Spanish translation of ‘Love Dare’ wins two trophies, including Harold Kregel Book of the Year

EXPOLIT

B&H Publishing Group dominated the Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA) Awards at the 18th annual Expolit convention in Miami, winning six trophies at the May 16 event.

Desafío del amor, the Spanish translation of The Love Dare by Fireproof movie-making brothers Stephen and Alex Kendrick (published in English by B&H Books in 2008), won the Harold Kregel 2009 Book of the Year award for “most inspiring and impactful book.”

With sales of more than 300,000 copies, Desafío del amor was also named Best Nonfiction Book and took a Gold Award for lifetime sales of at least 100,000 copies. B&H Publishing Group also won the best catalog, annotated Bible and reference book categories.

Editorial Unilit won three awards, including Publisher of the Year and tying for Best Original Spanish Work in 2009 for Los 30 horrores que cometen los hombres y que toda mujer debe saber (the 30 awful mistakes men commit that every woman should know) by Norma Pantojas. Editorial Unilit also garnered a Silver Award—lifetime sales of more than 50,000 copies—for Stormie Omartian’s El poder de la esposa que ora (The Power of a Praying Wife, published in English by Harvest House Publishers in 2007).

Editorial Vida, Zondervan’s Spanish imprint, was recognized for Best Original Spanish Work in 2009 for Destinado al exito (destined for success) by Argentine evangelist Dante Gebel. Additionally, Vida won the best advertisement and book cover categories in the art and design section.

A major award also went to Mexico’s Distribuidora Ariel for Distributor of the Year.

Editorial Portavoz (Kregel Publications’ Spanish imprint) won the Bible study and fiction categories. The Spanish imprint of Strang Communications—Christian Retailing’s parent company—Casa Creación received a Platinum Award for Joel Osteen’s Su mejor vida ahora (Your Best Life Now, published in English by FaithWords in 2004) and a Gold Award for Joyce Meyer’s Controlando sus emociones (Managing Your Emotions, published in English by FaithWords in 2002).

Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas (United Bible Societies) won two awards for best text Bible and best specialized Bible, while Tyndale Español garnered the best children’s book award for Mi Biblia pijama bilingüe (My Bilingual Pajama Bible).

Jim Cook, vice president of international sales for B&H Publishing Group, said the company’s international division experienced growth in 2009 despite the continuing downturn in the economy. “While most publishers were down 10% to 15%, we had our best year ever,” he said. “Our (Spanish) sales were up 27% from 2008.”

Attendance rises over 2009 for Spanish product world’s annual gathering

EXPOLIT

Despite the continuing global recession, attendance was up and attendees were upbeat about the 18th annual Expolit conference—held May 13- 18 in Miami, organizers said.

Although final attendance figures were not available at press time, registrations for the largest trade fair in the U.S. for the Spanish-language Christian literature and music world—which was also open to the general public—were up about 30% from last year, according to Expolit Vice President and Director Marie Tamayo.

Held at the Doubletree Miami Mart/Airport Hotel and Exhibition Center, Expolit featured several new events, including One World Youth Challenge 2010—”an entire day dedicated to youth,” Tamayo said.

The increase in attendance—which included both domestic and international conventioneers—was “spurred by a strong emphasis on youth, family and media events (along) with a wide variety of leading musicians and speakers such as Luis Palau and Kirk Cameron,” she said.

“This year we had specialized tracks,” Tamayo added. “The youth (focus) was more than well received. … A spirit of unity was a comment I received over and over at Expolit.”

Spanish Evangelical Products Association (SEPA) Executive Director and Editorial Unilit President David Ecklebarger said that “all the way around there was good enthusiasm on the part of the exhibitors.”

“The pulse right now is one of guarded optimism,” Ecklebarger added. “The industry is starting to turn the corner. There are a number of bookstores that were running level rather than losing ground. But I think the Spanish (product) industry has sort of bottomed out.”

He said that there was “a more positive feeling” at Expolit from the 2009 event. “Last year there was so much uncertainty about the future,” Ecklebarger added. “But this year there is a feeling of more confidence. … There was a sense of optimism on the part of the booksellers that things have either leveled off or are getting better.”

Some Spanish-language publishers reported growth in 2009.

“We had our best year so far, and 2010 is a special year with our 40th anniversary,” said Tito Mantilla, publisher of Editorial Portavoz (Kregel Publications’ Spanish imprint) who was elected SEPA president at Expolit.

Publishers streamline operations, seek to broaden reach

Zondervan has laid off 30 employees as part of “consolidation of some publishing units.” The Grand Rapids, Mich., publisher—which still has 374 employees—said it was streamlining operations, but was also hiring people for its digital and multimedia operations.

Meanwhile, Hachette Book Group (HBG) USA recently announced changes to its Nashville-based FaithWords and Center Street, intended to help broaden the reach of the two imprints.

