FLESK PUBLICATIONS LLC

Company Information

1. Company Name: Flesk Publications LLC
2. Company Address: 355 Fir Ave, Suite A, Santa Cruz, CA 95062, USA
3. Company Headquarters: Santa Cruz, California, USA
4. Company Industry: Publishing (Specializes in art books and graphic novels)
5. Company Revenue: Estimated to be less than $5 million annually
6. Current Carrier(s): Likely to use USPS, FedEx, or UPS for book shipments, especially for direct-to-customer orders.
7. Potential Shipping Needs: Medium volume; frequent shipments of books and graphic novels domestically and internationally. They may have periodic high-volume shipments tied to new releases or crowdfunding fulfillment (such as Kickstarter projects).
8. Brief Description About the Company: Flesk Publications LLC is an independent publisher known for its focus on high-quality art books, graphic novels, and collections from prominent illustrators, comic artists, and visual storytellers. Founded in 2002 by John Fleskes, the company works closely with artists to produce limited-edition and premium-quality publications that are well-regarded in the collector and fan communities.
9. Key Executives and Contacts:
   • John Fleskes – Founder and Publisher.
     • LinkedIn: John Fleskes on LinkedIn
10. Recent News and Developments:
    • Flesk Publications has been active on Kickstarter, using crowdfunding to pre-sell and fund new book projects, which has been a successful model for independent publishers in the art and comics space.
    • Recent projects include collections from artists like Gary Gianni, Al Williamson, and others. They also handle fulfillment for these Kickstarter campaigns, likely involving bulk shipping around the end of each project.
11. Company History and Milestones:
    • 2002: Flesk Publications was founded by John Fleskes.
    • 2011: Successfully launched Kickstarter campaigns, allowing them to reach a broader audience and provide exclusive editions.
    • Over the years, they’ve collaborated with notable artists such as Frank Frazetta, Mark Schultz, and Bruce Timm.
12. Customer Reviews and Feedback: Generally positive reviews for the quality of their books, both in terms of content and print production. Customers appreciate the attention to detail, quality of artwork reproduction, and the limited-edition nature of their products. Feedback is also positive around their crowdfunding fulfillment processes.
13. Competitor Analysis:
    • Fantagraphics Books: A well-known independent publisher in the art and comics space, offering similar high-quality books and graphic novels.
    • Dark Horse Comics: Known for graphic novels and art books, including special editions that appeal to a similar collector audience.
    • IDW Publishing: Offers art books and special editions, often focused on licensed properties.
14. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives: Limited public information on specific sustainability initiatives. However, independent publishers like Flesk often focus on limited print runs and high-quality materials, which can reduce waste compared to mass-market publishers.
15. Market Position and Industry Trends:
    • Flesk Publications occupies a niche position in the independent art book publishing industry. Their reliance on crowdfunding aligns with a growing trend where small publishers use direct-to-consumer and preorder models to minimize risk and meet the demand of a loyal fan base. Trends in the art book market show an increasing demand for high-quality, collector-oriented editions.

Sales Call Plan Questions

1. Prospecting Call or Existing Customer: Prospecting call. Unclear if Flesk Publications currently uses USPS or exclusively relies on other carriers.
2. Customer Needs and Goals:
   • Primary Need: Reliable, cost-effective shipping for domestic and international book orders, especially for Kickstarter fulfillment.
   • Secondary Need: Ability to handle high-volume shipments during campaign fulfillment.
   • Tertiary Need: Access to tracking and secure packaging options to maintain quality and reduce damage risk during transit.
3. Value Decision Maker:
   • John Fleskes – Founder and Publisher
4. Secondary Contact: None publicly listed.
5. Meeting Objectives:
   • Primary Objective: Introduce USPS services for Flesk Publications’ shipping needs, especially for Kickstarter projects.
   • Secondary Objective: Discuss potential savings for domestic and international shipping through USPS solutions tailored to book shipments.
   • Tertiary Objective: Explore USPS’s media mail and priority mail options for books to show how they align with Flesk Publications’ needs.
6. Actions to Drive Meeting Objectives:
   • Present case studies or examples of similar publishers using USPS for bulk shipments.
   • Highlight USPS Media Mail as a cost-effective option for domestic shipments.
   • Outline available insurance and tracking options for valuable shipments.
7. Desired Outcomes:
   • Secure interest in a trial shipment through USPS for one of Flesk’s upcoming releases.
   • Agreement to set up a USPS business account for discounted rates.
   • Schedule a follow-up to discuss shipping success and feedback.
8. Anticipated Objections/Concerns:
   • Primary Objection: Concerns about delivery time reliability and package handling, as books are often collector items with high-quality printing.
   • Secondary Objection: Cost-effectiveness for international shipments, as they have backers and customers outside the U.S.

