ECPA Christian Book Awards:
Official Rules 2008
Submission Deadline: December 12, 2007
Article I
General Rules
1) Submitting Companies
All publishing companies submitting entries must be ECPA members in good standing.
2) Publication Date
Eligible books must be originally published in English by an ECPA member anywhere in the world, and released for public sale for the first time during the calendar year preceeding the year in which the awards are presented. (For example, for the 2008 Awards, all entries must be first published in 2007.) Books published in December can be entered at the publisher's discretion in the current eligible year or one year later. Re-issued books are not eligible.
3) Book Formats
Books eligible for entry are defined as "bound volumes," either case bound, paper bound, or spiral bound with the exception of Bibles, in which media presentation may be eligible. Books in series and sets are not eligible.
4) Mixed Media Products
Books packaged with supporting mixed media (CD, DVD, cassette, video etc.) are eligible for consideration. The supporting media must be supplementary to and released simultaneously with the book.
5) Certification
Publishers will be asked to certify that all information on the entry form is correct and complies with all rules. An authorized representative of the publisher, qualified to certify that the publisher is the original publisher and all rules are adhered to, is to be listed on the entry form.
6) Category Classificaton and Eligibility Review
Each book must be entered only in the category that best describes the book's primary focus. The ECPA Recognition Committee shall have the final and absolute responsibility for determining the correct classification and eligibility for all entries. Should it be determined that any entry has been entered in an incorrect category, or is ineligible, ECPA will notify the publisher accordingly.
7) Content
To be eligible for entry, each book must include explicit Christian content, an overtly Christian message, and/or a distinctively Christian world view (e.g., allegorical fiction). The Christian content in each entry must be evangelical in nature and may not be contrary to ECPA's Statement of Faith as follows:
ECPA Statement of Faith
I. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
II. We believe there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
III. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
IV. We believe that for the salvation of the lost and sinful, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
V. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
VI. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
VII. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Article II
Categories
1) Bibles:
This award is for new proprietary material (full text of the Bible or New Testament) which meets the following criteria:
a) a new translation or paraphrase of the Bible text;
b) a new full-scale revision or media presentation of an already published Bible text; or
c) a Bible published with substantive new material or at least 50% new supplementary material (notes, commentary, etc.) for works previously published.
This award is for full-length, narrative writing whose source is the imagination of the author and whose intended audience is adults.
3) Children and Youth:
This award is for material whose audience is children or youth and includes both fictional and non-fictional material. This category is inclusive of the following: Preschool Children, Elementary Children, Youth.
4) Inspiration and Gift:
This award is for material that is inspirational, motivational, and/or devotional in nature and designed either for personal use or for gift-giving. This category is inclusive of the following: Devotional, Inspirational, Gift Book/Poetry.
5) Bible Reference and Study:
This award is for scholarly or ministry-related material inclusive of the following:
Reference Works/Commentaries (dictionaries, concordances, encyclopedias and other reference works in the area of theology, doctrine, church history, and biblical studies including books that offer any analysis, exposition, or annotation of specific biblical texts);
Works of Theology, Doctrine, or Church History, including explanatory, expositional or analytical works;
Christian Ministry (books for professional and lay leaders in the areas of Christian education, pastoral ministry, or preaching, discipleship, counseling, and church administration);
Bible Study (books offering in-depth personal or group Bible study); and
Christian Education (books primarily intended for use in Church-based spiritual education programs).
Note that curriculum and/or mixed media product may be entered as long as a book is the central core of the package.
6) Christian Life:
This award is for material that facilitates or models what it means to live as a Christian in all areas of life.
This category is inclusive of the following: Biography/Autobiography, Christian Living, Christianity & Society, Family & Parenting, Marriage, Missions/Evangelism.
Note that if the book submitted is part of a package, the additional materials (video, workbook, etc.) are evaluated under "Format."
Article III
Entry Process
1) Number of Entries
Any ECPA member publisher, imprint or division of a larger publishing house may enter as many titles in each category as it wishes. Each title may be entered in only one category. The Recognition Committee will determine the correctness of the category placement if a question should arise.
