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| May 09, 2008 |
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We humans populating the Pacific Northwest are known to be one of the nation's most dedicated reading groups. Reasons provided to explain this phenomenon are varied, from the long gray winters west of the Cascades that promote warm and dry indoor activities to the isolation of the ranching territories east of the mountains. And perhaps more recently the richness and diversity of the crops produced by the wealth of regional publishers could be playing a significant role. The West Coast has more active publishers than any area outside New York City, the traditional core of publishing in the United States. Our Northwest region abounds in publishing houses not of the size of those New York mega-conglomerates, but homegrown presses more attuned to local trends and interests and more human in scope. A stroll through Literary Market Place demonstrates that Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana play host to upwards of thirty general trade publishers of substantial size, along with multitudes of smaller one-to-few book companies and some really esoteric specialist presses. These are general trade publishers, meaning they distribute their titles significantly through bookstores. And they annually produce hundreds of books on topics ranging from regional books in predictably popular categories such as natural history, travel and recreation, western Americana, local history and biography to books in quite narrow specialty subjects. These subjects include horticulture, classical music and opera, translations of European literature, law, business management, legal self-help, literary fiction, fiction and non-fiction from women writers, gay and lesbian literature, needlework crafts, poetry, writer's reference, illustrated graphic novels, children's books, coffee table books on art and photography. All these subjects and more are published often--and very well--here in the Northwest. Profiles of many of the key players follow this introduction. How do books get published? What happens behind the doors of a regional publisher? As a veteran of eight years in the business, I can thoroughly recommend it as a never-dull lifestyle. The publishing year is patterned by the cycles shaping two (sometimes three) seasonal lists of new titles. The spring list comprises books that are published from January through June, and the fall list books are published from July through December. Our press typically publishes fifteen to twenty new books per season, hoping that each list will yield at least one with potential for above average profitability, along with a number of other titles with solid interest for our niche markets. Sometimes our expectations are exceeded, and sometimes we crash and burn when the numbers get tallied, but always there is the delight of working with words and with authors of every shape, size, and temperament. Our six in-house editors apply themselves to as many as six manuscripts per year, and they all must deliver their polished gems to our production manager by a set deadline to be appropriately presented within the two marketing seasons. Once the season’s books are catalogued, information begins to flow at a rapid pace to the media and distribution channels of wholesale suppliers and bookstores, and a little later to the general reading public. At our press each year is additionally punctuated by a series of conferences inviting us out into the world and connecting us with our colleagues in the realms of publishing, horticulture, and music. We meet book industry peers as well as many readers who use and value our books. We are relieved of our sense of self-centeredness and isolation by renewed contact with these communities pivotal to our future. The open spaces of mind and geography in the Pacific Northwest make a rich and generous home for us and for many other unique and unusual publishers. Debby Garmen University of Washington Press Seattle, Washington The University of Washington Press is the nonprofit book publishing arm of the University of Washington. Since the first book published in 1920 it has published approximately 3,000 books, of which more than 1,200 are currently in print. The University of Washington Press publishes books in a wide variety of subject areas, with special emphasis on the history and culture of the Pacific Northwest, Native American art and culture, environmental history, Asian American studies, and international studies. In recent years, the Press has established co-publishing and distribution relationships with a growing list of international publishers from around the world. Washington State University Press Pullman, Washington With the printing of an illustrated, 556 page hardbound volume in 1928, the State College of Washington (WSC) Press came into being. Initial publications concentrated on research studies. Later, the focus expanded to projects produced in cooperation with various WSC schools and departments. Since a mid 1980s revitalization, the organization, now known as the Washington State University Press, has released 153 titles, both scholarly and trade, and publishes 6 - 8 new titles each year. Their current books focus on the history, prehistory, natural history, culture, and politics of the greater Pacific Northwest, with a goal of increasing the knowledge and understanding of the region's vast resources and its society, both past and present. Oregon State University Press Corvallis, Oregon As Oregon's university press and one of just five in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon State University Press plays a vital role in the cultural and literary life of the region. The 15 books published each year by the OSU Press provide Northwest readers, from natives to newcomers, with a better understanding of their