WHO ARE WE?
Cambridge House Press is a traditional publisher bringing cutting-edge product to the marketplace, with an emphasis on sales and marketing (more about that below). Our titles are split about evenly between fiction and non-fiction, with most of our fiction titles posessing a contemporary marketing 'hook.' Our most popular literary title is historical fiction based on a 500 year-old Daniel Dafoe legend that was the basis for the contemporary film The Hills Have Eyes. So even our historical fiction has a modern-day bent.

Some of our titles are controversial. Some are left-leaning. Some are right-leaning. Some are funny. Some are expository. We believe all are entertaining, educational or thought-provoking. And that is the basis for all our acquisitions. We don't try to advance a political agenda, a specific religion, or a way of life. Our goal is to inform, entertain, provoke or encourage. And while we certainly appreciate publishers who bring 'worthy' works to market, we've made the decision that we're in business to publish books we believe will be read, and by the largest possible readership. In other words, we're in the business of selling books, not simply publishing them.

 

WHERE DO WE FIT?
It is true that almost anyone can create a book, but it takes skill, persistence and stamina to actually sell one. The literary wasteland is heavily populated with great and valuable books that died on the vine because they were not given the proper publicity to achieve success.

If you are with a large publisher, and not deemed one of their top 15% “push-books” (books which are promoted because the publisher has spent a considerable amount of money to acquire them), the extent of your marketing is typically limited to a press release. Period.

Over 85% of any large publisher’s list is part of a ‘machine-gun’ approach—books published into a void with the ‘hope and pray’ attitude that something, anything, will happen that will gain traction for these titles. (That's also why publishers try and keep their titles in circulation/print for as long as they can get away with because you never know [see Scooter Libby). The list of monster bestsellers that were doing little in the marketplace until they were catapulted into the national consciousness through forces other than the quality of the writing is long indeed. Through these tremendous successes the large publishers who brought these books to market can afford to publish several thousand others that year that don't recoup their expenses. That is the nature of the business with larger publishers--strike out 1,495 times, thrive off five grand slams.

Smaller publishers, on the contrary, need a much higher success ratio. They don't have the luxury of publishing over a thousand books each year. That’s why the majority of authors are actually better off with a small or medium sized publisher if they are seeking the greatest chance of retail success. Of course there are authors whose definition of success doesn't include retail sales. Some are more interested in the cachet of a specific publishing imprint on the spine of their book, or perhaps a large monetary advance, and while these latter goals are certainly common and absolutely acceptable, and while CHP has a snazzy logo and pays modest advances, their core focus remains promoting and selling books. IN addition, every author is supplied a publicist for the life of their project. That is something few other houses can offer, regardless of size.

If selling books is what interests you, and you have a compelling and commercial project, feel free to contact us. Agent queries welcomed.