Registration is now open at ECPALeadership.org/VirtualSummit.html

Beginning on May 14, ECPA will launch the Virtual Summit Series, a weekly webcast featuring conversations with publishing experts on trends and best practices in the wake of COVID-19. ECPA president Stan Jantz will host these one-hour interactive webcasts, designed to share knowledge and information for ECPA members, in the wake of not meeting at the ECPA Leadership Summit originally scheduled for May 5-6, due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Virtual Summit Series will be broadcast live on Thursdays from 10 to 11 am Central time via Zoom for ECPA members.  Each webcast will include a time of Q&A so viewers can ask questions of the special guests. A complete program list, including the topics and guests and registration is now posted at https://ecpaleadership.org/virtual-summit.html.

The first webcast on May 14 will feature Kristen McLean, Executive Director of Business Development at the NPD Group. Kristen will present the most recent consumer book buying trends, offering her usual keen insights and recommendations in a webinar titled, Consumer Data in Such a Time as This.  

Because the ECPA Virtual Summit Series is being sponsored by ECPA’s valued industry partners and service providers, these webcasts are being presented at no cost to ECPA members. However, you must register for each webcast in the six-week series.  Each webinar is powered by The knk Group.

Here is the list of webinars currently scheduled in the series:

MAY 14:  “Consumer Data in Such a Time as This” with Kristen McLean, Executive Director of Business Development at the NPD Group. Kristen will present the most recent consumer book buying trends, offering her usual keen insights and recommendations.  Sponsored by NPD Group.  REGISTER

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MAY 21: “Reaching Customers in a Time of Crisis: Digital Marketing Innovations” with Kelly Gallagher, VP of Content Acquisition, Ingram Content Group, and Peter McCarthy, Director, Digital Services, Ingram Content Group. Kelly and Pete will discuss the trend toward “verticals” in digital marketing and will offer practical tools publishers can use in this time of rapid change. Sponsored by Ingram.  REGISTER

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MAY 28: “Responding to the Needs of the Church” with Bob Pritchett, president and CEO of Faithlife, and Jesse Myers, Associate Publisher, Lexham Press. Dedicated to serving the church, Bob and Jesse will share their strategies for meeting the needs of the church at this time.  Sponsored by Firebrand Technologies.  REGISTER

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JUNE 4: “Innovating on a Dime in a Time of Rapid Change” with Cory Verner, founder and president of One Audio; Don Nori, president and CEO of Noria Media Group; and Tim Thornborough, president of The Good Book Company. Within weeks of the global outbreak of the coronavirus, Cory, Don and Tim turned around books on the Christian response to the crisis in digital, audio and print formats. They will share how they did it and why it matters.  Sponsored by The knk Group.  REGISTER

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JUNE 11: “The Three-Box Solution Playbook: Breakthrough Innovations” with Manish Tangri, co-author with Vijay Govindarajan of The Three-Box Solution Playbook: Tools and Tactics for Creating Your Company’s Strategy.  Manish will explain a repeatable process for publishers to create new breakthroughs—from ideation through incubation to scaling.  Sponsored by Nord Compo.  REGISTER

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JUNE 18: “The Publishing Supply Chain: Crisis or Opportunity?” with Matt Baehr, Executive Director of the Book Manufacturers Institute; Pete Larson, President and Owner of Bethany Press International; Michael Shea, SVP of Book Sales, LSC Communications; and Brittyne Lewis, Director of Digital Services, LSC Communications. Four experts in book manufacturing and distribution will share their publishing supply chain insights and forecasts.  Sponsored by LSC Communications.  REGISTER

 

by Stan Jantz, ECPA president

Thanks to the initiative of Chris Johnsen (Christian Art South Africa), Mark Taylor (Tyndale House Publishers), and Dwight Baker (Baker Publishing Group), ECPA hosted a live global prayer webcast on April 30 that was viewed on Zoom by 127 publishers, distributors, and retailers from 25 countries.

Dubbed the END Conference—which stands for “Enter a New Dimension” and “Experience New Dedication”—the 30-minute live webcast featured messages from Chris Johnsen and Mark Taylor, followed by a special time of prayer for the international publishing community by Stormie Omartian. I had the privilege of hosting this special webcast. As I watched, I could feel the Spirit of God uniting the global publishing community and our common mission to make the Christian message more widely known.

During the END Conference, viewers used the Zoom chat feature to indicate where they were located. It was amazing to see that people from France, Singapore, Brazil, Norway, Korea, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ukraine, Spain, Denmark, Japan, the UK, Canada, the Philippines, Germany, the U.S., China, Ghana, Nigeria, Hungary, South Africa, the Seychelles, and Malaysia were watching live. As Stormie concluded her prayer, I could not help but be moved.

