Citing the challenging economy, Guideposts is disbanding its trade books program and suspending sales of its fiction and nonfiction through retail channels, effective spring 2014. The company will continue to publish fiction and nonfiction, but it will be sold only direct to consumer, as it had been until Guideposts launched its trade program in 2006. According to David Morris, v-p and editorial director of the books and inspirational media division, Guideposts will support the fall books that have already been sold into stores. Among the fall nonfiction titles are A Search for Purple Cows, a memoir by Susan Call, and The Song of Annie Moses by Robin Donica Wolaver of The Annie Moses Band.
The Summerside Press imprint, which Guideposts acquired in 2010, has been shut down. Summerside published both fiction and nonfiction when Guideposts acquired it; in 2012 the company sold Summerside's nonfiction titles and the Ellie Claire gifts brand it had acquired with it to Worthy Publishing. Ideals Publications, Guideposts' Nashville-based children's books program, will continue to be sold through retail channels.
Guideposts' direct-to-consumer program includes the annual devotionals Daily Guideposts and Mornings with Jesus, collections of stories from Guideposts magazine, series fiction, and some standalone titles gleaned from its house file.
News of Guideposts' decision to drop its trade program first appeared in Christian Retailing on Monday.
