Religion book sales showed an encouraging uptick in the latest Association of American Publishers report http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20110117/45800-aap-november-sales-report.html , increasing 5.4% in November 2010 over the previous month, although religion sales were flat for the year. That’s better than adult trade sales overall, which saw a 4.3% increase in November over September, but were down 6.1% for the year in 2010.
FaithWords, the Christian imprint of Hachette, has signed bestselling author Joel Osteen to a new, multi-book deal, we reported in Monday’s PW Daily. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/45876-faithwords-signs-osteen.html
Hachette also announced promotions in its Nashville Division, which includes the FaithWords and Center Street imprints: Adlai Yeomans has been promoted from editorial assistant to assistant editor for Center Street; and Jaime Slover has been promoted from art coordinator to junior designer for FaithWords and Center Street.
Abingdon Press, the trade imprint of the United Methodist Publishing House (UMPH), has announced the appointment of Tamara Crabtree as executive director of marketing. Most recently, Crabtree was v-p of sales and marketing at FiledBy, Inc., a digital marketing start-up providing online marketing tools and Web site development for authors; before that she was v-p of marketing and creative services for Ingram Book Group. Crabtree also held marketing positions with Davis-Kidd Booksellers/Joseph-Beth Booksellers and Gaylord Entertainment. At Abingdon, Crabtree will head all marketing, public relations, research, and trade sales support for books, Bibles, curriculum, church programs and Web-based resources.
The Religion Newswriters Association—the professional organization of journalists who cover religion and spirituality for daily newspapers, magazines, wire services, and radio and television stations--has added the Nonfiction Religion Book of the Year Award to its annual contest this year. All authors and books are eligible for this category, except those books classified as fiction, self-published, scriptural exegesis, scriptural commentary, self-help, how-to, and memoirs that are primarily spiritual journeys. RNA membership is not required for entry. The deadline for entries is Feb. 1. For more information regarding contest rules and entry, go to https://rna.site-ym.com/?page=contests_books or contact Debra Mason at 573-882-9257.
Worthy Publishing, a new Christian publishing house, has been launched by industry veteran Byron Williamson. See our story in yesterday’s PW Daily http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/45887-new-christian-publishing-house-debuts.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly's+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=680046cb79-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email
The Nautilus Book Awards deadline for entry has been extended to February 25. Launched in 2000, the awards recognize print, audio, and e-books--in 33 categories, including adult, YA, and children’s titles--“that contribute to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership and business practices as well as to the worlds of art, science, creativity along with inspirational reading for children and young adults.” Over the past decade, the Nautilus Book Awards have honored more 1,200 books and audio books. An online collection of past winners, as well as more information on the awards and how to enter, can be found at http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/TheNautilusLibrary.html
Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, has added three staffers to its marketing and editorial teams. Jon Wilcox joins Baker Books as senior acquisitions editor. He previously held positions at Family Christian Stores as associate v-p of merchandise and as senior book buyer. Wilcox has also worked at Tyndale House Publishers and Waterbrook Multnomah. Mike Cook has been hired as marketing manager for books and Bibles. Cook was marketing director for the Church Engagement Group at Zondervan; worked in account services for several advertising agencies in Michigan; and was a pastor for ten years. Ruth Anderson comes to Baker as marketing assistant for books and Bibles; she was previously at InterVarsity Press, most recently as marketing manager.
Novalis Publishing has partnered with the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada to become the exclusive worldwide distributor of the Alliance’s publications. In a statement James Roche, executive director of the Alliance, said the arrangement “will provide Catholic health care organizations in Canada greater ease of access to Alliance publications, and will make these publications available to audiences we could not have reached on our own--for example, schools, parishes, and individual readers who are seeking resources in such areas as ethics, the link between health and spirituality, and leadership development.” The Alliance publishes the Health Ethics Guide; Lift Your Hearts Up to the Lord; and Forming Health Care Leaders: A Guide. These and other resources can be ordered through the Web site www.novalis.ca or by calling 1-800-387-7164.
