Introducing Gretchen Hanisch,
Managing Editor, CMC Press

By Julie Beckwith

When Terry Root retired as managing editor of the CMC Press, the CMC hired Gretchen Hanisch to succeed him. “Terry has left some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited about the job and looking forward to the challenge,” she said.

Coming back home

Gretchen grew up in Evergreen and attended Iowa State, where she received her degree in English and political science. After college, Gretchen moved home to Denver and began working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She continued to work for PwC as a financial advisor until deciding to pursue a career in publishing. She moved to San Diego and took a job with Harcourt Brace through its Academic Press division. “It was there that I fell in love with book publishing,” she explained. But the mountains were never far from her mind, and she returned to take a job with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers out of Boulder. She also taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder while pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. “When I heard about this opportunity at the CMC, I knew it was the place for me. Growing up in Evergreen, the mountains have always had a special place in my heart. What more could I ask for in my career than to combine two of my great loves, the mountains and publishing?”

CMC Press up and running

When Gretchen arrived at the CMC, she inherited four books already in the pipeline and a strong list of authors eager to expand the CMC Press list. In talking about the future of the CMC Press Gretchen said, “Terry Root has done such an excellent job in establishing a solid title list for the CMC; I really want to take the strong platform that he created and continue to grow this phenomenal program.”

Lofty goals

The CMC Press is still a fledgling, but it is growing steadily. From three titles and $29,000 in sales during 2000, by 2003 the list had grown to fourteen titles generating over $108,000 in annual sales for the CMC. “My goal is to grow the press steadily in the next five years, adding about four titles a year,” Gretchen said. “We hope to be a significant income source for the CMC in the future.”

Volunteers needed to help the CMC Press

Gretchen admits that she cannot do it alone. “We have reached a point where the CMC Press has gotten so big we need help to keep up the momentum; in short, I need volunteers.” 

Gretchen is looking for volunteers with English or journalism backgrounds to proofread; lay-out artists familiar Quark Express®, Photoshop®, and Illustrator®; and sales and marketing  people.

Editorial Board sought

Gretchen is also looking for a group of people who can meet monthly to serve on an editorial board. “I need people who know publishing as well as the outdoors and the Colorado Mountain Club,” she explained. “They can help further the mission of the CMC; bring in and evaluate potential projects; and help guide the press in terms of costing, competition, timelines, and marketing. With their help and guidance, who knows what the CMC Press can become?” P