NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 19, 2019) – ICON Media Group announces it has promoted Christina Bostick to publicist. Bostick joined the ICON team as associate publicist in November 2017 and her role includes writing, media pitching and booking, client reporting and assisting with events.

“Christina has proven to be a tremendous asset to our company,” said Partner, Shanon Stowe. “Her professional development continues to exceed all our expectations.”

The company also announces the addition of Carrie Garland as graphic designer, joining the company’s Cleveland, OH office. Garland brings an extensive background of design endeavors, including photography, adding new depth to ICON’s service offerings.

“Integrated digital marketing, especially social media, continues to drive the need for innovation and creativity for our clients,” shared Partner, Jeff Roman. “We felt it was essential for our team to find someone that possesses a tremendous skillset to create and also shares our passion for excellent customer service and outside-the-box thinking. We found that with our hire of Carrie.”

ICON celebrated its sixth year in January. The company serves leading entertainment, non-profit, publishing and purpose-minded clients including North American Mission Board, AFFIRM Films, Provident Films, LifeWay Films, Fathom Events, TBN, Universal Pictures, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Hachette Book Group, Baker Publishing Group, Joel Osteen Ministries, All Things Possible Ministries and Project Inspired, among others.

With a focus on faith and family values entertainment, ICON has handled media relations for three of the most successful faith-based films in history (I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, WAR ROOM and GOD’S NOT DEAD), and launched numerous New York Times bestsellers.

About ICON Media Group:  ICON Media Group is a full-service marketing and public relations agency focused on helping purpose-minded clients activate their audience. With offices in Nashville, TN, Cleveland, OH and Austin TX, ICON is honored to serve the most influential faith-based filmmakers, authors, personalities and experts in the world. Visit us at ICONMediaGroup.com

Media Contacts:
Shanon Stowe, shanon@iconmediagroup.com
Paige Collins, paige@iconmediagroup.com

Bend, OR (February 13, 2019) After 12 years of successful partnership, Torrey Sharp has bought out partner Charles Brock’s interest in Faceout Studio. Torrey and Charles bought the studio from industry icon, David Uttley, in 2007 after David grew the business from it’s inception in 1996. “This transition is about acknowledging there are seasons for everything, embracing change and looking toward the future,” says Torrey.  Faceout Studio stands behind it’s original vision of producing consistent, innovative book design for clients — a vision Torrey plans to advance in the coming years.

“I’m grateful to have cultivated something special alongside Charles over a decade of working together. Charles has been a wonderful business partner, but more importantly, a good friend. The team at Faceout fully expects to keep our deep friendship with Charles, celebrating his next season as well. Growth often requires a willingness to embrace change and I’m very excited for the studio’s next chapter. We have a dynamic team and work with incredible clients. Tim Green will step into the role of Creative Director. Tim has been a leader at Faceout for fifteen years and is well prepared to lead this studio’s creative vision forward,” says Torrey.

“I am deeply grateful to Charles, for his friendship and daily example of creative excellence. It has been a privilege to work alongside him these past 14 years (even though he is not a Giants fan). More than that, it has been a lot of fun, and that is a credit to Charles and the creative culture he helped foster. I set out to be a designer because I love it, and I’m still at it for the same reason. That’s the daily motivation of everyone at Faceout. Our best work flows from a sense of delight in the creative work we get to do everyday. I’m very excited to step into the role of Creative Director with this amazing team,” says Tim.

“I’m very proud of what Torrey and I have built over the past 12 years. We have had the privilege to produce some rewarding work for an amazing list of clients. I’m eager to see what the future brings for Faceout Studio. Tim Green is a great talent and a true friend. The studio and all the employees will benefit from his creative leadership. Personally, this is a new season for me as a designer and an artist. What I hope to do with Brock Book Design Co., is to focus my energies on growing as a creative. I’m excited that my best work is yet to come,” says Charles.

Faceout Studio’s principal office will remain in Bend, Oregon. Torrey Sharp, along with the existing staff will continue operations from this West Coast office. All client communication and job related trafficking will continue to be serviced through this location.

