Regional Spotlight: Nashville

P u b l i s h e r s W e e k l y . c o m

Regional Spotlight

l The Nashville Publishing Story

l The Top 10 Movers & Shakers

l Hot Titles for the Summer and Fall

l What Nashvillians Are Reading

NashvilleGreetings fromGreetings from

JUNE 2013

BESTSELLERS: BROUGHT TO YOU BY HACHETTE NASHVILLE.

BREAK OUT!JOEL OSTEEN978-0-89296-974-6$25.00 October hardcover

New York Times bestsellinginspirational author JOEL OSTEEN dares readers to stretch their faith and let nothing hold them back. [LP], [S], [EB]

GOD IS NOTMAD AT YOU

JOYCE MEYER978-1-4555-1747-3

$24.00 September hardcover

#1 New York Times bestseller JOYCE MEYER examines the role of God as judge and alleviates the fear that so

many Christians experience. [LP], [S], [EB]

THE POWER OF RIGHT BELIEVINGJOSEPH PRINCE978-1-4555-5314-3$24.00 October hardcover

From the global ministry of JOSEPH PRINCE, THE POWER OF RIGHT BELIEVING shows you how to break free from the cycle of emotional defeat and start experiencing the success, wholeness, and victory that you were destined to enjoy. [LP], [EB]

THE QUESTNELSON DEMILLE

978-1-4555-7642-5$26.00 September hardcover

Four desperate people embark on an unholy search for the Holy Grail in a suspenseful adventure from New York Times bestseller NELSON DEMILLE.

[LP], [EB]

PASTRIXNADIA BOLZ-WEBER

978-1-4555-2708-3$22.00 September hardcover

NADIA BOLZ-WEBER turns spiritual memoir on its ear in this

sardonically irreverent, beautiful, prayer-and-profanity-laden narrative

about an unconventional life of faith. [EB]

SOMETIMES YOU WIN, SOMETIMES YOU LEARNJOHN C. MAXWELL978-1-59995-369-4$26.00 October hardcover

New York Times bestsellingauthor JOHN C. MAXWELL teaches readers how to turn every loss intoa learning experience. [LP], [EB]

OUTLAWTED DEKKER978-1-59995-415-8$25.00 October hardcover

New York Times bestseller TED DEKKER as youve never read him beforean exotic tale of adventure with his most memorable character ever. [LP], [EB]

CROSS ROADSWM. PAUL YOUNG

978-1-4555-1602-5$15.00 September trade paperback

From the author of the phenomenal international bestseller The Shack

comes his latest New York Times bestsellernow in paperback.

[LP], [EB]

CENTERSTREET

faithwords.com centerstreet.com jerichobooks.com FaithWords, Center Street, and Jericho Books are divisions of Hachette Book Group.Also available in audio large print [LP], Spanish [S], and e-book [EB] formats

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Way Christian Resources, the Bible, books, audio, and video producer is head-quartered in downtown Nashville where it has over 2,000 employees in the home offices. Selma Wilson, vice-president of B&H Publishing Group, notes, We are a community of readers and learners. The music writers are legendary. If you look at the New York Times bestsellers list, you will often find a title that came from a Nashville publisher.

Ingram and Wilson are just two of the industry insiders who understand how community and growing literary activity thrive in this metropolis that has been named the it city by the New York Times. Wilson notes, Nashville has been in the spotlight as one of the top cities to see in 2013, and Business Week called it one of the countrys best cities. In Janu-ary, a Gallup poll ranked Nashville as one of the top five regions for job growth. As reported by Randy Ellison of Targoz Strategic Marketing, the city with a population of 1.16 million boasts 43 bookstores the majority of which are religious oriented or associated with a university, six are used, four indepen-dent, and eight are retail chains; a major national distributor; multiple lit-friendly media outlets; a large writing communityand lots of publishers.

Publishing in Nashville is part of

mainstream America, says literary agent Greg Daniels of his hometown. More and more New York Times bestsellers are coming out of publishers in Nashville. Ive been an agent for six years and I am continually amazed at the talent pool here. Daniels, a former executive for Thomas Nelson, is also responsible for the formerly anonymous publishing blog SlushPile Hell that received national attention. Local literary agent Jonathan Clements of Wheelhouse Literary Group notes, Within the creative community, Nashville truly is a haven, and a breeding ground, of sorts, for dedicated, extremely talented writers... of books, and not just country songs. Nashville is more than just steel guitars and cowboy boots.

A UNIQUE HUBThe beauty of the city is part of the lure for both writers and publishers. Byron Williamson of Worthy Publishing notes that Nashville is fertile soil for talent and publishing, and the people living here rarely feel the continued growth of the city. The population has boomed enor-mously in the past 25 years, he says. To be the 30th-largest city, it feels more like a town of 100,000, and the hills, rivers, and lakes are breathtaking in fall and spring.

Inspiration is easy to find in the rolling

Home to 100 publishers, a growing literary community, and Ingram, the city has become

a vital publishing hub

Nashville MAKES ITS MARK

By Paige Crutcher

Nashville wears the moni-ker Music City U.S.A. with pride, but its also one of the top publishing cities in the U.S. Much like country music in

Nashville, the publishing industry has adapted and grown over the years. Part of what makes Nashville a great place to live and work is its sense of community; theres a real sense of family here, says Ingram Content Group CEO John Ingram of the home he calls a little bit country and a little bit city. The found-ing of Ingram was a happy accident that occurred in 1964 when Ingrams father, Bronson Ingram, and then Vanderbilt University vice chancellor John Stambaugh combined efforts to purchase the Tennessee Book Company. Bronson Ingram would go on to buy out Stambaughs portion, and over the decades the company would grow its small textbook depository into what it is today: the worlds largest distributor of physical and digital content. Today Ingram delivers books, music, and media content to over 38,000 retailers, librar-ies, schools, and distribution partners in 195 countries.

