MEMBERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A BIG HANDFORHANDSAT WORK

In a December issue of Shelf Awareness, the electronic daily newsletter that reaches thousands of booksellers, librarians, and others in the trade, Heron Moon Press on Lopez Island, WA, got the kind of publicity publishers dream of. Marilyn Dahl’s review in “Gift Books: Worth a Thousand Words” included: “Personally, I think if you can’t figure out what kind of book to get for someone, a photography book is a good bet—there is something for everyone. A good book to start with is Hands at Work: Portraits and Profiles of People Who Work with Their Hands (Heron Moon Press). It was published in 2008, but has recently gotten national distribution through Baker & Taylor. Written by Iris Graville, with photography by Summer Moon Scriver, it profiles 42 people who ‘are passionate about laboring with their hands.’ . . . Hands have never looked so elegant and capable and eternal as they do in this book.”

NPR TAKES NOTE

Its graphic presentation of Indian stories is what got Fulcrum Publishing’s Trickster featured on a recent edition of NPR’s Weekend. This is the first anthology to illustrate Native American folk tales in comic form, said editor Matt Dembick: “I just became fascinated with [the concept of the Trickster]. Coming from a cartoonist’s point of view, I started doodling and seeing what I could do.” The transcript of “Native American Folk Tales Take a Graphic Turn” can be accessed at npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127483926.

A WORKPLACE WINNER

Ann Arbor, MI, book manufacturer Malloy Inc. is celebrating being named one of the 18 best workplaces by the Printing Industries of America. The only IBPA member to be so honored, it was one of six firms recognized in the “Best of the Best,” 101–250 employees. Open to any printing company or industry supplier, this Printing Industries award is designed to evaluate employers’ management practices, work environment, training and development opportunities, financial security, work-life balance, recognition and rewards, health and wellness programs, and workplace health and safety. For details, see printing.org/bwa.

NEW PRESIDENTAT PUBWEST

Derek Lawrence, director of retail sales at Interweave Press, Loveland, CO, has been elected president of PubWest. Previously vice president of this IBPA Affiliate, he has been involved in the association for 14 years. 

NICHE–MARKET MENTIONS

Portsmouth, NH, member Peter E. Randall Publisher has received publicity in several niche markets for its New England Meetinghouse and Its Impact on American Society, published by its imprint Jetty House. Created by Paul Wainwright, the title has been featured in Bucknell University’s quarterly alumni association magazine, the quarterly journal of the American Society of Picture Professionals, and the quarterly of the Museum Store Association. And a presentation based on the book was given by Wainwright as part of the We the People speakers program in Exeter, NH. 

POINTERSON PAPER

Dust Covers 101: if you’re thinking about dust covers for a title, one member has advice based on recent problems. Karen Congeni, at New Springtime Press, Fairlawn OH, emphasizes the importance of having every component of a book produced by a book manufacturer. “I thought the jacket could be done by a regular printer,” she reports, “but the one I used did not understand about paper having grain, and that paper won’t fold properly if run the wrong direction.”

When paper is folded against the grain, the ink cracks and the paper’s original white shows, she also discovered. Another problem: the printer did not understand the difference between the UV coating Congeni specified and the aqueous coating it substituted.

Members in the Spotlight is compiled by Linda Carlson (lindacarlson.com), who welcomes news of unusual special sales, licensing deals, significant media coups, and other achievements at linda@ibpa-online.org. The focus of this column is as much about how you accomplish something as what you accomplish, so details and specific how-to’s are important. To ensure you receive Linda’s messages regarding IBPA articles, make sure you have her email address in your address book.

Please submit your news in the text of your email (no attachments) and remember to include your name, title, and the name of your press. This column does not use news about nonmembers. Since information for Members in the Spotlight is needed at least six weeks in advance of an issue’s publication date, news you submit by February 15 can be considered for the April and later issues. News that is time-sensitive and misses the Spotlight deadline—events, upcoming television and radio appearances, and co-opportunities—should be directed to lisa@ibpa-online.org for inclusion in the IBPA e-newsletter, Independent Publishing Now.