February Employee Spotlight: Ben Simpson
(Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2023)
Meet Ben Simpson, the acquisitions director at Amplify Publishing Group. With six years of experience in the book industry, he brings invaluable knowledge and skills to Team APG and to our authors. Get to know Ben a little better in this month’s employee spotlight.
Describe your role at Amplify Publishing Group.
- When authors submit their work to APG, I’m one of the first pairs of eyes to see it. I review manuscripts, concepts, and even outlines to determine the author’s best publishing path, including making recommendations around the level of editing and design work that is needed.
What’s one thing that surprised you about your position?
- I thoroughly enjoy the multitude of genres and types of projects that come to us. Over the years, I have been able to pick up bits and pieces of knowledge from our authors and discover stories I had never heard before.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
- While most projects tend to move from the initial review into the production process in a timely manner, there occasionally are authors who need more time and discussion before taking the next step. I have had a few authors that I spoke to years ago and kept in touch with who are finally ready to move forward with publishing. Those projects sometimes bring the most satisfaction due to my never-ending belief in the work.
What are you currently reading?
- Last year I set a goal of reading 100 books. Though I fell a tad bit short and ended up completing around 87 books instead, the goal helped me continue stoking my love of reading and discovering new projects. My current read is “Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty” by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe.
What is something you’ve learned in the last week?
- That my daughter—she’s almost 2—quite enjoys it when I slip and fall.
What’s something that people don’t know about you?
- I am an avid consumer of music and run a successful YouTube Channel, “The Music Rabbit Hole,” about music that has accumulated close to 3,500 subscribers.
What Our Staff is Reading
(Posted on Friday, April 8, 2022)
As a book publisher, our staff is filled with voracious readers and lovers of books and there is nothing book lovers enjoy more than sharing what they are reading and hearing what others are reading. One Friday every month, we will give you a little insight into the Mascot Books office and share what some of the staff is reading…of course, this is in addition to all of the incredible submissions we get as well as the books currently in various stages of publication.
Ben is a Senior Acquisitions Editor and might be our most ambitious reader, with a goal of reading 100 books in 2022! March was all about memoirs for him, and he read The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl, Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama by Bob Odenkirk, and Happy People are Annoying by Josh Peck.
Emily is our Administrative Assistant and is reading The Little Gentleman by Philippa Pearce.
Francys is a Retail Specialist and is reading Circe by Madeline Miller.
Gillian, a Production Assistant, is reading The Sentence by Louise Erdrich.
Helen, one of our Bookkeepers, is reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Jess is the Director of Acquisitions and is reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.
Julia, one of our Production Editors, is reading Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. She also tries to keep a rereading project on the side and is currently working her way through the audiobooks of Nancy Drew!
Kristin, our VP of Operations, and Sky, a Senior Marketing Manager, are both reading Dune by Frank Herbert.
Kortney is an Acquisitions Editor and is reading The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton. Turton also wrote The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
Lauren, a Senior Production Editor, is currently working on her master’s thesis in English Literature, so she is reading a lot about the Civil War, Reconstruction, architecture, and Civil Rights. A couple books she is reading now are Seizing the New Day: African Americans in Post-Civil War Charleston by Wilbert L. Jenkins and South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War by Alice L. Baumgartner.
Matt, one of our Graphic Designers, is reading Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein.
Naren, our CEO, is reading Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results by Josh Linkner.
Nina is VP of Production and is reading The Husbands by Chandler Baker.
Taylor is our Social Media and Content Manager and just finished Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories, and the Hunt for Putin’s Spies by Gordon Corera. She has started The Duke and I by Julia Quinn for something a little lighter.
We will see you next month with more books from the office. In the meantime, what are you reading?
From the Publisher
(Posted on Friday, April 5, 2019)
By Naren Aryal
Welcome to Amplify.
At Amplify, we publish top-quality nonfiction titles. Specifically, we’re all about business books, political and policy-related works, and current affairs issues that are starting conversations. That’s it. Nothing else.
