HOUSE HUNTER

By Michelle Tea

lit@sfbg.com

"All of our books have to qualify under the vision of creating a world that works for all," says Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, senior managing editor for Berrett-Koehler Publishers, the house that mixes corporate how-to titles such as Managers Not MBSs and Organizational Development with titles that aim to smash corporate dominance, such as the New York Times best seller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and Gangs of America: The Rise of Corporate Power and the Disabling of Democracy, which promises to blow a whistle on the nasty reality of corporate business practice.

"We do a lot of books on ethical practices in capitalism, which is possible," Sivasubramaniam says from his office, which is decorated with arty artifacts from around the globe. "Tough, but possible."

Berrett-Koehler embraces the tough but possible. Started in 1992 by Steve Piersanti, who was fired from a CEO position for refusing to lay off employees, the press came into existence at the behest of everyone from authors to printers who believed it important to the publishing industry that a visionary like Piersanti stick around. And right from the start it was an unusual undertaking.

"Our shareholders include people who print our books, our distributors, our authors, everyone. And we're not publicly traded, so that means it's charitable," Sivasubramaniam explains. "And we don't offer advances. We actually have a lot of big-house refugees. They felt like an advance is nice, but they weren't treated well."

Berret-Koehler's system of dealing with authors and their books is involved. Authors are "obliged" to collaborate with the press throughout the production process. "They have to be involved with everything, from the design of the cover on up," Sivasubramaniam says.

If being able to design their own cover isn't enough to help authors get over the lack of an advance, what Sivasubramaniam calls a "walk-away clause" nestled in the standard contract might do it.

"If the author is not happy with what we're doing, we have 60 to 90 days to rectify it, otherwise the author walks away with all their rights," Sivasubramaniam explains. "It's only been executed once, and the author's reason was he was a shareholder and close supporter of Berrett-Kohler and felt he couldn't be objective."

The Berrett-Kohler publishing model also includes a vast network of "reviewers" who act as a blend of focus group and editorial staff, giving forthcoming titles an early read and offering suggestions. "I have a stable of 200 people," Sivasubramaniam says. "Average Joes just working jobs, all the way to politicians and journalists, celebrities – Barbara Ehrenreich reviewed for us. It's an incredible editorial tool."

Most Berrett-Koehler authors are often referred word-of-mouth from their wide community of supporters. "It's a very viral sort of thing," Sivasubramaniam says, "but we also get thousands of proposals a year. Some of them are crazy, some of them are very good." Of course, I must inquire about the crazy. "A lot of 'aliens are controlling the world,' lizard people, that sort of stuff."

The final unique part of the Berrett-Koehler process is the "author day," a day set aside for each author to come into the office, meet the staff, and work intensely with each production team. The press invites guests to lunch, during which the author presents his or her book. "It's exhausting," Sivasubramaniam says with a laugh. "Authors love it. The whole day is devoted entirely to their book."

Recent titles put out by Berrett-Koehler include Shortchanged: Life and Debt in the Fringe Economy, which confirms that all those check-cashing businesses are truly evil; and The Fox in the Henhouse: How Privatization Threatens Democracy, a team effort from radical folk singer Si Kahn and feminist philosopher Elizabeth Minnich that tears into, among other ills, the for-profit prison industry in America. The house's spring releases include The Great Earth Turning, which plumbs the violent roots of empire; The Small-Mart Revolution, which outlines how small businesses are finally going to kick big business's ass; and All Together Now, which, in the words of B-K senior publicity manager Ken Lupoff, "looks at how the mantra of 'individualism' actually makes it harder for individuals to succeed."

The Berrett-Koehler staff have their hands full with a string of author days on the horizon, a new personal development line debuting, and a commitment to smashing the corporate state from the inside out. "As long as the book's vision is about something that's making life better for all people," Sivasubramaniam says with a smile. "That's our criteria."