NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Zondervan today announced that Keren Baltzer has joined the company as associate publisher for Zondervan Books. Zondervan Books is the home to multiple award-winning books and bestselling authors including Rick Warren, Shauna Niequist, Craig Groeschel, Lee Strobel, and Rebekah Lyons.
Baltzer joins the company with more than twenty years of publishing experience, most recently at Penguin Random House, where she was VP, editorial director of Convergent and Image. She has worked with a range of bestselling authors including Kate Bowler, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Lisa-Jo Baker, Pope Francis, Jenny Marrs, Jay Stringer, Leanne Morgan, and the Henri Nouwen estate.
As the associate publisher for Zondervan Books, Baltzer will acquire new authors and assist in leading the editorial strategy for Zondervan Books. Baltzer commented, “I am delighted to join Zondervan Books, a publisher I have long admired both for its storied past and its continual dedication to publishing solid, faithful books. It’s a joy to be a part of this team.” Her first day was September 18, 2023.
“Keren comes to us with a passion for publishing, a heart for our mission, and deep publishing experience,” remarked Webster Younce, VP and publisher of Zondervan Books. “We are delighted that she is now part of the Zondervan team.”
Zondervan is a HarperCollins Company and part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Zondervan is a world leading publisher and provider of Christian communications. The company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan offices are located in Grand Rapids, Mich. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.
(Grand Rapids, Mich.) May 13, 2021—Today, Zondervan announced Carly Kellerman as the new associate publisher for Zondervan Books.
In this role, Kellerman will assist in leading the editorial strategy for Zondervan Books and helping to oversee the editorial process. Kellerman will be responsible for shaping the acquisitions strategy for Zondervan Books and also discovering new, emerging Christian voices.
Kellerman has been with HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) for nearly ten years and has held a variety of roles, most recently in sales, where she formed critical industry relationships with ChristianBook.com, Hobby Lobby, and Mardel, among other retail accounts. Kellerman has also served as an acquisitions editor for the company’s Children’s and Gift publishing team where she acquired bestselling author Emily Ley for Thomas Nelson, conceptualized Annie F. Downs’s bestselling devotional 100 Days to Brave for Zondervan, and created the bestselling interactive journal The Weekly Prayer Project for Zondervan.
“Carly has a unique combination of broad experience at HCCP, deep knowledge of the marketplace, and proven ability to identify writers who resonate with readers,” said Webster Younce, VP and publisher, Zondervan Books. “We are delighted to add her set of gifts and abilities to the Zondervan Books team.”
For more information about Zondervan Books, please visit zondervan.com/zondervanbooks/, or follow @zondervanbooks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Webster Younce to be VP, Publisher and Paul Fisher to be VP, Marketing
(Nashville,
Tenn.) June 22, 2020—HarperCollins Christian Publishing announced today it will
be relocating the Zondervan Books and Zondervan Thrive imprints from Grand
Rapids, Mich. to be based in its corporate office in Nashville, Tenn. This will allow for sharing of best practices
across the company’s trade book publishing program for both Thomas Nelson and
Zondervan publishing groups. At this time, the company will continue to
maintain an office in Grand Rapids, Mich. where other Zondervan brands are based.
Those brands include Zondervan Academic, Zondervan Reflective, Zonderkidz, and
the Zondervan Bible Group.
“Creating a more cohesive structure for our trade book
publishing imprints allows for us to manage our non-fiction brands under Don
Jacobson’s leadership,” commented Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of
HarperCollins Christian Publishing and HarperCollins Focus. “We believe that
having the Zondervan Books and Zondervan Thrive leadership in Nashville will
help the teams better manage author relationships and allow them to collaborate
on larger corporate initiatives.”
Leading the publishing strategy for Zondervan Books and
Zondervan Thrive will be newly named VP and publisher Webster Younce. Younce previously worked as the associate
publisher and executive editor of Nelson Books, a Thomas Nelson imprint, for
the past seven years with oversight on all editorial processes, and
responsibilities acquiring and editing a full list of projects. Younce also helped manage the imprint’s
publishing functions, including market development, sales relations, and
financial oversight. Throughout his time in this role he worked with New
York Times bestselling authors including Bob Goff, Eric Metaxas, and John
Eldredge; thought leaders William J. Bennett, R. Albert Mohler Jr., and Dallas
Willard; and public figures Gary Sinise, Randy Travis, and Jessi Colter. Younce
began his more than 20- year-publishing-career at Alfred A. Knopf and has held
editorial roles for publishing houses at Picador USA, Arcade Publishing, Random
House, Houghton Mifflin, Henry Holt and Company, and Simon & Schuster. He
also spent two years at Suhrkamp Verlag in Berlin, Germany where was the
editorial director for international and English-language literature.
Paul
Fisher, previously senior director of marketing for the Thomas Nelson and
Zondervan fiction programs will become VP of marketing for Zondervan Books and
Zondervan Thrive. With both an extensive financial and product marketing
background, Fisher has worked at HarperCollins Christian Publishing for four
years where he successfully overhauled the reader, retailer, and industry
engagement strategy across multiple channels. Fisher has developed and grown
author relationships, working to help educate the importance of author
platforms and audience segmentation. Throughout his tenure with the
organization, Fisher has worked with New York Times bestselling authors
Max Lucado, Charles Martin, Patti Callahan, Terri Blackstock and Lis Wiehl; and
Christian fiction icons Colleen Coble, Melanie Dickerson, Beth Wiseman, Rachel
Hauck, and Denise Hunter. Fisher’s diverse background includes various senior
leadership roles at ConAgra Foods, Inc., Information Resources, Inc., Catapult
Marketing, and Unilever. In the interim, Fisher will maintain his leadership
role within the fiction team, as they transition to find a new marketing
leader.
“As HCCP
looks ahead, we are implementing plans throughout the company to strengthen our
position in the marketplace as the leading Christian publisher across all
genres,” said Don Jacobson, senior VP, publisher for HarperCollins Christian
Publishing Trade Books. “We are thrilled to have Webb and Paul move into these
leadership roles and join the Zondervan team. Both have worked alongside their
Zondervan colleagues for a number of years and have a deep
appreciation for the significance of the Zondervan brand, especially
for the authors who have built its stellar reputation
in the marketplace.”
Zondervan
Books is the flagship non-fiction publishing imprint for the Zondervan
publishing group, publishing approximately 50 titles per year. Zondervan Thrive
officially launched in late 2019 as an imprint specifically focused on personal
development, health and wellness, self-care, marriage and family, abuse/trauma,
anxiety, and personality typologies.
About HarperCollins Christian Publishing: As the world’s leading Christian publisher, HarperCollins Christian Publishing Inc., comprises the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan publishing groups, Olive Tree Bible Software, 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. HarperCollins Christian Publishing is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For more information please visit www.harpercollinschristian.com.
