Former Running Press publisher John Whalen has formed Cider Mill Press and plans to publish his first list next spring. The company, based in Kennebunkport, Maine, will specialize in brand-name gift books that will feature new formats and book-plus products. "All projects have to work in gift stores as well as bookstores," Whalen said.
Cider Mill will debut with six series, led by the Magnetic Wisdom line, which will feature a book, magnets and a portable 4½-inch stand priced at $9.95. The LifeLessons line will offer four-color inspirational books combined with six greeting cards in a $14.95 package. To put a new wrinkle in journal publishing, Whalen has added inspirational quotes plus a 60-minute music CD to his Guided Journals series, which will be priced at $8.95. A Notebooks line will debut with two guided music journals. "I want our products to give the customer value," said Whalen about his pricing policy.
In addition to original products, Whalen will relaunch Peanuts classic titles as 5½"×5½" hardcovers priced at $6.95; the lead title will be Happiness Is a Warm Puppy. The final piece of the first list will be Flocabulary, a book that combines hip-hop music with text in a study guide. The book had been self-published by Blake Harrison and Alexander Rappaport, and Whalen hopes the format can be turned into an ongoing series.
While Cider Mill has a certain Running Press flavor to it, Whalen is using a group of new freelancers, many from the Portland area, to give the startup a new look. Whalen has lined up Sterling Publishing for distribution in the U.S., while the Canadian Manda Group will do distribution in Canada. He anticipates doing 35 to 45 books in the first year and will finish 2006 with a staff of five. "I feel like everything I've done in my career has been in preparation to start this company," Whalen said.
