Worthy Lands Matthew West
Christian singer and songwriter Matthew West inked a world rights deal with Worthy Publishing for his book Hello, My Name Is…: Ditching the Old Name Tags, Discovering Your True Identity, based on his song of the same title. The book, which includes stories collected by West that “help readers connect with their own best self through Jesus Christ,” is expected to publish in April 2017. The deal was brokered between West’s agent, Steve Green at Anvil II Management, Ltd., and Jeana Ledbetter, Worthy’s v-p and associate publisher.
A ‘Cop Under Fire’ at Worthy
In a world rights deal, Worthy executive editor Kyle Olund bought Cop Under Fire: Against Hashtags of Race, Crime & Politics for a Better America by Sheriff David Clarke Jr. from D.J. Snell at Legacy LLC. The book follows Clarke’s childhood in housing projects as well as the racial politics he encountered in the police department before he was elected Milwaukee County Sheriff in 2002. In it, the author shares his perspective on how Americans can navigate issues of racial and religious division. Cop Under Fire will be published on March 2017.
Rice Broocks Re-Ups with W Publishing Group
Matt Baugher, the senior v-p and publisher at W Publishing Group—a division of Thomas Nelson, acquired world rights to Rice Broocks’ The Human Right. The book explores the right for people in every corner of the world to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is expected to publish in September 2017. The cover of The Human Right will match art from the third installment of PureFlix Entertainment’s God’s Not Dead film series, which is based off of Broock’s book God’s Not Dead. The film is scheduled to release in theaters in fall 2017.
Edie Sundby ‘Walks’ to W
At 62, Edie Sundby walked 800 miles through the California wilderness shortly after being diagnosed with terminal cancer and told that she had three months to live. Despite her 2007 diagnosis, Sundby is still alive today, and W Publishing Group acquired her first-hand account of the experience in The Mission Walker. In it, Sundby shares the struggles she endured and the inspiration drawn from the trail of Father Junipero Serra, a Franciscan missionary in the mid-1800s who established nine missions between San Diego and San Francisco. The book deal was agented by Paul de Souza and world rights were sold to Matt Baugher. The Mission Walker is expected to publish in July 2017.
Whitaker House Takes ‘Cosmic Initiative’
In a deal for his first book in 20 years, author of the bestseller The Key to Triumphant Living Jack R. Taylor sold Cosmic Initiative to Whitaker House. In the new book, Taylor asserts that God’s “cosmic initiative” is to bring glory to him as we live and rule in his name on Earth, according to the publisher. The book examines the pursuit of God’s kingdom and it’s expected to be published in spring 2017. Whitaker House’s acquisitions consultant Don Milam acquired the rights.
Zondervan Nabs Trade Title by Pastor Choco
Zondervan has acquired a new trade book by Reverend Wilfredo (Choco) De Jesús that is set to release in April 2018. Known as Pastor Choco, De Jesús is the senior pastor of New Life Covenant Church—one of the fastest-growing churches in Chicago and the largest Assemblies of God church in the nation. In the yet-to-be-titled book, De Jesús writes how God has planned a richer, more abundant life than the one people are living now, according to the publisher. De Jesús is represented by Steve and Susan Blount of the Quadrivium Group, and the book was acquired by associate publisher and executive editor of Zondervan, Sandy Vander Zicht.
W Group Gets Two Helpings of Grace
W Group picked up North American rights to memoirist Lily Burana’s Grace for Amateurs: Field Notes on a Journey Back to Faith, which is based on her return to a belief in God. The deal was brokered between Burana’s agent, Margaret Riley King at WME, and W’s Matt Baugher. Grace for Amateurs is slated to publish in late 2017. Burana’s first book, Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America was selected as a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers title.
Don Jacobson at DC Jacobson and Associates brokered a deal with W Group’s editorial director Debbie Wickwire for Hello Mornings: How to Build a Grace-Filled, Life-Giving Morning Routine by Kat Lee, host of the podcast Inspired to Action, which has been downloaded over 800,000 times. The title is expected to publish in December 2017 and encourages women to take the pressure off of their morning routine by blending together Bible study activities, planning, and fitness, according to the publisher.
Physiologist Brings Big Questions to HarperOne
In a pre-empt, Michael Maudlin at HarperOne acquired Dr. J. Scott Turner's Purpose and Desire on design in nature via Roger Freet at Foundry Literary + Media. Turner, a professor at SUNY, a biologist, and a physiologist, addresses the question of "What is the nature of life itself?" and builds a scientific case for how Charles Darwin's contemporary, Claude Bernard, holds the keys to the mystery, according to the publisher.
Making ‘GodSpace’ at Faithwords
Faithwords editor Adrienne Ingrum acquired world rights to GodSpace: Seven Practices to Heal Our Hurried Hearts by Keri Wyatt Kent in a deal brokered by agent Steve Laube. Details about the book are forthcoming, but it will be released in September 2017. Kent’s previous titles include Oxygen: Deep Breathing for the Soul (Revell, 2007), Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life (Revell, 2005), and The Garden of the Soul (IVP, 2002).
