February 22, 2021 Edition
Industry News
Keynotes announced for ECPA Leadership Summit: "Tempered Resilience" author Tod Bolsinger and NPD's Kristen McLean
ECPA has announced the program and keynote speakers for its upcoming Virtual Leadership Summit, taking place in daily webinars, the weeks of April 27 and May 4. Gathering the industry’s leaders together for sessions and discussion around the theme, “Resilient Leadership in This Cultural Moment,” the online conference will open with industry “practicums” the first week, with sessions on the latest Christian book market data, growing online sales channels, and global printing & distribution. NPD Books’ Kristen McLean will open that week with a keynote on “Reading is Thriving.”
Opening the following week’s Thought Leadership sessions, will be Tod Bolsinger, author of Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change (InterVarsity Press), and director of the newly formed Church Leadership Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary. Sessions to follow will focus on “being evangelical,” “serving the church,” and the “future of publishing.” The conference will finish on May 6 with the ECPA member Town Hall and ECPA Awards Celebration, announcing the Christian Book Award® winners.
Registration will open soon for ECPA members. Sign up to receive event updates.
ECPA Career Center introductory rates expire this week
Introductory rates on regular job postings on the ECPA Career Center will expire on February 28. Job postings are good for 30 days and include inclusion in Rush to Press each week, Job Flash emails, and exposure on other job boards. Discounted rates for internship postings have been recently added.
More at Jobs.ECPA. org.
Submission period for The Christy Award® opens March 1st
Nominations for The Christy Award® will be accepted March 1-31 in nine fiction categories: General; Contemporary Romance; Historical Romance; Historical; Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller; Visionary; First Novel; Young Adult; Short Form. In addition to the categories above, the submitter may opt to also nominate a title to be considered for the Christy Own Voice Award on the application for no extra fee, provided it meets the stated criteria. All submissions are open to works of fiction written from a Christian worldview, published traditionally or independently from March 2020 to March 2021.
For more information: ChristyAwards.com.
Milestones
Barbour celebrates 40th Anniversary
The year 2021 marks a very special date in Barbour Publishing history—the 40th anniversary of being in business. Originally called "Book Bargains," the company was founded in 1981 by Christian publishing visionary Hugh Barbour who initially focused on selling overstocks. Soon, however, the business transitioned to publishing its own titles, including The Bible Promise Book® which has gone on to sell millions of copies. In the years to follow, Barbour experienced phenomenal growth under the leadership of Tim Martins, including expansion of product lines, imprints, facilities, and a talented team of employees. In 2017, Barbour became one of the first employee-owned companies in the Christian Publishing industry.
Read More...Iron Stream Media brings home 5 finalists for 2021 SCWC Notable Book Awards
Iron Stream Media is thrilled to announce that 5 books were recognized as finalists for 2021 Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC) Notable Book Awards announced on February 6, 2021. The SCWC works with upcoming and established authors of faith, providing both inspiration and education to further their careers.
Read More...Media Announcements
ABC news anchor Linsey Davis to launch new book with Good Morning America and The View appearances
ABC News anchor and Zonderkidz author Linsey Davis will appear on Good Morning America and The View this week talking about her third children’s book, “Stay This Way Forever.” Her interview on Good Morning America is set to air Tuesday, February 23, the day the book releases; and she will appear on The View on Wednesday, February 24. Inspired by the endearing qualities she sees in her own son, Davis, bestselling author of “The World Is Awake” and “One Big Heart,” has written a book that parents, grandparents and caregivers can share with their little ones to let them know how special they are.
Read More...Ruth Chou Simons on Jesus Calling Podcast: From stressful living to joyful living
Artist and writer Ruth Chou Simons recently joined the Jesus Calling Podcast to share how she always had a love for art, but felt pushed into places the world deemed more practical. Creativity and beauty continued to find its way into her life through cracks and crevices, and after Ruth became a mom, she started a blog, Grace Laced, as a way to muse on the way God’s faithfulness was showing up in the everyday, which led to an artistic career that brought her fulfillment beyond her wildest dreams. Simons’ book, GraceLaced, is available from Harvest House Publishers.
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Jess Connolly on Jesus Calling Podcast: Finding your God-given purpose
Life coach and author Jess Connolly recently joined the Jesus Calling Podcast to share how she has made it her personal mission to help people discover what their God-given gifts are, because it’s not about what we can do with our lives, but who we can serve through our actions. Jess has learned over the years that on our own, we could never be enough, but by His grace, we are. Connolly’s book, Glory Girl, is available from Zonderkidz.
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Other News
INDUSTRY
- UMI’s Celebration of Life for Dr. Melvin Banks scheduled for Friday
- CT: How Christian Bookstores Survived 2020
- Victoria Duerstock launches Christian publishing house, End Game Press
- The Black Church, Explained by Pew’s Biggest Survey of African Americans
- CT free webinar on Feb. 25: Race and the Church: A discussion on identity, faith, and the pursuit of justice
- Barna: Religion & the Black Experience Go Hand in Hand
- The Word Awards, for Canadian Christian writers, open for submissions
- Rob Eagar free webinar: How to Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget, Feb. 23
PUBLISHING
- Print Units Have Another Big Sales Week
- December Bookstore Sales Down 'Only' 15.2%, Best Results Since Early 2020
- Amazon E-book Case Sprawls, Lawyers Propose Consolidation
- New Report Explores ‘Engagement’ with Books, Digital Media
- WNDB partners with PRH to launch Black Creatives Fund
- Are Digital Rights Events Working? Agents and Publishers Share
- Pubeasy to be Powered by New Platform in March
- Publishing Trends: Caught Between the Pandemic and Process Optimization?
- Forbes: Changing Trends In The Publishing Industry
- Bookstore Sales Fell 28.3% in 2020
- Winter Institute: Booksellers Told to Prepare for Constant Disruption
- Digital Public Library of America now offering ebook creation service