Small Publisher Scores Big
With Holiday Childrens Book

TRAVERSE CITY, MI/12/1/2005—Mackinac Island Press has no sales force, advertising, marketing or publicity department, except for the author's husband. Yet, Anne Lewis, author of HAS ANYONE SEEN CHRISTMAS, and spouse Brian Lewis have had phenomenal success at selling this little book, exquisitely illustrated by Wendy Popko.

Mackinac Island Press was formed to publish Anne's books. While they've had respectable success with Anne's four other books, the Christmas book is expected to sell more than 50,000 copies this season—an almost unheard of success for a tiny publisher.

The book, published in mid-September, had no buys from a chain or wholesaler when it was published, but in just 60 days, the title sold more than 20,000 copies in Barnes & Noble stores nationally. Ingram, Baker & Taylor and Partners are now carrying the book, and expect sales to well exceed 50,000.

HAS ANYONE SEEN CHRISTMAS was the top seller at the New England and Great Lakes Booksellers Shows, and was selected as a Booksense '76 book for Christmas.

Here, Anne talks about how the book's success came about.