Caxton Press president Scott Gipson has struck a deal with the University of Idaho and will take over all marketing and distribution responsibilities for the University of Idaho Press. Gipson said he approached the university about assuming distribution of the press's line after learning in February that the press was to be shut down. "I thought this was a better option" than just letting the press fade away, Gipson said, adding that by keeping the list intact, the university could restart the press when financial conditions improved.
Caxton will treat UI Press as a distribution client, leaving reprint decisions to the university, while selling the titles to the trade under Caxton terms. The addition of UI Press's 85 active backlist titles will bring Caxton's catalog up to 200 titles focused on Western history, Native American culture and other regional issues. "It [UI Press] is a great fit with our own list," Gipson said.
Caxton, based in Caldwell, Idaho, uses a commissioned sales force to sell its titles. UI Press is Caxton's first distribution client, and Gipson said Caxton "might" look into taking on other publishers "if they're a good fit." The addition of the UI list, however, meets Gipson's immediate goal of giving Caxton some economies of scale and a larger list to show accounts. "It's getting harder and harder for small presses to get into the stores they need to get into," Gipson said.
