Steven J. Ginter 1947-2026

 

I regret to report that my friend and publisher passed away yesterday after a brief illness.

We had not met when I wrote him a letter almost 30 years ago and suggested I write a monograph on the F-111B for his growing Naval  Fighters catalogue. At the time, his business model was pretty sweet: he'd print 3,000, immediately fill standing orders for 1,000 that paid his production costs, and whatever he got for the remainder was all profit. As time went on, sales and profits dwindled with a reduction in aviation enthusiasts, a major book distributor demanded ever higher  discounts, and printing costs rose, but he persevered. What's more, from my  standpoint, he published without hesitation whatever topic I suggested regardless of the likelihood that anyone would want to buy a book about it: I'm sure there are still 1,000 XFL-1 Airabonita monographs in his inventory. That willingness, for which I will always be grateful, undoubtedly resulted in Specialty Press having the confidence to provide me with a contract and advance to write my first hardcover book, U.S, Naval Air Superiority, which was published in 2007.

Other hardcover book contracts followed but I much preferred to write monographs for Steve. Just this year, he asked for a new one from me to fill in his production schedule; he sent it to the printers before he left for Hawaii. I'd also agreed to write at least one more for him and know that other authors have ones in work as well. Steve made it possible for us to make authoritative contributions to aviation-history literature that other publishers wouldn't consider but he will be missed for much more than that by his family and many friends.

 

It's too early to say how Ginter Books will go forward. Steve had just established a new website, https://www.ginterbooks.com, last year and had many of his books available to sell directly (if you had ordered from him in the past month, bear in mind that will be an understandable delay in fulfillment as his was a very small business). However, his many friends are standing by to assist his wife Robin with her decision in that regard and I will announce it here.

 

We are all deeply saddened by his loss but blessed to have had the time with him that we did.