Brilliance Audio has obtained the exclusive global distribution rights for audio "hard goods" from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan—the two publishing groups that form HarperCollins Christian Publishing. The three-year deal includes all frontlist and some backlist titles for nonfiction trade and fiction audio products on CD and MP3 CD. HC Christain Publishing continues to control all digital audio rights.
“With certain backlist titles being available in hard goods for the first time, this new partnership will increase our audio presence in the world’s retail and libraries markets,” Cat Zappa, director of licensing for HarperCollins Christian Publishing, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that loved titles like America the Beautiful by Ben Carson and Grace, Gold and Glory by Olympic champion Gabrielle Douglas will now be available to our audio listening audience.”
Available in May and among the first audiobooks published and distributed by Brilliance will be Mario Escobar’s Francis: Man of Prayer, the complete biography of Pope Francis. Additionally, backlist audiobook titles by the likes of Rick Warren, Max Lucado, Colleen Coble, and Lysa TerKeurst will be included in the deal. The number of titles involved will ultimately be determined by how many titles Thomas Nelson and Zondervan choose to produce internally, Zappa said. "We expect Brilliance to distribute hundreds of unique titles into the marketplace between both the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan imprints," she said.
“The audiobook space is evolving quickly, and as a publisher we need to be nimble to appropriately respond to the changing market,” Gabe Wicks, vice president of HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s creative services group, said in a statement. “Partnering with Brilliance guarantees we'll be able to do that while, at the same time, expanding our audio product list.”
