LIFE SENTENCE PUBLISHING

LIFE SENTENCE Publishing got its start in book distribution. Initially structured as a ministry distributing Christian books in prisons across the country, we branched out and added a single new book by a missionary from Colombia, South America. Needless to say, we learned a ton about distributing books in a very short time. Mainly, that it’s not easy! However, almost anything can be turned into a positive, and we now are able to use what we learned and help Christian authors today market their books using only the most cost-effective methods.

We’re geared towards authors that have a message to share, and would otherwise need to do so through self-publishing houses. For the same fee as you’d be paying anyway, we offer full professional editing, proofreading, and marketing. Included in our services are ebooks, and ebook promotion. You must ask us about free ebook downloads, as we have reached thousands yearly and expanded paid ebook downloads drastically through this unique marketing opportunity. God has blessed us wonderfully, providing great Christian staff and effective marketing methods. We give all glory for our success to Him alone.

To learn more, please call us at 715.223.3013, or visit our website at www.lifesentencepublishing.com. We always have time to speak with our authors, and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

NY TIMES CHRISTIAN BESTSELLERS - WEEK OF JULY 1

• TO HEAVEN AND BACK by Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook) is #2 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #5 on the paperback nonfiction list; #12 on the e-Book nonfiction list; #20 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #26 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield) is #4 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE RESOLUTION FOR MEN by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn (B&H Books) is #9 on the paperback advice & misc. list.

• IMPLOSION by Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House Publishers) is #10 on the e-Book nonfiction list; #13 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; #23 on the hardcover nonfiction list; and #28 on the combined print nonfiction list.

• CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C. Cook) is #10 on the paperback advice & misc. list.

• ONE THOUSAND GIFTS by Ann Voskamp (Zondervan) is #13 on the hardcover advice & misc. list.

• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #15 on the paperback trade fiction list.
• THE VOW by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson (B&H Publishing) is #23 on the paperback nonfiction list; and #23 on the e-Book nonfiction list.
• FEARLESS by Eric Blehm (WaterBrook) is #19 on the hardcover nonfiction list; #22 on the combined print nonfiction list; #24 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #24 on the e-Book nonfiction list.

 From ECPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

"PRAYER CONNECT" LOOKING FOR WRITERS

Please tell your Christian writer friends that Prayer Connect magazine is looking for articles on prayer and especially short ideas of things you can do to enhance your prayer life or grow prayer in your church. We are on the hunt for stuff for future issues. Go tohttp://www.facebook.com/l/2AQH74_1kAQGegY6Dj4jJx19FTMfc83AtkNUJvztu2URgtw/www.prayerconnect.net/profile/write-for-us for information. Could be an easy sale!

Jon Graf
Publisher

Write for Us www.prayerconnect.net Writer's Guidelines for Prayer Connect Magazine

NY TIMES BESTSELLERS FOR WEEK OF JUNE 24

• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #2 on the paperback nonfiction list; #8 on the e-Book nonfiction list; #9 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #9 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• TO HEAVEN AND BACK by Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook) is #3 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield) is #4 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C. Cook) is #8 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE RESOLUTION FOR MEN by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn (B&H Books) is #11 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• RADICAL by David Platt (Multnomah) is #12 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #13 on the paperback trade fiction list.
• THE VOW by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson (B&H Publishing) is #14 on the paperback nonfiction list; #19 on the e-Book nonfiction list; and #32 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list.
• THE LOVE DARE by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough (B&H Books) is #15 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• FEARLESS by Eric Blehm (WaterBrook) is #16 on the hardcover nonfiction list; #20 on the combined print nonfiction list; #21 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #24 on the e-Book nonfiction list.
• MORTAL by Ted Dekker (Center Street) is #27 on the hardcover fiction list.
• WINNING BALANCE by Shawn Johnson (Tyndale Momentum) is #33 on the hardcover nonfiction list.

