Speakers…
Taught by working professionals, Publishing University speakers and class organizers are all volunteers who echo PMA / IBPA’s motto of “helping each other to achieve and succeed.”
Speakers and class organizers are listed alphabetically by their last name.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | V | W | Y | Z
| A |
Jeffrey Aghassi, Literary Manager and Consultant
2810 S. Bedford Street, Los Angeles, CA 90034
jeffaghassi@mac.com
Jeff Aghassi began his career with Lynn Pleshette Literary Agency, participating in the sale of works such as Cold Mountain, Memoirs of a Geisha, and Brokeback Mountain. He then headed up the feature film/movie of the week and book-to-film division of the Alpern Group, guiding the careers of screenwriters T.S. Cook (The China Syndrome) and Robert Baird (Monsters, Inc.), among others. Jeff became an independent literary manager in 2007 and represents screenwriters, novelists and publishers. A focal point of his management agenda is the development of strategic alliances with other agencies, managers and various media outlets.
Maria Jesus Aguilo
Director of International Sales and Subsidiary Rights, Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104
415-743-6467
maguilo@bkpub.com; www.bkconnection.com
Maria Jesus Aguilo, a native of Spain, moved to California in 1993 after completing a professional publishing course at the University of Barcelona and an internship with Antonia Kerrigan Literary Agency. In 1996 she joined Berrett-Koehler Publishers, where she is in charge of its subsidiary rights program. She attends several international book fairs a year, including Frankfurt, London, Guadalajara and Beijing, and over the years has negotiated and signed over 1,000 subsidiary rights contracts.
Pamela Art
Storey Publishing, LLC
210 MASS MoCA Way,
North Adams, MA 01247
413-346-2100
pam.art@storey.com; www.storey.com
Pam Art is the President of Storey Publishing. Majority owned by Workman Publishing, Storey focuses on illustrated non-fiction titles that provide practical, how-to information on subjects related to country living, including gardening, cooking, crafts, horses, animals, building, and kids/parents. Storey has a staff of forty-eight employees and produces forty new titles annually. With Storey since 1983, Pam has served in various capacities from managing editor to production director to publisher to president and CEO. Her accomplishments include increasing the sales growth while maintaining profitability, ensuring the continued vital growth of the company.
| B |
Donna Babylon
Windsor Oak Publishing
P.O. Box 1603, Westminster, MD 21158
410/876-3121
Dbabylon@aol.com;
www.moresplashthancash.com
Donna Babylon is an accomplished author with over a quarter of a million books sold to her credit. She is the author and publisher of the More Splash Than Cash® book and pattern series. In addition to appearances on HGTV, she has appeared on over 250 local, national, and cable television programs including QVC, ABC Family, Discovery, Lifetime, and PBS networks. Her energy, enthusiasm, and decorating expertise have made her a sought-after speaker at national consumer shows and conventions in the US and Canada.
Bob Baker
Owner/Author/Publisher,
Spotlight Publications
P.O. Box 43058,
St. Louis, MO 63143
314-963-5296
bob@thebuzzfactor.com;
www.Bob-Baker.com; www.FullTimeAuthor.com
Bob Baker is a full-time author and independent publisher who has developed a successful niche writing and speaking about music marketing and self-promotion for songwriters, musicians and bands. He served three terms as president of the St. Louis Publishers Association and is an advocate for the self-publishing movement. He is also an active speaker, blogger and podcaster who is passionate about showing creative people how to make the most of their talents using the Internet and low-cost guerrilla marketing tactics.
Deborah Balmuth
Editorial Director,
Storey Publishing
210 MASS MoCA Way,
North Adams, MA 01247
413-346-2119
deborah.balmuth@storey.com; www.storey.com
Deborah joined Storey in 1993 as a project editor and later worked as an acquisitions editor before becoming editorial director in 2002. In this role, she oversees the development and acquisition of new titles, as well as the overall operations of the editorial department. She began her publishing career at a small publishing company called Autumn Press, based in Brookline, MA. Later, she was on the staff of Porter Sargent Publishers, a small reference book publisher in Boston.
Kate Bandos
Founder and President,
KSB Promotions
55 Honey Creek NE,
Ada, MI 49301-9768
616-676-0758
kate@ksbpromotions.com; www.ksbpromotions.com; www.ksblinks.com
Kate Bandos has worked with hundreds of publishers and authors, and dealt with a wide array of media people during her more than 35 years in publishing. Since the formation of KSB Promotions in 1988, she has primarily helped independent publishers garner media exposure. Prior to the formation of KSB Promotions, Kate was publicity director for M. Evans & Company (NYC), Globe Pequot Press (CT) and Pelican Publishing (LA). Handling national, regional, and local and carefully targeted campaigns, Kate and her husband/partner Doug work with non-fiction titles only, specializing in travel guides, parenting, gardening, cookbooks, home how-to, consumer health, select children’s books and other general lifestyle books.
Robin Bartlett
Senior Account Executive,
American Heart Association
63 Burlington Street,
Norwood, NJ 07648
201-315-5400
rbbartlett@aol.com; www.RobinBartlett.com
Robin Bartlett is a senior account executive in the corporate relations department of the American Heart Association working with some of the leading pharmaceutical companies to support AHA’s cause marketing strategy. Robin has spent his entire career in sales and marketing working in various capacities to sell print and electronic products in the school, college, professional, reference, trade, medical and non-profit markets. He is a past member of the board of directors of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA) and continues to serve as Education Chair. He served on the board of directors for the Health Marketing and Communications Council (HMCC) and is the past president of the American Medical Publishers Association (AMPA). Robin is the author and producer of The Trail, a DVD that reveals the human conditions, emotions and terror experienced by soldiers who walked point in Vietnam. Robin is also an avid photographer, hunter and fisherman.
Megan Underwood Beatie
Vice President, Director of Publicity,
Goldberg McDuffie Communications
1531 12th Street, Suite 101,
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-576-3051
mbeatie@goldbergmcduffie.com; www.goldbergmcduffie.com
Megan Beatie is vice president, director of publicity, for Goldberg McDuffie Communications and runs the company's Los Angeles office. For the past decade, she has handled the publicity campaigns for many bestselling books, including He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, Gaining by Aimee Liu, The Game by Neil Strauss, The Starter Wife and Maneater by Gigi Levangie Grazer, The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker, and Whitewash by Alex Kava. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and has five years of marketing experience prior to entering the publishing industry.
Janey Bennett
Author,
Hopeace Press
1225 E Sunset Drive, Suite 145,
Bellingham, WA 98226
360-738-3560
palesurface@gmail.com; www.palesurfaceofthings.com
Janey Bennett’s research for her novel, The Pale Surface of Things, led her into the study of classical Greek, Byzantine icon painting, geology, botany, the vernacular architecture and sociology of Greek villages, Minoan culture and art, the science of archaeology, World War II on Crete, and criminal law in Greece. Bennett has enjoyed colorful and varied careers including radio announcer, horse trainer, drama critic, teacher to Buddhist nuns in Thailand. Her writings on architecture have been published in the United States and Finland, where she held a Fulbright research fellowship. A cellist, freelance editor, and author, Bennett divides her time between Bellingham, WA and Hornby Island, BC.
Shannon Bodie
Partner, Art Director, Lightbourne, Inc.
PMB 436, 4110 Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214
800-697-9833, ext. 1
shannon@lightbourne.com; www.lightbourne.com
Shannon Bodie has been working in graphic arts for more than 15 years. She joined Lightbourne in 1994, and became partner in 1999, where she continues Lightbourne’s reputation of outstanding service and award-winning design. Shannon specializes in designing the entire package for publishers—from cover and interior to marketing materials. As a veteran speaker at the PMA/IBPA Publishing University, she shares her knowledge of the publishing industry along with useful tips and information about book design. “I enjoy working in publishing because it allows me to work creatively with books that have the potential to change our world for the better.”
Marianne Bohr
Senior Vice President, National Book Network
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
301-731-9512
mbohr@nbnbooks.com; www.nbnbooks.com
Marianne Bohr is known for her business savvy and operational abilities. She is the day-to-day driving force behind our high-impact marketing programs designed to gain significant market advantage for publishers. With over 25 years in the industry including experience as marketing director for the American Institute of Architects Press and Academy Editions (United Kingdom), Marianne works closely with the sales force and her marketing team to develop programs for NBN publishers, including catalogs, trade shows, advertising and client communications.