We launched our first book in October 2018, but we’re not new to the world of publishing. Amplify is the first imprint of a company I co-founded fifteen years ago, Mascot Books. Mascot is a multi-genre house, publishing everything from children’s titles, to cookbooks, to fantasy/science fiction novels, to memoirs—and everything in between. But even book people have favorite genres, and, as CEO, I wanted to establish a new imprint focusing on the genres I enjoy most and where we’ve had growing success. In the last five years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with some really impressive authors in the nonfiction space: CEOs, subject matter experts, innovative thought leaders. A new imprint would give these authors and their big ideas a unique space in the publishing landscape and set their work apart. Amplify was born.
Amplify’s first release was Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football, a controversial look at CTE research and the way it’s represented in the media, by former NFL star and ESPN commentator Merril Hoge. In several ways, it embodies the core of what we look for in an Amplify title, beyond being well-written and thoroughly researched. Some agree with the stance Brainwashed takes, some disagree, but one thing is clear: it’s gotten people—journalists, players, and readers—talking. Brainwashed started a new thread in one of sports’ longest and loudest conversations. That’s what good books do.
In 2019, we’re continuing the momentum with The Age of Intent: Using Artificial Intelligence to Deliver a Superior Customer Experience by P.V. Kannan, the cofounder and chief executive officer of Silicon Valley-based [24]7.ai, a leader in AI-driven customer experience software and services. Slated for release on May 28, 2019, the book shares P.V.’s take on how AI is helping the world’s leading businesses attract and retain customers through personalized, predictive, and effortless customer experience by redefining the way companies interact with consumers.
At Amplify, we believe content is king. Here, you can expect to find books from leading figures in business like Tae Hea Nahm and Bob Tinker; subject matter experts like Melissa Agnes (Crisis Ready); and budding thought leaders like Dave Frankland and Nick Worth (Marketing to the Entitled Consumer). With the 2020 general elections a little over a year away, we’ll rise to meet the slew of political titles hitting the market with some of our own from both sides of the aisle. We’re looking forward to new voices, growing partnerships, and great books in 2019. I’m glad you’re here and hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Editor Spotlight: Kristin Clark Taylor
(Posted on Wednesday, December 5, 2018)
By Emily Evans-Miller
Here at Mascot, we think it’s high time to recognize the unsung heroes of the publishing community: illustrators and editors. We have an extensive network of freelance professionals who do fantastic work for our authors. This month, our featured freelance publishing professional is editor Kristin Clark Taylor.
Kristin sat down with us to discuss what she loves about writing and editing, her favorite projects, and her biggest pet peeves. Check out her answers below!
How did you get into editing books? What made you decide to pursue this career?
Not to sound overly dramatic, but I think it’s the truth when I say I’ve been an editor since the age of about six. I remember writing a love note to my mom and reading it later, after she’d taped it to the refrigerator. I’d spelled the word “wonderful” with two “L’s”, so I sent her an entirely new card, this time with the word spelled correctly. Every time I see the word “wonderful,” I think about that moment. So I’ve been self-editing since I was about six. Yes, that’s an accurate statement.
What do you enjoy most about being an editor?
I suppose it’s that feeling I get from being transported into someone else’s world and the ability to rearrange or manipulate the written word in a way that makes a story stronger, a plotline more compelling, a sad scene even sadder. To this very day, the process feels miraculous and breathtaking. Being able to bolster a message and to correct copy in a way that helps advance a plotline—any plotline—brings me sheer joy. Especially if a compelling story exists underneath.
Not a day goes by that I’m not simply bowled over by the fact that even though there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, it is how we manipulate those letters, how we arrange them in a way that is compelling and inspirational, that makes the difference. That I play even a small role in what I like to call this “Miracle of 26” takes my breath away all over again.
Are you a writer as well?
Yep, I’m a writer, too. In my mind, and in my life, writing and editing go hand-in-hand. They belong to each other. When I wrote that love note to my mother all those many decades ago (we’ll leave it at that), it brought me as much joy to write it as it did to edit it. Both processes just bowl me over. And because it’s what I do for a living, I spend most of my days feeling happily breathless. This stuff never, ever gets old.
How many books have you worked on?
I’ve written many books of my own. The first three were published by Random House/Doubleday, the fourth by Penguin/Berkeley. I’m working on a fifth as well, but I haven’t been able to finish it just yet because so much else is on my plate. This doesn’t deter me in any way, though. I love having a full plate, and I know that my manuscript will wait patiently until I can turn to it and embrace it fully. It will wait for me.
