April 27, 2020 Edition

The pandemic is changing book-buying patterns

From Publishers Weekly:  Given all the disruptions to the global economy caused by the new coronavirus, unit sales of print books held up relatively well in the first quarter of 2020, said Kristen McLean, executive director, business development for NPD Books, in a webinar held last week. And though the unprecedented economic plunge makes it difficult to gauge how much of a drag Covid-19 will have on book sales in the long run, publishing has weathered previous turbulent times fairly well.

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Registration opens for free May 5th webcast announcing Christian Book Award® winners

Registration is now open for the ECPA Awards Webcast of the Christian Book Award winners, to be held next Tuesday, May 5 at 1 pm central time.  From a pool of 65 finalists, winners will be announced in 12 categories along with the 2020 Christian Book of the Year®.  The webcast will feature Pinnacle Award recipient and bestselling author of The Power of a Praying® series, STORMIE OMARTIAN, who will deliver a special prayer for our world and for the industry in this time of crisis.

The webcast is free but registration is required.
REGISTER

Christy Award submissions for Christian fiction ends Thursday

The final deadline for Christian fiction submissions to The Christy Award® program is this Thursday, April 30.  ECPA extended the deadline by a month due to companies dealing with the current crisis.  Submissions are accepted in nine fiction categories published from March 2019 to March 2020.  Three finalists are selected in September; and winners will be announced and celebrated in November.

Submission Information

ECPA Member Meeting and Town Hall webcast scheduled for May 6

The Annual ECPA Member Meeting will take place on May 6 from 11 am to 12 pm central time and will be conducted as a webinar and town hall discussion. The results of the election of new ECPA board members and officers will be revealed; the chairs of each of ECPA’s standing committees will give one-minute reports; and new ECPA members will be introduced. The second half of the Member Meeting will feature a virtual “Town Hall” where members will be able to share information and best practices, as well as ask questions of one another. The registration link for the meeting will be sent to ECPA members this week.

ECPA to launch new Career Center platform on May 11

ECPA is proud to announce the relaunch of a new and improved Career Center on May 11, which will include a broader listing of job opportunities from related industries, additional exposure through monthly JobFlash bulletins, a robust Resume Center, career resources, job searching tips & tools, and more!  ECPA members will soon be contacted about an exclusive introductory member package.

ECPA launches Virtual Summit Series with NPD’s Kristen McLean on May 14

ECPA is launching a special series of free webinars for ECPA members, to be held each Thursday at 1 pm central, from May 14 to June 25. The ECPA Virtual Summit Series will begin with a webinar conducted by Kristen McLean at NPD Book, who will present the latest consumer and sales snapshots, trends, and opportunities for our industry.  Other topics will include: Digital Marketing Innovations; Responding to the Needs of the Church; Securing Your Technology Now and for the Future; Legal Ramifications to the Pandemic; China and Future Book Production.  All webinars will be exclusive to ECPA members and available no cost.

The registration link for the first webinar will be sent to members next week.