Bess Press
Hawaii-based publisher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bess Press is an American publisher, based in Hawaii, that issues various books on Hawaiian and Pacific history and culture.[1] It was founded in 1979[2] by Benjamin "Buddy" Bess and his wife Ann Rayson[3] who came to Hawaii in 1976 from New York.
| Founded | 1979 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Benjamin Bess |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Honolulu |
| Publication types | Books |
| Official website | www |
History
The company was created after the 1978 Constitutional Convention which mandated all schools to teach the history of Hawaii, creating an instant nationwide demand for history books.[3]
Bess bought the rights to two out-of-print textbooks on Hawaiian language, Hawaii: The Aloha State and Hawaii: Our Island State that local schools asked about when he was a sales representative for mainland publishers. He reprinted both volumes for $15,000, and pre-sold the copies, thus making a profit.
The publishing house has been an Amazon first-party vendor since the 1990s.[4] In the late 2000s, Bess Press lost 20% of its distribution network when Borders went under.[4]
Bess Press has 5 publishing divisions and a store in Kaimuki.[3] In 2011, it acquired the local publishing company Editions Limited.[5] David DeLuca was named director of publishing in 2012.[4]
