17 June

HarperCollins Christian Publishing announces three editorial promotions for Fiction Group

Becky Monds named associate publisher, Laura Wheeler named acquisitions editor, and Jodi Hughes named senior editor

(Nashville, Tenn.) June 17, 2021— HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced today the promotions of Becky Monds to associate publisher, Laura Wheeler to acquisitions editor, and Jodi Hughes to senior editor for the company’s fiction program, which publishes titles under the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan brands.

Monds is an industry veteran, joining the company thirteen years ago as an editorial assistant and serving in various editorial capacities, most recently as editorial director before being promoted to associate publisher for the Fiction Group. She has edited Christy Award winners including The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron and The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings, as well as New York Times bestseller The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerson.

As associate publisher, Monds is responsible for managing and developing the editorial staff, working with authors, overseeing the publishing schedule for all fiction products, and managing the brands for both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan fiction titles.

“Becky is beloved by her authors for her insightful editorial guidance, by her direct reports for her care and encouragement of them as whole people, and by coworkers for her willingness to be a team player and good corporate partner,” said Amanda Bostic, v-p and fiction publisher for HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “Our whole team relies on her wisdom, her instinct, and her gracious spirit, and I could not be more thrilled to formalize the leadership she has already been providing for our team.”  

Wheeler, the new acquisitions editor for the fiction team has worked in publishing for ten years, having served in editorial roles at Abingdon Press and Hachette Book Group before joining the company in 2018. In this new role, Laura is responsible for acquiring and editing 12-15 novels per year as well as building and maintaining relationships with authors and agents.

Bostic remarked, “Laura’s instincts for developing stories and for recognizing trends in the market, her capacity to juggle multiple projects without flinching, and her ability to foster strong internal and external relationships have all proven that she is more than ready to take on this new role as acquisitions editor.”

Hughes, recently promoted to senior editor, has been with the company for ten years and has held multiple editorial roles for the fiction team. As senior editor, Hughes will continue to manage editorial functions which includes overseeing metadata and serving as a line editor.

“Jodi has been a valued member of our team since day one,” said Bostic. “Her attention to detail has served her well as she has managed our titles and our metadata, and as she has developed into a trusted and valued line editor. We are so excited to be able to recognize her ongoing contributions with this well-deserved promotion.”

For more information about HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s fiction books, please visit tnzfiction.com, or follow @tnzfiction on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Contact:    Chelsea Taff

                 Manager, Corporate Communications

                 tel:     615.902.2137

                 web:   [email protected]

18 November

The Painted Castle wins 2020 Christy Award

Thomas Nelson congratulates winner, Kristy Cambron, and three finalists

(Nashville, Tenn.) November 18, 2020 — Thomas Nelson today announced The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron is a Christy Award winner in the Historical Fiction category. The company also recognized three additional finalists. The Christy Awards, which honor fiction authors in nine categories, were presented by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) through a live webcast on November 12, 2020.

The three additional Thomas Nelson titles that were recognized as finalists in various categories are:

  • The Bright Unknown by Elizabeth Byler Younts in Historical
  • Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock in Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
  • The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson in Young Adult

“The Christy Awards are a marker of excellence in Christian fiction, and I am thrilled to see our authors recognized for their work,” said Amanda Bostic, v-p and publisher for Thomas Nelson fiction. “We’ve had the honor of publishing Kristy Cambron since her debut novel released in 2014. It is a joy to see her talent and passion for storytelling honored with a Christy Award.”

To learn more about the Christy Awards, please visit www.christyawards.com.

About Thomas Nelson: Thomas Nelson is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. As part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information visit www.thomasnelson.com.

Contact:    Chelsea Taff, Assistant Manager

                  Corporate Communications

                  tel:     615.902.2137

                  web:   [email protected]

02 November

Nekasha Pratt named senior director of marketing for Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction

(Nashville, Tenn.)—HarperCollins Christian Publishing recently announced Nekasha Pratt as the company’s new senior director of marketing for fiction books under both Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. Pratt brings more than 18 years of marketing expertise to the organization, across multiple industries including non-profit, financial services, and consumer goods. Throughout her career she has helped lead campaigns that have won over 20 creative awards, including three international Cannes Lions.

For the past three-and-a-half years, Pratt served as director of marketing for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, where she developed and maintained close working relationships with tourism boards, legislators, government officials and state partners across 95 counties to help create multi-channel campaigns to generate revenue for the state, through tourism. Prior to her tourism marketing position, Pratt held leadership positions in global organizations, marketing agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.

As the senior director of marketing for Thomas Nelson’s and Zondervan’s fiction publishing programs, Pratt will work closely with the team’s roster of over 45 active authors to grow and develop their individual brands.  She will be responsible for conceptualizing and executing the consumer, retail, and trade engagement strategy for the division, driving discoverability and revenue for 50 fiction titles annually. In addition, Pratt will manage the team’s marketing and publicity personnel to nurture their on-going growth.

Pratt commented, “I am excited to join an already amazing marketing, PR and editorial team and look forward to leveraging my diverse marketing background to support our authors and expand our marketing efforts.”

“We could not be more thrilled to have Nekasha join our team,” said Amanda Bostic, v-p and publisher for HarperCollins Christian Publishing’s fiction publishing programs. “Her creativity and vast experience are going to be invaluable in driving both our platform marketing strategy and our title-by-title marketing to the next level.”

About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: The world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, BibleGateway.com, FaithGateway.com and ChurchSource.com.  The Company produces bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, academic resources, curriculum, audio and digital content for the Christian market space.   Bible Gateway is the world’s largest Christian website with more than 20 million unique monthly visitors. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in the U.S. and Mexico.  For more information visit www.HarperCollinsChristian.com.  

Contact:   Casey Harrell

                 Senior Director, Corporate Communications

                 tel:   615-902-1109

                 web: [email protected]