May 19, 2025 Edition
There will not be a Rush to Press edition next Monday due to the Memorial Day holiday.
Industry News
Christian bestseller lists for May and Easter 2025 released
ECPA has posted the Christian Bestseller lists for May 2025 in 15 categories, along with the bestselling Easter titles in Non-Fiction and Juvenile. The top selling title this month is “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget” by Lysa TerKeurst (Thomas Nelson) and the bestselling Easter titles are “The Case for Easter” by Lee Strobel (Zondervan) in NonFiction and “The Easter Story” board book by Patricia Pingry (WorthyKids) in Juvenile.
View the lists at ReadGoodBooks.com
ECPA C-Suite Symposium: Non-Anxious Leadership for Anxious Times
The program for ECPA’s annual C-Suite Symposium is set and early bird registration is open. The industry’s C-level executives will gather around the theme, Non-Anxious Leadership for Anxious Times in Tucson, Arizona, on September 7-9. Speakers include Dr. Nicole Martin (Christianity Today), Alan Fadling (Unhurried Living), Shelly Husband (AAP), Steve Sammons (Children’s Literacy Project), and more.
ECPA Global Collective hosts rights events in Bangkok and Chicago
In conjunction with CLC International, ECPA is debuting a new event within the ECPA Global Collective. The Asia Christian Rights & Export Fair will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on September 1-2. Registration is now open for attendees and exhibitors. And it’s not too late to register for the International Christian Rights Fair held in Chicago on June 17-18.
New Growth Press announces UK & EU sales and distribution deal with SPCK
SPCK will become the primary agent for sales and distribution for US Christian publisher New Growth Press in the UK and EU. New Growth Press titles will be available via Wiley Distribution Services from 18th August 2025.
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Kodama signs Sales & Distribution Agreement with IPG
Independent Publishers Group (IPG), the last remaining independent book distributor of significant size in North America, is pleased to announce that it has signed a sales and distribution agreement with Kodama Tales.
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Staff Announcements
Michael McEwen to lead B&H Academic
Lifeway Christian Resources has tapped Michael McEwen as the next publisher for B&H Academic. McEwen most recently served as acquisitions and project editor for the academic publishing division of B&H Publishing Group.
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Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift expand marketing teams
Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift, imprints of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, are pleased to announce the addition of two marketing professionals to their growing team: Chasity Edwards as Publicity Director and Ashley Thuernau as Marketing Manager.
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Anchor Distributors welcomes Sue Brewer
Anchor Distributors is excited to announce the appointment of Sue Brewer to the company. With 25 years of experience in the Christian bookstore industry, Sue has previously worked on bringing catalog programs to bookstores across the country.
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Milestones
Daily Wire Podcast host Andrew Klavan’s newest release lands on NYT Bestseller list
Andrew Klavan’s newest release from Zondervan, “The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness,” is officially a New York Times bestseller. The book landed in the No. 13 spot on the Non-Fiction list in the first week following its May 6, 2025, release.
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“I Want To Trust You, But I Don’t” named Audio winner in Christian Book Award® program
Nelson Books and the HarperCollins Christian Publishing audiobook team are thrilled to announce that “I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t” by Lysa TerKeurst was named Audiobook of the Year at the ECPA Christian Book Award Celebration on April 30. This marks Lysa’s second consecutive win in this category, following her 2024 win for “Good Boundaries and Goodbyes.”
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Product News
WaterBrook signs Dr. Sarita Lyons for two book deal
Sarita Lyons, JD, PhD, bestselling author of “Church Girl,” Bible teacher, and psychotherapist, continues her publishing partnership with WaterBrook, signing a new two-book deal. The first is scheduled to release in Summer 2026.
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She Reads Truth founders release new devotional with B&H Publishing Group
Co-founders of the global community She Reads Truth, Raechel Myers and Amanda Bible Williams, will release a new devotional this fall, “The Bible is For You,” that draws from the ministry’s core convictions of beauty, goodness and truth.
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New Book from Rick Burgess and Iron Hill Press
New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio host, Rick Burgess, has just released a new book with Iron Hill Press. In “Men Don’t Run In the Rain,” Burgess reflects on the unforgettable wisdom of his father, legendary coach Bill Burgess, pairing colorful sayings with deep spiritual truths. The book is a tribute to a rare kind of man and the lessons that last a lifetime.
ACU Press releases Wes Crawford’s “Courage in the Sheer Silence”
Historian Wes Crawford, drawing inspiration from the prophet Elijah’s discovery of God’s presence in the “sheer silence,” invites readers to explore the largely overlooked stories of a handful of ministers who risked everything to challenge racism within the church.
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Thomas Nelson releases a powerful new book of prayers and poems for Black women
“When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women” (Thomas Nelson, May 13, 2025) by Sharifa Stevens, poet and theologian, is a beautifully crafted collection that captures the highs and lows, the celebrations and sorrows, of the Black woman’s journey with grace, rawness, and spiritual power.
Other News
- Audible Expands Catalog with AI Narration and Translation Services
- Ingram Appoints AI Chief
- Publishing Industry Sales Dipped in February
- Circana’s Q1 US Print Report: Romance, Romantasy Lead Adult Fiction
- AAP CEO on the US Library of Congress and Copyright Office Firings
- Authors Guild Sues NEH Over Grant Terminations
- Book Industry Study Group Launches Find a Rightsholder
- IBPA Launches New AI Resource Center for Independent Publishers
- HarperCollins Publishers partners with National Literacy Trust
- BMI Honors Matt Kennell With Its 2025 Rising Star Award
- The UK won't change its post-Brexit IP rights exhaustion laws
- Creators for Europe's 10,000 Signatures: Copyright and AI
- Abu Dhabi Book Fair Embraced AI, Digital Futures
UPCOMING WEBINARS
- BISG webinar on May 29: Marketing for Rights Professionals
- BISG webinar on June 10: Using BISAC to Drive Sales & Discovery
- ECPA webinar on June 13 on AI: Legal Developments & The Biblical Story
- BISG webinar on June 17: Digital Accessibility and the ADA Title II Update
- ECPA webinar on July 11: Building an Effective Intern Program
