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.

Carol Stream, Ill. (February 5, 2018)—Focus on the Family, in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers, will release Young Whit and the Shroud of Secrecy, #2 in the Young Whit series, on April 9, 2019.

The Young Whit series tells the backstory of John Avery Whittaker, the beloved patriarch of the Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas. The series introduces newcomers to the larger world of Odyssey and provides longtime fans with the exciting history of the franchise’s key character.

Authors Phil Lollar and Dave Arnold are seasoned experts when it comes to Adventures in Odyssey. Lollar has created, written, produced, and performed in dozens of kids’ audio/video series, including: Adventures in Odyssey, Jungle Jam and Friends, The Little Angels, Little Dogs on the Prairie, 3,2,1 Penguins, Paws & Tails, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, The Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi Show, Tom and Jerry, and Space Racers. Arnold is the executive producer of Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family Radio Theatre. During his 30-year tenure, he has worked in many facets of the programs’ creation, including writing, directing, acting, sound design, and producing.

Young Whit and the Shroud of Secrecy by Dave Arnold and Phil Lollar
ISBN: 978-1-58997-585-9 | Hardcover: $12.99 | April 2019
FocusontheFamily.com
Tyndale.com

Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

Focus on the Family, which reaches about 38 million people in 120 countries, is a global faith-based ministry that helps families thrive. Tyndale House Publishers is pleased to partner with Focus on the Family to help provide trusted resources for strengthening believers in their faith and sharing the gospel; building resilient marriages that reflect God’s design; equipping parents to raise their children with a thriving faith; advocating for the preborn, orphaned, and life at every stage; and engaging the culture through a biblical worldview. Visit Focus at FocusontheFamily.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

WaterBrook, an imprint of Random House, has acquired the first book from stand-up comedian John Crist, known for his humor relating to the nuances and quirks of the church. Tina Constable, WaterBrook Executive Vice President and Publisher, and Lead Acquisition Editor Andrew Stoddard acquired world publishing rights from United Talent Agency. Stoddard will also serve as the editor. The book, which will offer a delightful dose of Crist’s signature wit as he explores themes from his upbringing, millennial foibles, and the bothersome trapping of modern life, is scheduled to be published in Spring 2020.

“John Crist brings something fresh to comedy with a hilarious perspective appealing to both Christian and mainstream audiences,” says Constable. “We couldn’t be happier to be publishing his first book. John’s humor helps us laugh at ourselves, and who couldn’t use more of that?”

Adds Crist, “The book writing process has been so much fun! There are tons of funny stories and observations that I’ve made in life that are not necessarily stories for my live show or a social media video…but perfect for a book. I’m excited for readers to experience a new side of me that I’ve never explored before. I can’t wait for people to read it!”

The next big thing in comedy, Crist has performed to sold-out crowds around the country and has more than one billion views of his comedy videos, such as “Millennial International,” “Road Rage in the Church Parking Lot,” and “Every Parent at Disney.” Crist has shared the stage with some of the most influential comics in the business, including Dave Chappelle, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Meyers, Larry the Cable Guy, Trevor Noah, Dana Carvey, Adam Carolla, Chris D’Elia, Anjelah Johnson, and Louie Anderson and has appeared on such outlets as ESPN, USA Today, US Weekly, Buzzfeed, “Today,” HLN, Sports Illustrated, and The Huffington Post. His social media following boasts more than three million followers.

WaterBrook is an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher.

For more information, contact Beverly Rykerd at brykerd@penguinrandomhouse.com or (719) 268-1935. 

WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that Jen Wilkin’s Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds (Crossway, July 2014) has surpassed 250,000 units in print sales.

As a Bible teacher, Wilkin has grown concerned that many women read God’s Word through the lens of their emotions, forgetting that the Bible is, first and foremost, a book about God. Wilkin wrote Women of the Word as a challenge and resource for women desiring to dig deeper in their study of Scripture, with the aim of transforming their hearts by training their minds.

“The heart cannot love what the mind does not know,” writes Wilkin. “Yes, it is sinful to acquire knowledge for knowledge’s sake, but acquiring knowledge about One we love, for the sake of loving him more deeply, will always be for our transformation. We must love God with our minds, allowing our intellect to inform our emotions, rather than the other way around.”

Available in both trade paperback and ebook formats, Women of the Word has received commendations from Kathy Keller (author of Jesus, Justice, and Gender Roles), Matt Chandler (pastor of the Village Church in Dallas), Gloria Furman (author of Missional Motherhood), and more.

Publishers Weekly writes, “Wilkin’s challenges to the status quo, grounded in years of observation, ring with gentle wisdom and guide readers in how to study the Bible with greater depth.”

