Religion Short Takes
-- Publishers Weekly, 4/20/2009 12:49:00 PM
A little more than a month after Jonathan Merkh was appointed publisher of Simon & Schuster’s Howard Books division, S&S announced it will move the religious book publisher’s offices from West Monroe, La., to Nashville, where Merkh lives. S&S said that by bringing Howard to Nashville, it is putting the company at the center of Christian publishing, thereby giving Howard a greater profile and visibility, as well as better access to authors and agents. An S&S spokesperson said the move is expected to be completed by May 1, with some of Howard’s staff moving to Nashville as well. Among those asked to stay is marketing v-p Greg Petree.
Eleven inspiring books for adults and young people were honored April 16 at the 60th anniversary gala of the Christopher Awards. Adult books, all published in 2008, included Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America by Steven Waldman (Random House); Until Our Last Breath: A Holocaust Story of Love and Partisan Resistance by Michael Bart and Laurel Corona (St. Martin’s); Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives by Jim Sheeler (Penguin); American-Made—The Enduring Legacy of the WPA: When FDR Put the Nation to Workby Nick Taylor (Bantam); Alex & Meby Irene M. Pepperberg (Collins); and The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music by Steve Lopez (Putnam). The Christophers organization promotes service to God and humanity.
Zondervan has named Arthur “Chip” Brown senior v-p and publisher of Bibles. Brown had been senior v-p of marketing at the Atlanta-based Walk Thru the Bible, an international nonprofit ministry. At Zondervan, Brown will be responsible for management and leadership of all aspects of Zondervan’s Bibles division.
William B. Eerdmans has hired Steven Alderman as director of sales. Alderman joins the Grand Rapids, Mich., religious publisher from Thomas Nelson, where he was key account manager for general market sales.
