WildBlue Press

WildBlue Press is an independent publishing house based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in true crime, thrillers, mysteries, romance, science fiction, fantasy, history, and business books. Founded in 2014 by New York Times bestselling author, the late Steve Jackson and entrepreneur Michael Cordova, the company publishes works in multiple formats, including paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook. It publishes primarily true crime, along with a range of other fiction and nonfiction genres. In 2026, it was named one of the top 10 publishers in Colorado.

History

In 2014, Jackson and Cordova, two college friends, founded WildBlue Press. Jackson brought his experience as a New York Times bestselling author and journalist, having written 14 non-fiction books in true crime, history, and biography genres, plus co-writing 14 crime fiction thrillers for the "Butch Karp Series" with former New York assistant district attorney Robert K. Tanenbaum.

He partnered with college friend Michael Cordova, whose wife, Lauri Ver Schure, co-owns the Denver mystery bookstore [...] by the Book, to create a company that would bridge traditional and modern approaches and support both established and emerging authors. Cordova is also an electrical engineer and the president and CEO of the Software company 21st Century Technologies.

The company describes itself as a technology-oriented publisher and says its production timeline can be as short as four months, shorter than that of many traditional houses. John J. Nance, a New York Times bestselling author, described WildBlue as "redefining what a publisher should be, with a level of personal support the established houses could never achieve," adding that American publishing is changing dramatically and WildBlue is in the forefront.

In 2025, WildBlue Press expanded its true crime titles with four new releases: Every [...] Leaves A Trace, Cruel and Unusual Punishment, Depraved Obsession, and Storm of Suspicion.

Publications and operations

As of January 2023, WildBlue Press had published more than 300 books by more than 160 authors, including 170 true crime titles. The company releases AbOUT 20 books a year and has established a presence in the true crime genre. Its books are distributed in paperback, hardcover, eBook, and audiobook editions through major retailers and platforms, with audiobooks distributed through platforms such as Audible.

In October 2018, it released A.J. Flick's Toxic Rage: A Tale of [...] in Tucson, about the 2004 [...] of Tucson pediatric eye surgeon Dr. Brian Stidham.

In April 2024, WildBlue Press published The Last Story: The [...] of an Investigative Journalist in Las Vegas by Arthur Kane, about the fatal stabbing of Las Vegas journalist Jeff German by a local public administrator, Robert Telles, over German's reporting on him. The [...] drew national attention and was the subject of a CBS 48 Hours episode, "The [...] of Jeff German," reported by Peter Van Sant, which interviewed Kane and other Review-Journal staff. Kane discussed the book in national broadcast InterViews, including NPR and CBC Radio's As It Happens, and it was covered by Nevada Public Radio, The Colorado Sun, and The Quill magazine. It carried a cover endorsement from Brian Ross, chief investigative reporter for the Law & Crime Network.

In June 2026, the publisher released crime author and journalist Cathy Scott's biography of the late true crime author Ann Rule, First Lady of [...]: The Ann Rule Biography.

Authors and submissions

WildBlue Press publishes works by both established and first-time authors. The company's roster includes Pulitzer Prize winners, Edgar Award winners, and several New York Times bestselling authors. It maintains an open submissions policy, accepting unsolicited manuscript proposals, with or without agents, from authors at various stages of their careers.

Services

WildBlue Press's publishing services include acquisitions and editorial development, editing, cover design, book formatting, distribution management, marketing and promotional support, and sales and accounting services. It has an in-house subsidiary rights agent who represents film, television, and foreign-language rights for titles in its catalog.

James Byron Huggins's thriller Hunter, published by WildBlue Press, and its sequels Hunter's Moon and Last Hunt were both released in 2025. In 2018, Sylvester Stallone's Balboa Productions announced Hunter, based on the WildBlue Press novel by James Byron Huggins, as part of its film slate, with Stallone attached to star.

An excerpt of Anne K. Howard's His Garden: Conversations with a Serial [...], a WildBlue Press title, was published by A&E.

WildBlue Press is a member of publishing industry associations, including IBPA, International Thriller Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Romantic Novelists' Association, according to its mission statement.

Notable authors

• Burl Barer, Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author.
• Katherine Ellison, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.
• Michael Fleeman, New York Times bestselling true crime author and former Associated Press and People journalist, with WildBlue titles including Better Off Dead.
• Ron Franscell, an Edgar-nominated, bestselling true crime author.
• James Byron Huggins, American thriller writer.
• M. William Phelps, New York Times bestselling author and host of Investigation Discovery's Dark Minds, with WildBlue titles including [...]' Row and Targeted.
• Mike Rothmiller, New York Times bestselling author and former LAPD intelligence detective.
• Cathy Scott, New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling author and investigative journalist whose WildBlue titles include First Lady of [...]: The Ann Rule Biography.
• Kevin M. Sullivan, American history and true crime author whose works include seven books about serial [...] Ted Bundy.