Wisdom Publications won two Nautilus Book Awards, announced at last week’s BookExpo America. How to Be Sick by Toni Bernhard won the Gold in the Personal Growth/Self-Help/Psychology category, and took the Silver award in the Memoir/Personal Journey category.
The Nautilus Book Awards complete list of both Gold and Silver winners, including adult and children’s books, can be accessed at http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/. The annual awards recognize “books and audio books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living, and positive social change as they stimulate the imagination and inspire the reader to new possibilities for a better world.”
Charisma House Book Group has launched Creation House Press (CHP), a self-publishing unit, “to meet market demand for self-publishing packages of both books and e-books on demand as part of its strategic growth planning and sales channel development,” according to a statement. A separate venture from Creation House, the co-publishing imprint of Charisma House, CHP will offer printing packages, publishing packages, e-book conversion, and distribution.
CBA, the Association for Christian Retail is partnering with SnapRetail, a technology marketing company that offers services to help independent retailers use social media and electronic marketing. CBA is promoting SnapRetail’s TrafficBuilder product to its membership; SnapRetail will provide training on social and e-marketing tailored to the needs of CBA-participating vendors and retailers.
The Society of Biblical Literature has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to build a Web site for the general public “to engage with biblical scholarship,” according to a statement from SBL. “The site will be the first scholar-driven, internet-based resource that taps the wealth and breadth of current research on the Bible and its surroundings.” The site will feature short videos, interactive timelines and maps, and brief essays. A 2013 launch is planned.
Tyndale House Publishers and Focus on the Family are expanding the Imagination Station series for readers age 7 and up, which launched with six books in March. An additional twelve titles have been added, with two released in May and two more scheduled for October. After that Tyndale plans to publish three books each year, approximately one every four months. For more information on the series and additional resources for kids, go to www.theimaginationstation.com. In other news from Tyndale, the house has announced its Digital First program, which will provide direct-to-e-book original titles. Debut e-books include four fiction titles from different genres, including historical romance, contemporary women’s fiction, and suspense, as well as one nonfiction book.
B&H Publishing Group and Tyndale House have released new mobile apps. B&H’s first mobile apps for the Spanish and children’s markets are available for the iPhone and iPad. Los Artículos de Biblia Vive tu Fe is based on the company’s popular RVR 1960 Biblia Vive tu Fe women’s Bible. In children’s, B&H has converted two of its titles into free mobile apps. A Parable About the King by Beth Moore has been redesigned for the iPad. Users can record their own narration of the book and save up to three additional narrations so that a child can hear a parent or grandparent read them the story. My Go to Bed Book has the same features, as well as a word highlighting option. Tyndale has created a mobile app for Randy Alcorn’s Alcorn’s Heaven. Published in 2004, the book continues to make the Christian bestsellers lists. The “I Know Heaven”app is free and downloadable for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPod.
Thomas Nelson has announced the appointment of LeeEric Fesko as the Lucado trade marketing director; he will oversee marketing, promotion, and publicity for all Max Lucado trade titles. Nelson also announced four new hires or promotions in its gift and children’s division. Jennifer Barrow has been hired as editor for gifts and children’s. Micah Walker has been promoted from administrative assistant to assistant editor; she will be primarily focused on middle-grade fiction. Jessica Ward has been hired as administrative assistant. Kristen Baird will be marketing coordinator for the Specialty Division; she was previously an intern in that department.
Christian Book Services president and CEO Larry Carpenter has announced the hiring of Bill Jayne as COO. Jayne previously held executive positions at Rutledge Hill Press, Christian Book Distributors, and Cumberland House Publishing. He served as president of Rutledge Hill Press and has worked on teams that successfully produced, sold and marketed the bestselling Life’s Little Instruction Book and Why A Daughter Needs A Dad. Christian Book Services assists authors who publish traditionally or via self-publishing. The company also offers warehousing and fulfillment services and a fifteen-member sales force that sells to over 3,000 bookstores.
