Scarletta Press – which began to focus on children's publishing two years ago – will change its name to Mighty Media Press as of January 1, 2015, and will publish exclusively children’s books. The company currently has 18 children’s titles in print, with three more titles to be released in spring 2015 and four more in the fall. Mighty Media Press will specialize in picture books as well as middle-grade fiction and nonfiction titles. Picture books will be released under its Kids imprint and middle-grade books will be publisher under its Junior Readers imprint.
Scarletta was founded in 2005 to publish primarily adult nonfiction. The press is headquartered in Minneapolis. Adult titles currently under contract with Scarletta instead will be published under Red Portal Books, a hybrid publisher also owned by Mighty Media’s parent company, but current adult titles will go out of print, and the company will no longer actively seek out such books.
“Since 2012, when we started doing children’s books, it seemed that we’d found our niche,” explained Nancy Tuminelly, Mighty Media Press publisher. “We want to focus on that; we want to focus on enriching children’s minds by delivering a product that will spark in children a desire to learn, to be great thinkers and problem solvers.” She noted that Mighty Media Press’ new tagline is: “Mighty kids. Mighty minds. Mighty future. Be Mighty!”
The name change from Scarletta to Mighty Media Press, Tuminelly told PW, was done in order to better take advantage of parent company Mighty Media's branding and reputation in both the publishing industry and in the interactive youth development arena. "It is a more accurate, fitting name for the publishing entity with its mission solely in the children’s market," she said.
While declining to disclose company revenues, Tuminelly did report that “children’s titles have tripled our sales” in the two years that Scarletta has been transitioning into children’s publishing. Much of the spike in the press’s bottom line is due to the success of its Monster & Me series of picture books by Paul Czajak, illustrated by Disney storyboard artist Wendy Grieb, which was picked up by Target this past season. There are three books in the series, with two more planned for 2015 and another two scheduled for 2016.