Indeed, God is on the move through the publishing of Bibles, books and resources in a multitude of languages and locations. During this pandemic that is affecting every part of the world, people are searching for answers and meaning as never before. And with the technology tools available to us, the opportunity to publish and distribute biblically-based content in a variety of formats for a global audience has never been greater.

The END Conference was just the first of a series of webcasts ECPA has scheduled over the next two months. The ECPA board and standing committees are meeting via Zoom on May 4, and the Christian Book Award® celebration will be broadcast on the Microsoft Teams platform (courtesy of The knk Group) on May 5 at 1 pm Central time. On May 6, at 11 am Central time, the annual ECPA Member Meeting and Town Hall will be webcast live on Zoom.

Beginning on May 14, ECPA will be launching the Virtual Summit Series, a weekly webcast featuring conversations with publishing experts on trends and best practices in the wake of COVID-19. I will host these one-hour interactive webcasts, designed to share knowledge and information for our industry as we emerge from the current crisis and anticipate a future that is unlike anything we could have imagined just two months ago.

The Virtual Summit Series will be broadcast live on Thursdays from 10 to 11 am Central time via Zoom. Each webcast will include a time of Q&A so viewers can ask questions of the special guests. A complete program list, including the topics and guests, will be announced soon to ECPA members.  To receive updates, sign up here.

Because the ECPA Virtual Summit Series is being sponsored by ECPA’s valued industry partners and service providers, these webcasts are being presented at no cost to ECPA members. However, you must register for each webcast in the six-week series.

In addition, you will need to register to view the Christian Book Award® winners webcast on May 5 and the ECPA Member Meeting and Town Hall on May 6.

Free Event for Church Leaders presented by NavPress, Humanitarian Disaster Institute, Food for the Hungry, and Outreach

CAROL STREAM, Ill. (April 21, 2020)—NavPress (@NavPress) will join forces with Food for the Hungry (@food4thehungry), Humanitarian Disaster Institute (@WheatonHDI), and Outreach (@Outreach) to present the Spiritual First Aid Summit. The free online event for church leaders is a one-day event that will be available on-demand on Thursday, April 30. Additional information and registration for the event is available at www.spiritualfirstaidsummit.com. Fifteen prominent speakers include N.T. Wright, one of the word’s leading Bible scholars.

“It really is an honor and privilege to align ourselves with HDI, Outreach, and Food for the Hungry to provide this support to churches across the country and, indeed, around the globe,” said Don Pape, Publisher, NavPress. “Never before has the big ‘C’ Church had the opportunity to be so engaged in first aid at this level, caring not only for the health and well-being of individuals but also for their souls.”

Because of COVID-19, we are living through unprecedented times marked by physical distancing and weeks of isolation. There is a deep need for help, hope, and care.

How can the church respond to COVID-19 as the hands and feet of Jesus?

By attending the Spiritual First Aid Summit, participants will learn to address people’s most critical disaster needs based on 15 years of research conducted by Humanitarian Disaster Institute scholars.

Specifically, forum attendees will find practical, intuitive, and evidence-based ways to help others.

Join the confirmed speakers for uplifting messages of hope and practical resources that will fill you up so you can faithfully respond, lead your church through the pandemic and its aftermath, and care for your community:

• Kent Annan
• Dr. Jamie Aten
• Jason Daye
• Mike Frost
• Jordan Gustafson
• Dennis Mahoney
• Dr. Kara Powell
• Dino Rizzo
• Rick Rusaw
• Peter Scazzero
• Dr. Laura Shannonhouse
• Dr. Efrem Smith
• Craig Springer
• Danielle Strickland
• N.T. Wright

Upon registering, summit-goers will receive access to a password-protected website with videos that can be viewed at their convenience. Those who register will also receive a free copy of the newly-released Spiritual First Aid Manual, a one-year subscription to Outreach Magazine, a free prayer course from N.T. Wright, and a promo code for a “Get One, Give One” initiative that is sending The Message of Hope to ministries on the frontline of disaster relief.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to people’s lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that bring spiritual impact, life transformation, and help lead in the mission of making disciples.

Publishers Receive Highly Personalized Service and Industry Expertise

ASHLAND, Ohio, April 23, 2020 – Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (BTPS), a leading provider of sales and fulfillment services, is pleased to announce two new publisher partner agreements.

BTPS has signed full sales representation and distribution agreements with the following clients:

• Messianic Jewish Publishers & Resources, effective May 1, 2020 — Worldwide
• Starfish Bay Publishing, effective July 1, 2020 – U.S. & Canada

About BTPS’s new client publishers:

Messianic Jewish Publishers & Resources (http://www.messianicjewish.net) is the only full-fledged Messianic Jewish publishing house in North America, providing resources for the Messianic congregational movement worldwide as well as the wider Body of Messiah (the Church). They “are a three-fold ministry, reaching Jewish people with the message of Messiah, teaching our non-Jewish spiritual family (Christians) about their Jewish roots, and strengthening the Messianic congregational movement with excellent resources.” 

