Publisher Profile: Magination Press
The CBC asks Kristine Enderle, Editorial Director, questions about the publisher.
How did your publishing house start out?
We are the children’s book imprint of the American Psychological Association (APA). In the late 80s, APA bought Magination Press (and its title list of around 30 books) from Bruner-Mazel after successfully publishing a children’s book under its scholarly books imprint. In the early days, our books were strictly clinical tools and bibliotherapy resources. Today, we publish books for trade, school/library, and clinical audiences under a few SEL categories — mental health and wellness; life challenges; clinical/psychological topics; non-fiction resources on psychological sciences; and cultural and society issues relating to social justice/gender expression/climate, violence, and trauma.
What is your publishing house most known for?
The content in all of our books is derived from evidence-based research in psychological sciences and endorses the best mental health care and therapeutic practices. Readers can trust our work knowing the books are written by experts in psychology, are publications from the American Psychological Association, and are filled with accessible, helpful, appropriate, reliable, and accurate information and kids can relate to. Also, we are nearing the 20th year in print of our most “famous” and well-known book —What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.— a handy and helpful workbook that really took our press to the next level.
Where in the country is your house based? What do you love about being based there?
We are based in Washington, DC. Home to 700,000 residents, Washington, DC is best known for being the United States capital. In 1790 the US Congress established a 100-square-mile territory to serve as the permanent seat of the federal government. This arrangement persists—DC residents do not live in a “state” nor do we have representation in US Congress or are completely free to locally govern without Congressional oversight. And we pay a ton in taxes! But it’s our home and we love being here. Not everyone works for the federal government or are elected officials, politicians, or lobbyists. There are over 175 embassies and ambassador residences, 15,000 non-profit associations, 20 colleges or universities, and 1 small but mighty children’s book press! We love our diverse communities and neighborhoods, sports teams, museums, and parks. We are vocal and proud allies, activists, and advocates for a fair and just world (and statehood for DC). We love our local music —jazz, R&B, punk rock, hardcore, emo, and our uniquely local & beloved funk genre called go-go dominate the scene.
What has been the biggest change your house has made and retained since the pandemic started?
We, along with 500+ other APA employees, remain 100% remote and work from home offices.
How many full-time employees does your house have?
Our editorial team consists of five full-time employees: two senior editors, a production editor, an art director/book designer, and an editorial director. We share a publisher and a marketing/sales team with our scholarly books program.
How many books does your house aim to publish per season/year?
We aim to publish 20 plus or minus a book or two every year.
Which genres does your house prefer to publish?
We publish children’s picture books, middle-grade and teen self-care books, browsable non-fiction science books (for pre-teens), and middle-grade SEL and health and wellness workbooks.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
We are forever PRINT plus the obligatory ebooks and digital books of our front list + recent back list.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
We are prioritizing publishing our core topics (mental health and wellness, social-emotional learning), and expanding a bit into psychological science while continuing to push the boundary on social justice, multicultural, and gender expression/identity content.
Which title has your house recently rallied behind?
We all are very excited for our new middle-grade shelf help series—KID CONFIDENT, Book 1: How to Manage Your Social Power in Middle School by Bonnie Zucker, PsyD; Book 2: How to Master Your Mood in Middle School by Lenka Glassman, PsyD; Book 3: How to Handle Stress for Middle School Success by Silvi Guerra, PsyD; and Book 4: How to Navigate Middle School by Anna Pozzatti, Ph.D. and Bonnie Massimino, MEd, and all beautifully illustrated by DeAndra Hodge. This awesome series authentically captures the middle-grade experience, guiding kids through those tricky and exciting years between elementary school and high school. Kids appreciate the honest look at the uncertainty and chaos that school, sports, and friendships can bring, but also it offers guidance on how to have fun with it all and how to navigate their day with confidence, humor, and a little bit of perspective.
Which title does your house feel deserves more love than it got?
Our Pioneering Women in Psychology biography series—Evelyn Hooker and the Fairy Project by Gayle Pitman, Ph.D.; Bernice Sandler and the Fight for Title IX by Jen Barton. We have two books forthcoming in this series (Drs. Mamie Phipps Clark and Carol Gilligan) so maybe the love will catch up!
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
Kid Confident, books 1-4 (see question above!)
Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to a Calm Chill Life by Michael Tompkins, Ph.D.
What to Do When the News Scares You by Jacqueline Toner, PhDThe Big Brain Book: How it Works and All Its Quirks by Leanne Boucher Gill, Ph.D.
Which of your frontlist tiles would be great for an at-home library?
Avocado Feels a Pit Worried by Brenda Miles, Ph.D. and illustrated by Monika Filipina
Big Bold Beautiful Me by Jane Yolen and Maddison Stemple-Piatt, illustrated by Chloe Burgett
My Zoo: A Book of Feelings by David Griswold, illustrated by Eliza ReisfeldDad and Daddy’s Big Big Family by Seamus Kirst, Illustrated by Karen Bunting
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
From the way way back of the back list, I love King Calm: A Mindful Gorilla in the City by Brenda Miles; Bye-Bye Pesky Fly by Lysa Mullady; This Day in June by Gayle Pitman; Lulu the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, Grow Happy by Jon Lasser, and GIRL: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You by Karen Rayne.
Thank you, Magination Press!
