There seems to be a resurgence of bringing out-of-print books back into circulation, although it's always been a part of publishing, particularly with genre books: Chicago Review Press is reprinting Mary Stewart's romantic thrillers; Sourcebooks is doing Georgette Heyer's Regencies; Felony & Mayhem is searching out mystery authors, both well-known (Edmund Crispin, Reginald Hill, Ngaio Marsh) and less-known (Elizabeth Ironside, Nury Vittachi). Ig Publishing is launching a new imprint, Lizzie Skurnick Books, which will reprint young adult books from the 1920s to the 1980s. (Here's a nudge to a publisher seeking worthwhile authors: Mary Wesley, Patricia Wentworth.)
This week, newly minted Pharos Editions is bringing out its contribution to republishing with four books selected and introduced by four authors. Two years ago, Harry Kirchner met Aaron Talwar and Jarret Middleton from Dark Coast Press, in his role as director of national accounts for Ingram Publisher Services, DCP's distributor. They were curious about how to build a backlist, and Harry had a long-held dream of reprinting excellent books. A partnership was born: they would find authors to select books and write the introductions; they would emphasize print; the books would be affordable ($16--a price chosen because "the number looks classy. We didn't overthink it.") yet highly crafted (heavier stock, jacketed paperbacks, design work on the inside).
Jonathan Evison came on board early with McTeague by Frank Norris, a classic of American realism. Sherman Alexie joined in with the iconic basketball novel Inside Moves by Todd Walton. Matt Groening chose a '30s Hollywood noir-ish book called You Play the Black and the Red Comes Up by Richard Hallas, aka Eric Knight (yes, Lassie, Come Home. Really). Jess Walter picked The Land of Plenty, written in 1934 by Robert Cantwell--the gripping story of a Washington lumbermill town and worker unrest.
With a classy logo, classy authors, and classy classics, Pharos Editions is adding value to the book world. --Marilyn Dahl