Just as publisher-sponsored book blog review programs continue to grow, the Federal Trade Commission this week announced the introduction of fines for bloggers who don't disclose financial compensation, even if they only received a free copy of the book.

No one exemplifies the ministry heartbeat of Christian book selling more than the folks at CLC International--missionaries staffing bookstores around the world.

So the list of "ten reasons why I still love the local Christian bookstore" by David Almack, the U.S. Director of CLC International, makes for inspiring reading.

In his new FaithLit blog, the Philadelphia-based leader offers his encouragement because he's been "dismayed of late at the rampant media attention to the apparently imminent demise of the local Christian bookstore."

Among his reasons, Christian bookstores are:

- a place of Christian ministry in the midst of a secular retail landscape.
- a place of refuge in a hostile world.
- a connecting point for the Christian community.
- a house of prayer.
- a place of positive influence in the local community

With this last point in mind, Almack recalls his team and some customers gathering in the store's parking lot to pray on September 11, 2001. "(We) prayed for half an hour, many strangers breaking' the prayer circle as we prayed to make the circle even bigger. When I closed my eyes to pray, we had maybe twenty people in the circle. By the time I opened my eyes, we had over fifty."

Almack concludes: "I pray that even with the current economic struggles we are all facing, the importance and special place of the local Christian bookstore will not be overlooked."

Read his complete list here and then let us know what you think about his reasons, and add your own, in our online forum, here.

Always an insightful commentator on industry trends, book agent Chip MacGregor offers some more food for thought with his vision of the future.

Looking ahead five years, he speculates on the implications of the still-unfolding digital revolution.

Among his predictions, that the Web will replace trade shows and book catalogs. " The big book shows are dying--too expensive and not enough return to keep going," he says. "They'll be replaced with smarter, more cost-effective company events or Web-based specialty events. And publishers will soon buy into the green movement by doing away with printed book catalogs and going to web-based catalogs that are always accessible and easy to correct and update."

MacGregor also foresees a new role in publishing houses. "Creative content editors" will be needed to handle the "convergence of words and images" that he expects to come to the world of books--interactive features, downloadable extras, video clips and author interviews.

MacGregor's list also includes a wish-that the culture's fascination with short messages on Facebook and Twitter will mean a renewed interest in short stories. "Okay, this may not happen... but I can dream," he says. "Short stories are my favorite form of literature, and they are almost impossible to sell in book form these days. But perhaps the next generations' interest in all things short will mean a renewed interest in short stories. "

Find his 10-point vision of the future in the June 21 posting at http://chipmacgregor.typepad.com, and let us know what you think...

“Lies,” “deception”.....strong words for a marketing campaign, especially one from the world's largest Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson. Warranted or not, the accusations are flying on company CEO Michael Hyatt's blog over a viral marketing campaign where readers can generate a fake news page to present themselves as co-authors of best-selling author Donald Miller's new book, A Million Miles In a Thousand Years, releasing in September.

As Ted Dekker releases BoneMan's Daughters (Center Street), his biggest push to general market audiences, the author has revealed the intensely personal inspiration for the novel on his blog.

No, it's not for a scarier version of Left Behind or an evangelical re-imagining of Carrie, but the two best-selling authors team up for a conversation on writing in the April 4 issue of Writer's Digest, hitting newsstands on Friday. The duo appear on the cover, which announces “Stephen King and Jerry B. Jenkins: An Epic Conversation on Writing.”

On his blog, Jenkins recalls how the unlikely relationship between the two authors was spawned by their concern for a mutual friend, Frank Mueller, who had done audiobooks for each author and had been critically injured in a motorcycle accident. Jenkins describes his surprise at learning that King was familiar with his work.

During the conversation I said, “It may surprise you to know that I’m a reader of yours.” I told Stephen that while I wasn’t into horror fiction, I had read many of his short stories and that The Green Mile was one of my favorite novels.

He said, “It may surprise you to know that I’m a reader of yours.”

Surprised doesn’t begin to describe it. Frank had given him copies of some of the "Left Behind" series.