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BEA 2012: Though Fewer Exhibit, Religion Houses Still Find Value
Many publishers have bowed out of BookExpo America in favor of more religion-specific trade shows, but BEA was a positive experience for those who remain and plan to keep coming.
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Zondervan Launches Direct-to-Digital Imprint
Zondervan, the evangelical Christian publishing division of HarperCollins, has begun a new direct-to-digital imprint. Zondervan First launches with the acquisition of a historical fiction title, Love in Three-Quarter Time by Dina Sleiman.
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Random Imprint Acquires Self-Pubbed Phenom on Journey to Heaven
WaterBrook Multnomah, the evangelical Christian imprint of Random House’s Crown Publishing Group, has acquired To Heaven and Back: A Doctor’s Extraordinary Account of Her Death, Heaven, Angels and Life Again by Mary C. Neal, which she self-published in November 2011.
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World Wisdom Launches Children's/YA Imprint
A publisher of perennial philosophy is launching a new imprint for children and young adults, with books seeking to illuminate the shared truths of world religions and cultures.
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Religion Editor's Note, May 2012
For toilers in the vineyards of religion publishing, vacation plans will have to wait.
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June 2012 Christian Bestsellers: Adult, Children’s and Young Adult, Bibles
Your guide to the mega-sellers from Christian publishers.
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Everything Is Illuminated: Jewish Liturgical Books Go Mainstream
Books usually seen only in the synagogue are headed home.
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It Is Written: News in Bibles and Sacred Texts, May 2012
See the Tabernacle in 3-D; what the Torah teaches about opposites.
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Reviews of New and Forthcoming Religion/Spirituality Books
Reviews of books for adults and children; Online Exclusives; and PW religion reviews, including stars.
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Short Takes: Religion Publishing News Briefs, May 2012
A contest for fans of The Vow; honors, accolades and sales milestones; digital deals and staff shifts; notable events.
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Charles Dickens, Christian Writer: PW Talks With Gary Colledge
Charles Dickens filled his works with Christian references to encourage devotion to Jesus Christ. But scholars and critics have ignored or downplayed this aspect of his work.
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Lani Leary: Teaching Compassionate Caregiving
Working with the chronically ill and dying would seem a daunting task, but Lani Leary sees it as a sacred opportunity.
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Rami and Aaron Shapiro: Dynamic and Disagreeing Duo
For father and son Rami and son Aaron Shapiro, working together on Writing---the Sacred Art allowed them to share their passion for the written word. But like any good Jewish family, “We argue about texts and the nature of reality all the time.”
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Books Highlight Bonds Between Fathers and Children
From the daughter of Zig Ziglar to the son of a pastor, exploring the impact of fathers on their children.
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New Name, Same Mission
With a steady erosion of traditional audiences and the rise of new markets, as well as the growth in electronic publishing and self-publishing, some religion publishers have decided to refresh or reimagine their brands. In some cases, that means a more up-to-date name, in others a return to a historic identity.
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Religion Update Spring 2012: Serving the Littlest Patrons
A few years ago, Joanna Sussman attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a library in a small community in northern Minnesota. She was there to support her husband, an architect, who had designed the building. But as publisher of Kar-Ben Publishing, Sussman couldn’t help taking note of what was inside the walls as well. On one table, a copy of Ten Good Rules: A Ten Commandments Counting Book (Kar-Ben, 2007) by Susan Remick Topek, was displayed beside a sign saying “New and of Interest.” Sussman was “pleased and surprised” to see the book prominently featured in a town with few Jewish residents, and she silently praised “thoughtful librarians everywhere who believe in curating broad collections for their patrons and encouraging them to read outside their comfort zones.”
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Religion Update Spring 2012: Helping Librarians Crack the Cover
Librarians are the usually overworked gatekeepers between publishers and patrons, arbiters of shelf space and reading habits. That makes them obvious targets for publishers eager to tap into a market that buys often and in big numbers. With more than 9,000 public libraries/systems—totaling nearly 17,000 individual buildings—in the United States, publishers are looking for innovative and successful ways to reach them.
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Religion Update Spring 2012: Libraries Offer Publishers a Fertile Field for Sales
Religion publishers are finding a deep and ready market thanks to public libraries that stock their shelves with everything from inspirational fiction to Judaica, numerology to Christian living. The Library Bill of Rights states, “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.”
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Lit Agency Launches E-Publishing Company
Bondfire Books, a new e-publishing company, has been launched by Alive Communications, a Colorado Springs-based literary agency representing Christian and inspirational authors.