region. A typical OSU Press catalog features new books on Native American history, on animal life in the region, on natural resource issues such as the current salmon crisis, and on the Northwest's rich literary heritage. In addition, the Press publishes an annual anthology of the best American nature writing and established the Northwest Reprints series to bring back into print classic works of fiction and nonfiction from the region's past. Recent titles include “Living with Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest” by Robert Yeats and reissues of Don Berry’s novels “Moontrap”, “To Build a Ship” and “Trask.” Blue Heron Publishing Portland, Oregon Blue Heron Publishing is a fifteen-year-old independent press that specializes in books on writing and the teaching of writing. Comprehensive guides such as Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, by Elizabeth Lyon, and Writing Across Cultures, by Edna Kovacs, have been used by both professional writers, students, and teachers of writing for years. Their list also includes a series of young adult novels written by Walt Morey (of Gentle Ben fame). Blue Heron's adult literature series focuses on Northwest and multicultural literature, and includes authors such as Laura Kalpakian, Colleen McElroy, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Janet Stevenson. A line of political mystery novels, called West Coast Crime, features the works of Gary Phillips, Ed Goldberg, and Gordon DeMarco. Cookbooks are a recent addition that the press intends to develop over the next several years. One of Blue Heron's best known titles is Portland author Robin Cody's Ricochet River. This superlative coming-of-age novel, set in Oregon, has been a bestseller with both adults and high school students. Caxton Press Caldwell, Idaho Caxton Press of Caldwell Idaho is the publishing division of The Caxton Printers Ltd., a family owned business operating in Caldwell since 1896. Caxton Press has been publishing fine books since 1925, making it one of the West’s oldest publishing houses. The list of authors who have been published by Caxton includes notables such as Vardis Fisher, Ayn Rand, Taylor Caldwell, Bill Gulick, Toshio Mori, and L.V. McWhorter. Although responsible for some of the first noteworthy fiction to originate in the Pacific Northwest, Caxton Press now focuses its publishing efforts on western oriented non-fiction. A prime example of the current focus at Caxton Press can be found in Dreamers: On the Trail of the Nez Perce by Portland author Martin Stadius. Dreamers is the story of the epic flight of the Nez Perce Indians through Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. In his VW van Stadius follows the trail taken by the Nez Perce in 1877, describing the people, the history and the landmarks of the region that shaped the legend of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company Portland, Oregon Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company publishes books and calendars of culture and place that people value and treasure. GACPC also provides distribution, fulfillment, and packaging services. Publishing began in 1968 with the publication of its first coffee-table book Oregon, featuring the photography of Ray Atkeson, to showcase the color printing capabilities of Graphic Arts Center, Inc. It was an instant success and inspired many more books on other states and regions. Graphic Arts Center, Inc. went on to incorporate the publishing company in 1974 and operate it as a subsidiary until 1985. Premier title Oregon III has sold over 125,000 copies and is in its 18th printing. GACPC’s list continues to grow and includes the imprints Graphic Arts Center Publishing (the core company imprint), Alaska Northwest Books, and WestWinds Press. Their 300 titles appeal to such varied interests as photography, travel, cooking, children’s, history, native heritage, gardening, and humor. Loompanics Unlimited Port Townsend, Washington Loompanics Unlimited, a publisher located in peaceful Port Townsend, Washington is considered to be the lunatic fringe of the libertarian movement. Providing readers with an endless variety of exceptional non-mainstream literature, guaranteed to nudge the complacent out of their comfortable rut, they are staunch believers in the First Amendment and the people’s right to know. The Loompanics motto is "No More Secrets--No More Excuses--No More Limits". A recent addition to Loompanics offerings is their book, "Drink as Much as You Want and Live Longer" by Fred Beyerlein. Coming from the premise that people are going to drink anyway--this book tells you how to stay healthy while you drink--exploding old wives tales along the way. You can be a regular drinker, avoid hangovers, protect your liver and even thrive. Loompanics publishes books that can open the minds of those who dare to look beyond mega-stores. Martingale & Company Woodinville, Washington Celebrating its twenty-fourth year in the magnificent Pacific Northwest, Martingale & Company takes pride in enriching lives through inspiration, imagination, and innovation by creating distinctive books on a wide variety of arts and crafts. With more than eight million books sold to crafters around the world, Martingale & Company titles are renowned for their stunning photography, in-depth instruction, and cutting-edge content. Martingale & Company produces more than forty titles per year under three creative imprints. The company’s highly praised line of books from That Patchwork Place contains how-to and inspirational content on a wide range of quiltmaking styles. Fiber Studio Press publishes books covering subjects in fiber arts, including papermaking, knitting, and surface design. PasTimes, the company’s latest imprint, produces books on numerous crafts, including rubber stamping, ribbonry, and stitchery. Altogether, Martingale & Company offers an extraordinary