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ADVANCED MARKETING SERVICES NAMES RICHARD C. FREESE PRESIDENT OF PUBLISHERS GROUP WEST

Advanced Marketing Services, Inc., a leading global provider of customized services to book retailers and publishers, today announced that Richard C. Freese, formerly President and CEO of MBI Publishing Company, has been named President of Publishers Group West (PGW), Advanced Marketing Services' global distribution company.

"We are pleased to have someone with Rich's great depth of experience in the book industry take on the overall direction of our distribution operations," said Michael M. Nicita, AMS President and CEO. "His career spans more than 25 years of service in various management and executive positions in the publishing industry, encompassing all aspects of the book business from sales and marketing to publishing and distribution. His most recent assignment was as President and CEO of MBI Publishing Company, LLC (Motorbooks), based in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he successfully grew the company's profits and positioned the organization for continued growth. Other companies for whom Rich has worked include John Wiley & Sons, Crown Publishing Group, Random House and National Book Network."

Freese succeeds Charlie Winton, founder and former president and CEO of PGW, who is now Group Chairman and CEO of Avalon Publishing. "Charlie created and built a great distribution company and I am excited about the opportunity to continue building upon his legacy," Freese commented. "I am also extremely excited about being an integral part of the PGW/AMS team and becoming a driving force in formulating the strategic growth and direction for the organization."

In his new post as President of PGW, Rich will report directly to Kevan Lyon, Executive Vice President - Distribution/Publisher Services at Advanced Marketing Services. "Rich brings a deep knowledge of the book industry which will serve him well as he takes the helm at PGW," Lyon said. "His background and experience make him uniquely suited to work with the AMS executive team to strengthen and grow PGW's business domestically and internationally. His experience in running a mid-size publishing operation gives him valuable insight into the needs and concerns of many of our publisher clients."

About Advanced Marketing Services, Inc.:

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Advanced Marketing Services (AMS) is a leading global provider of customized wholesaling, distribution and custom publishing services to the book industry. The Company provides a full range of value-added services that provide AMS customers with book buying advice and expert supply chain management, including advertising and promotional support, to ensure the success of their book programs. AMS's proprietary Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) software is a unique tool that allows its book specialists to efficiently and effectively manage global book distribution systems for the benefit of its warehouse clubs and book store customers. AMS has extensive operations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Australia and employs approximately 1,700 people worldwide.

About Publishers Group West:

Publishers Group West, established in 1976 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, is the largest exclusive distributor of independent publishers in North America. The company, acquired in January 2002 by Advanced Marketing Services, Inc., has sales offices in New York City and San Diego. Ranked as one of the top 10 vendors of books in the United States, PGW represents more than 150 independent publishers, who together are publishing some of the most topical, innovative, literary and award-winning books available today. More information is available at the corporate Web site, www.pgw.com.