Coffee House Press announces the appointments of two executives to the Coffee House Press professional staff.
Mark Haber, who has been Director of Marketing for Coffee House Press for the past two and a half years, has been named Director of Acquisitions and Marketing, a new position.
Kaija Straumanis has been hired as Editorial Director, a new position. She will begin her assignment on November 10, 2025.
Linda Ewing, Executive Director, said, “We are so very pleased to announce this well-deserved promotion of Mark Haber and to welcome Kaija Straumanis to our staff. Together, Mark and Kaija will collaborate in the acquisition of new titles, continue building upon Coffee House Press’s renowned catalog, and steer the press into an exciting new chapter.”
In addition to his role in reviewing and acquiring new literary works, Mark Haber will continue his responsibilities for marketing, sales, advertising, and public outreach.
Mark said, “I look forward to filling my new responsibilities and am energized and optimistic about the opportunities I see going forward to sustain and further build Coffee House Press’s success.”
Prior to joining Coffee House Press in 2023, Mark was a bookseller and the operations manager at Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Texas for more than a decade. Mark was also a three-time juror for the Best Translated Book Award and a juror on the National Endowment for the Arts Translation Grant. He is the author of several Coffee House Press-published works including Reinhardt’s Garden, Saint Sebastian’s Abyss, Lesser Ruins, and the forthcoming novel Ada. Mark’s work has been nominated for numerous awards and has been translated into several languages. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a BA in English.
As Editorial Director, Kaija Straumanis's primary responsibilities will be working with Coffee House Press’s authors to prepare their manuscripts for publication—including editing, copy editing, and proofreading—and leading projects through the production process. She will also actively participate in the acquisition of new titles for publication by Coffee House Press. Kaija said, “I’m honored to join Coffee House Press at this important time in its development. Coffee House Press’s stellar reputation has drawn me to this opportunity, and I look forward to contributing to its future achievements.”
Kaija joins Coffee House Press after thirteen years as the senior editor of Open Letter Books in Rochester, NY. She is also a published and award-winning literary translator from the Latvian and has worked as a digital typesetter for publishing organizations such as Lost River Press and Dalkey Archive Press. She received her MA from the University of Rochester following a BA in Literature, Creative Writing, and German from Coe College.