Davida Breier
Marketing Director,
National Book Network
4501 Forbes Blvd.,
Lanham, MD 20706
301-459-3366
dbreier@nbnbooks.com; www.nbnbooks.com
Davida Breier oversees marketing programs including advertising, trade shows and sales conferences. Davida also writes the seasonal News Breaking Now client newsletter and is the account manager for several NBN publishers. Davida started with Biblio Distribution (NBN’s small press sister company) in 2003 as its sales and marketing director. Davida is a published author (Vegan & Vegetarian FAQ, 2001), speaks frequently at industry seminars on marketing and distribution and has been actively involved in the book industry and publishing since she was a child.
Dawn Bruno
Global Publishing Team Leader, International Trade Specialist
U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce
33 Whitehall Street, 22nd Floor,
New York, NY 10004
212-809-2647
Dawn.Bruno@mail.doc.gov; www.buyusa.gov/publishing
Dawn Bruno is an international trade specialist for the New York City branch of the U.S. Commercial Service, an export promotion agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Dawn serves as the global publishing team leader, managing over 20 publishing specialists worldwide who provide export assistance to U.S. publishers.
Dawn joined the U.S. Commercial Service in Washington DC in 2001. Dawn has served a temporary assignment at the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile and has conducted worldwide marketing and communications training programs in multiple Embassies and Consulates. Dawn holds a masters degree in International Affairs from American University and a bachelor of arts, cum laude in English Literature from the University of Florida.
Dick Bruso
Heard Above The Noise
P.O. Box 100, Parker, CO 80134
303-841-5122
dickbruso@heardabove.com; www.heardabove.com
Dick Bruso, founder of Heard Above The Noise and president of Heard Above Publishers is a highly regarded branding expert, professional speaker, and author. He has worked one-on-one with best-selling authors and speakers throughout North America to create and implement powerful branding, marketing, and relationship-building strategies. In 2005-06, Dick served as president of the National Speakers Association (NSA) Colorado Chapter and is currently the vice-chair of the NSA Writers & Publishers Professional Experts Group.
| C |
Paddy Calistro
President and Publisher, Angel City Press
2118 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 880, Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-395-9982
pcalistro@angelcitypress.com; www.angelcitypress.com
Paddy Calistro, a founder of Angel City Press in 1992 with her husband, Scott McAuley, has established the company as the preeminent publisher of books about the social and cultural history of southern California and the West. In 2005, Angel City Press became the official distributor of Los Angeles Times Books and has published the works of several Los Angeles Times journalists, including bestselling author Al Martinez and the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad. Calistro, a former writer and columnist for the Los Angeles Times, has written several books and serves as editor-in-chief at Angel City Press.
Elise Cannon
V.P. Sales-Field, PGW/Perseus
1700 4th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
510-809-3730
elise.cannon@pgw.com; www.pgw.com
Elise Cannon is vice president, director of field sales at Publishers Group West, the most successful exclusive distributor of independent publishers in North America. She has worked at PGW for 16 years, representing over 125 exceptional presses, including best-selling publishers Grove/Atlantic Monthly, New World Library, Counterpoint, Soft Skull Press, McSweeney's, MacAdam/Cage, Shelter Publications, Ulysses Press and Gallup Press. She also oversees independent bookstore sales for the Perseus Books Group. A former PMA/IBPA board member, she believes that up-to-date marketplace knowledge is one of the cornerstones of success for independent publishers.
David Carriere
The Carriere Company
P.O. Box 441, Tyringham, MA 01264
413-243-6767
dgcarriere@earthlink.net
David Carriere owns a niche public relations boutique firm that handles marketing and publicity campaigns for a wide-range of high-profile publishers and authors, as well as for clients in many other fields. He has held senior level marketing and publicity positions at HarperCollins, Callaway Editions, Chronicle Books and Prentice-Hall Press.
Sharon Castlen
Integrated Book Marketing
PO Box 321, Kings Park, NY 11754
631-979-5990
ibmarket@optonline.net
Sharon Castlen is a book marketer who works with small and independent press clients across the country to increase sales with effective marketing to the book industry and niche markets. With over thirty years experience in marketing and media, she focuses on promotion and distribution at national, regional and local levels. She stresses that integrating the marketing effort is critical to success…ensuring that a title has both excellent distribution and strong promotion to identified target markets.
Andrew Chapman
Founder, AskThePublishingPro.com
P.O. Box 3412, Idyllwild CA 92549
760-845-1560
Andrew@AskThePublishingPro.com; www.AskThePublishingPro.com
Andrew Chapman, a PMA Publishing University speaker since 2003, has taught thousands of people in his seminars throughout the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia. He is the author of several books, both traditionally and self published. His latest book is The Biggest Mistakes in Self-Publishing and How to Avoid Them. Andrew has worked in nearly every aspect of publishing for 25 years. He is also the president of Publishers & Writers of San Diego, a PMA / IBPA affiliate.
Kassahun Checole
Publisher, Africa World Press, Inc. & The Red Sea Press, Inc.
541 W. Ingham Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08638
609-638-5784
awprsp@verizon.net; www.africaworldpressbooks.com
Kassahun Checole is the founding publisher of Africa World Press, Inc. and The Red Sea Press, Inc., two of the major publishing and distribution houses for books on and about Africa and African American issues. Before launching the presses almost 25 years ago, Checole was a professor of Sociology and political economy at Rutgers University and at El Colegio de Mexico, in Mexico City.
Lars Clausen
Development Director, American Author Websites
P.O. Box 266, Chelan, WA 98816
877-700-2519, 509-682-2555
lars@americanauthor.com; www.americanauthor.com
The only person to unicycle through all 50 states, Guinness World Record holder Lars Clausen is the author of two Benjamin Franklin award-winning books. Publishing serendipity resulted in a full-time job developing web services for authors. On the home front, Lars and his family live in Chelan, Washington, where they support Local Living and are helping develop a community farm.
Howard Cohl
President, Cohl Media
1850 Sawtelle Blvd. Suite 470, Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-479-1555
www.AffinityMedia.net
Howard Cohl has been at the forefront of innovative and branded publishing since 1993 when he developed and managed the Burger King Kids Club publishing program. Since then he has developed branded books with such companies as Office Depot, Playskool, Seagrams, BusinessWeek, Freeman Cosmetics, Van Heusen, Macy's, Friars Club, ZonePerfect, Nestlé, Lawry's, Betty Crocker, Kirkland's, Thomas Kinkade, and others. Venturing into health book publishing, he co-created the New York Times #1 bestseller The Arthritis Cure (St. Martin's Press). In 2004, he served on the jury at the Gourmet Voice food media awards in Cannes, France.
Leigh Cohn, MAT, CEDS
Publisher, Gürze Books
5145-B Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad, CA 92008
760-434-7533
leigh@gurze.net; www.bulimia.com
Leigh Cohn is the publisher of Gürze Books, a company that has specialized in eating disorders education and publications since 1980. He is also a past president of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA), and has been a featured speaker about genre publishing and target marketing at conferences in New York, Alaska, Miami, Los Angeles, Denver, Arizona, and London. He has authored several books, including the first publication ever written on bulimia, and has lectured about eating disorders at many colleges and hospitals, to community groups, and as a keynote speaker at many professional conferences.
David Cole
Publisher, Bay Tree Publishing
721 Creston Road, Berkeley, CA 94708
510-965-0147
dcole@baytreepublish.com; www.baytreepublish.com
David Cole has spent almost 30 years in publishing with stints in editing, production, publicity, marketing and management. He is the author of The Complete Guide to Book Marketing, was the Founder and first president of the San Francisco Bay Area Book Festival, and served as an instructor in the University of California Extension certificate program in publishing. He is owner and principal of Bay Tree Publishing, a writer, and a consultant on mergers and acquisitions. He currently serves on the board of directors for PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA).
Kimberly Cole
Editor, Iota Publishing
92 Corporate Park, Suite C-110, Irvine, CA 92606
949-275-0952
Kimberly@IOTAPublishing.com; www.IOTAPublishing.com
Kimberly Cole is an editor with IOTA Publishing where she works in the area of acquisitions and editing of mystery, suspense, chick-lit and sci-fi novels. She has previously served as editor and writer for several magazines, including Autograph Collector and Grand Tour. Prior to her work in publishing, Ms. Cole served as dramaturge for the Dallas Theater Center and worked as a professional actress in theater and television.
Amy Collins
President, The Cadence Group
3906 Oak Street, Cincinnati, OH 45227
513-342-1952
acollins@thecadencegrp.com; www.thecadencegrp.com
The Cadence Group is a professional design, editorial, sales and marketing service provider for the book and publishing industry. Amy and her team provide authors, publishers, and small presses with the guidance necessary to create market-ready, professionally designed books. Combining her 15 years experience with today's current market knowledge, Amy has created a cost-effective way to offer professional sales and marketing services to publishers and authors who want to realize their full potential in their chosen marketplace.
