Bestselling author and personal finance expert Dave Ramsey has signed a two-book, world rights co-publishing agreement with the Howard Books imprint of Simon & Schuster. Based on Ramsey’s EntreLeadership® principles, the first book will be published in fall 2011; it will be the first major release from Ramsey since The Total Money Makeover (Thomas Nelson, 2003), which has been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 140 weeks and sold some 2.5 million copies.
According to S&S spokesman Adam Rothberg, the co-publication deal is akin to Stephen King’s—a profit-sharing or partnership arrangement “rather than a straight advance.” Asked whether any advance was involved, Rothberg declined to comment on the terms of the deal. Howard competed with four other publishers to sign Ramsey.
There are more than 6.8 million copies of Ramsey’s seven adult and six children’s books in print. His first adult title, Financial Peace, was self-published in 1992 and picked by Viking in 1997. Ramsey hosts a nationally syndicated radio show heard on more than 450 stations by 4.5 million listeners weekly. Both books in the Howard deal will be published worldwide by Simon & Schuster and by Simon & Schuster Audio.
Jonathan Merkh, v-p and publisher of Howard Books, told PW that this is Ramsey’s first co-publication deal and demonstrates his stature as an author. “The platform he has is extensive,” Merkh noted. “In addition to the radio show, he holds many conferences, and his organization has lots of people who teach his financial principles all over the country.”
The new books will expand Ramsey’s reach beyond personal finance into the business world. Carolyn Reidy, president and CEO of S&S, stated, “Financial Peace and The Total Money Makeover have become an invaluable resource to millions, and we look forward to working with Dave to grow the readership as he now extends his sage advice and strategies for success into the world of business.”