I’ve edited countless books—fiction, non-fiction, business, cookbooks, memoirs. When I read Patti LaBelle’s thank you (in her acknowledgements) for my help with her most recent cookbook, it made me want to step into my kitchen and try to bake one of her famous sweet potato pies. (“Kristin Clark Taylor: Deep gratitude for your brilliant eyes and excellent edits. You’ve got a gift.”)
And I’ve received countless notes from the former President of the United States expressing his appreciation for my editing prowess. I use the word “prowess” because he used the word “prowess,” which I thought was really sweet.
I must say that the response I get from the authors with whom I work really makes my heart sing. This, again, is what makes my life meaningful.
What is your favorite Mascot Books project that you’ve worked on recently? Why?
I just finished editing a book about emotional intelligence (EI) called I Dare You to Care, and I tell you what: that book really opened up my soul. EI is a topic I write about fairly frequently myself as a journalist, and the way this author presented her work was already compelling and captivating. So what I had to work with was not only an author who was already a strong writer but a topic that just about knocked me off my feet. Working on that book was sheer joy. It is an important, necessary book, and I pray it does well.
Another favorite was a ghostwriting project—and because I served as ghostwriter, I’m not supposed to give the title of the book—but I will say this: Ghostwriting that book came at a time in my own personal life that really made the message feel like it belonged to me. It belonged to the author, of course, but my heart held a vested interest as well.
The Mascot family is the best. I’ve worked with the huge houses, the medium-size houses, and the teeny-tiny houses, and Mascot, in my mind, stands head and shoulders above the rest, not just in their production quality and editing acumen but in the dedication and expertise of absolutely everyone on the staff. They are a class-act. In fact, let me self-edit here: Delete the word “they” and insert the word “we.” We are a class act. Because Mascot is my literary family.
What’s your favorite kind of book to edit?
Though I’m comfortable with most genres, there’s something about the memoir that pulls at my spirit. The very act of codifying words and messages that capture a person’s past, that paint a picture of their childhood or their history, or that offer a glimpse into the author’s earlier life, is as exhilarating as a roller-coaster ride.
Books of a spiritual nature also pull at my little heart. I often write about spiritual issues, and I believe the very act of deepening our spiritual condition is not only our privilege but our responsibility. Also, books that offer the reader a better way to live life, a more effective way to face (and embrace) adversity, a glimmer of hope or a flame of passion—this is the stuff that excites me. When I edit books like this, it feels like I’m helping to actively and deliberately push these positive messages out into the universe—again, a miraculous process in and of itself.
What is your biggest grammar pet peeve?
Oooh, I’ve got several. Many people see me as a having this sugar-sweet spirit and this super-gentle demeanor, but those are the ones who haven’t seen my “other side.” I know we all make mistakes, but a typo of any form just about kills me, as does the continued use of shopworn cliches. I also don’t like lazy authors. This might sound harsh, but if you don’t bring the energy, the desire, and the ability to write (or at least conceptualize) a good book to the table, you really shouldn’t sit down to the table at all. We all deserve to write—and read—quality work.
What are you currently working on?
In addition to being a writer, an author and an editor, I’m also a journalist. As I mentioned earlier, my next book is still pulling at my heartstrings as well, but since it’s mine, I’m fairly confident it will remain patient and sit quietly until I can get to it.
As of this writing, I’m also considering working on a book that delves into the life of a cancer patient who remains steadfast and undeterred. The journalist in me really appreciates that this book will be research-based and that other voices in the form of direct quotes will help bolster the message. I guess I probably shouldn’t say too much more about that either, since the deal hasn’t really been sealed at all—not with me serving editor, anyway. But I’m still excited about it, so I feel it’s only right to share that excitement. That’s what the world is all about, isn’t it? The sharing of our excitement and enthusiasm for our work?
What are you looking to do more of? (Books about rabbits, bullying, etc.)
