Eldredge Leaving Thomas Nelson; Signs Two-Book Deal with Doubleday Religion

By Rachel Deahl -- Publishers Weekly, 6/30/2008 12:12:00 PM

Bestselling Christian author John Eldredge is leaving his longtime publisher, Thomas Nelson, and has inked a two-book deal for a pair of currently untitled nonfiction works with Doubleday Religious Publishing. Eldredge, according to his agent, Curtis Yates of Yates & Yates, “will not be publishing any new major releases with Thomas Nelson in the foreseeable future.”

Eldredge is the founder of the Colorado Springs-based Ransomed Heart Ministries and a mainstay on bestseller lists; according to Doubleday there are more than nine million copies of his books in print. The one looming project the author has with Thomas Nelson is a forthcoming DVD companion to his March title from the house, Walking with God. Yates said that, right now, the deal with Doubleday is only for two titles.

In a statement Brian Hampton, Nelson's senior v-p and publisher of corporate brands, said the house still has "future projects under development" with the author and "will also continue to partner with John to keep ten years worth of life-changing material active in the marketplace.”

In his own statement Eldredge said: "I've been at Thomas Nelson exclusively since I started publishing. I have a lot of friends there and a very strong backlist. But it felt like it was time to explore new opportunities in the general market."