Newsletter Archive

Newsletter Issue #3

Posted in Newsletter Archive by People's Press on July 1, 2010

Socially Connected

People’s Press is now on Facebook and Twitter. Become a fan and follow us to stay in touch with People’s Press events, new titles and more.

We hope you’ll share your thoughts, review our titles, and share your own images and words on our page.

In the works: excerpts from existing and upcoming titles.

Phlogs Wins Colorado Book Award!

A little over a month after receiving a prestigious national award for Phlogs: Journey to the Heart of the Human Predicament, authors George Stranahan and Nicole Beinstein Strait accepted the Colorado Book Award in the pictorial category during a ceremony on June 24 at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation’s Summer Words festival in Aspen.

Phlogs was selected over two other finalists – a photo documentary chronicling the lives of men and women with breast cancer and a book about abstract art in Colorado. The Colorado Book Awards are one of the oldest book award programs in the country and this year, 146 books were entered in the 13 categories. By receiving this award, Stranahan and Strait join a select group of talented authors, many of whom will become household names in Colorado and beyond.

The list of awards People’s Press has already won is growing fast. In May, Phlogs won two awards in the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: runner-up to the grand-prize winner for Non-Fiction out of 60 categories, and winner in the Coffee Table Book/Photography category. Ironically, Phlogs beat out fellow People’s Press author Doug Rhinehart, whose Desert Adagio was also a finalist in the Coffee Table Book/Photography category. Earlier this year, People’s Press’ identity and website designs won several awards from the American Advertising Association.

In essays and black-and-white photos, Phlogs reveals the inner workings of its primary author, Stranahan, through his photography, storytelling and Beinstein Strait’s biographical sketches. It is a non-linear, impressionistic view of a full and complex life trying to make sense of itself.

Walter Isaacson, president of the Aspen Institute and bestselling author of Einstein: His Life and Universe, writes, “Phlogs is awesome! The powerful pictures and poignant essays combine to produce an explosion of emotion. On every page there is a visual or verbal delight that will make you think, or bring a lump to your throat, or make your eyes smile—or all three. What a treasure…Thanks so very much for publishing it.”

If you haven’t yet delved into this beautiful and thought-provoking coffee table book, you can find it at several retailers throughout the Roaring Fork Valley or place your order today.

People’s Press Seeks Patron Investors

People’s Press is looking for potential “patron investors” to enter the exciting new world of venture publishing.

Patronage in the arts world is a concept as old as culture. Long before artists could support themselves by selling their work, second jobs or independent wealth, they were supported by kings, popes, Japanese feudal lords and other members of the aristocracy. The pantheon of artists who were sponsored by patrons includes Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, William Shakespeare, Mozart and Beethoven. It begs the question: Where would our culture would be without such philanthropy?
People’s Press is reintroducing the patronage concept with a twist. We’re looking for “patron investors” – those who are interested in sponsoring a book or author they believe in and who are willing to see their investment pay off over time. The big publishing houses no longer truly care about quality books – but we do, and we believe they can generate a return - both socially and financially.

By sponsoring a title in the works, you are helping an author tell a good story and preserve a piece of history. But it’s also a venture – you are putting your faith in a good book that you are betting will sell widely. You will realize a percentage of sales, an association with a successful title, and the satisfaction of having a hand in a piece of art.

Titles we are currently seeking patrons for include Answers to Forgotten Questions by Bob Chamberlain and For the Living by Sandy Munro.

Chamberlain’s black and white camera follows his mathematical mind through the last four decades of the twentieth-century West. His sensitive eye catches the sense, nonsense and humor of that important era in American history.

Fifty-five years after his father dies in the battle of the Pacific Sandy Munro reads the letters between his wartime separated parents; letters to and from the father he never knew, until now. Munro who coincidentally also flew from aircraft carriers, understands the technical talk but struggles to comprehend the man and the relationship to his family.
Please contact us if you are interested in becoming a People’s Press patron investor.

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Newsletter Issue #2

Posted in Newsletter Archive by People's Press on June 1, 2010

Gold Star!

We are more than proud to announce that two of our recently published titles have earned national recognition in the 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and one is a finalist in the 2010 Colorado Book Awards.

In the Indie awards, Phlogs: journey into the heart of the human predicament, by George Stranahan and Nicole Beinstein Strait, was the second place Grand Prize winner for Non-Fiction, out of 60 categories. This is a tremendous honor and one rarely bestowed upon first-time authors. Phlogs also won the Coffee Table Book/Photography category, beating out five finalists including another People’s Press title, Doug Rhinehart’s Desert Adagio.

