It is exciting to hear that Gilead Publishing is back in business after an eight month hiatus. This fiction-only publisher lost their funding last Fall and had to suspend their operations while they sought out new partnerships. It is exciting to see that Dan Balow’s efforts have born fruit.
One of the keys was securing a partnership with Kregel Publishing to handle all warehousing, inventory, distribution, and sales. All editorial work including acquisitions will remain under Gilead’s control. Marketing and publicity will be shared with Kregel focusing on the retail accounts and Gilead will focus on the readers.
It is also very exciting that Gilead announced that their first book under this new partnership will be a 50th Anniversary edition of Christy by Catherine Marshall releasing October 3rd. This book has sold over 10 million copies. This along with new titles from Enclave will have Gilead bringing out eight titles between October of this year and February of next. With the various projects contracted and in the pipeline Gilead will release over 20 books in 2018. This is great news for our industry.
I’ve heard some say Kregel bought Gilead. I’ve heard others say the two companies merged. Neither is accurate. Instead it is, in essence, a distribution partnership. Gilead titles are created by Gilead, but the rest of the back room process is handled by Kregel. Gilead titles will be in the Kregel catalog shown to retail vendors. To illustrate the separation, Kregel will continue to produce their own fiction line separate from Gilead.
Remember also that Gilead is fiction only. The Gilead imprint will cover the broad fiction genres. Enclave will focus on science-fiction, fantasy, and supernatural. I will continue to oversee the acquisitions of Enclave titles which was the original plan after I sold the imprint to Gilead over a year ago.
Dan Balow will continue to work as an agent for The Steve Laube Agency but will only represent non-fiction while simultaneously running Gilead as their Publisher. To forestall any confusion, let it be clear that The Steve Laube Agency and Gilead are separate companies. The only connection between them is the fact that Dan and I work with each other in different capacities. He works for me in the agency and I consult with him for the Enclave imprint of Gilead. We keep the boundaries firm and the lines of demarcation clear.
Steve, thanks for shedding some light on this move. Glad Gilead is moving forward once more.
Congratulations, and indeed thanks for keeping us in the loop. May God’s blessings be on the work.
This is very good news! I’m glad to hear the Gilead team is moving forward.
So glad to hear it. 🙂
Sounds very symbiotic and might be great for both. Is this sort of partnership relatively common or likely to become so?
There have been similar distribution arrangements in the publishing world for a long time.
Currently I can point to the arrangement that NavPress has with Tyndale House Publishers. NavPress acquires and edits their books. Tyndale presents them to the marketplace.
Remember that each “partnership” has its own contractual arrangement. While to the layperson they may look alike, they may be quite different in their specifics. I only mention the NavPress/Tyndale example to illustrate an arrangement.
Exciting news! 🙂
May God bless you all as you move forward.
Happy 4th of July! Blessings, Patti Jo
I can’t see this as anything but a positive. I hope this move is successful for everyone and maybe more small publishers will follow Gilead’s example.
This is exciting news. I’m glad Gilead is back “in business.” I look forward to seeing how things proceed from here!
This is great news! And thanks to watching Shark Tank, I feel that I understand the new partnership 🙂 I’m also happy to hear about Christy, especially with it coming out on my birthday.
Angela,
I would be careful making the connection to Shark Tank.
In that show the investors are putting money into a company they believe is worth their investment. But they get an ownership stake as part of the investment.
That is not what has happened here. Kregel is not an “investor” in Gilead. They are a distribution partner. While their is symbiosis in the relationship it is not an ownership stake.
Oh, I see. Thanks for the clarification!
This is fantastic! Thank you for clarifying what’s transpired. And congratulations!
Gilead prefers to work with agents. Therefore it is best to secure one before approaching Gilead.
As for the logistics? Proposals will go to their Associate Publisher for evaluation. Not to Dan.
Congratulations.
Wonderful! Congratulations!!
This is very good news. I sense God is at work through you and your partners. As a reader and a potential author of Christian speculative fiction I am encouraged. May God continue to bless you.
Can’t even tell you how happy I am to see this post! Wonderful news. I love Enclave, and am excited to see what Gilead puts out. Blessings!
Nice!
Great news, Steve … you all have been very creative to put this deal together and bring Gilead and Enclave back!
Robert,
It was good to see you in Kansas a couple weeks ago!
As for Gilead? I will take no credit for any of it. It is all Dan Balow.
Steve