Emily Dorr Announces Launch of New Publishing Company, Postern Publishing

Frederick, MD—Frederick native, Emily Dorr, is no stranger to overcoming challenges. From running marathons to hands-on historic home restoration to owning and operating multiple businesses, Dorr’s ingenuity, unwavering determination, and perseverance have propelled not only her interests but her business successes as well. These attributes are the driving forces behind the inception of Postern Publishing, her newest business which is launching at a time when the world is experiencing unprecedented hardship amidst a global pandemic. 

Postern Publishing is a natural extension of Dorr’s first business,­ Postern, a Frederick-based marketing agency. When she acquired the company three years ago, she had the vision to transform it from a graphic design studio to a full-service marketing agency. Since then, Dorr has diversified services, established a foundation, realized client growth, and nearly doubled the size of the team, hiring specialized personnel to bring her vision to fruition. While the Postern team is currently supporting the launch of Postern Publishing, the goal is to make it an independent entity in the future.

“While there are some great publications in the marketplace, we’re looking to expand by creating publications that don’t yet exist,” said Dorr. “Traditionally, the publishing industry has been centered on print publications. However, there’s been a shift with the internet providing timely access. The intent is that our own publications will be online digital content first, supported by printed publications. Our hope is to create multiple original publications while also helping an array of organizations successfully achieve their own publications.”

Chris Vandergrift, Director of Communication and Production at Postern, views the digital-first model as an opportunity to meet audiences in a more timely and meaningful way. “It’s a real challenge for publications to maintain the level of relevance needed to be viewed as a legitimate resource. The rapid rate of the current news and information cycle requires agility and timeliness of the content, so coordinating a digital presence in tandem with printed work offers readers a real multi-media opportunity to remain in the know.” Vandergrift noted businesses need readily adaptable platforms to showcase both content and advertising that will support the frequently shifting economic climate.       

Despite the challenges of working remotely during the pandemic, the company is currently developing its first publication, to be publicly launched later this summer. It is this project that became the catalyst for creating Postern Publishing. “It feels like we’re in a sprint to get things done,” said Dorr, “but progress has to be measured and intentional, especially in the current economic climate. The challenge is maintaining the momentum, all while dealing with the obvious stressors of starting a business during a global health crisis. But crises often lead to innovation, so this is our moment to do just that – innovate.” 

Dorr credits much of her success to her supportive family. “My parents always encouraged us to follow our dreams,” says Dorr. “They are always supportive of me and my siblings and exposed us to a lot, allowing us to face obstacles and giving us the tools to overcome them on our own. I really believe this is what has helped me have a courageous attitude in adulthood, particularly in matters of business.”

As she looks to the future, Dorr recognizes the value of allowing human experiences—good and bad alike—to refine, rather than define, who she is both as a person and as a leader in Frederick’s business community. Her resilience has been a constant and significant factor in all she has continued to undertake and is an attribute she works hard to help develop in her team members. And now, with a solid reputation of publishing work already under their belt—including guides for Visit Frederick and Visit Howard County, among others—as well as a supportive community of clients and partners, Dorr and her team at Postern Publishing anticipate an exciting forward surge in 2020.

For more information on Postern Publishing, please reach out to Wallis Shamieh at wallis@posternagency.com.

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Media Contact: Wallis Shamieh; wallis@posternagency.com; 240-578-9909

Postern Publishing, established in 2020, is a Frederick-based custom publishing company for traditional and online publications.