Oh, gosh. I’d like to work on a book that is filled with folly and fantasy. I sometimes get the feeling that all of my work is so darned SERIOUS. Yes, we should take ourselves and our work seriously, but also make room for work that involves ridiculous musings about marshmallows and fluffy white clouds in a cobalt blue sky. THIS is the stuff that makes us smile and that we forget about sometimes in our quest to be so darned serious all the time. I appreciate levity and I need more of it in my writing life.
What types of books do you like to read in your free time?
I like to read memoirs. I like history. I like books that break past their own boundaries and I love authors who are brave enough to write bold, new stuff that makes your head spin. That stuff is really cool. Put simply, I’ll say this: I like reading everything… as long as it’s good. I can spot a lazy author’s work a mile away, and it makes me want to cry. It also kind of makes me mad. I’m too busy to waste my time reading words that haven’t been crafted with love and careful deliberation. It’s an insult.
What’s your favorite book and why?
The Holy Bible. Every word is perfect.
What are some of your other interests? (hobbies, alternate day job, etc.)
I am deep into Tai Chi Chih (a modern derivative of Tai Chi), and I practice it twice a day. I also take three yoga classes every week, and I meditate twice a day. My prayer life keeps me centered—without it, I’m certain I wouldn’t embrace life with as much gusto and confidence as I do. Somebody once asked me how I manage to get so much work done when I spend so much time either in prayer, in yoga, or in meditation and I smiled and told them it’s because I spend so much time with these activities that I get so much work done!
What’s something you wished your authors knew about you?
That even as something of an accomplished writer, I still feel vulnerable. And I still feel that occasional twinge of insecurity when other people read my words. The Washington Post published a piece of mine very recently, and they added an e-mail address at the end of my article.
Well, the article itself resonated so strongly with readers—it was a tribute to my old friend and first boss, President George H.W. Bush—that I ended up receiving hundreds and hundreds of e-mails from my readers. Literally hundreds. Folks appreciated my words, which made me very happy. Most folks wouldn’t know that I sweated bullets before it came out, because the piece was deeply personal and revealing.
The reader response was overwhelming, which actually lifted my spirits and soothed my aching little soul, because I’m still grieving deeply. I miss my friend. And you can bet your bottom dollar that I’m going to respond to each and every one of the e-mails I’ve received. It is an honor and a privilege that my words touched so many hearts. And I think the President probably appreciated my humble little send-off and final goodbye.
About Kristin Clark Taylor
Kristin Clark Taylor is an author, editor, and freelance journalist. Her first three books were published by Random House/Doubleday and the fourth by Penguin/Berkeley. Kristin’s work as appeared in publications such as the Washington Post, USA Today, the Miami Herald, and the Washington Times. She is also a former White House communications strategist, where she held the post of White House Director of Media Relations. She has edited and/or ghostwritten books in virtually every genre, many of them bestsellers. Taylor is a founding member of USA Today’s original creation and launch team. She holds an honorary doctorate from Michigan State University, where she was also named Distinguished Alumni for her outstanding professional accomplishments.
Editor Spotlight: Lorna Walsh
(Posted on Wednesday, September 26, 2018)
By Emily Evans-Miller
Here at Mascot, we think it’s high time to recognize the unsung heroes of the publishing community: illustrators and editors. We have an extensive network of freelance professionals who do fantastic work for us and our authors. This month, our featured freelance publishing professional is editor Lorna Walsh!
Lorna is one of our most trusted editors and has worked with Mascot for over a year. She’s edited books of all genres, so our blog editor, Emily, asked Lorna a few questions to learn more about her editorial process.
How did you get into editing books? What made you decide to pursue this career?
Once upon a time, many moons ago, I graduated from college with an English Literature degree. Not wanting to be a teacher, and not knowing what else to do with my education, I entered a career in the nonprofit sector that lasted fifteen years. I enjoyed the work, but when I hit thirty-five, I decided to take a year off to take stock of my life. During that sabbatical, I wrote a novel and began retraining to be a copyeditor. I had always written fiction and been good at providing critiques to other authors in my writing groups, so I built on those skills and finally set up my own writing and editing business in early 2016. I love to write, but I enjoy editing more. Nothing makes me happier than helping a manuscript reach its fullest potential!
What do you enjoy most about being an editor?