B&H Publishing can trace its roots back 250 years to Holman Bibles and the A.J. Holman Company. As part of Life-

WWW. P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 5


hills and scenic landscape found along Music Citys many backroads. Author Robert Hicks says of moving to Nash-ville, Lawrence Wright once wrote that Nashville was the first really beautiful place he had ever lived. I left a beautiful area to come to Nashville, but I have to agree, Nashville is set in a picturesque place, in the green hills of Middle Ten-nessee. Everywhere I look there is inspi-ration, if I am only will to accept it.

Co-owner of Parnassus Books and bestselling author Ann Patchett says, Im always just looking for some quiet time to work. Nashville gives me that. I grew up here. The familiarity brings peace of mind.

Indeed, the citys unique sense of com-munity is a big draw for publishers and authors alike. It was a key factor in why Simon & Schuster moved Howard Books from West Monroe, La., to Nashville after it acquired Howard in 2006. The West Monroe location proved a difficult destination for agents and authors. Hun-dreds of authors and agents have come through the doors to do business in the new location in Nashville. More than that, Jennifer Smith, director of public-ity with Howard Books, says, The diversity of this city lends itself well to the creative world; both publishing and music.

The two industries co-exist in har-mony in the city. Its a storytellers town and from the minute you arrive youre aware of that tradition, whether youre talking about music or literature, says bestselling author Adam Ross. But because its also so affordable, and neigh-borhoods are exploding all over the city, its a fertile place for the creative class. Weve got great painters, writers, actors, and songwriters, but theres plenty of room for more.

While a large city, Nashville often feels like a small town in its appeal to outsiders and artists. There is a strong

sense of community and respect for all art, whether it be music, visual art, archi-tecture, or the written word, says pub-licist Ellen Myrick, a former manager of Davis-Kidd. I think there is a feeling that if you are a serious artistand by serious I mean committed not humor-lessyou will find a home a supportive network here.

Centrally located, Nashville is a short flight from Manhattan and Boston, with Christian publishers settled in and around the citys downtown. For touring authors, its only a few hours drive to sev-eral thriving southern cities. There are practical reasons for being here, such as travel, says former West Coaster, and bestselling author, Karen Kingsbury, But more than that, the community lends itself to connecting. Its about rela-tionships here. Fear and competition paralyze creativity. Those dont exist here.

A WRITING COMMUNITY THAT STAYS TOGETHERNashvilles literary community is a thriv-ing world unto itself. From Barnes & Noble and the local library writing and critique groups to Bill Peachs Author Circle of Middle Tennessee to the monthly meetup hosted by local bestsell-ing authors JT Ellison and River Jordan at Union Station Hotel, authors continue to come together. Ellison says of the writ-ing community, Any event you go to will have two or three major bestselling authors as well as beginning writers and debut authors, and lots of readers a mix that makes our scene unpretentious and welcoming.

Theres renowned journalist John Sei-genthalers A Word on Words, one of Nash-ville Public Televisions signature pro-grams, which has been celebrating authors, literature, and ideas for close to three decades, and River Jordans Clear-story Radio program. Every Wednesday

Everywhere I look there is inspiration, if I am only willing to accept it. Robert Hicks

and Sunday Jordan hosts Clearstory on 107.1, bringing bestselling, award-win-ning, and debut authors on air in Nash-ville to talk about the written word. She says of the program, The fact that there is an actual literary radio program that features interviews and news on author readings, signings, festivals, workshops and other gatherings in the community speaks highly of the people of Nashville. Not only is there an incredible amount of writers and literary events happen-ing this is a reading city.

Organizations like Sisters in Crime, SEMWA, Womens National Book Asso-ciation, and Mystery Writers of America each have chapters in Nashville. Theres also Music City Romance Writers (Music Citys local RWA chapter), Tennessee Writers Alliance, and the various Nash-ville Writers Meetups.

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no longer cared about books. That left us with a need to engage the local commu-nity about books. Chapter 16 became the online version of what happens at SoFest every year. Chapter 16s work now appears in a number of weekly state newspapers including the Nashville Scene, Nashville City Paper, Memphis Commercial Appeal, and the Knoxville Sentinel.

The monthly book review publication, BookPage, has called Nashville home for 25 years. BookPage is in Nashville because the city is the hometown of our founder and publisher, Michael Zibart. The Zibart family owned and operated book-stores in Nashville for more than 100 years and Michael was an executive vice-president at Ingram before launching BookPage in 1988, says editor Lynn Green. Our print edition goes to 400,000 read-ers each month through subscribing bookstores and public libraries.

