Tuesday, February 05, 1991

Efforts on the book, Cadre* Collection

 Sports Support Syndicate

Pittsburgh, PA 15203


Orders:

Voice:

Fax:


February 5, 1991


Dear Coach,

Thank you. The Cadre* Collection is now fully printed and ready for sale and distribution. We believe it is an exciting and important edition; that is why we are excited about The Cadre* Collection! As you can see from the 3 enclosed copies, it is a great book. And your chapter has helped contribute to its success.

In addition to the 3 copies, which are yours to keep, we have enclosed a few other items pertaining to publicity. We are keeping it as absolutely painless as possible for you, and your assistance will be invaluable to the success of the book. Also enclosed are:

- 4 Press Releases

- an advisory letter for return to us

- a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope (SASE)

- internal correspondence

The Press Releases are intended for the local media of your choice. We recommend any four of the following: Local Newspaper, Local TV Station, Local Radio Station, College Newspaper, College Radio Station, Athletic Information Department and Hometown Newspaper. Should you require more Press Releases, we will be happy to forward more to you.

The Advisory Letter is for return to the Sports Support Syndicate. Once you have chosen the media, please note their addresses and phone numbers so that we may follow-up to ensure that the proper personnel are making use of the information. You may return the Advisory letter to us in the SASE.

Some individuals may wish to make use of the internal correspondence to advise any colleagues or staff of your participation in the publication of The Cadre* Collection. You may photocopy it directly onto your letterhead, if you so choose.

Once again, thank you very much for your contribution to this excellent edition. We're proud to have been a part ofThe Cadre* Collection, the USVBA and yourself.

Sincerely,



Sports Support Syndicate

Pittsburgh, PA 15203


Press Release

For immediate release


Orders:

Voice:

Fax:


February 10, 1991


The United States Volleyball Association and the Sports Support Syndicate are proud to announce the anticipated release of The Cadre* Collection, an astounding collection of articles written by the elite of the

The Sports Support Syndicate has published a variety of titles by respected experts in the fields of, Swimming and Aquatics, Conditioning and Volleyball. More titles will be issued in 1991. The distribution side of the company handles a diverse number of titles and subjects.


For information or a catalog, please call 412- or1-800-.





Friday, January 11, 1991

Biz background with SSS

Sports Support Syndicate

Pittsburgh, PA 15203


Press Release

For immediate release


Orders:

Business:

FAX #:


January 11, 1991


Sports Support Syndicate imports home grown talent


The Sports Support Syndicate, an editing, publishing and distributing company for sports oriented books founded by Chairman and President Mark Rauterkus, recently named Chick Agnew to the positions of Vice-President and Secretary. Both Rauterkus and Agnew are natives, and alumni, of Penn Hills.

Rauterkus founded the Sports Support Syndicate in Evanston. IL in 1989, and moved to Pennsylvania in 1990, and is returning to the Pittsburgh area to establish its headquarters on the South Side. His background includes coaching and administering swim teams on both on a collegiate and club level, editorial work for Swimming World Magazine, computer sales, writing and professional photography.

"Although there is a tremendous amount of vanity publications in the overall industry, the Sports Support Syndicate was founded on the belief that there is always a market, and need, for intelligently handled products - specifically for sports. Thus our motto is "Intelligence Products & Progressive Publishing."

Agnew, a published writer in his own right, joins SSS as a career change from the hospitality industry, including a position as Front Office Manager for the opening of the Vista International Hotel in Pittsburgh in 1986. "I'm intrigued by the aspect of joining a growing company in its grass roots stage. I believe that my business background, combined with my writing interests, can help the Sports Support Syndicate in some very significant ways."

The Sports Support Syndicate has published a variety of titles by respected experts in the fields of, Swimming and Aquatics, Conditioning and Volleyball. More titles will be issued in 1991. The distribution side of the company handles a diverse number of titles and subjects.

For information or a catalog, please call 412- or 1-800-.