2) Entry Fees
All ECPA member houses in good standing are eligible to submit titles and will pay according to their annual sales volume the following fee per entered title:
Annual sales volume
< $ 5 million $175 per title
>= $ 5 million $299 per title
The entry fee is to accompany the Christian Book Award Entry Form and is not refundable under any circumstances. (If you are unable to make an online credit card payment, please contact Cindy Carter at ECPA)
3) Submission of Entries
4) Entry Form
Judging Process
1) Evaluation Criteria
Judges will be given a group of books in a particular category to evaluate each title on the specific category criteria. Please see the attached Christian Book Award Category Description and Judging Criteria for the specific evaluation criteria for each category.
2) Tabulation
The judges will evaluate each book based on the official score sheet provided by ECPA, and will not have access to any other scoring information. Tabulation of the judges' scores is online and will be electronically tabulated and managed by the ECPA office.
3) Judge Selection
Each group of judges will consist of two retailers, two authors, and two experts related to the category (scholars, pastors, counselors, educators, literary reviewers, etc.)
4) Judging Process
Each group of judges will score their group of submitted titles according to the category's evaluation criteria. The score for each title will be tallied and the top five (5) scorers in each of the six (6) categories will be named as finalists for those categories. The top scorer in each category will be announced as the winner for that category. The Christian Book of the Year will be awarded to the finalist with the top sales figures.
5) Awards
Winners are announced at the ECPA Christian Book Award and CBA Retailer Impact Awards Celebration held in conjunction with the International Christian Retail Show each summer.
2008 Christian Book Award Schedule
Official Rules 2008
Submission Deadline: December 12, 2007
Article I
General Rules
1) Submitting Companies
All publishing companies submitting entries must be ECPA members in good standing.
2) Publication Date
Eligible books must be originally published in English by an ECPA member anywhere in the world, and released for public sale for the first time during the calendar year preceeding the year in which the awards are presented. (For example, for the 2008 Awards, all entries must be first published in 2007.) Books published in December can be entered at the publisher's discretion in the current eligible year or one year later. Re-issued books are not eligible.
3) Book Formats
Books eligible for entry are defined as "bound volumes," either case bound, paper bound, or spiral bound with the exception of Bibles, in which media presentation may be eligible. Books in series and sets are not eligible.
4) Mixed Media Products
Books packaged with supporting mixed media (CD, DVD, cassette, video etc.) are eligible for consideration. The supporting media must be supplementary to and released simultaneously with the book.
5) Certification
Publishers will be asked to certify that all information on the entry form is correct and complies with all rules. An authorized representative of the publisher, qualified to certify that the publisher is the original publisher and all rules are adhered to, is to be listed on the entry form.
6) Category Classificaton and Eligibility Review
Each book must be entered only in the category that best describes the book's primary focus. The ECPA Recognition Committee shall have the final and absolute responsibility for determining the correct classification and eligibility for all entries. Should it be determined that any entry has been entered in an incorrect category, or is ineligible, ECPA will notify the publisher accordingly.
7) Content
To be eligible for entry, each book must include explicit Christian content, an overtly Christian message, and/or a distinctively Christian world view (e.g., allegorical fiction). The Christian content in each entry must be evangelical in nature and may not be contrary to ECPA's Statement of Faith as follows:
ECPA Statement of Faith
I. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
II. We believe there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
III. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
IV. We believe that for the salvation of the lost and sinful, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
V. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
VI. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
VII. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Article II
Categories
1) Bibles:
This award is for new proprietary material (full text of the Bible or New Testament) which meets the following criteria:
a) a new translation or paraphrase of the Bible text;
b) a new full-scale revision or media presentation of an already published Bible text; or
c) a Bible published with substantive new material or at least 50% new supplementary material (notes, commentary, etc.) for works previously published.
Subsequent publication of substantially the same proprietary material with another Bible text does not qualify, but a complete Bible published after publication of a New Testament or other portion does qualify.
2) Fiction:This award is for full-length, narrative writing whose source is the imagination of the author and whose intended audience is adults.
3) Children and Youth:
This award is for material whose audience is children or youth and includes both fictional and non-fictional material. This category is inclusive of the following: Preschool Children, Elementary Children, Youth.
4) Inspiration and Gift:
This award is for material that is inspirational, motivational, and/or devotional in nature and designed either for personal use or for gift-giving. This category is inclusive of the following: Devotional, Inspirational, Gift Book/Poetry.