Rod Colvin
Publisher, Addicus Books
P.O. Box 45327, Omaha, NE 68145
402-330-7493
rod@addicusbooks.com; www.addicusbooks.com
Rod Colvin is the publisher at Addicus Books, Inc., based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company, which he started in 1994, publishes seven to eight nonfiction works annually, with a focus on consumer health titles. The company currently has some ninety titles on its list. Colvin is a former journalist and is the author of three nonfiction books. He is a member of the board of directors for PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA).
Charlotte Cook
President, KOMENAR Publishing
1756 Lacassie Avenue, Suite 202, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
510-444-2261
www.komenarpublishing.com; www.habitualreader.com
Charlotte Cook is President of KOMENAR Publishing, a fiction house founded to bring attention and opportunity to first-time novelists. KOMENAR concentrates on quality authorship supported by well-designed covers and marketing materials, as well as innovative marketing strategies. KOMENAR has published four titles with two more to come in 2008. Sales relationships include Parson Weems, Ingram, Partners West, Baker&Taylor, Barnes&Noble, regional independent bookseller associations, and independent booksellers nationwide. Writer's Digest interviewed Charlotte for February 2008 "Ask The Pro." She still teaches public and writers' conference workshops/classes, including the industry-oriented workshop “Author Boot Camp.” Charlotte previously worked in hi-tech and retail.
| D |
Tom Doherty
President, Cardinal Publishers Group
2402 N. Shadeland Ave., Suite A, Indianapolis, IN 46219
800-296-0481
tdoherty@cardinalpub.com; www.cardinalpub.com
Tom Doherty has worked in publishing for more than 25 years. Sixteen of those years involved in distribution with Time-Warner, The Hearst Corporation and for the past eight years as president of Cardinal Publishers Group; a full service national book distributor serving independent publishers of adult non-fiction books. Tom is also the publisher of Blue River Press, which publishes New York Times bestselling authors James Alexander Thom and Jack D. Hunter as well as category non-fiction and regional series books.
Terry Draughon
VP National Account Sales, STL Distribution
1636 Rachel Way, Old Hickory, TN 37138
615-847-0461
terry.draughon@stl-distribution.org; www.stl-distribution.org
Terry Draughon is a veteran in the Christian Book Industry with 33 years experience serving this market. During this time he has played multiple roles and has a background in both domestic and international sales, publishing, licensing, and distribution. His most recent endeavors have involved service with the multi-national STL- Distribution company following 27 years with Thomas Nelson and their many divisional publishing entities.
| E |
Christine Edwards
Trade Book Director, Borders Group, Inc.
100 Phoenix Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-477-1882
cedwards@bordersgroupinc.com; www.borders.com
Shelley Ekeroth
Collection Development Coordinator, County of Los Angeles Public Library
7400 East Imperial Highway, Downey, CA 90242
562-940-8503
sekeroth@library.lacounty.gov; www.colapublib.org
Shelley Ekeroth has been the Collection Development Coordinator for the County of Los Angeles Public Library, a system of 84 libraries and 4 bookmobiles, for the past five years. Prior to her current position, she was the Fiction Materials Evaluator for the County, and also has experience as a reference librarian and manager of a community library.
Paul F. Eno
New River Press
645 Fairmount Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895-4012
401-765-4948, 800-244-1257
books@newriverpress.com; www.newriverpress.com
Paul F. Eno is New River Press's owner and editor-in-chief. He has been a writer, lecturer, reporter and editor for over 25 years. A published author by the time he was 17, he later became an editor at the nationally acclaimed Providence Journal-Bulletin. An award-winning journalist, Paul is also the author of five books, and articles by him have appeared in American History Illustrated, Yankee, Fate, Pursuit, Academic Computing, other national magazines and many New England newspapers. He has been featured in documentaries on the History, Discovery, and Travel channels. New River Press publishes books on a variety of topics.
Paulette Ensign
The Booklet Queen, Tips Products International
13146 Kellam Court, Suite 133, San Diego, CA 92130
858-481-0890
paulette@tipsbooklets.com ; http://www.tipsbooklets.com
Paulette Ensign has made a career of showing people how much life their books and information really have. By helping her clients produce tips booklets, she demonstrates the marketing and promotion power that a little imagination and work can have. Paulette has personally sold well over a million copies of her booklet without a penny on advertising. She has shared with numerous independent publisher audiences her tricks for getting free publicity and orders for large quantities of booklets to single buyers. She is an engaging speaker, blending humor, moxie, and solid information into entertaining and informative presentations. Paulette is a board member of the Publishers and Writers of San Diego.
Tonya M. Evans-Walls
TME Law and Legal Write Publications
P.O. Box 25216, Philadelphia, PA 19119
215-438-0468
tme@tmelaw.net; www.literarylawguide.com
Tonya M. Evans-Walls is a lawyer practicing in the areas of intellectual property and entertainment and the author of Copyright Companion for Writers (2007/Legal Write Publications) and Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark and Contracts in Plain Language (2005/Legal Write Publications). She is also co-chair of the Sports Entertainment & Art Law Committee of the PA Bar Association and teaches music licensing, publishing and copyright at York College of Pennsylvania. She lives and practices in Philadelphia, PA.
| F |
Howard W. Fisher
The Fisher Company
7620 N. La Cholla Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85741
520-547-2460
howard.fisher@thefishercompany.com ; www.thefishercompany.com
Drawing on his 30 years’ experience as a publisher, Howard now helps other publishers accomplish their goals. The Fisher Company helps publishers with strategy, business sales and acquisitions, financial and operations consulting, and marketing planning. Howard has directed the sales and marketing efforts of more than 1,000 nonfiction titles, including 10 bestsellers selling more than a million copies each. He is a past president of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA). In addition to his consulting activities Howard publishes educational books, automotive nostalgia titles and fly fishes whenever possible.
Marika Flatt
Co-owner, PR by the Book, LLC
P.O. Box 6226, Round Rock, TX 78683
512-560-6787
marika@prbythebook.com; www.prbythebook.com
Marika Flatt, co-owner of PR by the Book, LLC, was awarded a 2004 Gold Bulldog Award for her publicity campaign for Revolve: The Complete New Testament, making it the best-selling Bible for 2003 after exposure in over 700 media outlets. Flatt, a past-president of the Association for Women in Communications, is the recipient of the 2005 Austin Public Relations Society of America Outstanding Mentor Award, the 2002 Anne D. Robinson Creative Initiative Award and was a nominee for the 2004 "Profiles in Power" award. She lives Austin, Texas with her husband and co-owner and 3 kids.
Susan Foster
Author/Publisher, Smart Travel Press
P.O. Box 25514, Portland, OR 97298
503-452-9384
susan@smartpacking.com; www.smartpacking.com
Susan Foster has been here and there…and there—packing and unpacking more than 4,000 times—learning the hard way the dos and don'ts of packing smart. She first published her book, Smart Packing for Today's Traveler, in 2000, with an updated and revised edition released in 2004, and an updated Third Edition released in April 2008. Over the past 7+ years for this book (and even longer if you count her previous books), Susan has garnered a wealth of media attention for both the book and herself as a packing expert, including a national campaign in November 2007 as a spokesperson for Dodge Grand Caravan and their “VANtastic Holiday Voyage Challenge.”
Cynthia Frank
President, Cypress House
155 Cypress Street, Fort Bragg CA 95437
707-964-9520
cynthia@cypresshouse.com; www.cypresshouse.com
Cynthia Frank, president of Cypress House, has 20 years experience in writing, publishing, editing and teaching. She is on the education committee for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, and has presented workshops for PMA Publishing University, the University of Denver Publishing Institute, the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, American Society of Journalists and Authors, the National Association of Science Writers, California Poets in the Schools, and the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. She received an "IPPY Award" as one of Ten Outstanding Women of Independent Publishing. In her "spare" time she conducts the Mendocino Women's Choir.
Ray Friesen
Author and Publisher, Don’t Eat Any Bugs Productions
P.O. Box 291, Telachapi, CA 93581
661-822-6999
ray@donteatanybugs.com; www.donteatanybugs.com
Ray Friesen has been professionally cartooning for seven years. He is 20 years old. He founded his publishing company in order to further his cartooning. He now has 7 published works, 3 of which he has written and drawn. In 2003, he Ray was nominated for the prestigious cartooning "Ignatz Award" for promising new talent. Ray's works have been favorably reviewed by the American Library Association Booklist, Los Angeles Daily News, and others. Ray sometimes guest lectures at California elementary schools, sharing his experiences and drawing them penguins. He is quite fond of Pirate Cookies. Ray resides in Tehachapi, CA.
