Author Spotlight:
Island Naturalist by Kathie Fiveash
Here is the first Author Spotlight, featuring a book we printed called Island Naturalist! We are excited to debut this series of articles with this book. Below features an interview with the editor and project manager of Penobscot Books, a Division of Penobscot Bay Press, Caroline Spear. She helped Kathie Fiveash publish her book.

PUBLISHED – JANUARY 21, 2022

Image of a wood table with assorted table items, predominantly featuring a book My Book Printer printed called “Island Naturalist”. My Book Printer is featuring this book for January’s Author Spotlight.

Featured book: Island Naturalist by Kathie Fiveash

What is Island Naturalist about?

Penobscot Bay Press publishes three weekly newspapers in addition to the books in its book division, Penobscot Books. Island Naturalist began as a column in one of the newspapers, written by Kathie Fiveash, who summers on Isle au Haut, an island off the coast of Stonington, Maine. Her column was well read and received, and when she pitched the idea to do a book of them in 2014, we said, “Heck, yes!!”

What part of the process did you find the most enjoyable with this book?

We knew that, at the very least, the book would sell well locally. What we did not realize was how well it would sell across the country—but this part of the Maine coast is well-known nationwide and the word got out about the book.

Kathie is a delight to work with and has great enthusiasm for the natural world and sharing information about it. She gathered some wonderful photos to include in the book. I had a hand in editing the content and to this day have my favorite sections, like “Lightning Bugs” and “Puffins.”

In 2015, Island Naturalist won the “John N. Cole Award for Maine-Themed Nonfiction” in the Maine Literary Awards, our first book to win an award.
We’re working with Kathie again on Human/Nature, a book of her poetry to be published in 2022.”

How did My Book Printer help your vision become a reality?

To be truthful, I have tried to find a printer in Maine who has the right prices, superior customer service and is as wonderful to work with as all the staff at My Book Printer. You know what? It can’t be done, even though we espouse “shop locally” in our company. We started with 360 Digital Books in 2010 and have never looked back. Thank you to Kim, Ellen and all the crew; you guys are great! I am still getting used to the new My Book Printer online platform for quotes and ordering. I have my ups and downs with it, but Kim is always ready and willing to help out.