Orange Frazer Press
Encyclopedia
Orange Frazer Press is an independent publisher headquartered in Wilmington, Ohio
. Founded in 1987, the press is named after Orange Frazer, an Ohio
man who ran a grocery store in Wilmington with his brother John. Frazer also traveled the world, clerked for the Ohio Supreme Court, and collected enough books to create the county's largest library. The company's motto is "Your Story, Beautifully Told."
s, and eventually it went through four printings.
Subsequent works included Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves, a 1995 book about Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes
, as well as biographies of Ohio sports figures Johnny Bench
, Chad Johnson
, and Joe Nuxhall
. The Hayes book sold over 25,000 copies, while each of the subsequent biographies sold 20,000 or more.
Today, Orange Frazer Press is Ohio's largest independent book publisher. The company specializes in two niches: regional nonfiction and custom publishing.
Recently Orange Frazer developed four study guides for the Ohio Graduation Tests, tests that every high school student in Ohio must take to graduate. The books were only sold in schools, rather than traditional bookstores, and were written with input from the teachers around the state with backgrounds in math, science, social studies and reading. The project has helped Orange Frazer produce $1.3 million in sales for each of the last two years.
, ,
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
. Founded in 1987, the press is named after Orange Frazer, an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
man who ran a grocery store in Wilmington with his brother John. Frazer also traveled the world, clerked for the Ohio Supreme Court, and collected enough books to create the county's largest library. The company's motto is "Your Story, Beautifully Told."
Press History
John Baskin and Marcy Hawley both worked at Ohio Magazine in the 1980s, where they accumulated a wealth of minutiae about the Buckeye State. They founded Orange Frazer in order to use the 48 file drawers' worth of information they had, and eventually did so with Ohio Matters of Fact, the company's first published work. The pair sold the books on their own to independent bookstoreIndependent bookstore
An independent bookstore is a retail bookstore which is independently owned.-Literary and countercultural history:Author events at independent bookstores sometimes take the role of literary salons. The bookstores themselves, "have historically supported and cultivated the work of independent...
s, and eventually it went through four printings.
Subsequent works included Woody's Boys: 20 Famous Buckeyes Talk Amongst Themselves, a 1995 book about Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes
Woody Hayes
Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University , Miami University , and Ohio State University , compiling a career college football record of 238–72–10.During his 28 seasons as the head coach of the Ohio...
, as well as biographies of Ohio sports figures Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
, Chad Johnson
Chad Johnson
Chad Javon Ochocinco is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft....
, and Joe Nuxhall
Joe Nuxhall
Joseph Henry Nuxhall was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds. Immediately after retiring as a player, he became a radio broadcaster for the Reds from 1967 through 2004, and continued part-time up until his death in 2007...
. The Hayes book sold over 25,000 copies, while each of the subsequent biographies sold 20,000 or more.
Today, Orange Frazer Press is Ohio's largest independent book publisher. The company specializes in two niches: regional nonfiction and custom publishing.
Publication Statistics
Orange Frazer's subjects generally focus on Ohio, though they have also published works outside of this local scope. First printings range in size from 250 up to 30,000 copies, with commercial projects averaging 3,000 to 5,000. In 2010, ten of the company's 13 releases were custom publications, meaning that the books were privately commissioned and then produced with assistance from Orange Frazer in marketing methods, content production, distribution, etc. Thusfar, the company has created over 100 books in this way. In total, the company has published over 300 commercial and custom titles.Recently Orange Frazer developed four study guides for the Ohio Graduation Tests, tests that every high school student in Ohio must take to graduate. The books were only sold in schools, rather than traditional bookstores, and were written with input from the teachers around the state with backgrounds in math, science, social studies and reading. The project has helped Orange Frazer produce $1.3 million in sales for each of the last two years.
Highlights of Published Work
- Chad: I Can't Be Stopped by Paul Daugherty
- Before Oprah: Ruth Lyons, The Woman Who Created Talk TV, by Michael Banks
- Rags to Riches: The Story of CINTAS by Richard T. Farmer with William Holstein
- Busted: The Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter, by Art Schlichter
- Earle: A Coach's Life, by Earle Bruce
- Joe: Rounding Third and Heading For Home by Greg HoardGreg HoardGreg Hoard is a former newspaper journalist and television sports broadcaster and the author of the Joe Nuxhall biography, JOE: Rounding Third And Heading For Home ....
External links
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