Thursday, April 29, 2010

2010 CHRISTY AWARDS NOMINEES

The Christy Advisory Board is pleased to announce nominees in nine categories for the 2010 Christy Awards honoring Christian fiction. The Christy Awards will be conferred in advance of the International Christian Retailing Show at a ceremony at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, Sat., June 26, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Author and entrepreneur Lisa Samson, a two-time Christy Award winner and seven-time nominee, will present the keynote address.

Tickets to the event are $30. For more information about the awards reception and to make reservations (beginning Apr. 30), visit the Christy Award website at http://www.christyawards.com.

The 2010 Christy Award nominees are:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

■Breach of Trust by DiAnn Mills • Tyndale House Publishers

■How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

■Stand-In Groom by Kaye Dacus • Barbour Publishing

CONTEMPORARY SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

■Who Do I Talk To? by Neta Jackson • Thomas Nelson

■The Hope of Refuge by Cindy Woodsmall • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

■Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth • Zondervan

CONTEMPORARY STANDALONE

■June Bug by Chris Fabry • Tyndale House Publishers

■The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson • Thomas Nelson

■Veiled Freedom by Jeanette Windle • Tyndale House Publishers

FIRST NOVEL

■The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry • Moody Publishers

■Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent • Tyndale House Publishers

■Scared by Tom Davis • David C. Cook

HISTORICAL

■A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

■Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

■The Swiss Courier by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey • Revell Books: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

HISTORICAL ROMANCE†

■Beyond This Moment by Tamera Alexander • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

■A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

■The Inheritance by Tamera Alexander • Thomas Nelson

■The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

SUSPENSE

■Intervention by Terri Blackstock • Zondervan

■Lost Mission by Athol Dickson • Howard Books: a Division of Simon & Schuster

■The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

VISIONARY

■By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson • Marcher Lord Press

■The Enclave by Karen Hancock • Bethany House Publishers: a Division of Baker Publishing Group

■Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik • Tyndale House Publishers

YOUNG ADULT

■Beautiful by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma • Thomas Nelson

■The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason • David C. Cook

■North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson • WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group

"THE SHACK" HITS 100 WEEKS

For the 100th week in a row, The Shack (Windblown Media) by Wm. Paul Young, is on The New York Times Paperback Best Sellers Trade Fiction list. It will appear at #11 for the week of May 2, 2010.

ECPA REPORT POSITIVE SALES FOR FIRST QUARTER

Christian publishers have reported increased sales for the month of March over the same month last year and are also showing an increase in net sales (Sales-Returns) for the first three months of 2010. The month of March saw a gross sales increase of just over 1% and a net sales increase of 8% for March and 2% for the quarter. This is the first time the group has seen a positive change in net sales in over a year.

Of the reported increase, ECPA President Mark Kuyper says "this news is a welcome sign that we may be seeing the end of a very difficult economic climate that has had a major impact on Christian publishing. While publishers will need to continue to work toward changes necessary in a new media world, an upward trend in traditional book sales shows the continuing demand from consumers for Christian content."

For more information about ECPA, contact us at 480-966-3998 or info@ecpa.org or visit our website at www.ecpa.org.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

HENDRICKSON PUB. LAUNCHES NEW FICTION INITIATIVE

Ray Hendrickson, president and CEO of Hendrickson Publishers, announced that the company long known for academic and reference books and, more recently, Bibles and trade nonfiction works, is embarking on a program that will reintroduce to today’s readers well-loved Christian novels no longer in print. Given the tremendous growth of the Christian fiction genre, Hendrickson believes that this is the time to bring back the best of out-of–print fiction to a new generation of readers.

Gary and Carol Johnson, former directors of Bethany House Publishers, have been engaged to manage this new initiative, and they will be negotiating for reprint rights from CBA publishers and novelists.

Rick Brown, publisher at Hendrickson, says, “We are looking forward to providing this service to the Christian reading public and to publishers and authors who would love to see favorite novels from the past back in circulation. With the Johnsons’ years of experience at Bethany House and leadership in establishing Christian fiction in the industry, they are well suited to the task of identifying various audiences and deciding on the best titles for each group. This new program is another reason for book retailers and marketers to extend their shelf space for the category that drives the most visits from their customers.”

Plans are to release the first four titles under a new Hendrickson imprint in summer 2011.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS - CHRISTIAN

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #5 on the paperback advice list.

The Telling, by Beverly Lewis. (Bethany House) is #6 on the paperback trade fiction list.

Letters to God by Patrick Doughtie and John Perry (Zondervan) is #7 on the Children's paperback list.

The Shack by William P. Young (Windblown Media) is #10 on the paperback trade fiction list.

The Love Dare by by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough (B&H Publishing) is #11 on the paperback advice list.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson) is #11 on the hardcover business list.

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey (Revell) is #17 on paperback nonfiction list.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (Thomas Nelson) is #18 on the paperback nonfiction list.

Lies the Government Told You by Andrew P. Napolitano (Nelson) is #19 on the hardcover nonfiction list.

