As as small book publisher, I’ve watched the transition in book production from pasteup to pdfs, book sales from independent stores to Amazon, and the trends in how people, particularly those under 40, get information these days.  It’s not often the printed book.

So the sales of the last few books we’ve published have languished -- not because the books were not well-done and packed with good information -- but because much of the information was available online.  So, our traveling lifestyle for the last few months has given me pause to think through where Vitesse Press is going as a business.  First of all, we are going to publish our first “memoir” style book this spring and focus on author promotion and sales.  Secondly, we are going to continue to convert our backlist to eBook format through Amazon and MindsetSports and use those venues as a conduit for many future sales.  And we’ll focus on guidebooks or local/regional guides that do not face as much online competition.

Of course, Mary and I in our travels have joined the electronic book wave.  She has a Kindle and has bought a number of new fiction releases from Amazon.  I use my iPhone as a Kindle and being thrifty (cheap?), have downloaded a number of free classics that I read before -- such books as White Fang, Last of the Mohicans, The Last Trail (Zane Grey), and Treasure Island.  Presently I’m scrolling through Twain’s Life on the Mississippi.

It’s not easy to find books while traveling as we do.  Hardly any towns have independent bookstores and if they do, where do you park a travel trailer?  You can’t order online and have book shipped because you never have a mailing address other than general delivery.

I’ve bought two real books this trip.  One is a history of Big Bend which I should have passed on -- it was pretty dry and hadn’t been updated in decades.  But the other, a “Where to Find Birds in the Rio Grande Valley” title, has been invaluable.  I’ve gone to it many times, underlined, notated - done all the things you can do to a good reference book.  Try that with an eBook!  So I’m convinced that there is, and will be, a place for books like this that contain information that is current, helpful, and not available elsewhere.

Got such a book in your computer?  We might be interested.

From the latest MindsetTriathlon Newsletter

Back in the 1980’s, Dick Mansfield was a runner who fell in love with cross country ski racing and then wrote and self-published two books about it.  “I did a lot of things wrong,” he said.  “The first book was too long to fit on to a bookshelf and the second had a cover painting that was pretty amateurish.  However, we got some good reviews and strong sales, and started looking for book projects by local authors.”

Mansfield was on a local cable channel running show about how to train for skiing along with a fellow runner/skier, Joan Marie Butler.  Afterwards, walking to their cars on a snowy Syracuse evening, they talked about Joan’s idea for a book.  An experienced nurse-midwife, a! mother, and a multi-sport  athlete, Butler wanted to share her ideas of how to stay fit while pregnant. The resulting book, Fit & Pregnant -- The Pregnant Woman's Guide To Exercise, which was republished recently, has sold over 10,000 copies and is now available as an ebook.

“I publish books on sports and activities I’m interested in – skiing, canoe racing, mountain biking, cycling,” Mansfield notes. “It’s fun to work with first time authors and to share information with other athletes.”

Mansfield bought Vitesse Press and merged it with Acorn Publishing, his first business. He rejuvenated many of Vitesse’s cycling titles and began publishing new books under the Vitesse imprint.  Several of the Vitesse Press long-time favorites: Bicycle Road Racing, Road Racing – Technique & Training, and Tales from the Bike Shop, are out of print but will soon be available as ebooks.

“As I  get older,” the publisher says, “the book cartons seem to get heavier.  I love selling ebooks – it’s good for my back and our bottom line.  I’m excited about working with MindsetSports.

Vitesse Press’s next book is a new venture for them – the personal reflections of a runner who is a high school coach and a parent.  It’s Not About Winning will be available in May.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Montpelier, Vermont   The era of digital delivery is here and Vitesse Press is at the forefront. You can now easily download our books 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at MindsetSports.com.

We are happy to announce that we’ve teamed up with MindsetSports and can now offer you, our customers, our products as secure eBooks on this exciting, new site. Look inside our books, using MindsetSport's  easy-to-use preview option, by visiting MindsetSports.com now!

MindsetSports.com is the biggest retailer of downloadable eBook, audio, and video titles focused on running, biking, swimming, training and nutrition. eBooks and digital material have zero impact on old growth forests and use very little energy to produce and distribute, so by choosing an eBook, you're choosing to protect the environment in which you spend so much of your time.

The books we have available for download right now are: Canoe Racing, Cycling Along The Canals of New York State, and Bicycle Road Racing.

Canoe Racing has been a staple of nearly every canoe racer for the last 12 years.   It is now revised with updated photos and advice.  You can now buy it as a pdf download for $9.95.

This book is packed with advice on technique, equipment, and racing tactics, Canoe Racing is the "bible" of marathon and downriver canoe racing. Both newcomers and experts will enjoy this thorough guide. Illustrated with action shots from across North America, it is designed for runners, cyclists, and skiers looking for a new sport; for recreational canoeists who may want to try a new sport; and for canoe racers who want to learn more about the subtleties of racing.

 Review
"You'll enjoy the clear, enthusiastic writing and expert advice. This is an inexhaustible classic." -- Canoe News

Go to the pdf download page

One of the key balancing acts pregnant women face is how to stay active and fit, before and after the baby.  Fit & Pregnant -- The Pregnant Woman's Guide To Exercise, has helped thousands of women do just that.  This book will help you understand the tremendous changes your body is experiencing and how you can continue to safely exercise before, during, and after your pregnancy. Through professional advice based on years of experience,  nurse-midwife Joan Butler lays out a common-sense road map for expectant moms.  Dozens of mothers share their “here’s what worked for me” stories throughout the new edition of our most popular book.

• physical activity may affect your ability to get pregnant,

• your body changes over the next nine months,

• your baby is affected by the exercise you do,

• exercise needs to be modified during pregnancy,

• other mothers stayed fit during their pregnancies.

Have you got - or are you getting - a Kindle?  We have some of our titles available as eBooks through Amazon.com.  There's a money-back guarantee so take a look.  We'll be putting some of our vintage cycling titles up soon.

Save 30% off suggested retail price.

  Fit & Pregnant - Kindle ebook

Fit Family - Kindle ebook

Cycling Along the Canals of New York State - Kindle ebook

Canoe Racing - Kindle ebook