WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that Megan Hill’s book A Place to Belong: Learning to Love the Local Church (Crossway, May 2020) has been awarded the 2021 Christianity Today Book Award in the Church/Pastoral category. Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests (Crossway, January 2020) by Ed Welch was also commended with an award of merit in the Christian Living / Discipleship category.

The Christianity Today Book Awards are presented to books in fourteen different categories, including Theology/Ethics, Spiritual Formation, and Biblical Studies. According to Christianity Today’s website, winners are nominated “for the books most likely to shape evangelical life, thought, and culture.”

“These two books exemplify what we want every Crossway book to be: built on Scripture, written with excellence, with a view toward serving God’s people with grace and truth,” says Justin Taylor, Crossway’s executive vice president of book publishing and book publisher. “We thank God for this encouraging recognition of these two outstanding works from these faithful and trusted authors.”

A Place to Belong invites readers to experience the local church in light of the Bible’s testimony. Considering nine biblical terms for the church—such as beloved, brothers and sisters, saints, and gospel partners—this book equips believers to love and serve one another.

“The truth about the church shaped Paul’s experience of the church,” writes Hill. “The truth should shape us, too, so that belonging to this ordinary gathering of unremarkable people becomes one of the highest joys and greatest privileges of our lives. In the unassuming assembly of our local churches, Christ manifests his glory. Brothers and sisters, come delight in the church.”

Available in trade paperback, ebook, and audio formats, A Place to Belong has received praise from Jen Wilkin (author of Women of the Word), Nancy Guthrie (author of Even Better than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story), and many others.

In Created to Draw Near, Welch shows readers the purpose for which we were created: to be brought near to God as a kingdom of priests. He traces the priestly identity throughout the entire Bible, showing us how holiness leads to closeness to God.

Available in trade paperback, ebook, and audio formats, Created to Draw Near has received praise from a variety of people including Paul E. Miller (author of A Praying Life), David Murray (Senior Pastor, First Byron Christian Reformed Church), and Jeremy Pierre (Dean of Students, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary).

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org  1 (630) 682-4300, ext. 6031  crossway.org

LARRY CARPENTER TO BECOME CHAIRMAN

FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE- December 15, 2020– Christian Book Services, LLC, announced today that Shane Crabtree will assume the position of President and Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 1^st, 2021.  Larry Carpenter will assume the role of Chairman and will remain as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Carpenter will continue to focus on the overall strategic direction of the company, manuscript acquisition and author relations.  Crabtree will pick up day-to-day management of all book production, printing, sales and distribution.

Crabtree has a strong background in project management.  He received his BS in Physics from Wright State University and a MS in Biostatistics from Middle Tennessee State University.  He is also a graduate of Naval Nuclear Power School.  Mr. Crabtree has worked in project management, management and IT for several pharmaceutical and software companies.

Crabtree began working with Christian Book Services in 2018.  He has coordinated all product set up, data dissemination, sales reporting and worked on book production.  Through his efforts, the company has launched a significant effort in to creating audio books.  He has used his technological expertise to streamline and upgrade the company’s reporting systems and project tracking systems.

According to Carpenter, “Shane has made a huge contribution to our company.  He’s a book lover.  He loves the process of finding good books, working with our authors on the production of the books, getting the books printed, and working with our exclusive distributor, Ingram, to get the books sold and distributed.  We are proud to recognize Shane’s contribution to the company with this promotion.”

For more details on the company, go to the company’s website at www.christianbookservices.com or contact Larry Carpenter at (615) 472-1128 or at larry@christianbookservices.com.

December 18, 2020, CHARLOTTE, NC — The Good Book Company is grateful to share that several new titles have received awards or honorable mentions in 2020.

We praise God for the wonderful team of staff, authors, and illustrators who have worked hard this year to create Biblical, relevant and accessible resources. The new resources we celebrate this year include:

• Jesus and the Very Big Surprise by Randall Goodgame: award of merit in Christianity Today’s 2021 Book Awards. (Find out more here.)
• Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With? By Sam Allberry: Christianity Today book award of merit in the Apologetics/Evangelism category. (Find out more here.)
• The Prisoners, the Earthquake and the Midnight Song by Bob Hartman: Children’s: The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards (Learn more here.)
• Stay Salt by Rebecca Manley Pippert: Evangelism & Apologetics: The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards (Learn more here.)
• Born Again This Way by Rachel Gilson: The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards, Honorable Mention (Learn more here.)
• Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know by Melissa Kruger: The Gospel Coalition 2020 Book Awards, Honorable Mention (Learn more here.)
• Stop Taking Sides by Adam Mabry: World Magazine, honorable mention in Accessible Theology (Read more here.)
• The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross by Carl Laferton: Bronze Award by the ECPA for over 100,000 copies sold.
• Where is God in a Coronavirus World? By John Lennox: Bronze Award by the ECPA for over 100,000 copies sold.

