April 20, 2020 Edition
Industry News
ECPA releases industry-specific impact report to members: Webinar series to be announced
Last week ECPA conducted an impact survey among its members and delivered the results to participating designated representatives. “This report was conducted to inform and initiate dialogue among ECPA companies at a time when it’s most needed,” stated ECPA president Stan Jantz. One of the action items coming from the report will be a series of webinars that ECPA will conduct with industry experts on topics that were identified as most valued in the survey.
For more information, contact ECPA.
CRA aims to raise $10 million for 200 independent Christian bookstores. Give today.
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.
Read More...2020 Christian Book Award® winners announced in special webcast on May 5
The Christian Book Award winners in 12 categories from a pool of 65 finalists, along with the 2020 Christian Book of the Year®, will be announced in a free 30-minute webcast of the ECPA Awards Celebration on May 5, 2020 at 1 pm central time. The webcast will feature Pinnacle Award recipient and bestselling author of The Power of a Praying® series, Stormie Omartian, who will deliver a specially-written prayer for our world and for the industry in this time of crisis. “It will be incredible for us all to pray with Stormie at this critical moment in history and in our industry,” states ECPA president and CEO Stan Jantz.
knk Group to host webinar series this week on virtual technology tools
The knk Group, a leader in Microsoft technology, is running a series of webinars focused on the use of technology during these uncertain times. The series focuses on remote working, project management, information sharing across multiple formats, and the best practices related to the processes of using technology. This week’s “Tools & Best Practices” webinars are:
- Digital Task Planning, April 21, 1-2 pm EDT
- Interacting in Virtual Events, April 22, 1-2 pm EDT
- Making Digital Information Available, April 23, 1-2 pm EDT
Illuminate Literary Agency hosts “Crisis-Proof” Book Marketing Workshop for clients
Illuminate Literary Agency hosted a free live workshop, "Crisis-Proof Book Marketing During COVID-19" for clients of the agency on Tuesday, April 14. "It's natural for authors to feel isolated, burdened and fearful during an uncertain time like this," said Jenni Burke, president of Iluminate. "They need to keep selling books, but they don't want to seem insensitive. Tawny (Johnson) and I wanted to bring our clients together, to encourage and equip them with practical tools and insights so they can feel empowered to share their words and serve their readers."
Read More...Book Manufacturing Institute releases State of the Book Industry 2020
BMI presents an overview and examination of current trends and issues impacting Book Manufacturers in their 2020 State of the Book Industry report. The economic and print market outlooks are based on available data as of early April 2020. BMI Members can login and download the full report here. Non-members can receive the Executive Summary of the report by filling out this form.
BMI will offer free webinar this Thursday on “Navigating the Government Loans.” Register.
IPG adds seven new publishers to TSP Distribution
Independent Publishers Group (IPG) has added seven new publishers to its Trafalgar Square Publishing (TSP) division. TSP is IPG’s international division and is known for distributing a broad range of top titles and authors from publishers from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Product News
Good Book Company releases book to help Christians pray during pandemic
Rachel Jones, author of "Is This It?" and other books in the award-winning 5 Things to Pray series, has written "5 Things to Pray in a Global Crisis" specifically to help Christians in this season.
Read More...Tyndale plans early e-book release of "Airborne," romantic suspense novel about virus outbreak
Completed well before the COVID-19 pandemic began, "Airborne" will now release as an e-book on April 28 in response to growing consumer interest, with print editions releasing in September as originally scheduled.
Read More...Media Announcements
Tyndale, LifeWay host live event with author Joel C. Rosenberg from Jerusalem
Tyndale Publishers has partnered with LifeWay to host an exclusive free webcast live from Jerusalem featuring New York Times best-selling author and Middle East expert Joel C. Rosenberg. The event titled "How Can I Live By Faith, Not Fear, Amidst Worst-Case Scenarios?" will take place April 29 at 7 p.m. CDT.
