Despite the belt-tightening and streamlining of operations reported to PW at BEA by many religion/spirituality publishers, there was no shortage of optimism about the category's prospects or of enthusiasm about new and forthcoming books.
The recently reorganized Thomas Nelson has moved aggressively into the general trade, in the religion category and beyond with its business, finance, current affairs and health titles. V-p of publicity Pamela Clements noted that at show time the house had three titles on the Business Week list, including Todd Duncan's High Trust Selling at #7, John Maxwell's Leadership 101 at #13 and Attitude 101 at #15. High Trust Selling also made the Wall Street Journal business and nonfiction lists.
Another book Nelson is heavily promoting for fall is Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, long a trusted authority on personal finance in the Christian market. After pre-promotion on Amazon, the title "shot to number 12" the week of the show, Clements said. Nelson Books publisher Jonathan Merkh told PW, "We want to make Ramsey our Suze Orman, and we feel the chances are good."
In religion, Merkh was ebullient about inking a deal with Laurie Beth Jones (Jesus CEO, The Path) for a spring 2004 book, Jesus Life Coach: Learn from the Best. He is also looking forward to the August release of the new John Eldredge title Waking the Dead. Eldredge's Wild at Heart has been phenomenally successful for Nelson; Merkh expects it to hit the million-sold mark by the time the new book debuts.
Zondervan also had much to be happy about. Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life has been firmly ensconced on the bestsellers lists since its release earlier this year, and the house brought Warren to the show for a well-attended signing. (Warren's book seems to be in the vanguard of new titles on purposeful living; several other publishers spoke to PW promoting books on the topic.) At BEA Zondervan also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the publication of the New International Version of the Bible, the bestselling translation in the evangelical Christian market, and announced a deal with Running Press to co-publish a line of miniature gift books (News, June 9).
Zondervan has enjoyed particular success recently in its Zonderkidz children's division—senior director of national accounts Tracy Danz told PW that Zonderkidz sales "are up double digits, over 40% for this fiscal year" in the general trade. Zondervan media relations manager LaVenia LaVelle pointed to the performance over the past year of Zonderkidz's two Veggie Tales books, which she noted have had "strong crossover to the trade." She also was excited about Zonderkidz's new licensing partnership with Leapfrog, noting, "This will be the first inspirational line they have ever done." Echoing Nelson's expansion strategy, LaVelle added, "Zondervan already knows where it stands in CBA, and our goal is to establish ourselves as the leading inspirational publisher in the ABA."
Harper San Francisco highlighted a variety of big books at the show. Associate publisher Mark Tauber said the house has particularly high hopes for David Gibson's The Coming Catholic Church, publishing in July. Gibson's is one of several current major books on Catholicism, but, said Tauber, "It is going to stand out because it is positive, looking forward." Harper has received commitments from the New York Times and the Washington Post to review the book. Also new is Dharma Punx: A Memoir by Noah Levine (May), whose kaleidoscope of tattoos wowed attendees at his signing. Oriah Mountain Dreamer, whose third book for HSF, The Call, is due out in September, also signed.
Templeton Foundation Press editorial director Joanna Hill said their new emphasis is on the subject of purpose, reflecting a new drive at the foundation to encourage a sense of purpose in communities and individuals. Books forthcoming on this topic include Noble Purpose by William Damon (Oct.) and Purpose and Power in Retirement by Harold G. Koenig (Aug.).
At Quest Books, publisher Sharron Dorr exulted over winning the Nautilus grand prize in the juvenile category for The Real St. Nicholas by Louise Carus, published last October. Despite the win, she said Quest was going to publish fewer illustrated gift books like it. "Sales of gift books are really down except at a lower price point. There is a price war now caused by B&N publishing. They won't buy anything over $19.95." Looking toward fall, Dorr was especially excited about The Genesis Meditations: A Shared Practice of Peace for Christians, Jews and Muslims by Neil Douglas-Klotz. "His niche is translating the gospels from the original Aramaic rather than the Greek. It provides a different take, a more holistic approach that involves movement and breathing as well."
U.K. publisher Oneworld, exhibiting this year for the first time at BEA, has a diverse list including Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism edited by Omid Safi (June) and other books on contemporary Islam. "The [Safi] book presents the world of Islamic teachings through the prism of today's issues. I think that's the next big thing about Islam, these people fighting to be heard," said sales director Helen Coward.