“Jen is a gift from God to the whole body of Christ, both men and women,” notes Crossway’s publisher for books, Justin Taylor. “We are so delighted that a quarter of a million readers in just these past five years have picked up her book in order to grow in the knowledge of how to read and apply the Scriptures.”

Wilkin has also written None Like Him (Crossway, 2016), which has sold over 100,000 copies, and In His Image (Crossway, 2018). For more information about the author, visit jenwilkin.net.

Jen Wilkin is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women’s Bible studies. During her seventeen years of teaching, she has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Jen and her family are members of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas.
jenwilkin.net | facebook.com/wilkinjen | @jenniferwilkin

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-centered content, to honor our Savior and serve his Church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information visit crossway.org.

Media Contact: Lauren Harvey • lharvey@crossway.org (630) 682-4300, ext. 6031 • crossway.org

[NASHVILLE, TENN., February 11, 2019—] B&H Publishing is excited to unveil a new and improved website and brand update to better serve both customers and retailers.

Launched in late 2018, the new website features clean, effective imagery and copy that provide a more streamlined and easy-to-use experience for retailers, customers and visitors. The new website also allows the B&H team to effectively promote bestsellers, new releases and familiar backlist titles that support each B&H imprint.

Features that will be particularly useful to retailers include:

• Homepage features B&H bestsellers, new titles and seasonal titles
• Retailer tools with online application for new trade accounts
• Search products by category
• Search products by ISBN number
• View B&H bestsellers by category
• Choose your own Bible option (coming soon)

The website re-launch also provided a chance for B&H to refresh its brand logos, following the successful launch of the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) and the rebrand of the Holman Bibles line.

“We’re extremely proud of this new site and the way it improves our online experience; we want any visitor to the site to see what B&H is known for and what our priorities are,” said Dave Schroeder, VP of Marketing. “As we continue to strive for improvement on the website, we also anticipate adding more resources to equip our retail partners for success.”

Visit www.bhpublishing.com to learn more.

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.

October release will focus on generosity

January 31, 2019 (Nashville, TN)—Abingdon Press announced today it will publish two new gift books from Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author. The first gift book will be for the 2019 holiday season and called 7 Days of Christmas.

Inspired by and adapted from her breakout book 7:  An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, 7 Days of Christmas takes Hatmaker’s social experiment of restraint in seven key areas—food, clothes, spending, media, possessions, waste, and stress—and turns them into thoughtful and practical ideas for more generosity to capture the true spirit of Christmas.

“I can’t think of a better season to apply the lessons of 7, and it is my great delight to bring my readers 7 Days of Christmas to help us discover the joy of less stuff and more Jesus in our families and communities,” said Hatmaker.

“A simpler lifestyle has gone beyond a trend to something many people seek,” said Karen Longino, acquisitions manager for Abingdon Press. “Jen’s work provides tangible steps to building a more minimalistic approach to consumerism while strengthening one’s spirituality and generosity.”

7 Days of Christmas offers inspiration for practicing both generosity and restraint during the Christmas season. It explores why each area is important to Jen and also applicable to most American families. Readers will see how each particular area of excess impacts the family unit, the community, and the world at large—complete with ideas on how to reduce thoughtless consumption and consider other practices that lead to less stuff but more joy.

“Jen has what few thought-leaders have achieved—popularity and relatability across a wide spectrum of readers. We are thrilled to share her wisdom with people at Christmastime,” said Audrey Kidd, Chief Revenue Officer for Abingdon Press.

Abingdon Press is the primary publishing imprint for The United Methodist Publishing House and has a tradition of crossing denominational boundaries with thought-provoking and inspirational books. Abingdon Press titles include a wide array of quality Bibles, Bible studies, small group studies, Christian living, devotional, academic, professional, and reference books published each year to enrich faith communities across the globe. Learn more at AbingdonPress.com.

7 Days of Christmas by Jen Hatmaker
$21.99  │  9781501888274  │ October 1, 2019

Jen Hatmaker, sought-after speaker, Big Sister Emeritus, and Chief BFF, is the beloved author of eleven Bible studies and books, including New York Times bestsellers For the Love and Of Mess and Moxie. Jen hosts the award-winning For the Love Podcast and leads a tightly knit online community where she reaches millions of people each week in addition to speaking at events all around the country. Jen and her hubby, Brandon, are founders of Legacy Collective, a giving community that grants millions of dollars around the world. The couple lives on the outskirts of Austin with their 5 kids: Gavin, Sydney, Caleb, Ben, and Remy, in a 1910-era farmhouse that they overhauled as stars of the HGTV series My Big Family Renovation. To learn more about Jen, visit JenHatmaker.com.

