The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) is overhauling its annual Gold Medallion Book Awards in an effort to make them more effective at promoting sales at Christian retail.

Six streamlined categories--Bibles, Bible reference and study, fiction, Christian life, inspiration and gifts, and children and youth--will replace the previous 20, ECPA President Mark Kuyper revealed in his opening address to the association's PUB U conference, Consumer Centric Publishing, in Bloomingdale, Ill., last night.

Kuyper said in discussions with retailers it had become clear to the ECPA that “this becomes a much more valuable award, something that carries more prestige, and is easier to promote and merchandise in-store.”

Discussions are taking place with some retailers to develop in-store merchandising to help promote the new awards, he said.

The judging process will also be amended, scrapping the two-tier system in favor of one grade, Kuyper said.

“What we are driving for is some consumer exposure,” he said, working to “drive sales and awareness.”

Launched in 1978, the Gold Medallion Book Awards will also get a new name, to be announced in the new year. “We want these awards to be memorable and meaningful,” Kuyper said. “And we believe a more stringent judging process and fewer categories will translate to increased awareness of and greater sales for all Gold Medallion winners.”

• Prev
• Next