Crossway takes four out of 10 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association awards

The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announced the winners of the Top Shelf Book Cover Award program, honoring the year’s best designs in Christian publishing at its annual PUBu event. Crossway came out on top with four of the 10 best designs.

Winners were presented with their awards on Oct. 22 in Wheaton, Ill. The following covers were honored:

• Called to the Fire by Chet Bush (Abingdon Press)
• Faithmapping by Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper (Crossway)
• The Fruitful Wife by Hayley DiMarco (Crossway)
• God on the Rocks by Phil Madeira (Jericho Books)
• Grace in the Maybe by Katie Savage (Howard Books)
• Gray Matters by Brett McCracken (Baker Books/Baker Publishing Group)
• Letters & Life by Bret Lott (Crossway)
• Sex & Money by Paul David Tripp (Crossway)
• Snake Oil by Becca Stevens (Jericho Books)
• We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook by Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph (Zondervan)

Managed by Torrey Sharp of Faceout Studio, one of the new features of the revamped award program was that judges were not limited as to the number of covers to recognize as best of the year.

“The two main goals for the Top Shelf Award program are to feature highly credible judging and create an opportunity for the best work to be recognized,” Sharp said.

“We are very pleased to work with Torrey in the restructure of the program and excited to be already expanding the program for next year accepting ongoing submissions throughout the year from November 2013 to August 2014, and looking to recognize more covers,” said ECPA President and CEO Mark Kuyper. “Our aim remains: continue to bring recognition to excellent book design in Christian publishing.”

Judged by three design experts, each cover was evaluated for its merits in appropriateness for the market, level of conceptual thinking and quality of execution. The program saw a 26% increase in submissions and participating publishers.

Winning covers are featured in an annual printed by Color House Graphics, designed by Faceout and distributed to the designers and design professionals throughout the industry.

To see all of the winning cover designs, visit www.BookCoverAwards.com.

Thomas Nelson, Zondervan collaborate on new graphic novel imprint that aims to meet growing demand

Thomas Nelson announced the launch of Vital Shift, a publishing initiative that focuses on titles for consumers 18-34 years old, at New York Comic Con. Launched in October at the pop culture extravaganza, Vital Shift debuted with forthcoming announcements of seven graphic-novel series releasing between now and 2019.

The creative team lead by Chip Brown, senior vice president and publisher at HarperCollins Christian Publishing, tested the waters with 2012’s The Book of Revelation, which sold 20,000 units in its first six weeks of release, immediately outselling every other graphic novel on Amazon except Image Comics’ The Walking Dead. 

“Four out of five Americans and one of every three people on Earth are self-described Christians, all of whom have an inherent thirst for the Bible and biblical stories,” Brown said. “The market’s recent and forthcoming print products, Bible feature films, television miniseries and even game shows are all aiming to quench that thirst. We want writers, artists and filmmakers to know they have a place to come collaborate with likeminded people at the industry’s leading publishing house, to develop innovative ways that help more people engage the Bible.”

In October, Vital Shift released Messiah: Origin, the foundational account of the man who changed the world forever. Translated by Mark Arey from ancient Greek, Messiah: Origin weaves the gospels into one story. Arey’s biblical study and training paired with the 288 illustrations of Lucasfilm Prize-winning artist Kai Carpenter create a detailed telling of the Savior’s birth and early life up to the start of his ministry. Adapted and edited into graphic-novel form by Matt Dorff (The Book of Revelation) with letters and title design by Carlton Riffel, Origin creates a journey into the history told in the Scriptures.

General inspirational products, community events boost retail traffic

P. Graham Dunn’s factory retail store has experienced significant growth in sales, despite a down economy. The Dalton, Ohio-based gift supplier seems to have found the key to increasing traffic and profits for its on-campus store, which was up 30% for 2012 and about 15% this year as of October.

Located in a unique situation as the 22,000-square-foot retail store next to the P. Graham Dunn factory and about a half-hour from towns in the area, the store is truly a destination, Retail Operations Manager Todd Krist told Christian Retailing. 

P. Graham Dunn President Joe Knutson observed that the company as a whole has “grown every year even through the recession, albeit at a slow pace through the recession, but our retail store has really taken off. Wholesale is showing growth as well, but it’s not as dramatic as retail.”

The production side of P. Graham Dunn makes up about 90% of the company’s business, and retail, 10%. The retail element includes the Dalton location and stores in Branson, Mo.; Gatlinburg, Tn.; Walnut Creek, Ohio; Berlin, Ohio; Grandville, Mich.; and St. Joseph, Mich.

