘Book-a-thons’ where Orgs compete against each other to sell the most books in a week and the top booksellers in each territory are celebrated with certificates, trophies and custom-embroidered jackets.
Last month saw the 75th anniversary of the publication of Dianetics, which is widely seen as the most important book in Scientology, and a huge event hosted by reclusive leader David Miscavige was held at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida to celebrate the latest efforts to drive book sales around the world. Shortly afterwards Saint Hill sent out a promotional message to its followers about Ulises Arias, a London Org staff member and the UK’s top bookseller, who explains how he has sold “over 750 books in the last year alone,” which may sound impressive.. but divided by 365 days in a year, means even the top book seller is only managing to flog two books a day.
So much for “fastest growing religion on planet Earth”.
Here’s the testimonial in full:
“My name is Ulises Arias. I found Scientology three years ago and today, I am the TOP bookseller in the UK, with over 750 books sold in the last year alone! Since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted to do better and WIN. I’ve always been willing to experience life and that got me into a lot of trouble… Until one moment in my life where I realised just how fast life goes. I was NOT living up to my potential but just living in my own little universe, worrying about problems I didn’t even have.
My life wasn’t going well and I wanted to change. That’s when I found the Scientology App, got in touch with a staff member from London and shortly after that, I started my adventure on staff with 100% certainty that this was the right thing to do!
Selling LRH materials is the easiest thing for me. I connect with the individual and get them to see how bad life could get if they don’t change what needs to change. As I went through this myself, I know everyone can do it.
What excites me about Dianetics is that IT WORKS! I’ve seen people improve their conditions, move on from the past and become better because of it. If you really want to help someone, you have to help yourself first. That means proving to yourself that you can DO it by selling books, disseminating, training as an Auditor, being on purpose. Being on fire and passionate. Because you are going to save his life, by getting him into Dianetics.
What I’m doing fills me with pride and anyone is welcome at London Org, to work with us and learn how to do it as well!”
Ulises Arias, Scientology’s top UK bookseller (2024/2025)
3 responses
I have seen and photographed copies of the 75th Anniversary bundle of copies of "Dianetics" in Plymouth org.
It consists of three copies of the book in different bindings (a hardback, a paperback and a pocket edition) held loosely together with a paper tape, like a bundle of banknotes.
They were stacked on a table in the back of the reception area, and never appeared in the window, so I'm assuming that members were 'encouraged' to buy these '75th anniversary collector's items'.
If you count each bundle sold to a Scientologist as three copies of the book,, that's quite a 'stat'…
Shocking. You’re absolutely right, any excuse to sell a bundle of books to get those stats up!
Worse yet, these editions were never offered to the public, nor even displayed in the window. They were sold only to themselves.
Since ‘dissemination’ is supposed to recruit new members, I can’t see how that can count but I would not be slightly surprised to learn that it did.