Please join us in giving thanks to God for His work in 2020. He is faithful! “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” -Psalm 107:1

About The Good Book Company: Founded in 1991, The Good Book Company (TGBC) is an international Christian publisher. Their Bible studies, books, devotionals, videos, tracts, evangelistic courses, and training materials are used throughout the English-speaking world, and in translation in over 35 languages worldwide. Everyone at TGBC is passionate about the Lord Jesus, His word, His church, and His gospel of grace. They create and publish biblical, relevant, and accessible resources that will encourage Christians to keep going, keep growing, and keep sharing their faith.

 

 

WESTMONT, IL—Christianity Today has released the winners of its 2021 Book Awards and has announced that Reading While Black has been chosen for the Beautiful Orthodoxy award, and Mother to Son was selected for the CT Women award. IVP titles were also winners in the categories of Christian Living/Discipleship and Theology/Ethics, and three titles received Awards of Merit in the categories of Spiritual Formation and Missions/Global Church.

“The Christianity Today Book Awards are annually among the year-end lists that my colleagues and I most look forward to, as CT and its judges invariably recognize writing and publishing of distinction,” Jeff Crosby, InterVarsity Press publisher, said. “We are honored and humbled by the Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year award for Esau McCaulley’s groundbreaking project and by each of the category winners and honorable mentions. They join a host of other books of substance and impact published and written by friends in the industry.”

As the Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year, Reading While Black was chosen as the title that “embodies CT’s pursuit of truthfulness and loveliness.” When CT first announced this award in 2016, they wrote, “You might call ‘Beautiful Orthodoxy’ our shorthand for . . . theological, political, and cultural expression that unites truthfulness and loveliness. The way the gospel does.”

In Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope Esau McCaulley calls the church to a dynamic theological engagement with Scripture, in which Christians of diverse backgrounds dialogue with their own social location as well as the cultures of others. Ekemini Uwan, cohost of the Truth’s Table podcast, said, “In Reading While Black, Dr. Esau McCaulley honors the beautifully rich triumvirate of doxology, orthodoxy, and orthopraxy, which has always had its home in the Black Christian tradition.”

McCaulley is assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, a priest in the Anglican Church in North America, and a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. He is also the host of The Disrupters podcast. His publications include Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance and numerous articles in outlets such as Christianity Today, The Witness, and the Washington Post. McCaulley was also recently honored with the 2020 Emerging Public Intellectual Award.

As the winner of the CT Women award, Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope deals head-on with issues ranging from discipleship and marriage to biblical justice. Jasmine L. Holmes shares a series of powerful letters to her young son about her journey as an African American Christian and what she wants her son to know as he grows and approaches the world as a black man.

“These letters are personal and yet applicable to us all,” writes Jackie Hill Perry in the foreword. “With child or without. Brown or white. Married or single. We may not all understand what it is to be her, a black mother with a brown boy, but we all understand what it is like to love, to care so deeply for someone that affection becomes words.”

The CT Book Award winner in the category of Christian Living/Discipleship went to Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience by Sheila Wise Rowe. Dan B. Allender, founding president of The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology, said, “Healing Racial Trauma is a magisterial gift for those who have suffered harm as persons of color, and it is also a revelation for those whose whiteness has served as a pair of blinders from racial trauma. Sheila Wise Rowe brilliantly exposes, narrates, honors, and calls forth from Scripture, clients, and her own life, the stories of violation and the power of hope.”

As a child, Sheila Wise Rowe was bused across town to a majority white school, where she experienced the racist lie that one group is superior to all others. Rowe, now a professional counselor, exposes the symptoms of racial trauma to lead readers to a place of freedom from the past and new life for the future. In each chapter, she includes an interview with a person of color to explore how we experience and resolve racial trauma.