 From ECPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

CANADIAN WRITING PRIZES AWARDED

The 24th annual Canadian Christian Writing awards presents the top prizes for best writing in 2011 
As an excerpt was being read from her book The Third Grace, Deb Elkink was both astonished and elated at being selected as the Grace Irwin Award winner at the 24th annual Canadian Christian Writing Awards gala. This year, five of the 53 books entered were shortlisted for the Grace Irwin Award: Deb Elkink, The Third Grace; Erin E. M. Hatton,Otherworld; Greg Paul, Close Enough to Hear God Breathe; Jayne E. Self, Murder in Hum Harbour; and Ann Voskamp,One Thousand Gifts. The Leslie K Tarr Award for Lifetime Achievement was presented to to Jean Vanier, author of nearly 30 books, including the classic Becoming Human, and the founder of L'Arche communities worldwide. The annual writing awards, sponsored by The Word Guild, celebrate the best in Canadian writing in periodicals, anthologies, and books by authors who write from a Christian worldview.  Winners in 35 categories were announced. 

MUNCE PARTNERS WITH CAN

The Munce Group is pleased to announce their partnership with the Christian Authors Network (CAN), a vibrant marketing co-op of over 100 published Christian authors whose goal is to educate authors and promote their books. After CAN’s participation at a sponsored breakfast for Christian Product Expo (CPE) in January, the Munce Group began exploring opportunities to benefit both CAN and its authors and the Munce Group member stores and their consumers. Since then, the Munce Group has developed multiple projects with CAN to impact as many lives as possible with Christian materials and drive traffic into independent Christian stores.

GEORGIA WRITERS' CONFERENCE

East Metro Atlanta Christian Writers (EMACW) invites the public to its annual conference featuring a faculty of nine authors and speaker. The conference will be Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8 at Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Newton Center in Covington, Ga. (about 40 miles east of Atlanta on Interstate 20).

A special meet-and-greet for conference attendees and others to meet the faculty will be held on Thursday, September 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Georgia Piedmont Technical College.

The expert faculty will include:

• Novelist and writing coach Sally Hamer
• Award-winning novelists Jennifer Hudson Taylor and Julie Cannon
• Editor and social marketing expert Edie Melson
• Gift and devotional book author Karen Moore
• Literary agent Les Stobbe
• Local authors and bloggers Patricia Manns, Alicia Stunkel, and Leigh DeLozier.

Workshop topics will focus on both fiction and nonfiction writing. Sessions will include “Getting Started Freelancing,” “Writing Gift Books and Devotionals,” “Marketing Your Blog,” “Writing for Children,” “Writing a Memoir,” “The Character Waltz,” and more.

Registration includes five workshops and a keynote address each day, continental breakfast, lunch, and class handouts. The cost is $180 if paid by Friday, August 10, or $199 after August 10. Registration closes on Friday, August 31.

More details (including a registration form, faculty bios, and workshop descriptions) are online at www.emacw.org. For additional information, call EMACW director Colleen Jackson at 404-444-7514.

*********************************

East Metro Atlanta Christian Writers (EMACW) is Chapter #3070 of the American Christian Writers Association.

Georgia Piedmont Technical College/Newton Center is located at 8100 Bob Williams Parkway in Covington, Ga. For directions or more information, visit www.emacw.org.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY LAUNCHES NEW SITE

CAROL STREAM, Ill., June 12, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Christianity Today announces the debut of the redesigned ChristianityToday.com, the website for Christianity Today magazine, with new features and a clean, fresh look. The new website boasts a simpler layout, subscriber-only content, minute-to-minute news updates from around the web, and topically categorized content ranging from hot button subjects like Mitt Romney and same-sex marriage to timeless ones like fatherhood and prayer. 

Publisher Terumi Echols says, "A makeover for our website has been long overdue, and we couldn't be happier about the changes. ChristianityToday.com will be an easy-to-use and excellent source for Biblical perspective on the news and cultural events shaping the Church and the world, plus an endless resource for researching a number of topics."

Christianity Today hopes the changes will be refreshing and helpful for faithful readers as well as inviting to new users.

The website has been organized into four clearly-defined sections:

• Theology + Spirituality -- Commentary from leading Christian thinkers on religion and ethics.
  