Starfish Bay Publishing (http://starfishbaypublishing.com) is an independent publisher of high-quality children’s books. Located in Australia, Starfish Bay specializes in picture books for children ages 3-8 that showcase superb artwork and engaging stories. They have published authors from a variety of international locations, including Iceland, Ireland, the US, the UK, China, and many other countries.

About BTPS:  Baker & Taylor Publisher Services (BTPS) is a leading provider of economical services and solutions to book publishers and content creators, with a robust worldwide reach to all trade and other book markets. BTPS services include sales and distribution, book manufacturing and inventory management, and third-party logistics. A division of Follett, BTPS client publishers also benefit from Follett and Baker & Taylor’s positions as major suppliers of public libraries, K-12 school markets and higher education institutions. For more information, please visit www.btpubservices.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Baker & Taylor Publisher Services, Matt Warner, 419-564-4931, Matthew.Warner@baker-taylor.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill., April 24, 2020 — In its annual publishing awards livestreamed on April 21, the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) honored Christianity Today with 29 publishing awards chosen by journalism peers across the country.

These annual awards honor member publications through two contests: the Awards of Excellence for publications as a whole and the Higher Goals for individual pieces that were produced during the 2019 calendar year.

For the sixth straight year, ChristianityToday.com won the top Award of Excellence for General Publication (Digital). Additionally, Christianity Today magazine won an Award of Merit in the General (Print) category.

Of the 27 Higher Goals awards the ministry received, Christianity Today had six first-place winners, including:

Cause of the Year Article – Biblical Literacy
The Greatest Story Ever Animated – Paul Pastor.

Cause of the Year Illustration/Photo – Biblical Literacy
Your Bible Translation is Imperfect. It’s Also a Miracle. – Casey Fritz, Sarah Gordon.

Editorial
Who Owns a Woman’s Body? Not Who You Think – Andrea Palpant Dilley.

Personality Article
The Forgotten Female Preacher – Grant Wacker.

Reporting
Amazon Sold $240K of ‘Liturgy of the Ordinary’ Fakes, Publisher Says – Kate Shellnutt.

Standing Column
Beginnings of Wisdom – Jen Wilkin.

“We are so proud of the journalistic and artistic excellence recognized by these awards, and the ongoing commitment by our editorial talent,” said CT editor in chief Daniel Harrell. “The passion and conviction exhibited in our work will continually have as its aim informing our readers with thoughtful, engaging and beautiful content to encourage our faith and strengthen the church.”

A full list of EPA 2020 awards, including the other Christianity Today awards, can be found at the association’s website: Awards of Excellence and Higher Goals.

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 4.5 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.

CONTACT: Cory Whitehead, 630-260-6200 ext 4220, cwhitehead@christianitytoday.com

FROM THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC JUSTICE:

The President signed into law today the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, providing extensions and modifications of the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the EIDL emergency loan and grant program. This action gives nonprofits, including churches, small businesses, and self-employed individuals and independent contractors another opportunity to receive federal support designed to counteract the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Organizations and individuals needing this help should act quickly. The PPP program is likely to begin again on Monday, April 27.

About the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

• This is for small organizations and self-employed individuals and independent contractors.
• Includes a total of $310 billion more for loans.
• $60 billion is set-aside for loans made by mid- and small-sized community banks, credit unions, and institutions that serve underserved or low-income communities.
• Originators of these set-aside loans include minority depository institutions, which are predominantly led by and serve minority communities, and community development financial institutions (CDFIs), which are dedicated to promoting economic development and providing education and other supports to borrowers.
• Action: Applicants not already working with a willing financial institution may consider local community banks, including including minority-led banks; credit unions with whom they have a relationship; or CDFIs serving their community.
• The SBA in a new question added to its general FAQ document has stressed that, to qualify for a loan, applicants “must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary”; larger companies that have other resources they can tap are warned away from PPP loans.

About the EIDL loans and Emergency Grants

• Apply through the SBA website.
• Additional $50 billion for the Disaster Loans Program Account.
• Additional $10 billion for the EIDL emergency grants.
• Makes small agricultural enterprises eligible for EIDL loans and grants.

If you have any questions, please email inquiries@CPJustice.org.

Recently ECPA president Stan Jantz had a conversation with Don Nori, a second-generation publisher and the CEO of Nori Media Group, which includes Destiny Image, Harrison House and Sound Wisdom. Here are five questions Stan asked Don about what his company is doing in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

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SJ: About six months ago, without knowing what was coming, you initiated some changes in the way you publish books. How did that help you prepare for this moment we are in?

