{{Short description|Book publisher}} {{Infobox publisher | name = MacAdam/Cage | image = | caption = | parent = | status = Defunct | traded_as = | predecessor = | founded = 1998 | founder = David Poindexter | successor = | country = United States | headquarters = San Francisco | distribution = | keypeople = | publications = Books | topics = | genre = | imprints = | revenue = | owner = | numemployees = | website = }} '''MacAdam/Cage''' was a small publishing firm located in San Francisco, California. It was founded by publisher David Poindexter in 1998. In 2003, it published around 30 to 45 titles per year, primarily fiction, short story collections, history, biography, and essays, and had twelve employees. Most notably, it published ''The Time Traveler's Wife'' by Audrey Niffenegger and ''The Contortionist's Handbook'' by Craig Clevenger, and Sunset Terrace by Rebecca Donner.<ref name=NorthCA>Rachel Deahl, Bridget Kinsella, and Edward Nawotka, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-33572485_ITM "Northern California: a publisher for every taste"], ''Publishers Weekly'', 7 December 2003. AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 2 May 2009.</ref> ''Publishers Weekly'' describes MacAdam/Cage as "one of the West Coast's most literary" independent publishing firms.<ref name=NorthCA/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rebecca-donner/sunset-terrace/ |title=SUNSET TERRACE {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |language=en}}</ref>
==History== [[File:2007 10 Audrey Niffenegger 02.jpg|right|thumb|Audrey Niffenegger's ''The Time Traveler's Wife'' is the most successful book MacAdam/Cage has published.]] Two years after founding MacAdam/Cage, Poindexter bought MacMurray & Beck, which added "an impressive backlist" to the firm, including Susan Vreeland's ''Girl in Hyacinth Blue'' and William Gay's ''The Long Home''.<ref name=NorthCA/> The company's most successful publication has been Audrey Niffenegger's ''The Time Traveler's Wife'',<ref name=Milliot>Jim Milliot, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-24824978_ITM "MacAdam/Cage looks to leverage novel's success"], ''Publishers Weekly'' (20 October 2003). AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 2 May 2009.</ref> which had sold 2.5 million copies as of March 2009.<ref>Luke Leitch, "You're only as good as your second novel", ''The Times'', 17 March 2009. LexisNexis (subscription required). Retrieved 25 April 2009.</ref> Until then, its most successful publication had been Mark Dunn's ''Ella Minnow Pea'', which sold 30,000 copies.<ref name=Donegan>"Lawrence Donegan, [https://www.theguardian.com/books/2003/dec/14/fiction.features3 "America's most wanted: The Time Traveler's Wife, written by an unknown author and launched by a tiny publisher, will be the must-read for 2004"], ''The Observer'', 14 December 2003. Retrieved 25 April 2009.</ref>
In 2004, the company launched a children's book division, headed by Chandler Crawford. The bulk of the children's books published by MacAdam/Cage are translations into English and out-of-print works. In the beginning, the company hoped to issue about eight titles a year and sell them to independent bookstores in particular.<ref name=Lodge/>
In 2009, the company entered a debt crisis, unable to meet financial obligations. This led to lawsuit and complaints by writers regarding nonpayment, including Ed Cline known for his Sparrowhawk novels, Linda Robertson (''What Rhymes with Bastard?'') and Susan Vreeland over royalties for ''Girl in Hyacinth Blue''.<ref>Calvin Reid, [https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/47088-macadam-cage-fighting-to-stay-in-business.html "MacAdam Cage Fighting To Stay in Business"], ''Publishers Weekly'', 9 May 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.</ref><ref name= Reid>Calvin Reid, [https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/50200-debts-cleared-macadam-cage-returns.html "Debts Cleared, MacAdam/Cage Returns"], ''Publishers Weekly'', 13 January 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.</ref> Other problems cited included a distribution channel change, issues with investors and the loss of an editor-in-chief.<ref name= Reid/> In early 2012, the company reported its debt problems had returned to manageable levels, in part through paring its staff to 3 with freelancers hired as-needed and resolving outstanding author claims through payment or rights reversion agreements.<ref name= Reid/> After a long hiatus, a spring catalog was presented in 2012.
The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on 17 January 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://business-bankruptcies.com/cases/macadam-cage-publishing-inc|title=Company Bankruptcy Information for Macadam/Cage Publishing, Inc}}</ref>
==Mission== According to MacAdam/Cage, the company aims to "publ[ish] authors, not books", meaning they attempt to foster careers.<ref name=NorthCA/> Some of the authors they have signed include Mark Dunn, Michael Kun, Norman Gautreau, and Amanda Eyre Ward.<ref name=Milliot/> According to ''Publishers Weekly'', the firm is "earning a reputation for going to great lengths both to find and serve its authors".<ref name=Kinsella>Bridget Kinsella, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-25183405_ITM "McPublishing, it's not: to break out new authors, three-year-old MacAdam/Cage will try almost anything"], ''Publishers Weekly'', 11 March 200). AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 3 May 2009.</ref> For example, MacAdam/Cage paid Stephen Elliott, author of ''Life Without Consequences'', a stipend as he worked on his novel.<ref name=Kinsella/>
In 2004, ''The Observer'' reported that the company received about 100 unsolicited manuscripts each week, all of which are read.<ref name=Donegan/> In the case of ''The Time Traveler's Wife'', then-editor Anika Streitfield and Poindexter were so impressed with Niffinegger's novel that they offered her $100,000 at an auction for the rights, the largest advance they had ever offered an author.<ref name=Donegan/> Although MacAdam/Cage was outbid, Niffenegger still chose the firm, explaining, "Once we [she and her agent] realised how committed they were to the book and how much they wanted to publish it, it was a pretty easy decision. In any case, my own natural inclination is to go small. My background is in punk music - I'd always pick the indie company over the giant corporation."<ref name=Donegan/> Niffenegger described her relationship with MacAdam/Cage as "like being a member of a family".<ref name=Donegan/>
Initially, the publishing house was devoted to literary fiction. With the resumption of operations, its catalog expanded to include genres such as true crime and automatic writing.<ref>John Sledge, [https://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/03/macadamcage_publisher_for_mobi.html "MacAdam/Cage, publisher for Mobile-area authors, makes return"], ''Al.com'', 25 March 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.</ref>
==Operations== The firm's editorial offices are located in San Francisco, California.<ref name=Lodge>Sally Lodge, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14096716_ITM "New hats in the ring: three publishing ventures make their debuts this fall"], ''Publishers Weekly'', 11 October 2004. AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 3 May 2009.</ref>
PGW was the firm's distributor.<ref name=NorthCA/> In April 2006, Random House Canada became its distributor in Canada with Doubleday Canada publishing the paperback versions of MacAdam's hardcovers there.<ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13906153_ITM "RH Canada to distribute MacAdam/Cage], ''Publishers Weekly'', 5 March 2006. AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 2 May 2009.</ref> In late 2008, as noted, the company experienced a "cash crunch", causing it to lay off several employees and delay new acquisitions.<ref>"MacAdam/Cage struggles", ''Publishers Weekly'', 22 September 2008. AccessMyLibrary (registration required). Retrieved 2 May 2009.</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== * [https://macadamcage.wordpress.com/about/ 2012 web presence]
{{DEFAULTSORT:MacAdam Cage}} Category:Book publishing companies based in San Francisco Category:Publishing companies established in 1998