Additional Information

• Website Research:
  • Website: https://www.fleskpublications.com
  • Terms of Service and Privacy Policy pages not explicitly listed, but contact information is available on their website.
• Contact Information:
  • Email: info@fleskpublications.com
  • Phone: (831) 515-7331 (based on publicly available sources)

Perplexity Answer:

Company Overview

Flesk Publications LLC is an independent publishing company based in Santa Cruz, California, USA345. Founded in 2002 by John Fleskes, Flesk Publications specializes in producing high-quality art books featuring comics, graphic novels, fantasy, illustration, and fine arts

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History and Mission

John Fleskes launched Flesk Publications in the spring of 2002 with the release of Franklin Booth: Painter with a Pen3. Despite having no prior experience in publishing or the arts, Fleskes built the business from scratch while teaching himself book design and writing3.The company was founded out of Fleskes’ desire to publish the types of art books he wanted to collect himself while directly supporting the artists and community2. Flesk Publications takes a creative approach by exploring the aesthetics of each artist to design books that serve as an extension of the artist’s style and vision23. This results in unique and individualized collections produced with great passion2.

Leadership

John Fleskes is the president and publisher of Flesk Publications23. He has published dozens of books featuring some of the top contemporary and most revered artists in the field, while also contributing as a writer, editor and designer on numerous titles3.Vicky Lien assists with book production, design, promotional photography, and maintains the Flesk Publications website3.

Commitment to Quality and Artists

Flesk Publications prides itself on its absolute commitment to the quality of its books and the relationships formed with the artists they showcase23. Fleskes shares a passion for the arts and feels a responsibility to represent his artists with the best books possible while raising the art form2.Whether producing a small paperback or a deluxe oversized hardcover, Flesk gives each collection their full attention to meet their high standards3. Educating the public to expect a higher standard from publishers is one of the company’s goals2.

Contact Information

Flesk Publications LLC
2871 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
United States45Email:orders@fleskpublications.com45

Recent News

Flesk Publications will be exhibiting at Lightbox Expo on October 25-27th, 2024 at booth #1007 along with several featured artists

Portfolio by Mark Schultz was recently released, with all pre-orders shipped15

Answer

Based on the information from the Flesk Publications website and Goodreads, some of the most popular books published by Flesk Publications include:

Spectrum Series

The Spectrum series is an annual collection showcasing the best in contemporary fantastic art across various genres like books, comics, film, horror, illustration, and more. Spectrum 25: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art is a notable recent edition in this long-running series.

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Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea

Hellboy: Into the Silent Sea is a popular title by Mike Mignola and Gary Gianni. Flesk is publishing an art book in June 2025 that will go into great detail about how this comic was made, with new insights and details not included in the original edition.

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Artist Collections

Flesk publishes many acclaimed art books and collections highlighting the works of renowned artists, such as:

• Portfolio by Mark Schultz3
• Art of Arthur Adams3
• Naughty and Nice: The Good Girl Art of Bruce Timm3
• Xenozoic by Mark Schultz3
• Art of Gary Gianni for George R. R. Martin’s Seven Kingdoms3

ElfQuest

ElfQuest: The Art of the Story and Art of Elfquest by Wendy and Richard Pini are popular titles exploring the art and story of the iconic ElfQuest series.

3These represent some of the most well-known and sought after books in Flesk’s catalog, spanning art annuals, comics, artist monographs and retrospectives across science fiction, fantasy, comics and illustration.