THE ECPA REPORT ON BOOK & BIBLE PURCHASING AND READING PREFERENCES OF U.S. CHRISTIANS IS NOW AVAILABLE TO MEMBER PUBLISHERS

The ECPA Report on Book & Bible Purchasing and Reading Preferences of U.S. Christians is now available for purchase by ECPA member publishers.  The 160-page report was commissioned by the ECPA Research Committee and is a result of an extensive survey conducted this Fall with over 2000 book buyers who identify as Christian.

ECPA underwrote half the cost of the project so that the price could be deeply discounted to its members and offered at a sliding scale based on publisher size.

“I believe that this is the most comprehensive and useful survey ECPA has ever commissioned with exclusive access to never-before-seen information straight from book buyers who are Christian, on how they prefer to discover and purchase books,” explains ECPA president Stan Jantz. “If you are a Christian publisher, the information in this report will be of profound value to your company.”

The survey asked questions that Christian publishers said they wanted to know about:

• Overall book purchasing preferences and discovery
• Reading motivation and topics of interest
• Specifically Christian book purchasing behavior and information sources
• Christian fiction and non-fiction preferences and opinions
• Bible discovery, purchasing preferences, behavior
• All broken down by demographics, and MORE!

Jeannette Taylor with JET Marketing developed the survey based on participation from Christian publishers on the ECPA research committee, and wrote the final report with input from Kristen McLean with NPD.

“As a result of publisher feedback, the ECPA Research Committee coordinated this very important survey – utilizing market research and data experts, and asking specific questions Christian publishers identified as important to them,” stated ECPA Research Committee chair and board member Jeff Johnson, COO of Tyndale House Publishers.  “The ECPA board believes in the importance of investing in this research for ECPA members and the industry.”

More information and order requests are available on the ECPA website at https://www.ecpa.org/page/2019ReaderReport

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

Media Contacts:
Stan Jantz, ECPA President & CEO, sjantz@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998 ext. 101

Mountain Brook Ink Celebrates Growth with New Imprint, Mountain Brook Fire

WHITE SALMON, WA., DEC. 22, 2019 — Mountain Brook Ink is launching a new speculative fiction imprint, Mountain Brook Fire, dedicated to Christian and clean speculative fiction for upper middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences.

Since its beginning in 2014, small press Mountain Brook Ink (MBI) has published inspirational adult and young adult fiction of all kinds, from romance, to mystery, to fantasy. However, MBI has always been best known for romance and women’s fiction. As of 2020, the publisher will be dedicating an imprint specifically to speculative fiction.

Mountain Brook Fire was created out of our team’s love of imagination and our desire for thrilling, quality speculative fiction that won’t prick your conscience or make your teeth rot from saccharine sweetness—in short, the way meaningful fiction should be! We’re dedicated to quality worldbuilding, spellbinding plots, and high-stakes adventures with a whole lot of heart for middle grade, young adult, and adult audiences.

Current speculative fiction works with MBI will be transferred over to the new line. The imprint will kick off January 1. The first release coming in May, Let the Ghosts Speak, an adult speculative fiction novel from Bryan Davis, the bestselling author of series such as Dragons in Our Midst and Dragons of Starlight, with over a million copies sold.

Mountain Brook Fire will publish both Christian and general market speculative fiction, as long as it’s clean—meaning no on-the-page sex, sexual innuendos, swearing, or brutality. Action and a measure of violence consistent with a supernatural thriller, superhero book, or sci-fi book is acceptable, depending on how it’s handled.

Mountain Brook Ink is a small press based out of White Salmon, Washington owned by multi-published and ECPA bestselling author, Miralee Ferrell. MBI authors have finaled in and won prestigious awards such as the Cascade Award, Faith Hope and Love, Selah, Christy, and Carol Awards.  To find out more about Mountain Brook Ink’s publications go to: www.mountainbrookink.com

Media Contact: Alyssa Roat, alyssa@mountainbrookink.com

InterVarsity Press (IVP) is pleased to announce that IVP Academic has been approved as an affiliate member in the Association of University Presses.

As the academic publishing imprint of InterVarsity Press, IVP Academic publishes titles and textbooks that facilitate the broader conversations that are taking place in the academy and the church. Engaging in the most important issues, IVP Academic offers texts that enrich the study of scholars and cater to students and courses of all levels.

