PRESS RELEASE
Evangelical Christian Publishers Association




P.R. Bowker and ECPA Announce Collaborative Trade Publication: BookWire Christian Publishing News & Reviews


04/07/2006, Tempe, AZ -- R.R. Bowker LLC and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) announce the launch of their newest trade publication, BookWire Christian Publishing News & Reviews, scheduled for release in September 2006.

The full color, oversized publication will be circulated free of charge to more than 12,000 book professionals including librarians and book buyers. While the quarterly print publication will serve as the primary delivery vehicle for book reviews, the piece will leverage the reach of Bowker's vast bibliographic network to repurpose these reviews and information into other book data products such as the BookWire.com review service as well as Global Books In Print - the world's largest bibliographic database.

"The real value to publishers is three-fold," says Charlie Friscia, Director of Promotional Services at Bowker. "In addition to appearing in BookWire Christian Publishing News & Reviews all reviews will also be included in other Bowker products, including the online industry resource BookWire.com, and Bowker's online bibliographic databases, BooksInPrint.com and GlobalBooksinPrint.com, used by thousands of retailers and librarians world-wide. The third value for publishers will be industry news and trends, which provide publishing executives with a reliable basis for product development and business strategy decision making." The publication is considered to be the first publisher-focused magazine in the Christian book industry.

Positioned to benefit all markets in the Christian book trade: consumers, booksellers, and publishers - the quarterly publication will feature industry news and independent reviews on the best upcoming books from Christian publishers. "By listing only new releases that earn a positive review, we hope to provide the reader with a tool that will allow them to quickly determine those titles that need to find a place on their shelves," said Kelly Gallagher, Vice President of Business Development at ECPA. "There are just too many excellent titles that are overlooked simply because they miss the exposure or spotlight they need."

In addition to providing comprehensive book reviews, BookWire Christian Publishing News & Reviews will provide in-depth industry coverage of the Christian book market from a publisher point of view. Some of the subjects that will be covered in BookWire include:

"Simply stated, our vision for this publication is to increase the awareness of quality Christian books and publishers," says Mark Kuyper, President of ECPA. "Whether it's providing quality book reviews to our core Christian market, or telling the success story one of our members is having in penetrating a new market, our goal is to use this piece to provide information to those interested in selling and/or distributing Christian books."

Publishers will be invited to submit manuscripts for review by a team of highly knowledgeable Christian professionals within the industry. The publication will also feature advertising from publishers interested in marketing their upcoming books. While publisher support allows them to submit a manuscript for review, it does not guarantee a positive review or placement in the print edition. All reviews, however, will be rated, edited, and listed in BookWire.com and other Bowker listings with the publisher's approval. A complete media and information kit outlining manuscript review deadlines, advertising rates and specifications is available by contacting charlie.friscia@bowker.com at BookWire directly.

Bowker is the world's leading source for bibliographic information. The company provides searching, analytical, promotional, and ordering services to publishers, booksellers, libraries, and patrons through national and international brands, including: Books In Print®, Global Books In Print®, Books In Print IntelliMarket™, Syndetic Solutions™, Pubnet®, PubEasy™, Simba Information™, and more. In the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Bowker is also the ISBN and SAN Agency and a DOI registration agency for the publishing industry. Bowker is headquartered in New Providence, New Jersey, with operations in East Grinstead, England, and Port Melbourne, Australia. For more company details, please visit www.Bowker.com .

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