IPG's Chicago Review Press Acquires Amberjack Publishing

September 16, 2019

CHICAGO, IL — Chicago Review Press, one of the two publishers owned by Independent Publishers Group, has acquired Amberjack Publishing. The acquisition went into effect on September 13, 2019. 

Amberjack will be an imprint of Chicago Review Press and headed by Group Publisher Cynthia Sherry. CRP will retain Amberjack staffers Cherrita Lee for editorial and Jana Good for marketing and publicity efforts of the forthcoming titles in the imprint. 

“As one of the first Amberjack employees, I couldn't have hoped for a better match than Chicago Review Press – our shared dedication to caring for authors and showcasing new voices paves the way for a phenomenal future,” said Lee. 

Amberjack Publishing of Eagle, Idaho was founded in 2014 with a goal of publishing literature and nonfiction that is vital and transformational to its readers. Over the years, more and more great voices have been added to the publishing program, and the publisher now has 63 active titles in print with another dozen new titles releasing over the next year. In January of 2019, Amberjack partnered with Independent Publishers Group for distribution. “

“We have great authors and amazing stories, so continuing Amberjack’s efforts with IPG and Chicago Review Press just seems like a great fit,” said Justin Mitson, current Publishing Director for Amberjack.

Amberjack’s adult literature spans a wide range of genres and includes the well-reviewed backlist titles I Am Yours by Reema Zaman, Fallen Mountains by Kimi Cunningham Grant and the recently published book on sexual empowerment for women, Girl Boner by August McLaughlin. Forthcoming fall titles include The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks and There You Are by Mathea Morais, which recently received a starred review from Kirkus. 

Amberjack also has a number of award-winning young adult and middle grade titles, including Eric Bower’s Baron series and the Dewey Fairchild series, which both have new titles on the Fall 2019 list. Notable young adult titles include Kirkus-starred The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan and Beau & Bett by Kathryn Berla. 

“I’ve been a great admirer of Amberjack’s list starting with Girl Boner last year. I love their emphasis on telling women’s stories in their own voices, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction,” said Sherry. “I’m excited to be working with such talented authors on their upcoming books – Parnaz Foutan on her memoir Home Is a Stranger, and Emma Woolf with her soon-to-be released novel The Years After You. I’m proud to be carrying forward Amberjack’s vision.” 

The transaction was facilitated by The Fisher Company, www.thefishercompany.com.  

About Independent Publishers Group and Chicago Review Press: 
Independent Publishers Group was founded in 1971 and was the first organization specifically created for the purpose of marketing titles from independent presses to the book trade. Today, IPG’s wide reach into the book market includes distribution of both print and ebooks from a wide array of publishers, digital printing and traditional publishing. Chicago Review Press was founded in 1973 and has grown into a dynamic independent publisher with more than 1200 titles in print and 65 new titles annually under several imprints, including Lawrence Hill Books, Academy Chicago Publishers and Parenting Press. 

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