James Fugate
Co-Owner, EsoWon Books
4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
323-290-1048
jmfugate@msn.com; www.esowon.booksense.com
James Fugate along with Thomas Hamilton are the co-owners of EsoWon Books, which is celebrating its 20th year in business. James has been in the book industry since 1980 and has worked in trade and college bookstores. EsoWon is a well known African American Bookstore and is known for having a large selection of titles as well as some great book signings. Some of the authors who have signed include President Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, and Toni Morrison.
| G |
Kathleen Gage
President, Street Smarts Marketing and Maxwell Publishing
P.O. Box 551, Pleasant Hill, OR 97455
541-654-0426
kathleen@kathleengage.com; www.streetsmartsmarketing.com
Kathleen Gage, president of Turning Point, Inc. and Maxwell Publishing, is known as The Street Smarts Marketer™. Kathleen works with speakers, trainers, authors and consultants who want to turn their expertise into money-making products and services. With over 25 years of sales, marketing and events coordination experience, Kathleen has been recognized as an award-winning speaker and bestselling author. She is the author of several books and dozens of online information products and teleseminars. Kathleen has merged a spiritual and pragmatic approach to her own business success and that of the clients she works with.
Lee German
Sylvan Dell Publishing
976 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 3, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-971-6722
LeeGerman@SylvanDellPublishing.com; www.sylvandellpublishing.com
Lee German, and editor wife, Donna, publish illustrated children’s books with science, nature and math themes and a unique, 3–5 page educational section in the back of each book. Sylvan Dell is a newcomer to publishing with a niche in the children’s market. In 2-1/2 years they have published 25 books and brought 45 authors and illustrators under contract. Lee is a retired US Navy Commander. Between deployments, he received his MBA (Finance), taught math at the Naval Academy, and was director of advanced concept wargaming at the Naval War College. His presentation analyzes the complex education market in terms of what customers within each segment expect.
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag, HELLO, my name is Scott, LLC
7563 Oxford Drive #2S, St. Louis, MO 63105
314-256-1800
scott@hellomynameisscott.com; www.hellomynameisscott.com
Scott Ginsberg is the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier. He is the author of seven books and he teaches businesspeople worldwide about approachability. Scott has also been featured in USA Today and 20/20 as (get this!) "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags." Quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan as "The AUTHORITY on Approachability." Ranked #39 on the "Top 100 Business Blogs on the Web!" Also, by some miracle, he was recently inducted into Ripley's Believe It Or Not!
Robert Goodman
Owner and publisher, Silvercat
3738 Carmel View Road, San Diego, CA 92130
858-794-1597
rg@silvercat.com; www.silvercat.com
Robert Goodman started Silvercat in 1988. Originally a publisher, he added book packaging to the Silvercat mix in 1995. He has published a number of critically praised and award-winning books. In 2002, he also founded Silver Threads to develop and publish memoirs and books about writing memoirs over the last 20 years. He is the founder and past president of Publishers & Writers of San Diego, a founding faculty member of the La Jolla Writers Conference, co-host of Writers Roundtable on sdradio.com, and a frequent participant at PMA Publishing University.
Gavin Grant
Publisher, Small Beer Press
150 Pleasant Street, #306, Easthampton, MA 01027
413-203-1636
info@lcrw.net; www.smallbeerpress.com
Gavin J. Grant is the publisher of Small Beer Press and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, a twice-yearly literary zine. Since its founding in 2000, Small Beer Press has published Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of Angélica Gorodischer’s novel Kalpa Imperial; Carol Emshwiller’s The Mount (Philip K. Dick Award winner); Sean Stewart’s Perfect Circle; Story Prize Finalist Mothers & Other Monsters by Maureen F. McHugh, and John Crowley’s Endless Things, among others. Grant worked in bookshops in L.A. and Boston, and for BookSense.com, a website for independent bookshops. He lives in Northampton, MA, with his wife, Kelly Link.
Clint Greenleaf
CEO, Greenleaf Book Group
4425 South Mopac #600, Austin, TX 78735
512-891-6100
clint@greenleafbookgroup.com; www.greenleafbookgroup.com
Clint started Greenleaf Book Group after writing and publishing two books, selling foreign publication rights, and securing a multibook contract with Adams Media. Since then, he has built the company into one of the industry’s leading book distributors. Greenleaf Book Group has represented more than nine hundred titles and is one of the fastest-growing companies in America. Clint speaks at conferences and seminars across the country and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Inc. magazine, and Entrepreneur, and he is a contributor to Inc.com and the Fox Business Channel.
Frank Gromling
Publisher, Ocean Publishing
P.O. Box 1080, Flagler Beach, FL 32136-1080
publisher@ocean-publishing.com; www.ocean-publishing.com
Frank Gromling brings 30 years of business executive experience to Ocean Publishing, which has produced 15 titles since its start in 2003. He is on the board of directors of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA) and is the president of the Florida Publishers Association. Frank is a frequent speaker at conferences, seminars, and workshops. Ocean Publishing specializes in nonfiction books on nature/environment/conservation and American politics/history/biography.
Marion Gropen
President. Gropen Associates, Inc.
455 1/2 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
888-347-6736
marion.gropen@gropenassoc.com
Marion Gropen helps publishers turn problems into profits with her By-The-Question consulting practice, classes on-line and in-person, and inexpensive software. You can also find her on the email communities for publishers, or ask her questions on her blog. Her expertise is the result of 5 years as a consultant and her 13 years of experience in modest-sized publishers, as well as in her MBA (Finance, NYU). Her advice is rooted in the idea that good information makes it easier to make larger profits.
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Catharine M. Hamm
Travel editor and Columnist, "On the Spot", Los Angeles Times
202 W. First Street, Los Angeles CA 90012
213-237-5062
catharine.hamm@latimes.com; www.latimes.com
Catharine Hamm has been part of The Los Angeles Times Travel section since 1999, serving as travel editor since 2003. She was born in Syracuse, NY, but counts Virginia, Hawaii, the Philippines, Kansas, and, of course, California as among the 34 places she has called home.
Paul Hanson
President, Pacific NW Booksellers Association
Manager, Eagle Harbor Book Co.
157 Winslow Way East, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
paulh@eagleharborbooks.com; www.eagleharborbooks.com
Paul Hanson has been a professional, independent bookseller since 1989 and is currently the general manager of Eagle Harbor Book Co., on Bainbridge Island, WA. EHBC has a full schedule of author events including many local authors. He is President of PNBA—a regional association of independent booksellers—that has programs that help connect authors with booksellers across the pacific northwest. Paul has self-published two short story collections: Off the Ecliptic and Obliquity: Speculative Fiction of the Pacific Northwest and is actively involved with local writers groups.
David Hargrave
Director of Library Sales, Baker & Taylor
1120 US Highway 22 East, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
david.hargrave@btol.com; www.btol.com
David has been employed by B&T for the past 19 years and currently is Western Regional Director of Sales for the Public Library group. He has also has worked at B&T on the retail side working with video and music specialty stores. David holds an MBA from University of Colorado and currently resides in Paso Robles, California.
Jeff Harris
Vice President, Credit & Financial Analysis, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
National Book Network
15200 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214
717-794-3807
jharris@nbnbooks.com; www.nbnbooks.com
Jeff Harris began his career in publishing in 1988 at Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston. In 1998, he joined The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group headquartered in Lanham, MD. In 2001, he helped implement RLPG's digital printing program. The company partnered with their long-time offset vendor, Edwards Brothers, who installed POD equipment on site at RLPG's distribution center in Blue Ridge Summit, PA. Since then, Jeff has overseen the on-site POD operation as well as POD programs for distributed clients of National Book Network, RLPG's trade distribution arm.
Mike Harris
Publisher, La Frontera Publishing
2710 Thomes Avenue, Suite 181, Cheyenne, WY 82001
307-778-4752
mikeharris@lafronterapublishing.com; www.lafronterapublishing.com
Mike Harris is president and publisher of La Frontera Publishing, a Cheyenne, Wyoming-based company that publishes historic fiction and non-fiction books about the American West. When he started La Frontera Publishing in 2005, Harris set a goal for his company: publish books for people who are passionate about the American West. Our motto is: “Bringing You The West in Books.” Harris has a master of arts degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, and has been an award-winning writer and editor for more than 35 years.
