Megachurch pastor and author Joel Osteen has signed a publishing agreement with Hachette Book Group, returning to the company's FaithWords division—where he had his biggest best-seller. The first yet-untitled book is scheduled for release in September.

Rolf Zettersten, senior vice president and publisher for FaithWords, said that the company was "thrilled" that Osteen was back with Hachette. "His message offers hope, inspiration and motivation to millions of readers," he said. "We intend to serve him with a very aggressive and creative publishing program."

FaithWords published in 2004 Osteen's first book, Your Best Life Now, which spent more than two years on the New York Times best-seller list. Hachette has sold more than 8 million copies of Osteen's books to date.

"I believe wholeheartedly in our message of hope and in the ability of Hachette to help us deliver that message to the greatest number of people through publishing," Osteen said. "Hachette is on the cutting edge of this changing industry, and I know that our partnership will result in millions of lives being changed for the better."

Following his success with FaithWords, Osteen signed a book deal in 2006 with Free Press/Simon & Schuster—which publishing insiders called one of the richest for a nonfiction book and netted the author more than $10 million, according to The New York Times.

Released in 2007, Osteen's first Free Press book, Become a Better You, sold more than a million copies and appeared on the New York Times best-seller list for five months. Free Press released Osteen's follow-up, It's Your Time, in 2009, and published his The Christmas Spirit: Memories of Family, Friends, and Faith in November.

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