Bitingduck Press Names Company After Ducks

When Altadena, CA residents Jay Nadeau and Chris Lindensmith, both physicists, started a book publishing company, they decided to name it in honor of their pet ducks. Bitingduck Press started accepting submissions in March 2012, and after one year, the company represents a full catalog of fiction and non-fiction and over seventy authors. Thrilled with the success of their new company, Chris and Jay want to give back to the animals who inspired them.

Their eighth-acre back yard is home to four ducks, 3 of them from the Pasadena Humane Society. Their Pekin pair was abandoned at a pond when passersby noticed the ducks were afraid to enter the water. Raised around humans, the birds didn't even realize they could swim. Being caretaker to their pets has made the Bitingduck editors realize how vulnerable domestic waterfowl are. They cannot fly, require a balanced diet, and are prone to attack by a large number of predators, including raccoons and birds of prey. In spring, many people give or receive chicks and ducklings as pets. As the birds grow, they become difficult to take care of, and are often abandoned in parks or let loose on the street.

April and May is prime duck rescue season. Chris and Jay's small yard is full, so they are focusing their efforts on local rescue organizations that can make a difference. This spring, ten percent of all sales their sales will go to The Lucky Duck Rescue & Sanctuary in Sun Valley. The Lucky Duck is home to over 100 birds, and has been featured on Fox News and NBC for their Easter-season efforts.

Dubbing itself The World's Greenest Press, Bitingduck's editors and authors are an eclectic mix of nerds, animal lovers, and environmentalists. Several of the press's upcoming titles deal, directly or indirectly, with the environment and animal rights. Hymns of Home (Bill Bunn), available now, is a collection of essays on simple living and the environment. Billy Tabbs (& The Glorious Darrow) (Michael Michaud) is an upcoming young adult title that explores the fate of all of society's abandoned and neglected.

The Bitingduck editors will be seen at the LA Times Festival of Books (April 20-21) and the Pasadena LitFest (May 11). As a primarily electronic publisher, they are able to carry all of their materials to the festivals by bicycleanother great advantage to not using paper. Many of their titles are also available in print, though, and they will sell paperbacks at both venues.

Bitingduck is currently accepting submissions from authors in all genres, especially young adult. The press also offers copyediting, book formatting for electronic and print, and a patent-pending system called Web Bytez for selling electronic books through any merchant. Their contact details may be found on their website.

To post a comment, you must register and login.