Worthy Publishing, a Christian house based in Nashville, has acquired the 50-year-old Ideals Children’s Books line from Guideposts.
Byron Williamson, Worthy’s president and publisher, noted that the purchase continues Worthy’s expansion. The three-year-old company reported an 84 percent sales growth in 2013, over the previous year.
The Ideals Children’s Books line is Worthy’s second acquisition from Guideposts, the inspirational publisher founded by Norman Vincent Peale. In 2012 Worthy purchased the Ellie Claire Gift and Paper Expressions imprint from Guideposts, a deal that also included nonfiction gift and inspirational books from Guideposts’ Summerside Press. Both acquisitions help position Worthy in the gift market. “Worthy believes that children’s titles have an encouraging future in the gift marketplace,” Williamson told PW.
Worthy and Ideals are consolidating their national sales representation; Dale Wilstermann will remain v-p of sales at Ideals/WorthyKids. Ideals v-p and associate publisher Peggy Schaefer, a children’s specialist, will continue to lead the product development team. The purchase gives Worthy access to licenses for VeggieTales with DreamWorks Animation, for seasonal children's content with Warner Brothers, and for the Berenstain Bears.
Ideals/Worthy Kids is publishing fall/Christmas and spring/Easter lists. The spring list will feature new VeggieTales titles, Berenstain Bears products, and follow-ons to the Sparkle Box series. The Sparkle Box by Jill Hardie, illustrated by Christine Kornacki (Ideals), won the 2014 ECPA Christian Book Award in the children’s category. Ideals Children's backlist includes such perennials as How Do I Love You? by P.K. Hallinan, which has sold more than 1 million copies since its publication 25 years ago, and The Story of Christmas and a variety of other holiday titles by Patricia A. Pingry.
Williamson said Worthy will keep scouting for acquisition opportunities. “Now that we have imprints in trade, gift, specialty, and children’s, the best fit would be publishing lines that help enrich those imprints,” he said.