The variety of material is one of the best aspects of the job, and I learn a lot from the books I work on. The subjects of the books have ranged from getting over a divorce (which was helpful when I was going through one!) to the experience of US military personnel who were taken prisoner by Japan during WW2. I have learned all kinds of things and entered all kinds of worlds that I would never have otherwise known.
Are you a writer as well?
I am a professional ghostwriter and have worked on eight titles in the self-help, business, and lifestyle genres. In my spare time, I also write fiction—mostly short stories—and I was very happy to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2017 for my story “Becoming,” which was published in the literary journal F(r)iction. Being a writer helps me be a better editor of other people’s work because it gives me greater empathy for authors; conversely, I believe being an editor also makes me a better writer.
How many books have you worked on? Both with Mascot and in total.
I counted my projects for Mascot Books and discovered I have worked on 22 titles in 13 months…and I see most of them at least twice! As for the grand total, I have totally lost count, but it must be in excess of 100. Sometimes I might only see a single chapter of a book. Other times, I get involved in creating a book outline with a client before passing on the project to a ghostwriter. Note to self: must keep better records.
What is your favorite Mascot Books project that you’ve worked on recently? Why?
I copyedited David Wenzel’s memoir, Thank You Kung Fu, which was a wonderful experience. His story about living with an inoperable brain tumor was so compelling and moving, yet also incredibly uplifting. David is a natural communicator and storyteller, so his book was a joy to work on. I also had fun working on another memoir (not yet published) that happened to be set in a city in the UK where I used to live. The book took me right back there, and my knowledge of the city helped me pick up a couple of spelling errors that others might not have noticed.
What’s your favorite kind of book to edit?
As my previous answer suggests, I love editing memoirs. Fiction is also fun to edit, but I pretty much like every book that comes my way because I love language and the craft of editing, even if the subject isn’t exactly my cup of tea. I would add, however, that the books that are always my favorite are the ones written by authors who appreciate the editorial process and see me as a friend, not a foe!
What is your biggest grammar pet peeve?
I’m more annoyed by the grammar police than I am about grammar errors! Grammar bullies are everywhere these days, and they enjoy shaming others for their mistakes despite not really knowing what they’re talking about. Mostly, they’re just clinging to some old-fashioned “rule” that no longer applies. English vocabulary and usage is constantly changing, and everyone makes mistakes because English is so weird and complex—even the greatest authors need copyeditors and proofreaders! Personally, I’m glad people make mistakes because otherwise I couldn’t do what I love for a living.
What types of books do you like to read in your free time?
With reading being so much a part of my day job, I am often guilty of Netflixing the night away. But when I read, I alternate between fiction and nonfiction for more variety. I’ve just finished reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less by Andrew Sean Greer, which is phenomenally good and wonderfully funny. And now I’m reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, a truly mind-blowing piece of nonfiction that will totally change the way you view the world and yourself.
What’s your favorite book (in general) and why?
So many! Can I give you my top five?!
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (So romantic)
- Me, Cheeta by James Lever (the funniest book you’ll ever read)
- Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold (pure page-turning entertainment)
- The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (gun-toting Wild West lit fic)
- The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s by Piers Brendon (serious, eye-opening nonfiction)
What are some of your other interests (hobbies, alternate day job, etc.)
Whenever I get the time, I enjoy all things art deco, as well as visiting new places in Los Angeles, where I currently live. I like independent cinema, so I often make the most of the air-con at one of the local movie theaters. And because of my sedentary day job as a full-time wordsmith, I’ve recently started running in the mornings before it gets too hot, although I doubt that’ll ever be an activity I am fanatical about.
What’s something you wished your authors knew about you?
I guess they should know that I’m British, which means I am sometimes befuddled by an Americanism, even after a decade living in California. Sports stuff can be especially challenging for me as a Brit (and as someone who only enjoys watching rugby), but I like to learn new vocabulary and phrases, so a lot of Googling goes on if I’m editing a book on, say, ice hockey, which happened recently. This “ignorance” can be actually pretty useful sometimes; it’s amazing how many times I pick up an error when I’m verifying American names and places I’m not familiar with.
