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PUBLISHING Ashland's Blackstone Audio adds print publishing Wildly successful audio book publisher plans to print up to 100 books this year Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 16, 2016 at 12:10 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 16, 2016 at 12:10 PM » Social News Ashland’s Blackstone Audio has become tremendously successful over the last two decades with audio books and is now expanding into publishing physical books (with pages you turn), as well as “readalongs” that let you switch back and forth between audio and ebooks in all your devices. The big news is the books. Most publishers start with physical books and maybe branch into audio books, but Blackstone, says CEO Josh Stanton, is doing it the other way around. It has put out 11,000 audio book titles and is now branching into books, with up to 100 expected to be out this year. Blackstone has put over 400 successful e-books under contract for publication as books, he says, and has created 10 new jobs here — people to help with cover design, marketing, editing and printing. “Our first catalog is going to have three New York Times bestsellers, who will be published in e-books and print books,” says Stanton. “These are new books they’ve written. We’re going to their literary agents and pitching how we can do as well or better with them … We’ve paid our dues with audio book and we have the network and from that we have the resources of a large house to cater to our specific list of our own authors. We have a lot of genres and we’re very selective.” As part of their new push into print books, Blackstone is publishing print, audio and e-books of a series of Native American authors, seeking to capture the wisdom of elders before they pass from the scene, which is what happened to so many in past centuries, chiefly, says Jason Couch, executive producer of the media (and a native) because we lacked the technology to record it. The series, called “Voices of a Generation: First Nations,” features, as its first volume, Grandma Agnes Baker Pilgrim’s “Wake Up World.” The eldest Takelma, she will have a book signing and “speaking-signing” at 7 p.m. Monday, March 7, at Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. “There’s a lot of information the elders have picked up in their lives. They’re not going to live forever,” says Couch. “Grandma is 91. Traditions could be lost. Just look at Edward Curtis (ethnologist and photographer of Native America) and how he saved so much of images and languages on sound cylinders. The use of modern recording now is priceless. We spent 10 hours in the studio with her and made six hours of audio book and transcribed that to print book.” The second book in the series will be longtime Rogue Valley native storyteller Tom Doty’s “Doty and Coyote.” The third book will be by Arvol Looking Horse of the Sioux. Blackstone didn’t research the earning potential of the series, says Rick Bleiweiss, Blackstone head of business development, but just knew it had to be done and they would do it. The firm has pioneered much of the technology associated with books and sound, including the readalong device that lets you download a digital book, transmit it to iPhones, iPads and your car device — and will jump to “your place” on the book, no matter what media you are using. Except for a book. You need a bookmark for that. The company is in the top three in the nation for unabridged audio books, won five Grammies and over 50 Audies (audiobook) awards. They have partnerships with HarperCollins, Disney and other major players in the business — and are buying up exclusive audiobook rights to many old classics, including those of Ayn Rand, William Shirer, A.A. Milne ("Winnie the Pooh"), Ian Fleming, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, George Orwell, H.P. Lovecraft and others, says Bleiwiess. They are recording the entire Shakespeare canon with actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Blackstone, created in 1987 by Craig and Michelle Black and still family owned, has become one of the 10 biggest companies in Southern Oregon, says Stanton, and “might be” bigger (if you don’t count grants) than Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Sales have gone up every year but one. They have 185 employees, including in offices in Portland, New York and New England. They are expanding soon to California and Australia. They’re not a $100 million company yet but hope to be, says Bleiweiss. The Blacks have homes here and in California. The roots of the firm, says Stanton, will stay here in Ashland. Why? “You fall in love with it,” says Stanton. “I travel a lot and when I come home, I’m never disappointed.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 16, 2016 at 12:10 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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