ACFW Book of the Year Awards become the Carol Awards

This just in from ICRS:

We're excited to share with you the announcement our President, Cynthia Ruchti, and CEO, Colleen Coble are making on behalf of ACFW:

The International Christian Retailers Show seemed the ideal venue for American Christian Fiction Writers—now more than 2100 members strong—to make an announcement of significance to Christian publishers, authors, and retailers who keep their eye on Christian fiction.

For ten years, ACFW has considered itself in partnership with those who publish and sell the books our members write. The process of getting great stories into the hands of readers makes each link a necessity.

That's why we've chosen this event, among these industry people, to announce a major advancement in what has to this point been known as ACFW's Book of the Year awards.

Each year, publishers and individual authors enter hundreds of recent Christian fiction releases in the ACFW Book of the Year Awards contest. Past Book of the Year winners have included noted authors Tracie Peterson, DiAnn Mills, Robin Lee Hatcher, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and many other skilled CBA novelists honored by ACFW for excellence in Christian fiction.

In 1979, Bethany Publishing House editor Carol Johnson made a bold move that served as a catalyst for unprecedented growth in Christian fiction. It was a decision that changed the face of the industry and the content of readers' bookshelves. Mrs. Johnson championed Christian fiction by acquiring author Janette Oke, whose Love Comes Softly blazed a trail for future storytellers.

ACFW owes a great debt of gratitude to the pioneers of Christian fiction and to those whose efforts have helped make Christian fiction the storytelling powerhouse it is today. To honor editorial pioneer Carol Johnson and others like her who envisioned how Christian fiction could make a mark in the publishing world, ACFW has renamed our Book of the Year Award. From this point on, the highest achievement in our award program for published authors will be The Carol Award.

Asked to comment on Carol Johnson's impact, Bethany House Publishers' Vice President of Editorial David Horton notes, "Carol's vision for the future of fiction, her belief in the power of story to share God's truth, her respect for the art of writing, her trust in the editorial process, and her abiding concern for her authors set the course that Bethany House continues to follow today. Her acquisitions knocked open doors we now take for granted. The books she edited touched millions of lives."

Carol Johnson will be present for the awards banquet at ACFW's annual conference September 17-20 in Indianapolis to present the inaugural Carol Awards.

Janette Oke will attend as well, to join conferees and industry professionals in celebrating the growth of Christian fiction and to present Carol Johnson with ACFW's first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.

Visit the ACFW website.

Carol & Gary Johnson stepping down at Bethany House

Baker Publishing Group announces that Gary Johnson and Carol Johnson will be stepping aside from their respective roles as President and VP/Editorial, Fiction at Bethany House Publishers on February 29, 2008 after decades of productive leadership. They will continue on a part-time basis focusing on acquisitions and special projects.

Gary Johnson's first brush with the publishing world began in 1960 when he accepted the position of manager of the campus bookstore at Bethany College of Missions in Bloomington, Minnesota. The first day on the job, he discovered that his new role included oversight of the fledgling Bethany House Publishers, a modest operation with a backlist of six titles!

Seeing opportunities to expand the business, Johnson began acquiring practical self-help and deeper-life Christian books with growing market potential. Kingdom of the Cults by the late Walter Martin, The Christian Family by Larry Christenson, Telling Yourself the Truth by the late Dr. William Backus and the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke were all milestones in building the Bethany House brand.

Carol Johnson began editing part-time for the publishing house in the mid 60s and stepped into her full-time role as Editorial Director in 1979. She is best-known in the industry for developing Bethany's reputation of leadership and innovation in fiction and credited for birthing a new wave of Christian fiction in the late 70s.

Baker Publishing Group President Dwight Baker commented, "I am privileged to share the business of Christian book publishing with the Johnsons, first as a respectful competitor and since 2003 as a partner and colleague. Our interaction during these past five years has confirmed what many of us assumed of the Johnsons since our first observations: They are smart, professional, honest, and they display consistent personal integrity from every angle."

Jim Parrish has been named Executive VP and Director of Bethany House Publishers effective March 1, 2008. With a background in Christian retail, Parrish has worked in various management roles within the company since 1984, including most recently VP and Director of Administration.

Also on March 1, David Horton will become VP/Editorial, Fiction. Horton joined Bethany's editorial team in 1998 following stints at Tyndale House, Scripture Press, and Cook Communications. Horton currently serves as Editorial Director, Fiction.

Dwight Baker said of Parrish and Horton "We are delighted to promote Jim Parrish and David Horton to full leadership roles at Bethany. Both men have already demonstrated impressive abilities and experience. They have the support and respect from all of us as they face greater responsibilities. Bethany will certainly thrive under their leadership and in the tradition of its first 50 years of excellent publishing."

Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group.