Faceout Studio is a market leading book design firm.The studio designs hundreds of books each year working w/ the world’s top media companies, mid size publishers, university presses and individual authors. Over the years their work has been recognized by Communication Arts, the AIGA, Print magazine, Eye magazine, Graphis, CMYK, Graphic Design: USA, ECPA, The Chicago Book Clinic, the New York Book Show, the AUP and the American Advertising Federation. Faceout’s work has also been published in various books, most recently from Rockport, Harper Collins, Springer and Barcelona-based Mao Mao publications. They have been invited to speak at various events hosted by the AIGA, AAUP, the Shanghai Press and Publications Bureau and the Taipei Book Fair Foundation.

For more information, please contact:

Faceout Studio, Torrey Sharp
e: torrey@faceoutstudio.com, w:  www.faceoutstudio.com

Brock Book Design Co., Charles Brock
e: charles@brockbookdesignco.com, w: https://www.brockbookdesignco.com

At One-Year Anniversary of Billy Graham’s Death, Lon Allison to Speak at Pastor’s Conference
Paperback version of Allison’s acclaimed Billy Graham biography just released

February 20, 2019 — Lon Allison’s battle with liver cancer isn’t slowing him down—especially when it comes to spreading the good news of the Gospel, and the message of his friend and predecessor, Billy Graham.

Last year Allison’s biography Billy Graham: An Ordinary Man and His Extraordinary God (Paraclete Press) released just after Graham’s death rocked the nation. The simple and powerful story of the life of America’s pastor and the millions of lives he touched with the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, received the highest accolades by those closest to Graham, including his sister Jean Graham Ford and her husband Dr. Leighton Ford, who wrote the Foreword for the book.

What many of Allison’s readers don’t know is that during the final month of writing and research on his book, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. Allison reveals that news in the paperback version of hisbiography, just released in anticipation of the first anniversary of Graham’s death.

The year of fighting cancer and all its complications has been intense for Allison and his family, and it’s not over yet. Now Lon and his wife, Marie, are headed to the Billy Graham Training Center in the Smokey Mountains, where Lon will speak at their Pastor’s Conference. Allison says, “We’ll also see Leighton Ford, my mentor. I’m chairman of his Board and we have just set a new expanding vision for the impact of that ministry long after his life and mine. It’s exciting.”

Contact: To interview Lon Allison, contact Rachel McKendree at rachelm@paracletepress.com or 800-451-5006 ext 301

Carol Stream, IL February 20, 2019 – The Christianity Today Board of Directors has unanimously elected Dr. Timothy Dalrymple as its next president and CEO. He will begin his new role May 1, 2019.

Commenting on the enthusiasm of the board for their president-elect, board chair Eugene Habecker said, “Tim comes to CT at a strategic time. He has a remarkable opportunity to build on the foundation put in place by retiring president Harold Smith.” He added, “Tim brings the requisite skill sets to help lead CT to the next level, combining those skills with a vibrant evangelical faith, the heart of a shepherd, and the attitude of a servant.”

Dalrymple’s selection follows a nine-month nationwide search led by the firm of CarterBaldwin and involving over 150 potential candidates. The Board made their decision on February 19 at a meeting in Dallas.

The president-elect was raised in California, where his father served in several pastoral roles. He began to preach and teach at a young age. He was also a national champion gymnast and saw God’s faithfulness in victory and defeat alike. He took his passions for ministry, learning, and athletic achievement with him to Stanford University.

When his gymnastics career ended in a broken neck, he plunged into campus ministry and overseas missions trips. He became president of Stanford’s Campus Crusade (Cru) chapter.

It was also at Stanford where he met his wife, Joyce. Both helped to lead a Christian unity movement on campus that brought together students from all the university’s Christian fellowships to worship God with one another.

After graduating from Stanford with a double major in in philosophy and religious studies, Tim earned an M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in modern western religious thought at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Along the way he also served in youth ministry, prison chaplaincy, and graduate and faculty ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

Tim’s desire to thoughtfully engage the public square and to find creative ways of sharing the gospel in the new media marketplace found expression after Harvard in his work with the multi-religious website Patheos (2008-2014). First he was managing editor of Patheos’ evangelical channel, then director of content and vice-president of business development.

In 2013 Dalrymple founded Polymath, a creative agency that helps clients with branding, design, web, video, marketing and communications, and content development. Its clients have included the Museum of the Bible, International Justice Mission, the American Enterprise Institute, and Indiana Wesleyan University.