Nashville, TN, January 31, 2019—The Nashville Division of Hachette Book Group previously announced the acquisition of Worthy Publishing in November 2018. As of January 21, the Hachette Nashville staff completed the move to their new home in Franklin, Tennessee.

This merge offers a single location for the sales, editorial, and marketing teams of both Hachette Nashville and Worthy Publishing.

“Consolidating the FaithWords and Worthy teams into one location has been a great step forward,” said Rolf Zettersten, SVP and Publisher of Hachette Nashville. “Working under the same roof has increased opportunities for enhanced communication, creativity and collegiality.  We are truly excited about the benefits of this combined publishing operation.”

The new address for the Hachette Nashville facilities are as follows:

Hachette Book Group
Nashville Division
One Franklin Park
6100 Tower Circle, Suite 210
Franklin, TN 37067
615-221-0996

About Hachette Book Group
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre (a Lagardère company), the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG is made up of eight publishing groups: Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Grand Central Publishing; Perseus Books; Orbit; Hachette Books; Hachette Nashville; and Hachette Audio.

Los Angeles, CA – February 4, 2019 – ECPA member companies Baker Publishing Group, Our Daily Bread Ministries, and Writing for Your Life are collaborating to support the next Publishing in Color conference, scheduled for March 25-27, 2019 at the University of Southern California.  USC’s Office of Religious Life and United University Church are also co-sponsors of the event.

Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for under-represented groups of spiritual authors such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, and Native Americans. The goals of these conferences are to:

• Foster relationships between under-represented groups of prospective spiritual authors and representatives of spiritual book publishing companies, literary agencies, and spiritual magazines
• Provide networking and educational opportunities so that prospective authors can learn more about how to work with these publishers, agencies, and magazines
• Result in an increased number of books and articles published by under-represented groups

Additional ECPA member companies participating include InterVarsity Press and Harvest House Publishers.

“Thanks to Publishing in Color for the opportunity to serve your effort to open doors for under-represented authors, as well as other Christian Publishing industry talent our Daily Bread Ministries desires to engage in our global efforts.” said Joyce Dinkins, Publishing Board Director for Our Daily Bread Ministries. “It’s a privilege to lend our hearts and hands alongside.”

“The leadership team at Baker Publishing Group is enthused and grateful for Publishing in Color conferences.” said Dwight Baker, President & CEO of the Baker Publishing Group. “We look forward to developing the gifts of a wider spectrum of Christian writers, and we anticipate that many readers will be blessed by our work together.”

“We greatly appreciate the strong support of key ECPA members in this effort!” said Brian Allain, owner of Writing for Your Life, and producer of the Publishing in Color conferences. “The very idea of holding the Publishing in Color conferences came from comments made at the ECPA Leadership Summit!”

Keynote speakers for the Publishing in Color Los Angeles conference include authors Mako Fujimura, Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, Sharon Koenig, and Kaitlin Curtice, and Joyce Dinkins (Our Daily Bread Ministries). In addition to these keynote speakers, the event will feature many publishing house and literary agency representatives speaking about various aspects of “how to get published” and will include ample time for networking and relationship building.

Additional information about the conference can be found here:
https://publishingincolor.com/publishing-in-color-conference-march-2019-los-angeles-ca/

Publishing in Color has established a scholarship fund that will pay for selected individuals to attend this or future Publishing in Color conferences at no charge. The fund is currently accepting donations, and profits from the Publishing in Color conferences will be donated to this fund.

You can learn more about the Publishing in Color conference series at: https://publishingincolor.com/

About Writing for Your Life
Writing for Your Life is committed to offering a comprehensive set of useful resources and services to support spiritual writers. We offer in-person writing conferences and online webinars featuring leading spiritual authors and publishing industry experts. Authors discuss and teach about various aspects of spiritual writing. Industry experts offer advice on how to get published and how to market.  We also offer a variety of writer support services including book development, editing, book proposal review, marketing, and platform development. https://writingforyourlife.com/

About Publishing in Color
Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for under-represented groups of spiritual authors such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, and Native Americans. The goals of these conferences are to: foster relationships between under-represented groups of prospective spiritual authors and representatives of spiritual book publishing companies, literary agencies, and spiritual magazines; provide networking and educational opportunities so that prospective authors can learn more about how to work with these publishers, agencies, and magazines; and result in an increased number of books and articles published by under-represented groups. https://publishingincolor.com/

For additional information contact Brian Allain at brian@writingforyourlife.com