The Mountaineers Books has launched two new imprints that will account for approximately one-third of the 30 titles the nonprofit releases annually. All titles published in its Braided River conservation imprint will combine the work of a photographer and author. The books will serve as the platform for other works on a book's subject, such as DVDs and lectures, which will be created with museums and conservation organizations. The idea, explained Mountaineers publisher Helen Cherullo, grew out of the press's success in 2003 with Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, which led to an exhibit created with Seattle's Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Although the Mountaineers has since produced seven books on this model, it decided to put the titles in a single, new imprint to give them a distinct identity.
Mountaineers' new Skipstone imprint will focus on books that promote a connection to the natural world through light, humorous work geared for the bookstore and gift markets. Included on this season's premiere list are Wake Up and Smell the Planet, culled from Grist, the online sustainability magazine, and Backcountry Betty: Roughing It in Style by Jennifer Worick, the author of 19 books including The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook.
