615.902.1109 casey.harrell@harpercollins.com
Tyndale author Dandi Daley Mackall receives ECPA’s 2017 Christian Book Award® for best Children’s title—Jonah and the Fish
Carol Stream, Ill., May 3, 2017— Tyndale author Dandi Daley Mackall received the ECPA 2017 Christian Book Award® for the best children’s book at a celebration held on May 2, 2017, during the ECPA Leadership Summit in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In the ECPA Awards Celebration, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced winners of the 2017 Christian Book Awards® in 11 categories as well as the 2017 Christian Book of the Year®. Among the winners was Tyndale’s Dandi Daley Mackall for her August 2016 children’s release, Jonah and the Fish, illustrated by Lissy Marlin.
In Jonah and the Fish, bestselling children’s author Dandi Daley Mackall has created a fresh presentation of the story of the biblical prophet Jonah, using a creative two-sided flip book. Designed to tell the same story twice from two different points of view, the book allows the reader to enjoy the story of Jonah and then literally flip the book to read the story from the perspective of the fish that swallowed him. Utilizing humor, engaging illustrations, and an innovative format, Mackall provides readers with the added bonus of two books in one.
Linda Howard, Associate Publisher of Tyndale Kids, shared, “We are excited and grateful for this award. I remember sitting in Dandi’s house dreaming about this Flipside series not that long ago. To see Jonah and the Fish receive this honor is the perfect culmination of the creativity and effort that characterizes each of Dandi’s books and all Tyndale Kids products.”
In his comments at the awards celebration, ECPA executive director Stan Jantz congratulated publishers and authors “for being the best in their category.” He also shared, “Publishing books is a process that requires extraordinary effort and investment on the part of a team of publishing professionals. We honor tonight the quality they produce, yet we celebrate most the impact these winning titles will have on readers, the ultimate beneficiary of these outstanding books.”
The Christian Book Award® program has recognized the absolute highest quality in Christian books since 1978. Based on excellence in content, literary quality, design, and impact, the Christian Book Award® program is the oldest and among the most prestigious awards in the religious publishing industry. ChristianBookAwards.com @CBAwards #ChristianBookAwards
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international nonprofit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that their members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org @ECPA
Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people. www.tyndale.com
Contact: Alyssa Anderson
alyssaanderson@tyndale.com 630.784.5152
WaterBrook book optioned for TV Documentary Series
THE CHAMBERLAIN KEY Unlocks Secret Code Encrypted in the Old Testament;
Optioned by Jupiter Entertainment & Random House Studio for Major Documentary Television Series
NEW YORK (May 4, 2017)—Jupiter Entertainment and Random House Studio have jointly optioned the fascinating new non-fiction book The Chamberlain Key: Unlocking the God Code to Reveal Divine Messages Hidden in the Bible by Timothy P. Smith, published by WaterBrook, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group division of Penguin Random House, for a multi-episode history documentary series to air late fall 2017.
The Chamberlain Key tells Smith’s astounding personal story of a decades-long journey that began while unraveling a mystery surrounding his family genealogy. This private exploration led to the discovery of codes encrypted in the ancient Hebrew Bible. Smith’s findings have not only profound personal but potentially historical and religious implications. The book and the television series offer the ideal combination of history, mystery, faith and adventure.
Executive Producer David McKillop is overseeing the production for Jupiter Entertainment, Europa Entertainment and Random House Studio for the series titled “God Code,” featuring author Smith, an art and antiquities expert. He is on a hunt to discover the sacred treasure chamber and archive of the Temple of Solomon, the repository of the original Torah of Moses protected in the Ark of the Covenant. Smith is using a key code he calls “The Chamberlain Key” to unlock encrypted messages found in the ancient Hebrew text of the of Old Testament. The code, according to Smith, has already led directly to the precise locations of where sacred artifacts and information have been hidden for centuries. Now the hunt is on for the most elusive and powerful treasure the world has ever known—the Lost Word of God.
“We read The Chamberlain Key and immediately wanted to option it and turn it into a television series,” says Peter Gethers, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Random House Studio, owned by Fremantle Media N.A. “As wonderful as the book is, there is even more to explore—and television is the perfect place with which to explore it.”
“The phenomenal encrypted messages revealed in The Chamberlain Key have immediately led to so many other historical and archaeological discoveries that I’m delighted to be given the opportunity of a TV documentary series to explore and share what’s happening with the public in a format closer to real time,” says Timothy Smith. “This is not a scripted program, but a real rough and tumble quest for the world’s greatest treasure.”
The Chamberlain Key is available now at book retailers nationwide.
For additional information on The Chamberlain Key, including in-depth articles on the research process and Biblical history as well as updates on exciting new discoveries, visit www.chamberlainkey.com.
WaterBrook is an imprint of The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Penguin Random House (http://global.penguinrandomhouse.com/) is the world’s most global trade book publisher. It was formed on July 1, 2013, upon the completion of an agreement between Bertelsmann and Pearson to merge their respective trade publishing companies, Random House and Penguin, with the parent companies owning 53% and 47%, respectively. Penguin Random House comprises the adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa, and Penguin’s trade publishing activity in Asia and Brazil; DK worldwide; and Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial’s Spanish-language companies in Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile. Penguin Random House employs more than 10,000 people globally across almost 250 editorially and creatively independent imprints and publishing houses that collectively publish more than 15,000 new titles annually. Its publishing lists include more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.
