HarperCollins Publishers, one of the largest English-language publishers worldwide and a highly recognized name in the industry, is set to acquire an equally respected name in publishing, specifically inspirational titles, Thomas Nelson. While both companies have a long history—dating back to publishing in the late 1700s for Nelson—and this isn’t the first cooperative effort between Nelson and the original companies that later formed HarperCollins, this venture will add to Thomas Nelson’s reach and increase HarperCollins’ digital imprint.
Currently, HarperCollins has fairly large divisions of the company for ebooks under HarperCollins E-books, as well as print-on-demand and digital-to-print publishing.
While Thomas Nelson is in the area of trade publications, it can bring some of the best known authors in the inspirational genre to this deal, including the works of Billy Graham, Max Lucado, and Dave Ramsey. While HarperCollins already has an inspirational title imprint, Zondervan, Thomas Nelson, Inc. is expected to be a welcome complement.
Statements from both parties spoke of the positive results they expect from this merger, given that Thomas Nelson has a more focused model which includes ebooks, audio, video, and curriculum materials, while HarperCollins has a more extensive reach in the industry. Both companies see the need for expansion and the utilization of mutual resources in a publishing industry that is changing almost every day.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