“Only three years ago we were nothing but a branded company,” Krist explained. “The only products we sold were products that we made, P. Graham Dunn products, and then we made the decision to branch out and bring other suppliers into our store that we thought people would enjoy buying, and it was a bit of a hunt-and-peck at the beginning.”

Krist has brought in brands such as Pandora, Vera Bradley and Melissa & Doug as well as products such as scarves and even small Amish furniture pieces, all with the aim of attracting younger shoppers. families and non-Christians.  

“What we’ve found—and I think the Christian bookstores experienced this as well—was that we weren’t getting your general shopper in the door,” Knutson said. “It was if they needed to be a Christian just to enter the building. We didn’t want that. We wanted to be a more welcoming environment. We wanted to expose those who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior to our products, but we didn’t want it to be the barrier to entry.

“If you’re not a Christian, I would imagine that it would be very intimidating to come into an environment where it seems like everyone is already in on it,” Knutson said. “And I think our bookstores do such a great job in educating people about God’s love, but I think just by the way that it’s presented out to the street, if you’re not a Christian, you may be apt not to go into that bookstore to look for something that’s related, but it’s still going to expose you to God’s Word.”

As a result of the shopping experience, Krist said: “It’s not uncommon  for us to see people come in and spend more than an hour, sometimes two hours here, and all of them say there’s so much to look at.”

The store puts “a lot of time, effort and money into our displays,” said Krist, who uses antique tables and a lamp made of folded books, for example. 

The store also hosts free-to-the-public events annually such as fall festivals and Easter egg hunts. Knutson said the spring fair has brought 3,000 to 4,000 people into the store in a two-day period.

“The idea that we have behind these events is to do something that is going to bring people into our store that likely would not visit here on their own,” Knutson said.

Knutson and Krist acknowledge that the factory store is in a different setting than most Christian retail stores and some things would be hard to replicate elsewhere, but believe all Christian retailers can appeal to a wider audience. Along with on-campus events for the community, the store has big sales such as an outdoor tent sale and participates in the county fair, spring flower show and tool show.

P. Graham Dunn plans to officially launch its touchscreen technology for laser personalization at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, which runs Jan. 7-14.

Grand Rapids, Mich., store sees sales soar after redesign

The recent renovation of Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich. has resulted in tremendous growth. The store’s previous quarter sales jumped more than 50% over the same period last year, according to Sue Smith, store manager and CBA chairwoman.

The renovation, designed by Integrated Architecture, also received an Honorable Mention in the small commercial design category from the American Institute of Architects Grand Rapids Chapter 2013 Awards Program. The Honorable Mention was the only award distributed in the category.

“Baker Book House has, for the past 20 years, been hiding in plain sight,” said Scott Vyn, Integrated Architecture’s director of design. “The retail renovation/expansion began with flipping the offices and retail spaces, moving the store to the front of the building and the offices to the rear.”

He added: “2,318 square feet of new construction along the street allowed us to create the roofline, add floor-to-ceiling windows and a new entrance. The increased height and cast-stone construction communicates a long-lasting presence, a ‘we are here for the long run’ promise.”

The store’s fresh, open environment offers abundant natural light, thousands of books and reading accessories as well as a children’s play area, café and plenty of places to read and relax. Bold colors, fresh coffee and flexible gathering space supports book club meetings, book signings, lectures and special events such as princess parties for preschool girls.

“Feels like library meets bookstore,” read the comments from the award jury. “The retail aspect of the program is successfully toned down and not overdone. Smart and thoughtful use of materials inside and out. The clean simple elevation is nice.”

Pastor helped launch Maranatha! Music, Calvary Distribution

Chuck Smith—influential author, pastor and founder of Calvary Chapel—died Oct. 3 in his California home after a two-year battle with lung cancer. He was 86.

Known for his welcoming demeanor, Smith was known for his role in the “Jesus movement” of 1960s and ’70s.

`“He was definitely a pioneer,” Donald E. Miller, a professor of religion at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times. “He had a transformative impact on Protestantism.”

Smith wrote several books, including Why Grace Changes Everything, Charisma vs. Charismania, Effective Prayer Life and The Final Act (all Word for Today).

In 1971, he also helped launch Maranatha! Music, a nonprofit outreach of Calvary Chapel that set hymns and worship songs to folk-rock music. Maranatha! was highly influential in helping shape the budding contemporary Christian music and Christian rock scene, and continues to release new albums, available through Capitol Christian Distribution.

“Chuck Smith will be remembered by many, but he has influenced many more,” said author Ed Stetzer on his blog. “If you are in a contemporary church, engaging culture and planting churches, you are in a sense, a child of Calvary Chapel and of Chuck Smith.”

