Hillcrest Media Group was launched in September 2006. Over the years, Hillcrest Media Group has grown into a multifaceted publishing company capable of providing high-quality services to authors and publishers at any stage of the publishing process.

Hillcrest Media Group developed Bascom Hill Publishing as an imprint that could handle the strongest Hillcrest Media Group titles. Bascom Hill has a reputation for putting out expertly crafted books. This is because Hillcrest Media Group ensures that all Bascom Hill titles undergo extensive review, receive developmental editing, expert design, the highest quality printing and targeted marketing. The result is an imprint full of talented, up-and-coming as well as already established authors.

Hillcrest Media Group has been an innovator in the publishing space since we started in 2006. Our philosophy has always been "a good book, is a good book." It doesn't matter to Hillcrest Media Group, whether it's traditionally published through our Bascom Hill imprint or self-published through our Mill City Press division. In fact, there are some Mill City Press titles that end up in our Bascom Hill imprint. Since at Hillcrest Media Group, we live by our motto that a "a good book is a good book," thus it shouldn't matter whether we took on the costs to publish it or whether an author with an exceptional book paid the up front costs to publish.

For the books Hillcrest Media Group traditionally publishes through Bascom Hill we typically seek out authors with already existing platforms and who have a strong enough following to garner solid books sales. For example, in 2010, Hillcrest Media Group (through Bascom Hill) signed nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Jason Lewis to a publishing contract for his book, Power Divided is Power Checked. Mr. Lewis has a listener base of more than a 1,000,000 and given that his show is of a political nature, we released the book in October 2010 a month before the mid-term election, and needless to say, the book did well.

Another example of a book traditionally published by Hillcrest Media Group (through Bascom Hill) was The Season Never Ends, a story of life lessons through basketball, by Don Shelby. Mr. Shelby was the main news anchor at WCCO (CBS station in Minneapolis) for nearly 30 years. Mr. Shelby won three National Emmys and two George Foster Peabody awards (the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize).

In this Bascom Hill imprint, Hillcrest Media Group, has also placed some of the top self-published books submitted to the self-publishing division of our company. One such example is The Walls of Jericho, by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning television journalist, Jack Ford, recognized as one of the top legal journalists in the country.

You don't have to be an award-winning broadcaster to make it into Hillcrest Media Group's Bascom Hill imprint. Another recent book we published (that came through our self-publishing division) is Facing the Finish: Road Map for Aging Parents and Adult Children, by Sheri Samotin.

Hillcrest Media Group is one of the first publishing companies to actually group traditionally published and self-published books into the same imprint. Hillcrest Media Group is first publishing company to ever do this. We are proud to be a leader here.

At Hillcrest Media Group, we foster a company culture that places special emphasis on creativity, innovation and new ideas, like having an imprint that combines our traditionally published and self-published books into the same imprint. Since February 2011, all books that get into Bascom Hill (whether traditionally published or self-published) are determined by our Acquisitions Editor, Kate Ankofski. Kate came to Hillcrest Media from Simon & Schuster, where she served in a similar capacity. When we consider manuscripts for traditional acquisition, our senior staff present them to Kate for her editorial analysis. Then we discuss with our marketing team to determine how a particular book may fit into Bascom Hill. For titles that come through our self-publishing division (and that are up for Bascom Hill consideration), Kate reads each book in its entirety then writes an assessment of manuscript. The manuscript includes an overall review of the book's potential market and audience as well as editorial issues and suggestions. If the author agrees with Kate's assessment, meets the editorial standards needed to be in the Bascom Hill imprint and has an existing or building platform to support the commitment to book marketing needed, Bascom Hill may become an option for the self-publishing author.

To learn more about Hillcrest Media Group, visit their website at www.hillcrestmedia.com.