About Lorna
Lorna Partington Walsh spent thirty-two years in the United Kingdom before moving to California in 2009. In 2014, she changed career from nonprofit consulting to wordsmithing and is now a full-time writer, editor, and proofreader for a broad range of clients, including magazines, book publishers, and novelists. Lorna is especially passionate about world-changing words and has a blog called “Books with Spine,” which focuses on what she calls “mission-driven publishing.” A fiction writer in her spare time, Lorna has been recently published by Tethered by Letters and Running Wild Press, and she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2017 for her story “Becoming.” In 2019, she will be taking herself back across The Pond to live happily ever after in merry old England where she will continue to write and edit for Mascot Books, of course.
Follow her on Twitter at @BooksWithSpine and learn more about Lorna at www.idealtype.com.
15 Years, 15 Titles: Happy 15th Birthday, Mascot Books!
(Posted on Saturday, September 15, 2018)
By Emily Evans-Miller
Time for some throwbacks! Fifteen years ago, Mascot Books was founded on September 15th, 2003 by CEO Naren Aryal. For the past fifteen days, we’ve been featuring one of our titles from each year on our social media channels. We love getting the chance to celebrate how diverse our titles are! As you can imagine, with over 300 books sent to print so far this year alone, we had quite a challenge picking out just one for each year. Check them out!
2003: Hello, Hokie Bird!
By Aimee Sutter Aryal
Follow Hokie Bird around the campus of Virginia Tech in this fun and beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s book that was written by a Virginia Tech alumnus. Read along as Hokie Bird stops at some of Virginia Tech’s most beloved landmarks – the Duck Pond, Drill Field, Burruss Hall and Newman Library – before arriving at Lane Stadium for a football game. There is even a special appearance by Coach Beamer. A great book for Virginia Tech fans of any age!
2004: Hello, Tiger!
By Aimee Sutter Aryal
Follow the Tiger around the campus of Clemson University in this fun and beautifully illustrated hardcover children’s book. Read along as the Tiger stops at some of Clemson’s most beloved landmarks – Bowman Field, the Amphitheater, Fort Hill, and Littlejohn Coliseum – before arriving at Memorial Stadium for a football game. There is even a special appearance by Coach Bowden. A great book for Clemson fans of any age!
2005: Hello, Big Jay!
By Aimee Aryal
Big Jay, the Kansas Jayhawks’ mascot, tours the campus and attends a basketball game.
2006: Hello Wally!
By Jerry Remy
Follow Wally The Green Monster around Fenway Park during game day. Read along as Wally enjoys pre-game festivities on Yawkey Way, visits the Ted Williams Statue, participates in batting practice, entertains Red Sox fans, and cheers the home team to victory. A great book for Red Sox fans of any age!
2007: White Diamond Runs for the Roses
By Aimee Aryal
Follow White Diamond through the sites and sounds of the Kentucky Derby.
2008: J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!
By Aimee Aryal
New York Jets fans from all over the area are headed to the stadium for a football game. Read along as Jets fans cheer the team to victory! A great book for Jets fans of any age!
2009: Bo, Commander in Leash
By Naren Aryal
Bo, American’s Commander in Leash(TM) is the first children’s book starring the most famous dog in the world. Join Bo on an exciting adventure as he learns all about the White House and experiences the traditions that make it such a special place. Bo’s adventures include time-honored White House traditions, including the Easter egg roll, Fourth of July fireworks on the National Mall, the pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey, and all the festivities associated with holiday time at the White House. The First Pup also helps the Obama Family establish new traditions, such as playing on the First Kids’ new swing set, planting vegetables in the White House’s new organic garden, and playing basketball with the President.
2010: A Salute to Our Heroes: The US Marines
By Brandon W. Barnett
Come along with Chesty the bulldog, the mascot of the U.S. Marines, as he takes us on an exciting journey into the world of the United States Marine Corps.