“We welcome IVP Academic as an Affiliate member to our global community of 153 publishers, committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship,” said Peter Berkery, executive director of the Association of University Presses. “As an Affiliate member—approved by our Admissions and Standards Committee, Board of Directors, and voting members—IVP Academic has demonstrated a sustained, mission-driven commitment to scholarly publishing by performing peer review on its publications and meeting our output and staffing requirements. Together, IVP Academic and all of our members pursue a shared mission of ensuring academic excellence and cultivating knowledge.”

Established in 1937 as the Association of American University Presses, the Association of University Presses is a community of publishing professionals and institutions committed to the highest caliber of research-based scholarship. For IVP Academic, applying for affiliate membership seemed like a natural acknowledgment of the conventions of academic publishing they have long followed: the importance of peer review, independent editorial boards, and participation in scholarly discourse.

Jon Boyd, academic editorial director said, “I see joining the AUP as an opportunity to nurture connections for IVP Academic among partners who are in countless ways our kindred spirits in the centuries-long traditions of publishing. I’m confident it’ll be a benefit to our authors and books, and I really look forward to all we can learn from our publishing heroes in the AUPresses membership.”

For more information on the Association of University Presses and IVP Academic, please visit aupresses.org and ivpress.com/academic.

Grand Rapids, MI—Sharon Garlough Brown, author of the bestselling Sensible Shoes series, launches her new novella at Baker Book House at 7 pm Thursday, Jan. 9.  Remember Me: A Novella About Finding Our Way to the Cross is the sequel to Shades of Light, the first in Brown’s new series.

“We are delighted to help Sharon Brown launch her newest book,” said Sue Smith, executive director of retail at Baker Book House. “Sharon is one of our favorite home-town authors and we love to be part of helping her get the word out about her book.”

Remember Me continues the story of Wren Crawford and Katherine Rhodes. Katherine, director of the New Hope Retreat Center, finds her own grief wrapped up in Wren’s struggles with depression and loss. The letters she writes to Wren help them both reflect on the meaning of Christ’s suffering, as well as help them process how to move forward and live again under the weight of grief.

Wren’s journey through grief becomes embedded in her paintings of the stations of the cross for New Hope, even as she comes to know more deeply the Man of Sorrows, Jesus.

A devotional guide with Scripture readings and prayer prompts, as well as full-color art by Grand Rapids-based artist Elizabeth Ivy Hawkins, encourage readers to meditate on the depths of God’s love.

Tickets for the event cost $5, and are available at www.bakerbookhouse.com and at the store, 2768 East Paris Ave, Grand Rapids.

“We welcome long-time Sharon Brown fans, as well as new readers eager to tap into this wonderful writer’s spiritual depth, along with her unique study of mental illness and spiritual formation,” said Smith.

About Baker Book House
Baker Book House was founded in 1939, when Herman Baker started the store with 500 books from his personal library. Baker is known world-wide for a deep selection of Christian titles, including new, used, and bargain books. Visit www.bakerbookhouse.com for more information.

Media Contact: Sue Smith, Executive Director, 616-957-3110, sue.smith@bakerbookhouse.com

Nashville, Tenn. (December 18, 2019) – HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) today announced Kevin Hyer’s promotion to director of sales for HCCP’s export sales division.

Hyer joined HCCP in 2012 after twelve years in the music industry working for Word Entertainment/Warner Music Group where he managed the international marketing and sales for physical and digital products. After this, Hyer ran his own business specializing in international distribution and licensing of faith-based films, books, and music. At HCCP he served as the key account manager for many of the largest retailers and wholesalers outside the United States. He has also taken the lead in several important growth initiatives for HCCP.

In his new role and in addition to his current responsibilities, Hyer will oversee the Harper360 program in Australia, work to maximize international print on demand opportunities, and head an initiative to grow online sales.

“Since Kevin arrived at HCCP seven years ago, he has been a hard-working innovator, always seeking new platforms and partnerships for our products,” said Rod Schumacher, v-p of export sales. “I am excited for him to help lead our export team.”

HarperCollins Christian Publishing:
The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, Olive Tree Bible Software, 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.   Bible Gateway is the world’s largest Christian website with more than 20 million unique monthly visitors. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.

World Cup Winning Midfielder Julie Ertz Earns Top Award for Second Time

Eugene, Oregon (December 18, 2019)— Harvest House Publishers celebrate author Julie Ertz on being named US Soccer’s Female Athlete of the Year for the second time. Ertz is the first player to receive this award while also having won US Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, which she claimed in 2012 after leading the U.S. U-20 team to the World Cup title that year.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a year and one that I’m extremely grateful for,” Ertz said. “My team lifted me up in so many ways and our experiences on and off the field in 2019 just encapsulate the love I have for the national team.”

