HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide President and CEO Jane Friedman encouraged Christian publishers to embrace technology, last night, but she also reassured them that "traditional books will exist forever."

The keynote speaker for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's (ECPA) Publishing University (Pub U) at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, Ill., Friedman addressed issues and trends in publishing, especially focusing on "the digital revolution."

Introduced by ECPA President Mark Kuyper as "the most prominent woman in publishing," Friedman noted that in her four decades in the industry that “the one constant is change."

"When I first entered the business, I heard 'the novel' is dead," Friedman told about 240 people, including publishers, sales representatives, publicists and distributors. "Publishing is about telling great stories."

She talked about the popularity of Web sites such as MySpace, YouTube and GodTube, while sharing statistics on the growing number of people who buys books from the Internet and visit Christian sites online.

Friedman also mentioned HarperCollins' creating "a global digital warehouse," which features digital files of 10,000 backlist and current books. She pointed out that HarperCollins' Christian subsidiary, Zondervan, launched eZondervan this summer, which offers consumers customizable, downloadable digital content.

Additionally, Friedman discussed her "five tenets" of publishing: foster relationships; create and develop great content; remember that the author is the most important asset; move with technology and embrace the digital revolution; and know the market and publish to it.

"I think traditional books will exist forever," said Friedman, who since joining HarperCollins has directed the company to nine years of continuous growth, record-breaking profits and the industry's highest profit margins. "Most people still like the tactile nature of books. ... We want to embrace the future, while we work very hard on the present."

Friedman's talk kicked off Pub U, which runs until tomorrow and features 42 sessions on several topics, including publishing, technology, rights, editorial, publicity, sales, marketing, production and design.

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