SATURNO PRESS
When I completed my first manuscript, I submitted to many agents and publishing
companies, hoping to
find the perfect agent or publisher, only to receive countless rejection letters and promises that never culminated.
I realized that getting published is important, but going only for name-brand status was not. The old-guard editors and publishing companies had become oversaturated, so I decided to pursue
another avenue.
In 2005, I started my own
small publishing house, Saturno Press, to get my first book out to the market. When people think of self-publishing these
days, they usually call to mind the services of a vanity press. I wanted better control over the design, price and placement
of my book, and felt that the traditional publishing world as it stands was not right for me. I knew that by forming my own
publishing company that I would in control, I could decide on everything from the cover to the price, marketing, book
award submissions and more. Researching forming a publishing company, I found thatother authors such
as para-normal suspense writer J.R. Rain and mystery writer Gamma Halliday had formed their own imprints. With
all the tools of a publisher at my disposal, my work began.
Publishing under my own company fulfilled the vision I had
for my first book. By doing this, I was hands on in editing, formatting, packaging and marketing
the books, much like a traditional publisher. By forming Saturno Press there was a hope to annoint
my career as a fledgling author with legitimacy and give me an edge in a flooded and cutthroat marketplace.
The biggest draw, was also the chance to be associated with a more successful author’s
brand. My path from author to operating my own small imprint has been a challenge to hope that through the
scope of my ambitions, my writing would reach the public. It sounded appealing and empowering ,
but I soon realized that the drudge work and endless self -promotion was not easy. Soon
began to see positive results.
When my first book, Mose T from A to Z: The
Art of Mose Tolliver was published, I began to enter in Book Competition and was pleased that my book was awarded with numerous Awards:
1.The prestigious Nautilus Silver Award in the category of Art Genre.Nautillus recognizes the contribution of independent presses and self-published books in bringing
new ideas to the marketplace It is an ongoing national competition in 24 categories celebrating literary contributions to
positive social change, spiritual growth, conscious living, wellness, and responsible leadership.
2.The New
York Book Festival recognizing
the achievement of writers in the non-fiction, fiction, children’s books, teenage, poetry, how-to, science fiction,
romance and biography/autobiography genres awarded Anton Haardt, for
her book on Mose Tolliver, First Place in Photography.
3. Creativity Annual Award (CAA):one of the
longest running independent international advertising and graphic design competitions in the world., where each year the judges
choose the best from all over the world. Mose T from A to Z won gold winner for typography book cover, silver book design interior, and silver
winner book cover design.
Mose T From A to Z: The Folk Art of Mose Tolliver
The book is a first-hand view of Mose from the days when I chaperoned him
and his wife to the Corcoran exhibit through his rise to national recognition in the folk art world. Folk art scholar Regenia
Perry has contributed a preface on the significance and appeal of Tolliver's work. Lee Kogan, curator of The American Folk
Art Museum in New York, has also written a wonderful introduction. I have included an essay along with stories and anecdotes
from my close friendship with Mose dating back to I've presented some of the finest vintage pieces in my collection in an
A to Z format of one-of -a- kind Mose titles (J is for Jimma Jamma Girl-She does the wild dance , E for Electric Slide).
These high quality reproductions are complimented by multiple photographs of Mose at home with his family and working on his
art.
"The
photographs and the art work offer powerful images, touching the South's natural soul. Its strength rests in the successful revelation of African-Americans non-academic living art tradition. It's a must for any library daring to blend art school painters with untrained artistic genius."
Morris Dees,
Founder of The Southern Poverty Law Center