Read More...Super Bowl MVP, Tyndale author Nick Foles announces launch of Foundation to help food banks
Nick Foles, Chicago Bears quarterback and author of the New York Times bestselling memoir “Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds,” (Tyndale House) has announced that he and his wife, Tori, have launched the Foles Believe Foundation.
Read More...Bestselling author Tosca Lee offers nightly story time on Facebook Live
New York Times and CBA bestselling author Tosca Lee has spent the last three weeks offering entertainment, comfort, and encouragement to the public during a nightly “Story Time with Tosca” at 9 Eastern on Facebook live. It started March 20 with a promise to read until shelter-in-place guidelines are no longer necessary.
Read More...Food Network’s Melissa d’Arabian on Jesus Calling podcast on the power of food
Melissa d’Arabian joins the Jesus Calling podcast to trace her journey from her days as a finance executive at Disney to finding herself competing and winning The Next Food Network Star. She shares how she came to realize the time spent sharing food together can create unique and peaceful spaces in our lives, together with those near us. d’Arabian’s book, “Tasting Grace: Discovering the Power of Food to Connect Us to God, One Another, and Ourselves” is available from Waterbrook.
More…
Bible Gateway interviews Timothy Keller and John Inazu, authors of “Uncommon Ground”
How can Christians today interact with people in a way that shows respect to those whose beliefs are radically different but that also remains faithful to the gospel? Bestselling author Timothy Keller and legal scholar John Inazu bring together a range of artists, thinkers, and leaders to provide a guide to biblical living in a pluralistic, fractured world. Bible Gateway interviewed Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) and John Inazu (@JohnInazu) about their book, “Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference” (Thomas Nelson, 2020).
Bible Gateway interviews Jeanne Bishop, author of “Grace from the Rubble”
How is it possible that two men destined to be enemies were able to forge an unexpected bond in the wake of abhorrent terrorism and tragedy? What transpired in the heart-stirring story of how the father of a young woman killed in the Oklahoma City bombing and the father of her killer (Timothy McVeigh) became friends and found forgiveness? Bible Gateway interviewed Jeanne Bishop (@jeannebishop), author of “Grace from the Rubble: Two Fathers’ Road to Reconciliation after the Oklahoma City Bombing” (Zondervan, 2020).
Other News
INDUSTRY
- Bestselling author Karen Kingsbury's call to help beloved Franklin bookstore draws over $50,000 in sales in one day
- CT & Baylor host Thursday webinar: Christian Leadership in a Time of Crisis
- On Reading in Quarantine: Trinity Forum conversation w/ Karen Swallow Prior
- Announcing the Winning Titles of the 2020 Christian Indie Awards
- Barna presents State of the Church Webcast on May 20, 2020
- PW call for info on Religion titles related to Illness, Grief, Dying & Forgiveness
PUBLISHING
- BISG and Metacomet present free webinar tomorrow: How to Ensure Accurate and Efficient Royalties
- PW launches #BooksAreEssential campaign
- Print Unit Sales Have Double-Digit Gain in Juvenile, Cooking, Home/Gardening
- Internet Archive Responds to Concern Over National Emergency Library
- LSC takes action to strengthen its liquidity and improve its capital structure
- Ingram shuts down data breach at CoreSource
- BookExpo, BookCon 2020 Events Canceled
- How Kids' Lit Is Responding to the Coronavirus
- Agents Weigh Whether to Submit Projects During the Pandemic
- February Bookstore Sales Had Slight Gain
- How Bookstores Are Coping: Community Encouragement, Staying Relevant
- NPD Books issues quarterly Executive Summary for first quarter 2020
- NPD releases first quarter bestseller lists: adult, juvenile, young adult
- Economic Sentiment Shows Early Signs Of A Rebound
INTERNATIONAL
- LBF organiser Reed's 60% refund offer sparks criticism
- Amazon buy buttons removed on UK site after supply shortages of titles
- PRH UK furloughs staff for 'long-term health' of company
- Germany Is To Follow Italy in Potential Bookstore Openings
- Amazon Warehouses in France to Shutter Following a Court Order