Daniela Turudich (Soberman?)

I want all of her books. But they’re all out of print and selling for ridiculous prices, even though they were printed in the last 5 years.

Here are some of her books to give you an idea:

And I can find absolutely no information on the author either. You have no idea how much this bothers me. Why aren’t they printing more copies?? I can’t even find a website for the publisher – Streamline Press of California.

eta:
Just found an article from 2002 in the LA Business Journal about the whole thing, where they say the books will be in print for many years to come.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_13_24/ai_91481116

Book mark: Daniela Soberman’s Streamline Press—publisher of books on retro style—is finding buyers at corner stores, overseas – Small Business – Brief Article – Statistical Data Included
Los Angeles Business Journal, April 1, 2002 by David Greenberg

DANIELA Soberman believed she was on track to become a movie producer when she landed a job less than a year out of college as an assistant line producer on the IMAX film “Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box.”

But Soberman’s career track changed when she was asked to use her down time assisting the costume department in researching period wardrobes–something that had fascinated her since childhood.

She became so interested in the work that she decided to start her own business. Using a $5,000 loan from her father, Soberman formed Streamline Press, which publishes paperback niche historical reference books on pop culture fashion, beauty and lifestyles.

“I’m not so fascinated with beauty (alone). What we find attractive is how it changes over time,” said Soberman, who earned her bachelor’s degree in film and video art from Cal State Long Beach in 1998. “Once they had me doing research, I realized I was really good at it. And I always wanted to produce something, so I put the/two together.”

Since forming her Long Beach company in 1999, Soberman, now only 25, has already researched, written or co-written, edited and published three books: “1940s Hairstyles,” “Vintage Face” and “Vintage Wedding.”

Defined market

With the help of an in-house researcher-author, Streamline plans to publish six titles this year including “Plucked, Shaved and Braided: Medieval and Renaissance Beauty and Grooming Practices,” and “Risque Beauty: Beauty Secrets of History’s Most Notorious Courtesans.”

Six more titles, including “Beatnik: The Essential Guide to Bohemian Style’ are planned for a spring 2003 publication.

“She’s picking some subjects that may not appeal to everybody in the whole world, but appeal intensely to a well-defined audience,” said Michael Suchomel, president of Independent Publishers Group, which distributes her titles to Book Soup in West Hollywood and Samuel French Book Shop in Hollywood, among other stores. “They are done with a certain amount of passion and that comes through in the book.”

Soberman’s readers include historians, makeup artists and hair stylists and doll collectors.

IPG discovered her works two years ago when she was plugging her first book, “Authentic 1940s Hairstyles,” at Chicago’s Book Expo America. The distributor only wanted her to switch the cover from black and white to color–a marketing move that Soberman said increases sales.

She then spent three months conducting additional research on the book, which she renamed “1940s Hairstyles” and published a year ago.

“(Her books) have been very steady sellers and I expect them to stay in print for many, many years,” said Suchomel. “She has a very good shot at building up a nice list of titles and building up a company that has significant value.”

Soberman said she earns $3 to $4 for each book sold, depending on the quantity of sales and the retail price ($12.95$-19.95). The books, which have photographs so old that the copyrights have expired, outline the types of hair products and fashion materials used during a specific time period and what can be used today to create the same look.

Working from her home, Soberman estimates her overhead at $30,000 a year, including $2,000 on advertisements in niche publications like Atomic, which tracks retro trends. “The whole idea was to work out of the house so when I have children I could be there for them,” said Soberman, whose husband, Glenn, is a defense industry physicist.

In the last three years, Soberman has amassed a collection of 400 books and hundreds of individual photographs, magazines and pamphlets from which she can draw material. A recent purchase 1940s-era scrapbook has her envisioning a line of vintage greeting cards and wrapping paper she hopes to launch by the end of the year.

In-house researcher

To keep pace, historical researcher Laurie Welch was hired a year ago as Soberman’s first in-house author to write three of the books slated for release in the next year. Soberman also is looking for freelance authors to research and write on future subjects. Those additions will allow Soberman to focus on editing and marketing.

She wants to increase her presence in specialty gift shops, small independent stores and in the European, Japanese and Australian markets. (Nearly all of her foreign sales are off her Web site).

“She’s very enthusiastic about this business and what she’s doing’ said Welch. “I think she’s definitely found a niche. These books are not academic treatments. They are for the regular Joe and Jane on the street. They are easy to understand. (Readers) get a little bit of fun history and culture from those time periods.”

RELATED ARTICLE: PROFILE

Streamline Press

Year Founded: 1999

Core Business: Historical reference, beauty, fashion and lifestyle books

Revenues in 2001: $169,000

Revenues in 2002: $253,000 (projected)

Employees in 2001: 2

Employees in 2002: 4 (projected)

Goal: To enhance presence in independent bookstores and specialty shops domestically and to penetrate foreign markets.

Driving Force: Desire of hairstylists, makeup artists, doll collectors and others to know why and how pop culture fashion trends evolved.

COPYRIGHT 2002 CBJ, L.P.
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group