About Jupiter Entertainment: With storytelling and innovation at the forefront, Jupiter Entertainment has produced a variety of hit primetime series and specials across a wide range of genres including explosive docusoaps like Wild West Alaska (Animal Planet), long running series like Snapped (Oxygen) and hit series like Homicide Hunter and Enquiring Minds (ID). Other recent credits include: Killer Couples, #Killerpost (Oxygen), Justice: By Any Means, Fatal Attraction (TV One) and National Enquirer Investigates (REELZ). Jupiter Entertainment’s recent partnership with Skyvision has given the company a tremendous international presence. Jupiter Entertainment currently operates offices in New York, NY and Knoxville, TN. Find out more about Jupiter Entertainment and its projects at www.jupiterent.com.
Contact: Beverly Rykerd
brykerd@penguinrandomhouse.com (719) 268-1935
Tough year for indie Christian stores, but good news reported on the horizon
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Despite a tough 2016 for Christian stores and the recent demise of a major Christian-store chain, there is good news on the horizon for Christian-product providers, according to the 2017 CBA State of the Industry Report, available this week.
The Conference Board, a New York-based public interest business association, reported key Christian-store customer segments will grow as a percentage of the population, have more disposable income, and could boost print-book sales by $2 billion during the next eight years. Additionally, the NPD Group reports 1.3 million millennial women gave birth for the first time in 2015, adding opportunities for Christian stores who serve young families. The Report devotes sections to millennials, their church habits, and marketing to them.
Structural Obstacles and Counter Strategies
Notwithstanding the good news, the industry’s significant structural obstacles could challenge robust growth, the Report indicates. Christian stores saw a 6 percent sales decline in 2016 over 2015, although the network reported higher transaction averages for the same period. According to CROSS:SCAN data, powered by ParableConnect, 61 percent of reporting stores saw higher transaction averages but less traffic to capitalize on the good sales and service.
While declining store traffic is a major contributor to the sales decline, Christian stores also lack strong omnichannel capabilities that enable them to connect with consumers online, where most early shopping occurs. Increasingly, retailers need to effectively present brand and product offerings both online and in store, because that’s how customers are shopping, according to research summaries presented in the Report.
CBA’s CROSS:SCAN data program gathers actual sales data from stores for weekly CROSS:SCAN reports. Reporting stores are primarily independent single or small-chain stores.
The Report indicates that 60 percent of Christian-store respondents have less than 5 percent of total sales from online or ecommerce transactions, 25 percent don’t attempt to sell online, and 20 percent don’t have a website.
However, responding retailers said social media, company websites, and email marketing are top marketing-investment increases planned for 2017. Mobile marketing ranked at 1.9 on a scale of 5, just above radio and print advertising.
The report summarizes several leading research findings regarding the new customer “purchasing journey,” or how people learn about products, research them, and then decide where and how to buy. It also outlines recommended retail strategies to compete against Amazon and big-box discounters based on national consumer and retail research.
Included research in the Report indicates that for the foreseeable future—and despite the rise of e-commerce rates—85 percent of all retail sales will continue to be through brick-and-mortar stores. Stores overall will be smaller as sales and marketing by retailers move online and the role of the store changes.
20 new stores, but a net loss of 25
In a separate survey included in the State of the Industry Report, the industry saw a net loss of 25 stores, which represents less than 1 percent of the total network composed of primarily traditional Christian stores that have more than 75 percent Christian-product inventory plus other industry stores with smaller Christian-product ratios.
In an analysis based on comparisons from several Christian-supplier customer lists, CBA store data, and phone calls to confirm store-opening dates, the industry saw 45 stores close, but also saw 20 new stores open.
The report is free to CBA retailer members and survey participants, with a nominal charge to nonmembers and suppliers. Order from the CBA website: www.CBAonline.org/research.
CBA, the Association for Christian Retail
CBA is the leading association for providers of Christian products to reach all people. It supplies vital connections, information, education and encouragement to Christian resource providers.
Contact: Sharon Roberts, sroberts@cbaonline.
Study Guide and DVD now available for bestselling Tactics by master apologist Gregory Koukl
Introduces Believers to Effective Ways to Defend Their Christian Faith
- Initiate conversations effortlessly
- Present the truth clearly, cleverly, and persuasively
- Graciously and effectively expose faulty thinking
- Skillfully manage the details of dialogue
- Maintain an engaging, disarming style even under attack
616-698-3514 | trinity.mcfadden@
Nathan Kroeze, Marketing Manager
616-698-3593 | nathan.kroeze@harpercollins.
HarperCollins Christian Publishing receives eight awards at 2017 ECPA Leadership Summit
Winning Best Bible, Devotional and Gift, and Young People’s Literature among the honors
- “NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible,” editors Craig S. Keener and John H. Walton (Zondervan)- Bibles
- “A Spectacle of Glory,” by Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby (Zondervan)- Devotion and Gift
- “Unblemished” by Sara Ella (Thomas Nelson)- Young People’s Literature
- “Jesus Always” by Sarah Young (Thomas Nelson)
- “The Noticer” by Andy Andrews (Thomas Nelson)
- “Sacred Marriage” by Gary Thomas (Zondervan)
- “Uninvited” by Lysa TerKeurst (Thomas Nelson)
tel: 615.902.1109 web: casey.harrell@harpercollins.com