With an aim to expand the presence of Tin House’s celebrated backlist in the marketplace and foster the independent publisher as a sought-after home for groundbreaking new voices, this acquisition signals Zando’s growing reach into the prestigious literary market.

Zando, the innovative independent publisher known for partnering with high-profile creators, organizations, and institutions to discover and publish influential voices, is delighted to announce the acquisition of Tin House, one of the most revered names in contemporary literary publishing. The acquisition includes Tin House’s 200+ title backlist, frontlist, and trademark, marking a significant move for Zando as it continues to expand its portfolio and its presence as a home for literary works.

Under the acquisition, Zando plans to elevate the impact of Tin House’s existing, illustrious backlist, activating Zando’s own robust publishing infrastructure to enhance sales, marketing, and distribution efficiencies for Tin House titles. Their shared aim is to enable the literary publisher to maintain its stellar pedigree while augmenting its abilities to discover and nurture today’s best literary talents.

Zando Founder and CEO Molly Stern shared, “The Tin House name is synonymous with bold, trailblazing literary work. Our union is one of shared passion and an opportunity for growth for both publishers. With Zando’s support, Tin House will expand the scope of the opportunities it can pursue, while remaining one of the most impeccably curated literary presses in the industry.”

The story of Tin House began in 1999 when Win McCormack founded the iconic Tin House Magazine, which quickly became “a Literary Haven for ‘Brilliant Weirdos’” (New York Times) and established its reputation as a vital and vibrant part of the American literary landscape. A showcase for celebrated authors and undiscovered writers alike, the magazine published striking pieces that often couldn’t find homes elsewhere: poems by Stephen King, a haiku by Colson Whitehead, a reflection on Michael Cunningham’s novel The Hours written by Virginia Woolf’s niece, Angelica Garnett, and an early short story by novelist and Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff, a founding Zando board member. 

In 2002, McCormack expanded the venture by founding Tin House Books, which has proven a small but mighty publisher of consistently award-winning and critically acclaimed fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Its titles have hit the New York Times bestseller list, garnered impressive amounts of review attention, and earned prestigious accolades including PEN Literary Awards, National Book Critics Circle Awards, and National Book Award nominations. Among their recent publications are Morgan Talty’s Fire Exit and Night of the Living Rez, Joy Williams’ Concerning the Future of Souls, Daisy Hernández’s The Kissing Bug, Samantha Hunt’s The Seas, Morgan Parker’s Magical Negro, Hanif Abdurraqib’s A Fortune for Your Disaster, Kristen Arnett’s Mostly Dead Things, Claire Fuller’s The Memory of Animals, and more.

Win McCormack reflected, “My dream in starting Tin House was to offer all passionate readers—not just publishing professionals or academics—access to the greatest literary voices, without pretension. Zando understands and shares that drive, and they also understand the financial and marketing support needed to succeed in publishing today. I feel confident they are the ideal partner to preserve the Tin House legacy, while helping us attract even more emerging talent.” 

McCormack will continue his association with the list as Chairman of Tin House.

Masie Cochran, the long-time editorial leader at Tin House, will remain with the company as an editorial leader under Zando. “Tin House has long championed talented debut writers, underrepresented voices, and stylistically daring and inventive work,” Cochran notes. “So it’s exciting and feels like a natural fit to partner with Zando, a publisher capable of harnessing the influence of beloved, established talents while, at the same time, taking bold bets on new ones.”

Elisabeth Murdoch, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of SISTER global entertainment group, of which Zando is a partner, noted: “This acquisition arrives in the midst of a season of stunning successes from Zando’s publishing lineup, with a pattern of recent New York Times bestsellers, and continued success across existing imprint partners. Now, Tin House is a perfect complement to Zando’s growing, diversifying business, and I am excited to see the partnership flourish.”

Stern added, “Tin House is a treasured institution in American publishing, and we could not be more thrilled and honored to help push them to new heights guided by Masie’s instincts for great writing talent. They have built deeply personal, quality-driven editorial standards over the years that echo what Zando’s set out to do as an independent publisher from day one: to elevate new literary voices and build long-lasting relationships between author and reader.”

The Tin House Workshop along with the podcast, Between the Covers, will remain separate from the Tin House book publishing program.

Zando expects to release a new slate of Tin House titles under its broader publishing umbrella beginning in 2026.

About Zando
Founded in 2020 by Molly Stern, Zando is a leading independent publisher focused on discovering and promoting diverse voices and new literary talent. Through its partnerships with high-profile creators, organizations, and institutions, Zando has quickly established itself as a forward-thinking force in publishing. Zando is committed to building a catalog of books that reflect diverse experiences, ideas, and cultures, empowering authors and reaching a broad and engaged audience. For more information, visit www.zandoprojects.com.

About Tin House
Since its founding in 2002, Tin House has been a leading force in the literary world, publishing an award-winning list of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Renowned for its commitment to high-quality writing and its focus on discovering and nurturing new voices, Tin House’s titles have garnered critical acclaim and won numerous prestigious awards. Tin House was originally launched by Win McCormack and is widely respected for its magazine, Tin House Magazine, which operated from 1999 to 2019 and provided a platform for emerging writers. Today, Tin House continues to be a vital player in the American literary scene, known for publishing groundbreaking and original works. It is also home to a renowned workshop and seminar series, and partner of a critically acclaimed podcast, Between the Covers. For more information, visit www.tinhouse.com.