• Church Life + Ministry -- Stories and commentary about God's work daily through the Church worldwide.
  
• Media + Culture -- Reviews, news, and more on the books, movies, TV, and music affecting culture.
  
• Politics + Current Affairs -- Civil, trusted voices on the latest news in global and local political affairs.

New features:

• Gleanings -- Constant monitor of the most important stories from around the world and web, with Biblical insight added to each story.
  
• Topics -- New categories on a myriad of subjects, including the most-discussed articles, an up-to-date newsfeed, and a timeline so you know the whole story.
  
• Issue pages -- Immediate, subscriber-only access to both the current issue and 17 years of past issues, all in a simplified, easy-to-navigate format.

To view the redesigned website, go to www.ChristianityToday.com. 

NY TIMES BESTSELLERS LIST FOR JUNE 17

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield) is #2 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #3 on the paperback nonfiction list; #4 on the e-Book nonfiction list; #6 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #8 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• TO HEAVEN AND BACK by Mary C. Neal (WaterBrook) is #3 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE VOW by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson (B&H Publishing) is #9 on the paperback nonfiction list; #14 on the e-Book nonfiction list; and #25 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list.
• FEARLESS by Eric Blehm (WaterBrook) is #7 on the hardcover nonfiction list; #9 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; #9 on the e-Book nonfiction list; and #10 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #10 on the paperback trade fiction list.
• CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C. Cook) is #11 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• PLATFORM by Michael Hyatt (Thomas Nelson) was #12 on the hardcover advice & misc. list for June 10.
• RADICAL by David Platt (Multnomah) is #13 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• THE LOVE DARE by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough (B&H Books) is #14 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• AN INVISIBLE THREAD by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski (Howard Books) is #22 on the e-Book nonfiction list.
• BONHOEFFER by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson) is #26 on the paperback nonfiction list.

 From ECPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

NEW DIRECT-TO-DIGITAL IMPRINT

Zondervan has announced Zondervan First, a new direct-to-digital publishing imprint. The new imprint launches today with the acquisition of the first fiction title, Love in Three- Quarter Time by Dina Sleiman. Zondervan First will provide fresh and relevant content across all reading devices. Authors who publish under this model will have the same access to the Zondervan editorial and marketing teams as those published traditionally, which sets this program apart from other direct-to-digital publishers. 

INCREASING REVENUE FROM EBOOKS

Survey Reveals 100% Increase in Publishers Making  Double-Digit Annual Revenues from eBooks

Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine and Aptara announce that initial results from the 4th Annual eBook Survey of Publishers, conducted in April, reveal a 100% year-over-year increase in the number of publishers making greater than 10% of their annual revenues from eBooks (36% of eBook publishers surveyed as compared to 18% in 2011).  This marks the first year since the survey was initiated in 2009 that eBooks are making meaningful contributions to publishers’ top lines.

CALL FOR STORIES

Author Nancy B. Kennedy is looking for stories told by mothers for the third book in her "Miracles and Moments of Grace" series, to be published by Leafwood Publishers in March 2013. The stories illuminate memorable moments of motherhood and can be inspiring, thoughtful, heart-breaking or even funny. Stories with messages of faith are welcome, although not necessary. You don't even have to be a writer to participate! If you have a story to share, all you have to do is send a few details in an e-mail and we'll work together from there. For complete information, contact Nancy at kennedy5961@aol.com.

POPULARITY OF SELF-PUBLISHED TITLES

From Publishers Weekly Daily online...

BEA 2012: Self-Published Titles Topped 211,000 in 2011 
By Jim Milliot
Jun 04, 2012

A nearly week-long period filled with BookExpo America events kicked off Sunday at the Javits Center as the uPublishU self-publishing seminar drew nearly 300 people attracted by panels and exhibitors offering the latest developments in the self-publishing field. Those who attended the “The How, What, Where, and When of Print and EBooks” session heard Bowker v-p for publishing services Kelly Gallagher proclaim 2012 to be part of the “golden age of self-publishing,” and provided statistics to back it up; according to Bowker’s newest figures of books produced, last year there were 211,269 self-published titles (based on ISBNs) released, up from 133,036 in 2010.

