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February 2011 Catholic Marketplace Bestsellers
James Martin climbs to #1; Scott Hahn wins three spots; The Rite sells well as the movie is set to release; C.S. Lewis and Henri Nouwen are enduring favorites.
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February 2011 Christian Marketplace Bestsellers
Sarah Young is a fixture at #1; Thomas Nelson’s Bonhoeffer bio makes the list; George W. Bush takes a spot; Francis Chan continues his winning run.
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Short Takes
Religion books show an encouraging uptick in the November AAP report; Joel Osteen signs a multi-book deal with Hachette’s FaithWords; Abingdon appoints a new executive director of marketing; the Religion Newswriters Association launches a new nonfiction book award; Worthy Publishing debuts; the Nautilus Book Awards extends the deadline for entry; Baker adds three new staffers; Novalis strikes distribution deal with the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada; Zondervan reports on its NIV Bible e-book sales; Made to Crave author holds webinars; Somersault Group marks 22 publishing anniversaries in 2011; Upper Room partners with the Henri Nouwen Society for a new series; Thomas Nelson’s Heaven Is for Real climbs the bestsellers lists; exorcism movie based on Doubleday Religion’s The Rite opens this Friday; The View hosts choose their favorite Christian books.
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Digital Distributor Offers Christian Publishers Another e-Book Option
As sales of e-books soar, publishers are doing all they can to multiply the platforms on which their titles are available, as well as to maximize digital distribution. NOVO Ink, a new digital distributor for the Christian market, aims to help by offering digitization and distribution for books and periodicals, using the device-neutral Zinio platform. The Colorado Springs-based company also sells titles—many exclusively--on its own Web site, www.novoink.com , which the company calls “family-friendly,” since customers will not find any material they might find offensive there. NOVO Ink CEO and President Devlin Donaldson told RBL, “Publishers are asking themselves, how do we move forward into the digital world? The frontlist is there, but the struggle is finding the time and resources to convert titles,” especially backlist.
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Editor's Note
As the economy stumbles into the light (we hope), religion publishers got some good news from the Association of American Publishers November sales report (see Short Takes in this issue). The category bested adult trade overall both month over month and for all of last year. Some big new books should help keep the momentum going as they climb both religion and general bestsellers lists. New ventures should also bolster the health of the category and bring fresh ideas to the business. All of us are looking forward to a better year in 2011, and in its first month there are reasons to be encouraged.
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New Jewish Children's Books Line Launching This Fall
Marshall Cavendish, a New York-area publisher of adult trade, reference and children's books, as well as curriculum and digital research resources, is partnering with The PJ Library, a Jewish literacy program in Massachusetts, to launch a line of Jewish children's books. The first titles under the new Shofar Books imprint will release this fall.
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Short Takes
Four new books look at sex and religion; this month brings a graphic novel version of The Alchemist; Zondervan and Baker win INSPY awards from book bloggers; next month’s book and gift shows in Atlanta draw international buyers; Tyndale House publishes an MVP and FaithWords the Sportsman of the Year; Tyndale takes Booklist fiction honors; first Christian Store Day raises more than $60,000 for Haiti relief; Crazy Love is Family Christian Stores Book of the Year; Focus on the Family president and author Jim Daly featured in Newsweek; Swedenborg seeks winning book proposals in new contest; Lucado on GMA on Christmas Day; Baker changes U.K. sales for academic titles; new managing editor for Paulist; Kregel named Vendor of the Year by marketing group.
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Signs of Happy Holidays for Book Sales
Early indicators point to a Merry Christmas for religion publishers and booksellers, with strong sales in November helping improve the seasonal outlook. In mid-December, the National Retail Federation revised its holiday sales growth forecast upward to 3.3 percent. The federation cited a number of economic improvements giving consumers more spending power, in addition to strong sales numbers from the weekend after Thanksgiving.
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Thomas Nelson Offers Social Media Aids for Retailers
Evangelical Christian publisher Thomas Nelson has developed two social media tools to help independent Christian retailers sell its products. An app can be downloaded by local retail accounts. The app will supply updates on breaking news in the marketplace that retailers need to know to effectively promote and sell Thomas Nelson titles. It will also send notices of upcoming Nelson author appearances.