The Indies is the largest not-for-profit awards program in the country for independent publishers and authors. As a recipient of these awards, People’s Press wins prize money and trophies, and gains valuable exposure through a leading literary agent, a gala awards reception in New York City, and a catalog distributed at Book Expo America.

Phlogs is also one of three finalists in the Colorado Book Awards, in the pictorial category. Award winners will be announced at the Aspen Writers’ Foundation’s Summer Words program, on Friday, June 25, at 2 p.m. For more on the awards and to purchase tickets to the event visit Colorado Humanities.
People’s Press’ identity and website designs recently won several awards from the American Advertising Association.

The recognition of People’s Press as a true player in the independent publishing industry is a testament to the spirit and soul of the people and authors the company represents.
Place your order today.

Words of Wisdom

Ever wonder what it takes to get published in our little Roaring Fork Valley, and who has done so successfully? Join People’s Press founder, visionary and award-winning author George Stranahan and three other local authors at “Write At Your Feet,” a panel discussion that’s part of the Summer Words Literary Festival on Monday, June 21 at 1 p.m. at the Doerr-Hosier Center on the Aspen Meadows campus.

This Aspen Writers’ Foundation event will discuss local resources for authors, using examples of publishing in Aspen’s own backyard. Joining George on the panel are Scott Lasser (All I Could Get, Battle Creek, The Year That Follows), Meredith Ogilby (Voices of the American West, A Life Well-Rooted) and Jill Sheeley (the Fraser series of children’s adventure books). Each representing different genres, these four authors together have decades of writing and publishing experience and can offer a unique, local perspective on navigating the wide, wide world of books.

Tickets for the panel are $20, or $15 for students and educators, and can be purchased online at the Belly Up or 970-544-9800. A 5-day Literary Festival pass is $200 ($150 for AWF members, Aspen Institute members and Summer Words students), and can be purchased at the Aspen Writer’s Foundation.

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Newsletter Issue #1

Posted in Newsletter Archive by People's Press on May 1, 2010

What We Are Up To

Just over two years ago, over a cup of tea and lively conservation about stories around the community table in Woody Creek, the notion of a local publishing group was born: People’s Press. And while what grew out of that conversation took some time to take root, People’s Press is now flowering and expanding its roots into firmer soil.

People’s Press is a small, regional publishing house that is committed to documenting the stories that make up a community. We seek the kind of stories that any community, the world over, can relate to – and we are dedicated to visual and literary quality in this quest.

To get from wanting to do these things to actually doing them, however, has been quite the journey. Along the way we’ve stumbled, realized our mistakes, and gotten back up again. A strong desire to tell good stories isn’t enough – we’ve had to learn the ins and outs of distribution, marketing, communication and the intricacies of an industry that is in great upheaval.

We’re still learning, but now we’re back on our feet with a strong team, a catalog of 40 titles, 50 distribution outlets, and some interesting projects in the works. Under the vision of George Stranahan, the current leadership of Mirte Mallory and editorial board members Catherine Lutz, Mirte Mallory, George Stranahan, Nicole Beinstein Strait, and Craig Wheeless, People’s Press has benefited from the professional talents of: Warren Olhrich, Eddie Anderson, Becker Business Services, Carrie Click, Fred Durham, Eric Lodal, GrahamSpencer, Reina Katzenberger, Rainy Day Designs, Daniel Shaw, Strait Consulting, and ZGTEC. Read Our Story for more.

Our books include the Roaring Fork Valley’s best guidebooks—People’s Press acquired respected local publishing house Who Press and all its titles—plus a growing treasure trove of interesting stories – your stories – the major publishing houses wouldn’t touch.

Read on to find out what People’s Press is up to next, and contact us to find out more about how we can help you publish or distribute your story.

Upcoming Titles

People’s Press is continuing its tradition of unique community storytelling with two forthcoming titles, a photographic classic by William Meriweather and a collection of local artist Tom Benton’s best works.

A culmination of more than 30 years of his own photographic work and the study of photographic theories, Meriweather’s “Visions of Photography Series: The Museum Collection” is a classic that avid photographers – or anyone who appreciates photography – can immerse themselves in. Meriweather’s large-format, black-and-white images of Southwest scenes capture the history, culture and visual dynamics of a very special place. And the accompanying text—musings on the technique and philosophy behind each photo – serve to deepen the viewer’s appreciation of this story. A collection of essays on various photographic topics round out the Glenwood Springs photography professor’s first book.

People’s Press is releasing “Visions of Photography Series: The Museum Collection” in July.