In her recent book, Chase your Dreams: How Soccer Taught me Strength, Perseverance and Leadership, Ertz inspires kids to lead a life of faith and virtue as she shares her own stories and the lessons she has learned in childhood and now in her respected  playing career.

For more information about Harvest House, visit www.harvesthousepublishers.com.

About Julie Ertz:
Julie Ertz is a two-time World Cup–winning midfielder for the US Women’s National Soccer Team. In 2017, she was named the US National Team Player of the Year. Julie and her husband, Zach—a Super Bowl champion tight end for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles— founded the Ertz Family Foundation, a ministry dedicated to restoring hope and opportunity to needy families at home and abroad.

About the Publisher
Harvest House, a Christian publishing company based in Eugene, Oregon, publishes more than 135 books per year and carries a strong backlist offering more than 1,200 titles. Over 140 million Harvest House books have been sold worldwide through diverse distribution channels, and additional millions have sold in over 75 different languages. For more information, visit www.HarvestHousePublishers.com.

Landover, MD, December 17, 2019—RBmedia, the largest independent audiobook producer in the world, is pleased to announce that Megan Dobson has joined its ChristianAudio brand as the new publisher. In her new role, Megan will acquire all content for ChristianAudio, manage relationships with partner publishers, agents, and authors in the Christian market and oversee ways to grow this important RBmedia brand.

Prior to joining ChristianAudio, Megan spent nine years at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, most recently as the associate publisher for W Publishing, where she led editorial strategy for Thomas Nelson’s nonfiction trade imprint that has published bestselling authors such as Chip and Joanna Gaines, Dr. David Jeremiah, and Kathie Lee Gifford. Previously, Megan served as the director of mass-market sales for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, collaborating with publishers on content direction and expanding placement for inspirational books in accounts such as Target, Walmart and Costco. Her early career included editorial and marketing roles with nonprofit Stephen Ministries St. Louis.

“We look forward to Megan continuing ChristianAudio’s commitment to securing the best authors and producing the highest quality recordings with the goal to become the industry leader of Christian audio content,” said Troy Juliar, Chief Content Officer for RBmedia. “We are investing aggressively in this category and are in the strong position to serve audio fans and partner with leading content creators in the Christian market.”

Speaking about her new position, Dobson said, “As part of RBmedia, ChristianAudio is positioned to be a strong partner for Christian publishers looking for the best audio production experience for their authors. I’m excited about our vision for the future of ChristianAudio and the potential to reach a growing, broad audience of Christians looking for content that inspires them to think about God, themselves and the world.”

About RBmedia
RBmedia is a global leader in spoken audio content and digital media distribution technology that reaches millions of consumers—at home, in the car, and wherever they take their mobile devices. RBmedia produces exclusive titles and delivers the finest digital content through its platforms—including audiobooks, streaming video, educational courses, entertainment titles, and much more. Headquartered in Landover, Maryland, the company has a catalog of more than 40,000 exclusive audiobooks through its content brands: Recorded Books, Tantor Media, HighBridge, Kalorama Audio, ChristianAudio, Gildan Media, W.F. Howes in the United Kingdom, and Wavesound in Australia. RBmedia is owned by KKR, a leading global investment firm. Find out more at www.rbmediaglobal.com.

About ChristianAudio
For more than 10 years, ChristianAudio.com has been providing top-quality Christian audiobooks. Already the leading site of engagement between Christian authors and their audio listeners, ChristianAudio.com is working toward a goal of becoming the largest provider of downloadable Christian audio. The site offers a diverse variety of digital audio products for immediate download. A love for audiobooks drives production and the organization’s mission is to be one of the most trusted places on the internet for the refreshment and growth of the soul. Find out more at christianaudio.com.

[NASHVILLE, TENN., December 16, 2019—] Award-winning singer-songwriter and author Andrew Peterson’s first adult trade book, “Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making,” has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards since its October release.

The highly-anticipated “Adorning the Dark” is both a memoir of Peterson’s journey and an encouragement for artists, written in the hope that his story will provide practical tools to others stumbling along in pursuit of a calling to adorn the dark with the light of Christ.

The Gospel Coalition selected “Adorning the Dark” as the winner in the Arts & Culture category of TGC’s 2019 Book Awards, announced December 2. Judges Brett McCracken, Ryan Lister, Caroline Cobb and Trevin Wax commented, “Like his other projects, [Peterson] has a story to tell that we want and, often, that we need to hear. And maybe that’s why this is such a captivating book. Peterson’s story is unique, and yet he uses his life to help us understand our own—giving us a vision for how our gifts might also adorn the dark with light.” Read the judges’ full comments here.

