NY TIMES BEST SELLERS - WK OF 9/29

•SI-COLOGY 1 by Si Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #1 in combined print & e-book nonfiction; #1 in hardcover nonfiction; and #18 in e-book nonfiction. •THE DUCK COMMANDER FAMILY by Willie and Korie Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #3 in monthly hardcover business; and #18 in hardcover nonfiction. •THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGESby Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #5 in advice, how-to & miscellaneous. •HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #6 in combined print & e-book nonfiction; #7 in hardcover nonfiction; and #8 in e-book nonfiction. •UNGLUED by Lysa TerKeurst (Zondervan) is #6 in advice, how-to & miscellaneous. •TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson) is #7 in monthly hardcover business. •YOU'LL GET THROUGH THIS by Max Lucado (Thomas Nelson) is #10 in advice, how-to & miscellaneous. •HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #13 in paperback nonfiction. •GOD IS NOT MAD AT YOU by Joyce Meyer (FaithWords) is #14 in advice, how-to & miscellaneous. •PASTRIX by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Jericho Books) is #17 in hardcover nonfiction; #23 in e-book nonfiction; and #24 in combined print & e-book nonfiction. •AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by Ben Carson with Candy Carson (Zondervan) is #17 in paperback nonfiction. •THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn (FrontLine) is #17 in paperback trade fiction. •THE SECRET KEEPER by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House) is #23 in paperback trade fiction. •WAKING UP IN HEAVEN by Crystal McVea and Alex Tresniowski (Howard Books) is #25 in paperback nonfiction

ACFW AWARDS

At the American Christian Fiction Writers’ (ACFW) Awards Gala which closed the 2013 conference, honors in addition to the Carol Awards and Genesis Awards spotlighted significant contributions to the Christian Fiction industry. Julie Gwinn, formerly of B&H Publishing, was awarded ACFW’s Editor of the Year honor. Natasha Kern of the Natasha Kern Agency received ACFW’s Agent of the Year honor. Author Frank Peretti received a standing ovation when awarded ACFW’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments in Christian fiction and the impact of his books on readers’ lives and faith.

LEE HOUGH SUCCUMBS TO BRAIN TUMOR

Lee Hough, Vice President at Alive Communications where he served as a literary agent for 12½ years, died peacefully at his Colorado Springs home last week after more than a two-year battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor," reported Alive's President Rick Christian. He was 58.

WRITE TO IGNITE! WRITER'S SEMINAR

Saturday, October 5, 9:00A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. At Mall 21 at the corner of 21st St. and 17th Ave. Lewiston, Idaho Registration at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday $40 cost includes lunch Please pre-register By September 25th. Space is limited. For additional details, go to: www.inlandnwchristianwriters.com Sponsored by: Inland NW Christian Writers and His Story Christian Gift Center

"FAVORITE BOOK" WRITING CONTEST

Oregon’s first ever “Favorite book” Writing Contest — with $300 in prizes Oregon Women’s Report wants you to think about your favorite you read in the past two years. Share your thoughts & you could win $300 in prizes. First pick your own prize category based on the book you wish to review: $50.00 Romance $50.00 Mystery/thriller $50.00 Self-help/cooking/health/fitness/Family $50.00 Religious $50.00 Biography/Historical (non-fiction) $50.00 Wildcard category Details: Word Count: Short & simple 250-400 words. Deadline: October 17th 2013, 5:00pm Requirements: Author must live in Oregon or Washington. You may submit as many book reviews as you wish but only one prize category selected per book. Why you could win: This is not a distant and impersonal national contest with 10,000 submissions to compete against, but rather a local contest with 30-50 submissions on average. Our six prize categories improves your chances of winning. Our goal is to reward local women writers. That’s why we have awarded over $1,000 in prizes to local Oregon women in our contests. Free promotion: For authors & bloggers we will gladly link and promote your website and your books when we feature your review. Even non-winning review submissions will have a chance to be featured on our website. Our website is part of a network of 7,000 Twitter followers. Submit Articles: You can submit article either (1) inside an email or (2) attach as either Word, TXT or Rich Text Format. Email to Oregon@oregonreport.com with subject line “Book Review Writing Contest”. Please fill & email the application below. 1. Prize Category You are entering. 2. Name: 3. Mailing Address: 4. City: 5. State: 6. Zip Code: 7. Contact phone number: 8. Are you an author? (if yes, please provide a web link): 9. Do you have a blog? (If yes, please provide link): 10. How did you discover the contest? 11. Are you a member of any local writing group? (if yes, let us know) Note: OWR reserves the right to make changes to contest as deemed necessary. By Oregon Women’s Report 503-644-1300 5425 SW King Blvd. Beaverton, OR, 97008 oregon@oregonreport.com

