Molly Merkle

About Molly Merkle

AdventureKEEN is a family of publishing brands that includes Adventure Publications, Menasha Ridge Press, Wilderness Press, Clerisy Press, Nature Study Guild, Shelter Publications, and The Unofficial Guides. We publish a fantastic and expansive list of adult and children’s books for nature-lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and travelers, including the best-selling birding guides in the country. We are among the top publishers of outdoor-activity guides for hiking, backpacking, camping, paddling, biking, and more. AdventureKEEN also enthusiastically supports regional and independent organizations, authors, local retailers, and entrepreneurial initiatives. We have an active roster of more than 500 authors and nearly titles in print. Adventure Publications has been producing birding and other nature/ID guides, children\'s books, cookbooks, and other subjects since 1988. Menasha Ridge has been publishing outdoor books and maps since 1982; Wilderness Press since 1967. Clerisy Press is a relatively new entity that publishes in the areas of sports, business, Midwest regional, and niche travel. Shelter Publications dates back to the 1970s. We have produced The Unofficial Guide travel series since its inception in 1984. Our organization has more than 40 employees and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Covington, Kentucky, and Cambridge, Minnesota. Two-thirds of the team has 10+ years with the company.

Experience

1. Publisher & COO

   Adventurekeen Publishing

   Jan 2010 — Present · Birmingham, AL

   30+ years experience in independent publishing across all functional areas: editorial, production, sales, marketing, accounting• Currently manage overall operations for 6 book publishing imprints - Adventure Publications, Menasha Ridge Press, Wilderness Press, Clerisy Press, Nature Study Guild, and The Unofficial Guides• Manage leadership team responsible for key functional departments • Manage team of 16 editorial and production/graphic specialists• Oversee execution of digital products strategy; collaborate on development of company\'s activities in this area• Collaborate on key partnerships in our role as service provider of book publishing and ebook/electronic content services to corporations, nonprofit organizations and individuals

Education

• Vanderbilt University - Owen Graduate School of Management

  MBA

  1990 — 1992

• Birmingham-Southern College

  BS

  1986 — 1990

Skills

• Content Management
• Content Development
• Entrepreneurship
• Publications
• Blogging
• Publicity
• Management
• Ebooks
• Books
• Strategy
• Editorial
• Publishing
• Marketing
• Editing