WildBlue Press
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Steve Jackson Co-founder Michael Cordova |
| Headquarters | P.O. Box 102440, Denver, CO, 80250 |
Key people | Michael Cordova (CEO) |
| Website | wildbluepresss |
WildBlue Press is an independent publishing house based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in true crime, thrillers, mysteries, romance, science fiction, fantasy, history, and business books.[1] Founded in 2014 by New York Times bestselling author, the late Steve Jackson and entrepreneur Michael Cordova, the company publishes works in multiple formats, including paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.[2] It publishes primarily true crime, along with a range of other fiction and nonfiction genres.[3] In 2026, it was named one of the top 10 publishers in Colorado.[1]
History
[edit]In 2014, Jackson and Cordova, two college friends, founded WildBlue Press.[4] Jackson brought his experience as a New York Times bestselling author and journalist, having written 14 non-fiction books in true crime, history, and biography genres, plus co-writing 14 crime fiction thrillers for the "Butch Karp Series" with former New York assistant district attorney Robert K. Tanenbaum.[5]
He partnered with college friend Michael Cordova, whose wife, Lauri Ver Schure, co-owns the Denver mystery bookstore Murder by the Book,[6] to create a company that would bridge traditional and modern approaches[7] and support both established and emerging authors. Cordova is also an electrical engineer and the president and CEO of the software company 21st Century Technologies.[8]
The company describes itself as a technology-oriented publisher and says its production timeline can be as short as four months, shorter than that of many traditional houses.[9] John J. Nance, a New York Times bestselling author, described WildBlue as "redefining what a publisher should be, with a level of personal support the established houses could never achieve," adding that American publishing is changing dramatically and WildBlue is in the forefront.[10]
In 2025, WildBlue Press expanded its true crime titles with four new releases: Every Killer Leaves A Trace, Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Depraved Obsession, and Storm of Suspicion.[11]
Publications and operations
[edit]As of January 2023, WildBlue Press had published more than 300 books by more than 160 authors, including 170 true crime titles.[5] The company releases about 20 books a year and has established a presence in the true crime genre.[12] Its books are distributed in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook editions through major retailers and platforms, with audiobooks distributed through platforms such as Audible.[13][14]
In October 2018, it released A.J. Flick's Toxic Rage: A Tale of Murder in Tucson, about the 2004 murder of Tucson pediatric eye surgeon Dr. Brian Stidham.[15]
In April 2024, WildBlue Press published The Last Story: The Murder of an Investigative Journalist in Las Vegas by Arthur Kane, about the fatal stabbing of Las Vegas journalist Jeff German by a local public administrator, Robert Telles, over German's reporting on him.[16][17] The murder drew national attention and was the subject of a CBS 48 Hours episode, "The Assassination of Jeff German," reported by Peter Van Sant, which interviewed Kane and other Review-Journal staff.[18] Kane discussed the book in national broadcast interviews, including NPR[19] and CBC Radio's As It Happens,[20] and it was covered by Nevada Public Radio,[21] The Colorado Sun,[22] and The Quill magazine.[23] It carried a cover endorsement from Brian Ross, chief investigative reporter for the Law & Crime Network.[24]
In June 2026, the publisher released crime author and journalist Cathy Scott's biography of the late true crime author Ann Rule, First Lady of Murder: The Ann Rule Biography.[25]
Authors and submissions
[edit]WildBlue Press publishes works by both established and first-time authors. The company's roster includes Pulitzer Prize winners, Edgar Award winners, and several New York Times bestselling authors.[12] It maintains an open submissions policy, accepting unsolicited manuscript proposals, with or without agents, from authors at various stages of their careers.[26]
Services
[edit]WildBlue Press's publishing services include acquisitions and editorial development, editing, cover design, book formatting, distribution management, marketing and promotional support, and sales and accounting services. It has an in-house subsidiary rights agent who represents film, television, and foreign-language rights for titles in its catalog.
