Jan Nathan: In Memoriam

by

Lauren Roberts

On Wednesday morning, July 4, I opened my email to see an e-newsletter from a writer’s organization to which I belong only to be shocked to learn that someone I admired very much, someone who had spent the last year of her life battling her biggest fight, breast cancer, had lost. Jan Nathan, founder and longtime president of Publishers Marketing Association, died on June 17. 

I didn’t meet Jan—and then only briefly on two different occasions—until a couple of years after I began working as a design judge for PMA’s annual Benjamin Franklin Awards. These awards are announced on the eve of BookExpo America, and the winners and finalists are showcased at BEA as well as other trade shows throughout the year.

I came to be a judge because someone I know no longer wanted to do it and recommended me. Judging the BFs has been both a joy and a bane, though the former far outweighs the latter. Twice a year, in early October and mid-January, PMA sends out the entries in their categories (currently numbering 52) to all their judges. Some judges focus on editorial, others on design; I am a design judge. Almost always I get either the Arts or Coffee Table/Large Format categories (though one year I received Cookbooks), and I love it. It’s amazing and thrilling to see a number of university presses, museum presses and independent small publishers put out books of extremely high quality—which is what makes the volunteering of my limited time worthwhile.

The funniest incident I remember from several years ago was a beautifully designed book whose title inferred that it was about space. Being a fanatical fan of astronomy books, I whipped it open to find, um, well, let’s just say whipping is a not inappropriate word here. It was certainly not pornography nor were there graphic images, but the people pictured were enjoying, well, their interest. I promptly wrote to Jan about it, asking if any other judge had commented on this unusual entry. She told me no one had, but graciously offered to withdraw it from my list if I was uncomfortable. In thinking it over, I decided not. I gave the book its deserved high rating, but I must confess that it did not make it into the box of books I later donated to my library. (Nor does it reside in mine.)

Probably my favorite part is being able to keep the books I like. Several gorgeous and treasured volumes have entered my library that way: The Romance of Baking, PhotoArtistic Views, Vincent Van Gogh: a Self-Portrait in Art and Letters, Margrethe Mather & Edward Weston: A Passionate Collaboration, In Plain View: Seattle, Italian and Spanish Sculpture and more. These are books I might or might not have come across, and publishers whose names I may or may not have otherwise known. It's a gift to me to discover these, and I work hard to ensure that my comments to them are gifts they can use.

Over the years, I have gotten several people I believed qualified involved in the judging. They have judged biography/memoir, children’s and children’s covers, and are still loving their experiences as am I. That to me speaks highly of what Jan accomplished. In the IWOSC e-newsletter I mentioned above, they offered this tribute:

It is impossible to write about Jan Nathan without becoming a little emotional. She was often praised by colleagues for her enthusiasm, warmth, patience, and business sense. She was the caretaker for the health of independent book publishing. She made it possible for small to mid-size publishers to compete in the overall market, leveling the playing field for small literary presses in an industry dominated by large New York-based publishing houses. Without her innovative leadership, many independent publishers would no longer be in business.

As busy as she was, Jan always made time for everyone. She never said no. Her spirit, her infectious laugh, and most of all her good and kind heart were felt by all. Jan was one of a kind.

She acted as a voice and an effective advocate for the independent book publishing community, encouraging and implementing networking opportunities, providing a wide range of creative information and business ideas, cooperative marketing and product advice, and, above all, support.  Before the Internet age, having Jan and PMA carry one’s books to Frankfurt and other trade shows was the only way for small publishers to reach the global marketplace. PMA’s cooperative Publishers Weekly ads allowed small publishers the opportunity to participate in an otherwise cost-prohibitive program.  PMA’s Independent was and is one of the most informative resources for small publishers. Los Angeles author and attorney Jonathan Kirsch, legal counsel for PMA, called her “among the most crucial and decisive figures in the media revolution that turned independent publishing into the thriving industry that it is today.”