Author of The Best Yes and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries Lysa TerKeurst topped PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers chart for August with her latest, Uninvited. Through a concept she calls “living loved,” TerKeurst encourages readers to overcome feelings of rejection and loneliness. Sales were driven by pre-order offers promoted to her social followers, including a “sneak peek” pre-order through her First 5 mobile app. TerKeurst also hosted Facebook Live events during the book launch with guests such as Tim Tebow, made appearances on popular YouTube channels including Chelsea Crockett’s and Jefferson Bethke’s, and did interviews on the TODAY Show, 700 Club, Focus on the Family, and with PW.
Taking #2 in Religion Nonfiction, Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist shows readers how to “leave behind the heavy weight of comparison, competition, and exhaustion,” the author told PW. A national Christian and mainstream publicity campaign boosted sales of the book, including coverage in Relevant, Success, and Homecoming magazines. Zondervan also live streamed the book’s launch party and sent out an influencer mailing that included a pair of Converse shoes, as seen on the cover of the book. A pre-order incentive campaign used a free 28-day devotional journal download, e-book copies of Niequist’s previous books, and laptop and phone screensavers.
Fourteen years after it was published, Rick Warren’s bestselling Purpose Driven Life came in at #3 on the Religion Nonfiction list. The book has sold 33 million copies worldwide across all formats to date, according to Zondervan, and the most recent boost in sales is due to Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps mentioning the book during an interview on ESPN in August. “It turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet,” he said.
Also among the top 10 Religion Nonfiction bestsellers, Bob Beaudine took #6 with 2 Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything, his follow-up to 2009’s The Power of Who. Publicity and marketing for the book included an extensive pre-order promotion driven by retail partner email campaigns as well as social media ad buys and targeted blogger outreach. Further, Beaudine has long-term contracts with two social media firms and used an executive search firm to promote the book with photos and blurbs via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, where he has over 250K followers combined.
On the Religion Fiction Bestsellers list, Wanda Brunstetter took #1 for the third consecutive month—this time with The Selfless Act, the final installment to her six-part Amish Millionaire series. Following a social media push and a giveaway, An Amish Harvest by novelists Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Amy Clipston, and Vanetta Chapman took #4 in Fiction. The book features four short stories, one from each author.
