A native Californian, Carolyn Hayes Uber grew up in Southern California, attending local schools, meeting a husband in college, the usual suburban story. Hers took a twist in the early 1970s when she had an opportunity to live in Turkey for two years. Seeing the world up close and personal was life-changing and profoundly inspiring.
A thirty-plus years career as founder and president of a successful marketing firm developed a good grasp on “what sells and how to sell it”. Clients included legendary management guru Peter F. Drucker, Los Angeles County Fair, Los Angeles World Airports, Department of Commerce’s Center for International Trade Development, California Egg Commission and many other institutions, agencies and corporations.
In the early 1980s, Carolyn turned to books, establishing her second company, Dragonflyer Press. In the ensuing years, the company published a variety of award-winning books. Around the same time, she began traveling to Asia, eventually setting up an office and production manager in Hong Kong. A veteran of some 35-plus trips to Asia, she was a columnist for the Pacific Rim Printing trade journal and lectured to the international Printing Industry Association at the Taipei World Trade Center.
Carolyn is a founding member of the American Advertising Federation’s Inland Empire Ad Club. She has served on numerous charitable boards and has undertaken many pro bono projects benefiting community non-profit organizations. She received the Women of Distinction Innovator’s Award from the Business Press and was an SBA Business of the Year.
In 2003, Carolyn began a new adventure. As president of Stephens Press, LLC, she partnered with Stephens Media, LLC in a book publishing venture. Stephens Media publishes several dozen newspapers and associated magazines and other publications around the U.S. including the flagship Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The company publishes books on a wide variety of subjects, often partnering with newspaper or other media organizations.
Sleeping Giant: An Illustrated History of Southern California’s Inland Empire was published on behalf of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Call of the Mountains: The Beauty and the Legacy of Southern California’s San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains was created for the same media company. Recently published were On the Harbor for The Daily World of Aberdeen, Washington, In Character for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and Nevada Yesterdays for KNPR public radio.
The company has published books as varied as history of boxing (Fight Town by Associated Press sportswriter Tim Dahlberg), to a photo-essay of the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell, a guide to southwestern road trips, a children’s bi-lingual picture book, a pictorial of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, and even an examination of the sex industry in Nevada. The latter, Skin City was sold to HarperCollins for trade paperback and international rights.
Some of the current projects include a biography of Howard Hughes, a novel about Nazi art thefts and murder on the high seas, celebrity ne’re-do-wells in Las Vegas, a wildflower guide to the San Gabriel Mountains and a commemorative book celebrating the centennial of the Nevada Governor’s Mansion.
While Stephens Press has focused primarily on non-fiction titles, more fiction is being added to the list. An imprint, CityLife Books, has just been launched to offer titles with an edgier focus – books that question conventional wisdom or prod the powers that be.
Carolyn is a frequent presenter at writer’s conference and workshops, speaking on publishing, editing, book design and production. She also speaks to audiences on marketing topics.
Carolyn also provides consulting to marketing firms, businesses and non-profits with an emphasis on creative and editorial services for advertising and PR campaigns, special events and collateral and image projects.
She is herself the author of Traveling Smart: The Know-Before-You-Go Guide to International Travel, but these days she much prefers bringing the words of others to print.
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