Nettie Hartsock
Principal, Hartsock Communications
828 Lazy Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666
512-396-1067
nettie@nettiehartsock.com; www.nettiehartsock.com
Nettie Hartsock helps individuals, authors, and companies focus on creating, conveying and connecting their message to the world and creates actionable how-to-programs which establish a powerful base for attracting both blogger and journalists attention. Nettie is a veteran Internet journalist and member of the Internet Press Guild and the Online News Association. She was most recently the senior contributing editor for allbusiness.com's Must Read Business Books and Professional PR. Ms. Hartsock works with both fiction and business authors.
Michael Healy
Executive Director, Book Industry Study Group
19 West 21st Street, New York, NY 18010
646-336-7141
michael@bisg.org; www.bisg.org
Michael Healy is executive director of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG). Based in New York, BISG was formed 30 years ago with a mission to help develop a more informed, empowered and efficient book industry supply chain. Michael has worked in the book industry since 1983. Before taking up his current role at BISG he was for seven years editorial director of Nielsen Book Services, one of the world's leading providers of information, transaction and market-measurement services to the book trade.
For a large part of his career Michael has been involved in the development and management of standards for the book industry, with particular focus on standards for product identification, metadata and electronic commerce. In 2002, he was appointed by ISO to chair the international committee responsible for revising the ISBN standard and until November 2006 he was chairman of the International ISBN Agency.
Tressa L. Helvey
Senior Director, Production, National Book Network
4501 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
301-459-3366 x 5511
thelvey@nbnbooks.com; www.nbnbooks.com
Tressa has been involved in publisher marketing for 24 years. She started in the mid-80's in the marketing department of University Press of America. She transitioned to UPA's sister company, NBN, in 1995. She currently runs the 4 person production staff that is responsible for preparing catalogs, orderforms, ads, flyers, etc. for NBN's sales force. Tressa also oversees the marketing database that is used to export data to all accounts.
Sam Henrie
President, Wheatmark, Inc.
610 E. Delano Street, Suite 104, Tucson, AZ 85705
520-798-0888 x105, 520-798-3394
shenrie@wheatmark.com; www.wheatmark.com
Prior to founding Wheatmark in 1999, Sam Henrie worked in a variety of management roles in the personal computer networking industry in Tucson and Amsterdam. Sam is a graduate, with departmental honors, of Haverford College, Haverford, PA. A frequent speaker on the subjects of book marketing, book publicity, and self-publishing, Sam’s expertise includes new directions in production, distribution, publicity, and marketing in the world of book publishing. Sam is past president of the Arizona Book Publishing Association.
Darren Henry
Vice President of Publisher Services, STL Distribution North America
522 Princeton Road, Johnson City, TN 37601
877-323-4550
Darren.henry@stl-distribution.com; www.stl-publisherservices.com
Darren is a 10-year veteran of christian publishing and presently leads STL Distribution's Publisher Services division. His publishing career began at Multnomah where he helped open new markets for religious books while selling into the mass market. STL's Publisher Services division offers a range of solutions including distribution, sales and marketing to both the CBA trade in addition to all general trade accounts.
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Laura Jaffe
InterPress
143 Lobelia Road, Augustine, FL 32086
Phone: 888-338-7726 / 904-794-0552 / Fax: 877-747-1775
info@interpressglobal.com
After living in Asia for 20 years, Laura Jaffe returned to the USA and was able to use the skills she garnered by joining forces with an innovative printing firm based in Hong Kong. She has over 12 years of experience in the printing industry and over 20 years working with overseas companies. Her talents as an excellent communicator has enhanced her career as she continues to serve publishers who print overseas.
Judy Jernudd
Startegic
269 South Beverly Drive, Suite 743, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310-215-9975
judy@startegic.com; www.STARTEGIC.com
Former television newscaster and TV personality Judy Jernudd is the CEO of Startegic in Beverly Hills, California. She is a media, presentation and executive leadership coach. Judy is a keynote speaker and author of Media Star Power: The ABCs to Successful TV, Radio, Print & Net Interviews. Judy’s experience in public relations prior to launching her TV career is advantage in helping her clients understand what it takes to be a savvy media guest who gets invited back! She has met and/or interviewed some of the world’s most influential people. Judy is experienced as both an interviewer and interviewee for broadcast and print media.
Brian Jud
President, Book Marketing Works, LLC
P.O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001-0715
860-675-1344
BrianJud@BookMarketing.com; www.bookmarketingworks.com
Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, television host and president of Book Marketing Works, LLC. Brian is the author of several books and article on special-sales marketing, and is the editor of the Book Marketing Matters newsletter on special sales topics. Brian has a new service to sell your books to non-bookstore buyers. He developed and introduced Book Central Station where you can find lists of suppliers rated by previous users He wrote and self-published five books on career transition that are distributed internationally and translated into Spanish.
Victor Judd
Vice
President,
Publishing Support Services,
Americas Press
Port Townsend,
Washington
360-385-3263
victorj@americas-press.com; www.americas-press.com
During his career, Victor Judd has set type, run presses, worked in the bindery and loaded the delivery truck. He became a sales rep in the 1980s, and has helped his customers with everything from business cards to annual reports. He believes in open dialog between the printer and the end user. Victor's strengths lie in successfully addressing these vital, customer-service concerns. He enjoys working with publishers, as well as directly with authors, and is pleased to be able to help turn the dream of a book into a reality.
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Eric Kampmann
President, Midpoint Trade Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102, New York, NY 10011
212-727-0190
ekampmann@aol.com; www.midpointtrade.com
Eric M. Kampmann has worked with independent publishers since 1981, first as the president of Kampmann & Company, then as one of the architects that engineered National Book Network’s growth in the early 1990’s. Mr. Kampmann has worked at Viking Press, St. Martin’s Press, and Simon & Schuster where he held the position as vice president, director of sales. Eric is president of Midpoint Trade Books, a leading sales and distribution company for independent publishers. He the author of The Book Publishers Handbook: The 7 Keys to Publishing Success published by Beaufort Books, Inc in May 2007.
Florrie Binford Kichler
Publisher, Patria Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 752, Carmel, IN 46082
317-577-1321
fkichler@patriapress.com; www.patriapress.com
In 1999, Florrie founded Patria Press, Inc., publisher of the Young Patriots Series of historical fiction for young readers. She is currently president of PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA) and had previously served on the board for four years. She is a member of the Children’s Book Council and Book Industry Study Group Board. She also serves on the boards of the Indiana University Women’s MBA Advisory Group and the ACLU of Indiana. She earned BA and MBA degrees from Indiana University, and is an alumna of the Stanford Professional Publishing Course. Florrie lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Jonathan Kirsch
Law Offices of Jonathan Kirsch
1880 Century Park East, Suite 515, Los Angeles, CA 90067
310-785-1200
jk@jonathankirsch.com; www.jonathankirsch.com
Jonathan Kirsch is an attorney specializing in copyright, trademark and publishing law in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of ten books, including two books on publishing law and, most recently, the best-selling A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization (HarperSanFrancisco). He is also an adjunct professor on the faculty of New York University's Professional Publishing Institute, a book reviewer for the Los Angeles Times, a broadcaster for NPR affiliates KCRW-FM and KPCC-FM, and General Counsel for PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA).
Patsi Krakoff, Psy.D.
The Blog Squad
11241 Camarillo Street, Suite 6, North Hollywood, CA 91602
888-800-6397
info@blogsquad.biz; www.blogsquad.biz
Blogging experts Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman are The Blog Squad™. With decades of business and marketing experience, Patsi and Denise help authors, speakers and professionals set up and optimize blogs that support their business objectives as well as learn best blogging practices. Patsi and Denise offer pragmatic, no-nonsense, how-to guidance and are committed to helping professionals attract, sell and profit by integrating blogs with other online marketing tools like social networking sites, newsletters and ecommerce systems. The Blog Squad regularly publishes on five blogs, leads dozens of teleclasses annually and frequently speaks at writing, marketing and blogging conferences.
Jeanne T. Kramer
Vice President, Marketing, National Book Network
120 East Central Avenue, Suite L, Pearl River, New York 10965
845-920-8010
jkramer@nbnbooks.com
Widely recognized as a savvy book marketer, Jeanne Kramer, vice president of marketing, heads up National Book Network's Account Management department. Jeanne began her career in the publicity department at Prentice-Hall. With over 25 years of book sales, marketing and publishing experience in a variety of executive positions with Random House, Simon & Schuster and Prentice-Hall, Jeanne provides marketing and publicity consultation to NBN's client publishers. Jeanne has served as an adjunct instructor of "Marketing for Publishing" at the NYU School of Professional Studies.
