On the heels of its acquisition of Regnery Publishing, Skyhorse Publishing says it will maintain the conservative publisher’s dedication to religion books, but it will not acquire new titles for Regnery's Christian imprint, Salem Books. Titles already published under Salem Books will continue to bear the name, but future Christian titles will be published under Skyhorse's Good Books imprint.
Following the December 28 purchase, Regnery Publishing will become an imprint of Skyhorse and maintain its own identity. Skyhorse is retaining Regnery imprints Regnery Publishing, Regnery Faith, Regnery History, Regnery Kids, Gateway Editions, Lifeline Press, and Little Patriot Press. A representative for Skyhorse notes that the company is looking to "grow its Christian publishing footprint" and strengthen relationships to conservative authors.
“Skyhorse is committed to continuing the Regnery mission, which has always included Christian titles,” the spokesperson tells PW. “We are very excited about the upcoming book by Eric Metaxas, Religionless Christianity: God’s Answer to Evil, and hope to form closer ties with both him and similar authors.”
Regnery Publishing was founded by Henry Regnery in 1947, and in 2014, it became a division of radio broadcaster Salem Media Group, which focuses on content related to Christian values. During an interview last year, Regnery Publishing's president and publisher Thomas Spence described a new strategy that included publishing titles under Regnery's Salem Books imprint that examine a range of cultural issues from a conservative point of view. These titles "will have a longer shelf life at bookstores," Spence said at the time. Salem Books authors include pastor Michael Youssef, comedian and actor Chonda Pierce, radio producer and speaker Jay Payleitner, and radio host Steve Arterburn.
As part of the recent sale, which includes Regnery’s roughly 1,550 backlist titles, Skyhorse president and publisher Tony Lyons will be the publisher of Regnery. Some Regnery employees are staying on, but final staffing decisions have not yet been made, according to Skyhorse. Abigail Gehring, associate publisher and editorial director at Skyhorse, is handling all Christian book submissions.
Regnery is the latest addition to Skyhorse’s 20 imprints, which publish books in a range of categories such as outdoor sports, politics, true crime, and children’s books, among others. Among its authors are controversial figures such as Alex Jones, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Woody Allen. With the purchase of Regnery, Lyons reiterated a commitment to providing “a full spectrum of political, theological, cultural, and philosophical viewpoints to counter the increasingly biased environment in mainstream media.” The company is based in New York City with a satellite office in Brattleboro, Vt.
