In 1972, Kirk Howard began Dundurn Press on his own. Why? How did he do it? What challenges did he face at the time? After asking around the office, I realized that many of us didn't know a lot about the early years of Dundurn. After compiling the questions that stumped many of my colleagues, I sat down with the one person who could share the story, the President and Publisher of Dundurn, Kirk Howard.

Dundurn’s Publicity Pros Share Their Tips

We asked Marketer Kate Condon-Moriarty and Publicists Jaclyn Hodsdon, Kendra Martin, and Michelle Melski what makes for the most successful collaborations between authors and publicists (and the most successful books). Here's what they had to say.

What advice would you give to authors on how to establish a great working relationship with their publicist and publisher?

Meet Jenny. She's the Editorial Assistant; the go-to person for all Westside questions. (Editorial is on the west side of the office, but she's also our resident musical theatre aficionado, so...)

We spoke with Michelle Hamilton, co-author of the biography of one of the first Indigenous physicians in Canada, Dr. Oronhyatekha.

DUNDURN: How did you research your book?

If anyone is the authority on how to get published, it’s likely an acquisitions editor. So in that case, meet Shannon. Possibly one of the more glamorous jobs in publishing, Shannon’s job is to find and acquire books however she can. But unlike most people looking for a new book, she isn’t checking the local bookstore.

“Books can come from all kinds of places, really,” Shannon says matter-of-factly, “Literary agents, the slush pile, from any number of contacts. Sometimes authors that we’ve already published will refer others who are looking for a house.”

A hard-boiled prohibition mystery, how did you come up with the idea?

Tell us about your new book.

Jeremy, tell us a bit about your book.

Sticky Branding is your branding playbook. It provides ideas, stories, and exercises that will make your company stand out, attract customers, and grow an incredible brand.

I wrote the book for small- and mid-sized companies. It doesn’t take big budgets and endless resources to grow a Sticky Brand. It’s achievable for any business willing to challenge industry norms and find innovative ways to serve its customers.

What do you think is the overarching theme of your work, and compelled you to explore it?