John Kremer
Publisher, Open Horizons
P.O. Box 2887, Taos, NM 87571
575-751-3398
JohnKremer@BookMarket.com; www.bookmarket.com; www.selfpublishing.tv
John Kremer is the owner of Open Horizons as well as editor-at-large of the Book Marketing Update newsletter. He is the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, The Complete Direct Marketing Sourcebook, High-Impact Marketing on a Low-Impact Budget, Do-It-Yourself Book Publicity Kit, Celebrate Today, and the Book Marketing Mini-Guides series. As a consultant, his clients include a self-published author who has sold over two million books, a new age publisher with 60 titles, and a $100 million publisher with a rapidly growing list of 1,000 titles.
Antoinette Kuritz
President, Strategies Literary Public Relations
P.O. Box 178122, San Diego, CA 92177
akuritz@san.rr.com; www.strategiespr.com; www.lajollawritersconference.com
President of Strategies Literary Public Relations, a multi-media literary firm focusing on the development, management and promotion of exceptional authors, Antoinette Kuritz is also the founder and director of the La Jolla Writers Conference, the host of Writers Roundtable Radio Show, and a published author. A regular speaker at conferences throughout the country, Antoinette shepherds writers of all genres, from their project’s infancy to the NY Times list. Strategies believes in personalizing conventional promotional avenues while simultaneously capitalizing on the oft-neglected, but extremely successful, more unconventional methods of book PR. As a result, Strategies’ clients have been featured in and on, among others, The New York Times, The Boston Herald, The Detroit Free Press, The Washington Post, People, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, Hannity & Colmes, Studio B with Shepard Smith, The O’Reilly Factor, Fox & Friends, CNN, Dateline, Today, Larry King Live, After Midnight with Art Bell, and MSNBC, and they have been on the NY Times, Wall Street Journal and Book Sense bestseller lists.
Jared Kuritz
Literary Publicist, Strategies Literary Public Relations, La Jolla Writers Conference
P.O. Box 178122, San Diego, CA 92177
www.strategiespr.com; www.lajollawritersconference.com
Jared Kuritz is the Co-President of Strategies Literary PR. As the creative director, he develops and oversees the implementation of all aspects of the clients’ media marketing plans. Jared believes that book development, management, and public relations is not brain surgery. It simply takes the proper knowledge and appropriate implementation to create a foundation for the best possible results. Jared is also the director of the La Jolla Writers Conference and producer of Writer’s Roundtable Radio Show.
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Meg La Borde
Chief Operating Officer, Greenleaf Book Group
4425 S. Mo Pac Expressway, Suite 600, Austin, TX 78735
512-891-6100
meg@greenleafbookgroup.com; www.greenleafbookgroup.com
Meg began her career in publishing as a literary publicist, booking interviews with major media outlets, including Oprah, and representing more than 30 authors, including four with bestsellers. Since joining Greenleaf Book Group in 2000, the company has twice been named to Inc. magazine¹s annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. She has worked with more than 300 publishers and authors, several of them New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and USA Today bestsellers. And numerous titles developed under her watch have gained powerful endorsements from the likes of Google and Intuit executives.
Mark LeBlanc
2007-08 President, National Speakers Association
President, Small Business Success,
7825 Fay Avenue, Suite 200, La Jolla, CA 92037
800-690-0810
mark@smallbusinesssuccess.com; www.SmallBusinessSuccess.com
Mark LeBlanc runs Small Business Success, based in Minneapolis, and is a nationally-renowned speaker on the core issues that business owners and professionals face on a daily basis, in growing a business and selling more products and services. He is the author of Growing Your Business!, and currently is the president of the National Speakers Association.
Maggie Lichtenberg
Publisher, Open Heart Publishing
4 Cosmos Court, Santa Fe, NM 87508
505-986-8807
maggie@maggielichtenberg.com; www.openheartcoach.com; www.maggielichtenberg.com
Maggie Lichtenberg is a business and publishing coach whose specialty is book publishing. A former marketing and sales publishing company executive for 20 years in New York and Boston (Simon & Schuster, Bantam, Grove Press, Beacon Press) from Santa Fe, New Mexico, Maggie works with aspiring and seasoned independent publishers to successfully publish, market, and distribute their books through a customized program of ongoing telephone appointments. In addition, as a result of unexpected open-heart surgery, Maggie has launched Open Heart Publishing which specializes in a series of patient and caregiver education books and other products to ease home recovery from open-heart surgery and other major surgeries quickly, and with less stress.
Richard Lowe
National Book Network
4504 Forbes Blvd., Suite 200, Lanham, MD 20706
301-459-3366 ext. 5533
rlowe@nbnbooks.com; www.nbnbooks.com
Richard Lowe began in the book business in 1971 as a Sales Associate at the flagship Kroch's & Brentano's in downtown Chicago. He worked as a Manager of three different stores over a 10 year period. He then went to work for Crown Books in 1981 as the Regional Merchandise Manager for the Chicago area. After a few years he moved to the Corporate Office and had numerous buying (including the Children's category) and merchandise management positions with the company over a 15 year span. I served as the Senior Buyer for the Smithsonian for 5 years before joining NBN as a Senior Account Manager.
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Munro Magruder
Associate Publisher, New World Library
14 Pamaron Way, Novato CA, 94949
415-884-2100, 415-884-2199
munro@newworldlibrary.com; www.newworldlibrary.com
Munro Magruder has been the associate publisher and marketing director at New World Library for the past 13 years and is responsible for all sales, marketing, and subsidiary rights. In this capacity, he is also in charge of creating and implementing New World Library’s electronic publishing & licensing strategy. Prior to that he was a senior associate with BMR Associates, a management consulting firm specializing in the media business. His clients included New World Library, Miller Freeman Books, Publishers Group West, National Book Network, Chronicle Books, and Sunset. Before that he was vice president of sales at Little Brown, which at that time was a Time, Inc. company.
Dave Mason
Drive Time Radio Host / Media Trainer, 105.7 The Walrus
10941 Patina Court, San Diego, CA 92131
858-684-31190
davemason@san.rr.com; www.walrusfm.com
David Mathison
CEO, Be the Media
P.O. Box 262, Tiburon, CA 94920
415-3801912
david@bethemedia.com; www.bethemedia.com
David Mathison is chairman and CEO of Be the Media, a diversified media company. From 1999–2001 Mathison was chairman and CEO of the Kinecta Corporation, the leading provider of tools for content syndication and aggregation. Kinecta was acquired by Stellent in 2002 and is now part of Oracle. From 1994–1999, Mathison was a vice president with Reuters, the world's largest news agency. At Reuters, Mathison pioneered technology for online content syndication. Mathison is also the publisher of the new book, Be the Media. In 1995, Mathison received a masters degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, specializing in international business.
Joanne McCall
McCall Public Relations
17675 SW Farmington Road, Suite 510, Aloha, OR 97007
Joanne@joannemccall.com; www.joannemccall.com
Joanne McCall is president of McCall Public Relations, specializing in generating national and major market publicity. Clients include best-selling author and international business consultant Brian Tracy, New York Times best-selling author Melody Beattie, Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover and Dr. David Simon, co-founder of the Chopra Center for Well Being.
Sabrina Bracco McCarthy
Vice President, Client Services,
Perseus Distribution
387 Park Avenue South,
New York, NY 10016
212-340-8131
sabrina.mccarthy@perseusbooks.com; www.perseusdistribution.com
Sabrina Bracco McCarthy has been the vice president of Client Services for Perseus
Distribution since 2006 and has been with the Perseus Books
Group for 10 years. Prior to taking on this role, she was the director
of sales operations for the Perseus Books Group, and before that she was
the director of business development for public affairs. She spent 6
years in the sales department, first as a sales rep, and later as
sales director for the Independent Distributors. While working in
sales, she earned her MBA from NYU's part-time program.
Janet M. McDonald
Vice President of Client Acquisitions, Ingram Publisher Services Inc.
One Ingram Blvd., La Vergne, TN 37086
615-213-5529
Janet.McDonald@ingrambook.com; www.ingrambook.com
Janet McDonald was named vice president of client acquisitions for Ingram Publisher Services Inc. in February of 2007. Ms. McDonald most recently served as vice president and general manager of Spring Arbor Distributors Inc., joining Spring Arbor in 1999 in this capacity. In February of 2005, she added the role of vice president of sales for Ingram Book Group ABA Independent stores. Prior to Ingram, Ms. McDonald held several executive positions including chief financial officer and chief operating officer with Athlon Sports Communications Inc. Ms. McDonald received her bachelor of science degree in Marketing from the University of Tennessee and her master of business administration from Belmont University.
