For the Gussins, life starts at retirement
It seemed every time Bob Gussin accompanied wife Pat to meetings of the International Thriller Writers and the Mystery Writers of America, he’d end up hearing tale after tale of frustration from authors trying to find a publisher.
"All the sad stories," Gussin said.
Finally, he told Pat, "I think I’m going to start a publishing company.’
"Her mouth fell open," he said.
Pat Gussin had been a board-certified physician in family medicine before she tried her hand at mysteries. Bob had been with Johnson & Johnson from 1986 until 2000, when he retired as corporate vice president of science and technology and chief scientific officer.
"We had pretty good careers," Bob said modestly.
With enough savings to feel comfortable, he added, it seemed like a good idea to go into publishing, with the goal of helping some of those authors he had met.
The result was Oceanview Publishing, founded in 2006. Although it is based in Ipswich, Mass., the Gussins split their time between homes on Longboat Key and in New Zealand as well as Massachusetts.
Pat insisted the first book with the Oceanview imprint be one of hers. When Bob resisted, she responded that she didn’t want to go the self-publishing route. Over the next year or so, they put the company together and produced "Shadow of Death." It became a finalist for the International Thriller Writers’ Best First Novel award in 2007.
"That exonerated me," Pat said.
Although they started out with just two other writers, Oceanview in 2010 is turning out a book a month "It’s grown beyond our wildest imagination," Bob said.
At first, Bob did find authors at writers association meetings. Both established authors Don Bruns and Martha Powers were so interested in the Gussins’ plans that they each promised Oceanview their next books.
As its authors have racked up award after award, Bob said, the company has reached the point where it receives about 150 manuscripts a week.
One book coming out later this year may prove the biggest yet for the company.
The International Thriller Writers association asked the Gussins to work with David Morell, author of the "Rambo" stories and other books, to create a compendium of 1,000-word essays by 100 of the best-known thriller writers. Each essay focuses on what the individual author considers the most important book of all time in the thriller genre.
"These are incredible essays," Bob said. "We think this could be a big breakthrough book for us."
"It really is fascinating," Pat added. "I am just finishing the edit on it ... They’re wonderful essays."
Thus far, Oceanview’s biggest sellers have been "The Perfect Assassin" by Ward Larsen and Pat’s "Shadow of Death." Larsen’s book has won numerous awards, including a gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America and a silver medal from the Florida Book Awards.
Don Bruns’ novels and those by the Gussins’ fellow Longboat Key resident, H. Terrell Griffin, also sell quite well, Bob said. "We’re blessed with some very good Florida-based authors."
The only non-mystery Oceanview has published thus far has been Bob’s "Trash Talk." It’s what he calls a "laugh-out-loud book."
It soon will lose that distinction, as Bob and Pat have written a book together, "What’s Next ... For You: The Gussin Guide to Big Decisions, Big Changes and Big Fun." It’s the story of their journey from successful careers in science and medicine to writing, publishing and even wine-making, which they do in New Zealand.
"We’re doing everything we could dream of doing – except working seven days a week!" Bob said. "Life doesn’t stop at retirement. It’s a place to start."