LITERACY AND NONPROFITS IN THE CITYHelping hands are a prominent part of Music City. Meg Nugent, executive director of Nashville Adult Literacy Council, says, Last year, our program served 1,500 learners with 500 volunteer

SOUTHERN CHARMNashville celebrates its authors and showcases talent through events and fes-tivals. The city lays claim to one of the largest festivals of southern literature, the Southern Festival of Books, known as SoFest. This year marks the festivals 25th anniversary, and will be held October 1113. The event has grown from a few thousand the first year to more than 30,000 annually now, says director of literature and language programs of Humanities Tennessee, Serenity Gerb-man. One of the best things about the festivals longevity is our ability to see writers careers take root and blossom over time. The festival is inclusive of all authors, with a goal of helping Tennessee scribes connect with readers in a shared celebration of the written word. In 2012, 15% of the speakers were local authors attending to promote their latest work.

Along with SoFest, Nashville is home to mystery and thriller conference, Killer Nashville and the YA festival, UtopYA. Beth Terrell, author and executive direc-tor for Killer Nashville, notes, I think there was a very narrow stereotype of Nashville, and its just now becoming clear to others that theres a lot more to the city than that.

The city also hosts a conference for both songwriters and authors, Hutch-moot. The conference is a celebration of authors, poets, songwriters, and artists in

all mediums. This year, all 130 avail-able tickets sold out in three min-utes. Hutchmoot cofounder Pete Peterson says of the conference, which has a Christian spin and draws artists from all over the country, Nashville is full of so many different artists. When you live here, you realize there is a whole lot more to the city than coun-try musiccountry music is just the sideshow.

AUTHOR PROMOTION WITHIN THE CITYWhile Hutchmoot provides the only con-ference for both songwriters and authors, East Side Story showcases twice-monthly pairings of musicians and authors during its free show, East Side Storytellin. Every first and third Tuesday of the month, the bookstore brings together a featured author and a musician for a night of read-ings and song, and after the show a recording of the performances runs on WAMB radio. Many writers in Nashville hope the next collaboration will be between songwriters and authors. Mat-thew West, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter turned author, notes, Musi-cians and writers naturally share a healthy amount of mutual admiration. Songwrit-ers find inspiration in the books they read and authors find inspiration in the songs they hear.

Chapter 16, an online site dedicated to reviewing and covering new books of note about Tennessee or by local authors, is a leading provider of book content in the state. Founded in 2009 by Humani-ties Tennessee, Chapter 16 director Mar-garet Renkl says, We suspected newspa-pers stopped covering books because they no longer had the staff, not because they continued on page 8

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York in the publishing world, Howard Books vice-president and publisher Jon-athan Merkh says. Nashville publishing is more than just Christian, but its defi-nitely the lions share here.

Publishing in Nashville began in the 19th century when several denomina-tions established headquarters and col-leges in the city and, in doing so, also opened publishing houses and book-stores. Publishers like Upper Room started as a daily devotional guide in 1935 today it publishes seven maga-zines and the Upper Room line of books. In the 1960s, Thomas Nelson moved its operations to Nashville.

Started in 1798 in Edinburgh, Scot-land, Nelson came to Nashville when Sam Moore acquired the publishing house in 1969. The company has remained there after it was acquired by private investors in 2006 and, last year, by HarperCollins. David Moberg, senior v-p and group publisher for Harper Col-lins Christian Publishing, credits the relationship-oriented focus of the com-pany for its longstanding success. The companys main goal is to serve its authors by collaboration and long-term planning. Were driven by our passions, but it also goes through the filter of the market-place. We want success for our company, our vision, and authors. Its important we preserve our editorial integrity of our books. Theres a commitment to produce great books that are successful and give everyoneauthors, agents, editorsa chance to experience that success.

One of their most successful relation-ships to date is with author Max Lucado, who has sold over 100 million copies of his books. Now, along with Zondervan as part of HCCP, the future looks bright for Nelson. Were really excited about our future, Moberg says. Our vision is to impact the world with a very positive message. Harper is providing support for us to become a part of their organization and to affirm what our vision is. I think

tutors and 33 classes. In Nashville, one in eight adults cannot read well and needs our help. Thomas Nelson recently joined with NALC, which has a long-standing partnership with the library system on providing for space and materials.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation is celebrating its 20th year of fundraising in honor of J.L. Turner, founder of the fran-chise. Turner was functionally illiterate with a third-grade education, and the foundation was created in his honor. Over 30 million adults read at the lowest level of illiteracy and one out of three youth drop out of high school, says Denine Torr, Dollar Generals director of community initiatives. Over the past 20 years we have invested over $75 million in grants to nonprofits to help individuals prepare for the GED, or learn the English language. We have primary emphasis on adults because if you reach the parent you will reach the child. DGLF has helped more than 4.7 million people learn to read, receive their high school equiva-lency certificate or learn English.

Nashvilles writing community is vast and diverse. Many of Nashvilles homeless are vendors for local paper, the Contributor. The twice-monthly street paper is written by staff writers and outside contribu-tors including the vendors. Editor Andrew Krinks says of the talent of the contributors, I think one of the best-kept secrets of Nashvilles writing scene are the people who dont have any reputation aside from maybe writing for the Con-tributor. Ive met a number of individuals living on the streets or in shelters in Nash-ville whose creativity astounds me.

PUBLISHING: INSPIRATIONAL MARKET AND MOREWith close to 100 publishers ranging from small press to large residing in Nashville, Christian and inspirational houses serve as the major niche for the market. Its the Christian wing of New

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Nashville publishing is more than just Christian. Jonathan Merkh

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Christian authors expressed a desire to write books for the general market, says Zettersten, who is now senior v-p and publisher of Hachette Nashville. Center Street has since matured and broadened its mission to include several categories, including fiction, health and fitness, con-servative political, and self-help. Jericho Books was launched last fall to publish Christian books for a younger, more pro-gressive, audience. Under the direction of v-p and publisher Wendy Grisham, Jericho Books publishes nontraditional voices that offer fresh perspectives on todays culture and reflect on the grow-ing changes in the Church (see interview with Grisham, p. 14).

