Storytelling was a big theme for the second day of the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Atlanta.

Singers Mark Hall, Natalie Grant and Francesca Battistelli joined authors Max Lucado and Randy Frazee in introducing The Story to several hundred attendees at the breakfast presentation sponsored by Zondervan.

Centered around the publisher's chronological reorganizing of the Bible in 31 episodes to show the overarching themes of God's Word, the project is to be promoted for use in church-wide campaigns. A fall tour to around a dozen cities will launch the initiative, whose associated products include a children's Bible storybook, book, inspired-by CD of new music and video curriculum.

Meanwhile, the newest Bible version has had a positive reception, said Paul Franklyn, associate publisher of Abingdon Press' Common English Bible (CEB)—launched with a 70,000-copy print run. "We're very pleased," he said, adding that demand had required a second print run of 50,000 copies.

Speaking at a press conference about Bible translation approaches, Franklyn said that a third of the 120 scholars who had worked on the CEB were women. "With most Bibles being bought by women—between 75% and 85%—they deserve a place at the table, since all translation is interpretative," he said.

Elsewhere, Christian retailing's core constituency—those identified as active Christians and their personal devotional habits and church activity—account for more than half of all Christian fiction sales, according to data from R.R. Bowker's Pubtrack Consumer analysis of book readers' habits.

The data was presented in a press conference spotlighting Christian fiction, which saw leading novelists Randy Alcorn, DiAnn Mills and Terri Blackstock talk about how they were able to share spiritual truths through their stories. "Christian novelists were farmers because 'we plant seeds,' " Mills said.

Reporting a busy debut at the show was Influence, the new imprint created under the umbrella of the Assemblies of God's Gospel Publishing House (GPH). Officially launching Aug. 1 with 25 releases in print and digital format, the first books and comic books had seen a "phenomenal" response, said Publisher Susan Blount.

Influence was launched after GPH realized that with its sales going down at a time when the denomination itself was growing, something needed to be done, said Blount. "What we are finding is that there is a place in the market for someone who is willing to do things in a new way," she added.

Meanwhile, the finalists for this year's American Christian Fiction Writers' (ACFW) Carol Awards have been announced. Among the finalists were: Debut Novel: The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group); Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes (Tyndale House Publishers); and Rooms by James L. Rubart (B&H Books).

Long Contemporary: The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Revell/Baker Publishing Group); Red Ink by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers); and Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group). Long Contemporary Romance: Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge (Harvest House Publishers); Anna's Return by Marta Perry (Berkley Books); and Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman (Thomas Nelson).

Long Historical: Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (WaterBrook Press); Petra: City of Stone by T.L. Higley (B&H Books); Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren (Summerside Press). Long Historical Romance: The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy (Barbour Publishing); Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson (Summerside Press); and Courting Morrow Little by Laura Frantz (Revell/Baker Publishing Group).

Click here for a complete list of the finalists for the 2011 Carol Awards. The winners will be announced at ACFW's annual conference, to be held Sept. 22-25 in St. Louis.

• Prev
• Next