Open Road Integrated Media Partners With Thomas Nelson

PRESS RELEASE — (New York, NY, April 27, 2011) Thomas Nelson, the largest Christian publisher in the world and the seventh largest trade publisher in the U.S., and Open Road Integrated Media, a digital content company that publishes and markets ebooks by creating connections between authors and their audiences, today announced that Nelson has joined Open Road’s Publishing Partners Program. Under their agreement, Open Road will provide digital marketing strategy for a diverse selection of ebooks for authors Andy Andrews, Ted Dekker, Max Lucado, Donald Miller, and Sheila Walsh.

Andy Andrews is a bestselling novelist (The Traveler’s Gift) and in-demand corporate speaker for some of the world's largest organizations. He has spoken at the request of four different U.S. presidents.

Ted Dekker is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 novels, including Black, Red, White, and Green. He is best known for stories that could be broadly described as suspense thrillers with major twists and unforgettable characters, though he has also made a name for himself among fantasy fans.

Max Lucado is one of America’s most widely read authors, with more than 100 million copies in print. He and his wife, Denalyn, live in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves the Oak Hills Church.

Donald Miller is the founder of The Mentoring Project and currently serves on President Obama's Task Force on Fatherhood and Healthy Families. He is the New York Times bestselling author of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and Father Fiction.

Sheila Walsh is a powerful communicator, Bible teacher, and bestselling author with more than 4 million books sold. As a featured speaker for Women of Faith, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million women by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability, and humor with God's Word.

Open Road will partner with Thomas Nelson to digitally promote these authors and selected titles in all territories where their ebooks are sold. Open Road’s Digital Entertainment EVP Luke Parker Bowles will produce marketing videos about Thomas Nelson’s authors, books, and the themes that they explore. These videos, along with other curated and originally produced marketing materials, will be distributed through Open Road’s online platform and syndicated to online content partners. One key element of Open Road’s marketing strategy is its media player, which syndicates video content for digital distribution and includes an embedded "buy-the-ebook" option to create a streamlined experience that takes the consumer directly from promotion to purchase in a single click.

“As publishing adapts and online marketing of digital content becomes more imperative, our partnership with Open Road Integrated Media will allow Nelson to concentrate additional efforts and expertise in this evolving space,” said Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of Thomas Nelson. “We are thrilled about this opportunity to work with, and learn from, the Open Road team with Jane Friedman at the helm.”

Rachel Chou, Chief Marketing Officer at Open Road said, “We are proud to partner with the world's largest Christian publisher to bring their renowned authors to a wider audience and expand their ebook presence. Mark Schoenwald has a strong vision for Thomas Nelson and we look forward to working with him and his team on digital publishing and marketing."

Jane Friedman, cofounder and CEO of Open Road, is a member of Thomas Nelson’s board.

About Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson is the largest Christian publisher in the world and the seventh largest trade book publisher in the U.S. It publishes a variety of products, including Bibles, books, and multimedia products. It is also the largest provider of Christian-themed conferences, including Women of Faith and Revolve. For more information, visit http://www.thomasnelson.com.

About Open Road Integrated Media
Open Road Integrated Media LLC (www.openroadmedia.com) is a digital content company that publishes and markets ebooks by creating connections between authors and their audiences. The company’s ebooks offer a 360-degree world of existing and originally produced premium content that is marketed through a new proprietary online platform.

The company has published ebooks from legendary authors including William Styron, Pat Conroy, Jack Higgins, and Iris Murdoch and has also launched new e-stars like Mary Glickman. Several book-to-film adaptations, including William Styron’s Lie Down in Darkness and Pat Conroy’s The Boo, are in the works.