Another relatively new publisher is Worthy Publishing. Byron William-son, CEO of Worthy, notes, Nashville soil is fertile: Worthy Publishing, now only 18 months in commerce, is one of the few independent voices in inspira-tional publishing, one not owned by a multinational media company. We love the entrepreneurial spirit and creative juices we inject into each project we embrace. The companys 2013 list includes 70-millioncopy bestseller Jerry Jenkinss next major novel, I, Saul; Stephen Mansfields upcoming, edgy nonfiction work, Killing Jesus; and Dr. Davids Jeremiahs legacy study resource, The Jeremiah Study Bible.

HCCP has brought together two forma-tive Christian companies [Zondervan and Nelson], and by bringing us together under HCCP, they have given us the chance to become a global company whose mission is to inspire the world with the Christian faith.

As Nelson grew, so did publishers like Abingdon an imprint of the United Methodist Publishing House, which has been in operation since 1789; United Methodist Publishing; Lifeway; South-ern Baptist; RH Boyd; and Turner Pub-lishing, among others. Weve been pub-lishing from the heart of downtown Nashville since 1854, says Tamara Crabtree, executive director of market-ing at Abingdon Press. So not only is it our location, but its also an important part of our history. Nashville is a vibrant city brimming with appreciation for arts and culture and is the perfect home for a thriving publishing industry.

Turner Publishing, three times named on Publishers Weeklys Fast-Growing Pub-lishers List, has produced over 1,000 titles since 1984. Turner recently acquired the digital and print assets for approxi-mately 1,500 John Wiley titles. Our goal is to continue to offer a successful, traditional publishing model to authors and their readers, says Todd Bottorff, president and publisher at Turner. That requires new ideas for operations and marketing. While we have made prog-ress, we view the need for improvement as a lifelong pursuit. The Wiley list fits perfectly with our focus. The quality of the authors and books is extraordinary. We are continuing to publish works they signed and are interested in seeing new submissions related to the list. An entre-preneur himself, Bottorff credits Nash-villes best-kept secret as a unique com-bination of the love people have for pub-lishing and their entrepreneurial spirit, which allows them to adapt to the chang-ing environment successfully.

Guideposts, founded in 1945 by Dr.

Norman Vincent Peale, Ruth Stafford Peale, and Raymond Thornburg, is a Christian faith-based mag-azine and non-for profit publisher. Ideals, acquired by Guideposts in 2000, will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2014. The company, which launched in 1944 with the publication of the Christmas Ideals magazine, has been in Nashville for close to 30 years. Ideals childrens editorial program, marketing, and retail sales are all based out of the Nashville office. Guide-posts Books is based in New York City. Today we continue to publish two issues of Ideals magazine each year, and we have a robust childrens list that we publish under the imprints of Ideals Childrens Books, CandyCane Press, and Williamson Books, notes Peggy Schaefer, publisher of Ideals Publications. Ideals motto and focus is as simple as its tagline: share a book with a child and share a moment of love. Our strengths lie in the 28 age group and in the inspirational, holiday, family, and val-ues categoriesand thats what were focusing on. Ideals, which partnered with Big Idea in Franklin, Tenn., to create a line of VeggieTales Books a few years ago, is launching a new inspirational board-book series in the fall called Rufus and Ryan. In the longer term, we will be looking at publishing opportunities around the Common Core State Stan-dards and expanding into older age groups and additional categories.

Recent additions to the city include Hachettes Nashville division comprised of FaithWords, Jericho Books, and Cen-ter Street. The group began in 2000 when Rolf Zettersten left as the pub-lisher of the trade division at Nelson to start a new Christian imprint for Time Warner Book Group. Its first list was published in the fall of 2001 under the Warner Faith imprint, which was changed to FaithWords when Hachette bought TWBG. We started Center Street in 2004 when a number of our continued on page 16


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A GRISHAMS JOURNEY TO JERICHOBy Paige Crutcher

graduate of the University of Mississippi and the University of Warwick (in Warwickshire,

U.K.), Wendy Grisham isnt a novice in the publishing industry. Prior to

launching Jericho Books last fall, Grisham was the director of publishing at

Hodder Faith, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hachette UK. Hachette is a wonderful company, Grisham says. So when the opportunity to set up Jericho and run it came to me, I was over the moon. Before her position with Hodder, Grisham worked at Alpha International, serving as the publishing director for EMEA (Europe/Middle East/Asia). Before that she was at Random House UK. As the sister of bestselling author John Grisham, her love of books and publishing runs deep. I came from a family of readers and the move into publishing seemed like a natural migration. We were either at the library or in a book-store every Saturday morning, she says.

One of the few women publishers in Nashville, Grisham loves what she does and doesnt mind the challenge of joining what previously has been referred to as a boys club. Grishams main role in starting up Jericho was acquiring titles. Our design, publicity, marketing and sales are handled by experts like Jana Burson and Chelsea Apple. I love Janas eye and think she has great judgment. She brought in Sober Mer-cies by Heather Kopp for Jericho Books. She might do a book or two here or there. The imprint publishes 10-12 books per year. Their authors include Brian McLaren, Lillian Daniel, Shane Hipps, Jay Bakker, Justin Lee, and Becca Stevens.

