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Maine Department of Conservation Best-Sellers Surprise State

January 07, 2009 - AUGUSTA -- The Maine Department of Conservation is enjoying unexpected success in the publishing business, with two new books selling out repeatedly.

"We're delighted," Commissioner Patrick McGowan said of the latest book, "Your Maine Lands: Reflections of a Maine Guide," which was released in late October and remains on back order. "We've sold out two printings. You never know what's going to be a success."

A 100th anniversary edition of "Forest Trees of Maine," released last fall, was another runaway best-seller, going through several printings and selling 6,400 copies so far.

"They're beautiful books. We sold them as quickly as we could get them in," said Chris Bowe, co-owner of Longfellow Books in downtown Portland. "I think people were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the books and the price. We just couldn't keep up with demand."

Bowe said he thought the books also sold well because consumers are trying to buy local products. People are staying closer to home for vacations and are supporting local businesses and products, and the two books are practical, economical ways to learn more about the Maine environment.

"It's a local subject, done well by local experts," Bowe said. "There's a big desire in Maine to support the locals, and we're seeing an uptick in local publishing."

And just wait until the summer tourists lay their hands on them, he said.

"The Maine experience sells. They should do a book on (Maine) wildflowers next," he said.

Books Etc. owner Alan Schmid agreed the books would be popular with summer tourists, who are always looking for local works. His stores in Portland and Falmouth sold out of two orders of "Your Maine Lands," a collection of essays by Master Maine Guide Tom Hanrahan of Whitefield about exploring, hunting and fishing on state-managed lands.

"Anything Maine is always good," Schmid said.

The books weren't intended to be money-makers, but their success has McGowan thinking about how to capitalize on their popularity.

"We're going through a 10 percent budget cut, so we're looking to make money, too," McGowan said. "You have to be creative."

Department officials are already talking about a sequel to "Your Maine Lands," and just received a Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund grant to produce a map that will be a companion piece, highlighting places described in the book. Future editions will have a plastic map holder inside the back cover of the book, McGowan said.

He's also urging employees to think about what might be the next blockbuster book for the department. So far, they're eyeing the 40th anniversary of Aroostook State Park, in 2009.

"'Forest Trees' was really a trial run for us, and 'Our Lands' was a real grass-roots effort," said Mackenzi Keliher, the assistant to the commissioner, who oversaw much of the publishing efforts. "We learned a lot through this process (and) we've set the stage for future books."

The department has published three books in the past two years, and produced a DVD on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway called "Northrunner." The third book, a scholarly work on local fossils, will likely be reworked to be more user-friendly and tap into the same audiences that snatched up "Forest Trees" and "Your Maine Lands."

They are the first books that have been produced by the department in recent memory, said McGowan and Keliher.

The three books and "Northrunner" were initially intended to simply share information about Maine's natural resources with visitors. Department officials just hoped to break even financially.

"('Your Maine Lands') was set up to tell people a story about an adventure on public lands that might entice them to go visit," McGowan said.

Similarly, "Northrunner" was an effort to attract more visitors to the Allagash Wilderness, which had seen visitor numbers drop to among the lowest among state lands. The DVD, produced for $35,000, sold 4,000 copies and turned a profit, he said.

"Your Maine Lands," which cost $20,000 to publish, will break even when they sell 3,700 books – which they expect to reach with the next printing cycle. They've already sold more than 2,000 and have more on back order.

The department's decision to produce books and a DVD is fairly unusual, according to state historian Earle Shettleworth.

The state of Maine generally publishes only official documents, although about 100 years ago, the first state historian was given a $500 annual stipend to help publish his research, he said. The half-dozen books on Maine history produced at that time by historian Henry S. Burrage remain standard reference books to this day, Shettleworth said.

Since then, most books published on Maine topics have been published by nonprofit organizations with written contributions from state agencies. Funding is generally no longer available for publishing, he said.

By NOEL K. GALLAGHER, Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, January 3, 2009


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