Christian leaders chimed in on Twitter to mourn the influential pastor and celebrate his influence.

“Pastor Chuck Smith has died,” tweeted Greg Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. “He is now in heaven. He fought the good fight. He was a great man.”

“I’m exceedingly grateful for the exemplary life and profound ministry of my friend, Chuck Smith,” said author and evangelist Chuck Swindoll on Twitter.

“Chuck Smith lit gospel fires all over the world,” said Lee Strobel, author of The Case for Christ (Zondervan). “Countless people were inspired into action by his passion for evangelism.”

Lance Emma, founder and first general manager of Calvary Distribution, reflected on Smith’s influence in assisting the bookstores and starting the distributor nearly 20 years ago.

“Way back in the early ’90s, we had many local Calvary Chapels coming into the Costa Mesa bookstore to buy Bibles and books for them to sell in their local church,” Emma said. “At the time, the Calvary Chapel bookstore was about 1,000 square feet, so having churches come in and buy dozens of Bibles at one time would leave our selection pretty depleted. Seeing the hunger of the churches to provide good material for their people, the idea of developing a warehouse for Calvary Chapels throughout the U.S. to order from was brought to Pastor Chuck and he enabled Calvary Distribution to begin.”

Calvary Distribution has assisted in the establishing of more than 1,200 book tables, book rooms and bookstores.

“This vision for equipping came directly from what we saw Pastor Chuck model from the pulpit and in practice,” Emma added. “He said many times: ‘Healthy sheep beget healthy sheep,’ and Calvary Distribution has been able to come alongside so many churches to provide biblically solid material to equip and edify, helping to produce healthy sheep.”

Smith is survived by his wife, Kay, and four children, Chuck Jr., Jeff, Janette and Cheryl.”

‘Amazing night of music and honor’ includes special performances and tribute to evangelist Billy Graham

Six-time GRAMMY winner TobyMac took home four awards at the 44th Annual GMA Dove Awards, including Artist of the Year—his second time winning the honor. The ForeFront Records (Capitol Christian Distribution) artist also garnered awards at the Oct. 15 ceremony in Nashville for Pop/Contemporary Album and Recorded Music Packaging for Eye on It and Short Form Video of the Year for the music video for his album’s title track.

“It feels weird to be called Artist of the Year when I know it takes a family, and I always want to acknowledge that,” said TobyMac. “I said in one of my songs a long time ago, I’m just a little man trying to fit in God’s plan. I still feel like that.”

Matt Redman (sixstepsrecords/Capitol) won six awards—the most of any artist this year—including Song of the Year for his “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord).”

“We all run the race and it’s tough, so we need a night of encouragement,” said Amy Grant, who co-hosted the evening with Kirk Franklin.

Steven Curtis Chapman won Christmas Album of the Year for JOY (Sparrow Records/Capitol), marking his 58th career Dove Award, more than any other artist to date.

Other key winners included For King & Country (New Artist of the Year); LeCrae’s Gravity (Rap/Hip Hop Album); Jason Crabb’s “What the Blood Is For” (Southern Gospel Song); and Chris Tomlin’s Burning Lights (Praise & Worship Album). In all, 42 awards were conferred in music and film categories. 

The UP network honored Mandisa with its “Uplift Someone” award “for her music, message and humanitarian heart, all of which (individually and collectively) have inspired others.”

“What an amazing night of music and honor,” said GMA Executive Director Jackie Patillo. “On behalf of membership of the GMA, we are proud to present this year’s Dove winners and congratulate each of them and the nominees on their achievements.”

For a complete list of this year’s winners, visit www.doveawards.com.

Agreement with Assemblies of God division launches Salubris Publishing

Excel Publishers, a self-publishing imprint of Charisma House, has announced a trail-blazing initiative with My Healthy Church, a direct-to-church distributor and publisher of Christian resources through the Assemblies of God. The partnership will launch Salubris Publishing, a custom imprint for Christian writers who are called to speak spiritual truth to the world today.

The Nov. 1 launch will utilize Excel’s state-of-the-art typesetting program and capability to print books upon request in just 24 hours or less. The white-label service will facilitate high-speed publishing in e-book and print format.

“The Assemblies of God is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world, so it’s exciting to be involved in a project like this,” said Tom Freiling, director of Excel Publishers and founder of Xulon Press. “We are honored to have the opportunity to work with this denomination, and be able to offer this platform.”

Salubris will present three tiers of publishing packages for potential authors, including options for social media promotion and book microsites. Books published under this imprint also have the ability to reach markets in the United States and Latin America, including the preference for Spanish-language translation.