James Byron Huggins's thriller Hunter, published by WildBlue Press, and its sequels Hunter's Moon and Last Hunt were both released in 2025.[27][28] In 2018, Sylvester Stallone's Balboa Productions announced Hunter, based on the WildBlue Press novel by James Byron Huggins, as part of its film slate, with Stallone attached to star.[29]
An excerpt of Anne K. Howard's His Garden: Conversations with a Serial Killer, a WildBlue Press title, was published by A&E.[30]
WildBlue Press is a member of publishing industry associations, including IBPA, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Romantic Novelists' Association, according to its mission statement.[31]
Notable authors
[edit]- Burl Barer, an Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author.
- Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
- Michael Fleeman, a New York Times bestselling true crime author and former Associated Press and People journalist, with WildBlue titles including Better Off Dead.
- Ron Franscell, an Edgar-nominated, bestselling true crime author.
- James Byron Huggins, an American thriller writer.
- M. William Phelps, a New York Times bestselling author and host of Investigation Discovery's Dark Minds, with WildBlue titles including Murderers' Row and Targeted.
- Mike Rothmiller, a New York Times bestselling author and former LAPD intelligence detective.
- Cathy Scott, a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling author and investigative journalist whose WildBlue titles include First Lady of Murder: The Ann Rule Biography.
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Top 10 Publishing Companies in Denver 2026". TaleTel. March 25, 2026.
- ↑ "WildBlue Press Profile". Publishers Global. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
- ↑ "About WildBlue Press". WildBlue Press.
- ↑ "Colorado Publishers Accepting Manuscripts". Jones Novel Editing.
- 1 2 "Steve Jackson Biography". WildBlue Press.
- ↑ "Book store caters to readers who love intrigue". Denver Post. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- ↑ "Michael Cordova Bio". WildBlue Press. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ "About Us — Michael Cordova, President". 21st Century Technologies. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "WildBlue Press". Facebook. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Submit Your Book Proposal". WildBlue Press.
- ↑ "WildBlue Press Expands Its Acclaimed True Crime Collection". Financial Content.
- 1 2 "WildBlue Press Profile". Publishers Marketplace. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
- ↑ "WildBlue Press LinkedIn". LinkedIn.
- ↑ "WildBlue Press Audiobooks". Audible.
- ↑ Kerns, William (October 12, 2018). "True crime story by former A-J reporter Flick published". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Former Denver Post reporter writes book about slain colleague's murder". The Denver Post. May 17, 2024.
- ↑ "New book details the life and death of murdered investigative reporter". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ↑ "The Assassination of Jeff German". CBS News, 48 Hours. February 17, 2024.
- ↑ Kaste, Martin (August 28, 2024). "Former elected official found guilty of murdering Las Vegas veteran reporter". NPR.
- ↑ "The As It Happens transcript for August 29, 2024". CBC Radio. August 30, 2024.
- ↑ "New book looks at ongoing case of slain Las Vegas reporter Jeff German". Nevada Public Radio (KNPR). May 24, 2024.
- ↑ "Arthur Kane told his late colleague's story as a cautionary tale of investigative journalism". The Colorado Sun. July 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Bookshelf: Las Vegas Review-Journal's Arthur Kane writes on colleague's murder". Quill. May 17, 2024.
- ↑ "The Last Story: The Murder of an Investigative Journalist in Las Vegas". WildBlue Press.
- ↑ Ramsland, Katherine (June 2026). "Ann Rule: From Ted Bundy's Confidante to Crime Chronicler". Psychology Today. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Submit Your Book Proposal". WildBlue Press.
- ↑ Cordova, Michael (August 8, 2025). "Hunter's Moon. Bestselling Hunter Sequel". WildBlue Press. Archived from the original on August 26, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- ↑ Cordova, Michael (October 27, 2025). "Last Hunt – Final Book in the Hunter Thriller Trilogy". WildBlue Press. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 2018). "Sylvester Stallone To Star In 'Samaritan' & 'Hunter', Acquires FBI Memoir As His Balboa Productions Ramps Up Slate". Deadline. Retrieved August 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes the Shocking Details of His Crimes". A&E.
- ↑ "Our Founders, Mission, and Affiliations". WildBlue Press.