“We’ve developed a comprehensive strategic plan, which includes consolidation of some publishing units, streamlining of sales and operations and, unfortunately, the elimination of about 30 positions companywide,” Zondervan spokesperson Tara Powers said.

“While streamlining our operations is necessary in the context of both our business mandate and our mission to reach more people for Christ, it makes these changes no less difficult.”

Powers said the employees who were let go mid-April were given severance packages. Despite the layoffs, the company’s Web site listed 18 job openings—15 positions in the Grand Rapids headquarters and three in Zondervan’s Seattle office.

“We will be looking to add people who have digital and multimedia experience as that will be an important area as the demand for e-books and digital formats continues to grow,” Powers added.

Elsewhere, Rolf Zettersten—HBG senior vice president and publisher of FaithWords and Center Street—said new positions would be created, and Center Street’s staff would be moved to the parent company’s New York City office, where they will have more opportunity to work directly with literary agents and media.

Effective May 3, the changes included: moving all advertising and promotion responsibilities for both imprints to the New York office; boosting online promotions and presence with a new, New York-based staffer for FaithWords and Center Street; hiring a marketing manager in New York; and creating a three-person Center Street office in New York, comprised of an editor, a publicist and an assistant.

Since the launch of the Nashville office nearly 10 years ago, FaithWords and Center Street have sold more than 51 million books. The imprints have attracted best-selling authors such as Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Karen Kingsbury, Ted Dekker and John Maxwell.

HBG USA had double-digit sales growth last year, according to financial reports recently released by its parent company, French media conglomerate Lagardère.

Hachette’s total earnings before interest and taxes in 2009 increased 24% to approximately $455 million, company officials said. Besides the success of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga, several other titles—including William P. Young’s The Shack—were cited in contributing to the growth.

Publishers create sports-themed materials for major outreach

SOUTH AFRICA

The World Cup soccer finals have prompted a big Christian literature distribution effort from publishers looking to make the most of interest in the sport with the biggest global following.

Tens of thousands of Bibles and soccer-related books and tracts are due to be given away free at events linked to the June 11-July 11 competition.

In addition, Zondervan has published an international edition of Toward the Goal: The Kaká Story, which profiles a member of the Brazilian national team who is an outspoken Christian and has been honored as World Player of the Year.

Among those participating in the World Cup effort is U.S.-based evangelist and author Ray Comfort, whose Living Waters ministry has sent more than 100,000 special tracts featuring caricatures of eight leading players on “one billion dollar” bills.

The evangelistic collectibles have been printed in English, French, German and Portuguese and will be handed out by teams from Luke 9:23 Evangelism in cities across South Africa.

Another U.S.-based ministry has sent around half a million copies of a soccer-related publication, too. Onehope, which has given away 600 million copies of its Book of Hope for children in the last 23 years, has produced Champions.

“We have other books that we hand out on a daily basis, but we wanted to make something relevant for this particular event,” said South African coordinator Leah Fuller.

Featuring testimonies of Christian soccer players, skills training and scripture, the new title is to be passed out by partner ministries at soccer clinics and other events. The book is also to be distributed through World Cup-related outreaches in other parts of Africa and Latin America.

In South Africa, Champions is being given away along with a pocket guide to the tournament created by Hellenic Ministries as is Born to Play, a soccer edition of an evangelistic book from Ambassadors in Sport.

Many of the materials are to be used as part of The Ultimate Goal (TUG), an initiative by the South African Sport Coalition that has been recruiting churches to host special events—including live screening of games. TUG coordinator Ben Marais said that more than 100 international teams were expected to travel to South Africa to help with the effort.

Biblica has also been supporting World Cup initiatives by providing Scriptures for distribution. The global Bible publishing ministry teamed up with Ubabalo, an African soccer ministry that incorporates biblical values with soccer training, games and tournaments.

“Africans, especially South Africans, are very excited about the World Cup,” said Biblica communications specialist Lynn Waalkes. “In at least one province in South Africa, the kids are getting extra school holidays. That gives us an opportunity to hold Bible clubs and work with Ubabalo, providing soccer balls and training materials translated into local languages. It’s a great, creative way to bring the gospel to children and teens, especially in areas of poverty and high crime.”

A young adult title written by Jeremy V. Jones and published in May, Toward the Goal tells how Kaká rose through the ranks and overcame a potentially crippling injury to become one of the game’s greatest players.

“We hope this book will serve as an inspiration to young readers and give them the courage to dream big,” said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher of Zonderkidz. “This story underscores how faith can carry us through even when the odds seem to be against us in life.”

In Italy, national team member Nicola Legrottaglie recently visited the CLC Christian bookstore in Italy to sign copies of his second book, Cento volte tanto: Con la fede vivo meglio (A hundred times as much: I live better through faith), about his life and Christian faith.