New vice president and publisher Daisy Hutton to lead the division; editors will sign authors 'strategically' for the two brands

HarperCollins Publishers’ new Christian division, comprised of Zondervan and the newly acquired Thomas Nelson, has announced the creation of a single fiction team, featuring works from both publishers and headed by Daisy Hutton, formerly vice president and publisher of fiction at Thomas Nelson.

“This is an era of unprecedented challenge and opportunity for fiction publishing,” Hutton said. “The Thomas Nelson and Zondervan brands each have a rich heritage. We intend to build on that heritage by developing more distinctive, stronger identities for each brand. We will use the assets that both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan bring to the division to create a dynamic, scaled publishing program where authors will be both energized and nurtured.”

Zondervan Executive Editor Sue Brower said the move will help Nelson and Zondervan. “We are looking forward to the establishment of one great fiction team under Daisy’s leadership,” she said. “We will all benefit from solid editorial collaboration and a strong marketing presence that this model now offers.”

The fiction staff of Zondervan and Thomas Nelson offices will remain in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Nashville, respectively. Acquisitions will be managed centrally, with editors signing authors “strategically” for Nelson and Zondervan, company officials said.

"I'm very excited about the team and our vision for the future," said HarperCollins Christian Publishing Senior Vice President and Group Publisher David Moberg. “We have the opportunity to take Christian fiction to a new level by supporting two strong publishing legacies, while at the same time preparing to move into the new digital frontier. We intend to maintain separate teams for publishing, editorial and marketing for both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan where it makes sense strategically. However, I have no doubt that our fiction presence will only benefit from Daisy’s leadership.”

Before the reorganization, Zondervan did not designate a dedicated fiction publisher because that responsibility was handled by Annette Bourland, who remains senior vice president of Zondervan book publishing.

Before the reorganization, Zondervan did not designate a dedicated fiction publisher because that responsibility was on Annette Bourland, who remains senior vice president of Zondervan Book Publishing.

The reorganization means there is “now a single, unified sales team that will solicit and take orders in the independent Christian retail sales channel," said Russ Schwartz, vice president of independent retail sales for Thomas Nelson. “Customers still place orders directly through both Zondervan and Thomas Nelson, working with their assigned sales representatives.”

Literary agent Steve Laube said the “transition will be relatively seamless and that no Zondervan or Nelson author should worry.”

“The only real impact for authors, at least right away, is that there will be one less bidder for a new property," Laube told Christian Retailing. "Before, if a major project was available in fiction, we might get bids from both Zondervan and Nelson, but now there will only be one. They will determine in-house which brand will make the play for that project.”

Laube also does not expect fewer titles initially from Nelson and Zondervan. “Acquisitions are done well in advance of publication,” he said. “Current acquisitions are filling the plans for 2014 and beyond. So for the next year the buying public, as well as stores, will not see a reduction. Over the next six-nine months, further clarification of vision for each brand (Zondervan and Nelson), as well as a new marketing and new sales budget will determine the future course.

“We’ve seen fiction division mergers before," Laube added. "Waterbrook Multnomah and Baker/BethanyHouse/Revell are the two trade examples that come to mind. The most recent was the purchase of Heartsong (Barbour) by Harlequin and is being integrated into their full line of publications. There has been no reduction in new titles in the Heartsong line.”

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