The recipient of the CT Book Award for the Theology/Ethics category was “He Descended to the Dead”: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday. “Matthew Emerson has ably recovered a theology of Holy Saturday, Christ’s descent into the place of death, for churches that are normally suspicious about ancient creeds,” said Michael F. Bird, academic dean and lecturer in theology at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. “He shows that it is biblical, theologically necessary, integral to the work of Christ, and even intrinsic to the very identity of the God we worship. A concise and convincing account of a contested topic.”

The IVP titles that tied for the Award of Merit in the Spiritual Formation category included Soul Care in African American Practice by Barbara L. Peacock and The Way Up Is Down by Marlena Graves.

In Soul Care in African American Practice Peacock illustrates how the practices of spiritual formation are woven into African American culture and lived out in the rich heritage of its faith community. Using the examples of ten significant men and women, Peacock helps readers engage in practices of soul care as we learn from these spiritual leaders. “As a spiritual director and a scholar, [Peacock] gives voice and vision to the rich Christian spiritual tradition that has undergirded the sustenance, liberation, and transcendence of African Americans. In so doing, she calls us once again to the fountain of living water that never runs dry,” said Bishop Claude Alexander, pastor of The Park Ministries, Charlotte, North Carolina.

In The Way Up Is Down: Becoming Yourself by Forgetting Yourself writer, professor, and activist Marlena Graves draws on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints as she shares stories and insights that have enlivened her transformation. For Graves, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. Sharon Hodde Miller, author of Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More, said, “I know of no one who cares less for the superficial ‘worries of this life’ (Mt 13:22) than Marlena Graves. She is a voice calling out in our generation, beckoning us to a vision of Christ that has nearly been drowned out by the rise of self-help pseudo-Christianity. And this book? This book is her heart on paper. If you want to sit under a spiritual giant, and if you want to remember just what kind of freedom we are called to in Christ, do not miss this message.”

The IVP Academic title that received the Award of Merit in the Missions/Global Church category was A Multitude of All Peoples: Engaging Ancient Christianity’s Global Identity. Vince L. Bantu surveys the geographic range of the early church’s history, revealing an alternate, more accurate narrative to that of Christianity as a product of the Western world. He begins by investigating the historical roots of the Western cultural captivity of the church, from the conversion of Constantine to the rise of European Christian empires. He then shifts focus to the too-often-forgotten concurrent development of diverse expressions of Christianity across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

“There are very few books we can legitimately call game-changers in the publishing world, that can revolutionize a field of study and transform our ongoing engagement on a topic,” said Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary. “Dr. Vince Bantu has written a game-changer of a book that will rework our engagement with church history, global Christianity, missiology, evangelism, and multicultural ministry. Thoroughly researched while comprehensive in scope, all future discussion on the history of the church and its implication for the future of the church must now go through this book.”

For a list of IVP award winners visit ivpress.com/award-winners.

Ada, Mich. (December 15, 2020)—Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, is pleased to announce that they have signed a new book contract with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers, popular podcast hosts of “Pantsuit Politics” and authors of “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening),” in an exclusive pre-emptive deal.

This new book will focus on engaging readers in discovering how we can create a better world together. Utilizing the practical and relatable voices the authors are known for as well as contributions directly from their fervent “Pantsuit Politics” community, the book will help readers to see themselves as part of larger communities and discover how to approach those communities with a sense of curiosity, find their work within them, and hold space around everything they care about but cannot do. The book is scheduled for a summer 2022 release.

“Sarah and Beth offer a unique space and fresh perspective for people of all backgrounds that make their entire community of podcast listeners and readers feel able to exhale when the constant barrage of news has us holding our collective breath,” said Kelsey Bowen, Acquisitions Editor. “As a longtime listener, I feel both honored and privileged to take part in the next conversation with them in book form. There is a deep need in our market for this grace-filled message that will provide hope and help for readers anxious to engage in the work and care of community.”

“We’re so excited about working with the Revell team because they have embraced our vision and shared our enthusiasm for this project whole-heartedly from our first conversations,” Stewart Holland said. Silvers agreed, “We so appreciate that the team shares our interest in engaging our community to build a timely guide to greater connection during a challenging time.”

Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers co-host the popular podcast, “Pantsuit Politics” and co-authored “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations” (2019). Pantsuit Politics has been featured in The Atlantic, The Guardian, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” and Parents and Elle magazines. Both Sarah and Beth attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and then received their Juris Doctors (Sarah from American University and Beth from the University of Kentucky). Sarah began her career as a congressional staffer, campaign aide, and blogger and social media consultant. She lives in Paducah, Kentucky, where she served a term as a city commissioner and sits on the board of numerous civic organizations. Beth has practiced law and served as a human resources executive and business coach. Beth lives in Union, Kentucky, and serves on several local boards of directors. Sarah and Beth speak frequently to universities, businesses, and civic organizations about improving political dialogue. Sarah shares life with her spouse, Nicholas, and children Griffin, Amos, and Felix; Beth with her spouse, Chad, and children Jane and Ellen. Sarah’s dog, Cookie, and Beth’s dog, Lucy, are beloved and frequent contributors to their work.

Revell Books provides books that inspire and equip readers, offering them hope and help for daily life. Learn more at www.RevellBooks.com.

Contact: Brianna DeWitt, (616) 676-9185 x394  bdewitt@bakerpublishinggroup.com

Will Lead Expansion of the Direct-To-Consumer Business

(Nashville, TN)— Today it was announced that Kate Johnson will be appointed to senior vice president of Direct for HarperCollins Christian Publishing and HarperCollins Focus. Johnson will be responsible for leading the vision and expansion of a comprehensive and cohesive strategy for the direct-to-consumer businesses which operate multiple eCommerce stores, online communities, native apps, and subscription-based platforms. Her first day will be December 21.

Johnson has extensive experience in successfully leading direct businesses across multiple industries. She has had success in audience development and customer retention, social media and influencer marketing, media programming and retailer distribution support, as well as leading cross-functional teams including sales, marketing, brand development, operations, and supply chain.

“Direct connection with our readers is more important now than ever before,” said President and CEO Mark Schoenwald. “This year we have learned that supporting our retail channels and distributors goes hand in hand with knowing our customers more intimately. We have seen a dramatic shift in consumer purchasing habits, and we are competing for their attention in a saturated online world. A broad-based, comprehensive distribution strategy is required to be an effective partner for all our stakeholders.  Kate has a proven track-record of helping companies penetrate through the noise and build sustainable relationships with audiences.”

In a memo to the companies’ employees, Schoenwald explained the organizations needed to expand how they thought about the direct-to-consumer experience in order to accelerate their growth in the market. Johnson, who will be based in the Nashville office, will work closely with parent company HarperCollins Publishers in New York, to solidify a strategic road map that aligns with the corporation’s global strategy.

In addition to her leadership and work-related experience, Johnson holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

HarperCollins Christian Publishing is home to the world’s leading Christian and inspirational content publishing groups, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. The company operates the world’s largest Christian website, BibleGateway.com in addition to FaithGateway.com, ChurchSource.com, StudyGateway.com, Zondervan Academic Online Courses, and Zondervan Master Lectures. Last month the company announced a new partnership with Urban Ministries Incorporated, one of the nation’s oldest and well-known Christian resource providers to the African American church.

HarperCollins Focus is an expanding general market publishing company, home to Leadership Essentials by HarperCollins Leadership, an online community that offers free resources and for-purchase e-courses dedicated to developing the world’s next best leaders.

About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, the world’s largest Christian website BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com and ChurchSource.com.  The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in Grand Rapids, Mich. and Mexico City, Mexico.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

About HarperCollins Focus: HarperCollins Focus, LLC owns and operates a collection of publishing imprints and online resources that enlighten and empower readers to transform their hearts and minds, connecting through story, advice, mentorship and community. The company is based in Nashville, TN.

Contact: Casey Harrell, Senior Director, Corporate Communications
615.902.1109  casey.harrell@harpercollins.com

 

Seeks Authors with Fresh Perspectives

Colorado Springs, CO, December 16, 2020 — Literary agent Rachelle Gardner, formerly of Books & Such Literary Management, announces the formation of Gardner Literary, a full-service agency representing diverse authors at the crossroads of faith and culture.

Gardner has been an agent since 2007 when she joined WordServe Literary. She moved to Books & Such in 2012, where she established her reputation by representing powerful voices in the Christian market. She represented the late Rachel Held Evans for the entirety of her book publishing career and continues to represent Evans’ estate. She represented the New York Times bestseller, I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown.

Gardner will bring many of her established authors to the new agency, including Sarah Bessey (Jesus Feminist), Kaitlin Curtice (Native), and Kathi Lipp (Clutter Free). She also brings several authors of popular Christian fiction, including Kristy Cambron, Sarah Ladd, and Catherine West. The coming year will see debut books from popular Instagrammers Terry Stokes, Candice Benbow, Marcie Alvis-Walker, and Cole Arthur Riley.

