Turkey rings: a new publishing tool
I want to tell you about a new book I’m publishing in July. But first, I want to tell you about turkey rings. If you’re like me, you’ve never ever heard of turkey rings. And when you hear about them, you immediately conjure up some pretty terrible images. Not true for Chris Decker at Tisbury Printers. My new book is one called Star Child, coming out in August, and written by a part time Chilmark resident named Kay Goldstein. This book... Read More
Saying hello to a new season of books
Collins (left) my son Christian, and daughter Lily help move books into storage Last week 6,000 books, representing three new titles, arrived on the Vineyard. It was just like Christmas. Four pallets of books were shipped in a container ship from Hong Kong to New York, then trucked to Wareham, MA, for transport to the Vineyard by Cape Cod Express. All this takes about six weeks; another two and a half months were spent just waiting for the... Read More
A Saturday smile
This, stolen from a Facebook post, pretty much says it all about blogging…On the other hand, pointless, incessant barking just isn’t enough sometimes. But, then, neither is blogging. So, what to do, what to do?? Read More
The Island network
In my work as a local publisher, I try to use as much local talent as I can find. Sometimes that’s not always easy. Back in the winter I went looking for illustrators for two of my spring books. The books are very different – one is a children’s book that uses the Flying Horses as a backdrop for the story; the other is a collection of essays about life on the Vineyard. Yet both also had one thing in common: they needed creative art, the kind... Read More
Writers and editors
I spend my days dealing with writers, who are a complicated species. They are usually very talented people who are often unsure how far that talent takes them. They alternate between being resentful of editing and grateful for it. They crave the undivided attention of an editor but fear what will come out of an editor’s mouth or computer screen. I love them. I also find them far nicer than I ever was to my own editors. (My husband, long before... Read More
I am a Vineyarder
Sometimes I look at my life with a bit of amazement. I see that I am many things, most of them hatched by the place I live. I am a book publisher only because the place I live is so marvelously appointed with talent. I am surrounded by writers and artists and photographers. I talk to clever people every day. I am often inspired through the simple act of turning on my computer or taking a walk to my tree house office. I am an entrepreneur in a place... Read More
When a book begs to be printed
Work comes to me in many ways. I don’t really advertise what I do, so I have to rely on my books to be my ambassadors. And I need to evaluate each book to make sure I can do the story justice, as well as have the book further the Vineyard Stories’ brand. So it’s always surprising when I find myself saying “yes” to a book I know isn’t really a Vineyard Stories’ book. Such is the case for My Blue Butterfly,... Read More
Vineyard Stories steps out
Independent bookstores, which are my primary customers, have a hard time of it. They’ve always struggled against the large companies like Barnes and Noble. Then Amazon.com came in, leaving both the independents and the chains gasping for air. Now, with the advent of electronic books, my friends at the independent stores are definitely challenged. Vineyard Stories is a member of the New England Independent Booksellers Association, and each year... Read More
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