Take Three by Karen Kingsbury (Zondervan) is #24 on the paperback trade fiction list.

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller (Riverhead) is #30 on the paperback nonfiction list

Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef with Ron Brackin (SaltRiver/Tyndale House) is #30 on the hardcover nonfiction list.

DAYTON BOOK EXPO

Just because you can't make the Dayton Book Expo, doesn't mean your books can't be there! The Dayton Book Expo is less than two weeks away.

We now have more than fifty authors from several states converging on our city for the first-of-its-kind book event. We have received inquiries from authors who are unable to attend because either they live too far away or they had another commitment. So the DBE co-founders have developed a solution...

We'll promote and sell your title in your absence! Your books and promotional material will be prominently displayed at the DBE Bookstore
Your sales will be reported to Essence and New York Times
Your compensation - along with any unsold books - will be mailed to you by May 15
Note: Non-attending authors are ineligible for DBE awards
Note: Erotica will not accepted for this family-friendly event
Your cost for this wonderful service is only $25 handling fee plus 30% bookstore fee

Sound like a winner? Then mail ten (10) autographed copies of one title, fifty (50) promotional items and $25 for arrival to us no later than Monday, April 26, 2010 to:

Dayton Book Expo
893 South Main Street - PMB 175
Englewood, Ohio 45322

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

2010 BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA) is pleased to announce the winning titles for the 2010 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award. Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award honors books produced by small publishers each year for outstanding contribution to Christian life. Book lovers and retailers selling Christian products voted on the nominated titles in each of eight categories.

The winners in each of the eight categories are:

Fiction: Escape the Hezbollah, Pola Muzyka, Trinity Matrix Publishing, 978-0-98178833-1-4

Nonfiction: Christian Living

Spiritual Maturity: The Road to Wonderland, Bruce Baker, Grace Acres Press, 978-1-60265-024-4

Nonfiction: Bible Study / Theology

What To Do While You Wait for the World to End, Noah S. Martin, Noah’s Ark Publishing Co., 978-0-9700373-8-1

Nonfiction: Biography

Growing Up Yanomamo: Missionary Adventures in The Amazon Rainforest, Mike Dawson, Grace Acres Press, 978-1-60265-009-1

Nonfiction: Relationships / Family

Visionary Parenting, Rob Rienow, Randall House, 978-0-8926557-6-2

Children’s (age 4 to 8)

God Creates and So Much More, Martha A. Anthony and Lucille B. Ruth (authors), Jill R. Wiebe-King (illustrator), Press-On Publishing, Inc., 978-0-9821334-0-8

Children’s (age 8 to 12)

The Person I Marry, Gary Bower (author), Jan Bower (illustrator), Storybook Meadow Publishing Co., 978-0-9704621-7-6

Young Adult (age 12+)

Drawing Marissa, Jessica Adriel, Little Lauren Books, 978-0-9707262-1-6

The winning titles can be viewed at www.christianpublishers.net.

The Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award is sponsored by Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA). A total of 53 titles were nominated from 43 publishers for the eight award categories.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

BRUCE WILKINSON TO KEYNOTE CONFERENCE

CLASSEMINARS, Inc. announces Bruce Wilkinson as the Keynote Speaker for the CLASS Christian Writers Conference. The conference will be held in Abiquiu, New Mexico, November 10-14, 2010.

One of the world’s foremost Christian teachers, Bruce Wilkinson is best known as the author of the New York Times #1 bestseller The Prayer of Jabez. His newest release is You Were Born for This. He is also the author of numerous other bestsellers, including A Life God Rewards, Secrets of the Vine, and The Dream Giver. Over the past three decades, Wilkinson has founded several global initiatives, including organizations that recruited and trained thousands of Americans to address hunger, AIDS, and poverty in Africa. Bruce and his wife, Darlene, have three children and six grandchildren.

The writers conference focuses on new and advanced writers, who will receive training in the craft of writing, learn marketing skills, meet with editors and publishers, and have the opportunity to grow spiritually and worship in the picturesque mountains of New Mexico.

For registration and other information, go to www.classeminars.org. Register by April 30, 2010, and be eligible to win an HP 210 Mini Computer (see website for details).

Linda Gilden, well known author and speaker from Spartanburg, South Carolina, will direct the conference.

The Ghost Ranch IS located near Santa Fe in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

Contact: Karen Porter, VP Marketing, 281-797-3920

Gerry Wakeland, president, 702-882-0638

kaeporter@gmail.com

www.classeminars.org

Monday, April 12, 2010

CBA STORE SALES DOWN--SOME UP

CBA Survey Says Store Sales Down 3%, but 25% Report Growth

While the deep recession affected retailers across every sector, and many stores experienced sales declines, the 2010 CBA State of the Industry report reveals Christian-store retailers remain positive as they implement new business practices and plan for growth this year. On average, Christian stores reported a 3.07% net sales decrease. However, 25% of stores reported sales growth, and nearly 9% reported flat sales.