Bobbye Middendorf
Synergy-Builder; Creator, Copywriter, Consultant
1718 W. Julian Street, Chicago, IL 60622
773-227-4280
jasbjm@earthlink.net; www.BlackGateWorks.com
Bobbye Middendorf serves her clients as freelance marketing partner and synergy-builder—creating marketing results greater than the sum of the parts. Award-winning writing, based on 27 years of publishing and marketing know-how, builds the "Write Synergies," communications that connect to the perfect audience. Clients include Banco Popular, ALA Editions, Thomson, Hound Press, Patron Saint PR, and others. She collaborates with publishers, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs in creating clear, compelling marketing that gets results. Her articles and reviews have appeared in PMA’s Independent, ForeWord, Conscious Choice, Hope, LOHAS Journal, SIRS, and 2006's LACP top 50 award-winning newsletter, Popular People.
Rita Mills
The Book Connection, Bluebonnets, Boots & Books Press
Houston, Texas
713-937-9184, 281-744-0626 cell
rita.mills@yahoo.com; www.bookconnectiononline.com
After a 20-year stint at The Houston Post, Rita joined Arte Publico Press at the University of Houston as managing editor. She was instrumental in the creation of AP’s children’s picture book imprint, Pinata Books. In 1997, Rita left the University to start her own publishing consulting business—The Book Connection. She works with small and independent presses in all aspects of the publishing process utilizing more than 30 freelancers with to produce and sell trade-quality books. Her 14 years in publishing has resulted in the packaging of more than 325 titles, ranging from mass-market paperbacks to hardcover, coffee-table books.
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Sally Neher
Director, Publisher Relations, Baker & Taylor
1120 US Highway 22 East, Bridgewater, NJ 08807
908-541-7460
nehers@btol.com; www.btol.com
Sally Neher, director of merchandising for Baker & Taylor Books, has spent 20 years in the book industry. In her current role, Sally is responsible for Baker & Taylor’s catalog content, production, and advertising sales as well as various operational functions supporting the buying and customer service groups, including pricing analysis, electronic ordering, title data updates, returns, and purchase order follow-up. Sally is also a member of the board of directors for PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association (PMA/IBPA).
Sara Nelson
Editor-in-Chief, Publishers Weekly
360 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010
646-746-6751
www.publishersweekly.com
Sara Nelson became editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly in January 2005, straight from a stint as the Book Beat columnist for the New York Post. A journalist for 25 years, Nelson had previously written a publishing column for the New York Observer and reviewed for publications from Glamour magazine to the Chicago Tribune. She was one of the founding editors of Inside.com. Her freelance pieces have appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many national magazines.
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Steve O’Keefe
Executive Director, Patron Saint Productions, Inc.
741 St Philip Street #241, New Orleans, LA 4\70116
504-342-4806
steve.okeefe@patronsaintpr.com
Steve O’Keefe is a serial entrepreneur, writer, professor, and Internet pioneer. He is executive director of Patron Saint Productions, which has launched online campaigns for over 1,000 books, and president of AuthorViews, Inc., a leader in online video for the book industry. Steve is the author five books, including Publicity on the Internet—Third Edition (2007), and co-founder of the International Association of Online Communicators. He teaches Internet Public Relations at Tulane University.
Karla Olson
Founder and President, BookStudio
P.O. Box 230295, Encinitas, CA 92023
760-753-2279
karla@bookstudiobooks.com; www.bookstudiobooks.com
Karla Olson is present of BookStudio. She has been in the publishing industry for more than 20 years. Before establishing BookStudio, she was the creative director of Tehabi Books; founder of Via Press, an editorial and publishing consultant; editorial director of The Michael Friedman Publishing Group in New York City; and assistant editor at Putnam Publishing. During that time, Olson has been involved in the creation of hundreds of books representing traditional and custom publishing and packaging. Olson is on the board of directors of Publishers and Writers of San Diego.
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Penelope C. Paine
Publisher/Author, Paper Posie
315 A Meigs Road #167, Santa Barbara CA 93109
805-564-8370
pennypaine@aol.com; www.paperposie.com
Penelope C. Paine founded Paper Posie in 1999. She publishes party and special occasion books and products. Penny Paine has traveled to nearly every state in the union in her 25 years as a trainer and consultant on girls’ issues, nontraditional occupations for women, and comprehensive career guidance for teenagers. A fine arts graduate of the University of London, she has also found time to author and create six award-winning children's concept picture books. In addition she has provided art direction, content editing and production support for over twenty other books.
Maggie Anton Parkhurst
Banot Press
1413 W. Kenneth Road #280, Glendale, CA 91201-1421
818-517-0451
author@rashidaughters.com
Maggie Anton Parkhurst is publisher of Banot Press, as well as the award-winning author of the historical novel, Rashi's Daughters: Book One— Joheved, which won PMA's 2006 Benjamin Franklin award for Best New Voice Fiction. Since its publication in July 2005, Rashi's Daughters—Joheved has sold over 22,000 copies. Maggie Anton has spoken about the research behind her book at over 100 Jewish women's organizations, including Hadassah and many temple sisterhoods. Her second book in the trilogy, Rashi’s Daughters: Book II: Miriam, was bought by Plume, a division of Penguin books, and was released in July 2007.
Lisa K. Pelto
President, Concierge Marketing, Inc.
13518 L Street, Omaha, NE 68137
402-884-5995
lisa@conciergemarketing.com; www.conciergemarketing.com
Lisa Pelto founded Concierge Marketing Inc., a self-publishing and book marketing service, with the idea that authors and their books could be best served in the same way a hotel concierge helps a traveler. She can point you to a great restaurant, but her forte is providing helpful tips, tools, and knowledge to help you navigate the mounds of publishing and marketing choices. CMI helps an author create a small publishing company, then guides you through product development, editing, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and promotion.
Les Petriw
Managing Director & International Sales Director
National Book Network/Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
67 Mowat Avenue, Suite 241, Toronto, ON M6K 3E3
416-534-1660;1 877-626-2665
Les Petriw is presently the managing director and international sales director for National Book Network based in Toronto, Canada. He oversees NBN’s sales in Canada, Australia, The United Kingdom and Europe. He began his publishing career in 1978 with McGraw Hill Ryerson in Toronto where he was a college sales representative and regional sales manager. In 1984, he joined Copp Clark Longman where he was the publisher and general manager of the College Division and in 1989 was appointed VP of the College, Professional and Trade Divisions. In 1996, he formed Les Petriw & Associates a consulting and sales representation agency, and at that time helped launch NBN in Canada. In 1999, he accepted the position of managing director for NBN and Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group in Canada.
Craig A. Pollock
Ingram Book Company
One Ingram Blvd., La Vergne, TN 37086
615-213-5529
craig.pollock@ingrambook.com; www.ingrambook.com
Craig joined Ingram Book Company in 1992 and serves as the senior manager of supplier services, supporting Ingram Book Company's purchasing department. He manages the new vendor program, including Ingram's relationship with Lightning Source Inc. Craig also manages Ingram's Publisher ipage functions, the International Sales Plan program, and the tracking of Ingram's wholesale coop related activities. He has worked as an independent bookstore manager, served multiple terms on the BEA board, is a founding member of the Miami Book Fair International, and chairs several committees for the Southern Festival of Books.
Peri Poloni-Gabriel
Owner/Senior Designer, Knockout Design
5304 Velvet Bent Court, Naperville, IL 60564
630-718-0861
peri@knockoutbooks.com; www.knockoutbooks.com
Peri Poloni-Gabriel began Knockout Design in 1996 specializing in book cover and interior design as well as marketing materials for her publishing clients. Her background includes advertising and studio design along with a bachelor of fine arts degree in Visual Communication Design from California State University, Long Beach. As an award-winning designer and former speaker at PMA Publishing University, Peri shares her more than 25 years of experience and insight into the publishing industry and what it takes to create a book that sells.
Ron Powers
Vice President, Global Sales, Lightning Source, Inc.
1246 Heil Quaker Blvd., LaVergne, TN 37086
615-213-5551
ron.powers@lightningsource.com; www.lightningsource.com
Ron Powers joined Lightning Source in 2006 as vice president of sales. Mr. Powers has over 20 years experience as an executive in both book publishing and distribution. Prior to joining Lightning Source, Mr. Powers held key executive positions at Ingram Book Group, most recently as vice president of product management and merchandise. Earlier in his career, Mr. Powers held the positions of president of Book Publishing Group at CRC Press and editorial director of the Professional Book Group at McGraw Hill. Ron received his BA from King College in 1975. He is married with one daughter and resides in Nashville.