Poster artist, printmaker and activist Tom Benton visually documented one of Aspen’s most interesting eras, yet no collection of his work has been published, until now. Benton, who moved to Aspen in the early 1960s, became the artist for the local anti-war movement and the town’s vociferous anti-development campaigns. Probably best known for his posters of Hunter Thompson’s infamous run for Pitkin County Sheriff, Benton also made political posters about Nixon’s presidency, the Vietnam War and nuclear bombs, among other causes. Locally he documented ballot measures, local events and ski racing, and created colorful abstract art influenced by East Asian styles, often with themes of peace and harmony.

We are currently seeking a patron investor for “Artist: Tom Benton,” which is nearing completion and can be released as early as September 2010. To become part of this project, or for questions, please contact us.

Literary Review

The Stranahan Lens and Pen
by Jonathan Bastian, Time Out Literary Critic, Explore Booksellers

Two years ago, I wandered off into the wilderness near Independence Pass with Aspen Daily News Photographer Heather Rousseau. We had a single goal: to observe the elements around us and expose natural features that might be passed over. She took the photos. I wrote the text. It was an experiment to see how these two different forms of art and communication could work together, and what they could reveal.
I made the mistake of publishing our findings in a sports weekly, where instead of football stats, our readers got slapped with naturalist art.

I also made the mistake of thinking that I was doing something wholly original.

Little did I know that George Stranahan, for years, had been exploring the same concept, but taking it to the next level.

Not that I was surprised.

Stranahan’s life has been one of innovation and experimentation. Whether it be in the world of education or business or beer, he has brought an inimitable sense of creativity to his projects. And his latest book, “Phlogs: Journey to the Heart of the Human Predicament,” co-authored with Nicole Beinstein Strait, is no different.

The idea of a phlog was created by Stranahan. It’s an exploration into how a single image and collaborative piece of text can work together to tell a story or consider an idea. The layout is simple: on one page you have the photo, on the next page you have the text.

The stories travel from Woody Creek to the Caribbean to Europe to the Himalayas, and back to Woody Creek again. Yet as the same time, there is a certain hushed quality to the each phlog. Much of the story is left to your imagination. They are mere fragments, poetic shards, which distill a single moment in time.
The bare-bones quality is witnessed in both the images and the text. Every single photo is black and white. The writing is condensed to under a half-page. Anyone who has tinkered in the arts of photography and writing knows that simplicity and brevity are the hardest things to achieve.

For me, the art in this book mirrors both the physical and mental landscape I value. We live in Colorado because technology does not intrude on our lives, nor do screeching subways, or crowds, or concrete. There is an elemental stillness to the rocks and rivers and woods around us - an essentiality that changes our aesthetic appreciation for art. Stranahan’s phlogs represent the reversal of the fast-paced world around us. There is no clutter or excess, but a heightened sense of focus and imagination.
When I try to explain what it’s like reading this book, I tell people it’s the equivalent of walking through an art gallery that you have all to yourself. You have time to approach each painting at your own pace, at your own leisure. You can consider it from different angles. You can step away, take a breath, and when you’re ready, move on to the next painting.

I’ve enjoyed this book as much as I’ve enjoyed my recent opportunities to see Stranahan and Strait talk about this book at Explore Booksellers and the new Basalt Library. They discussed not only “Phlogs,” but their vision for Peoples’ Press, the publishing vehicle behind this project and many others. They understand the importance of creating local art for local people - unearthing unknown stories stashed away in the Roaring Fork Valley.

Though my adventures into the wilderness with a photographer and a pad of paper do not compare with “Phlogs,” I feel as if I’m ready to try it again after reading this book. And I’ll leave it to Ralph Steadman to explain why, when he writes in the introduction of this book:

“SNAP! That was all it took to encapsulate a world of possibilities inside a nano-slice of all that is there in infinite space. We see it every day but we don’t notice. Countless solutions from a troubling point of view open up new possibilities that, once opened, will never be innocent again. But then, from the very instant of opening these pages I was looking for an exposed life, a secret until now, a long exposure contained and only waiting for the light.”

Jonathan works at Explore Booksellers, where you can purchase a copy of “Phlogs.” He’s heading south next week, but is books are traveling with him. You can email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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A new, regional publishing company has big plans for valley voices

Posted in Newsletter Archive by People's Press on July 23, 2008

Mountain Business Journal Volume 4, Issue 12

The situation doesn’t look good in today’s publishing indus- try — venture capitalists and the likes of Rupert Murdoch are taking over venerable old publishing houses, whose focus is shifting more to bigger profits based on formulaic titles such as sensational memoirs. Digital novelties like Amazon’s Kindle e-reader may threaten the paper-and-ink industry, but certainly not more so than Americans’ diminishing habit of reading.