Paraclete Press brought Lauren Winner to BEA to sign Mudhouse Sabbath (Oct.). Her first book, Girl Meets God (Algonquin), was well received, garnering a starred review from PW. CEO Lillian Miao said Winner's book taps into young people's yearning for ways to apply spiritual practices to their everyday lives. "They want to know how and why you do some of these things," she said. "Lauren comes at that from a very fresh perspective."
The gloomy economy came knocking at the Jewish Publication Society, but didn't get more than a foot in the door. JPS sales associate Laurie Schlesinger, who handles the house's trade clients, said that while the house has not opened any new trade accounts, established ones are still ordering—except overseas. "The only place we are suffering is in the international markets because world economies are off or flat," she said. Not so in the domestic Jewish bookstore market, which is handled by Dolores Verbit. "My sales are good," she said. "[Booksellers] may be a bit more selective, but overall we've been quite satisfied." JPS's booth was buzzing with attendees, many of them interested in the Hebrew-English Tanakh, which will appear in a pocket-sized format for the first time this August. "I am taking orders of 100 at a time," said marketing manager Helene Bludman.
Wisdom Publications's Frank Allen, director of sales and marketing, is excited about Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies & the Truth About Reality by Brad Warner (Sept.) because "it is important for us to reach younger Buddhists. These are our future readers." Wisdom publisher Timothy McNeill cited the Dalai Lama's September visit to the U.S. and noted that Wisdom was releasing the first paper edition of The Compassionate Life to coincide with the visit. Still, he said, "I think we'll be seeing fewer Dalai Lama titles in the near future."
Also visiting the U.S. in September is Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press's premier author. Coinciding with his trip is the publication of Opening the Heart of the Cosmos: Insights from the Lotus Sutra (Oct.) and Joyfully Together: The Art of Building a Harmonious Community (Sept.). As is his custom, Hahn will hold several retreats, including one for the U.S. Congress on September 9. So far, 80 legislators have signed up, said publisher Travis Masch, who was excited about the response to the press's new books at BEA. "We have been pretty much inundated with visitors and have had to wait until the last day to get a walk around ourselves."
Reiterating this BEA's emphasis on Latin American and Spanish titles, several Spanish-language religion publishers reported their sales are up or steady. Especially bullish was Larry A. Downs, president of Editorial Unilit, who reported overall sales up 35% and returns down to an enviable 7%. Further underlining international Spanish-language growth is the fact that Unilit's sales to U.S. bookstores make up only about 10% of their total revenues. Downs believes the need for inspiration drives Unilit's continued steady sales in Latin America, where many economies are "just a mess," he said. Unilit is most excited about its June release of Armageddon, the 11th volume in the ubiquitous Left Behind series.
New Age publisher Llewellyn was triumphant at receiving three Latino Literary Awards, including best religion book for El Poder Milagroso de Los Salmos by Luz Stella Rozo and best New Age book for Feng Shui: Con Gemas y Cristales by Sandra Kynes. Lisa Braun, Llewellyn's marketing and publicity director, described Spanish-language sales as "steady" at about one-sixth of overall sales and said the awards had been a major shot in the arm; the house plans 16 new Spanish titles each year.
NavPress's booth attracted bookseller and media attention for !Hero, a contemporary retelling of Christ's life that sets his birth in Bethlehem, Pa. Publicist Kathleen Campbell said, "My press kits went out the door"—she had none left by Saturday morning. The !Hero saga will appear as a trio of fantasy thrillers, dramatized audio books and a series of graphic novels all releasing in September. With !Hero, NavPress may be at the forefront of a trend. In addition to the many graphic novels with spiritual themes and subtexts at the show, several other publishers are poised with projects that are explicitly religious. Vertical will retell the life of Siddhartha Gautama in Buddha, an eight-volume series penned by Japanese manga godfather Osamu Tezuka and published in the 1980s in Japan, with the first two volumes in English releasing in October and November. Wisdom told PW it also has commissioned a graphic novel on the life of the Buddha; no publication date is set. Next year, Realbuzz will publish Serenity, described as a "comedic teen soap opera" about a bad girl befriended by a group of Christians at her high school.
