September 3, 2019 Edition
Industry News
The 2020 Christian Book Award® program is open
The Christian Book Award® submission period is now open until September 30. ECPA publishers are encouraged to begin the submission process for their titles published October 2018 to October 2019 in 12 categories: Audio; Bibles; Bible Reference works; Bible Study; Ministry Resources; Biography & Memoir; Christian Living; Faith & Culture; Devotion & Gift; Children (ages 0-8); Young People’s Literature (ages 9-16 non-fiction); and New Author.
Free BISG webinar today: How Do Tariffs on Chinese Imports Affect Book Publishing?
BISG is offering a free webinar today at 1 pm EST on how Chinese tariffs affect book publishing. Registrants will have access to the recorded webinar.
Publishing in Color conference coming to Nashville in October
Publishing in Color is a series of conferences for groups of spiritual writers of color who are currently under-represented in terms of getting published. These include, but are not limited to, African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans and Native Americans.
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Christian fiction celebrated with finalist announcement this month and two events in November
The year’s best Christian fiction will be revealed at the end of September when three finalists in nine fiction categories will be announced. The winner in each category will be honored at The Christy Award Gala held at Lipscomb University on November 6, following the Art of Writing conference (held immediately after ECPA PubU). These events for writers and publishers will feature authors BECKY WADE, JAMES RUBART, PATTI CALAHAN, LYSA TERKEURST, ANNE BOGEL, and more! Registration is now open.
PubU Track Spotlight
Editorial Sessions
The Editorial sessions at PubU are designed to help Christian editors create and shape content that can effect real change in the world. Keith Williams, Senior Editor at Tyndale House Publishers and curator of the PubU Editorial track states, “Whether you are working on Bibles, fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, audio books, videos, or even marketing copy, PubU will help industry editors to connect and grow in their ability to do that work well.” The PubU Editorial sessions are:
Lessons on How Editors and Writers can Leverage Creativity in Words and Storytelling with award-winning musician and author ANDREW PETERSON and B&H publisher DEVIN MADDOX
Loving God, Our Neighbor, and Ourselves through Diverse Books with SARAH RUBIO, Senior Editor at Tyndale House Publishers
Amplifying Diverse Voices: Exploring a new paradigm for successfully publishing Christian authors of color with JEVON BOLDEN, CEO of Embolden Media Group
Accurate Attribution: How Editors & Authors Can Pay Better Attention with AMANDA CLEARY EASTEP, Senior Developmental Editor of Moody Publishers
Children’s Publishing: What’s Working, What’s Not & What to Focus On with LINDA HOWARD Associate Publisher, Children & Youth, Tyndale House Publishers
Why Audio Content is More Important and Less Difficult than You Think with SHAUN TABATT, Acquisitions & Marketing, Destiny Image Publishers
Audio Book Production Trends with Cory Verner, President & CEO, ONE Audio
ECPA PubU will be held in Nashville on November 5-6 for Christian publishing practitioners, offering industry training and connection through 42 sessions in six publishing tracks — plus keynote sessions with Lysa TerKeurst and Andrew Peterson.
ECPAPubU.org
Discounted registration rates available until September 13.
Milestones
The Jesus Calling brand celebrates 30 million units sold
Thomas Nelson has announced that the Jesus Calling brand by Sarah Young has surpassed 30 million units sold since it was first published in October 2004. It remains one of the most successful devotionals of all time.
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Bestselling author Lee Strobel and Colorado Christian University create new Center
New York Times best-selling author Lee Strobel is teaming up with Colorado Christian University to launch an unprecedented new center for evangelism and apologetics, with the goal of fueling a spiritual renewal in America.
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Media Announcements
FaithWords releases new Facebook devotional chatbot to fan page with 2.5m followers
FaithWords has launched a new Facebook devotional chatbot that delivers content on-demand for free! Followers will be able to receive messages from our bestselling authors including Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes and many more.
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Extensive media coverage launches in release for Bianca Olthoff’s ‘How to Have Your Life Not Suck’
In her new book, How to Have Your Life Not Suck: Becoming Today Who You Want to Be Tomorrow (Aug. 27, 2019, Zondervan), popular Bible teacher and speaker Bianca Olthoff provides the next generation of Christian women with a curated manual that gives spot-on advice for adulting, career, relationships, and faith. Media planned in the first week of release includes: Book Riot, Parade, Relevant, and Roma Downey’s LightWorkers.
Star of Overcomer movie and author/speaker Priscilla Shirer joins Jesus Calling podcast
Priscilla Shirer recently joined the Jesus Calling podcast to share about her Going Beyond Ministries and to encourage listeners to recognize how their unique traits can be used by God to bring Him glory. She also give us an inside look at her new movie with the Kendrick Brothers called, Overcomer. Shirer’s book, Defined – Teen Girls’ Bible Study Book: Who God Says You Are is available from Lifeway Press. The novelization of Overcomer by Chris Fabry is now available from Tyndale House Publishers.
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Bible Gateway interviews Wendi Lou Lee, author of 'A Prairie Devotional'
What are the devotional lessons about loyalty, hard work, faith, family, and love of God, neighbor, and country that can be drawn from the popular TV series Little House on the Prairie? Bible Gateway interviewed Wendi Lou Lee (@wendiloulee), the child actor who played Baby Grace on Little House on the Prairie, about her book, A Prairie Devotional: Inspired by the Beloved TV Series (Thomas Nelson, 2019).
Bible Gateway interviews Nijay K. Gupta, author of the commentary “1 and 2 Thessalonians”
When and why were the ancient biblical letters to the Thessalonian church written and why are they important for us to read and apply in the 21st century? What were the social and sociopolitical dimensions of life in the Roman world back then and how were Christians treated? Bible Gateway interviewed Dr. Nijay K. Gupta (@NijayKGupta) about his book, 1 and 2 Thessalonians: Zondervan Critical Introductions to the New Testament Series (Zondervan, 2019).
Other News
INDUSTRY
- Expanded Christian Product Expo Attracts 800 Attendees
- Religion and Spirituality Books Preview: Sept. 2019
- Religion Book Deals: August 28, 2019
- PW Call for Info: Faith-Based Kids Books
- PW: Devotionals and Bibles for Every Niche
- CAN Crown Awards submissions for Christian Media & Marketing by Authors
- PWedu’s Christian Publishing Summit: How to Reach New Readers
PUBLISHING
- Audible Will Exclude Publishers’ Works from Captions Program—For Now
- US publishers' revenues up 6.9%
- Trade Sales Rose 3.8% in First Six Months
- PRH Posts Double-Digit Gains in Sales, Earnings in First Half of '19
- Bibliotheca Calls Out Amazon for Meddling in the Library E-book Market
- ABA Letter Supports Justice Department's Amazon Antitrust Investigation
- These airport bookstores will let you return books after you read them
- Amazon: New Utah Facility; Major Expansion in India
- 3 Key Takeaways from the 2019 Yale Publishing Course
- Sheridan Opens New Markets, Increases Capacity with Two‐Color Press
- Taking a Closer Look at the Hong Kong and China Printing Industry
- Scotland’s first minister calls on publishing to become more diverse
- China Literature Feels the Pressure