Friday, April 9, 2010

"PUBLISH ME" WRITING CONTEST

Nurmal has just launched “PUBLISH ME!” - a writing contest for emerging authors. The contest is limited to the first 50 entries which include a book proposal (non-fiction), completed contest agreement, and $250 entry fee. For more information, visit www.nurmal.com.

The prize package for the winning author includes…

Publishing of the book and made available for purchase on Amazon.com in both paperback and a Kindle version...as well as in the new iBooks store.
The book will be made available to major online and offline retailers for distribution.
The first 500 copies of the book delivered directly to the author.
$1,000 to market the book however the author wishes (as long as it doesn’t get us in legal trouble).

JERRY JENKINS WEBINAR

This month, Jerry B. Jenkins will evaluate and edit anonymously submitted first pages of six different novels. Jerry will also show the metamorphosis of the first page of Henry McLaughlin’s Journey to Riverbend – from rough draft to winner of this year’s first prize of $20,000 (and a publishing contract with Tyndale House) in the Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest. Jerry will also show the back-and-forth between him and Chris Fabry on the first page of their young adult novel, The Book of the King.

The webinar is set for Tuesday, April 13, 8 p.m. Eastern. Register now by calling Leilani Squires toll free at 866-495-5177. The cost is $25 for Guild members, and $45 for nonmembers.

Friday, April 2, 2010

ZONDERVAN OFFERS 1,000+ TITLES FOR iPAD

To accompany the long-awaited iPad launch, Zondervan is one of the first publishers to release titles in Apple's iBookstore beginning Saturday, April 3, 2010. More than 1,000 titles will be available for download from all product groups. Zondervan plans to release all its future ebooks in an iPad version and is working to release more than 150 additional books in the next three months.

Users will be able to purchase the books from Apple's iBookstore, as well as read excerpts, reviews and additional details about Zondervan books and its authors. Unlike other ebook versions, the iPad compatible ebooks feature full color artwork.

"As a division of HarperCollins, we are fortunate to play a major part in the iPad launch," said Steve Sammons, Executive Vice President of Consumer Engagement. "We are excited that by this Easter, Zondervan's titles will be available to an even broader audience."

Among the 1,000+ books offered are three translations of the Holy Bible. New releases including The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel and Take Three by Karen Kingsbury will be available along with a selection of classic Zondervan titles, including bestsellers like The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. All titles, including more than 30 Spanish and 150 children's books, will be available for download starting April 3.

To celebrate, Zondervan will launch a social media campaign giving away fifty $10 iTunes gift cards for use in the iBookstore through Twitter and Facebook. Follow Zondervan on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Zondervan and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Zondervan for more information.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

A new anthology, tentatively titled The Cheese Gun and Other Misfires:
Mothers on Peace, Justice, Stewardship and More
, features stories
by women who long to teach their children the value of peace,which can be
expressed in Justice,stewardship,simplicity,egalitarianism,compassion,and mercy.

Submissions for this collection should be narrative-driven rather than how-to: We are not looking for lectures about how best to teach our children, or for overly preachy polemics. Instead, we are gathering true
stories about how mothers have attempted to convey values to their children—how they have succeeded,and how they have failed. Writers should rely on humor, self-reflection, and honesty in conveying their
experiences; we are not interested in maudlin stories of disappointment or in narratives critical of the values the anthology promotes. Writers should rely on personal experiences. Potential topics include:

▶Teaching children simplicity in a consumer-driven culture

▶Conveying the significance of pacifism when guns can be easily made from sticks, cheese, legos, one’s hand

▶Negotiating a culture that equates military involvement with patriotism
▶Modeling economic justice and showing compassion for the poor without overwhelming children with guilt

▶Reflecting the ideal of egalitarianism when examples of gender inequity seem more prevalent

The anthology’s editors—Melanie Mock and Rebekah Schneiter—in cooperation with Barclay Press, will select for publication essays following these criteria:
▶Exhibit a good narrative with a strong beginning, middle, and end
▶Show, rather than tell
▶Draw the reader into the experiences of the writer
▶Focus on the individual as a means of understanding the universal
Submissions failing to connect with the anthology’s audience because of theme, content, or tone
will not be considered.
Essays should be tightly written, between 1,000-5,000 words. Shorter and longer essays might be considered,but are less likely to be selected for publication.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: June 01, 2010
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE: October 01, 2010

FORMAT AND SUBMITTING: Essays should be typed and double-spaced. Please make sure to include your name,
address, and phone number on the first page; on subsequent pages, include your name and pagination. Submissions
should be sent electronically to story.submit@gmail.com

GREATER HARVEST WORKSHOP

Hi, everyone! Just a short note to remind you of the next day for writers, speakers, and leaders on April 17, 2010 in Waynesville, Ohio.

For more information and to register, please visit our new and improved blog at http://www.greaterharvestworkshops.com

We look forward to seeing you there! Feel free to forward this email to friends in the Dayton-Cincinnati area.
-
Donna Shepherd and Linore Burkard
Greater Harvest Workshops
Sowing Spiritual Seeds...One Word at a Time
http://greaterharvestworkshops.com