Today, after 18 years of marriage, Tim and Joyce have three daughters; the family is currently active at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Dalrymple will succeed Harold B. Smith upon his retirement on May 1. Harold has served the ministry for 35 years, including the last 12 as president and chief executive officer.

“I’ve been impressed with Tim’s considerable gifts, humility, and Kingdom-first bearing for many years now,” Smith said. “And I believe he is the perfect choice to lead Christianity Today in this next chapter of ministry.

“Bottom line: I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Christianity Today was set into motion by evangelist Billy Graham over 60 years ago and today offers a variety of websites and publications, the most prominent being Christianity Today magazine. The ministry’s cause is summed up in the phrase Beautiful Orthodoxy: “In a world in desperate need of truth, goodness, and beauty, Christianity Today strengthens the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel.”

Dalrymple looks forward to the new opportunity.

“The legacy of Christianity Today is extraordinary – but the future is even more exciting,” he said. “Christianity Today possesses the legacy, the credibility, the resources, and the worldwide reach to tell the story of the global church in ways it has never been told before. I’m honored and humbled to be asked to lead it in the years ahead.”

Christianity Today is a nonprofit, global media ministry centered on Beautiful Orthodoxy—strengthening the church by richly communicating the breadth of the true, good, and beautiful gospel. Reaching over five million people monthly with various digital and print resources, the ministry equips Christians to renew their minds, serve the church, and create culture to the glory of God.

For more information, contact:  Cory Whitehead, CT’s executive director of mission advancement,
cwhitehead@christianitytoday.com or 630.384.7223

I am thrilled to announce that NPD has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Nielsen which positions NPD and our Checkout service for continued growth. Under the agreement, Nielsen will license NPD’s ReceiptPal^SM packaged goods data for their FMCG tracking services in the U.S.

ReceiptPal is NPD’s next-generation panel which tracks both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar sales, allowing us to show clients how shopping behavior is evolving in the new blended retail environment. Since the introduction of our total store platform for ReceiptPal in 2018, we have been collecting and processing data on all categories, opening up opportunities for new businesses for NPD and valuable partnerships, such as Nielsen.

As part of the agreement, we will increase the ReceiptPal panel significantly, effectively tripling the size of our OmniPanel. This means more granularity and the ability to view cross-channel shopping. We look forward to sharing our progress on this exciting initiative to help you better understand your customers and markets.

Sincerely,
Karyn Schoenbart
Chief Executive Officer
The NPD Group, Inc.

Olivia Newport’s New Fiction Series Appeals to America’s Fascination with Genealogy

Uhrichsville, OH—Millions of Americans have become captivated with uncovering their family histories. In fact, genealogy is touted as the second most popular hobby in the United States. That’s why the timing of Barbour’s latest series by Olivia Newport could not be better.

Tree of Life, a charmingly heartfelt and often surprising series, explores and celebrates family stories against the backdrop of a lovely Colorado mountain town readers will want to visit (and revisit). Stories (often based on actual historical events) are uncovered and woven together by an endearing father-daughter genealogy duo. Characters learn about who they are, where they come from, and their unique faith journeys as they discover their own Tree of Life.

This truly unique series will launch in May 2019 with the release of The Inn at Hidden Run, which follows genealogist Jillian as she traces a tradition of doctors to an ancestor saved during a yellow fever outbreak in Memphis in 1878. Four books are currently planned with the potential for more releases in the future.

“The charming warmth of Olivia Newport’s characters and setting are what drew me in,” said Annie Tipton, senior acquisitions editor. “But it is the genealogy journeys of discovery— connecting past to present, brokenness to healing, and heritage to faith—that keep me wanting to read more!”

Release Schedule for First Four Books:

• May 2019: The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport 978-1-68322-994-0
• November 2019: In the Cradle Lies by Olivia Newport 978-1-68322-995-7
• May 2020: When I Meet You by Olivia Newport 978-1-68322-996-4
• November 2020: What You Said to Me by Olivia Newport 978-1-68322-997-1

To learn more about the Tree of Life series, visit www.barbourbooks.com or view our latest catalog on Edelweiss.

