July 13, 2020 Edition
Industry News
July Christian Bestseller Lists: Books on racial justice rise to top
Some very fine books, published by ECPA members, on the topic of racial justice and reconciliation have appeared on this month’s Christian bestseller lists. Two titles included in the month’s top 10, are New York Times bestsellers. Coming in at #6 is The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby (Zondervan).
View all of July’s bestseller lists in several categories
View the industry list of Christian books on racial justice
ECPA hosts conversation this week on diversity initiatives that sustain real change
ECPA launched a three-part webinar series last week called ECPA FOCUS with a conversation on China, Global Publishing and Sourcing. This week on Thursday, Stan Jantz will talk with Jevon Bolden (Embolden Media), Skot Welch (Global Bridgebuilders), and Dr. Theon Hill (Wheaton College) on meaningful diversity initiatives each organization can take to build trust and sustain change. This free series is for ECPA members only. The final webinar in the series will be a conversation with Christian retail leaders on The State of Christian Retail.
Thomas Nelson celebrates the legacy of beloved musician and author, Charlie Daniels
Upon receiving news about the passing of Country Music Hall of Fame musician and best-selling author Charlie Daniels, Thomas Nelson offers its deepest sympathy for his family and loved ones. Daniels is best known for his legendary country and Southern rock songs including “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” In October 2017, Daniels released his memoir "Never Look at the Empty Seats" with W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.
Read More...PubU Online keynote webcasts to address "Publishing in a Time of Crisis"
ECPA’s virtual event, PubU Online, will be a month-long webinar series featuring more than 25 webinars – scheduled one per day at 10 am central – in publishing training tracks. In addition to live sessions, master classes, and Zoom meet-ups, keynote sessions will be presented by gifted speakers and experts DR. THEON HILL and NPD’s KRISTEN MCLEAN with an emphasis on “Publishing in a Time of Crisis.”
ECPA selects judges for the 2020 Top Shelf Book Cover Award program
Each year, a prestigious team of designers in publishing is recruited to review the industry’s submissions to the Top Shelf Book Cover Award program. We are pleased to introduce this year’s program judges, renown industry designers Becca Wildsmith, Matt Lehman, and Micah Kandros.
Read more on their bios and design work.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ECPA members are invited to submit their best book cover designs to the program by August 15. Nominations are open to Bibles and books published between June 2019 to August 2020. Winners will be announced during the closing session of ECPA PubU Online on October 1st via webcast.
Submission and program information at TopShelfAward.org.
ACFW to conduct its annual writers conference virtually
The ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference has frequently been touted as the “high point of the year” for many Christian fiction authors and aspiring writers. Drawing attendees from both North America and internationally, ACFW’s conference is known for bringing together writers, agents, editors, high caliber writing instructors, mentors, and industry guests for its annual gathering.
Read More...Milestones
LifeWay wins 8 Spanish publishing awards including ‘Book of the Year’
LifeWay Christian Resources and its B&H Publishing Español division received eight awards and recognitions from the Spanish Evangelical Publishers Association (SEPA). Each year, SEPA recognizes the highest quality and excellence in the publication, sale and marketing of Christian literature in Spanish.
Read More...Bob’s Goff latest book, DREAM BIG, debuts at at #3 on the New York Times list
Bob Goff’s latest book, "Dream Big: Know What You Want, Why You Want It, and What You’re Going to Do About It," (Thomas Nelson) released June 23 and debuted at #3 on the New York Times list on July 12.
Read More...Product News
NetGalley launches audiobook support and new app
NetGalley, the industry-standard service that delivers secure digital review copies and targeted promotions to book advocates, today launched two major enhancements to the NetGalley service: Audiobooks and the NetGalley Shelf app. Available now in both the U.S. and U.K., these additions greatly expand the NetGalley platform.
Read More...New Growth offers bundle pricing for Shai Linne’s “God Made Me and You”
We believe the message of “God Made Me and You” is so important that we’ve created this special paperback edition to make the book available to as many children as possible. Churches, schools, and individuals who are also passionate about teaching children about God’s design for diversity can buy 10 and 20 packs to give copies to all of the children in their classes or neighborhoods.
More…
Melissa Spoelstra’s seventh Bible Study available from Abingdon Women August 4
In “The Names of God: His Character Revealed” by Melissa Spoelstra, a six-week online women’s Bible study, women explore the many names of God found in the Bible. Spoelstra and Bible study author Barb Roose have offered tips on how to host an online Bible study in an instructional video.
Read More...Media Announcements
Bible Gateway interviews Adam Dooley, author of “Hope When Life Unravels”
What are the upside-down yet encouraging truths of the book of Job and other key Bible passages that remind us of the ways God is present in our pain? Why does God allow suffering? And why does God seem to go silent when we’re in pain? How does a pastor work through his faith in the gut-wrenching three-year struggle his family endured with his son’s cancer? Bible Gateway interviewed Adam Dooley (@adambdooley) about his book, “Hope When Life Unravels: Finding God When It Hurts” (Zondervan, 2020).
Jesus Calling podcast features TBN host Cynthia Garrett, author of “I Choose Victory”
Host of The Sessions with Cynthia Garrett on TBN, Cynthia recently joined the Jesus Calling podcast to share her firsthand experience of the emptiness that occurs when love isn’t at the core of our relationships with others, laying out ways we can learn to love others the way God loves us. Garrett’s book, “I Choose Victory: Moving from Victim to Victor” is available from Salem Books.
More…
Other News
INDUSTRY
- PW Call for Info: Bibles and Devotionals published Aug. 2020 to Aug. 2021
- Addressing Racism Again and Again: Three religion writers elude despair
- PW: Churches Must Grapple with a Legacy of Racism
- Creating with Spirit: Christian Publishers Tap Craft, Decor Markets
- PW Fall 2020 Announcements: Religion & Spirituality
- June Religion Bestsellers: Searching for Guidance
- Religion Book Deals: July 8, 2020
- CT book review: “The American Dream Makes Four False Promises”
- NAE’s Walter Kim: The Long Obedience of Racial Justice
- Barna: 1 of 3 Have Stopped Attending Church during COVID-19
- CT: What the Ministerial Exception Will Mean for Religious Employers
PUBLISHING
- Authors Guild, Amazon, PRH File Suit Against E-book Pirate Site
- May Publishing Sales Fell 12.1%
- Print Units Post Surprising Increase in First Half of 2020
- BISG welcomes new board members, including Firebrand’s Joshua Tallent
- ABA Seeks to Expand Board to Add Diversity
- CCBC release results of diversity survey in children's & YA books
- Free BISG webinar tomorrow: Business Continuity Planning Workshop
- 2020 National Book Awards Ceremony Will Be Virtual
- German Government Supports Frankfurt Book Fair With Cash
- Hong Kong schools told to remove books that violate new laws