2011: 9Lenses Insight to Action: A Social Approach to Business Optimization
By Edwin Miller
9Lenses, a web-based social approach to assessing and optimizing a business, provides comprehensive insights into all areas of your organization. It empowers business leaders to use this data as a roadmap to drive improvements and help employees acquire the knowledge and skills to make business excellence sustainable. Whether you want to take your business to the next level or grow sales and customers, the Lenses provide the focus. Edwin Miller founded the company in 2011, but has been developing the 9Lenses since his first role in business in 1993.This book is about how people, insight, content, data, and software can come together to create meaningful action for a company. It represents the first truly “end-to-end,” comprehensive framework for understanding the most important aspects of businesses, and provides a dynamic blueprint for optimizing each aspect in the context of all important factors. Through the book, Edwin Miller identifies the nine key lenses that an executive needs to account for as they build successful businesses. Edwin demonstrates that when the nine lenses align, businesses successfully accelerate to the next level.
2012: One Letter At a Time
By Dick and Rick Hoyt with Todd Civin
One Letter at a Time is the inspirational story of Rick Hoyt told from his perspective and those he’s inspired. Though born a non-verbal spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, Rick worked diligently with co-author, Todd Civin, to share stories from his incredible life using his one letter at a time method of speaking. Hoyt, together with his equally inspirational father, Dick Hoyt, has competed in nearly 1100 athletic events including thirty Boston Marathons.
2013: She Cooks, She Scores
By Jennifer F. Stoker
The way to a man’s heart is through his … stomach. Well sometimes, that’s not the case. In this cookbook, Jenn will share her bodacious culinary adventures. Each recipe has detailed instructions and an entertaining story behind it. You will see, taste, and smell the love behind all these dishes. Join Jenn on her culinary journey that will satiate and entertain.
2014: Surviving Suicide: Searching for “Normal” with Heartache and Humor
By Deena Baxter
There are many books about living with mental illness; this is a story about dying from it. A son gives back the gift of life and launches the author on a mission a search for normal and who gets to decide. Crossing international boundaries, from the U.S. to Brazil, Deena Baxter’s journey shines a light on a harsher reality: how the stigma of mental illness keeps it cloaked in denial. Using heartache, humor, and creative full-color graphics, Baxter brings mental illness out of the darkness and gives it a voice worth listening to.
2015: Out and About Dad
By Jim Joseph
“A book about being a father?” “Good, maybe it’ll help someone.” “Are you going to tell stories about us?” “Yes, a few.” “Well, we have a lot of them!” That was my children’s reaction when I first told them I was writing another book, but this one was going to be about fatherhood. I guess they’ve gotten used to me writing marketing books and daily blog posts and all of the comments that come along with them. But this time it’s personal. This one hits close to home – our home.
2016: 363 Days of Tea
By Ruby Silvious
Follow the artist’s 363-day journey as she creates miniature paintings using repurposed tea bags as her canvas.
2017: Slide! The Baseball Tragicomedy That Defined Me, My Family, and the City of Philadelphia – And How It All Could Have Been Avoided Had Someone Just Listened to My Lesbian Great Aunt
By Carl Wolfson
Slide! is the laugh-out-loud true story of the greatest collapse in baseball history, told from the perspective of a boy who lived it. The Philadelphia Phillies’ bid for the pennant in 1964 was an almost flawless run. With twelve games to play, the team’s lead seemed insurmountable. For 11-year-old Carl Wolfson, it was the happiest summer of his young life. Then the unthinkable happened. With each late-season loss, Phillies fans were thrown into despair, and Carl’s crumbling dream of a World Series forced him to take refuge in comedy. Luckily, it was all around him. His bickering parents (who put up Chinese symbols for “peace” and “happiness” and argued for years about which was which), his grandmother (who was so stubbornly Republican that she refused to carry a Roosevelt dime), and his mouthy great aunt (whose protest letters to the Phillies front office became local legend) created plenty of opportunity for distract
And to kick off the start of our sixteenth year…
2018: Secrets to Becoming a Financial Badass
By George Kroustalis
Does the thought of creating your own budget make your head spin? Do you know what a credit score is used for? Do you even give a sh*t? This book is for people who don’t but wish they did. Because, let’s face it, your parents aren’t going to foot the bill forever.
Secrets to Becoming a Financial Badass will set you down the path to success without putting you to sleep. It’s the financial lecture you never bothered listening to. But luckily, financial adviser George Kroustalis has boiled down decades of experience into three simple chapters: Save, Spend, and Invest. You can’t screw that up.
