Zondervan invites readers to A Year of Weddings, a collection of contemporary wedding stories releasing monthly as digital novellas from best-selling romance novelists, beginning with author Denise Hunter’s A December Bride, on sale November 26.
“I’m so excited to be kicking off the Year of Weddings novellas and am honored to be included among such noted authors,” said Hunter. “Romance readers are going to flip for these short, sweet tales of wedded bliss!”
“Romance readers delight in wedding stories and can’t get enough from their favorite authors,” said Becky Philpott, Acquisitions Editor for the series. “We’re thrilled to present this new collection from some of the strongest voices writing inspirational romance today, as a gift for the current readers who love these authors, and for readers who prefer shorter-format content and who may be discovering these authors for the first time.”
The structure of the Year of Weddings series provides unique opportunities for marketing. “We’ve had the best time dreaming up fun ways to promote these novellas,” said Katie Bond, Director of Marketing. “The authors are all delighted to be a part of this roster and are eager to lift up the entire series, not just their individual titles, to their readers,. They’ve begun to refer to themselves as ‘bridesmaids,’ preparing to do all they can to support the featured Brides author each month.”
The Zondervan marketing and publicity team’s plans include advertising on top wedding websites among other outlets, and the creation of a Wedding Party—a group of bloggers committed to reviewing each release throughout the next year. Readers can download free desktop calendars, designed with quotes about love and reminders of upcoming “wedding dates” (release dates for upcoming novellas), and can RSVP for monthly email reminders about the new titles.
Beginning in the fall of 2014, the digital releases will be collected into seasonal print compilations every three months. The first print release, Winter Brides (November 25, 2014), includes the novellas for December, January, and February.
A Year of Weddingsnovellas will include:
A December Bride by Denise Hunter (on sale November 26, 2013)
A January Bride by Deborah Raney (on sale December 24, 2013)
A February Bride by Betsy St. Amant (on sale January 28, 2014)
A March Bride by Rachel Hauck (on sale February 25, 2014)
An April Bride by Lenora Worth (on sale March 25, 2014)
A May Bride by Meg Moseley (on sale April 22, 2014)
A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen (on sale May 27, 2014)
A July Bride by Beth Wiseman (on sale June 24, 2014)
An August Bride by Debra Clopton (on sale July 29, 2014)
A September Bride by Kathryn Springer (on sale August 26, 2014)
An October Bride by Katie Ganshert (on sale September 23, 2014)
A November Bride by Beth Vogt (on sale October 28, 2014)
Plans for a second year of wedding novellas are underway.