For Immediate Release, September 13, 2018

ECPA HOSTS THREE EVENTS FOR PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALS & INDUSTRY CREATIVES ON NOVEMBER 6-7 IN NASHVILLE

Annual ECPA PubU program pairs with The Christy Award™ writing conference and Gala for second year at Lipscomb University

StoryBrand’s DONALD MILLER to “bridge” both events as keynote
3 industry intensives to feature 48 SESSIONS for publishers and writers
MADELEINE L’ENGLE legacy to be honored at The Christy Award Gala

TEMPE, ARIZ., September 13, 2018 – The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) will again pair its Publishing University (PubU) program with The Christy Award™ Gala and Art of Writing conference on November 6-7 at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

PubU will gather more than 200 publishing professionals, from early afternoon November 6 to early afternoon November 7, for 44 sessions in “hot” publishing topics — from Audio, Amazon, and Authors to Readers, Retail, Research, and more — in tracks marked for marketing & publicity, editorial, design, rights management, reader engagement, and data, delivery & workflow. The event gathers both industry leaders and publishing teams from all the major Christian publishing houses.

The program is developed “by the industry, for the industry,” designed by a committee of publishing executives, led by DAVE SCHROEDER (B&H Publishing) who determine relevant training topics, recruit speakers, and develop sessions.

“PubU is the most altruistic 24-hours in the industry,” shares Stan Jantz, ECPA’s CEO and president. “This event is where you’ll find industry experts and publishing leaders, who are normally competitors, developing and leading sessions, sharing best practices, and recruiting the expertise of others – all for strengthening the industry of Christian publishing.”

Nearly 50 speakers from inside and outside the industry will present in their areas of expertise and include: Kristen McLean (NPD), Andrew Peterson (Rabbit Room), Dr. Theon Hill (Wheaton College), Don Clark (illustrator), David Barker (ReaderLink), Ami McConnell (editor, author), Jessica Penick (YouVersion), and more. In addition, the Top Shelf Book Cover Award winners will be announced in the opening session, kicking off a series of sessions for the industry’s design community.

For the third consecutive year, PubU will honor EMERGING LEADERS in the industry with a scholarship sponsored by NPD Book. Nominations are being accepted now until September 21.

Simultaneously closing PubU and opening the Art of Writing conference on November 7 will be DONALD MILLER, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of StoryBrand. His audiences are challenged to lean into their own story, creatively develop and execute the story of their team, and understand the story of their customers so they can serve them with passion.

“Don has a keen understanding of our industry – both as an author and consultant to publishers,” states ECPA’s Stan Jantz. “His coaching is highly sought after and we’re thrilled that our attendees get his session with their registration rate!”

The Art of Writing conference, held 1-5:30 pm on November 7, is designed to bring Christian creatives and publishing curators together for a half day of intensive seminars. After Miller’s session on What StoryBrand Means for Publishers and Writers, three more afternoon intensive workshops will convene before the evening Awards Gala begins. They are:

Mythbusters: Publishing Edition with Bethany House senior fiction publicist Amy Green and a panel of publishing executives.
How to Write Books that Outlast You with Sarah Arthur, author of a dozen books on the intersection of faith and literary classics. Sarah’s most recent release is A Light So Lovely (Zondervan, August 7, 2018), a spiritual memoir of Madeleine L’Engle.
Difficult Topics, Happily Ever After and Hope with authors Jerry Jenkins, Charles Martin, Carla Laureano, Joanne Bischof, and executive editor at Howard Books/Simon & Schuster Beth Adams.

The Christy Award Dinner Gala will be held at 7 pm that evening in Lipscomb’s renown Shamblin Theatre. The evening will honor the power of Story, the legacy of Madeleine L’Engle, and the year’s best in Christian fiction by announcing the 2018 winners of The Christy Award™, featuring bestselling authors Charles Martin, Francine Rivers, Carla Laureano, Sarah Arthur, and Cynthia Ruchti.

Tickets for the Art of Writing conference and The Christy Award Gala are available for a special bundle price of only $99. Individual event tickets are $69. Register at ChristyAwards.com
PubU registration and complete program information is at ECPAPubU.org. Attendees receive a special rate to The Christy Award afternoon and evening events via the PubU registration form.
PubU attendees may also receive a 20% discount off the inaugural WRITERFEST NASHVILLE, held November 8-9 at Lipscomb University. Contact ECPA for the discount code after you register for PubU.

For more information about these programs, contact:
Stan Jantz, ECPA President and CEO, sjantz@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101
Cindy Carter, ECPA Awards & Recognition Manager, ccarter@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 103

About ECPA PubU
ECPA PubU is the industry’s “Publishing University” for Christian publishing professionals, taught by experts and industry leaders, and considered the premier training ground for the industry. In-depth sessions are offered in Marketing & Publicity, Reader Engagement, Editorial, Design, Data, Delivery & Workflow and Rights. Full program details and registration are at ECPAPubU.org.

About The Christy Award™
The Christy Award is the foremost award honoring and promoting excellence in Christian fiction since 1999, and is named for Catherine Marshall’s novel, “Christy,” which has sold over 10 million copies since its publication in 1967. ECPA assumed ownership and administration of the award in 2017 to focus and grow the unique opportunity of fiction in Christian publishing. ChristyAwards.com @ChristyAward facebook.com/ChristyAward IG: thechristyaward

About ECPA
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit 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 our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org @ECPA facebook.com/ECPA.org

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