Wednesday, December 12, 1990

Fan mail from Japan, Fukuoka -- to Evanston


Can't be sure of the date.
The stamp image looks like a yellow moth / butterfly thing with a smile. 

Friday, August 03, 1990

Update

From a scan.

Mark Rauterkus
Sports Support Syndicate
1555 Sherman Ave. Suite 1650
Evanston, IL 60201
708-864-5089
August 3, 1990
Memo to Our Important Suppliers & Authors
Inside Strokes Newsletter
Dear Friends,

This summer has been a busy time, and it is getting worse before it can get
better. To begin, I'm moving the office to a new address on August 20. Here is
our new location:
Sports Support Syndicate
1739 East Carson Street
Suite 1650
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Local Number is 412-481-2497
The 1-800 number will remain the same. I don't have many other details as to
the business location until we sign a commercial lease. I do have a good
location in mind and we've got a new apartment.
The reason I'm writing now is to put the finishing touches on our first big
event for the fall, the American Swim Coaches Association World Clinic to
be held in Washington D.C. In some ways, I’m not prepared with a ton of
products. Presently many things are still on the drawing boards. However, we
do have plenty to offer at this juncture. And, we must go forward, even with
pending projects as this is the only time of the year where we can all get
together and visit while concentrating on swimming sales.
Last year was a big year for our young company. Next year will be even bigger
as we put more follow-through behind our ideas and direction we have
already started. Last year at this time I was finishing our first book, and we
needed to send 4 cases to the show via Greyhound to arrive in time for our
autograph session. We were a one-product display last year. This year we will
easil9 fill the 2 and a third booths. We have plenty of irons in the fire, and we
like that challenge.

I'm exhibiting at the clinic with a double-sized booth, and we are next to
another company, Competitive Aquatic Supply, in a single booth. We are
joining forces for the show to make a combined presence.
We would like to have you join us at the ASCA clinic in our booth for sales
activities. We will have the room to have an island table for special guests in
the booth to show their products, sign-books, visit with customers, etc.
This is an open invitation to you for your participation. I'd love to have you
there. Your presence will be important. While there, we will have the time to
get familiar with the products, the sales mission, the customer demand and
issues. For the new people, I’m looking at this as a time to get together for a
long'-term relationship.
You are invited to join us in the booth without charge. I'm paying for the
booth. However, this is a sales opportunity as well as a show and education
opportunity. We can sell right on the floor, and I encourage you to do so.
Bring products. If we sell out of the stock that your are able to bring, we can
right orders and make deliveries after the show.
While selling at the show, all the sales will go through our cash box. We will
have the customers write their checks, purchase orders and take the credit
card info to be payable to us. Then at the end of each day, or after the show
closes, we will settle the cash box situation.
With you visiting our booth, bringing your own product, paying for your
own transportation, etc. I’d like to retain only 20% of the gross sales from the
sales of your products. This also includes follow-up sales that we deliver as a
direct result of the show. You'll keep 80% of the gross.
with our new splash at this clinic, I do not feel much pressure to offer huge
show discounts on products. Small extras are good, but I don't want to hold a
fire sale on any merchandise. We can talk about price specials at the show.
Before the show, we should discuss quantities.
At this time, this same invitation is headed to these people:
Keith Bell, book author
David Salo, book author
George Grippo, Polar USA
Don Gambril, book author
Jonty Skinner, book and software author and presenter at mini-school
Paul Pallisso, Video producer
Force Fins of Bob Evans Design - pending author (other booth)
Bob Gillette, inventor, pending author
Skip Bird, author (not expected as recovering from surgery)
Larry Newell, American Red Cross, pending author/supplier (not expected)

