"Exclusively Yours"

by Jim Milliot
"AMS and warehouse clubs are important outlets for proprietary products, as are national chains like Home Depot and Williams-Sonoma. Health Communications Inc. is finding a niche in the college market for specialized editions from its bestselling Chicken Soup franchise. The University of Michigan is set to publish Chicken Soup for the University of Michigan Soul as part of a fundraising effort. The Michigan alumni association is collecting "inspiring stories that parallel what Chicken Soup is all about" from UM alumni, students and faculty, says Terry Burke, v-p of proprietary publishing. HCI will publish the title on an exclusive basis for the university for several months before making it available regionally in stores. "
Publishers Weekly, 6/20/2005

"Wait Till Next Year"

by Ginger Curwen
.."This publisher, best known for its Chicken Soup franchise, has manufactured its own books for years in a 120,000-square-foot production facility in Deerfield Beach, Fla., where the company is headquartered. In recent years, it generated $1.2 million by printing and binding books for others; this year, it has boosted outside printing revenues to $3 million. "We have more than doubled our sales from last year, and we're ready to double again," says Mike Briggs, production manager for HCI Printing. "We have a lot of capacity." The company has just spent $2.5 million in new pre-press and press equipment to meet the demands of extra business, which is coming mainly from small to medium-size publishers in the Southeast as well as commercial work. Typically, says Briggs, "People come for softcovers in a hurry."..
Publishers Weekly, 10/11/2004