MEET THE MANAGEMENT
SHEILA MASON-HOLT BSN,RN
Chief Financial Officer, Hardass Editor & Designated Adult
Sheila keeps Black Dog River Press financially grounded, editorially honest, and moving in the right direction. As CFO, she watches the numbers. As the press’s hardass editor, she recognizes weak writing, convenient excuses, and unnecessary chapters from across the room. She is al
Chief Financial Officer, Hardass Editor & Designated Adult
Sheila keeps Black Dog River Press financially grounded, editorially honest, and moving in the right direction. As CFO, she watches the numbers. As the press’s hardass editor, she recognizes weak writing, convenient excuses, and unnecessary chapters from across the room. She is also its strongest encourager—the person who knows when a manuscript needs another revision and when its author simply needs someone to believe in her.
Every independent press needs talent, determination, and vision. It also needs at least one responsible adult. At Black Dog River Press, that’s Sheila.❤️
CICI
Senior Executive Director and Proprietor of the Black Dog River Press General Store
After ten years of supervising the household, CiCi accepted the most important position of her career. She has overseen Sheila’s graduation from nursing school, endured more endurance events than any reasonable dog should have to tolerate, and successfully
Senior Executive Director and Proprietor of the Black Dog River Press General Store
After ten years of supervising the household, CiCi accepted the most important position of her career. She has overseen Sheila’s graduation from nursing school, endured more endurance events than any reasonable dog should have to tolerate, and successfully established her authority over Gideon and Murphy.
CiCi now supervises the Black Dog River Press General Store, where she maintains exacting professional standards and keeps her two employees in line. Small in stature but senior in authority, CiCi is living proof that leadership has nothing to do with size.
MURPHY
Chief Logistics Officer
Murphy oversees operations at Black Dog River Press with patience, loyalty, and careful attention to anything happening near the kitchen. He monitors the path each book takes from author to reader, including website discovery, bookstore orders, printing, fulfillment, signed editions, and delivery.
At seventy pounds,
Chief Logistics Officer
Murphy oversees operations at Black Dog River Press with patience, loyalty, and careful attention to anything happening near the kitchen. He monitors the path each book takes from author to reader, including website discovery, bookstore orders, printing, fulfillment, signed editions, and delivery.
At seventy pounds, Murphy is also engaged in an ongoing effort to correct the widespread misconception that he is too large to be a lapdog. The available evidence, according to Murphy, clearly supports his position.
His guiding principle is simple: build the press one page, one book, one reader, and one conversation at a time.
GIDEON
IT (In Trouble) Digital Doofus Dude & Assistant Web Designer
Gideon joined the Black Dog River Press web-development team after conducting an independent field test involving a newly discovered mud hole. Although CiCi maintains that mud is not an approved web-design tool, Gideon believes every great website deserves paws-on research.
Since
IT (In Trouble) Digital Doofus Dude & Assistant Web Designer
Gideon joined the Black Dog River Press web-development team after conducting an independent field test involving a newly discovered mud hole. Although CiCi maintains that mud is not an approved web-design tool, Gideon believes every great website deserves paws-on research.
Since then, Gideon has expanded his responsibilities to include information technology, digital troubleshooting, website assistance, and being nearby whenever something inexplicably stops working. Whether he actually caused the problem remains the subject of an ongoing internal investigation.
His additional duties include outdoor quality control, creative disruption, and reminding everyone that unexpected setbacks can sometimes lead somewhere better.
His methods remain controversial. His technical qualifications remain unclear. His enthusiasm is unquestioned.