Dennis Fosdick, Water Polo, author (other booth)
David Berkoff, pending author, (not expected)
Hobie Billingsley, pending author (not expected)
Fred Crusiger, author (not expected)
Donald Chu, author (not expected)
Jerry Colletto, author (not expected)
Dr. Jane Katz, (pending author)
Leader Sports Products (supplier)
Rob Sleamaker, (author & other exhibitor possible)
Any author from Human Kinetics Publishers
Dr. Ernie Maglischo, (author for autograph visit)
Brent Rutemiller (author)
Dennis Pursley (author)
Pete Leighton, Athletes' Outlet (sales source)
Dr. Jan Pans, (author)
Lou Sharp, (Software author) Swim Logic
Dr. Leon Revien, Visual Skills Inc. (video producer/author)
Mary T. Meagher, author
Zoomers, pending author
Randall Eli Radic, author
Delphis Foundation, (other booth) video producers
High Peaks from Lake Placid (sales agent & catalog distribution site)
Melissa Rinker, Circle City Swimwear (sales agent in other booth)
The above list is long and includes plenty of people who are working on
plenty of different "intelligent products." However, I'm not expecting a
majority of the people to attend the clinic. You might find yourself on that list
and know that there is no way that you are going to possibly be there. That is
ok with me, but I wanted to let everyone know that you are most welcome.
Those with pending project, this will be a time where we can do some
investigation, research, testing of our ideas. You might want to come for a
discovery session. However, you might want to come only after the product is
completed. Also, those with their own agenda, I invite you to stop by the
booth, and we can establish a schedule, for a short visit. We would like you to
autograph copies of your books for our customers. That would be a great
reason to make a quite appearance.
Another major campaign is about to be finalized in the next few months
concerning our literacy project. We are about to publish a literacy/comic book
that will be a givea-way item. We are working with Cartoonist Across
America and a few advertisers that have expressed an interest. We have also
made connections with Barbara Bush, but at this time, the details are still
pending. We might have more exact news at the clinic.

With the literacy project, we will publish 50,000 books that explain swimming
at a baselevel interest with a character called Patrick Rabbit, the Greatest
Athlete in the Universe. Our slogan is "Read! Exercise Your Mind." We hope
to deliver 50 free copies of the book to each coach at the ASCA Clinic for
distribution to people in the coach's home community. Coaches should be
able to sign-up for delivery at our booth.
There is a series of definite campaigns that will be available by the ASCA
clinic, and this is our co-op catalog publishing project with swim specific
merchants. (."ompetitive Aquatic Supply of Huntington Beach and Ohio and
High Peaks of Lake Placid, New York will be distributing 15,000 copies of a 16
page book catalog to their customers this fall. Having merchants take such a
special interest in a dedicated book catalog is a first in our industry. I am very
excited about the sales potential of this type of marketing tool We are going
to be selling books like never before.
This co-publishing of a 16-page book catalog is the largest of our progressive
marketing activities, but other smaller advances have been realized
throughout the year. This includes: products available for evaluation and
display for company catalogs and trade shows from T.J.'s, World Wide
Aquatics, Kast-a-way, ISHOF, Swimmers Edge, ASC A, Swimming World,
At}aetes' Outlet, The Victor, Triathlon Today Magazine, and many other
sports shops from London to Japan and Australia. It has been a busy year, and
the energy level is still growing.
I'm open to all of your ideas, new product plans, and involvement. I'll try to
work with everyone by assisting them get access to the ASC A trade exhibit
hall with the Swimming Support Syndicate if you call in advance and let me
know you'll be attending.
The show details:
Sincerely yours,
Mark Rauterkus

Monday, April 30, 1990

Adventures Unlimited


Back in the day, a partnership with Adventures Unlimited and SSS had us doing sales and programs that were far ahead of what Amazon was doing.

Adventures Unlimited was a sports and travel bookstore in Long Beach. We placed a Macintosh computer on the sales counter there and had sales calls, mail-order letters, inventory, and other functions go straight there.

Monday, April 02, 1990

Letter to The White House and First Lady, Barbara Bush

Mark Rauterkus
Sports Support Syndicate
1555 Sherman Ave. Suite 1650
Evanston, IL 60201
708-864-5089

April 2, 1990

The Office of the First Lady
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC

Dear Mrs. Bush,

We are planning on publishing a (not-for-profit) comic book that deals
directly with Family Literacy and Swimming, two of your interests. We
would like your help.

