Champaign, Ill.

Selling directly to consumers is often viewed as an afterthought in this business, almost the sole province of niche publishers who can leverage brand recognition within their niche.

Last week at the Publishing Technology Executive Exchange in New York, Brian Holding, CEO of Champaign, Ill.-based publisher Human Kinetics, made a compelling case for why all publishers need to hone in on this area of their business.

The "Best Book Publishing Companies to Work For" list is Book Business’ annual ranking of companies that embody the philosophy that a company’s employees are the key to its success, and that employee happiness translates to a more motivated, productive workplace. Many companies on the list show that being a great company isn’t just about offering an attractive benefits package (though that certainly helps). The companies that made this year’s list create environments where employees are valued and respected professionally, and they also work to help enhance employees’ personal lives. Whether it’s through profit sharing, ample paid time off, telecommuting options, childcare services, fitness facilities, adoption assistance or pet-friendly policies, these companies go the extra mile to keep their employees happy—and it shows.

Champaign, Ill.-based Sports Publishing LLC got its start in 1998 as a spin-off from Sagamore Publishing—publisher of parks, recreation and leisure textbooks—when the company published a biography of University of Illinois men’s basketball coach Lou Henson, a legend among basketball fans throughout the Midwest. The book was an instant hit, and a new company was born. Today, Sports Publishing puts out 80 titles annually, spanning college and professional teams and star athletes in almost a dozen sports. As vice president of sales and marketing, Dave Hulsey has been in sales and marketing since graduating from the University of Missouri in 1981. His career