NEWS

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CONTACT: John Sawyer, Chief Strategy Officer
Grey Matter Group, 616-458-8750, john@greymattergroup.com

Upheavals in Book Publishing Lead Industry Execs to Launch ‘Somersault’

Grand Rapid, MI (June 28, 2010) – The ways people buy and read books have undergone
revolutionary change in the last half decade. Book publishing is the latest major media to
transition to the digital age. As a result of this shifting landscape , five publishing executives
with more than 125 years of collective experience are teaming with international branding
and marketing firm Grey Matter Group™, Grand Rapids, MI (www.GreyMatterGroup.com),
in launching Somersault Group™ (www.SomersaultGroup.com), doing business as Somersault™.

“For Somersault, the unprecedented changes in the publishing world aren’t a crisis; they’re a
playground of possibilities,” says John Topliff, General Manager. “Somersault will help clients embrace
change and leverage it to fulfill their mission.” Topliff comes to Somersault from Zondervan, a
HarperCollins company (a division of News Corp.), where he was Vice President of Strategic Product
Integration.

Due to rapidly churning communication technology and seismic shifts in the book market
distribution landscape – from the Internet to eReaders and the iPad to individual book print-on-demand
capability – publishers expect authors to take more responsibility for the development, promotion, and
sales of their books. Somersault will help Christian authors, ministry partners, publishers, and agents adapt
to these changes with dexterity. It combines the experience and vision of Somersault publishing
executives with the integrated marketing and technology expertise of Grey Matter Group digital natives.
Somersault will provide authors with brand counseling, editorial direction, research capabilities, marketing
strategy, Internet and social media presence, and a comprehensive portfolio of publishing assistance.

Somersault’s mission statement is: To change lives by connecting inspirational content creators
with readers using exceptional creativity, right-now technology, and old-fashioned personal care.

According to John Sawyer, Brand & Marketing Strategist, Somersault will honor good ideas and the
creative people who embody them. “We believe in the power of books to change lives, and are committed
to help authors tell their stories and actively engage their readers,” says Sawyer. “Somersault wants to be
known for its nimbleness and responsiveness. Anticipating and embracing the future, being attentive to
consumer behavior, inviting collaboration, and encouraging entrepreneurship are our core values, as we
operate within the framework of having fun and reflecting the kingdom of God. We’ll seek and find for our
clients ‘blue water’ opportunities (uncontested market space), be they pond, lake, or ocean.” [MORE]

Somersault is an alliance of book industry executives who have a professional and personal passion
twitter.com/smrsault • linkedin.com/in/somersaultgroup
for Christian publishing. The managers are: • facebook.com/pages/Somersault-Group/123577414347827
  John Topliff, General Manager. In his most recent position at Zondervan, Topliff worked with
bestselling authors, including Philip Yancey, John Ortberg, Anne Graham Lotz, and Rob Bell, to
maximize their content across all publishing divisions. His career experience includes positions at
Baker Publishing Group, Revell, HarperCollinsPublishers, and Spring Arbor Distributors. Topliff
has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, and a Masters
of Divinity Degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL.
 Jeannette Taylor, Research & Development Architect, responsible for product development and
marketing strategies, and supervision of all research functions for Somersault. Taylor is the
owner of the research firm JET Marketing and an adjunct Marketing Professor at Cornerstone
University, Grand Rapids, MI. She is the former General Manager of Bibles and Vice President of
Marketing at Zondervan.
 David Lambert, Editorial Director, responsible for managing the editorial development process
for each manuscript for Somersault. Lambert is the owner of Lambert Editorial. He is the author
of ten books (including last year’s The Missionary); speaker; former Senior Fiction Editor at
Howard Publishing, a division of Simon & Schuster; and former Executive Editor for fiction at
Zondervan.
 Jonathan Petersen, Social Media Marketing/WOM/Publicity Evangelist, responsible for creating
the Internet marketing and publicity strategy for all Somersault authors. Petersen is the former
Senior Director of Corporate & Internet Communications at Zondervan and Religion News Editor
at UPI Radio Network. His microblog (twitter.com/jonpetersen) is a featured recommendation in
the twitterati, marketing, and social media categories on Alltop.com.
 John Sawyer, Brand & Marketing Strategist, responsible for developing brand identity and
positioning strategies for authors to help them build loyal readership and long-term value.
Previously Vice President of Bible Marketing at Zondervan and Director of Marketing at Baker
Publishing Group, Sawyer is currently Chief Strategy Officer at Grey Matter Group.

# # #

Somersault Group™ (Somersault™) is a member-managed LLC with offices in downtown Grand Rapids,
Michigan. The company’s purpose is to enable ministry organizations, Christian authors, agents, and
publishers to quickly leverage rapid changes in communication technology, emphasize excellence in
branding and marketing communication for an author’s business development, and extend the highest
editorial standards to achieve the goal of helping people experience God’s kingdom. For more
information, visit www.SomersaultGroup.com.

Grey Matter Group™ is an award-winning, international, full-service strategic branding, marketing, and
advertising firm that has raised the bar of creative communication for Christian publishers and ministries
for over 19 years, including Zondervan, Tyndale House Publishers, InterVarsity Press, Compassion
International, and World Vision. Other clients include American Eagle Outfitters, Bissell, Old Orchard
Brands, and Steelcase. For more information, visit www.GreyMatterGroup.com.

131 Division Avenue South • Suite 300 • Grand Rapids, MI 49503