eChristian, Inc., an online digital retailer and audio publisher based in Escondido, Calif., announced today that it has formed the eC Publishing Group, comprising its two current audio imprints (christianaudio and Mission Audio) and two new book imprints, eChristianBooks and Mission Books.
The eC Publishing Group will be headed by Dan Balow, who will serve as publisher for both the audio and print divisions out of a Wheaton, Ill., office. Balow spent 14 years with Tyndale House Publishers, where for 10 years he managed product development, marketing, and business development of the Left Behind series.
Rather than starting with print and adding digital, eC Publishing Group begins with both formats.
eC is also reversing the usual business model. Balow began planning the company by asking authors and agents what they wanted in a publisher in this new era. “The next step was to develop literary contract templates that reflected our approach,” he said. “In reality, it is the author contract that creates a publishing business plan.”
All titles will release simultaneously in print and e-book editions; some will also release in audio, either simultaneously or later. Balow said that some titles will not go to audio because of the higher production costs; those decisions will be based on revenue projections. The books will be available through all sales channels—online, in Christian and general-market retail stores, and through Amazon.
In a statement, eChristian co-founder and president Cory Verner said, “Publishing books is a natural extension of the company. We are book lovers who in the past have only focused on audio. Now, we will add this new publishing effort and take the company several steps further in content development and marketing.”
