Inside Move: Prophet-minded
Pub biz gets religion as Bible belts hits
Random House has a new marquee writer: Tim LaHaye, a septegenerian Baptist minister who's sold more books in the U.S. than J.K. Rowling.
LaHaye is co-author, with Jerry B. Jenkins, of the "Left Behind" series, a nine-volume saga recasting the Book of Revelation as a Tom Clancy-esque geopolitical thriller.
Published by Illinois-based Christian publisher Tyndale House, the "Left Behind" books took root in Christian bookstores in the mid-1990s, descending like a thunderbolt on a book trade facing its worst downturn in a decade. With three "Left Behind" books still under contract, Tyndale has since sold 50 million copies of the series and its various spinoffs.
Last week, when AMG shopped four new LaHaye novels in a suspense series about an Indiana Jones-like archeaologist-adventurer, Bantam Books pounced, paying nearly $45 million for world rights.
Deal is in keeping with a new drive into the Christian book market by publishers trying to think outside the East Coast-West Coast media nexus. A spate of Christian imprints like Warner Faith and Doubleday's Waterbrook have sprung up in places like Nashville and Colorado Springs, Colo.
And the gospel appears to be spreading to other media. The Christian market is a big topic of discussion at AOL Time Warner, says Ralph Zettersten, publisher of Warner's Christian Book Division, which released "Hometown Legend" by "Left Behind" co-author Jenkins. Book is based on a Christian movie Jenkins produced that will be distribued on homevid by Warner Bros. And Warner Bros. Records just bought Christian record label Word Entertainment.
Let there by synergy.