My company is working with the nonprofit, literacy group, Cartoonists
Across America, (Phil Yeh and Mary Beth Roberts). Phil is illustrating the
book using their slogan, “Read! Exercise Your Mind!" and the character,
Patrick Rabbit, the Greatest Athlete in the Universe.

Could you write a short introduction for the book? 

We want to put your words and photo on the book’s inside front cover. Enclosed is a copy of
the story line for your review, and I’m enclosing a recent edition of one of
Phil Yeh’s other books with Patrick Rabbit.

The book’s introduction will be at the Swim Coaches World Clinic in
Washington D.C. from September 5 to 8, 1990. Could you plan to attend the
clinic for an hour so we can hold a brief autograph session? We would like
some of the coaches to get autographed copies of the book.

One thousand swim coaches from around the USA and a hundred or
so from other countries attend the ASCA World Clinic each year. We will
give every coach at the clinic 50 free copies of this book. The coaches will
distribute the books in their communities to promote literacy and swimming.
The book is intended for children (age 6-12) and their parents. The
comic book format is ideal for new readers. The book’s story will entertain
and teach how to join a swim team, swimming jargon, and conquering the
personal fear of getting started in a strange activity.


Sincerely yours,
Mark Rauterkus 

Thursday, September 21, 1989

to Magazine publishers

Foreword


This proposal contains numerous sections, details and reasoning in an attempt to accomplish a wide range of objectives. This document serves as a sales pitch that establishes a need for our services, as well as a business plan. We expect an individual account to generate revenues anywhere within the range of $14,000 to $200,000 in the first year. With those amounts of money, one expects thorough planning and documentation.


Another factor that extends the length, depth and scope of this proposal is our creative flexibility and desire to customize solutions with the various magazine publishers. It is easy to be rigid, but we prefer to keep "Support" at the center of our name.


The give-and-take process takes added energy. We are committed to hard work. But not at the expense of productivity.


Efficiency is necessary as our company faces tremendous growth this fall. Interacting with your publication is an important step for our future. We are running ahead with proposals headed to: New Orleans SportsLife, Windy City Sports, Armature Athlete, Competitor, The Master Skier, a swim coaches Newsletter, and Triathlon Today.


As we reach this period of expansion, we've studied our past, the concerns of our associates and customer reaction. With the evaluation, we have generated a new strategic philosophy.


We decided to offer your company a choice between two types of payment structures. Our traditional outline and reasoning is enclosed, along with a new type of agreement reasoning. This binder contains two different approaches to fiscal management.


Our present agreement policy is in section IV. Summary: All expenses are paid before the magazine publisher and Sports Support Syndicate split the remaining profits 50/50.


Our newly designed policy is in section VI. Summary: Magazine publishers get between 10 to 25 percent of the gross revenues right off the top. Then the Sports Support Syndicate pays all operational expenses and generates profits for itself with the remainder of the funds.


The newly designed policy is streamlined in operation and in negotiations. We will not have to wade through accounting ledgers and expose the magazine publishers to the normal delays with the sales and expense cycles. This option is preferable, if you agree.


Let's first clarify the question, "How to handle business activity?" Then we can get involved in the question of, "How to split profits?"


Section III asks you a series of questions that will establish an understanding for our course of action and respective job descriptions in this endeavor.


Section IV is the Proposal Outline and Reasoning.


Section V presents a sample contract.


Section VI is a question and answer section -- The TEST!


Section VII are few example ads.

Friday, February 17, 1989

Volleyball Monthly efforts

logo for Volleyball Support Syndicate

Example full page magazine ad for right side for selling books and VHS video tapes. 



Tuesday, February 14, 1989

From CP



My address, then living in a house with Pete Leighton, 2920 Cedar Ave, Long Beach, 90806.