mix of books to inspire anyone with a passion for creativity. Mountain Press Publishing Company Missoula, Montana Mountain Press Publishing Company began in 1948 when David P. Flaccus started an offset printing business in Missoula, Montana. Over several years the company evolved into an independent press devoted to providing informative and accessible scientific and historical information to general readers. Today, Mountain Press publishes Roadside Geology, Roadside History, full-color plant, bird, and mammal guides, outdoor guides, and a wide selection of western history and Americana titles as well as reprints of classic cowboy fiction by the artist and storyteller Will James. With nearly one million books sold in the Roadside Geology series, this line contains Mountain Press's most familiar titles. The newest book in the series, Roadside Geology of Indiana takes readers across Indiana's time-worn topography, revealing fossilized reefs, mastodon skeletons, geodes, ancient bedrock valleys, and the site of a mysterious meteorite impact. Photographs, maps, and cross sections make the exploration of Indiana's geology delightful for beginners and experts. The Mountaineers Books Seattle, Washington The Mountaineers Books, is the largest publisher of outdoor books in the country, with more than 400 titles in print. Its authoritative and comprehensive titles range from outdoor instruction and guides for hikers, climbers, cyclists, paddlers, and skiers, to adventure travel, mountaineering history, natural history, and conservation. As the publishing arm of The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based nonprofit outdoor activity and conservation club whose mission is to be "dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas," The Mountaineers Books aims to fulfill this mission with each of its titles. The Mountaineers’ publishing origins trace back to 1961, when the leaders of the club’s climbing course formed a committee to publish their course notes as a book. Now, more than thirty years later, that book, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (now in its sixth edition), has sold 400,000 copies, and is the standard text for climbing courses around the world. Sasquatch Books Seattle, Washington Sasquatch Books, the Seattle based publisher of the top-selling Best Places® guidebooks and other regional nonfiction and children’s books, is one of the nation’s premier regional presses. Sasquatch Books specializes in nonfiction books for the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska and California. Best known for its top-selling travel guides--the Best Places® series--it delves into other areas of interest, too: gardening, food & wine, literature, the environment, and enjoying the great outdoors. After thirteen years and nearly three million books sold, Sasquatch has proven itself the resource for insider information on the region--its lifestyle, landscape and world view. Gift of the Whale: The Ińupiat Bowhead Hunt, A Sacred Tradition, by Bill Hess, will be published by Sasquatch Books in September, 1999. There is no other book like it. Few of its photos have ever been seen outside of Alaska and its Native communities. However you may feel about whale hunting, there’s no doubt, Alaska photographer Bill Hess’s stories about and stark duotone photos of the Ińupiat, the harsh Arctic landscape, and subsistence hunting are powerful and remarkable. Story Line Press Ashland, Oregon Story Line Press is an independent, non-profit literary press founded in 1984 by Robert and Lysa McDowell, and Mark Jarman. Now based on a farm outside Ashland, Oregon, Story Line celebrates the art of story through poetry, novels, short stories, criticism, writers' guides, memoirs, essays, and translation. In addition to its publishing mission, Story Line believes in cultivating the audience for literature through community outreach endeavors such as its Rural Readers Project, which brings poets and writers to rural high schools throughout Oregon. For 12 years Story Line Press has sponsored one of the largest first book competitions in the country, the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize. In November 1999, Story Line will publish An Honest Answer by Ginger Andrews, the first Oregon winner of the Prize. Jarman describes Andrews as "a working class, born again Sappho, an Ahkmatova who cleans houses and teaches Sunday school. These figures come to mind not for the sake of hyperbole, but to help understand the originality of this new and remarkable poet." Timber Press Portland, Oregon Timber Press was founded in 1978 by legendary bookman Richard Abel and was sold to Portland lawyer Robert Conklin in 1989. After initially publishing a variety of regional titles, and finding particular success with solid references in gardening and horticulture such as J.D. Vertrees’s Japanese Maples, the press began to specialize in this area. Amadeus Press, an imprint of books in classical music and opera history/biography, was founded in 1988. Amadeus has published a number of outstanding books to rave reviews from media critics and readers, such as a biography of Enrico Caruso and a pair of volumes documenting the history of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. Timber continues to seek out the occasional regional title of merit. Recently published Northwest Coast Indian Painting by Edward Malin brings to life the extraordinary world of traditional house art painting by Northwest Coast native peoples. This November we will release Classic Houses of Portland, Oregon 1850-1950 by Portland architect William J. Hawkins III and William F. Willingham. Classic Houses is loaded with fascinating historic information about Portland’s great residential architecture and handsomely illustrated with period photos and detailed architectural plans. |
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