FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Pamela McClure, 615.595.8321
pamela@mmpublicrelations.com
It’s
Not About Me:
Rescue From the Life We Thought Would Make Us
Happy
New Adult Trade Title from Max
Lucado Launches Spring 2004
NASHVILLE,
TN—“Look out for
#1!” “I’m spending time on my own needs.” “It’s MY
turn.” American media
messages and common wisdom encourage people
to put themselves and their interests first. This, our culture proclaims, is where
happiness lies. But best-selling
author Max Lucado challenges the
cultural norm and proposes a radical shift from “me
first” living. It’s Not About Me: Rescue from the Life We
Thought Would Make Us Happy (Integrity Publishers, $18.99, March 9,
2004) prescribes a dramatic paradigm shift from self-promoting
to God-promoting. According to Lucado,
those who make this shift
are rescued from a lifestyle that
promises but never delivers true
happiness.
“When God looks to the center of the
universe, he doesn’t look to you,” Lucado writes in his opening pages. “When
heaven’s stagehands direct the spotlight toward the star of the show, I need no
sunglasses. No light falls on me.”
Instead, Lucado suggests that we all serve as reflectors of the true
“sun” of the universe—designed to reflect the glory of God. “But how do we make the shift? How can we be bumped off self-center? Attend a seminar, howl at the moon, read a
Lucado book? None of these (though I
appreciate that last idea). We move
from ‘me-focus’ to ‘God-focus’ by pondering him.”
The
fourteen chapters of It’s Not About Me challenge
self-centered ideas readers may have held for years. ‘Shouldn’t I look out for number one?’ ‘How can my life be happy if I’m concerned only with God’s
glory?’ ‘What about my rights and dreams?’
Lucado leads readers into a new way of thinking via two sections of the
book, “God Pondering” and “God Promoting”:
§
“God
Pondering” offers a fresh view of God—of his love, unchanging nature, holiness
and timelessness. Lucado leads readers
into a consideration of God’s worthiness via examples from the lives of Moses, Isaiah,
and even the Edwards Aquifer in South Texas.
§
“God
Promoting” helps readers discover lives that truly bring glory to the Creator
they considered in the book’s early pages.
In this section, Lucado suggests that individuals can glorify God
through their attitudes about salvation, their bodies, their struggles and even
their success.
In anticipation of strong consumer demand, Integrity has designed a
marketing campaign that will build consumer awareness long before the book
reaches shelves. A retail pre-sell
campaign launches January 15, 2004, in stores nationwide, and a gift journal is
offered free with each advance order.
Then an extensive book launch marketing campaign rolls out as the book
releases in March, including national TV, print and radio advertising, custom
in-store displays, a church satellite event in Spring 2004 and online consumer
promotions.
--more--
It’s Not About
Me/page two
Lucado readers often share their enjoyment of his books in discussion
groups, so a “devotional study guide” will be included in the book for both
group and personal use. In addition,
audio versions of the book will release simultaneously with the hardcover on
both cassette and CD.
Publishers Weekly
says “there aren’t many authors bigger than Lucado,” and with more than 33
books in print, decades on the national bestsellers lists and numerous awards,
Max Lucado is indeed a publishing phenomenon.
His books have appeared on many and various bestseller lists including The New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly
and the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). His works have been published in a variety of formats including
children’s books, video, CD-ROM, DVDs, music CDs, mass paperback booklets,
apparel, giftware, bookmarks, calendars, study Bibles, workbooks, curricula and
plush products. In spring 2003,
Hallmark/Dayspring Cards launched a new gift card line featuring the writings
of Lucado; the line has
already sold more than one million cards. Lucado has been featured in a wide range of
media, including USA Today, “Larry
King Live” and “NBC Nightly News.” But
Max Lucado is not a man consumed by sales, awards and achievements. He spends most of his time as senior
minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. And he believes he has a one-in-a-million wife in Denalyn and three
amazing daughters in Jenna, Andrea and Sara.
Integrity
Publishers Inc., headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee,
produces, markets and distributes Christian books in most major trade
categories such as fiction, current events, biblical studies, devotions,
psychology, family, children and biography. Some Integrity authors
include: Dr. David Jeremiah, Ravi
Zacharias, Frank Peretti, Larry Crabb, Stephen Arterburn, Becky Tirabassi, Dr.
Linda Mintle, George Barna, and Brennan Manning. To find out more about Integrity Publishers, visit www.integritypublishers.com.
Integrity Media, Inc.,
is a media-communications company that produces, publishes and distributes
Christian music, books and related products. It is a producer and publisher of
products that facilitate a Christian lifestyle. Integrity's products are sold primarily through retail stores and
direct to consumers throughout the United States and in 168
other countries. The Company is
headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, and its common stock is listed on The NASDAQ
National Market under the symbol "ITGR." Information about Integrity, including financial and operating
performance, is available at the company's website: www.integritymedia.com/invest/financialpr.html.
#
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It’s Not about me
rescue from the life we thought would make us happy
By Max Lucado
[Available March 9, 2004, from Integrity
Publishers]
Hardcover: ISBN 1-59145-042-x, $18.99, 176 pages,
Inspirational/Motivational/General
Audio:
Cassettes, $15.99, ISBN 1-59145-162-0; CDs, $18.99, ISBN 1-59145-161-2