Grisham refers to the imprint as her

favorite subject. It is a reflection of my own faith journey. What I love about the books and authors is that they, like me, have strug-gled with religion. The idea behind our books is to be real and raw. Grishams goal is for others who are not traditional faith fol-lowers or find it difficult in many churches to find the faith behind the faade, as she puts it, to find acceptance and home in the books Jericho publishes. Grisham considers Jericho Books a vital part of religions ongo-ing conversation. Its titles showcase oppos-ing views, but maintain respect for differing perspectives, continuing to celebrate differ-ences. It is about taking the fear out of the other where there is no us versus them, but just all of us together trying to fig-ure it outwhile being loving and kind and gracious to each other.

The idea of the imprint came in the autumn of 2007. I was working for Hodder & Stoughton and came to Nashville to visit the FaithWords offices, Grisham recalls. It was my first time to meet the team here, and I was talking shop with Rolf [Zetter-sten], pondering the differences between our lists. We talked about setting up a joint list to which we might both contribute titles that were a little different from the tradi-tional books on our lists. Over the next few years, each time Grisham ran into Zetter-sten, theyd return to the mustard seed idea and contemplate how to grow it to life. Grisham returned home to the U.S. in 2010 for cancer treatment, with the combined list still on her mind. We soon realized that our idea was much bigger than wed initially thought and that there was some real potential to do something important here. It was the birth of Jericho.

AIt is a reflection of my own faith journey. What I love about the books and authors is that they, like me, have struggled with religion. The idea behind our books is to be real and raw.

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ing writers include Tracy Smith, Lauren Groff, Billy Collins, Wells Tower, and Manuel Munoz.

BOOKSELLERS SEE BRIGHT FUTUREBooksellers in Nashville have made a comeback after the closing of Borders, and loss of beloved Davis-Kidd in 2010. Celebrated independents like Mysteries and More and BookManBookWoman are known for treating their authors like gold and are considered staples in the community. In 2011 Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes brought Parnassus Books to the city. A more intimate venue than Davis-Kidd, but with a similar location, the staff at Parnassus works tirelessly to bring in big-name authors, support local ones, and create a rich literary environ-ment reflective of Nashville.

Barnes & Noble Vanderbilt draws the university crowd, as well as a steady stream of readers and authors. The book-store hosts poetry and book signings, as well as music and university events. Nashville is a vibrant city that attracts both local and nationally recognized authors, as well as academic writers from Vanderbilt. With an established music industry, a growing food scene, and a world-class academic university, Nash-ville is the place to be, says communica-tions manager John Lasiter.

Books are part of the cadence and DNA of Nashvillians; as second nature as an easy smile, slow drawl, or the bone-deep appreciation for a good front-porch rocking chair. Randy Elder, owner of

Nashvilles oldest book-s to r e , E lde r s Books , explains, The charm of a book has to do with a lot besides the word on the page. Its in the binding, illustration, and the smell. The subtle aspects to books are the charm. We preserve that aspect, the history.

University presses like Vanderbilt University Press, established in 1940, and Knoxvilles University of Tennessee Press, continue to thrive. Throughout its earlier history, VUP published a lot of Southern history, poetry, philosophy, and literature, but in the past decade, weve refocused to add more titles in the social sciences and area studies, especially Latin American Studies, says Susan Havlish, sales and marketing manager of VUP.

The University of Tennessee Press, founded in 1940 by UT president James D. Hoskins, publishes in 20 disciplines, and 65% of its titles trace their way back to the Southern Mountains some-how, according to Tom Post, publicity and promotions manager. For over 70 years, the mission of the press has remained the same. The goals of the press continue to be the three mandates laid out by president Hoskins: to stimu-late scientific and scholarly research in all fields; to channel such studies, either in scholarly or popular form, to a larger

number of people; and to extend regional the regional leadership of the university by stimulating research projects within the South and by publishing worthwhile material from non-university members, says Post.

NEW VENTURES A recent and celebrated reading series in Nashville its inception was in early 2011is Salon@615. Hosted by Humanities Tennessee, Parnassus Books, the Nashville Public Library, and the Nashville Public Library Foundation, Salon@615 supports and brings great writers to the city such as Michael Cha-bon, Barbara Kingsolver, Dennis Lehane, and Jon Meacham. The Nashville Public Library is instrumental in keeping read-ing, authors, and books at the epicenter of the city.

Karen Hayes, co-owner of Parnassus Books, notes, The NPL was the first to set up a series of community meetings to find someone who would want to open another bookstore after Davis-Kidd and Borders closed. Parnassus Books was born out of those meetings. We opened our doors a year and a half ago to a com-munity that realized if they want authors to come to Nashville they cannot take the retail side for granted anymore. We ended up partnering with both the NPL and Humanities Tennessee for larger author events. The series, Salon@615, and the venues and promotion our com-bined organizations can procure, has made Nashville a very attractive place for authors on tour.