WRITING & BOOK MARKETING CLASSES

Three accomplished professionals in the world of writing and book marketing will present classes for writers in conjunction with the Florence Festival of Books. The classes will be held at Port Hole Publications, 179 Laurel St., Laurel Crossings Building, Old Town, Florence, on Friday, September 27, the day before the festival. Instructors Karen Nichols, Ellen Traylor and Veronica Esagui will share on a range of topics, from how to get started on a writing project, through getting into print, to marketing a published book. Karen Nichols, well-known Florence artist of many media and author of two novels, teaches How to Get Started on Your Book - Show Don’t Tell at 2 p.m. With over 30 years as a teacher, two published novels, feature stories, ad copy, grant writing, editing and book cover design, Nichols brings her experience to help those interested in finding their voice. Nichols says, “So you'’d like to write? Realize your potential by fostering important writing skills: developing strong characters and plot through compelling narrative, convincing dialogue and strong settings. This is a getting-started workshop.” Ellen Traylor, author of 19 books and owner Port Hole Publications, which has published the works of more than a dozen authors, teaches Self-Editing and Style at 4 p.m. Traylor’s own works have sold more than a million copies, and she has taught writing for publication at Whitworth College and Eastern Washington University, as well as regional writers conferences. Traylor says, “Before turning your work over to an editor, make it as sharp as possible. This class teaches how to tighten your story by eliminating unnecessary words, using active voice and modern style.” Dr. Veronica Esagui, chiropractic physician, author, interviewer on TV's Author's Forum in the Portland area, and the moving force behind the NW Book Festival in Portland's Pioneer Square and the Northwest Writers & Publishers Association, teaches about How to Promote Your Own Book at 7 p.m. Esagui says, “You have published your own book or you had it published by a traditional publisher. Now what? What can you do to sell more books? Do you have media contacts? How do you write a letter to the media? When should you start promoting? How do you make your name more visible? These and many more questions will be addressed to help authors promote their books on a budget.” Each class will offer a door prize. For students who register by Friday, September 20, each class is $25, or all three classes may be taken for $60. Registration at the door costs $30 per class. Each class lasts 1-1/2 hours and refreshments will be served. Traylor says, “Apply early to secure your space.” To register, contact Ellen Traylor at (541)999-5725 or email her at porthole@centurytel.net.

NY TIMES BEST SELLERS - WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 8

* THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES by Gary Chapman (Northfield/Moody) is #1 in advice, how-to & miscellaneous. * BONHOEFFER by Eric Metaxas (Thomas Nelson) is #2 in e-book nonfiction; and #9 in combined print & e-book nonfiction. * DUCK COMMANDERS by Willie and Korie Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #3 in monthly hardcover business; and #11 in hardcover nonfiction. * HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach (Howard Books) is #4 in hardcover nonfiction; #5 in combined print & e-book nonfiction; and #7 in e-book nonfiction. * TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER by Dave Ramsey (Thomas Nelson) is #7 in monthly hardcover business. * THUNDER DOG by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory (Thomas Nelson) is #11 in e-book nonfiction; and #22 in combined print & e-book nonfiction. * AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by Ben Carson with Candy Carson (Zondervan) is #11 in paperback nonfiction. From ECPA's Rush to Press at ECPAnews.org HEAVEN IS FOR REAL by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent (Thomas Nelson) is #14 in paperback nonfiction.

CHILDREN'S & YA SALES DROP

According to the Association of American Publishers (AAP) StatShot report for the first third of 2013, publishers saw total trade sales take a six percent drop. These declines were driven by an almost 27 percent decline in young adult and children’s sales across all formats–blockbuster sales of The Hunger Games bolstered this category during the same period last year. The AAP chart embedded above shows how the different young adult and children’s categories were affected from January to April 2013. The children’s YA category saw a 37 percent drop in hardcover and a nearly 44 percent drop in eBooks. If you exclude those expected declines in YA and children’s publishing, total trade sales were up 12 percent compared to the same period last year. Below, we’ve collected the overall totals for all trade formats. This Stat Shot report used data collected from 1,193 publishers.

INCREASE IN RELIGIOUS E-BOOK SALES

Faith-based publishers reported a 7.9% increase during the first four months of 2013 in religious e-book sales compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures available from the Association of American Publishers (AAP). From January-April this year, religious hardcover sales were down nearly 3.6%, with sales of $93 million. In contrast, religious paperback sales experienced an 8% increase during the same date range versus January-April 2012, with sales of $54.2 million. Overall, book sales from religious publishers for the January-April period compared to the same time frame last year saw a nearly 2% increase to nearly $193.2 million. With nearly 1,200 publishers reporting, AAP's Monthly StatShot report includes data from Crossway, Gospel Light, Moody Publishers, David C Cook, Thomas Nelson and Tyndale House Publishers, among others represented by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

CHARISMA HOUSE & XULON PRESS MAKE CHANGES

Charisma House and Xulon take self-publishing into the future Tom Freiling, founder of Xulon Press, ventures back into self-publishing with the launch of Excel, a breakthrough in digital self-publishing that utilizes an exclusive technology to facilitate high-speed publishing. Launching in September 2013, Excel is a collaborative project owned by Charisma House and directed by Freiling. Excel is the world’s first self-publishing endeavor to offer print-on-demand technology specifically for Christian authors.

I'M BACK

Sorry for the delay in posts. My computer has been on the disabled list for the last couple of weeks. I thought it might recover, but it turned out to be terminal--at least until it got a transplant. The new hard drive is finally up and working, but with a few bugs. As I get those straightened out, I'll be posting again. Thanks for your patience and your loyalty to this blog. You're the greatest!