Colts Neck, NJ – August 22, 2018 – Representatives from several ECPA member companies played leadership roles at the inaugural Publishing in Color conference, the first spiritual writers’ conference specifically targeted at increasing the number of books published by writers of color. The conference took place June 19-20 at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Keynote speakers included Joyce Dinkins, Executive Editor at Our Daily Bread Ministries and Dr. Cheryl Price, Executive Vice President at Urban Ministries. And Kelsey Bowen, Acquisitions Editor at Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, led the publishing discussion at the pre-conference retreat. The conference was organized by Brian Allain, former Director of the Frederick Buechner Center and owner of Writing for Your Life. In addition to Baker Publishing Group, Our Daily Bread, and Urban Ministries, conference sponsors included Christianity Today and InterVarsity Press.
Additional ECPA member companies participating included:
- Credo Communications
- HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Thomas Nelson
- HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Zondervan
- Penguin RandomHouse – Waterbrook & Multnomah
- Simon & Schuster – Howard Books
- Tyndale House
“I was thrilled with the turnout of African American writers, and their enthusiasm for this event. At Our Daily Bread we are following up with several promising attendees,” said Joyce Dinkins, Executive Editor, Our Daily Bread Ministries. “Praise God!”
“From the perspective of a publishing house, I could not have been happier with the quality and diversity of the attendees and with conference overall,” offered Jenny Baumgartner, Editorial Director and Acquisitions Editor, HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
“Christianity Today made a significant commitment to this conference, sending four top editors. We were not disappointed!” said Andy Olson, Managing Director, Christianity Today. “It was such a valuable opportunity to connect with both seasoned and up-and-coming writers of color, writers whose voices need to be heard.”
Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for under-represented groups of spiritual authors such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino/a 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
The next Publishing in Color conference will take place November 8-9, 2018 in the Chicago area at the Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst, IL. Additional information about the conference can be found here: https://publishingincolor.com/publishing-in-color-conference-november-2018-elmhurst-il/
Keynote speakers for the conference include authors Dominique Gilliard and Sharon Koenig, and publishing industry veterans Joyce Dinkins (Our Daily Bread Ministries) and Cheryl Price (Urban Ministries). In addition to these keynote speakers, the event will feature many publishing house representatives speaking about various aspects of “how to get published” and will include ample time for networking and relationship building.
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, Latino/a 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
Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. has debuted its new logo. Publisher Deb Haggerty states, “A new look was necessary to promote our mission of publishing positive books for the Christian market.” One of the few Christian-owned and operated traditional, royalty-paying publishing companies, Elk Lake has books for readers of all ages in a variety of genres. Elk Lake, headquartered in Plymouth, MA, publishes thirty to forty books a year. Recent book releases include, among others:
CAROL STREAM, ILL.—August 23, 2018—AFFIRM Films in partnership with Provident Films has announced next year’s release of Overcomer, the highly anticipated sixth film from Alex and Stephen Kendrick (War Room, Fireproof, Courageous, Facing the Giants, Flywheel) in theaters throughout North America on Aug. 23, 2019. Filled with a powerful mix of faith, a twist of humor, and a ton of heart, the Kendricks’ new venture tackles the vital issue of spiritual identity in a unique and fresh way.
Nashville, TN (August 24, 2018) — Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God (Thomas Nelson) by Max Lucado debuts after one week of release on four national bestseller lists: The New York Times (#7 Advice, How-To & Misc., August 26). The Wall Street Journal (#7 Hardcover Non-Fiction, August 12), USA Today (#53, August 12) and Publishers Weekly (#11 Hardcover Non-Fiction, August 20).
(Grand Rapids, MI)
August 15, 2018, Hanover, PA—Sheridan’s Pennsylvania print facility is adding two new HP presses to the production floor: an HP PageWide T240HD Color Print Inkjet system equipped with a Duplex Primer system and a Magnum InLine FlexBook Finisher, and an HP Indigo 12000 B2-format digital press.
SAN ANTONIO – August 15, 2018 – It’s a story ripped from today’s—and tomorrow’s—headlines. The Middle East on the brink of conflict. Russia now in the Middle East. A federation of European nations.
CAROL STREAM, Ill. – Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) has announced that Paul Mathews, Executive VP and CFO, will retire after 41 years at the company. Mathews joined Tyndale House in August 1977 as an accounting assistant. He was promoted to role of controller in 1979, to corporate vice president in 1982, and to his current role as Executive VP, CFO in 1998. Tyndale has also announced that Scott Mathews has been named as the new CFO.
Grand Rapids, Mich., Aug. 16, 2018 — Zondervan is pleased to announce the release of the third edition of the New York Times bestselling 