It doesn’t seem like the best time to launch a publishing company — much less a small, regional press that has no existing model on which to base itself.

George Stranahan would beg to differ.

This week marks the public launch of the first title by People’s Press LLC, the brainchild of Stranahan, the Woody Creek entrepreneur and philanthropist who is the father of multiple locally born nonprofits and businesses.

Entitled “Visions of the Blue Valley,” the dual-language Mongolian/English children’s book is the story of a Mon- golian valley as told in the oral tradition by children and illustrated by their drawings.

Not a guaranteed million-copy bestseller, by most esti- mations, but that’s exactly the point. “Visions of the Blue Valley” has an initial press run of 1,000 copies, and will be sold for $20 during this week’s series of festivities sur- rounding the visit of the Dalai Lama.

“This is great,” said Stranahan during a recent interview while turning the finely produced pages of a test copy of the book, clearly showing his enthusiasm for the project. “If we print and sell 1,000 of them, I think we can break even.”

A model for changing times

The concept behind People’s Press is to publish the works of regional authors, photographers and poets in small press runs and distribute them throughout the region that would more likely have an interest in those regional voices.

To do that and not lose money, Stranahan has come up with a business model that involves an invested editorial board, an intact distribution network, and a flexible, unique cost- and profit-sharing model.

“There seems to be a division between the big publishing houses, which are based primarily in New York, and self- publishing, and there’s no in-between,” said Carrie Click, a longtime local journalist who sits on the People’s Press edi- torial board. “Your options [as a writer] are to get incredi- bly lucky and go with the huge houses which are incredi- bly competitive and you have to have a hit with ‘Why He Doesn’t Love You’ or something with mass market appeal like that, or you self-publish and do it all yourself.

“The concept of People’s Press is that it’s a regional com- pany, kind of like buying local produce. You use the resources that are here (writers, photographers, people that have sto- ries to tell) ... and you print and distribute locally.”

People’s Press will probably publish six to 10 titles per year, said Stranahan, who, as an heir to the Champion spark plugs for- tune, fronted the money to start the company.

The editorial board chooses which titles to publish based on what they feel will appeal to a regional — mostly western Colorado — customer base. The next two titles to be published include a book celebrating fishing through photos of old gear and various quotes and texts, and a biog- raphy of Stuart and Isabel Mace, whose sled-dog operation near Ashcroft and local preservation efforts provide enough fodder for a 500-page book. The latter book was commis- sioned by the Maces’ daughter, Lynne, who runs Toklat Gallery, now located in Basalt.

“If you make it available, a lot of people are going to be able to make a book,” said Stranahan, citing advances in digital technology and information sharing that are contin- uously removing barriers to publishing.

Current editorial board members include a variety of assembled talents. Besides Stranahan, who has some experi- ence self-publishing and is both the idea man and the money man, there’s Click, who has put in 12-plus years of writing and editing at various local publications; Mirte Mallory, an Aspen local with a creative eye who manages the photographic portfolio of her grandfather, Ferenc Berko, and works at the Aspen Institute; Aspen Writers’ Foundation board member David Shaw; and Nikki Strait, a screenplay author and novel- ist with an MBA from Yale. The board also has two managers of Town Center Booksellers in Basalt as consultants.

The board has met weekly since March and for each title it chooses to publish, one of the board members assumes the proj- ect management of that title. They all get paid for their time, and divide up the editing, production and design work based on their talents. So it kind of functions like a co-op, with each board member getting a sense of ownership in the venture.
In terms of paying for the production and publishing costs, the editorial board will decide on a case-by-case basis whether People’s Press will front the money or the person bringing the idea forward will have to pay for it. After the book starts selling, Stranahan explained, 80 percent of the money will go to the entity which provided the capital, and the remaining 20 percent to the other partner. Once that capi- tal is paid back, the formula switches. So for example, if Peo- ple’s Press fronts the money for a title, it gets 80 percent of the sales revenues it’s entitled to as the publisher until its cost are covered, then 20 percent after that.
And each book has its own business model, budget and distribution network, Click explained, so that it can be tailored to the interests of the regional marketplace. Which is another thing that differentiates People’s Press from the mass-marketed titles of the major publishing houses.

