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Record number of entries to result in record number of winners >> announced at ECPA PubU next month
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Record number of judges — 28 industry art directors — evaluated the entries in four debut categories
Design professionals in Christian Publishing invited to gather at PubU on Nov. 16-17 in Nashville for two days of sessions and the 10th anniversary celebration of the year’s best book and Bible designs.
TEMPE, ARIZ., OCTOBER 24, 2022 – Design professionals and art directors across the Christian publishing industry are invited to attend ECPA PubU for DESIGN FORWARD, a special program that celebrates the impact of their work, and gathers them for six design track sessions on key topics in design.
ECPA PubU will be held on November 16-17 at Lipscomb University in Nashville.
Registration is still open at ECPAPubU.org.
At the PubU opening session, a record number of Top Shelf Design Awards will be presented in four categories: Non-Fiction, Fiction, Children’s, and Bibles. In this 10th anniversary year, the program expanded to four categories and a 28-member cadre of judges from the industry – as each submitting publisher nominated a design professional to the judging pool. This resulted in a record number of entries, in which a record number of winning designs will be announced on November 16.
“In the last nine years, 171 book and Bible designs have won this prestigious award, reflecting the amazing work of so many teams in our industry,” stated ECPA president Jeff Crosby.
“Each year, this program showcases the incredible scope and concentration of design talent in Christian publishing – all dedicated to adding the highest form of beauty, to the truth and goodness our publishers produce. We look forward to adding more designers and designs to the award’s compendium.”
Included with the award presentations, will be a special celebration of the program’s 10th anniversary – with the sharing of a fun video featuring contributions from designers, publishers, and judges, reflecting on 10 years of design excellence in Christian publishing.
“At first blush, Top Shelf is about celebrating book cover design. But every department speaks into the creative process in some way,” expresses Torrey Sharp, owner and principal of Faceout Studio and consultant for the program.
“Great design flows from great writing and sound strategy. Producing and delivering beautiful and meaningful books is a team sport. Top Shelf acknowledges well-crafted books that seek to make a difference out there. We all play an important role in this effort and get to celebrate together!”
Sharp was also involved in developing the design track offered at PubU called DESIGN FORWARD, gathering design professionals around six sessions offered the afternoon of November 16 and the morning of November 17 at Lipscomb University:
- Books as Brands with Matt Lehman (Matt Lehman Studios)
- Design Huddle on Big Topics with Kristen Andrews (Hachette) and Torrey Sharp (Faceout Studio)
- Perfectly Pitched with Ashley Spear (5by5) and Victor Huckabee (5by5)
- What Makes Type Driven Designs Effective with Chandler Saunders (Passion City Church and Passion Publishing)
- Practical Creativity & Other Oxymorons with Tim Green (Faceout Studio)
- Right Mind At Work: Finding Common Ground Across Generational Gaps with Jose & Nikolle Reyes (Metaleap)
In particular the session, Right Mind at Work: Finding Common Ground Across Generational Gaps, has huge implications across all disciplines in publishing, addressing how we can best work together across generations — millennials alongside Gen X, Boomers, or later.
Sharp continues: “I can’t wait to catch up with clients, friends and peers at this year’s PubU. Especially after the isolation of these past couple of years due to the pandemic, I’m excited to reconnect in person, hear new ideas, challenge old perspectives, and peer into the future about where our industry is moving. I invite all my design colleagues in the industry to join me.”
Registration for ECPA PubU is still open at ECPAPubU.org. Also available on the event site are group rates at Nashville area hotels, a full program schedule, speakers, session info for training tracks in design, marketing, editorial, and production & operations, plus a Children’s Book Summit available to all attendees the afternoon of November 17. Those with interest and roles in Christian fiction are invited to stay for The Christy Award Gala that evening, preceded by the Art of Writing sessions — all listed on the website and accessible via PubU registration.
The ECPA Top Shelf Award program is managed by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) in order to recognize design excellence in the Christian publishing industry. Through programs, events, communications, recognition and research, ECPA strengthens publishing communities within the industry. The ECPA Design E-Community, PubU Design training sessions, and Top Shelf Awards are among several ECPA-driven opportunities that designers have to network, stay informed, and be recognized within the industry. For more information on the Top Shelf Book Cover Design Award program, visit TopShelfAward.org.
ECPA PubU has delivered training, connection, networking and inspiration to the industry’s frontline practitioners since 2004. Industry leaders develop the program to invest in the expertise of their colleagues, and train up the next generation of leaders. For more information, visit ECPAPubU.org.
The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is an international non-profit trade organization comprised of member companies that are involved in the publishing and distribution of Christian content worldwide. Since 1974, ECPA has strengthened Christian publishing by building networking, information, and advocacy opportunities within the industry and throughout multiple channels so that our members can more effectively produce and deliver transformational Christian content. ECPA.org
Media contact: Jeff Crosby, ECPA president and CEO, jcrosby@ecpa.org, 480-966-3998
