Geoff Stunkard's

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Basic Info

Rail Mail: A Century of American Railroading on Picture Postcards

Author: Geoff Stunkard

ISBN 0-9748216-8-0

Scheduled Release Date: 03/01/04

Retail price: 17.95

Availability: Mail Direct, Bookstores, Specialty Sellers

Measurements/Specifications: 8.5 x 11 horizontal format, perfect bound, 128 pages coated stock, 8 pages four-color, color wraps, 200+ illustrations, bibliography, resource list, value guide.

Who Has Already Stocked Rail Mail in quantity?

Places such as….

  • Ron’s Books, Harrison, NY

  • Karen’s Books, San Marcos, CA

  • Transportation Books Service, Hudson WI

  • Centennial Publications, Ft. Collins, CO (wholesale only)

  • The Overmountain Press, Johnson City, TN

RAIL MAIL press release library

Release 1 – for immediate use

Quarter Milestones Publishing * P.O. Box 441 * Milligan College, TN 37682-0441

(423) 542-0159 * (423) 542-9532 FAX * www.quartermilestones.com * qmpeditor@quartermilestones.com

Many Rare Postcards Highlight "Rail Mail" As Quarter Milestones Publishing Announces First Book Offering

Dec 15, 2003 – Quarter Milestones Publishing has announced that its first book offering, "Rail Mail" by author Geoff Stunkard, will go to press early next year, with a scheduled release date of March 1, 2004. In a related announcement, noted publishing firm The Overmountain Press of Johnson City, Tenn. will be the primary wholesale distributor for the new book.

Rail Mail covers a broad overview of a century of American railroading as depicted on picture postcards, beginning from the early days of the 20th century and focusing heavily on the era between 1910-1950, the zenith of both railroading and postcard use. The book includes such varied subjects as colorful streamliners, small-town rural depots, narrow gauge lines around the nation, trolley and interurban lines, rail disasters and accidents, and much more, making use of the author's extensive collection of postcards through over 200 illustrations in 15 chapters.

"The era that created America's railroad systems is over," says Stunkard, who has spent a decade amassing the materials used in the project. "but today vintage postcards offer a wonderful insight into that time. My hope is this book will give both railroad and postcard enthusiasts the opportunity to learn more about the beautiful historical documentation that came via this popular medium. Postcards are a terrific resource."

The book offers a refreshing combination of railroad historical data, railroad and postal nomenclature, and information on postcards as collector's items, with categories broken down by subject or age. Many chapters contain a sidebar as well, including information on New York City's dueling stations (Grand Central and Pennsylvania Station), the Maine and Colorado narrow-gauge lines, corporate photography on postcards, and the once-immense Great Lakes ore transfer business. Many rare real-photo postcards are shown throughout the book as well. For collectors, Stunkard has also included tips on grading and selling railroad postcards, a basic values chart, a glossary, and a list of resources.

With 128 pages, including eight pages in full color of the best-remembered streamlined trains of the 1930s and 1940s, Rail Mail: A Century of American Railroading on Picture Postcards will have an initial press run of 2500 examples in trade paperback form. The retail price is 17.95 per copy plus 4.00 s/h from the author; wholesale and bookstore inquiries can be made to The Overmountain Press at (800) 992-2691 or to Stunkard directly at (423) 542-0159.

MEDIA NOTES: The author is available for phone interviews and select promotional engagements; media review copies available upon request following publication; limited full and partial galley copies will be available to the media on January 20.

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Release 2

The Overmountain Press To Distribute QMP's RAIL MAIL To National Booksellers

Dec. 15, 2003 The Overmountain Press, a well-respected publishing firm established in Johnson City, Tennessee, had agreed to be the primary wholesale distributor for Quarter Milestones Publishing's inaugural work, Rail Mail, by author Geoff Stunkard. This will allow Quarter Milestones Publishing (QMP) to get the soon-to-be-released volume into the hands of readers much sooner. Moreover, the agreement dovetails with some of the other railroad titles that The Overmountain Press presently offers.

"This is a perfect scenario, as far as I'm concerned," states author and QMP owner Geoff Stunkard. "Here is a company that has a proven track record with the subject matter, capable of handling some of the larger opportunities our book line will present. We are looking forward to getting Rail Mail out into stores, and working with The Overmountain Press is a great opportunity for us."

Stunkard, a photojournalist who has edited and published several magazines in the past, decided to go out on his own to do Rail Mail, a book he has spent almost ten years collecting materials for. The 128-page volume is a concise history of American railroads on picture postcards, focusing on many of the subjects that have become prime collectors items today. These include streamliners, accidents, depots, railroad fairs, and much more. It features eight pages printed in full color. Stunkard has also provided a value guide to the cards used in the book, a bibliography, and a list of resources helpful to collectors and individuals interested in postcards and history. It is slated for release in March of 2004 with a retail cost of 17.95. Parties interested in larger or bulk quantities are encouraged to contact The Overmountain Press at (800) 992-2691 for wholesale pricing information.

The Overmountain Press, which publishes approximately 30 titles per year, was established in 1970. Among the many other titles they currently offer of interest to railroad enthusiasts are Tweetsie Country by Mallory Hope Ferrell, When Steam Ran the Clinchfield by James Goforth, and The Floods of July 1916: How The Southern Railway met an Emergency by J.C. Williams.

Several pages of Rail Mail will be posted on company's new website, www.quartermilestones.com/publishing/ in the near future.

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Release 3

Quarter Milestones Publishing

12/31/03 – As part of the rollout for its new website (www.quartermilestones.com/publishing), Quarter Milestones Publishing will making parts of the new book Rail Mail available to interested readers. This includes page views, news releases, previews of other books, and links to other resources.

Rail Mail covers a broad overview of a century of American railroading as depicted on picture postcards, beginning from the early days of the 20th century and focusing heavily on the era between 1910-1950, the zenith of both railroading and postcard use. The book includes such varied subjects as colorful streamliners, small-town rural depots, narrow gauge lines around the nation, trolley and interurban lines, rail disasters and accidents, and much more, making use of the author's extensive collection of postcards through over 200 illustrations in 15 chapters.

On the Web, viewers will get a chance to read the chapter on wrecks and accidents, preview a portion of the chapter on streamliners, view the cover, and leave comments. A special page of resource links (which will be published in the book as well) has also been introduced in advance, including direct links to postcard dealers and manufacturers, railroad enthusiast resources, and more. A final page will show some of the print advertising being created for the book.

The new site is linked to the already-existent www.quartermilestones.com portal, where owner Geoff Stunkard has been actively marketing vintage and current drag racing photos. The Quarter Milestones name originated with a magazine Stunkard published from 1992-1996 on drag racing history, and was a logical choice when launching the commercial photography enterprise in 2001. Stunkard's background in transportation and automotive subjects led to the establishment of Quarter Milestones Publishing in late 2003 to do books related to those subjects as well. The next title will likely be related to motorsports or performance automotive history. Basic information on some of these projects can be found on the web sites Future Projects section.

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