 “We believe the imprint resonates nicely with Indiana’s identity, but we plan to include books that have wide interest throughout the Midwest.” —Bryan Gambrel, Director of Marketing and Sales |
“IU Press has been publishing regional books for more than 50 years,” said Bryan Gambrel, the press’s director of marketing and sales, “but that’s still often a surprise to booksellers and consumers.”
With the introduction of Quarry Books this fall, the press expects to stake a larger claim in the lucrative regional publishing market. “We believe the imprint resonates nicely with Indiana’s identity, but we plan to include books that have wide interest throughout the Midwest,” said Gambrel. Starting with five titles this season, the press plans to publish 10 to 15 regional books a year, a combination of new titles and updated classics.
Gambrel and Mary Beth Haas, sales manager for IU Press, said the idea for Quarry Books was hatched after they attended a meeting of the Great Lakes Booksellers Association. “It was a revelation to hear independent booksellers talk about what they like and what sells. Some of them were dubious as to whether or not university presses could publish books that their customers would like,” said Haas.
Like all university presses in the U.S., IU Press depends on its regional and trade titles to be revenue generating. “Our regional sales are about nine to 10 percent of our overall revenue now. We hope to get that to 15 percent in two years and double it in five years. Growing the Quarry Books list revenue not only allows us to better serve the people of Indiana with great regional books—something we see as part of our mission as a press at a public university—but also will allow us to invest in publishing more scholarly books as well,” said Gambrel.
IU Press intends to unveil Quarry Books in June at Book Expo America in Chicago. The Quarry Books display will feature the imprint’s first five titles. Moonlight in Duneland, a popular book of classic railroad posters from the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, has been reintroduced in paperback. Unexpected Indiana, a coffee table photography book, features breathtaking images of Indiana’s natural surroundings. IU’s legendary soccer program and the career of Jerry Yeagley are celebrated in The Kickin’ Hoosiers, which will be available in September. Limestone Lives presents photographs and stories of the men and women who work in the limestone quarries of Southern Indiana. Rounding off the first five is Shipshewana: Indiana’s Amish Community which showcases one of the state’s oldest Amish communities.
IU Press’s marketing team has high hopes that Quarry Books will cross the state line in terms of sales. “As the imprint becomes more recognized, and we add books with broad Midwest appeal, we should do very well in the tourism market—up and down the coast of both sides of Lake Michigan, for example,” said Gambrel. He adds that the press plans to create a Web site for the new imprint, making it easier for booksellers and customers to get directly to Quarry Books.
The IU Press fall catalog, which will be available to IU staff, faculty and the general public by the end of May, will feature a colorful section on Quarry Books. For more information on new Quarry Press books and all IU Press books:
http://www.indiana.edu/~iupress/
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