Agate, a new Chicago-based independent publishing house, has entered into an agreement with NiaOnline.com, a Web community focused on black women, to publish a line of books addressing the personal and professional needs of those women. Agate was founded last year by Douglas Seibold and launched with a 20,000-copy printing of Sexual Healing, a first novel by journalist Jill Nelson. NiaOnline was founded in 2000 by Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, who is CEO and chairperson of Nia Enterprises, parent company of NiaOnline.
Seibold has gone on to publish an eclectic list of seven books divided between titles aimed at a black readership and those aimed at professional business managers of any race. Seibold described his company as a "virtual" business—meaning he's the only full-time staff member. Everyone else is freelance. He credits his success so far to being cost-conscious and looking for like-minded small publishing partners.
Working with NiaOnline, said Seibold, is just the kind of partnership he likes. Although it has more than 60,000 registered members, NiaOnline is "focused on an underserved market, and, like Agate, they see themselves as outside the mainstream publishing market," said Seibold. Agate's agreement with NiaOnline calls for two to four books a year. The first book, The Nia Guide to Black Women's Professional Success, will be released in October. The next book will be released in the spring of 2005. The books will feature writers from NiaOnline and will use original material published on the site.
Seibold will also continue the Agate Pro line of professional titles. The house has published books on globalization and digital technology and will release It Pays to Be Paranoid: Securing Business Success by Preparing for the Worst in the fall. All told, the house will publish about 16 books this year. Seibold plans to hire his first full-time staffer (a former intern) in June, and he told PW that he is looking for a small publishing venture that he can acquire.
"I'm open to new kinds of content that will take us into other publishing areas," said Seibold. "I'm looking to diversify judiciously."
