Islandport Press

You’ve now published more than 100 books in less than twenty years. Did you ever expect to grow so quickly and accumulate as many genres and authors into your catalog?
We started and still remain a press committed to stories rooted in the New England tradition. Our first book was (Dean Lunt’s) Hauling by Hand: The Life and Times of a Maine Island, which details the history of Frenchboro Island and its tough-as-nails residents. From there, our growth seemed organic, and we found ourselves reprinting classic stories, such as Helen Hamlin’s Nine Mile Bridge, which is set deep in the Maine woods during the 1930s. We also remain forever grateful for the decision to reprint Dahlov Ipcar’s stunning children’s books. Adding Dahlov to our catalog opened the door to so many talented children’s book authors and illustrators. So in some ways, our growth is surprising, but when you consider all of the great voices in New England, the diversity of our catalog also makes a lot of sense.

What is the best season for publishing a new book? Does the genre matter: is it all about summer romances and autumn thrillers?
It really depends on the subject matter. For a guide book, like The Islandport Guide to Lighthouses in Maine, the months before summer tourist season make the most sense for publishing. Or in the case of a beautiful photography book that features classic cars, such as David Hill’s Full Service, we decided to publish it ahead of Father’s Day. That said, there’s always a little bit of a guessing game when it comes to deciding on the right season to release a book.

Which do you prefer, hard or soft cover books, and why?
These days, our preference is for soft cover books. We’ve learned that book groups and schools like soft cover, mostly because cost is a factor. As curators of good books, it’s still hard to ignore the beauty of a signed hardcover copy, but it’s important that we listen to our readers and offer what’s wanted most.

Islandport Press
P.O. Box 10
Yarmouth, ME 04096
www.islandportpress.com