Caroline Ames Herter, the much-loved publishing industry veteran, died June 12 after a short illness. She was 70.
 |
|
| Caroline Herter | |
Herter's career began as one of the original booksellers at Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, Colo., after graduating from Colorado College with a degree in philosophy. She went on to work in sales, marketing, and publishing at Harper & Row, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Chronicle Books, where she was instrumental in developing the gift product line that redefined how non-book products were marketed and sold in the bookselling community and how books were sold in the gift market. She had a great eye for how books should look and feel, both inside and out.
Following her publishing career, she established Herter Studio and Caroline Herter Publications, where she developed and packaged books that inspired and educated women, brought on laughter, challenged authority and had a sense of playfulness. Her publications included Try Again, Fail Again, Fail Better; Body Drama; and The Book of Badges, among others. She was also the co-author of Photocraft: Cool Things to Do with the Pictures You Love. She was an original member of the women's publishing group "never ever got Roots on," one of the first "book clubs" created.
Herter was a mentor and helped many young publishing professionals get established in their careers. She was a director at the Stanford University Publishing Institute and worked closely with that team to bring publishing talent into the program. She touched many lives and at times was more than determined to get her point across.
As noted in her obituary, "She was an avid and adept downhill skier always ready to take on the next black diamond slope leaving her friends in a dust of snow. She was an adventurous kayaker and a nervous sailor, loved to drive fast (in more than a car), never turned down a chance to be on horseback, could dance up a storm, and was a nature lover extraordinaire. Caroline was most at ease walking in the woods at her family home on Pretty Marsh Harbor, Maine, with a pair of clippers in her hands, always searching to carve out the perfect water view from her porch perch. She was a practiced charades player egging on family and friends to get down and have a good time. Laughter was her medicine, books were her fuel, love was always in her heart--even when she was a challenge. Caroline was amazing as she overcame many obstacles, again and again--always challenging herself to "fail better." Her spiritual life blossomed after she returned to Maine from San Francisco where she developed a group of sage and interesting friends. Caroline was a passionate soul and touched many lives with infectious energy."
Besides family, she "leaves many loyal friends who loved her dearly and were honored to be loved by her in life. She will always live in our hearts."
[Thank you, Michael Selleck]