Media Contact: Shalyn Sattler ssattler@barbourbooks.com 740.922.6045 X 109

Hall of Fame Coach will sign books in Bloomington, suburban Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne on March 1 and 2

CAROL STREAM, ILL. – Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) has announced that Tony Dungy (@tonydungy), Pro Football Hall of Fame coach, football commentator, and #1 New York Times bestselling author, will be in Indiana next weekend to promote his new book, The Soul of a Team, which he wrote with Nathan Whitaker. The Soul of a Team (Tyndale House Publishers, $26.99, hardcover, 978-1-4964-1376-5) is Dungy’s seventeenth book, which includes ten children’s books he co-authored with his wife, Lauren.

Headlining the three book signings is an “Evening with Tony Dungy” event at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday, Feb. 1, at 7:00 p.m. A free event, Indiana University head football coach Tom Allen and Dungy will discuss leadership and team building in a 40-minute question & answer session. The Q&A will be immediately followed by Dungy signings copies of The Soul of a Team, which will be available for purchase at the event. The free non-ticketed event is open to the public. Seating is general admission and doors open at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, March 2, Dungy will sign books in Fort Wayne and Carmel (details below).

As a former Super Bowl–winning coach, Dungy is an expert at building and bringing out the best in a team. Drawing on his experiences from years of coaching and working with other leaders, The Soul of a Teamlays out four essential principles practiced by truly effective teams. Telling the story of a fictional NFL team looking for a turnaround, The Soul of a Team not only identifies some of the most common issues that hold a team back but also lays out a game plan for winning teamwork. Tony’s principles can be applied to any team, whether it relates to business, sports, or families. The book includes a bonus group-discussion guide.

The book-signing schedule is as follows:

Friday, March 1
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
“An Evening with Tony Dungy”
Sherwood Oaks Christian Church
2700 East Rogers Road
Bloomington, IN 47401
(812) 334-0206
Event includes a 40-minute Q&A Followed by a Book Signing. Admission is free and doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Costco
5110 Value Drive
Fort Wayne, IN 46808
(260) 481-1100

Saturday, March 2
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Barnes & Noble
Greyhound Plaza
14790 Greyhound Plaza
Carmel, IN 46032
(317) 844-2501

Tony Dungy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books include Quiet Strength, Uncommon, The Mentor Leader, and Uncommon Marriage, the last of which he wrote with his wife, Lauren. He has also written ten children’s books with Lauren as well. He led the Indianapolis Colts to Super Bowl victory on February 4, 2007—the first such win for an African American head coach. Dungy established another NFL record by becoming the first head coach to lead his teams to the playoffs for ten consecutive years. He joined the Colts in 2002 after serving as the most successful head coach in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. Dungy has also held a number of assistant coaching positions. Before becoming a coach, he played three seasons in the NFL. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Dungy retired from coaching in 2009 and now serves as a studio analyst for NBC’s Football Night in America. Tony and Lauren are the parents of ten children.

Since its founding in 1962, Tyndale House Publishers has been a voice to trust for generations of readers. Today, Tyndale is one of the largest independent Christian publishers in the world. Tyndale’s mission is to make the Bible accessible to as many people as possible in language that they can relate and respond to. Tyndale publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) and offers nonfiction books that equip readers with Christ-centered insight, counsel, and life-improving stories. In addition, Tyndale publishes fiction from fresh new voices and celebrated authors alike, capturing the imagination of millions of readers. With a deep understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations, Tyndale also publishes children’s products that make God’s Word and wisdom come alive. Tyndale’s independent status allows it to follow its founding model, giving a majority of annual revenue—more than $100 million throughout its history—to charitable missions. With every book purchased, Tyndale readers help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world.

February 25, 2019 — Responding to a need in the Christian rights community, ECPA has announced the formation of the European Christian Rights Fair in Krakow, Poland, and the International Christian Rights Fair in Chicago.

The European Christian Rights Fair is being held March 18-20 at the Domus Mater retreat center in Krakow, Poland. Working together with the leadership of the Licensing Sub Rights Association (LSRA), ECPA arranged for and will facilitate the three-day event. The first two days will enable rights professionals to meet with publishers and distributors from several European countries, including Austria, Hungary, Norway, Germany, the Slovak Republic, and Poland.

The entire day of March 20 will be a Training Day for those attending the European Christian Rights Fair, and also for people attending the CLC European Conference, which will immediately follow. Training Day session leaders will include Jim Elwell Director of International Publishing for Tyndale House Publishers; Nadiyka Gerbish, European and Nordic languages rights manager for Riggins Rights Management; and ECPA President Stan Jantz.

