Regional Bookseller Essay Series Announced

Independent booksellers across the country are asked to submit personal essays for a nine-book series of regional paperbacks to be published by Unbridled Books with printing support by McNaughton & Gunn and edited by Carl Lennertz of ExpressEdit.net. 

Ron Rice, editor of My Bookstore, will gather the essays for publication, and Bob Minzesheimer, formerly of USA Today (and now an indie bookseller), will write a foreword for each volume.

The books’ content will mirror the territories of the regional associations. Each book will be published, one or two titles a year, when a sufficient number of essays is received to produce a complete book. Essays should be about each bookseller’s unique experience in his or her current or home state — life, travels, observations — past or present.  After design and production costs are recouped, remaining profits will go to a literacy program chosen by the booksellers whose personal essays comprise each volume.

• Carl Lennertz: “I am so excited that Fred Ramey and Greg Michalson of Unbridled and Julie McFarland at McNaughton & Gunn see the joy of supporting a vehicle for bookseller authors to be published, as well as supporting a literacy cause. And yay re Ron and Bob, two great booklovers!”
  
• Fred Ramey: “Greg and I have always admired independent booksellers and we love publishing diverse voices from around the country, so this is a natural for us.”
  
• Julie McFarland: “McNaughton & Gunn is proud to support the publishing industry and our local communities through regional booksellers and literacy programs.”
  
• Hut Landon of NCIBA: “Carl and I have discussed timing book publication dates to coincide with Independent Bookstore Day or with Buy Local events in each region. This project sounds very cool. I hope booksellers will send in their essays as soon as a busy bookstore life allows.”
  

To submit an essay, please follow the guidelines on the attached document.