Distribution is the one thing about Peo- ple’s Press that’s tried and true. Stranahan bought the distribution arm of valley-based WHO Press, which has 100 outlets mostly in the Roaring Fork Valley and some in other parts of western Colorado. Not all of those outlets are book shops — there are fly-fishing shops and other sports stores, card shops, gift shops and other specialty stores. One People’s Press employee’s sole job is to make the rounds and make one-on-one contact with retailers.
Warren Ohlrich of Carbondale has run WHO Press for more than 20 years, and has published some 25-30 books, including several guidebooks.

“I was looking to scale back and didn’t want to keep distributing, and [Stranahan] was looking to start a pub- lishing business but he had no distribu- tion network, so we just talked at the right time. It worked out very well,” said Ohlrich, who is also looking to eventu- ally turn over the publishing side of his company and retire.

Ohlrich said People’s Press is similar to what he’s been doing through WHO Press — catering to the local population
— but on an expanded model. “We need something like that in the

valley, distributing books by local authors and publishing things about the valley,” he said, adding that the eventual new owners of WHO Press are already talk- ing to Stranahan about how to cooperate, not compete, between the two entities.
With smaller press runs and a niche market, People’s Press fully expects its costs to be higher than average, and there- fore its books to be more expensive. The Mongolia book, for example, would nor- mally sell for not more than $17 on the mass market, but is being sold for $20, which People’s Press hopes locals will see the value in and be willing to pay.
Local author Catherine O’Connell, whose bestselling book “Well Bred and Dead” has enjoyed multiple printings by HarperCollins, is optimistic about People’s Press.

Noting that the publishing industry is in “huge turmoil” and readership is gen- erally flat, “What [Stranahan] is doing right now is bright, because he has the distribution network established. Ulti- mately it comes down to distribution.”
O’Connell, who keeps close tabs on the publishing industry and has a mar- keting and sales background, noted that only a fraction of the 174,000 titles or so published in the U.S. sell more than 100,000 copies, and only 10 sold more than one million. And self-publishing outlets are structured so that the author comes away with very little of the pro- ceeds, she said. So there’s an illusion out there of publishing a book and making a lotofmoney,plus“we[writers]arefight- ing for readers and fighting against com-
puters; young people are not reading.” However, avid readers are loyal readers and are likely to buy personally appeal- ing books within their distribution areas.

“I think it sounds smart,” she said. “It’s a very good idea in a troubled industry.”

‘The idea man’

Stranahan said he got the idea for People’s Press about a year ago, when he became aware of online self-publishing outlets like Blurb and Lulu. Technology is advancing such that digital publishing is almost as good as the old-fashioned offset presses, and that’s bringing the price of publishing down — and while it’s not as cheap as mass overseas print- ing, it’s close. On the other hand, distri- bution close to home can be more easily controlled, and there’s more chance that the publisher — People’s Press — will be intimately familiar with its market.

“We’re inventing the model,” he said with a smile.

Stranahan and his crew also strongly believe that, “We read what we write,” as he puts it. “This is us writing for our- selves, and we publish in quantities that we can market on the Western Slope.”

Those who don’t know Stranahan might be skeptical of his philosophical approach to this venture, but in decades of doing business, “I’ve had more win- ners than losers,” he said.

Stranahan founded Flying Dog beers, which started as a brewpub in Aspen and is now a national, bestselling beer label. He also has Stranahan Whiskey and Flying Dog Arts, a studio for reprinting

photography, and was the money behind the Mountain Gazette. On the nonprofit side, he started the Aspen Center for Physics, the Aspen and Carbondale com- munity schools, the Wyly Arts Center and most recently, the Manaus Fund, a nonprofit that starts up and invests in worthwhile local projects and “is run like a business,” said Stranahan.

“I do start things; I’m entrepreneurial,” said Stranahan, adding that while nearing his 77th birthday he is nowhere near retiring. “If it works, I find something else to do.”

“There is no question that he is the idea man,” said Click, who has worked with Stranahan on multiple projects over the years. “From physics to whiskey, he has these concepts. And once he does that he gets people that can make them happen. He’s got resources, there’s absolutely no question, but he uses them for things that can contribute to the planet.”

Stranahan nurtures ideas like one would a child, Click said, and when it’s ready to take off on its own he lets it go.

Mallory, who was born and raised in Aspen, said there are many regional voices, stories, images and narratives, and the mission of People’s Press is to create and nurture that regional identity.

Some of the titles might be destined for bigger markets, so People’s Press can in some cases be a launching pad.

“Aspen is where a lot of trends begin, where a lot of concepts are born,” said Click, who also grew up in the valley. “This is kind of an energy center, and getting a book out in Aspen it can get into thehandsofpeopleonalargerlevel.”

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