“ECPA saw the need in the international Christian rights community to facilitate and host this rights fair in Krakow,” said Jantz. “The ECPA board has asked our office to explore ways to partner and collaborate with the global publishing community, and I can’t think of a better way than to collaborate with the international rights professionals who serve our membership.”

Two months later, on June 25 and 26, the International Christian Rights Fair will convene in Chicago on the campus of Moody Bible Institute. Members of the Christian rights community in North America will have an opportunity to meet with foreign publishers, retailers, and distributors.

“We were asked by the leadership of LSRA to help facilitate this first-ever rights event in Chicago,” said Jantz. “ECPA sees this as filling an important need for the rights community.

For more information on how to exhibit and register for both events, please contact Cynthia Helblig, ECPA office manager, at chelblig@ecpa.org.

(February 18, 2019) — Last week, ECPA released the first installment in a two-part series that considers the priority of diversity in the industry – economically, culturally, and theologically.  ECPA commissioned Dr. Theon E. Hill, assistant professor at Wheaton College, who presented to editors at PubU 2018 and to authors in 2017 at The Art of Writing conference.

“His well-received session at PubU to industry editors on ‘Achieving Diversity in Book Publishing’ was the impetus for this project,” states ECPA President & CEO Stan Jantz. “ECPA publishers are launching and continuing efforts in their own programs and want more opportunities and information to expand their diversity efforts.”

Dr. Hill lays out the industry-specific ‘why’ of diversity in this paper, and will drill down into the industry-specific ‘how’ in his session at Leadership Summit and corresponding part-two paper.

Dr. Hill will present at the upcoming ECPA Leadership Summit on “Connecting the Christian Community through your Publishing program” and will also be part of a session with Wheaton College President Dr. Phil Ryken on “Identifying the voices of the future Church in Higher Ed.

“Both sessions are part of our robust program for Christian publishing leaders on expanding your mission beyond borders… in your institution, the industry, the future church, throughout the global marketplace, and in the expanding reaches of consumer engagement,” continues Jantz.

The ECPA Leadership Summit will be held April 30-May 1 in Chicago.
Early bird rates expire on March 15.
Register for ECPA Leadership Summit.

“The Priority of Diversity in Christian Publishing” paper is available for immediate download for all ECPA members only.

Leadership expert John Maxwell reaches sales milestone

(Nashville, TN) February 4, 2019—Thomas Nelson is pleased to announce that The Maxwell Leadership Bible has officially sold its one millionth copy. Originally published in 2002 with executive editor Dr. John C. Maxwell, the Bible is now in its third edition.

The Maxwell Leadership Bible features over 120 “Profiles in Leadership” lessons that examine different leaders throughout the Bible, along with compelling short articles and notes on mentoring and influencing the workplace and the world as an employee, boss, parent, or neighbor. The Bible also provides a complete reference index for Maxwell’s bestselling leadership resources, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership  (Thomas Nelson) and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (HarperCollins Leadership).

“While I’m best known for leadership, my ultimate goal is to see men and women fulfill their God-given potential to make a difference in the world,” says Maxwell. “There is no greater book to make that type of transformation possible than the Bible.”

“Regardless of your career or vocation, John transforms familiar Bible stories into profound lessons and life-changing principles,” says Daniel Marrs, publisher for Thomas Nelson Bibles. “We are honored to celebrate this outstanding publishing achievement and are eager to continue partnering with John to share his time-tested wisdom, equipping a new generation of godly leaders.” The Maxwell Leadership Bible is available in English in the New King James Version (NKJV) and New International Version (NIV) and in Spanish in Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) and Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR60), reaching readers across the United States, Latin America, and Spain, all printed in Thomas Nelson’s exclusive Comfort Print typeface.

“The potency of the leadership advice John provides in The Maxwell Leadership Bible transcends culture and language,” says Cris Garrido, publisher for Grupo Nelson. “Not only are we thrilled that the message of this Bible clearly resonates with Spanish-language readers; we are also excited for the work still ahead as we steward this powerful content in order to reach new readers across the globe.”

Maxwell’s commitment to empowering Christian leaders on a global scale goes beyond The Maxwell Leadership Bible. He also founded EQUIP, a non-profit organization focused on training and mobilizing effective Christian leaders to practice Biblical servant leadership in their ministries. 

About Thomas Nelson: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum, and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.