Zando, the independent publisher founded by Molly Stern in 2020, has made its first major acquisition, acquiring the highly respected literary press, Tin House. The purchase includes Tin House’s backlist and frontlist of more than 200 titles, as well as the Tin House trademark. The deal does not involve Tin House’s affiliated workshops and Between the Covers podcast.
Per the deal, Tin House will become an imprint of Zando. The publisher currently has nine imprints, including Sarah Jessica Parker's SJP Lit, Gillian Flynn's eponymous imprint, John Legend's Get Lifted, the romance imprint Slowburn, and the Atlantic's Atlantic Editions.
“The Tin House name is synonymous with bold, trailblazing literary work,” Stern said in a statement. “Our union is one of shared passion and an opportunity for growth for both publishers. With Zando’s support, Tin House will expand the scope of the opportunities it can pursue, while remaining one of the most impeccably curated literary presses in the industry.”
Tin House was founded in 2002 in Portland, Ore. by Win McCormack as a complement to his literary magazine of the same name, which he launched in 1999. Under McCormack, Tin House has published critically acclaimed fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, while also having its titles reach numerous bestsellers lists. Among its recent publications are Morgan Talty’s Fire Exit and Night of the Living Rez, Joy Williams's Concerning the Future of Souls, Daisy Hernández's The Kissing Bug, Morgan Parker's Magical Negro, Hanif Abdurraqib's A Fortune for Your Disaster, and Kristen Arnett's Mostly Dead Things.
According to Zando's announcement, McCormack will serve as chairman of Tin House. In a statement, McCormack said he believes that Zando is the right home for Tin House since it both understands the drive for editorial quality and has “the financial and marketing support needed to succeed in publishing today.” McCormack continued: “I feel confident they are the ideal partner to preserve the Tin House legacy, while helping us attract even more emerging talent.”
Masie Cochran, the long-time editorial leader at Tin House, will remain with the company under Zando. “Tin House has long championed talented debut writers, underrepresented voices, and stylistically daring and inventive work,” Cochran stated. “So it's exciting and feels like a natural fit to partner with Zando.”
Zando expects to release a new slate of Tin House titles under its broader publishing umbrella beginning in 2026
