July 23, 2018 Edition
Industry News
Book publisher revenue estimated at more than $26 Billion in 2017
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) issued its 2018 StatShot Annual Report which found, among other things, that the U.S. book publishing industry generated an estimated $26.23 billion in net revenue for 2017, representing 2.72 billion units. Publisher revenue for trade books (fiction, non-fiction and religious presses) were flat (0.3%) increasing by $45 million in 2017 over 2016. Since 2013, publisher revenue for trade books increased by around $820 million.
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Second annual Art of Writing Conference for writers and publishers will open with Donald Miller, November 7 in Nashville
ECPA has announced session topics and leaders for the second annual Art of Writing Conference held the afternoon of November 7 at Lipscomb University in Nashville. This half-day event will open with a keynote by NYT author and StoryBrand CEO Donald Miller, and feature three more workshops designed to bring together writers, authors and publishers. The Art of Writing Conference will precede The Christy Award™ Gala held that evening to honor the year’s best in Christian fiction, and featuring Francine Rivers, Charles Martin, Carla Laureano, and Sarah Arthur.
Get It Local. Today! launching this September
After strong testing results to drive traffic and sales, the official launch of the web-based Christian store-supporting platform, Get It Local. Today! is slated for September 1, 2018. The platform offers shoppers receiving promotional emails from publishers—or shopping on publisher websites—the option of buying products at local Christian stores as an alternative to Amazon and big-box retailers.
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More than 25 speakers already confirmed for sessions at ECPA PubU, Nov. 6-7, Nashville
The ECPA PubU Brain Trust, made up of industry leaders and led by B&H VP of Marketing Dave Schroeder, have already named more than half of the upcoming PubU sessions and speakers in tracks for marketing & publicity, editorial, design, rights, reader engagement, and data, delivery & workflow. StoryBrand CEO Donald Miller will keynote the event’s closing session with How StoryBrand Inspires Publishers and Writers; and NPD’s Kristen McLean will present in the opening session about The Future of Retail, The Future of Faith. All practitioners in Christian publishing are invited.
- Early bird registration is now open at ECPAPubU.org
- View PubU speakers already confirmed
Christian Comic Arts Society delivers best in talent, themes, & topical discussions of faith at Comic-Con
The largest pop-culture entertainment event in the world, Comic-Con International: San Diego 2018 kicked off last week with an attendance of more than 125,000 per day with hundreds of thousands more attending related events in downtown San Diego. The Christian Comic Arts Society was honored to partner with Brentwood Studios & the Aetherlight MMO to deliver top talent, projects, and compelling events open to all Comic-Con attendees.
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Milestones
Max Lucado’s “Anxious For Nothing” ships 650,000 units in first nine months
HarperCollins Christian Publishing has shipped more than 650,000 copies in the product family of Max Lucado’s “Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World” (September 2017, Nelson) in just nine months. Strong sales continue as the title nears the one-year mark.
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NYT bestselling author Tosca Lee’s “Firstborn” wins Realm Makers 2018 Book of the Year
New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee’s second novel in the House of Bathory duology, "Firstborn" (Howard), the sequel to Lee’s bestseller "The Progeny," has won Realm Makers 2018 Book of the Year. It also took home the supernatural category win.
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Media Announcements
Bible Gateway interviews John Eldredge, author of “All Things New”
What is God’s promise for a new heaven and a new earth? Does the Bible say that heaven is our eternal home? Or is it as Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, that the next chapter of our story begins with “the renewal of all things,” by which he means the earth we know and love in all its beauty? Bible Gateway interviewed John Eldredge (@johneldredge) about his book, All Things New: Heaven, Earth, and the restoration of Everything You Love (Thomas Nelson, 2017).
Bible Gateway interviews Sara Hagerty, author of “Unseen”
How does the Bible story of Mary of Bethany equip you to use “unseen” moments to draw your heart closer to God? In this Q&A, Sara Hagerty (@SaraHagerty) talks about her book, Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed (Zondervan, 2017).
Product News
W Publishing acquires Captain Tammie Jo Shults memoir
W Publishing Group, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, has acquired rights to a memoir by Captain Tammie Jo Shults, the airline pilot of Southwest Flight 1380 who made an emergency landing of her Boeing 737 after an engine exploded in midair, shattering a passenger window.
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Denver Broncos QB Case Keenum wins an ESPY for Minneapolis Miracle; first book “Playing for More” to release in September
Denver Broncos quarterback Case Keenum won an ESPY Award at ESPN’s award ceremony in Los Angeles on July 18 for his 61-yard touchdown pass for the Minnesota Vikings last season. Keenum, along with Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs, was given the “Best Moment” award for the pass now known as the “Minneapolis Miracle” against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional round of the NFL playoffs.
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Gilead Publishing imprint signs new series with authors Sharon Hinck and Ronie Kendig
Enclave, the speculative imprint of Gilead Publishing, has announced new series contracts with established authors Sharon Hinck and Ronie Kendig. The official announcement came this weekend during Realm Makers, a Christian speculative fiction writers conference held in St. Louis, Missouri.
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Barna and author Jack Alexander discover a compromised view of mercy
A recent nationwide study by Barna Group and author Jack Alexander concluded that 83% of Christians do NOT believe that mercy is their individual responsibility, but rather the responsibility of churches and non-profits. Releasing on July 31, Alexander’s book, "The God Impulse: The Power of Mercy in an Unmerciful World" (Baker) reexamines scripture, discovering a pattern of God’s impulse towards us; one that offers mercy and healing at every turn – without sacrificing the truth and no matter the circumstance.
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Other News
PUBLISHING
- Forbes: U.S. Book Publisher Revenue Was North Of $26 Billion In 2017
- 2017 U.S. Industry Sales Had Small Decline
- May Bookstore Sales Up $4 Million
- Amazon's Prime Day Weathers Glitches, Strikes
- APA revamps Audie Awards, Gala
- New SMP Mind-Body-Spirit Imprint Named St. Martin's Essentials
- 5 Ways to Carve Out a Top Spot in Google Search Results
- The Top Technologies Publishers Will Buy in 2018
INTERNATIONAL
- EU hits Google with record $5 billion fine in Android antitrust case
- Canadian booksellers work on creation of new booksellers association
- UK Reports 2017 As Record Year for Publishing
- UK publishing industry warns that Brexit could damage its export business
- Russia’s Growing Ebook and Audiobook Sales in First Half of 2018
- IKEA and the Man Booker Prize Create Reading Rooms With Free Books