Steve and Susan Blount, co-publishers of Salubris, said the partnership with My Healthy Church came to fruition at an opportune time.

“We have been looking for a partner to work with us to create a custom publishing solution that extends our ability to offer even more authors a platform for sharing their stories,” the Blounts said in a statement. “We believe with Excel we have found the best solution.”

Provident Films DVD with Kirk Cameron slated for January

Unstoppable: A Live Event With Kirk Cameron has sold 260,000 tickets and reached a theatrical gross of more than $3.2 million after just two weeknights at the box office (Sept. 24 and Oct. 3). For the most recent showing, the film was the No. 3 film in box office receipts, even with only one screening in most theaters.

Christian retail customers will soon have the ability to own what Cameron calls his “most personal project,” as Provident Films will release Unstoppable to DVD Jan. 28, 2014. Churches may place orders now for a license to show the film, with showings beginning Nov. 15.

Inspired by the death of a close friend who succumbed to cancer at age 15, Cameron takes viewers on a visual journey, considering one of life’s biggest questions: “Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering?”

Going back to the beginning of time, Cameron investigates the origins of good and evil and how they impact lives and eternities. Unstoppable aims to prompt audiences to consider the role of pain and suffering and encourage conversation-starters on the subject. 

Learn more at  the film’s website, www.unstoppablethemovie.com.

‘Harbinger Decoded’ looks to follow sales success of messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s prophetic novel

The Harbinger has sold more than 1 million copies and spent 89 consecutive weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and more than 60 weeks on USA Today’s top 150 books list, as of press time. The Oct. 15 release of the companion DVD has met similarly high demand.

The Harbinger Decoded DVD, which sold out the first 40,000 copies its opening day, offers more information about Jonathan Cahn’s The Harbinger, published by Charisma House’s FrontLine imprint in January 2012.

The 60-minute documentary DVD, also from FrontLine, allows viewers to go deeper into the meaning and messages of Cahn’s novel and includes background material on the nine prophetic signs, interviews with top Christian leaders and the “story behind the story” of the New York Times best-seller.

The DVD portrays a fast-paced visual narrative that gives insights into the harbingers, including how they continue to be revealed with the completion of the Freedom Tower and the 2012 election. It also answers how the harbingers have been revealed, provides biblical support for the messages in The Harbinger, and urges viewers to pray for the U.S.

The Harbinger Decoded DVD is based on The Harbinger and The Harbinger Companion and Study Guide, which explain the signs and omens that come from Israel’s rebellion against God and how they apply to America today.

Rick Santorum’s EchoLight takes fired executives to court

Dallas-based EchoLight Studios filed a lawsuit Sept. 30 against two recently terminated executives for what the Christian film production company calls a “campaign of sabotage.”

The suit was filed in Tarrant County (Texas) Court against two former executives—Christopher Morrow, who served as EchoLight’s chief global strategist, and Bobby Downes, who was president of the company. The executives were fired in late September by former U.S. Senator and Republican presidential nominee Rick Santorum, who was hired as the company’s CEO in June.

The suit alleges that Morrow and Downes colluded to damage EchoLight’s reputation by making negative comments to the company’s partners and licensors, as well as hijacking its corporate Facebook account. The filing further claims that Morrow refused to turn over financial documents for an upcoming film, Hoovey, which received $1 million in studio money.

“At least two other partners/licensors of important EchoLight movie projects have communicated their desire to end their business relationship with EchoLight,” the lawsuit states.

The company seeks damages and an injunction against the former executives for breach of contract, conversion and breach of fiduciary duty, according to Courthouse News Service.

Still, leadership remains optimistic.

“EchoLight Studios is in a positive position and we are growing and expanding every day,” a spokeswoman said.

Echolight held a red-carpet premiere of Max Lucado’s The Christmas Candle in Dallas and Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 21, with the film set for national theatrical release in November. British singing sensation Susan Boyle will make her acting debut in The Christmas Candle alongside an ensemble cast of Hollywood talent. Other recent releases include Undaunted, Welcome to Paradise, Beyond the Heavens and 25 Hill.

At the International Christian Retail Show in June, Santorum introduced EchoLight as the first fully integrated faith-based film company.

“We can develop not only our own projects, but we can build this industry from the bottom out,” he said. “One of our key partnerships must be CBA and the Christian retail store, and we want to be their trusted brand.”

EchoLight pledged up to $1 million to produce and distribute a new work from the Best Film winner of 2013’s 168 Film Project, $250,000 to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, and committed to a five-year production and distribution deal with Liberty University.