These days it's rare for a publisher to announce a 47% increase in trade book sales, but thanks to its new Stash Books imprint, 28-year-old C&T Publishing can lay claim to that triumph for 2010.
C&T publisher Amy Marson attributes the success to finding the right niche. "Our acquisitions editor, Susanne Woods, found an opening in the marketplace and got some really great designers," Marson tells Show Daily. "Stash Books appeals to the younger, hipper craft sewers who have a lot of confidence in their ability but need inspiration. They are adventurous crafters."
Books like Socks Appeal, which came out last June, and Little Birds, which was published last May, have sold 20,000 and 15,000 copies, respectively. "For craft books, that's amazing," claims Marson. "And we believe that as long as you are doing something with your hands, you are doing something good for yourself."
The company is also looking to nonbook products to generate income. In the past year, the press created four different iPhone apps. It has already sold more than 10,000 copies of its first one, Quick & Easy Block Tool, which features more than 500 traditional quilting blocks, in print and e-book formats. It's also launching a new sewing and quilting pattern Web site soon called PatternSpot.com. C&T has more than 300 designers signed up to sell patterns on this new Internet service in a revenue-sharing deal with the company. Marson explains: "The consumer goes on the site; they download a pattern, and they can start making their project right away. This will help us not only to generate revenue but will also be a way for us to watch trends, see what's hot, and find new authors."
With C&T's wide-ranging success, it's no surprise that it was recently cited by Book Business magazine as one of the Top 10 Book Publishing Companies to Work For. "Our employees feel that we have an environment that allows them to be really creative, and we reward them for their efforts," says Marson. "We work hard to have a culture that is positive, has a sense of humor, and makes people want to come to work every day."
Marson, who has been C&T's publisher for the past eight years, tells Show Daily that when the economy started tanking in 2008, she told her employees, "Unless we change the way we do business, there will be no business. We need to break out of the status quo and figure out ways to do things differently." The company collected 80 ideas and implemented 65 of them, saving more than $100,000 on two ideas alone in color copying and in-house publishing. "That's also how we launched our first blog, and how we decided to do the apps," says Marson. The company continues to reward such ideas with cash awards called SQBIs (pronounced SKWEE-bees). "That stands for Status Quo–Busting Ideas," Marson explains.
For BEA, C&T will feature a Stash Books entry titled Deploy That Fabric by Jen Eskridge. Her husband is in the military, and she developed 23 projects to "upcycle" used uniforms so family members can have a memento from their service member with them all year round—from quilts or purses to Christmas stockings. The author will be signing finished books today at the C&T booth (3604). Notes Marson, "It's a great way to celebrate your military service family member."
