GARDINER — Tilbury House Publishers was sold on March 22 by longtime owner Neil Rolde to book-publishing veterans and Maine natives Jonathan Eaton and Tristram Coburn, founders of Cadent Publishing, who plan to grow both imprints.
Jon Eaton has 30 years of experience as a book editor and publisher, including 25 as publisher of the International Marine line of boating books under McGraw–Hill ownership, during which time he developed IM into the world’s top nautical publisher.
Tris Coburn began his editorial career 19 years ago at Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books in New York, where he worked with nine New York Times best-selling authors. After returning to Maine, Coburn was a McGraw-Hill acquisitions editor before founding the Tristram C. Coburn Literary Management agency in Camden.
Founded 40 years ago, Tilbury House had been owned by Neil Rolde since 1982. The company concentrated on regional nonfiction at first, beginning with the legendary “So You Think You Know Maine,” then broadened its list to include children’s books. A quartet of early children’s books by Margy Burns Knight, illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien — “Talking Walls,” “Talking Walls: The Stories Continue,” “Welcoming Babies” and “Who Belongs Here?” — have become classics.
Many other award-winning children’s books followed, including “Say Something,” “One of Us,” “Moon Watchers” and “Unplugged.” Tilbury House continues to publish books about Maine and New England history and culture, and has just released “E.B. White on Dogs,” edited by E.B. White’s granddaughter, Martha White.
“I’m looking forward to working with Jon and Tris,” Tilbury House’s publisher, Jennifer Bunting, said in a news release.
“We’ll stay in Gardiner for now, with our present staff, and we’ll be concentrating on acquiring new children’s books and regional titles, including two that Jon and Tris brought with them for fall 2013 publication: ‘Eating In Maine” (based on Malcolm and Jillian Bedell’s popular blog at fromaway.com) and “The Hidden Coast of Maine,” which features Joe Devenney’s award-winning photography and essays by Ken Textor. We’ll also be issuing Tilbury titles as ebooks, something Cadent Publishing has done all along.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
