May 18, 2026 Edition
There will not be a Rush to Press edition next week in honor of Memorial Day.
Industry News
ECPA Christian Bestseller lists released for May, 2026
ECPA has released the Christian Bestseller lists for May in sixteen book & Bible categories. The #1 bestselling title in the Top 50 and Nonfiction Paperback is “The Jesus Discoveries” by Jeremiah J. Johnston (Bethany House/ Baker Publishing Group). “The King is Coming” by John Bevere (Thomas Nelson) is #1 in Hardcover Nonfiction.
View all the lists at ReadGoodBooks.com/bestseller
Top Shelf Award program unveils new logo and judges; opens submissions
ECPA has announced a new visual identity for its prestigious Top Shelf Book Cover Award program, alongside the opening of submissions for the 2026 awards cycle and the selection of this year’s panel of expert judges. Winners will be announced in Nashville at ECPA PubU in November.
Final call to register for Chicago Rights Fair
The International Christian Rights & Export Fair (ICREF) is just weeks away, taking place June 16–17 at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. Registration is still open for this annual event for international Christian publishers, distributors, and vendors. Attendees will connect with peers from around the world and explore new avenues for content distribution and collaboration.
ECPA webinar series tackles religious decline, AI, and anxiety in the workplace
Registration is open for the ECPA member summer webinar series featuring:
- Researcher Ryan P. Burge presenting The Vanishing Church: What Recent Data Reveals About Religious Decline and What Publishers Need to Know on June 12.
- Brooke Dobson (Shimmr.ai) and Joshua Tallent (Firebrand Technologies) presenting AI and The Intelligent Publisher: Evolving How We Market, Discover, and Grow on July 10.
- Adrian Pei (The Change Navigation Company) discussing the ways organizations can Navigate Anxiety in People and Systems During Times of Change on August 7.
FrontGate Media adds streaming TV advertising partnerships
FrontGate Media has formed new streaming TV advertising partnerships with The Christmas Channel, FaithChannel, and GoodVue Network.
IPG adds five publishers to its sales & distribution programs
Independent Publishers Group (IPG) is pleased to announce the addition of five publishers to its sales and distribution programs in June 2026.
Staff Announcements
Tyndale House names Erica Bardeau as Acquisitions Director for Children and Youth
Tyndale House Publishers has named veteran marketing executive Erica Bardeau as Acquisitions Director for Children and Youth, where she will oversee product acquisition, development activities, and publishing strategy for Tyndale’s product lines serving children, teenagers, and their families.
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BISG names Allison Belan as its next Executive Director
The Book Industry Study Group has hired Allison Belan to become the organization’s ninth executive director. Belan will replace Brian O’Leary, who retires from the role on June 30.
Milestones
WorthyKids’ beloved children’s book series surpasses one million sold
WorthyKids announces that its bestselling chapter book series, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls, has officially passed the one million-copy milestone across all books in the series.
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ECPA presents Platinum Milestone Sales Awards for over one million sold
ECPA recently presented the following Platinum Awards to these publishers, recognizing over one million sold for:
- Be Still and Know (Broadstreet Publishing)
- The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John & Elizabeth Sherrill (Chosen Books/ Baker Publishing Group)
- NIV Thinline Bible (Zondervan Bibles)
- NIV Value Thinline Bible (Zondervan Bibles)
Product News
IVP Academic finalizes contract for “The Old Testament in Color”
IVP Academic is excited to announce the finalized contract for the highly anticipated "The Old Testament in Color." "The New Testament in Color," the first volume of its kind written by a multiethnic team of scholars, released in August 2024. Since then it has been recognized for its unique contribution to biblical understanding for both the academy and the church.
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Richard Blackaby and sons expand ‘Experiencing God’ legacy with new Bible study
For decades, Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God” has transformed the way people live in relationship with God. Now, Blackaby’s oldest son Richard and grandsons Mike and Daniel have joined together to create “Experiencing God in Everyday Life: A Journey Toward Spiritual Maturity,” releasing June 1, 2026, from Lifeway Christian Resources.
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Worthy Books releases “The God Worth Trusting” by Ryan Maher on May 19, 2026
Ryan Maher, pastor and co-leader of digital ministries that reach hundreds of millions each month, draws from his own story in “The God Worth Trusting” (May 19, 2026, Worthy Books) and those of others to wrestle with the hard questions about God’s goodness, human suffering, and what trust really looks like.
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PUBLISHING
- AAP StatShot: Publishers Saw Small Sales Gains in Q1
- Anthropic Settlement Appears to Cruise Through Its Final Fairness Hearing
- AAP’s Annual Meeting: Talk of AI, Copyright, and ‘Ripples of Hope’
- Authors Guild Issues Updated AI Best Practices for Writers
- PRH Has ‘Strong’ First Quarter
- BISG webinar May 21: AI in the Publishing Supply Chain - Services, Solutions, Innovation