Janet Kobobel Grant, founder and president of Books & Such, says, “When Rachelle approached me about starting her own agency, I couldn’t disagree with her reasoning: she wanted to do as I had in 1996 when I started Books & Such—explore what an agency that reflected her passions would look like. After nine years of working together, I’m reluctant to see her leave, but I know we’ll remain close friends and colleagues. I wish her every success.”

Moving forward, Gardner plans to continue working in both the Christian and general markets. She will represent a diversity of authors, focusing on up-and-coming voices in the faith community as well as explorations of social issues. She’ll also represent a limited catalog of fiction.

“I’ve always seen it as my mission to elevate important voices that might otherwise not be heard,” Gardner says. “I started by focusing on women, and eventually began actively seeking authors of color. I’m fascinated by books that expand my awareness and make me think a little deeper—but I also love being entertained by good fiction! My list reflects my eclectic interests.”

Further information and submission information is available at www.gardner-literary.com.

 

ECPA member Meadows Wye just sent this notice to their clients:

All forwarders, brokers, and shippers are facing an serious disruption in the global supply chain.

All origin ports continue to face equipment shortages, rolled bookings and ever increasing freight costs due to unprecedented demand.

Asia to USA & Canada, as of Dec. 9th, liner carriers have implemented an “Emergency Intermodal Surcharge” EIT, US$ 350.00 per FEU on all cargoes to inland points via rail.

Destination ports are dealing with congested piers, long trucker gate wait & dwell times inside terminals, chassis shortages and extreme difficulties returning empty containers, compounding the chassis shortages, and limiting trucker productivity.

In the USA, the ports of New York and New Jersey,  and Los Angeles and Long Beach, are the most critical, leading to delays, pier storage and equipment per diem / rent due to all the port congestion and inefficiencies.

On US All Water Service, Pier Storage & Per Diem rent on Full Containers, including the additional Chassis express, the cost increased to an additional minimum of US$ 400.00 per 20’ and 40’.  Mini Land Bridge Rail storage, Per Diem & additional Chassis cost is a minimum of  US$ 575.00 per 20’ and 40’.

In the UK, all ports are barely functional.

All is expected to remain critical into 2021.

Meadows Wye is steeped in maritime tradition dating back to Great Britain in the 1800’s. Our company has long and loyal commitments to both our foreign operating partners and clientele. These are relationships that continue to thrive over the decades. Meadows Wye USA was incorporated in 1903 and holds one of the oldest US Customs Brokerage Licenses in the United States. We are an FMC ocean freight forwarder, NVOCC, and airfreight provider; we offer total global intermodal logistics services to a broad range of industries with a special focus on the publishing industry.  Family-owned and operated, Meadows Wye continues to operate as a financially stable and independent entity. Our culture allows us to maintain both long term employee and client relationships. Our structure gives us the flexibility to react when and where our competitors cannot.  Our core capabilities and values are consistent with the demanding logistics needs of specific niche industries. Specifically, Meadows Wye has a long history of providing service solutions for the international publishing industry. Our publisher clientele includes the world’s largest houses. Other business sectors in which we have excelled in performance include those whose manufacturing sectors demand “Just-in-Time” supply chain management.  Our goals and strategies for the future will be consistent with our past. We will continue to be innovators and embrace challenge. Our philosophy remains that our best implemented initiatives come from our client’s ideas.

For more information, contact Susie Scally at susies@meadowswye.com or call 718-983-9700.

FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE- December 9, 2020, 2020– Carpenter’s Son Publishing, one of the publishing imprints of Christian Book Services, LLC, announced today that the sales of Soul Care by Rob Reimer have just topped 50,000 copies sold.

Published in June of 2016, Soul Care explores seven principles that can lead to lasting transformation and freedom for all who struggle with a broken, damaged, and sin-stained soul.  Brokenness grasps for the soul of humanity. We are broken body, soul, and spirit, and we need the healing touch of Jesus. Soul Care explores seven principles that are profound healing tools of God: securing your identity, repentance, breaking family sin patterns, forgiving others, healing wounds, overcoming fears, and deliverance.

