Thomas Nelson, Inc. Become First Christian Publisher To Launch Major E-book Publishing Program

Business Wire, Oct 6, 2000

Business Editors

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 2000

Thomas Nelson, Inc. (NYSE:TNM) becomes the first Christian publisher to launch a comprehensive e-book publishing program. Five of its divisions will initially release 17 of their best-selling titles and authors through multi e-tailer channels, including bn.com, Amazon.com, and others, beginning November 15, 2000.

The list of titles will be published initially in MS Reader format, followed by additional titles and other popular e-book formats. Consumers will be able to purchase and download these titles directly from e-book vendors into a variety of desktop, laptop, and hand-held computers.

The initial list includes some of the company's current best-selling titles and authors in print. Future releases will include key backlist titles, specialty works, and original e-books, as the e-book market develops.

E-book titles to be released from Thomas Nelson Publishers include Failing Forward by New York Times best-selling author John C. Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell, The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis, and Rachel's Tears by Darrell Scott and Beth Nimmo.

Word Publishing's titles include He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado, Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias, Just Give Me Jesus by Anne Graham Lotz, and Wounded Spirit by Frank Peretti. Nelson Reference will release Where to Find it in the Bible, and Nelson's Complete Book of Laughter A-Z. Titles from Nelson Bibles include The Gospel of John (New Century Version), and Wow - The Big Picture: The Bible in 7 Minutes a Day.

E-book titles from Tommy Nelson include My Life as Reindeer Road Kill and My Life as a Smashed Burrito from The Incredible Worlds of Wally McDoogle series by Bill Myers and, from the Today's Girls.com series, Stranger Online by Terri K. Brown and Carol Smith. Tommy Nelson is also planning a simultaneous e-book and printed book release of The Veritas Project: Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti in February 2001.

Says Philip Stoner, Executive Vice President & Publisher, and chairperson of the company's epublishing initiative, "We have observed the escalation of epublishing activity and support from major retailers, including bn.com and Amazon.com, in recent months, and we want take the lead in our industry by being the first to commit our premier authors and titles to this new format. We feel confident that there is a rapidly growing market for the unique focus of our publications in these new e-book formats. There is great expectation for what we can accomplish via the Internet in this new millennium, on behalf of our authors. This will bring major opportunities for growth, both for the company and the authors signed to each publishing division."

Nelson's entrance into e-book publishing follows on the heels of the company's three year old, successful electronic publishing program in CDROM format. Nelson's Electronic Publishing Division has released numerous award-winning CDROM collections of best-selling reference and Bible study content, as well as electronic libraries from best-selling authors such as John C. Maxwell, Dr. Charles Stanley, and John MacArthur.

Stoner further comments, "Our commitment to epublishing and the Internet market complements what local retailers are doing in their stores to promote an author through visibility and traffic. We expect to see increased sales of existing print titles and increased promotion of authors and their books to a larger and more technology-driven customer base. Thomas Nelson, Inc. intends to seize this opportunity, and other publishing and distribution venues as they emerge, to extend the reach of our authors to a new generation of readers."

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading publisher, producer, and distributor of products emphasizing Christian, inspirational, and family value themes. It is the largest publisher of Bibles, religious reference, and inspirational books in the English language. The company also designs and markets a broad line of gift and stationery products. For more information about Thomas Nelson, Inc., visit our website at www.thomasnelson.com, Thomas Nelson Publishers at www.thomasnelsonpublishers.com, Word Publishing at www.wordpublishing.com. Nelson Reference and Electronic publishing at www.nelsonreference.com, Nelson Bibles at www.nelsonbibles.com, and Tommy Nelson at www.tommynelson.com.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. is a leading publisher, producer and distributor of books emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes, and believes it is the largest publisher of Bibles and inspirational books in the English language. The Company also designs and markets a broad line of gift and stationery products. For more information, visit our website www.thomasnelson.com. Thomas Nelson's stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:TNM).