Zondervan reported early this month that its NIV Bible e-book featuring the updated New International Version of the Bible (NIV), is the company’s fastest-selling e-book; it also made the USA Today bestsellers list for all books. According to Zondervan the NIV e-book, which released December 15, 2010, sold twice as many copies as the previous version during the same period last year. The NIV Bible (www.TheNIVBible.com) made its debut as the #1 e-book in the Religion & Spirituality category of Apple’s iBookstore and rose to #7 for all books on Apple. It is currently among the Top 100 in Amazon’s Kindle Store, and is a Top 25 eBook in Barnes & Noble’s Nookbook Store. In other news from Zondervan, Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, has launched six weekly webinars based on her new book, Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food (Dec.). Every Monday through February 14 from 8:00-8:45 p.m. EST, TerKeurst will teach principles from her book and the companion DVD. The webcasts are free and available on the home page of www.madetocrave.org. A live Twitter feed running beside the webcast screen will allow viewers to post questions and responses. The book and DVD can be ordered on the Made to Crave site; they are also available at Christian retail outlets.
Somersault Group (http://somersau.lt), an international publishing strategy and services agency based in Grand Rapids, Mich., has created a printable Infographic that honors 22 landmark anniversaries in 2011, such as the first publication of King James Version of the Bible (400th), the founding of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (100th), the founding of Zondervan (80th), and the publication of the New Living Translation of the Bible (15th). See the Infographic at http://www.scribd.com/doc/46895274/Somersault-Infographic-2011. To receive an interactive PDF version by return email attachment, send a request to hello@somersaultgroup.com.
The Upper Room has formed a publishing partnership with the Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Canada. The Nashville-based ecumenical Christian publisher, best known for The Upper Room daily devotional guide, will publish the first two books in the Henri Nouwen Spirituality Series in spring 2011. Nouwen was a Catholic priest, professor, and author of many revered books, including The Wounded Healer and Clowning in Rome. He also was known for his many years of service to the mentally disabled at the L’Arche Daybreak community in Toronto. The first book in the new series, A Spirituality of Fundraising (Feb.), “emphasizes Nouwen’s belief that fundraising is, first and foremost, a ministry,” according to Upper Room. The second book in the series will be A Spirituality of Caregiving (April); future books will include titles for Advent and Lent.
Thomas Nelson’s Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back by Todd Burpo, Sonja Burpo, Colton Burpo and Lynn Vincent has been on the Publishers Weekly bestsellers list four times in the past two months, rising to #4 in Monday’s issue (January 24). It also has been on the New York Times list for nine weeks, landing at #1 on January 23; it will make the list again on January 30. On January 16 it was #19 on the USA Today list. Nelson has shipped nearly 500,000 copies since the book’s release in early November.
Doubleday Religion’s The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Matt Baglio (June 2010) is the basis for the film The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins, which opens on January 28. Baglio’s book recounts the real-life experiences—fictionalized in the movie--of a Catholic priest who trains to become an exorcist; it is #8 on the Catholic Bestsellers list for January (in this issue). Another Random House imprint, Multnomah, has also announced thatRadical by David Platt has reached 500,000 copies in print after less than 10 months in print. The book has spent 31 weeks on The New York Times Paperback Advice list. Multnomah will publish Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God in spring 2011.
The View co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd cited two classic Christian books as favorites during a January 14 show themed "New You for the New Year." Hasselbeck selected The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (Moody Publishers/Northfield Publishing, 1992), which has been on the New York Times Paperback Advice Best Sellers list for 180 weeks, topping the list several times. Sherri Shepherd chose This Present Darkness (Crossway, 1988), which has more than 2.7 million copies in print and was the pioneer in the Christian thriller genre. Both books saw a spike in sales after being mentioned on the show.