Among the other insights Gallagher shared on the self-publishing market: the most popular genre in terms of units is fiction (45%), but that nonfiction leads in sales (38%). The average price for a self-published fiction book is $6.94, while nonfiction titles command $19.32. And while e-books accounted for 41% of self-published units, they only accounted for 11% of sales; the reason? The average self-published e-book sold for $3.18, while trade paperbacks had an average price of $12.68 and hardcovers averaged $14.40.

According to Bowker, Amazon’s CreateSpace was the largest player in the self-publishing space last year, publishing 57,602 titles; AuthorSolutions' various imprints did 41,605 books, and Lulu 30,019.

Gallagher also said that Bowker is developing a self-publishing White Paper, and is creating a self-publishing bestsellers list.

NY TIMES BEST SELLERS FOR WEEK OF JUNE 3

• THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield) is #2 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• 
  
• HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #3 on the paperback nonfiction list; #6 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; #8 on the e-Book nonfiction list; and #9 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• 
  
• THE VOW by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter with Dana Wilkerson (B&H Publishing) is #4 on the e-Book nonfiction list; #7 on the paperback nonfiction list; #14 on the combined print and e-Book nonfiction list; and #33 on the combined print nonfiction list.
• 
  
• CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski (David C. Cook) is #7 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• 
  
• LET IT GO by T. D. Jakes (Atria) is #9 on the hardcover advice & misc. list.
• 
  
• THE LOVE DARE by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough (B&H Books) is #11 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• 
  
• RADICAL by David Platt (Multnomah) is #13 on the paperback advice & misc. list.
• 
  
• THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #14 on the paperback trade fiction list.
• 
  
• THE FIDDLER by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House Publishers) is #31 on the paperback trade fiction list.

 From ECPA's Rush to Press at ecpanews.org/rush

FINALISTS FOR GOLDEN SCROLL AWARDS

For more information, email Linda Evans Shepherd at:  Lswrites@aol.com or call:  303 772-2035 Orlando, FL – The Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) has announced their finalists for the 2012 Golden Scroll Awards for Publisher, Editor, and Fiction Editor of the Year to be honored at the AWSA Golden Scrolls Awards Banquet and reception, Sunday, July 15th, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Rosen Centre in Orlando. Honored for outstanding ministry partnerships with their authors, the Golden Scroll Publisher of the Year finalists are Baker Publishing Group, Harvest House Publishers, and New Hope Publishers; Editor of the Year finalists are Kim Bangs of Regal Books,  Carolyn McCready of Zondervan, and Rod Morris of Harvest House Publishers; and the Fiction Editor of the Year finalists are Beth Adams most recently of Howard Books, a Division of Simon and Schuster, Stephanie Broene of Tyndale House Publishers, and Julee Schwarzburg of Schwarzburg Editorial. Other awards to be presented at the Golden Scrolls Award Banquet are the AWSA Nonfiction and Novel Book of the Year Awards, the AWSA Member of the Year, the Beyond Me Award, as well as the prestigious 2012 Golden Scroll Lifetime Achievement Award. Bestselling author and international radio personality June Hunt will be the keynote speaker with Linda Evans Shepherd as emcee. Authors Carol Kent and Jennie Afman Dimkoff will present awards. Recording artist Gwen Smith will perform a parody written by Martha Bolton dedicated to editors and publishers.  A dessert reception immediately follows the banquet. At 4 p.m., guests are invited to hear Suzanne Kuhn, the owner of SuzyQ, a full-service author promotion and retail development service, speak on ways to maximize book sales. The Golden Scroll Awards banquet and reception are open to the public. Tickets are $54.99.  For more information or to register for the banquet, go to www.ScrollAwards.com. AWSA, an outreach of Right to the Heart Ministries, consists of over 350 top ICRS women authors who both publish and speak nationally. See www.AWSA.com. NOTE: The AWSA Announcement of the Golden Scroll Nonfiction and Novel Book of the Year Finalists will be announced June 2nd.