Don Gerrard, Jak Koke, and Bridget McKenna have over eighty years' combined experience in the publishing industry. Together they have worked in every phase of the business: conception, writing, development, design, production, marketing and sales. Our credits include many backstock bestsellers, two million-copy bestsellers and one National Book Award winner.
Don Gerrard has been an editor and publisher since 1970 with about 50 books published. He has agented books from time to time since 1971, and has written two non-fiction books.
Jak Koke has written and sold six thriller novels across various genres, along with editing and critiquing hundreds of novel and short fiction manuscripts. He is currently an acquiring editor and lead marketer for a small publishing company. Jak's Experience.
Bridget McKenna is the author of six published mystery thrillers and over a dozen short stories. She has been a fiction editor in the speculative fiction genre for over a decade. Bridget's Credentials.
Don Gerrard’s Career in the Book Business:
1960-1964 first retail bookstore experience — University Co-op at University of Texas, Austin
1964-1965 six months of retailing at Books, Inc., Union Square, San Francisco
1965-1968 paperback book manager for a Bay Area wholesaler, L-S Distributors, San Francisco
1968-1971 founder and general partner of book wholesaler BookPeople, Berkeley
1969-1975 agent and production supervisor for the Whole Earth Catalog series
1972 The Last Whole Earth Catalog wins a National Book Award
1970-present founder and owner of The Bookworks, a publishing company
1971-present The Bookworks and Random House co-publish more than 40 books together, which sell over two million copies, including the award-winning The Massage Book and The Well Body Book
Jak Koke’s Experience:
Editorial:
Novels:
1996 Dead Air published by Penguin Roc. Hits #4 on the Locus list.
1997 Stranger Souls (Book One of the Dragon Heart Saga) published by Penguin Roc. Hits #1 for 12 weeks.
1997 Clockwork Asylum (Book Two of the Dragon Heart Saga) published by Penguin Roc. Hits #2.
1998 Beyond the Pale (Book Three of the Dragon Heart Saga) published by Penguin Roc. Hits #1.
1999 The Terminus Experiment (with Jonathan Bond) published by Penguin Roc. Hits #1.
2001 Creation’s Daughter represented by Paul Kohner and Jeanne Fredricks Agencies.
2003 Liferock published by Per Aspera Press.
Short Fiction:
1990 “Fear of Water” published in The Honors College Literary Journal.
1992 “Deadwise” published in Amazing Stories.
1993 “Target Practice” published in After Hours.
1993 “Comes Pain” published in Aberations.
1993-94 assistant editor for Pulphouse: A Fiction Magazine.
1994 “Pieces of Prison” published in anthology Young Blood.
1994 “Tunnel Rats” published in Rat Tales.
1994 “Coiled in Dark Amber” published in Talisman.
1996 “Morphosis” and “The Santa Trap” published in Buried Treasures.
1997 “Cadillac Truth” published in Talebones.
2001 “Lies For Dessert” published in After Shocks.
Bridget McKenna’s Experience:
Editorial:
Novels:
1993: Murder Beach published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group)
1994: Dead Ahead published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group)
1995: Caught Dead published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group) - finalist for 1995 Shamus Award
1997: Old Dogs (as Melissa Cleary) published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group)
1998: And Your Little Dog, Too (as Melissa Cleary) published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group)
1999: In the Dog House (as Melissa Cleary) published by Berkley Prime Crime (Putnam Publishing Group)
Short Fiction:
“The Old Organ Trail” published in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future v2, ed. Algis Budrys, Bridge 1986
“All the Pretty Little Horses” published in Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine Issue 4, Pulphouse 1989
“Evenings, Mornings, Afternoons” published in Asimov's Science Fiction, Dec 1990 (reprinted in Timegates, ed. Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois, Ace 1997)
“The Defiling” published in Amazing Stories, Jan 1991
“Hole-in-the-Wall” published in Asimov's Science Fiction, May 1991
“The Bard Effect” published in Amazing Stories, Nov 1991
“A Little Night Music” published in Amazing Stories, Jul 1992
“The Good Pup” published in Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar 1993 - finalist for Hugo and Nebula Awards
“The Little Things” published in Fantasy & Science Fiction, Oct/Nov 1993
“Probability Factor” published in Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine Issue 12, Pulphouse 1993
“The Ratman” published in Rat Tales, Pulphouse Publishing, 1994
“Kidnapped by Aliens!” (with Marti McKenna) published in Tomorrow Speculative Fiction, Jun 1995
