Hachette Book Group Agrees to Acquire Worthy Publishing Group

Hachette Book Group (HBG) and Worthy Publishing Group announced today HBG’s agreement to acquire the assets of Worthy. When the acquisition is complete, Worthy will join Hachette’s Nashville publishing division, which also includes the FaithWords and Center Street imprints. Until further notice, Worthy’s list will continue to be sold and serviced as it is today.

An established boutique publisher in the Christian market, Worthy publishes high-quality books across a broad spectrum: inspiration, fiction, Bible study, current events, devotion, leadership, biography, and personal growth. Worthy has built a stellar catalog of bestselling inspirational authors, complemented by a strong presence in the gift and children’s markets. This fall, Worthy will publish Gov. Mike Huckabee’s new book, Rare, Medium or Done Well as well as The Dead Sea Chronicles, a new fiction series from Jerry Jenkins, and John Hagee’s Earth’s Last Empire, the follow up to his bestselling Four Blood Moons. Other notable Worthy authors include David Jeremiah, Franklin Graham, Don Colbert, James Robison, Margaret Feinberg, and Les and Leslie Parrot.

HBG will take on Worthy’s entire publishing business, including its adult imprints Worthy Books, Museum of the Bible, Ellie Clare Gifts, and Worthy Inspired, as well as its children’s imprint, WorthyKids/Ideals. Together, Worthy and Hachette Nashville will publish approximately 135 titles annually, along with the combined backlist of both publishers.

“I am thrilled to welcome Worthy’s superb authors to Hachette Nashville, and I am most excited about the opportunity to work with the talented staff of Worthy Publishing,” said Hachette Nashville publisher Rolf Zettersten. “I have the utmost respect for the experience, instincts, and insights of Byron Williamson and his team, and I know that adding Hachette Book Group’s strength and expertise in sales, marketing, and support systems will allow us to grow their business even more aggressively.”

“As a relatively young publisher, Worthy has been blessed by an amazing staff and a remarkable list of gifted authors and creative talent, which have driven rapid growth and an amazing list of bestselling books,” said Byron Williamson, Worthy’s founding publisher and CEO. “We are excited about the enormous distribution strength that Hachette brings to our publishing program.”

About Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Perseus Books, Orbit, Hachette Books, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Audio. For more information visit hachettebookgroup.com.

About Worthy Publishing Group

Worthy is an inspirational adult and children’s book publisher specializing in Christian authors and bestselling nonfiction and fiction books. Worthy focuses on a boutique list of books across a broad spectrum: inspiration, fiction, Bible study, current events, devotion, leadership, biography, and personal growth.