5) Bible Reference and Study:
This award is for scholarly or ministry-related material inclusive of the following:
Reference Works/Commentaries (dictionaries, concordances, encyclopedias and other reference works in the area of theology, doctrine, church history, and biblical studies including books that offer any analysis, exposition, or annotation of specific biblical texts);
Works of Theology, Doctrine, or Church History, including explanatory, expositional or analytical works;
Christian Ministry (books for professional and lay leaders in the areas of Christian education, pastoral ministry, or preaching, discipleship, counseling, and church administration);
Bible Study (books offering in-depth personal or group Bible study); and
Christian Education (books primarily intended for use in Church-based spiritual education programs).
Note that curriculum and/or mixed media product may be entered as long as a book is the central core of the package.
6) Christian Life:
This award is for material that facilitates or models what it means to live as a Christian in all areas of life.
This category is inclusive of the following: Biography/Autobiography, Christian Living, Christianity & Society, Family & Parenting, Marriage, Missions/Evangelism.
Note that if the book submitted is part of a package, the additional materials (video, workbook, etc.) are evaluated under "Format."
Article III
Entry Process
1) Number of Entries
Any ECPA member publisher, imprint or division of a larger publishing house may enter as many titles in each category as it wishes. Each title may be entered in only one category. The Recognition Committee will determine the correctness of the category placement if a question should arise.
2) Entry Fees
All ECPA member houses in good standing are eligible to submit titles and will pay according to their annual sales volume the following fee per entered title:
Annual sales volume
< $ 5 million $175 per title
>= $ 5 million $299 per title
The entry fee is to accompany the Christian Book Award Entry Form and is not refundable under any circumstances. (If you are unable to make an online credit card payment, please contact Cindy Carter at ECPA)
3) Submission of Entries
- The Entry Form is online.
- Entry submission and payment is to be completed online. You will receive automatic confirmation upon completion. (If online payment cannot be made, please contact Cindy Carter for other payment options.)
- Entry forms and payment must be received by ECPA no later than December 12, 2007.
- One (1) sample book of each book entered must be sent to the ECPA offices immediately upon completion of the entry process at:
ECPA / Christian Book Award
9633 South 48th Street, Suite 140
Phoenix, AZ 85044 - Six (6) sample books of each book entered must be sent to the program distributor for arrival between December 17, 2007 and January 9, 2008.
STL Distribution NA
Attention: Robbie Edgar
522 Princeton Road
Johnson City, TN 37601
4) Entry Form
- The Entry Form requires title, author, ISBN, and publication date (month and year).
- Make sure each title complies with the certification called for in Section 1.5.
- Please do not abbreviate. The exact format in which the title and author is submitted will be the format used in all publicity regarding Christian Book Award finalists and winners.
- Finalist publishers will be asked to digitally submit their company logo and finalist book cover for promotions and recognition.
Judging Process
1) Evaluation Criteria
Judges will be given a group of books in a particular category to evaluate each title on the specific category criteria. Please see the attached Christian Book Award Category Description and Judging Criteria for the specific evaluation criteria for each category.
2) Tabulation
The judges will evaluate each book based on the official score sheet provided by ECPA, and will not have access to any other scoring information. Tabulation of the judges' scores is online and will be electronically tabulated and managed by the ECPA office.
3) Judge Selection
Each group of judges will consist of two retailers, two authors, and two experts related to the category (scholars, pastors, counselors, educators, literary reviewers, etc.)
4) Judging Process
Each group of judges will score their group of submitted titles according to the category's evaluation criteria. The score for each title will be tallied and the top five (5) scorers in each of the six (6) categories will be named as finalists for those categories. The top scorer in each category will be announced as the winner for that category. The Christian Book of the Year will be awarded to the finalist with the top sales figures.
5) Awards
Winners are announced at the ECPA Christian Book Award and CBA Retailer Impact Awards Celebration held in conjunction with the International Christian Retail Show each summer.
2008 Christian Book Award Schedule
| November 13, 2007 | Entry form packets mailed and emailed to publishers. |
| December 12, 2007 | Deadline for entry forms. Publisher mails one (1) sample copy of each book entered to the ECPA office. |
| Dec 17- Jan 9, 2008 | Publisher mails six (6) sample copies of each book entered to program distribution office. |
| January 2008 | Books shipped to judges. |
| April 30, 2008 | Scoring sheets due from judges. Scores tabulated. |
| May 2008 | Finalists are announced. |
| July 13, 2008 | Christian Book Award winners and Christian Book of the Year announced at the ECPA Christian Book Award and CBA Retailer Impact Awards Celebration at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. |