Dan Poynter
Para Publishing
530 Ellwood Ridge, Santa Barbara, CA 93117
800-727-2782
info@parapublishing.com; www.parapublishing.com
“Bookstores are a Lousy Place to Sell Books” says Dan Poynter and then he continues “Fortunately, there are alternatives.” Dan began by selling his books to user groups in the parachute and hang gliding industries. It was years before he discovered bookstores. (Actually, they found him.) While his distributor supplies the bookstores, Dan sells to his friends. Dan will show you how to find people that want to buy your books by the carton, pay in 30 days and have never even heard of returns. He will share his system for identifying and locating your best potential buyers.
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Dominique Raccah
Publisher and CEO, Sourcebooks
1935 Brookdale Road, Suite 139, Naperville, IL 60563
630-961-3900 x224
Dominique.Raccah@sourcebooks.com; www.sourcebooks.com
Dominique Raccah founded Sourcebooks in 1987. Now, 20 years later, Sourcebooks publishes #1 titles in parenting and college guides, an important group of novelists (published by Sourcebooks Landmark), a new children’s imprint (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) and an ever-expanding roster of business relationships (including U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, The History Channel and Playskool). Sourcebooks has published eight New York Times bestsellers (so far). Today, Sourcebooks is a leading poetry publisher and publishes a line of groundbreaking multimedia titles (Sourcebooks MediaFusion). The company has over 70 employees and publishes over 300 new titles each year. Dominique currently serves as co-chair of the Book Industry Study Group.
Jennifer Redmond
Editor-in-Chief, Sunbelt Publications, Inc.
San Diego, California
619-258-4905, ext. 103
Jredmond@sunbeltpub.com; www.sunbeltbooks.com
Jennifer Silva Redmond is editor-in-chief of Sunbelt Publications, an award-winning small press. Co-founding editor of Sea of Cortez Review (1998-2001), Redmond has also sold her work to Science of Mind, Cruising World, and Dog Fancy and is featured in Latinos in Lotusland: An Anthology of Contemporary Southern California Literature (she’s at work on a memoir about her year-long honeymoon on a small sailboat.) Ms. Redmond joined Sunbelt in 2000; she enjoys guiding both well-known and first-time authors through the editing and production of their books.
Amy Rennert
The Amy Rennert Agency, Inc.
98 Main Street #302, Tiburon, CA 94920
415-789-8955
amy@amyrennert.com; www.amyrennert.com
Amy Rennert founded the Amy Rennert Agency in 1999. The agency represents more than 50 authors around the world, specializing in quality fiction and nonfiction. Many agency authors are New York Times bestselling writers. Her authors include singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, two-time Agatha Award winner Jacqueline Winspear, and NBC chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman. Amy also represented Terry Ryan's The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio and she represents MacAdam/Cage for paperback reprint. She provides career management for established and first-time authors, and her breadth of experience in many genres enables her agency to meet the needs of a diverse clientele. Prior to becoming an agent, she was the editor-in-chief of two national magazines and she is currently on the faculty of the Stanford Publishing Course.
Lloyd L. Rich
Attorney At Law, Lloyd L. Rich, P.C.
1163 Vine Street, Denver, CO 80206
303-388-0291
rich@publishingattorney.com; www.publaw.com
Lloyd L. Rich specializes in publishing, Internet and intellectual property law. He has more than 30 years of publishing experience as a publisher and attorney and his practice focuses upon publishing contract preparation, review and negotiations; product development contracts, licensing of subsidiary rights and distribution contracts; intellectual property management and protection; and copyright and trademark matters. Mr. Rich represents a wide range of print, electronic and multimedia publishing companies and authors. He is admitted to the Colorado Bar and District of Columbia Bar.
Brian D. Richman
President, Iowa Wordwrights, LLC
230 S. Seventh Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52245
319-594-2255
brian@iowawordwrights.com; www.iowawordwrights.com
Brian Richman is the founder and president of Iowa Wordwrights, which provides editing and ghostwriting services to a national clientele of publishers and authors. Brian received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he taught creative writing and served as a judge for the University of Iowa Press’s Iowa Short Fiction Awards. He was a partner of De La Rosa & Co., a California-based investment banking firm, from 1993-2000. Brian serves on the faculty of the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, edits financial titles for Wiley Publishing and is at work on his first novel.
Melanie Rigney
Editor for You
4201 Wilson Blvd. #110328, Arlington, VA 22203-1859
editorforyou@earthlink.net; www.editorforyou.com
Melanie Rigney has 30 years of professional experience in the communications and publishing business. In the past four years, her editorial consulting business, www.editorforyou.com, has assisted hundreds of authors, publishers, and agents with copy editing, content editing, and manuscript evaluation. Her clients have included Dan Poynter, Neil Fiore (published by McGraw-Hill), Tufts University, and AMG International. Previously, she was the editor of Writer's Digest magazine and managing editor of Advertising Age magazine. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Joel Roberts
Joel D. Roberts and Associates
1925 S. Beverly Glen Blvd., Suite 31, Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-441-2560
joelroberts@mac.com
Joel Roberts, former prime time talk show host on KABC Radio, now heads his own media and communications consulting firm, headquartered in Los Angeles and New York. His clients are from a broad range of industries. In publishing, they include Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. He is the official media coach for Chicken Soup for the Soul. In the corporate world he has worked with Wal-Mart, Target, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. His clients have appeared on top shows: 20/20, Larry king Live, Oprah.
Michael Rohani
Managing Partner & Designer, RD Studio
9229 215th Street SW, Edmonds, WA, 98020
425-771-2905
michael@designforbooks.com; www.designforbooks.com; www.designforbooks.co.uk; www.coolillustration.com
Designer/artist Michael Rohani got an early start in advertising design in Dallas, Texas, and book design in Oxford, England, before going on to co-found RD Studio in 1994. His clients include industry leaders such as AOL, Coca-Cola, and MicroSoft, and the world's top ad agencies and publishers such as Barons, Columbia University Press, Cornell University Press, C&T Publishing, DDB Needham Worldwide, Glencoe, Guthy-Renker, Harcourt Brace, Henry Holt & Co, Lintas, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic Magazine, and Ten Speed Press. His work has also appeared in many magazines, including HomePC, HOW, and Popular Science.
Jonathan Ruiz
Director of Business Development, Velazquez Press
9682 Telstar Avenue, Suite 110, El Monte CA 91731
626-448-3448
JRuiz@academiclearningcompany.com; www.velazquezpress.com
Jonathan Ruiz was born in Mexico City and raised in Los Angeles from the age of four. Jonathan is an alumnus of the University of Southern California, where he majored English, Philosophy and Business. He has worked in the education and publishing industry for the past 8 years, and is the current director of business development for Academic Learning Company (ALC); a media company based in El Monte CA that operates two publishing divisions and an all inclusive media agency. Due to the nature of Velazquez Press, one of the publishing divisions of ALC Jonathan has acquired vast experience in reaching the Hispanic market in the US.
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Ford Saeks
CEO, Prime Concepts Group, Inc.
1807 S. Eisenhower Street, Wichita, KS 67209-2810
316-942-1111
www.FordSaeks.com; www.PrimeConcepts.com
Ford Saeks is a specialist in Direct Response and Internet Marketing. Ford not only talks about marketing solutions, he lives them daily as the CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc and Prime Concepts Publishing. Starting with his first corporate site in 1993—to today having over 300 sites, bringing in millions of sales each year—he has the experience and expertise to help you improve your results!
Thousands of people benefit from his Television & Radio Show “Profit-Rich Marketing” and "Success Strategies" column in numerous business & trade publications. He shares real life advice as someone who has been there in his own ventures and with his many clients.
Penny C. Sansevieri
CEO, Author Marketing Experts, Inc.
P.O. Box 421156, San Diego, CA 92142
858-560-0121
penny@amarketingexpert.com; www.amarketingexpert.com
Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success." AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author TourT, which strategically works with message boards, blogs, ezines, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market.
Erin Saxton
President, The Idea Network, Inc.
470 Schooleys Mountain Road, Suite 214, Hackettstown, NJ 07840
908-684-4332
esaxton@theideanetwork.net; www.theideanetwork.net
Erin Saxton is a multi-Emmy nominated TV producer who has worked on such shows as The View, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Barbara Walters Specials and Good Morning America. Eight years ago, she started her own media/public relations agency called “The Idea Network, Inc.”. During that time, her agency has handled promotion for many experts, products, publishers, public relations agencies and best selling authors, including Jack Canfield. Erin’s seasoned staff knows what catches the media’s eye so that their clients gain the media attention that they seek. Erin and her husband currently live in New Jersey with their son.
Julie Schaper
President, Consort