Meet the people who work for
Cascadia Publishing House LLC

THE BACKGROUND
A challenge in contemporary book publishing is that producing high-quality books tends to cost more than sales justify. Particularly the many academic books Cascadia Publishing House LLC is releasing tend to require high editing, copy editing, and proofreading investment even as sales will typically be low.

Cascadia LLC works at this challenge from two sides. On the one hand, distribution and marketing efforts to generate reasonable sales continue to grow. On the other hand, a key goal is to maintain low overhead costs to permit publishing as many modest-sales books as possible.

A basic Cascadia strategy for maintaining low overhead is to create primarily a "virtual" company, much of it in cyberspace, by negotiating for provision of services by independent contractors scattered across North America who have the needed skills but who due to employment elsewhere, a preference to run their own businesses, or retired status are interested in working per book or per service as contractors rather than as employees. (Cascadia's only full-time "employee" is publisher Michael A. King.)

At the moment, in addition to copublishing and codistribution agreements with Herald Press, Cascadia has arrangements with a flexible list of contractors, both individuals and institutions, who as needed provide editing, copy editing, proofreading, accounting support, sales support, design consulting, Internet consulting, printing, binding, distribution, and marketing.

THE PEOPLE
Contributing perspectives from diverse settings and professions, able to contract book by book, networked by e-mail, snail mail, UPS, and fax, the exciting cast of Cascadia service providers currently includes—

• Cascadia/Pandora U.S./Dreamseeker Books Editorial Council, whose members have included Julie Gochenaur, David Graybill, Nancy Heisey, Daniel Hertzler, Michael A. King, Richard A. Kauffman, Nancey Murphy, Elizabeth Raid, Paul M. Schrock (deceased), and Valerie Weaver-Zercher. Click here for fuller description.
• Cascadia Business Advisory Panel, made up of marketing consultant W. Kent Hartzler, Landisville, PA; and business consultant Jim Styer, Telford, PA
• Such additional providers of services on demand as Judy Kooker, Harleysville, PA, who contracts to provide administrative and distribution services; editor David Graybill, Harrisonburg, VA, and others; academic books consultant and editor Loren Johns, Elkhart, IN; free lance designers Gwen M. Stamm, Scottdale, PA; Jim Butti, Scottdale, PA; Jonathan Peachey, Chambersburg, PA; Dawn Ranck Hower, New Holland, PA; plus Merrill R. Miller, based at Herald Press and MennoMedia, Harrisonburg, VA; proofreaders Brenda Martin, Harrisonburg, VA and Mary Swartley, Elkhart, IN; bookkeeper Jacky Todd, Black River Business Management, Worcester, PA; a broad range of printers capable of offering the latest technologies in a fast-changing publishing environment, including print-on-demand, shorter-run digital, or larger offset print runs as appropriate for a given title and based in such sites as Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and more; as well as a flexible list of additional editors, copy editors, proofreaders, and other contractors and advisers turned to as needed.

THE STORY
For much more about Cascadia LLC, DreamSeeker Books, DreamSeeker Magazine, and Pandora Press U.S., read The Story of Cascadia Publishing House and DreamSeeker Books