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Editor's Note
Happy holidays to all, and thanks for being faithful Religion BookLine readers in 2010! You can look forward to some exciting changes and expanded coverage in 2011, as we broaden our content and launch some new departments and features. So stay tuned.
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New Books for Catholics
America’s 75 million Catholics claim a tradition steeped in mystery. But if book sales are any indication, many are ready to have their tradition demystified, and publishers stand eager to help, with new books from Pope Benedict, a guide to life from a Jesuit point of view, and a weighty biography of 20th-century theologian Avery Cardinal Dulles.
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Finding Guidance from God the Ignatian Way
Reaching into the past to glean modern lessons from spiritual masters can be inspiring and useful. But what is a seeker to do when the ancient master has the wisdom and the message, but his writing style doesn’t easily translate across the centuries?Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th-century mystic and founder of the vast Jesuit religious order and private school system of the Catholic Church, is just such a spiritual source, according to Mark E. Thibodeaux, a Jesuit priest, teacher, and author who lives and works in Grand Coteau, La. Thibodeaux’s new book, God’s Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God’s Will (Loyola Press, Dec.) aims to present Ignatius’s ideas on discernment, or prayerful decision making, in a modern light.
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December 2010 Christian Marketplace Bestsellers
Old favorites like Max Lucado, Jan Karon, and Joyce Meyer rule the roost, but new stars Sarah Young, Francis Chan, and David Platt keep them company on a list that ranges across fiction, spiritual self-help, current events, and more.
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Religion in Review
John Fea asks Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? (Westminster John Knox); Abby Johnson makes an Unplanned change (Tyndale); Carolyn Call on Spiritually Healthy Divorce (SkyLight Paths); David Mandel and David Pelcovitz are Breaking the Silence about sexual abuse in the Jewish community (KTAV); mega-church pastor Sergio De La Mora calls for a Heart Revolution (Baker); father and son authors Thom and Jess Rainer look at The Millennials and their attitudes toward the church (B&H Publishing); plus sneak peeks at vampires, Vatican II, and an unexpected history of the Bible from the Jan. 10 PW reviews.
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Sergio De La Mora Urges a Heart Revolution
This New Year's, don't make just another resolution. Make a heart revolution.That's what pastor Sergio De La Mora tells readers of his first book, Heart Revolution: Experience the Power of a Turned Heart (Baker, Jan.). De La Mora, leader of one of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, says "unturned hearts" are the cause of failed marriages, unsuccessful careers, and our country's divided government.
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Religion in Review
Among the original RBL reviews of books coming in December and January are One.Life, a challenge for today’s Christians by Scot McKnight (Zondervan); Fall to Grace by Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Faye (FaithWords); Courage to Stand by Minnesota’s governor and possible presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty (Tyndale House); and The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra (Harmony), which urges leaders to find and live their vision. Sneak peeks of reviews coming in the December 13 issue of PW include three stars, Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire by Jennifer Wright Knust (HarperOne); Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life and Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte (Thomas Nelson); and Hearing the Call: Liturgy, Justice, Church and World by Nicholas Wolterstorff (Eerdmans).
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Editor’s Note
At the annual meetings of the American Academy of Religion (Oct. 30-Nov. 1) and the Society of Biblical Literature (Nov. 20-23) talk of economic recovery was in the air, and new sales statistics offer other hopeful signs
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Short Takes
Vanessa Miller’s Long Time Coming tops the Black Christian Fiction list; Thomas Nelson prepares to launch Max Lucado retail program; Simon & Schuster acquires and publishes Kennedy book touted by Oliver Stone from Catholic house Orbis; the updated NIV is available online
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November 2010 Catholic Marketplace Bestsellers
Matthew Kelly continues to have the greatest number of titles on the list; James Martin’s new book for HarperOne has moved up; the pope comes in at #4; C.S. Lewis is a durable favorite across denominations
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