About
Pandora Press U.S. Coordination with
Pandora Press and Herald Press

Responding to challenges and opportunities of a changing publishing environment amid recognition of shared visions, three presses have developed innovative relationships. Pandora Press U.S. and Pandora Press (Canada) are pioneering ways economically to publish shorter runs of high quality books, leading PPUS to include among its defining mission statements that it "seeks to value soul as much as sales." Herald Press can efficiently produce, distribute, and market books which sell in the thousands. By coordinating their programs, the presses can—

• match their respective strengths with what best suits a given book;
• share in Herald’s ability to provide distribution and marketing support;
• experience rewarding synergies as the Pandoras enable Herald to support publication of an even wider variety of books that fit the Herald Press mission.

The story begins with Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania. Largest of the presses and long the denominational publisher of the Mennonite Church, Herald publishes books from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective that address honestly and creatively such issues as peace and social concerns, a biblical understanding of Christian faith, the mission of the church, and the importance of marriage and family. Herald Press aims to offer church and world the best in thinking and spiritual leadership.

Pandora Press, Kitchener, Ontario, was founded in 1995 by C. Arnold Snyder to make available, at reasonable cost to publisher and public, short runs of books dealing with Anabaptist, Mennonite, and Believers Church topics, historical as well as theological. Pandora Kitchener provided models and inspiration for Pandora U.S.

Pandora Press U.S., Telford, Pennsylvania, was then founded in 1997 by Michael A. King, a former Herald Press editor after Herald, though still committed to scholarly books, moved toward publishing fewer. Seeking the light of the gospel in a Pandora’s box of question, complexities, opportunities, Pandora U.S. publishes thought-provoking theological and scholarly as well as popular books of interest to Anabaptist, Mennonite, Christian, and general readers.

Though fully independent, the two Pandoras support each other’s programs by consulting on books each press publishes, contracting for each other’s services, and coordinating distribution, promotion, and marketing operations to develop distinct but related public images for their similarly-named ventures.

The complete list of Pandora Press U.S. books provides numerous examples of coordinated publishing, since many of the books listed there have been released by Pandora Press U.S. with Herald Press imprint and printed by Pandora Canada or have been produced through camera-ready copy by Pandora U.S. then printed, distributed, and marketed by Herald Press.

For regular updates, join a Pandora Press U.S. e-mail list