Rev. Dr. Rob Reimer is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York. Although he came to the seminary full-time in Fall 2017, he has been teaching there in the doctoral and master’s programs for 15 years while serving as Founding and Lead Pastor of South Shore Community Church, in Brockton, Massachusetts. Under Rob’s leadership, what began as a small group of eight believers mobilized on a mission to start a new church, resulting in hundreds of people coming to faith in Christ. Rob was Ordained as a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the Christian and Missionary Alliance in 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from King’s College, a Master’s of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Preaching from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

According to Clovercroft Publishing President and CEO, Larry Carpenter, “We are thrilled to be working with Rob on Soul Care, as well as his other books, Pathways to the King, River Dwellers, Deep Faith and his newest book, Spiritual Authority.  His books have helped a lot of people in their Christian walk.  Every bookstore should have Soul Care as part of their basic inventory.  It’s a great book.”

For more details on the company, go to the company’s website at www.christianbookservices.com or contact Larry Carpenter at (615) 472-1128 or at larry@christianbookservices.com.

EMF Publishing Launches In 2021

Mandisa, Grammy® Award Winner,  Set to Author First Non-Fiction Title

Monday, December 7, Nashville, Tenn— Educational Media Foundation (EMF), the parent organization of K-LOVE and Air1 radio, AccessMore podcasting, and WTA Media, will add book publishing to its media family in 2021. EMF Publishing will launch in 2021 with K-LOVE and Air1 book imprints.  EMF broadcasts on more than 1,000 signals across all 50 states and K-LOVE and Air1 have more than 13 million weekly listeners. EMF Publishing, led by the publishing and literary team at WTA Media, will partner with other EMF media brands to quickly introduce new titles to millions of readers.

EMF CEO Bill Reeves is excited to move into book publishing in the new year: “People are hungry for positive and encouraging media. EMF currently offers messages of hope through radio, streaming and live events. Adding book imprints further expands EMF’s media offerings to those looking to grow or deepen their faith. EMF Publishing will allow us to bring life-changing content to even more people.”

EMF Publishing’s first title will be a non-fiction memoir, Out of the Dark (March 16, 2021), from American Idol alum Mandisa. During 2020, Mandisa hosted a popular YouTube series about relationships. Mandisa has been candid about her long-running battle with depression and anxiety and will be launching a new podcast on AccessMore about this important issue and other issues like race, relationships, worship and more. Her book will recount her struggles alongside specific recent steps she has taken to overcome. Mandisa made history as the first female Christian artist to debut an album at #1 on the Top Christian Albums charts in the chart’s 27-year history. She has been nominated for multiple Grammys and Dove Awards, winning a Grammy® in 2014 for Best Christian Music Album.

Also coming from EMF Publishing in 2021 will be a book on fatherhood from contemporary Christian music icon Michael W. Smith and a book project from the Christian comedy duo Tommy Woodard and Eddie James, aka  “The Skit Guys,” which will chronicle amusing stories about friendship. The Skit Guys have been a hit feature during 2020 on K-LOVE’s Facebook page with their nightly show “Bedtime Bible Stories with The Skit Guys” reaching 6.3 million people.

Bill Reeves (CEO/Board Member) and Brian Mitchell (President/WTA Media) are available for interview.
For more information on interviews and specific 2021 titles,
contact MMPR, jana@mmpublicrelations.com or 832-247-9308.

EMF Publishing will partner with Dexterity, a world-class, Nashville-based publishing company, for product creation and distribution. Dexterity is a member of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and provides award-winning publishing services powered by the Dexterity Collective – a community of more than 70 book publishing professionals.

About Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation (EMF) began as a single, non-profit radio station in Northern California in 1982 and is now the parent company to K-LOVE and Air1—the nation’s largest contemporary Christian radio networks. Broadcasting on more than 1,000 signals across all 50 states, EMF is also among the top 10 U.S.-based audio streaming companies.

EMF acquired the assets of WTA to create WTA Media, LLC (a leader in faith-based films and publishing) in 2019 and launched AccessMore (a faith-focused podcast network) in 2020. AccessMore has had more than 4 million downloads in its first 7 months. The ministry continues to expand and to create compelling media that inspires and encourages audiences to have a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. With nearly 500 employees, EMF is headquartered in Rocklin, Calif., with offices in Franklin, Tenn., and other key markets throughout the U.S. For more information, please visit EMFbroadcasting.com.

Contact: Jana Muntsinger, MMPR, 832-247-9308 or jana@mmpublicrelations.com