Vanderbilt Universitys Master of Fine Arts Pro-g r am in the Eng l i sh departmentthe faculty of which includes Lorrie Moore, Peter Guralnick, and Tony Earleybrings readers the Gertrude & Harold Vanderbilt Visiting Writers Series. Past visit-


If they want authors to come to Nashville, they cannot take the retail side for granted. Karen Hayes

I, Saul PW ad.indd 1 5/28/13 11:52 AM


Becky Nesbitt, vice-president and editor-in-chief of Howard Books. Nesbitt previously led the Tyndale fiction division for more than a decade. She has worked with many CBA and New York Times bestselling authors, including Left Behind series authors Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. Nesbitt is often referred to as an enthusiastic book lover, constantly on the hunt for fresh ideas and the art of the written word. Killer Nashville Writers Conference. Started in 2006 by author and filmmaker Clay Stafford, this ever-expanding writers conference is held each August. Killer Nashville offers 60+ events, with everything from forensics seminars, craft work-shops, keynote lectures, and writer pitch sessions to agents and editors. Past guests of honor have included: Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Carol Higgins Clark, and Peter Straub.

David Moberg, senior v-p and group pub-lisher for Thomas Nelson. Moberg has been with the company for almost 25 years. A major player in the industry, Moberg is known for his passion, knowledge, and ability to spot talent. For a quarter of a century, he has led the team behind

bestselling author Max Lucado.

Elyse Adler, administrator of special pro-grams at the Nashville Public Library. Adler is renowned for her enthusiasm for good program-ing and the ability to make these events happen in the library and Nashville. The library is also the site of author reading series Salon@615, held in its auditorium, in partnership with Nashville Public Library Foundation, Humanities Tennessee, and Parnassus Books.

Greg Daniels, founder of the Daniels Liter-ary Group. Daniels, who started his agency in 2007, previously spent over a decade at Thomas Nelson as v-p and associate publisher for W Pub-lishing Group. He is responsible for the bestseller

Same Kind of Different as Me, and the ECPA Gold Medallion Awardwinning books A Table in the Presence and Extreme Devotion.

These 10 leaders on the Nashville literary scene play an essential role in determining which books become bestsellers in the city and help shape the Nashville literary community. Their

influence also extends beyond the city limits and into the nations book culture.

NASHVILLES

Publishing Tastemakers

John Ingram, CEO and chairman of Ingram Content Group. John joined Ingram Indus-tries Inc. in 1986. He is the chairman of the capital campaigns for Vanderbilt Athletics and Currey Ingram Academy, and active as a volun-

teer in a number of educational and charitable organizations. Ann Patchett, co-owner of Parnassus Books and bestselling author. Patchett helped bring Nashville an independent bookstore in place of Davis-Kidd after its closing in 2010. She and co-owner Karen Hayes are considered driving forces in Nashville as they continue to bring authors, book events, and national attention to the city.

Serenity Gerbman, Steward of Southern Festival of Books (SoFest). Gerbman and her colleagues (which include Margaret Renkl of Chapter 16 and the staff running Salon@615 at Nashville Public Library) at Humanities Tennessee bring events, authors, and support to

Nashville. Her passion and ambition help make SoFest one of the biggest book festivals in the South. Rolf Zettersten, senior v-p and publisher, Hachette Nashville. After leaving Nelson in 2000, Zettersten spearheaded Hachettes launch of a Nashville publishing division, which now includes three imprints, Faith-Words, Center Street and Jericho Books. Zettersen is also the author of three books, including a Gold Medallion winner.

John Seigenthaler, host of A Word on Words. At A Word on Words, one of Nashville Public Televisions signature programs, Seigen-thaler has been celebrating authors, literature, and ideas for close to three decades. Seigen-thaler has interviewed notable guests such as

Ann Patchett, Billy Collins, Madison Smartt Bell, J.T. Elli-son, Adam Ross, and Lee Smith.


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FAITHWORDSBreak Out! by Joel Osteen (Oct.)In his dynamic, inspiring, and faith-building new book subtitled Five Ways To Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life, bestselling author Joel Osteen provides practical steps and encouragement for creating a life with-out limitations. This book will help readers break out and break free so they can have greater faith, increase produc-tivity, improve relationships.

God Is Not Mad at You by Joyce Meyer (Sept.)In this liberating, fresh approach to ones walk with God, Joyce Meyer tackles a hot spot in the battlefield of the mind: the fear of Gods anger.

THOMAS NELSONDear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (Nov.)Samantha Moore survived years of dark-ness in the foster care system by hiding behind her favorite characters in litera-ture, even adopting their very words. After college, Samantha receives an extraordinary opportunity: The anony-mous Mr. Knightley offers her a full scholarship to earn her graduate degree at the prestigious Medill School of Jour-nalism. The sole condition is that Sam write to Mr. Knightley regularly to keep him apprised of her progress.

The Reason for My Hope by Billy Graham (Oct.)Who would refuse rescue? This is the question Billy Graham asks throughout this book. The answer is sometimes sur-prising because there are indeed people who refuse to be saved, even if they are in a hopeless situation. Why? Each chapter draws the reader in by posing questions for contemplation using relevant illustra-tions about what the world thinks in con-trast to what the Bible says.

Youll Get Through This by Max Lucado (Sept.)To people who fear they wont make it through, or fear that depression will never lift, the yelling will never stop, or the pain will never leave, Max Lucado offers refreshing assurance.

ZONDERVANThe Church Builder by Stephen L. Carter The author of the bestselling The Emperor of Ocean Park offers his first Christian fic-tion title, written under the pseudonym A.L. Shields.