DN: Recently, we decide to take our publishing processes nearly 100% digital using collaboration platforms and Google drive. I became proficient largely from learning Google Drive through my two children who are in middle school and high school.

I teach at a local University where I recently also enrolled in an online teaching certification course. Following that I taught an online marketing course during the first 3 months of 2020.

When the quarantine hit, we had a company sales conference for our staff using Zoom and Google Drive, followed by a conference for our authors/speakers with over 1,000 attendees online! Just last week, we held an 18-person group presentation meeting with our largest business partner. Everyone was in their own homes (with the exception of myself).

I feel like during the months leading up to quarantine, we unknowingly prepared for business on a digital basis. Coincidence or God? I vote God.

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SJ:  Shortly after the COVID-19 crisis began, you started the Emergency Publishing Initiative. Can you describe what that is?

DN:  In short, we hastily contacted authors and asked for content. Contract-to-publication was challenged for quick-turnaround. This is the email directive sent to ALL staff on March 20:

Please execute Emergency Publishing directive to acquire new, strategic content.  

Goal: Go from written & video formats – to market, within DAYS.  What can go LIVE next week?

What do we HAVE?  What can we GET?  What can we RELEASE?

Even facilitating online conferences for authors through our platforms.

Only consider what we can execute in the timeframe of 1 week up to 3 weeks.

“Let’s leverage crisis into innovation and strategy!” – Larry Sparks, Publisher, Destiny Image

Go, Go, Goooooo!

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SJ:  You have been able to publish a dozen titles with special relevance to the coronavirus crisis in two weeks or less, and that includes print. How did you do it?

DN:  We enlisted the help of everyone in the product chain to expedite. And, everyone enthusiastically jumped-in! However, it was our digital sales director that kept things on track, knowing that most sales would occur through online customers.

Contracts were signed digitally. Designers, editorial, and pagination worked through weekends. Sales and marketing quickly shifted focus of campaigns and ad spending. Books began to be released within about a week.

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SJ:  You are referring to people at Nori Media as “Media Engineers.” What does that mean for your company overall?

DN:  It is our philosophy that we are not just publishers of “books” but of “messages.” We strive to convey each message in as many forms of media as possible: ebooks, trade paper, hardcover, large print, audiobooks, video, and other forms of media as identified. This makes us “media engineers.”  This is something my father believed in so much that he printed it on our first business cards in 1983.

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SJ:  In what ways is the COVID-19 crisis an opportunity for Christian publishers?

DN:  Christian publishers were born for moments like this! We provide hope, love, encouragement, and positivity. The messages we share will help bring people closer to Jesus. It also gives us the opportunity to shine as Christian examples to the world.

Looking inward, this crisis forces us to change. It forces us to reevaluate, reset, and innovate. It can be scary. It can be uncomfortable. Hopefully a stronger and better company emerges on the other side of this.

LARGO, Fla.— While funds are being given for all kinds of businesses affected by the coronavirus closures, Christian Retail Association (CRA) is supporting independent Christian bookstores who carry products that are vital in these challenging times.

“The products our stores have to offer are just what people need in times like this. They bring hope and encouragement, reminding us we are not alone, because God promises He will never leave us or forsake us,” said Sue Brewer, Chief Operations Officer of the Munce Group, a working partner of CRA.

“While we know that the government’s $2.2 trillion bailout will help our independent Christian bookstores, they are going to need more help than that,” Brewer adds. “Our goal of $10 million will give 200 independent Christian bookstores $50K each to pay their suppliers, their rent and for other essentials needed to re-open or keep their stores open to spread the gospel to their communities.”

Bob Munce, president of CRA, said that most people will give to a good cause, but only Christians will give to spread the gospel. In a grassroots approach, CRA is sending information about the giving page to all vendor partners, asking them to share this initiative on their personal social media sites in order to reach outside the industry.

Donations can be given by visiting www.christianretailassociation.org and clicking on “Give Now!” Since CRA is a non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible. Net proceeds will be collected by May 30, 2020 and distributed to approximately 200 CRA member stores. Stores who joined CRA in 2019 will have their annual membership extended through July to benefit from this collection.

Christian Retail Association is a non-profit ministry founded by Munce Group President Bob Munce in an ongoing effort to better serve independent Christian retailers. The Munce Group was founded in October 1991 and currently serves nearly 200 member retailers across the US. The mission of the Munce Group is to provide member retailers with the highest quality Christian materials and services to equip independent Christian retailers for the work of their ministry and business. For more information, visit www.christianretailassociation.org or call 800-868-4388.

Contact: Andrea Stock, andrea.stock@munce.com