Meet the people who work for
Pandora Press U.S.

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 Pandora Press U.S. is releasing tend to require high editing, copy editing, and proofreading investment even as sales will typically be low.

Pandora Press U.S. is working at this challenge from two sides. On the one hand, distribution and marketing efforts to generate reasonable sales will 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 key Pandora U.S. strategy for maintaining low overhead is to create a "virtual" company, much of it in cyberspace, by negotiating for provision of services by independent contractors scattered across the U.S. and Canada 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 as contractors rather than as employees.

At the moment, in addition to copublishing and codistribution agreements with Herald Press, Pandora U.S. has arrangements with a flexible and growing list of over fifteen contractors, both individuals and institutions, who 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 Pandora U.S. service providers currently includes––

• Pandora Press U.S. Editorial Council, whose members include Julie Gochenaur, David Graybill, Nancy Heisey, Daniel Hertzler, Michael A. King, Richard A. Kauffman, Nancey Murphy, Elizabeth Raid, Paul M. Schrock, and Valerie Weaver-Zercher. Click here for fuller description.
• PPUS Business Advisory Panel, made up of marketing consultant W. Kent Hartzler, Landisville, PA and business consultant Jim Styer, Telford, PA
• Such additional providers of key services as editor Louise Stoltzfus, Lancaster, PA; academic books consultant and editor Loren Johns, Elkhart, IN; copy editors Rose Decaen, Santa Paula, CA; Sharon Esterly, West Chester, PA; May Piotrowski, Washington, DC; Wendy Rueda, Washington, DC; and Jeanne Trapani, Springfield, VA; designers Denise Siemens and Jim Friesen, based at Mennonite Press, Newton KS, as well as Gwen M. Stamm and Merrill R. Miller, based at Herald Press, Scottdale, PA; proofreader Brenda Martin; bookkeeper Jacky Todd, Black River Business Management, Worcester, PA; printers Pandora Press, Kitchener, ON; Mennonite Press, and Herald Press; director mail coordinator Mildred Montgomery, Olean, NY, as well as other copy editors, contractors, and advisers.

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