(Nashville, TN) March 7, 2013– For the first time in six years, Thomas Nelson will be releasing nonfiction trade books under two distinct imprints. Announced this week at the HarperCollins Christian Publishing Spring 2013 sales conference, Thomas Nelson will publish adult nonfiction titles under the Nelson Books and W Publishing Group imprints.

In 2007, under the One Company corporate initiative, Thomas Nelson removed more than 20 imprints from its branding platform. “At that time, the company realized a value and strength in promoting one company brand,” said Mark Schoenwald president and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “Over the past six years, our publishing teams have worked hard to distinguish Thomas Nelson in the industry. However,we have also realized the importance of having distinct imprint identities for our large and growing nonfiction groups. The decision to restore the Nelson Books and W Publishing imprints is a sign to the industry, authors, and readers that we are more committed than ever to serving the market with a diverse and vibrant family of nonfiction publishing teams.”

Restoring these well-respected imprints will allow HarperCollins Christian Publishing to facilitate growth, now offering three distinct nonfiction brands—Nelson Books, W Publishing Group and Zondervan. Creating a distinction between titles published with Thomas Nelson provides further clarity for agents, retailers and media groups. These imprint names will convey meaning and value about the publishing teams and the line of books that they produce.

“We are honored to continue the great publishing legacy that W Publishing and Nelson Books represent,” continued David Moberg, Thomas Nelson’s senior vice president and group publisher. “They will be the cornerstones of our future growth in the nonfiction trade area.”

The Nelson Books imprint will focus on publishing books in the areas of spiritual growth, inspiration, and practical living, with select memoir, biography, history, and culture releases each year.

“I began my career in publishing in 1991 as part of the Nelson Books team, and I am delighted that my team has the opportunity to continue the rich legacy of that great imprint,” said Brian Hampton, senior vice president and publisher of Nelson Books. “We are eager to pursue our mission of publishing content that informs, inspires, and creates change that matters—in this life and the next.” Under Hampton’s leadership, the team now known as Nelson Books has published 40 “New York Times” bestsellers in the past eight years including the 2011 ECPA Book of the Year “Bonhoeffer” by Eric Metaxas.

W Publishing Group will concentrate on spiritual growth, practical living, a distinct focus on strong memoir and a strategic group of communicators to the women’s market.Under the leadership of Matt Baugher senior vice president and publisher, the renamed division has been honored with two of the last three ECPA Christian Books of the Year, placed two authors in the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers program, and has published one of the fastest selling Christian titles in history with “Heaven Is For Real,” which has sold more than eight million copies in the last two years.

“W Publishing has long been a respected home for authors,” said Baugher. “The W team will concentrate on walking alongside gifted communicators and storytellers to expand their reach. W Publishing will continue to be about relationship – with our authors, with our readers, with each other, and with our God.”

Moving forward, associated nonfiction titles published through Thomas Nelson will fall under these two imprints, beginning with the fall 2013 list.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, is a world leading provider of Christian content and has been providing readers with quality inspirational product for more than 200 years. The publishing group provides multiple formats of award-winning Bibles, books, gift books, cookbooks, curriculum and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Thomas Nelson, is headquartered in Nashville, TN with additional offices in Plano, TX. For additional information, please visit www.thomasnelsoncorporate.com.