There’s no Wall Street jargon to learn, no complicated formulas just a few simple fundamentals. You’ll follow two characters, Jack and Jen, along their paths to success or failure. Whether you’re graduating high school, choosing a major in college, or entering the workforce, you’ll be able to face the future with a badass attitude…and the bank account to match.
We are so proud of all of our titles and authors. Without them, Mascot would not be where we are today. Be sure to help us celebrate by sharing your titles, event photos, covers, and favorite memories on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Here’s to fifteen more years of publishing excellence and helping our authors succeed!
What’s New at Mascot Books
(Posted on Tuesday, July 10, 2018)
Mascot Books has changed quite a bit in the last year. While our core goals of producing high quality books, supporting our authors, and engaging with the book community are the same, we’ve revamped some key pieces of our operation. We’re excited to share these changes with you!
New Website
As you may have noticed, things look a little different here at Mascotbooks.com. We’ve spent the last several months renovating our website to showcase more of our upcoming titles and give authors a comprehensive view of the services we offer. As a multi-genre publishing house, we’re proud to produce a diverse range of books by authors of all backgrounds and look forward to sharing them with you.
We’re also overhauling our blog. We’ll still post release day roundups, but be on the lookout for new content, including author interviews, guest blogs from members of Team Mascot and other experts in the publishing industry, and spotlight features to help you find the next book to put on your to-read list. If you’ve got an idea for a post on the blog, contact our blog editor, Emily Evans-Miller.
We’ve had quite a few new faces join Mascot this year and we’d love for you to meet them. Be sure to check out our Team page and put a face to an email address!
New Digs
We moved! We outgrew our old office with twenty-five staff members and counting, but we didn’t move far! We’re still headquartered in Herndon, Virginia—a quick drive from Washington, DC—and just a few blocks from our old location. From the beautiful, hand-painted logo behind our reception desk, to the framed covers of some of our books lining the halls, to our conference room with a view, we’ve made a home we’re proud to share with our authors.
New Platforms
While we have been active on Facebook for some time, we are expanding our social media horizons to reach even more authors, readers, and retailers. Follow our newly redesigned accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on what’s going on at Mascot Books.
Looking Forward
Through all these changes, Mascot Books remains passionate about creativity, storytelling, and supporting authors as they work toward their goals. So what’s next for Mascot? We’re going to continue to add diverse voices to our list and publish stories the world needs to hear. We’re working to create meaningful content on our website and engage in conversations about the publishing world with writers we know and writers we don’t know (yet).
We’re also looking forward to the books in our pipeline: nonfiction that’s going to make a splash in the news cycle, a cookbook with an unexpected special ingredient, a novel that combats stigma against mental illness, a children’s book about a superhero with a unique name, just to share a few. So follow us on social, subscribe to the blog, join our mailing list, and check back often for updates and news about the goings on at Mascot Books. We can’t wait to share what’s next!
The New Mascot Books
(Posted on Monday, July 9, 2018)
Welcome!
2018 marks fifteen years since I co-founded Mascot Books. It started with 5,000 copies of a children’s picture book about Virginia Tech’s mascot on my doorstep and has since become a full-service hybrid publishing company with 23 experienced professionals on staff. Although we started with children’s books, we now publish titles across all genres and provide insight on every facet of publishing. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we’re not done yet.
We’ve spent the last fifteen years growing, and 2018 has been no exception. In fact, this year has seen some of our biggest changes yet: a new office, a new website, and new additions to the staff. We’ve also ramped up work with our affiliate company—BeastSellers—that specializes in author platform development. This fall we’ll launch our first imprint, Amplify Publishing, which will specialize in business, politics, and current events.
Not only are we growing—our authors are, too. They’re appearing on national talk shows, radio programs, in local publications, and even on Netflix. We work with teachers, entrepreneurs, chefs, grandparents, and artists to bring their stories to life and share their work with the world. I can’t wait to see how we’ll grow in the next fifteen years and what we’ll learn from each other in Mascot’s next chapter.
Sincerely,
Naren Aryal
CEO & Publisher
620 Herndon Parkway, Suite 220|
Herndon, Virginia 20170
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Phone: 703-437-3584|
Fax: 703-437-3554|
info@amplifypublishing.com
All rights reserved.