- Special Offers
-
From the Publisher
Exciting New Developments at Chelsea Green
Sciencewriters Book Launch
Chelsea Green launches Sciencewriters Books, a new imprint to develop outstanding works of science for the general public. Sciencewriters Books is co-directed by Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan, founders of Sciencewriters, an educational partnership devoted to advancing science through enchantment in the form of the finest possible books, videos, and other media (www.sciencewriter.org).
Chelsea Green’s mission is in line with the notion that we are citizens, not only of nations, but also of the bio-sphere and the universe, and that our relationship with these “higher powers” profoundly affects our survival as a species. Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan have authored thought-provoking and intellectually riveting science books for more than a quarter of a century on topics that range from global ecology to the evolution of sex. Blending exciting writing with depth of knowledge and dedication to scientific inquiry and integrity, Sciencewriters Books will publish new and established authors on a wide variety of cutting-edge scientific subjects.
In a time of increasing awareness of the perils of global warming and peak oil, the addition of a science imprint is the logical next step in developing titles consistent with the company's progressive mission. In particular, attacks by right-wing politicians and religious fundamentalists on the credibility of scientists defending evolutionary theory and identifying climate change must be countered by citizens aware of America's history of free thinking and ingenuity as well as humanity's irreducible debt to the biosphere that—so far—supports us. Science does not stop at some politically determined limit of inquiry; in the words of quantum physicist David Bohm, science is about the search for truth, "whether we like it or not." As it turns out, properly presented, there is much to like. We invite open-minded critical thinkers everywhere to embark with us as Chelsea Green Publishing Company and Sciencewriters Books collaborate on what promises to be an exciting and informative voyage.
Zero Waste Publishing
In August I wrote a piece for Publishers Weekly that called for a new Zero Waste Publishing model. In our view, going green is not only the moral thing to do in an age of global warming and peak oil, it’s the only viable economic thing to do if we’re to survive and thrive in a future of skyrocketing energy costs.
Publishing is a resource- and energy-intensive business. Books are heavy, and until e-books morph into the iTunes® they aspire to be, manufacturing and transporting them use a lot of energy. While going to recycled paper is an essential first step toward mitigating our industry’s environmental impact, real change will come only when book sales become nonreturnable.
According to the Association of American Publishers, global gross sales of consumer books in 2004 were 1.4 billion units. Thirty-one percent of them, or 434 million units, were returned. Let's assume that half of the returned books are shipped out again, and half go into a landfill (and that is where most of them end up). If the average weight of a book is two pounds and the average distance a book travels is 1,000 miles, then an extra 1,305 million pounds of books had to be shipped an extra 59 million miles using 8.4 million gallons of diesel fuel and releasing 188 million pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere! That doesn’t even factor in the energy and environmental costs of 217 million books going to waste.
The future is green. (It's the new fiscal black.) We are in the midst of formulating a new green bookselling partnership program and invite booksellers and publishers to join us in this effort. Starting this season Chelsea Green will be handling all sales in-house, headed up by our new Sales Director, Peg O’Donnell. Instead of hitting the road (and throwing more carbon into the atmosphere), each regionally based sales manager will be contacting accounts for phone appointments and to get feedback on how best to implement this program. We look forward to working with you on this very important (and long overdue) effort to green our industry.
Margo Baldwin, Publisher