May 1, 2017 Edition
Industry News
David C Cook hires new Chief Publishing Officer
David C Cook today announces the addition of Jon Burgess as Chief Publishing Officer (CPO), overseeing the Learning Resources group beginning on June 5, 2017. “We are pleased to have Jon join David C Cook as CPO,” said Cris Doornbos, Chief Executive Officer. “He brings a wide breadth of leadership experience to this critical position and his proven abilities will enable him to add immediate value to the team.”
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Christian Book Award® winners announced tomorrow night; Thunderclap will broadcast news to over 550,000
The winners of the Christian Book Awards® in 11 categories, and the Christian Book of the Year® will be announced tomorrow evening at the ECPA Awards Celebration held in Colorado Springs, in conjunction with the ECPA Leadership Summit. Winners will be announced “live” over social media at @ECPA and @ChristianBkExpo. In addition, the news will hit over 550,000 social media accounts at 8:30 pm (MT) through a “Thunderclap.” Hosted by radio host and author Chris Fabry, the awards event will also celebrate industry milestones and present the Kenneth N Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Melvin Banks, Sr., founder and chairman of Urban Ministries, Inc.
Firebrand offers free metadata health assessments
Firebrand has been helping publishers manage their metadata for 30 years. At BookExpo this year, they are offering to help highlight and correct issues in publishers’ metadata through a FREE, no obligation Metadata Health Assessment. Publishers provide ten titles and Firebrand will run a comprehensive health check on each of them. For more information and to participate, visit: http://firebrandtech.com/blog/get-free-bookexpo-exclusive-metadata-health-assessment/
CBA, The Friedman Group sign deal to bring professional training to industry retailers
CBA entered an agreement with The Friedman Group to provide in-person and online/on-demand retail training. The scope of training will range from customer service and sales to store management and operations. The program will launch at UNITE 2017, CBA’s annual convention this year in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 27-30.
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Dare 2 Share selects FrontGate Media for representation for publicity, social media and grassroots outreach
Dare 2 Share has selected FrontGate Media, the leading Faith and Family marketing agency, for representation for Publicity, Social Media and Grassroots Outreach.
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Milestones
Christian titles on New York Times Bestseller List this week
- THE SHACK by William P. Young (Windblown Media) is #9 in Paperback Trade Fiction; and #12 in Combined Print & E-book Fiction.
- THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #4 in Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous.
- THE MAGNOLIA STORY by Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines with Mark Dagostino (W Publishing/Thomas Nelson) is #2 on the Business list.
- SHAKEN by Tim Tebow (WaterBrook) is #4 on the Sports and Fitness list.
- COURAGE TO SOAR by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford (Zondervan) is #9 on the Sports and Fitness list.
ChristianAudio is the audio publisher of eight finalists for this year’s Christian Book Awards®
ChristianAudio, an RBmedia company, produced and distributed audiobook editions for eight 2017 Christian Book Award® finalists, announced March 31. The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) named 59 books in 11 categories as the year’s best Christian books and Bibles, including the newly added categories of Faith & Culture, Biography & Memoir, Young People’s Literature, Ministry Resources, and Bible Study.
Read More...ChristianAudio claims all three finalists in the audio category for the 2017 Christian Retailing’s Best Awards
Earlier this month Christian Retailing announced that ChristianAudio has received all three nominations in the audio category for the 2017 Christian Retailing’s Best Awards. The three titles are B&H Publishing Group titles: Unashamed by Lecrae, She Reads Truth by Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, and The Prince Warriors by Priscilla Shirer with Gina Detwiler.
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Media Announcements
Bible Gateway interviews Adam Weber, author of 'Talking with God'
Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet, when it comes to actually praying, often it feels awkward and complicated. What do you say when you don’t know how to pray? In time for the National Day of Prayer May 4, Bible Gateway interviewed Adam Weber (@adamweber) about his book, Talking with God: What to Say When You Don’t Know How to Pray (WaterBrook, 2017).
Bible Gateway interviews Trent Sheppard, author of 'Jesus Journey'
Christians believe Jesus is God. But this belief wasn’t the starting point for Jesus’ earliest followers. While Jesus’ humanity was a given for the disciples, his divinity was a truth they had to grow into believing—it was a journey of faith. As Christians today, we’re also called into a faith journey—this time, to rediscover Jesus’ humanity. Yes, we believe that Jesus is God, but do we believe in his humanness? And if so, how does that transform our own experience of being human? Bible Gateway interviewed Trent Sheppard about his book, Jesus Journey: Shattering the Stained Glass Superhero and Discovering the Humanity of God (Zondervan, 2017).
Product News
Sparkhouse Family announces new deal with author Heather Bouwman, by acquiring editor Naomi Krueger
'Owen and Eleanor Move In' (April 2018) will kick off a new children’s chapter book series, following two unlikely friends who bond over the challenges of their families moving into the same duplex. Owen, an introspective seven-year-old, joins forces with his downstairs neighbor Eleanor, a gregarious eight-year-old. The Owen and Eleanor series follows two kids from two different Christian families as they navigate the ups and downs of childhood. The duo exhibits Christian values and learns important life lessons through common childhood experiences.
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Hobby Lobby CEO and Founder releases new book
Hobby Lobby CEO and founder David Green, one of America’s most successful businessmen, offers both inspiration and practical advice in his new book, Giving It All Away… And Getting It All Back Again (Zondervan). Written by Green and National Christian Foundation Heartland CEO’s Bill High, Giving It All Away… And Getting It All Back Again chronicles the path that the Green family has chosen regarding their legacy and encourages readers to live generously and focus on what is truly important – faith and family.
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Zondervan Acquires Hannah Brencher, Entrepreneur and TED Talk Speaker
Zondervan announced today a two-book contract with Hannah Brencher. The first book on learning to embrace the process required to build a better, more rooted life will release in August 2018. Brencher is the founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, a global community united in writing letters to strangers across the globe. In 2012, Brencher gave a TED Talk on leaving love letters around New York City that was viewed over 1.7 million times. Brencher is represented by Mackenzie Brady Watson at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency and was acquired by Zondervan acquisitions editor Stephanie Smith.
Read More...Other News
INDUSTRY
- Christian Publishers Offer New Books, Tap Backlists to Address Current Events
- Wanda Brunstetter shares 10 Spiritual Books to Read for Inspiration
- Inspiration Category Expands for Religion Publishers
- Templeton Prize Winner: Alvin Plantinga, Who Proved God’s Not Dead in Academia
- Call for Submissions: PW Christian Fiction Issue -- reservations due May 10
- Religion Book Deals: April 2017
- PW Religion and Spirituality Books Preview: May 2017
- Owner cites impact of online sales as reason for closure of Christian bookstore in Kansas
THE BIBLE IN THE NEWS
- Unprecedented Unity Among Bible Translators Transforms Giving
- United Bible Societies: new access for visually impaired and deaf
- The Skeptical State of Bible Reading in 2017
- American Bible Society’s Jason Malec on Changing Perceptions of the Bible
- Museum of the Bible and Scarlet City Bring Gamification and Educational Storytelling to the Museum Experience
PUBLISHING
