Sweet Retiring from Down East

by Judith Rosen, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 3/16/2007

After close to a decade as publisher of the book division of Down East Enterprise, which also publishes Down East, Fly Rod & Reel and Shooting Sportsman magazines, Neale Sweet, former president of Macmillan's reference book division, is retiring.

During his watch, the Rockport, Maine, company acquired Countrysport Press, which publishes books on fly fishing, wing shooting and gun dogs. More recently, Sweet oversaw Down East's efforts to gain a national audience for its books. In February 2006, National Book Network began distributing Down East Books outside Maine. "Sales were up slightly for the first 12 months," said Sweet, who was encouraged by increases at a number of distributors and by the results of end cap displays with select Barnes & Noble stores.

Going forward, said Down East Enterprise president and CEO Bob Fernald, "we'll continue to work on books of national interest with Maine values," such as last September's Good Fences: A Pictorial History of New England's Stone Walls by William Hubbell. In addition, Down East Books is looking to leverage its magazines and will publish its first branded Shooting Sportsman title this fall.

John Viehman, who was appointed to the newly created position of director of marketing for Down East Enterprise last June and has been named acting publisher of Down East Books, intends to further the company's branding efforts. Before coming to Maine, Viehman headed Rodale's Wilderness Travel Group, where he oversaw several magazines and two television series. "We're looking very closely at linking Down East's brands more effectively, rather than having them siloed in just book form or magazine form," Viehman said. Among the possibilities he is considering are Down East's first e-books. For the short term, Viehman anticipates that Down East Books will continue to average 24 to 28 new titles a year.