Keith Riegert, CEO of Ulysses Press and Perfect Bound, and Holly Schmidt and Bruce Lubin, co-founders of Spot Gloss Media, have together launched a new publishing company, Bluestone Books. The new house will specialize in popular culture, practical nonfiction, and concept-driven children's titles. Its inaugural list of nine books will be published in Summer 2025, and it plans to publish 25-30 titles annually. The first list includes Chicka Chicka Dorm Room, a parody of the bestselling board book tailored to college-bound students; You Can't Take It with You, a guide to decluttering before you die; and The Creative Game Master's Trivia & Activity Book, for fans of Dungeons & Dragons.
Spot Gloss Media's writers, editors, and art directors will oversee all creative development for Bluestone Books, while Riegert brings the distribution relationship with Simon & Schuster, publicity and marketing expertise, and the title management and printing marketplace capabilities of Perfect Bound.
Riegert said, "Over the past two decades, Ulysses Press and Spot Gloss Media have collaborated on dozens of fantastic titles, and Bluestone is the natural next step in this incredibly creative partnership."
Lubin said, "When Keith approached us with the idea to join forces on a new business, I was excited by the opportunity to operate as an entrepreneurial independent publisher, but with the distribution might of S&S."
Schmidt added: "Keith brings a lot to the table in terms of technological acumen and data analytics skills, and the three of us share a vision for bringing books to a broad readership through creative concepts and packaging."