HOWARD BOOKSFifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury (Oct.) By the novelist dubbed the Queen of Christian Fiction by Time magazine, Fifteen Minutes explores the cost of fame and celebrity set against the backdrop of Americas favorite singing competition.

By Paige Crutcher

PW checked in with some of Nashvilles leading publish-ers to see what titles they will be promoting in the

months ahead. Given the mix of Christian and mainstream houses in the city, the titles run from inspirational

works to Bibles to thrillers.

B&H PUBLISHING GROUPWhispers of Hope: 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer by Beth Moore (Oct.) Moo r e , who wa s r e c e n t l y n a m e d among Christianity Todays 50 Women to Watch: Those Most Shaping the Church and Cul-ture, presents her personal method of prayer. Moore, a sought-after speaker and teacher, is president and founder of Liv-ing Proof Ministries.

God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer (Oct.)Teacher and speaker Priscilla Shirers first release since her 2011 New York Times bestseller The Resolution for Women!, God

Is Able is a biblical reminder that God is always up to great things, even when His g r e a t t h i n g s a r e greater than instant remedies and visible change. Shirer is also among Christianity

Todays 50 Women to Watch. Church and Culture. She and her husband Jerry are founders of Going Beyond Ministries.

CENTER STREETThe Quest by Nelson DeMille (Sept.)Masterful bestselling novelist Nelson DeMille recreates one of his earliest works, a powerful, suspenseful adventure featuring four desperate people on an unholy search for the Holy Grail.

Eyes on Target by Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter (Nov.)Told through the eyes of current and for-mer Navy SEALs, Eyes on Target is an inside account of some of the most excit-ing top-secret missions in American his-tory. In this book, Navy SEALs step for-ward and reveal their minute-by-minute, bullet-by-bullet experiences in the face of death and danger.

BOOKS TO LOOK FOR

from Nashville

WWW. P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 21


interviews, Hunt describes how col-l a b o r a t o r s c a m e together from oppo-site sides of the polit-ical aisle and, in an extraordinary few hours, reached agree-ment that the corruption and madness of the sitting governor of Tennessee, Ray Blanton, must be stopped.

Unclenching Our Fists: Abusive Men on the Journey to Nonvio-lence by Sara Elinoff Acker (Oct.) Eleven first-person stories of men from diverse class and racial backgrounds who have made a long-term commitment to end their physical and emotional abuse and control their behavior. These men speak frankly about the abuse they inflicted on their families, what it took to get them to face themselves, and how they feel about the damage they have caused.

WORTHY PUBLISHINGI, Saul by Jerry Jenkins (Aug.)Told from the point of view of the dis-c ip l e Luke , the apostle Paul, and Augie, a modern-day scholar, I, Saul is a fast-paced story of intrigue and mys-tery. Readers may be reminded of Indi-ana Jones and The Da Vinci Code.

The Jeremiah Study Bible by Dr. David Jeremiah (Nov.)Drawing from more than 40 years of study, a respected Bible teacher presents the best new study Bible for todays reader. The Jeremiah Study Bible focuses on three s imple things: What does the Bible say, what does it mean, and what does it mean for you?

Miss Kays Cookbook by Kay Robertson (Nov.)With a backwoods country flair, the cookbook that fans of the reality TV series Duck Dynasty have been waiting for is finally here. True to her down-home style, Miss Kay doesnt disappoint. From fried chicken to fried frog legs, sausage gumbo to crawfish touffe, and buttery biscuits to red beans and rice, Miss Kay is a master of the back-country, home-cooked meal.

JERICHO BOOKSPastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Sept.)Nadia Bolz-Weber, the former standup comic who has become a Lutheran pastor, weaves hilarious rants and stunning theo-logical insight into her personal narrative of a flawed, beautiful, and unlikely life of faith.

Mixed-Up Love by Jon M. Sweeney and Michal Woll (Oct.)Sweeney, a Catholic, and Woll , a Jew, guide readers through the challenges, com-promises, and bless-ings of being in rela-tionships, dealing with family, and rais-ing children in an interfaith household.

TURNER PUBLISHINGSaturday Millionaires by Kristi Dosh (Oct.) Last year, the 120 colleges in the Football Bowl Subdivision produced over $1 bil-lion in revenue. Despite the enormous revenue, college football is in upheaval. Schools are accused of throwing their aca-demic missions aside to fund their foot-ball teams and the media and fans are beating the drum for athletes to be paid. Saturday Millionaires shows that schools are right to fund their football teams first; that athletes will never be paid like employees; how the media skews the financial facts; and why the TV deals are so important.

The Circle of Thirteen by William Petrocelli (Oct.)In 2082 a catastrophic explosion rocks the dedication ceremony of the new

United Nations in New York C i ty. Security director Julia Moro is on the job, chasing after the misogynistic leader of Patria, a l o n g - d i s b a n d e d international terror-

ist organization now being whispered about again on the streets. As her inves-tigation unfolds, a deep secret from Moros past threatens to strip her of everything she cherishes.

UPPER ROOMA Bead and a Prayer: A Beginners Guide to Praying with Beads by Kristen E. Vincent (Aug.)A Bead and a Prayer introduces Protestant prayer beads to Christians who have no experience in praying with beads. Vin-cent explores the history and art of using beads in prayer, explains how to use prayer beads, includes instructions for making your own set of prayer beads, and offers a variety of prayers.

Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk by J. Dana Trent (Oct.)A memoir about the relationship between Dana, a Baptist minister, and Fred, a devout Hindu and former monk. The two meet on eHarmony and begin a fascinat-ing, sometimes daunting but ultimately inspiring journey of interfaith relation-ship and marriage.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY PRESSCoup: The Day the Democrats Ousted Their Governor, Put Republican Lamar Alexander in Office Early, and Stopped a Pardon Scandal by Keel Hunt (Aug.)Coup is the behind-the-scenes story of an abrupt political transition, unprece-dented in U.S. history. Based on 163


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1 Start Jon Acuff Thomas Nelson 9781937077594 $22.99 2125 Hardcover 2 Happy, Happy, Happy Phil Robertson Howard Books 9781476726090 $24.99 1816 Hardcover 3 The Duck Commander Family Willie & Korie Robertson Howard Books 9781476703541 $23.99 1541 Hardcover 4 Whiskey Beach Nora Roberts Putnam 9780399159893 $27.95 1254 Hardcover 5 Dead Ever After Charlaine Harris Ace Books 9781937007881 $27.95 1170 Hardcover 6 12th of Never Patterson/Paetro Little, Brown 9780316210829 $27.99 1131 Hardcover 7 The Hit David Baldacci Grand Central 9781455521210 $27.99 1108 Hardcover 8 Control Glenn Beck Threshold 9781476739878 $12.00 1033 Trade Paper 9 The Best of Me Nicholas Sparks Grand Central 9780446547635 $8.00 969 Mass Market 10 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald Scribner 9780743273565 $15.00 918 Trade Paper 11 Oh, the Places Youll Go! Dr. Seuss Random House 9780679805274 $17.99 845 Hardcover 12 Sum It Up Pat Summitt Crown Archetype 9780385346870 $28.00 833 Hardcover 13 Proof of Heaven Eben Alexander Simon & Schuster 9781451695199 $15.99 706 Trade Paper 14 Jesus Calling Sarah Young Thomas Nelson 9781591451884 $15.99 666 Trade Paper 15 Calico Joe John Grisham Dell 9780345541338 $7.99 656 Mass Market 16 The Witness Nora Roberts Berkley 9780425264768 $16.00 653 Trade Paper 17 Lets Explore Diabetes with Owls David Sedaris Little, Brown 9780316154697 $27.00 619 Hardcover 18 Wind Chime Point Sherryl Woods Mira 9780778314424 $7.99 615 Mass Market 19 Lean In Sheryl Sandberg Knopf 9780385349949 $24.95 578 Hardcover 20 The Great Gatsby (movie tie-in) F. Scott Fitzgerald Scribner 9781451689433 $15.00 552 Trade Paper 21 The Lost Years Mary Higgins Clark Pocket Books 9781451668926 $7.99 538 Mass Market 22 Odd Apocalypse Dean Koontz Bantam 9780553593099 $9.99 528 Mass Market 23 Daddys Gone A Hunting Mary Higgins Clark Simon & Schuster 9781451668940 $26.99 524 Hardcover 24 World War Z Max Brooks Three Rivers 9780307346612 $14.95 510 Trade Paper 25 Stolen Prey John Sandford Berkley 9780425260999 $9.99 259 Mass Market

RANK TITLE AUTHOR IMPRINT ISBN PRICE UNITS FORMAT

Information supplied by Nielsen BookScan. Copyright 2013 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.

NASHVILLE BESTSELLERS APRIL 15MAY 12, 2013

Nashville readers gave a strong boost to a couple of hometown publishers this spring. In the four weeks between April 15 and May 12, the top-selling print title in the Nashville area was Start: Punch Fear, Escape Average and Do Work that Mat-ters by Jon Acuff, published by Thomas Nelson.

In second and third place, at outlets that report to Nielsen Book-Scan, were two Duck Dynasty-related titlesHappy, Happy, Happy and The Duck Commander Family, both released by Howard Books. None of those three titles cracked the top 10 bestselling books on BookScans national overall bestselling list in the period, although the two Dynasty books have been national bestsellers. Through May 19, Happy, Happy, Happy sold over

102,000 copies at outlets that report to BookScan, while Family, released earlier, sold over 152,000 copies. The Acuff business book was only released in April and has sold over 40,000 copies at BookScan outlets.

Another book of strong interest in Nashville was the autobi-ography of University of Tennessee womens basketball coach Pat Summitt. Sum It Up was #12 during the April 15May 12 period, and since its release in March about 11% of the books 47,100 copies sold at BookScan outlets were in the Nashville area.

The top-selling book nationwide during the period was David Baldaccis The Hit, which was #7 in Nashville, followed by Nora Robertss Whiskey Beach, which was #4.

Bestseller Mix REGIONAL, NATIONAL HITS


Reaching the WorldPUBLISHING FROM THE HEART OF NASHVILLE

3

B&H Publishing Group, a division of LifeWay Christian

Resources, is a non-pro t publisher made up of people

who are passionate about taking Gods Word to the world.

Because we believe Every WORD Matters, we seek toprovide intentional, Bible-centered content that positively

impacts the hearts and minds of people, inspiring and

equipping them to build a lifelong relationship with Jesus

Christ. Among our print and digital releases for the trade,

church, and academic markets, titles include The New

York Times #1 best sellers The Love Dare and The Love Dare and The Love Dare The Vow

as well as the award-winning HCSB Study Bible.

to the publishing community for your

support during our rst year and a half in business.

Thank you

parnassusbooks.net

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