“Christianity Today” gave “Adorning the Dark” the “Award of Merit” in the Arts and Culture category for their 2020 Book Awards, announced December 10. Taylor Worley, associate professor of faith and culture at Trinity International University, wrote: “Falling somewhere between memoir and manual, this odd and wonderful tale about Peterson’s calling and craft has to be the most remarkable book of its kind this year. . . At turns vulnerable and exuberant, ‘Adorning the Dark’ is both eminently practical and yet inspires with the comforting wisdom a trusted friend would give.” Read Worley’s full comments here.

Russell Moore, award-winning author and president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, selected “Adorning the Dark” in his yearly roundup, “My Favorite Books of 2019.”  Moore wrote, “…this book motivated me to get back to work on the book I’m writing now, and I’ll bet it will spark in you the same sort of motivation to plunge into whatever God has called you to create.”

“For the Church” of Midwestern Seminary also chose “Adorning the Dark” for their 2019 Book Awards. Charles Smith, Vice President of Institutional Relations at Midwestern Seminary and FTC Editorial Council member, wrote this: “I always cringe when someone says ‘I’m not creative.’ In one sense, I know exactly what they mean: they prefer spreadsheets to sonatas. But Scripture tells us that man is made in the image of a creative God and is therefore called to a life of creativity. If this is true, creativity is not only something we do, but also is something we are. In his book ‘Adorning The Dark,’ Andrew Peterson explores this reality, helping Christians understand and cherish the glorious reality of creativity.”

Finally, “WORLD Magazine” named “Adorning the Dark” to their short-list for Book of the Year in the Accessible Theology category, which appeared in the December 7 issue. “WORLD Magazine” is one of the nation’s most widely-read news outlets from a Christian perspective, with a half-million people reading the magazine and website or listening to their podcasts.

For more information about the book, visit AdorningtheDark.com

Andrew Peterson is an award-winning singer-songwriter and author. The second book in his Wingfeather Saga, “North! Or Be Eaten” (2009) won the Christy Award for Young Adult Fiction, and the fourth, “The Warden and the Wolf King” (2014) won Children’s Book of the Year in 2015 from “WORLD Magazine.”

In 2008, driven by a desire to cultivate a strong Christian arts community, Andrew founded a ministry called The Rabbit Room, which led to a yearly conference, countless concerts and symposiums, and Rabbit Room Press, which has published 30 books to date.

He’s been married for 24 years to his wife Jamie, with whom they have three children. His eldest is an animation student at Lipscomb University, his second son is a touring drummer and record producer and his daughter recently released her first album. In his spare time Andrew keeps bees, builds dry stack stone walls, gardens, draws and sleeps.

B&H Publishing Group, an imprint of LifeWay Christian Resources, is a team of mission minded people with a passion for taking God’s Word to the world. Because we believe Every Word Matters® we seek to provide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade, church and academic markets, titles include “The New York Times” No. 1 bestsellers “The Love Dare” and “The Vow,” No. 1 CBA bestseller “I Am a Church Member,” as well as the newly-revised Christian Standard Bible (CSB) version.

Alyssa Roat has been hired as the Publicity Manager for MBI, taking over from Nikki Wright. Alyssa has served a wide variety of roles within the publishing industry at publishing houses, agencies, and newspapers as an agent, editor, writer, social media manager, and marketer. She studied Professional Writing at Taylor University. Along with being a part of the Mountain Brook Ink team, Alyssa is a literary agent at Cyle Young Literary Elite, a freelance manuscript editor, and a writer with over a hundred bylines. Alyssa brings to the table a wide network of industry connections, a background in strategic audience engagement, and cross-genre experience.

Megan Alms has accepted the Social Media Manager position for Mountain Brook Ink. She has experience in many areas of the publishing industry, including writing book proposals for a literary firm and publishing her own writing, and is a graduate of Taylor University’s Professional Writing program. Megan will be focusing on bringing attention to MBI’s brand and developing social outreach, including a new YouTube and Pinterest strategy.

After nearly five years, Nikki Wright is stepping down as publicist, but she will still be an active member of the company. Nikki will be taking a more behind-the-scenes role as webmaster and a prominent member of the acquisitions team. Mountain Brook Ink is looking forward to an exciting new year of change and growth in 2020.

Grand Rapids, Mich. Dec. 4, 2019 – The Infographic Bible: Visualising the Drama of God’s Word is the 2019 Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards bronze award winner in the category of Arts, Entertainment and Culture.